 Our sermon title this morning is depraved denials, depraved denials. And we have come to John chapter 18 this morning to this paragraph from verses 13 through 27. So John chapter 18 verses 13 through 27. Our study of John chapter 18 verses 1 through 12 ended with the Lord Jesus Christ in the garden being wickedly betrayed, arrested, bound, and abandoned in the garden of Gethsemane. Our study today of John chapter 18 verses 13 through 27 now begins with the Lord being led away to a mock Jewish trial in the middle of the night. A night that would tragically end with devastating denials, a cruel injustice, and a sentence of death all before the rooster crowed the next morning. The Lord is depicted here humbly, courageously submitting himself to these humiliations in the midst of them perfectly obeying the will of the Father, obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. But why? To what end? Well according to Scripture, what we know of the Bible, all of this was done in fulfillment of the sovereign, triumphant, glorious, and victorious plans and purposes of God the Father for the salvation of his people through the sacrificial and substitutionary death of his son. Peter himself would later describe this series of events during his sermon at Pentecost in Acts chapter 2 verse 22 where Peter said, Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs, which God did through him in your midst as you yourselves also know, him being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands have crucified and put to death, whom God raised up having loosed the pains of death because it was not possible that he should be held by it. Praise God. Jesus Christ would be raised from the dead, the first fruits of all those who would be raised in him. As John works through our narrative in John chapter 18 verses 13 through 27, he draws together now two scenes that are playing out simultaneously. The first scene is the Jewish trial of going on of Jesus, going on inside the palace of the high priest. The second scene is the denials of Peter. These denials prophesied by the Lord and they're taking place outside in the courtyard. First, you have the hostile denial of the Jewish leaders, the rejection of his own people. John had said in chapter 1 verse 11 that he came to his own and his own did not receive him. This is tragically being played out now through this trial. By the end of the night, his own, his own will sentence him to death. And then secondly, you have the tragic heartbreaking denial of one of his own disciples who had just hours earlier professed to be willing to die for him. Depraved denials. In one scene, the fiercest of his enemies. In the other scene, the closest of his friends. One scene depicting the hard-hearted unbelief of rebel sinners hell-bent on denying him. The other scene depicting the heartbreaking weakness that's possible in genuine disciples desiring from the heart to live for him and yet denying him. If we think about this, we think about this scene as it plays here out on the pages of John's Gospel. Both of these are shocking to consider. They're shocking when we stop to think about them, right? And we're going to consider both of them side by side as we work through the passage. This world's hatred for Christ. Hatred in the heart of an unbeliever is often shocking. Here we see it whole-hearted, whole-sold, a whole-sold rejection of the truth, a rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ in order to have their sin, in order to have their way, they're willing to kill the Lord of glory. But it's also shocking. It's shocking, isn't it? The worldly, half-hearted, compromising faithfulness that far too often appears in those can profess to be his followers. A compromising faithfulness that must be repented of if you're truly his. We'll look at both of these. Both of these as we work through the text. First in point one on your notes, we're going to look at the setting. That setting is given to us in verses 13 through 15. The people and the places involved here with our narrative. And then as our narrative switches back and forth between these two scenes, we'll consider point two on your notes, a disciple's denial. A disciple's denial in verses 16 through 18. Then we'll look at this world's denial represented here in the Jewish trial from verses 19 through 24. And then as John does, we'll come back to Peter's final denials in verses 25 through 27. So let's begin by taking a look at our setting, beginning in verse 13. Says in verse 13, after having arrested and bound him in the garden, they led him away to Annas first, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. Now it was Caiaphas, verse 14, who advised the Jews that it was expedient that one man should die for the people. And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest and went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest. So notice now, beginning in verse 13, after having arrested him, after having bound him in the night, in the garden of Gethsemane, they immediately led Jesus away to Annas first. This preliminary hearing of the Lord Jesus Christ before Annas in the middle of the night begins the Jewish trial of the Lord Jesus Christ. Annas, described in verse 13, as the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. Now it begs the question to understand our setting, if Caiaphas was the acting high priest that year, then why take him to Annas? Why take him to Annas? Annas was the godfather, so to speak, of the Jewish mob. Annas was the real authority behind the Jewish government, so to speak. Caiaphas served as the Roman governor's choice for high priest, but Annas is the one who ultimately pulled the strings. Annas was extremely wealthy, and he was extremely corrupt. If you remember from John chapter 2 and Matthew chapter 21, Jesus had twice gone into the temple to clear the temple of the money changers, those who bought and sold animals for the sacrifices, and those marketplaces that were wickedly set up in the temple were called the bizarres of Annas. Annas controlled those. Jesus calls them adenophieves. There was corruption, there was cheating. Annas was essentially making his fortune bilking the people of Israel. When the poor would come into Jerusalem to worship, Annas would sell at an astronomically high price animals or