When You Fall Off The Mountain

TO FALL OFF THE MOUNTAIN OF CHRIST

MARK 14:29-72

I HAVE TO SAY THAT TO ME PETER IS THE SCARIEST OF ALL THE DISCIPLES. THE REASON THAT HE IS THE SCARIEST IS BECAUSE WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE LIFE HE LED IN THE PRESENCE OF JESUS CHRIST, HE STILL SEEMED TO FAIL ON A REGULAR BASIS. THAT ALSO GIVES ME SOME HOPE BECAUSE PETER WAS SPECIAL TO JESUS EVEN THOUGH SOMETIMES HE LET HIS MOUTH OVERLOAD HIS BEHIND. THIS MORNING WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT SOMETHING THAT I HAVE EXPERIENCED FIRSTHAND AND AN ONGOING STRUGGLE IN EACH AND EVERY CHRISTIANS LIFE IN THIS BUILDING TODAY….

HOW DO I KEEP FROM BACKSLIDING OR TO PUT IT IN TERMS WE MIGHT UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BETTER….

HOW DO I STAND FIRMLY ON THE MOUNTAIN.

1. YOU MIGHT BE HERE THIS MORNING AND THINK THIS MESSAGE IS FOR SOMEONE ELSE HERE IN THIS BUILDING TODAY BUT I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT IF YOU CAN HEAR THE SOUND OF MY VOICE THIS MORNING… GOD WANTS YOU TO LISTEN UP!!

2. BACKSLIDING IS A PROCESS FOLKS. ONE DAY YOU JUST DON’T WAKE UP AND SAY

I’M GONNA THROW ALL THAT JESUS STUFF OUT THE WINDOW AND CHUCK EVERY-

THING IN ALL AT ONCE. IT JUST DOESN’T HAPPEN THAT WAY.

EVE SAW THE FRUIT FIRST NOW DIDN’T SHE? THEN SHE DESIRED THE FRUIT…. THEN

SHE TOOK THE FRUIT OFF THE TREE ( JUST TO LOOK AT IT AND SEE WHAT IT FELT LIKE AND MAYBE TO LOOK AT IT MORE CLOSELY)…. THEN EVE ATE OF THE FRUIT AND NO FRIEND SHE DIDN’T STOP THERE SHE DRUG SOMEBODY ELSE DOWN WITH HER DIDN’T SHE? SHE OFFERED THAT SAME FRUIT TO ADAM.

FALLING OUT OF THE WILL OF GOD FOR YOUR LIFE IS A PROCESS AND AS THAT PROCESS BEGINS TO TAKE SHAPE IN OUR HEARTS AND MINDS IT LEADS US TO BECOME BACKSLIDDEN.

FALLING AWAY FROM THE COMPANY AND FELLOWSHIP OF JESUS IS A DISEASE THAT DESTROYS TOO MANY MEN AND WOMENS LIVES BECAUSE WE AREN’T AWARE OF THE WARNING SIGNS…

HAVE YOU FALLEN FROM THE MOUNTAIN?

PETER OFFERS US HOPE IN LEARNING HOW WE MAY RECOGNIZE AND CURE THE INWARD DISEASE OF BACKSLIDING THAT CAN PROBABLY BE BETTER KNOWN AS SELF-WILL.

CAN YOU TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF GOD THIS MORNING?

IF YOU CAN THEN TURN IN YOUR BIBLES TO THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST AS RECORDED BY MARK THE FOURTEENTH CHAPTER STARTING IN VERSE 29 AND IF YOU DON’T WANT A LITTLE BIT OF GOD’S TRUTH TODAY YOU’RE IN THE WRONG PLACE FRIEND BECAUSE I’M FRESH OFF A VACATION AND GOD HAS BEEN TALKING TO ME!!!!

OUR TEXT IS GOING TO COME FROM VERSES 29 THRU 72 AS WE LEARN THE ELABORATE ON THE SEVEN STEPS TO FALLING FROM THE MOUNTAIN AND THE ONE GIANT STEP TO GET BACK ON THE MOUNTAIN.

VERSE 29 GIVES US THE FIRST WARNING SIGN OF BACKSLIDING ( READ )

( FIRST WARNING SIGN ) IS THAT PETER BECAME A LITTLE BIT TOO CONFIDENT IN HIMSELF…. THE I HERE IS PRETTY SELF EVIDENT OF WHO HIS TRUST WAS RELYING ON IN THOSE FINAL MOMENTS BEFORE THE GREATEST MOMENT IN HISTORY WAS CARRIED OUT. THE GREATEST MOMENT??? HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT ABOUT JESUS DYING ON THE CROSS???

THAT’S THE ONLY WAY HE COULD SAVE ME FRIEND! MAYBE WE NEED TO REFLECT A LITTLE MORE OFTEN ON WHAT JESUS SAVED US FROM BECAUSE WITHOUT HIS DEATH ON THE CROSS, NOBODY WAS GOING TO HEAVEN.

PETER BECAME SELF-CONFIDENT IN ALL THE THINGS THAT HE HAD DONE FOR CHRIST AND MAYBE HE EVEN GOT TO THINKING ABOUT HOW BIG AND STRONG HE WAS COMPARED TO ALL THOSE OTHER LITTLE BITTY DISCIPLES. SURELY THE STRONG BACK THAT HAD LIFTED ALL THOSE FISH IN THE NETS OF FISHING BOATS HIS WHOLE LIFE WOULD BE ABLE TO STAND UP TO THE STRAIN OF DYING FOR HIS BEST FRIEND OR WITH HIS BEST FRIEND.

FIRST MISTAKE WAS BELIEVING IN HIMSELF!

SECOND WARNING SIGN THAT PETER GAVE THAT WE SHOULD REMEMBER IS THAT HE WENT INTO A BOASTING ATTITUDE TO DEFEND HIS POSITION…. LOOK AT IT IN VERSE 31

ALL THE DISCIPLES SAID THAT THEY WOULD NEVER LEAVE OR F0RSAKE JESUS BUT PETER TOOK IT A STEP FURTHER THAN THAT…. HE VEHEMENTLY OBJECTED TO THE TRUTH JESUS SPOKE TO HIM… HE SHOUTED LOUDER THAN ANYBODY IN THAT ROOM

" NO NOT ME JESUS, EVEN THOUGH THEY MIGHT RUN I’LL BE HERE THROUGH THE THICK OF THE FIGHT. I’LL STILL BE HERE WHEN EVERYBODY ELSE IS GONE "

BOASTING ABOUT WHAT YOU MIGHT DO OR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE IS FOOLISH MY FRIEND BECAUSE YOU SEE JESUS KNOWS THE OUTCOME ALREADY. HE KNOWS WHAT YOUR WEAKNESS IS AND HE HAS ALREADY PROVIDED THE GRACE AND THE MERCY TO COVER OUR MISTAKES. IN JOHN 13:36 WE HAVE THE DIALOG OF PETER AND JESUS AND PETER IS LITERALLY BEGGING JESUS FOR THE OPPURTUNITY TO DIE WITH HIM AND GO WITH HIM IMMEDIATELY…