Take your Bible and turn with
me to the Gospel according to John chapter 18. John 18. I'd like to look at verses 19
through 27. John 18. I've entitled this message, The
Obedient, Savior, the obedient Savior. The Apostle Peter has already
denied the Lord once. He came up to the door when he went
into the room where the Lord was. The woman at the door said, aren't
you one of them? Now, Peter is in the midst, we'll
see that in just a minute. The cock has already crowed one
time. Now you remember the Lord told
him, before the cock crows twice, three times you're going to deny
me. one time already. And now Peter
is standing with them, and he's warming himself. Oh, as the Spirit of God causes
us to behold the amazing degree of weakness that's found within
every one of us. Let's take note. Let me ask you this. The Lord told Peter, you're going
to deny me three times. Can we think badly of Peter? The one that the Lord has shown
mercy? The one that the Lord prayed
for that his faith fail not? Let me ask you this. What believer
in this room has not done the same thing in his heart? Who
are we? I want you to hold your place
right there. Turn to Romans 14.4. The next time, I'm talking to
Marvin now. You can listen in if you want
to. The next time somebody stumbles, a believer stumbles, Romans 14.4,
who art thou that judges another man's servant? to his own master,
he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holding up,
for God is able to make him stand." Marvin, pray for him. Pray for him. Encourage him. Let every believer take heed,
lest he fall also. You know, if the Lord doesn't
keep us, you know what's going to happen? We're not going to
be kept. We're going to fail. Alright,
now here's where we are. The Lord has been taken in the
garden. He's taken in and He's now before the high priest. As
we look at these verses, 19 to 27, let's have this one thought,
His obedient, submission to the Father's will. This is the reason
that He's here. The Father has given Him a calling. The Father's will to
Him, the work that the Father's given Him. And Lord Jesus Christ
is the obedient servant. Look at 1 Peter 2.23. 1 Peter
2.23. I thought about this verse this
morning and we're going to read what happened to him that day
that he stood before Pilate and Caiaphas and Annas and just passed
around. 1 Peter 2.23, when he was reviled,
reviled not again, when he suffered, he threatened not. but committed
himself to him that judgeth righteously." He perfectly obeyed God. Perfectly. Word, thought, and
deed. Now, verse 19, John 18, 19, the
high priest then asked Jesus of his disciples and of his doctrine,
what reason do you have followers? Is this an insurrection? What's
your real purpose? Now they're looking for a reason
to accuse him. Ask him about his doctrine. Is
it according to the Scriptures as they interpreted it? Looking again for blasphemy.
They're looking, waiting. They want to do one thing. I
want to catch him. Look at Mark 14.55. Mark 14.55. The scripture says, and the chief
priest and all the council sought for witness against Jesus to
put him to death, and they found none. Verse 20, they're asking him,
what about your disciples, what about your doctrine? Just wait
him, just wait him. Just say something so we can
catch you. Verse 20, and Jesus answered him, I speak openly
to the world, I ever taught in the synagogue, in the temple,
whether the Jews always resort, and in secret have I said nothing? Here he said all manner of men
have heard me. I spake openly to the world. Jews and Gentiles heard what
I said. A woman at the well, I ever taught
in the synagogue, that is, in other cities, because then he
mentions, and in the temple, in Jerusalem, where the Jews
always resort, in secret, have I said nothing. He did not keep
back. anything from anyone. That's
true. But what he's saying here that
he did not withhold any of the truth of the doctrine of God's
will, God's purpose, teaching. My sheep hear my voice. They follow me. I lay down my
life for the sheep. And he told the Pharisees, he
said, Reason, you don't believe me. You're not my sheep. He said,
I didn't withhold anything. God help us if we ever do. I
want to be faithful, faithful to God's Word, faithful to the
truth of God's sovereignty. I was listening to someone online
the other day. And he was dealing with Romans
chapter 9. Now if you want to go back, Romans chapter 9, you
know, Jacob hath I loved, Esau hath I hated. Does the potter
have the right out of the same lump to one vessel and to honor
another? That's Romans 9. If you read
Romans 9, and this man was just butchering it, just watering
it down. And he said, that doesn't mean,
you know, and I'm thinking, you're a liar. You're a liar. He said,
I kept back nothing. Nothing. The gospel we preach,
we ought to preach it boldly. We ought to preach it openly.