sacrifices that would only be acceptable in the temple. What they brought wouldn't be acceptable. There were those who would change money on the temple grounds because the money of the people on the countryside wouldn't be acceptable. They would have to use the money of the temple. Annas was making a killing on the backs of poor people, so becoming rich off the Israelites. Annas also had significant pull with the Roman governors. Annas had five of his sons, Annas son-in-law Caiaphas, all appointed as high priest. He also had significant power in the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin was the ruling council that here we'll see would eventually determine to crucify the Lord on a trumped-up charge of blasphemy. Now Annas himself had risen to power being high priest in AD 6. And high priests were appointed for life. So it was suspected or assumed that when Annas was appointed to high priest in AD 6, that he would serve for the duration of his lifetime. And so many saw Annas as the legitimate high priest in Israel. But Roman governors, when Roman governors took control as a measure of control over the Jews, Roman governors would come in and appoint their own high priests. And so Annas had been deposed in AD 15 by a Roman governor by the name of Lucius Vitalius. And then Caiaphas was appointed by Pilate's predecessor, Valerius Gratis, in AD 18, AD 18. So these circumstances lead to this interesting scenario in Israel at the time and led Luke to record in Acts chapter 3 verse 2 that both Annas and Caiaphas were high priests when John the Baptist began preaching. And they were both considered high priests as this trial begins. In Acts chapter 4 verse 6, Annas is listed as high priest and presiding over the Sanhedrin. Interesting to consider that passage in Acts chapter 4 verse 6. Peter in John 18 here is going to deny Christ. John, the other disciple as we'll see, is silent throughout the trial. And although both of them, if you think about this, both of them will go back to fishing after the crucifixion. Both Peter and John in just a short time from now in Acts chapter 4 verse 6 are also standing accused before Annas and Caiaphas, just like their Lord. Now why? What were they preaching? Well, it says in Acts 4 they were preaching the resurrection. The Lord Jesus Christ risen from the grave and both Peter and John will see here in weakness. There in Acts 4, 6 with great boldness, the Bible says, they were preaching Christ. It says in Acts chapter 4 verse 13 that when Annas, Caiaphas and the others saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived they were uneducated and untrained men, says they marveled and they realized that they had been with Jesus. Amen, right? Amen. So now in John chapter 18 in verses 13 and 14, Caiaphas had married the daughter of Annas. So Caiaphas was his son-in-law and Caiaphas was high priest that year according to verse 13. So in verse 14 then, Caiaphas then is described as the one who advised the Jews, in verse 14, that it was expedient that one man should die for the people. So verse 14 then, a reference to Caiaphas' leadership and specifically his leadership in a meeting of the Sanhedrin in John chapter 11. Turn back a couple of pages with me to John chapter 11. So Caiaphas' leadership in a meeting of the Sanhedrin regarding the raising of Lazarus from the dead that occurred in John chapter 11. Jesus said raise Lazarus from the dead, the rulers or the people couldn't deny. And so the chief priests and the Pharisees were exasperated over Jesus and they gathered the Sanhedrin, the ruling council together to decide what to do about him. Look at John chapter 11 and drop down to verse 45. Then many of the Jews who had come to marry and had seen the things that Jesus did believed in him. But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the things that Jesus did. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council, that's the Sanhedrin, right? They gathered a council and said, what shall we do? This man works many signs. Verse 48, if we let him alone like this, everyone's going to believe in him. And the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation. In other words, the relationship between the Jews at the time and the Romans was very tentative. If someone like Jesus Christ came along that was perceived to be a king or a leader among the people, that the Romans hadn't specifically appointed, the Romans could come in, wipe the whole system out and take over, which is essentially what they did in 8070. So the Jews at the time concerned about this were concerned about the growing popularity or the ground swell of support around Jesus, this Jesus of Nazareth. And they were concerned, verse 48, that the Romans might come in and take away both our place and our nation. So verse 49, one of them, Caiaphas, here he is, being high priest that year, said to them, you know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people and not that the whole nation should perish. Now, Caiaphas was essentially saying in John chapter 11 here, we're not going to allow the Romans to come in on account of this usurping upstart Jew from Nazareth. We're not going to allow them to take our power. We're not going to allow them to take over the nation. We're going to kill this troublemaker from Nazareth instead. And the people and the nation, Caiaphas thought, will be saved. Now we know, the Bible says, Caiaphas spoke better than what he understood. He had his own thoughts in his head, but God using Caiaphas at this point in time knew better. Look at verse 51. Now he did not say this on his own authority, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation. In other words, Caiaphas spoke better than he understood. In verse 52, that's clarified. God's intents, God's purposes, being worked out even through the wicked actions, the wicked thoughts of that wicked high priest, Caiaphas. It says, and not for that nation only verse 52, but also that he would gather together in one, the children of God who were scattered abroad. Understanding all of this though, and Caiaphas going to exploit the Lord Jesus Christ through his death to, they thought, protect himself from the Romans. From that day on, verse 53, they plotted to put him to death. And Judas, we know Judas, played right into their wicked plot. Now they