You can argue that Peter brought it on himself.
Psalms 1:1 says: “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers.” Peter made his bed with the unbelievers, and now he was “forced” to protect himself through denying his Lord. Right now, the Peter we’re seeing is a different man. We’re seeing a man who wanted to make it absolutely clear that he had nothing to do with Christ. He didn’t know Him, had never known him, and even if it cost him his life, he didn’t want to be associated with him.
24 Hours. This is the same man who had helped Jesus feed the five thousand. This is the same man who Jesus renamed from Simon to Peter because he was meant to be the rock for the church. The same man who was the leader of the disciples.
What does this show? The fact that you were okay yesterday has nothing to do with whether you are going to be okay today. All Satan needs is that one opportunity. Peter had no intentions of denying Jesus that day. He thought he had that mental strength, that will power. He even contradicted Jesus when the Lord protected his denial.
You see, you’d think that after the second denial, he’d think back to what Jesus said and would’ve stopped before making the third. But he didn’t. Peter forgot Jesus’ words. Whenever you forget the Word of God, you open yourself to the Devil.
I feel like as I get older, the importance of all those “memory verses” they made me learn during Sunday school really sticks out. The Word is not only a form protection, but it can serve as a reminder or even reinsurance. You can’t follow rules you don’t know. You can’t speak of that you don’t know.
You ever have to give a presentation about something you know nothing about. A lot of the time it doesn’t go well. You sweat. You stutter. You fumble. Why? Cause there’s no confidence in your words. You don’t know it, let alone believe it.
Now if I asked you about your favourite show, not only will you be able to give me a detailed breakdown of what’s going on, but if I told you “X” happened, you’d be able to tell me, “No actually it was Y”. When you spend time and get invested, nobody can lie to you about it. Nobody can convince you otherwise, because you know the truth.
The Word acts in the same way. The enemy might tell you that you can’t get out of your current situation, but then you think back to Romans 18:8 and declare “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” Or when you think about life and just feel like you have nothing to offer to God, you look to Matthew 5:16 and know “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” What you don’t know, you can’t believe. What you don’t believe, you’ll never act on. If you’re never acting, that means you’re constantly reacting and have left yourself open to what the world tries to force on you.
Back to Peter. He forgot the words of Jesus. Not only did he forget, but it wasn’t until Jesus turned and looked at Peter before he remembered. ‘And he went outside and wept bitterly.’
It gets like that. We may never know what Peter felt in that moment. Shame? Anger? Fear? As far as we know, Jesus never told anyone what Peter did in the moment. It may have been their secret, just as we love to keep our problems to ourselves. But a secret sin can break up hearts and homes just as easily as one in the public. And it’s clear to see, Peter was a broken man.
My Sunday Skl 