And we wait on the Lord to bless it. Someone said to Brother Scott
one time, if you preach that, you're going to confuse people.
Remember what he said? He said, they're already confused.
He said the truth is what sets a man free. That's the truth.
You don't help anybody by watering the gospel down, trying to make
it palatable to everybody's taste. Let God be true and let every
man be a liar. Jesus answered him, I spake openly
to the world. I ever taught in the synagogue,
the temple, whether the Jews resort, and in secret have I
said nothing. Verse 21, Why askest thou me? Ask them which heard me what
I have said unto them. Behold, they know what I said. Now here the Lord openly rebukes
the high priest for his gross injustice. You're wanting me
to incriminate myself. That's what he's saying. Why
do you avoid the rule of law trying to tempt me? The Lord
knew what he was doing. Here is the Lord of glory, the
omniscient, omnipotent Lord. He said, what you're doing is
you're asking me to speak, hoping to have me incriminate myself.
You're avoiding the practice of witnesses. Let everything
be established in the mouth of two or three witnesses. Ask them, ask them which heard
me what I've said unto them. probably pointing to some of
the ones that were standing right there. He said, Behold they,
these know what I said. If you want to know what someone
preaches, ask the people that hear him. If somebody wants to
know, what are y'all preaching over there at Katie Baptist Church?
Ask the people that hear. Ask them if it's been plain enough
for them to understand. I readily admit there may be
many that hear and don't agree, but I pray that they understand
what I said. I don't want somebody to walk
out and say, I don't have a clue what he was talking about. I
want them to understand, be plain. Ask. Why do you ask me? Ask those that heard me. Behold,
they know what I've said." Of course, what they would do, they
would try to get some witnesses. They let two false witnesses
speak. I want you to turn to Mark 14.
Mark 14. It's amazing how the Spirit of
God brings out these false witnesses. You know
when you have someone and they're false witnesses. I'm going to
try to make a relative application of this. Let me just read Mark 14, 55-59. Mark 14, 55-59. And the chief
priests and all the council sought for witness against Jesus to
put him to death. They found none. For many bear
witness against him, but their witness agreed not together. And there arose certain and bare
false witness against him, saying, We heard him say, I will destroy
this temple that is made with hands, and within three days
I will build another made without hands. But neither so did their
witness agree together." They could not get their story straight. You know, when you got somebody
that's lying, you know, if you're lying, you better have a good
memory. Because if it don't come out
just exactly right, but listen to this, they had some false
witnesses and they could not agree. They couldn't agree on
their lives against the Lord. There are many, many, many denominations
throughout this world. And this one says, I'm the way.
And this one says, well, this is the way. And this one says,
baptism is the way. And this one says, tongues is
the way. And this one says, you know, walking down the aisle
is the way. And this one says, this is the way. And this, church
membership. And if you can't trace your lineage
back to the apostles, this is the way. Let me ask you this.
Why is everybody not in agreement? Because they can't get it together. And let me tell you a foundational
truth Now here it is right here. The Lord Jesus said, I'm the
way. I'm the way. I'm the truth. I'm the life. No man comes to
the Father but by me. These false witnesses, they could
not agree. They couldn't agree. And everybody
else, I mean if everybody else has got another way, Something's
wrong. Something is grossly wrong. But they never did ask. Now,
they asked these false witnesses, but they didn't ask the one out
of John 7, 46 that says, never man spake like this man. It didn't
say anything to them. And all the while, Peter is standing
with them, warming himself. They pressed the Lord trying
to catch him in blasphemy. Hold your place right there.
Turn to Matthew 26. Matthew 26, verse 59. Matthew 26, 59. Now the chief priest and elders
and all the council sought false witness against Jesus to put
him to death. Verse 63. But Jesus held his
peace. And the high priest answered
and said unto him, I assure thee by the living God that thou tell
us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus saith unto
him, Thou hast said. Nevertheless, I say unto you,
Hereafter shall ye see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand
of power and coming in the clouds of heaven. What he just told
them, he said, you're going to see me coming. What he said was,
I'm God. I'm God Almighty. Verse 65, Then
the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He has spoken blasphemy. For what further need have we
of witnesses? Behold, now we have heard his
blasphemy. What think ye? They answered
and said, He's guilty of death. They had what they thought was
grounds to kill him. He's a blasphemer. Mark 14, verse
61, I'll read this again. The high priest asked Him and
said unto Him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the blessed? And Jesus
said, I am. I am. I'm God. That's what He said. I'm God
Almighty. God in the flesh. I am the everlasting,
I am chosen by the Father to the office of the Mediator, anointed
with the Holy Spirit without measure. I am the one of whom
all the Scriptures speak, the only begotten of the Father.