plotted not only to put Jesus to death, you remember the story from John chapter 11, but they plotted to put Lazarus to death as well, Lazarus whom Jesus had raised from the dead. That's interesting to note, again, talking about Caiaphas here and who Caiaphas is. Caiaphas was a Sadducee. And so if you know what the Sadducees believed, the Sadducees didn't believe in a resurrection from the dead. They rejected the idea of the resurrection of the dead. And so to Caiaphas, the resurrection of Lazarus was sad, you see. It was a problem for Caiaphas' theology. Caiaphas' own theology challenged by the raising of Lazarus from the dead. And so Lazarus was a direct challenge to Caiaphas' authority as a Sadducee. So in John chapter 18, back in John chapter 18, Jesus is being led away to Annas. And verse 15 tells us that Simon Peter followed Jesus and so did another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest and went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest. That's very likely here for several reasons in verse 15 that the other disciple is John himself. John had the custom in this gospel as we've learned of not typically identifying himself. So here that disciple, there's good evidence to believe that's referring to John himself. Additionally, we know that quote, unquote, that disciple was with him at the cross. Flip one page to the right and look at John chapter 19. And look at verse 25, John chapter 19 verse 25. Now they're stood by the cross of Jesus, his mother and his mother's sister Mary, the wife of Clopis and Mary Magdalene. And when Jesus therefore saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved, we know that to be John, standing by, he said to his mother, woman, behold your son. Verse 27. Then he said to the disciple, behold your mother and from that hour, that disciple. Same kind of phrasing, right? Same kind of word, same kind of reference. From that hour, that disciple took her to his own home. So verse 15 explains that or gives us reference that this is referring to John himself. Verse 15 also explains that because he was somehow known to the high priest, John was allowed access into the courtyard as the hearing began. So John is let in because of his knowledge or the high priest knowledge of John. They knew each other. And then of course, in John chapter 18 here, there's Peter. John records in verse 15 that Simon Peter followed Jesus. The synoptic gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke all record that not only did Peter follow Jesus, but Peter followed Jesus at a distance. Followed him at a distance. Although Peter had been right next to Jesus virtually all night long. Here it says he followed at a distance. There's a sense. There's a sense, isn't there? In which Peter followed him at a distance all night long in his heart, right? He's not humbled in the upper room as the Lord stooped to wash his feet. We saw that as we covered that. He's overconfident at the supper in chapter 13 verse 37 saying that he was ready to die for Christ. Rather than praying, rather than faithfully keeping watch in the garden, Peter's sleeping. When he should have been submitting to the Lord in the garden to a purpose and an intent that the Lord had clearly communicated, Peter impulsively pulls his sword to fight. So the worst place, the worst place for Peter to be and in fact the worst place for any professed follower of the Lord Jesus Christ to be is following him at a distance. And we're going to see the dreadful results of this from Peter in this passage. So as we consider Peter here, a tragic account in John 18 that begs the question of you and I this morning, are you following him at a distance? Are you following him at a distance? At least Peter was following him. At least Peter was following, but here he follows Christ at a distance. If you're committed to him, if you've professed faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, if you're saying I'm a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ, then don't follow Christ at a distance. Cling to the Lord Jesus Christ by faith. Peter may have thought that it was safe for him to trail back and Peter here is in danger. He, the Lord Jesus suffered for you and I outside the gate. As Hebrew says, let us therefore go forth to him outside the camp, bearing his reproach and let's suffer with him. Don't follow Jesus Christ at a distance. Is your heart far from him this morning? Are you cold or indifferent toward the things of God? Far from his purposes, far from his intentions for you. Maybe for a while you've been following and you feel as though your steps are simply out of step with the Lord out of step with his will. Are you following him at a distance? Are you trailing behind him? Unwilling to draw near to him. Unwilling or cold or indifferent toward him. If you are, listen, if you are, then you are certainly, you are surely as Peter here is in John 18. You are in danger. You're in danger. You're weak and you're in trouble. You're setting yourself up for the same kind of tragic failure that we see from Peter here in John chapter 18. What does the Bible say? What does James say? James says, draw near to him and he will draw near to you. Don't trail him at a distance. He will surely fall. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, purify your hearts. You double-minded, lament and mourn and weep. Now in repentance, I'm sure Peter would like this to do all over again, right? What we know of him, if you don't repent now like Peter, you may find yourself weeping bitterly later after a horrible denial. So we see here in this initial phase of Peter's denial, we see this in point two on your notes, a disciples denial, beginning in verse 16, a disciples denial. John went in with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest. It says in verse 16, but Peter stood at the door outside keeping his distance, right? Not willing to get too close. Then the other disciple who again was known to the high priest, he went out and spoke to her who kept the door and brought Peter in. This is the second time in as many verses that John mentions that he was known to the high priest. One mentioning that explains their entrance into the courtyard and that's important because Peter and John were eyewitnesses to this. Secondly, it shows there's no immediate hostility here. There's no immediate threat to John or to Peter by going into the courtyard. The leaders have the man they want. They've arrested the Lord Jesus Christ and there's no immediate hostility or threat here to John or to Peter. The high priest and presumably those who serve in the palace, they know John. And so without threat, without fear of reprisal to either John or Peter, John simply goes to the door, speaks with a servant girl who kept the door and asked that Peter be allowed to come in with him. And then Peter is allowed to enter the courtyard with John. So as Peter then steps through the door to follow John into the courtyard, verse 17, the servant girl who kept the door said to Peter, you're not also one of this man's disciples are you? And Peter said, I am not. Her use of the word also in verse 17 would indicate that she knew that John was a disciple. John goes through, she turns to Peter, are you not also one of this man's disciples? You're not also one of this man's disciples are you? The way that she asked the question in verse 17 expects a negative answer. So the slope is greased, so to speak. If you would be inclined to give a negative answer to the question, there was a temptation here to say no. But there's no threat here. There's no pressing hostility. She's a young servant girl keeping the door in verse 17. She didn't ask Peter if he was planning to cut off any more ears. She didn't ask Peter if he was an enemy of the high priest going to cause trouble in the courtyard. She simply asked the question in verse 17. But it's a question that has a tone to it, doesn't it? A tone of this disapproving identification. You're not also one of this man's disciples are you? Now in Peter's defense, he had just been through the arrest of Jesus in the garden. For all he knew he could be next. Of all the others that fled, Peter here has the courage to follow, albeit at a distance. And he follows Jesus even into the courtyard of the high priest. It took courage. It took courage to pull his sword in the garden. Misplaced courage, right? Fleshly courage, but courage nonetheless. Peter is no shrinking violet. Peter would be considered one of the strongest of the Lord's disciples. Peter took a stand to follow Christ when Nicodemus would only talk to him by night, right? Peter left all to follow Christ when the rich young ruler went away sorrowful. Wouldn't give up anything to follow Christ. And it was Peter who was always boldly speaking up. And I think here in the courtyard, it's more love for the Lord than mere curiosity that has Peter here that's gotten into this point. Peter loved the Lord and you want to root for him, don't you? So we read the passage. You want to root for him. Peter bears reproach, brother. Don't deny him. But how does Peter answer the servant girl? He said in verse 17, I am not. I am not a devastating, depraved denial. Listen to John Calvin. At the voice of a single maid and that voice unaccompanied by threatening. He is confounded and throws down his arms. Such is a demonstration of the power of man. Certainly all the strength that appears to be in men is smoke, which a breath immediately drives away. When we are out of the battle, we are too courageous. But experience shows that our lofty talk is foolish and groundless. And even when Satan makes no attacks, we contrive for ourselves idle alarms, which disturb us before the time. The voice of a feeble woman terrified Peter. And what is the case with us? Do we not continually trembling at the rustling of a falling leaf? A false appearance of danger, which was still distant, made Peter tremble. And are we not every day led away from Christ by childish absurdities? In short, our courage is of such a nature that of its own accord, it gives away where there is no enemy. And thus does God revenge the arrogance of men by reducing fierce minds to a state of weakness. A man filled not with fortitude, but with wind, promises that he will easily obtain victory over the whole world. And yet no sooner does he see a shadow of a thistle than he immediately trembles. Let us therefore learn not to be brave in any other than the Lord. In this account in John chapter 18, we have a gracious warning from the Lord. It comes at the expense of Peter, but we have a gracious warning, a good and gracious rebuke to all of us in the example of Peter. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. Let us learn not to be brave in any other than in the Lord. I want to give you this morning from Peter's denial here, four principles, four principles from the example of Peter. So we look at this text, four principles from the example of Peter. The first is this, tolerate no confidence in the flesh. Tolerate no confidence in the flesh. Peter was among the strongest, certainly the boldest of the Lord's disciples. And it was Peter who fell. Why? Fleshly confidence, fleshly confidence. Rather than faith and reliance in the strength and might of the Lord Jesus Christ alone, Peter was given over to rash boldness, fleshly confidence. Turn with me to Luke chapter 22. Luke chapter 22, let's see Peter here in action. Tolerate no confidence in your flesh. Pour contempt on your pride. Luke chapter 22 and drop down to verse 31. When we are out of the battle, as Calvin said, we are too courageous. We are easily overconfident, but experience shows us that our lofty talk is foolish, is groundless. And Peter here not filled with fortitude, but filled with wind. Look at verse 31. The Lord said, Simon, Simon indeed, Satan has asked for you that he may sift you as wheat. That should have terrified Peter. And immediately Peter should have dropped to his knees in prayer, crying out to God, right? Verse 32, but I have prayed, the Lord has prayed for you that your faith should not fail. And when you've returned to me, strengthen your brethren. But Peter said to him, verse 33, Lord, I am ready to go with you, both the prison and to death. And then he said, I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny me three times that you know me. Look over at Mark chapter 14. Mark chapter 14 and look down at verse 27. Mark chapter 14 verse 27. Such confidence in his own strength, right? Such fleshly confidence. Such confidence here in Mark chapter 14 that he sleeps in the face of these circumstances. Mark chapter 14, look