I am. And we stand and we boldly proclaim
the sovereign God who is God Almighty, who does as He will
in the army of heaven among the inhabitants of the earth, who
chooses one to show mercy to one and to leave another to Himself. I've heard men say, well, you're
saying that God predestinates people to hell. No, I never said
that. You made that up. Let me tell you something. Man
in the garden rebelled against God because he wanted to. That's what man did. Man rebelled
against God. And man incriminated himself. If God Almighty is pleased to
leave men to themselves to do just exactly what they want to
do, to leave them alone, to leave them alone, and to show mercy
to another and said, I'm not going to let you perish. He has
the right to do so. Don't you ever lay the blame
of sin against God at God's feet. He's not the author of sin. Man
did just exactly what he wanted to do. Man did that. Verse 22. And when he had thus
spoken, one of the officers which stood by struck Jesus with the
palm of his hand, saying, Answerest thou the high priest so? For questioning the high priest
concerning his way of handling court, that's what he is. For claiming yourself to be the
Messiah, you dare to answer? I told you what someone told. Many years ago, when I was in
Louisiana, they said, you're the sovereign
God that you're proclaiming. He said, that's my devil. I said,
well, unless the Lord delivers you from that, I'm going to tell
you something, you're going to perish. Unless you believe that
I'm He, you're going to die in your sins. That's what he told
them. I'm telling you. God Almighty is God Almighty. God Almighty. Oh, what disrespect,
what indecency and hatred against the Lord. There's no fear, no
respect or reverence. Men will hear a bald-faced lie
and applaud, and they'll hate the God of this Bible. Verse
23, Jesus answered him, if I've spoken evil, bear witness of
the evil. But if well, why smitest thou
me?" The Lord said, if I've spoken evil, bear witness on the record
to the fact that you think I've spoken evil, and do it in a just
and orderly manner. But if I've spoken according
to these Scriptures, this is what I would tell somebody. Search
the Scriptures. And if what I'm saying is not
so, then point it out. But now as far as just resting
the Scriptures and trying to make something say that's not,
if you show me, if we're not preaching the truth, that's what
the Lord told him, if I've spoken evil, bear witness of the evil,
but if well, why smitest thou me? Why do you strike me? Verse 24-25, Now Annas sent him
bound unto Caiaphas the high priest, and Simon Peter stood
and warmed himself. They therefore said unto him,
Art not thou also one of his disciples? And he denied it,
and said, I'm not, I'm not. Now remember, I want you to hold
right there, just turn back, same chapter, verse 15 to 18. Now all of the conversation that's
been going on between the high priest and the Lord Jesus Christ,
Peter heard it. John 18, 15, Simon Peter followed
Jesus and so did another disciple. That disciple was known unto
the high priest and went in with Jesus into the palace of the
high priest. But Peter stood at the door without,
then went out that other disciple, which was known unto the high
priest, and spake unto her that kept the door, and brought in
Peter. Then said the damsel that kept the door unto Peter, Art
thou not also this man's disciple? And he said, I am not. And the
servants and officers stood there, who had made a fire of coals. For it was cold, and they warmed
themselves, and Peter stood with them and warmed himself. He was
on the outside just a few minutes. And then that disciple that knew
the high priest, went and spoke to the damsel and got him in.
And Peter just stood there, listening, listening. He had seen the animosity. He
had seen the hatred. He heard them. They said unto
him, Art thou not also one of his disciples? He denied it.
He said, I'm not. Look at Matthew's account, Matthew
26, verse 72. And again, he denied with an
oath. I do not know the man. What he's saying is this. I give
you my word." He denied it with an oath. I promise. I promise you. I don't know him. I don't know him. Notice the
downward spiral of rebellion. It just gets easier and easier.