at verse 27. Jesus said to them, all of you will be made to stumble because of me this night. Ford has written, I will strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered. But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee. Peter said to him, verse 29, even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be. Jesus said to him, verse 30, assuredly I say to you that today, even this night before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times. But Peter spoke even more vehemently. If I have to die with you, I will not deny you. And they all said likewise. Look at verse 32. They came to a place which was named Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, sit here while I pray. And he took Peter, James, and John with him. And he began to be troubled, deeply distressed. And he said to them, my soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch. He went a little farther, fell on the ground and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. He said, Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Take this cup away from me. Nevertheless, not what I will, but what you will. And then he came and he found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. And again, he went away and prayed and he spoke the same words. And when he returned, he found them asleep again. For their eyes were heavy and they did not know what to answer him. And he came the third time and said to them, are you still sleeping and resting? It's enough. The hours come. Behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going. See, my betrayer is at hand. When he should have been resting in the Lord's strength, right? When he should have been watchful, when he should have been considering his circumstances and considering the gravity of the situation, he would have been praying. He would have been as the Lord was pouring out his heart. But Peter grossly, grossly miscalculated the trial. We have a tendency to do the same thing. You and I, in our flesh, with our hearts that are deceitful, desperately wicked above all things, we have a tendency to miscalculate the weight or the seriousness of the trials that come upon us. We, like Peter, can be overly rash or overly confident, shown in our comfort, demonstrated in the fact that we would sleep rather than pray. The Spirit is willing, but the flesh indeed is weak. It's easy to misjudge or miscalculate a trial you've not been through, right? What took Peter down? Back in John chapter 18. What took Peter down? It was the question of a servant girl who kept the door. I think about this for a moment. The strength of men is smoke. What took Peter down? It was the question of a servant girl who kept the door. One said, when Peter stumbles, he stumbles so shamefully at the first step, the foolishness of all his boasting is exposed. Let us therefore learn not to be brave in any other than the Lord. John said in John chapter 15 verse 5 that apart from me, you can do nothing. Apart from me, you can do nothing. This is so fundamental to the Christian life. This is Christianity 101. The glory for the victory belongs to the Lord. You have no strength in and of yourself. You are weak. You must rely on his strength. Boast rather in your infirmities. Boast rather in your weakness. Boast in the Lord, but don't boast in yourself. Victory in the Christian life only comes by the power of his might. Victory, if you think about it, victory in the Christian life comes in the same way that salvation does. It comes by grace through faith. His grace through the faith that he's given you by grace through faith. Consider just a few examples of many in the Bible. Listen to Isaiah chapter 40 verses 25 to 31. Isaiah chapter 40 verses 25 to 31. To whom then will you liken me? Or to whom shall I be equal? Says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these things. Who brings out their host by number. He calls them all by name by the greatness of his might and the strength of his power. Not one is missing. Why do you say, oh Jacob and speak? Oh Israel, my way is hidden from the Lord and my just claim is passed over by my God. Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator, the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak and those who have no might, he increases their strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary and the young men shall utterly fall. But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint. Praise the Lord. It's the Lord who is our strength. It's the Lord in whom we put our trust. It's the Lord on whom we rely. Stop relying on yourself. Stop battling in your own strength. Rely, put your faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. When David prayed in 1 Chronicles 29 to consecrate gifts for the building of the temple, he said, yours, oh Lord, is the greatness, the power and the glory, the victory and the majesty for all that is in heaven and in earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, oh Lord, and you are exalted as head over all. Both riches and honor come from you and you reign over all. In your hand is power and might. In your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. Why do we persist in such a faithless exercise of our own strength, our own might when the Lord is the one who gives strength? The Lord is omnipotent. Paul prays for believers in Colossians chapter 1 verse 9. He prays for them that you may walk worthy of the Lord fully pleasing him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. Strengthened with all might according to your own power? No, according to his glorious power for all patience and long suffering with joy. The battle is the Lord's. The battle is the Lord's. Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ, amen. His grace is sufficient for us. My strength is made perfect in weakness, God says. Therefore boast in your weakness, boast in your infirmities. 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 26. You see your calling, brethren that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty and the base things of the world, and the things which are despised, God has chosen and the things which are not to bring to nothing the things that are so that no flesh should glory or no flesh should boast in his presence, but of him you are in Christ Jesus who became for us wisdom from God and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. That, as it is written, he who glories or he who boasts, let him glory, let him boast in the Lord. Tolerate no confidence in the flesh. Tolerate no confidence in the flesh. Maybe you're here this morning and you don't know Christ. You've never turned from your sin to follow him. You will not do it by your own strength. It will not be by your works that you are saved. It will be by faith in Christ. Turn from your sin and trust him with the power to turn from your sin. Repent, mourn your wicked, deplorable, detestable condition. You have sinned against your Creator. Mourn your state and turn to Christ in faith. Trust him to grant you repentance. Trust him to strengthen you. Trust him to give you faith and follow your Creator. Follow Christ and be saved. You'll not do it in your own strength. It won't be by your works. You will not have any of the glory. You will not be able to boast. Turn to him. God is the one who saves. Humble yourself before him. Otherwise, if you don't humble himself, all of your strength, all of your pride, all of your boasting is like smoke. You're like chaff. And you're blown away in the wind of God's judgment. You're blown away in the wind of God's wrath. All of your boasting means absolutely nothing. It is a vapor. Trust the Lord and be saved. Turn to him. Put your faith in Christ. Tolerate no confidence in your flesh. Your flesh is sinful. Your heart is deceitful. Desperately wicked. Poor contempt on your pride and bow the knee to Christ. Secondly, exercise faith independence upon God. These are four principles from the example of Peter. Secondly, exercise faith independence upon God. How is it that brother and sister in your Christian life, how is it that God is glorified? God is glorified in your Christian life by grace through faith. By grace through faith. We deserve his wrath. We are unworthy of his goodness toward us. He could have condemned us as fallen men, just like he condemned fallen angels, but he didn't do that. Instead, he gave us grace and he gave us mercy in the Lord Jesus Christ. If you have turned from your sin to follow him, he's been gracious to you. He's been merciful to you in Christ. We would have nothing of salvation, nothing of joy, nothing of life apart from grace. Now God's people, God's people are dependent upon God's power in every exercise of that grace. You hear that? God's people are dependent upon God's power, God's might, God's strength in every exercise of that grace, the salvation of our soul, right? The changing of our heart, the renewing of our mind, the subduing of our sin, the putting on of the new man, the putting off of the old man, the producing of obedience, the producing of good works, the fruits of the spirit being conformed into the image of his son, all of that, all of it. We are dependent upon God, dependent, entirely dependent upon God's power in every single exercise of God's grace. Apart from him, you can do nothing, absolutely nothing. It follows then, doesn't it? That the one on whom we are dependent for everything should be the object of our undivided, uncompromising devotion, reliance, trust, and faith. Faith declares, faith declares that I can do nothing. Faith declares that I can do nothing. True faith humbles me. True faith abases me and exalts God alone above all. Boyce, in his commentary on John, raises the question regarding the events in the garden. If we were to pick someone, Boyce would ask, that night who, in our opinion, least needed to pray, who would it be? Lord Jesus Christ. If we were to pick that night in the garden, in our opinion, the person who needed most to pray, who would it be? Peter, Peter, and yet Peter is the one sleeping in the garden while the Lord Jesus Christ, sinlessly perfect, pours out his heart and soul to God the Father in prayer. Preparing for the events that would come upon him. Peter was thoroughly and clearly warned. And Peter was told to watch and pray. And like Peter, like Peter, you and I were warned over and over and over again from the pages of scripture. Are we not warned? And some of you are asleep. Some of you are asleep. You think about the dangerous environment in which we live, the dangerous circumstances, this dangerous culture, everywhere you turn, there's temptation to sin. Everywhere you turn, and we are commanded, we're commanded, aren't we, from scripture to pray unceasingly. Why? Because everywhere we turn, there's temptation to sin against the Lord. We can't do anything in our own strength. How do we express our faith? How do we express our trust? How do we have access to that grace in which we stand? We're to pray. We're to put our faith in Christ. We're to trust Him for those things. And yet many professing Christians today sleepwalk through their Christian life. We're to search His word diligently. We're to submit to His teaching. We're to obey His commands. We're to look out for one another. We're to love our brother, love our sister. Many professing Christians today are asleep. They need to wake up, wake up. If this is you, wake up, wake up. We're being warned again from the example of Peter. They don't devote themselves to prayer because ultimately they don't think that it's necessary. They ultimately, that's what you're doing. If you're someone who doesn't devote themselves to prayer, you're saying prayer's not that important. I can do without it. You're the one who, in passing, over the lips, through the gums, look out, stomach, here it comes. Thank you, Lord, for my food. If that's your prayer life, you're not trusting the Lord. You're not relying on the Lord. You're relying on your own strength. And you are sleepwalking through your professing so-called Christian life. Christians are to depend upon Christ by faith. That's expressed in prayer, right? They don't spend time devoted in the study of God's word because ultimately they don't believe that it's important. They don't believe that it's necessary. I'll read a little here. I'll read a little there quickly because I can't spend too much time doing that. You just don't believe that it's that important. They don't obey God's word. They don't put off sin. They don't put on righteousness. They're not striving after godliness, exercising themselves toward godliness. Why? Because ultimately