First time, quietly, he said, aren't you one of the ones? I'm
not. This time, he said, I promise you, I promise you, I don't know
it. John 18, verse 26-27, one of
the servants of the high priest, being his kinsman, whose ear
Peter cut off, saith, Did not I see thee in the garden with
him? Did not I see you in the garden
with him? Look at Matthew 26 again, verse
73 to 75. Matthew 26, 73 to 75 is what
Matthew records. And after a while came unto him
they which stood by and said to Peter, Surely thou also art
one of them, for thy speech bereath thee. Then began he to curse,
and to swear, saying, I know not the man. Just sitting there cussing and
cussing and cussing. And immediately, the cock crew. And Peter remembered the word
of Jesus which said unto him, Behold, before the cock crow
thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out. and wept bitterly. Peter remembered. Look at Luke
22 as I wind down here. Luke 22, 59. Luke 22, 59. Oh, the heartache for all of us as
we see that attitude that still resides in all of us. Luke 22, 59. About the space of one hour,
another confidently affirmed saying of the truth, this fellow
also was with him. But he's a Galilean. And Peter
said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately while
he yet spake, the cock crew and the Lord turned. Now remember,
Peter is in the room with him. Peter's in the room with him.
And the Lord's listening to the conversation, listening to the
questions that they're asking Peter. You're one of them. No.
Cussing. I don't know the man. I don't
know the man. Man, I don't know what you're
saying. And the Lord turned and looked upon Peter. And Peter
remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before
the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And Peter went out
and wept bitterly." Oh, the pain for a believer of disrespect
toward him, unfaithfulness toward our Lord. Oh, the instruction
that's given to every believer here. Don't think that anyone
is beyond this spirit of unfaithfulness. Don't you ever think. I'd never
do that. Don't you ever say that. Because
I'm telling you, I've got scriptural record to bear out. Oh yes, we
would. But for the grace of God, all
four Gospels are recorded concerning this denial right here for our
learning. Here's a fact. Unless the Lord
keeps us, even in our failings, we're going to perish. If He
marked iniquity, who could stand? Mark this truth. Peter went out
and he was broken. He was broken. He was broken. The Lord told him what he was
going to do. Listen, let me just read this,
Psalm 51, verse 17. The sacrifices of God were a
broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise. What mercy! What mercy. But as I'm now, I'm really, I'm
stopping. But I want you to turn to Luke
22. Luke 22. And what Peter did, he did, he did because he wanted to do it.
Listen to Luke 22. Verse 31, 32. The Lord said unto Simon, and
this was before Peter denied the Lord. The Lord said unto Simon, no,
I'm sorry, the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired
to have you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed
for thee, that thy faith fail not, and when thou art converted,
strengthen thy brethren." I want you to just, as we come
to the end of this message, consider even now that old man that still
resides in every one of us. That old man that would be quite
content to just stand and warm himself. That old man, that is, I can
truthfully say, disrespectful. But according to our Lord's promise,
now you talk about mercy, I will have mercy on whom I'll have
mercy. This is what he told Peter. Satan
has desired to have you. He told Peter what Satan's desire
was before it ever happened. Satan hath desired to have you,
but I've already prayed for you. He is ever advocating for his
people. He is ever pleading his merit on their behalf. How little do we know concerning
our Lord's prayer for us. The intercessor, he ever liveth. But in that day of reckoning,
how shall we ever adequately thank him because he never held
his peace on our behalf? Never. Even when Satan desired
to have his own, I don't know the temptation that I'm going
to have to face. I don't know what's coming up. But the Lord does. And even now
He's saying that I've prayed for you. I've nipped it in the
bud. Satan has desired. His desire is to have you. But
I've already prayed for you. That your faith Fail not. Before the accusation of the
accuser occurs, he's prayed. I've already prayed for you that
your faith fail not. And I'm going to tell you something.
If he's prayed for me that my faith fail not, it's not going to fail. Because
he said you're kept by the power of God through faith, ready to
be revealed in the last time. Lord, pray for me. I tell you,
pray for me. Oh, but that He prays for me.
Thanks be unto Him. Lord, bless these words to our
heart.