they don't think that that's important. They don't think that it's necessary. They're sleeping. They're following the Lord Jesus Christ at a distance and they're slumbering through their so-called Christian walk. And if you don't repent, like Peter does here, if you don't repent, you will perish. That path leads down to hell. They don't think it's that pressing of a matter. But do you want to know, oh foolish man, that faith without works is dead. Faith without works is a dead faith. And you're a fool if you believe that you have faith without works. Like Peter, repent of your faithlessness. Repent of your faithlessness. And through faith, place yourself in dependence upon God. Otherwise, otherwise, if you don't, you may wake up from your slumber one day in hell. Only to find that your so-called faith was grounded on the shifting sands of self-reliance, self-confidence, your own strength. And when the storm of God's judgment comes, you will not stand in your own strength. You will not stand against God's judgment in your own strength, your own determination, your own resolve, doing your own thing. You'll find in that day that your faith, your belief, so to speak, your trust was no better than that of demons. And the demons believe and they believe and tremble. They fear that day. Paul says in Ephesians chapter six, verse 14, Paul says, stand therefore. Having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace above all. Verse 16, above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. Listen, the opposite of that is true. If you do not above all take the shield of faith, you will not be able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked one. You will be overcome by them. Take the helmet of salvation, Paul says, and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God, praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, being watchful. Do you hear these exhortations to Peter in this passage, right? Pray and watch, watch and pray, being watchful to this end, with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints. One, tolerate no confidence in the flesh. Two, exercise faith and dependence upon God. Three, third principle from the example of Peter, repent of your sin and follow Christ, repent of your sin and follow Christ. Luke records that as Peter denies Christ for the third and final time, immediately Luke says while he was still speaking, while the words were coming out of Peter's mouth, the rooster crowed. Luke says that at that moment, the Lord turned and looked at Peter. They had eye contact in that moment. And Peter remembered the words of the Lord and it says that Peter went out and wept bitterly. You can imagine, right? That event, that occurrence, that eye contact, that remembrance just shredded Peter's heart, absolutely shredded Peter's heart. But the Lord sees you too, and he sees me. All our many denials, all those seemingly insignificant acts of betrayal. You remember from our study of John chapter 18 verses one through 12, we also read there that Judas was remorseful. That he was sorrowful, it says, for having betrayed innocent blood. What distinguishes the worldly sorrow of Judas from the godly sorrow of Peter? What distinguishes the two, right? 2 Corinthians chapter seven says that worldly sorrow does not produce repentance, at least the death. Godly sorrow produces a repentance, not to be regretted, leads to life. What is the distinguishing factor between those two? It's fruit, it's fruit. The fruit of Judas's worldly sorrow is that Judas in worldly despair over sin went out and hung himself. Still taking matters into his own hands, he took his own life. The fruit of Peter's godly sorrow was a reinvigorated commitment to serve the Lord. That was evidenced by Peter's diligence, Peter's zeal in preaching the gospel. Peter continued to serve the Lord. We'll talk more about Peter's repentance as we get to point four on your notes. So we're talking about four principles from the example of Peter. One, tolerate no confidence in the flesh. Two, exercise faith and dependence upon God. Three, repent of your sin and follow Christ. Four, pursue, pursue wholehearted, uncompromising commitment to Christ. Pursue wholehearted, uncompromising commitment to Christ. We see a great need for this kind of sold out commitment to Christ and where we find Peter at two points in our narrative. First, in verse 15, we know from the synoptics that Peter followed Jesus at a distance. Secondly, in verse 18, we find Peter warming himself around the fire with the enemies of Christ. So first, Matthew, Mark, and Luke all record that Peter followed the Lord at a distance. Count the cost, right? Count the cost and then commit by grace through faith to cling to Christ and follow through. Peter probably thought it was safest to follow at a distance, but considering these wretched denials, he would have been far safer to be right next to Christ. He would have been more exposed there, right? Mind you, the Christian has not promised safety and comfort, but it was far more dangerous for Peter to be following at a distance. He was in great danger. His exposure would have been greater to be close, but the danger would have been less. That's the Christian life. That's the Christian life. That's what you signed up for, right? You count the cost to follow Christ. That's the Christian life. So you preach the gospel. You preach the gospel and you stop loving your life. Your comfort, your reputation more than Christ. And you preach the gospel. You plug in with full commitment to Christ, full commitment to his church as people, and you stop loving your time, your desires, your plans, your job more than Christ. You deny yourself. And as a Christian, you expose yourself. You go forth to him outside the camp and you bear his reproach. Peter's professed Christianity didn't go far enough here. It didn't go far enough. And Peter repented of that. Peter repented of that. It was something that Peter wept bitterly over and he went out and went on to bear fruits worthy of repentance. Eventually he gave his life for Christ. But secondly, we see Peter in a very compromised position in John chapter 18, verse 18. Look at verse 18. Now the servants and officers who had made a fire of coal stood there for it was cold and they warmed themselves. And Peter stood with them and warmed himself. So in verse 18, the servants and the officers there, these are those in verses three through 12 who came out with weapons and clubs to arrest and to bind Jesus. These are the enemies of the Lord Jesus Christ, the servants and officers of the temple guards, servants of the high priest. And it's cold. It's the middle of the night. And so they built a fire to warm themselves while the trial begins inside. So when John 18 opens, Peter is described as standing in the garden with Christ. Peter is in the garden of Gethsemane with Christ. Even one of the servants of the high priest in verse 26 makes that point. He says in verse 26, one of the servants of the high priest, a relative of him whose ear Peter cut off said, did I not see you in the garden with him? In other words, with Jesus. But as we come to verse 18, where's Peter? He's warming himself by the fire with them, with the Lord's enemies. And Peter stood with them and warned himself. Judas is described in verse five as standing with them. Peter is described in verse 18 as standing with them. Now for those that discern the danger, you wanna cry out, don't you? Peter, get away, get out of there. What are you doing? But where are Peter's loyalties here? Where is his devotion to the Lord? Look at where his lack of commitment has gotten him. Matthew Henry said, those that warm themselves with evil doers grow cold toward good people and good things. And those that are fond of the devil's fireside are in danger of the devil's fire. After Peter had sinned and denied the Lord the first time, there was no repentance, there was no remorse, there was no change of action, there was no stand for righteousness, no stand for Christ. And once that first compromise took root, whatever Peter's excuse was in his own mind for why he did it, it became easier to continue the compromise. Do you see? The Lord was being afflicted. Peter is trying to make himself comfortable. You can't warm yourself around this world's fire. You can't comfort yourself in the company of the ungodly or you will grow cold toward good things and good people. Take a stand for Christ. If you compromise devotion to the Lord or you compromise devotion to the Lord's church, you compromise devotion to the Lord's people, compromise devotion to the Lord's work, and you will soon find yourself siding with the wicked. We've seen that happen time and time and time and time and time. Again, it's like the word of God is true, amen? You will find yourself siding with the wicked. You'll find yourself cold toward the things of God, like Peter, Peter standing here with the enemies of God. Psalm one says this. Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly nor stands in the path of sinners nor sits in the seat of the scornful. Peter here taking a walk with the enemies of the Lord Jesus Christ, standing around the fire, warming himself with the enemies of the Lord, compromising. Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly nor stands in the path of sinners nor sits in the seat of the scornful. If you're around someone who is an ungodly influence on you then like we would with Peter, we would cry out to you, get away from them, what are you doing? Where are your loyalties? Where are your devotions? Do you not realize that you are in danger? Get away. Paul says that bad company corrupts good morals, right? Ruins, wrecks good morals. You will grow cold toward the things of God trying to warm yourself with their friendship, warm yourself with their company. Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly nor stands in the path of sinners nor sits in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law he meditates day and night. If your delight is in the law of the Lord then how long will you be able to in comfort cohabitate with those who are breaking it? Give yourself over to them as if you are one of them like Peter does here. Peter's not evangelizing, those guys are on the fire. Is he? He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth its fruit in its season whose leaf also shall not wither and whatever he does shall prosper. In other words, the one who plants himself by that wicked river of ungodliness, those who deny the Lord, who refuse his word will find himself withering, will find himself fruitless, whatever he does shall not prosper. Verse four, but the ungodly are not so. They are like the chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous for the Lord knows the way of the righteous but the way of the ungodly shall perish. Lord Jesus Christ in Luke 22 had said that Satan had asked permission to sift Peter's wheat. What was the Lord's response? The Lord himself prayed, prayed for Peter that his faith would remain. The Lord knows how to keep those who are his, right? And the Lord will preserve them in his own strength, in his own power, in his own might. Don't go walking away from the Lord. Don't follow at a distance, cling to him by faith. Don't stand at the fireside with those that reject the Lord or reject his word. Cling to Christ. He knows how to keep you. He knows how to preserve you. He knows how to care for you and praise the Lord. We see in the example of Peter that the Lord granted graciously, mercifully, granted repentance and faith to Peter. We see Peter restored to faithfulness, to usefulness in the Lord's ministry and the Lord's work. That's you today. If you've been walking at a distance, if you've failed to hold him tightly, if you've not plugged in, sold out, if you've been in compromising circumstances and failed, even as Peter has done here, the Lord is gracious, the Lord is merciful. If you will turn from your sin and put your faith in Christ, he'll restore you to himself. All praise, honor, and glory be to him who strengthens and preserves us in the way everlasting. Amen, amen, let's pray. Father in heaven, what we praise you and we thank you, Lord, for your preserving grace. Thank you, Lord, for the grace and the faith that you've given us that we need to persevere and following after you. I pray, God, that you would be honored, that you would be glorified in our repentance, in our faith exercised in your name and your strength, Lord, as we depend upon you and rest in you and trust in you to live this Christian life. Pray, Lord, please, God, strengthen us, hold us, keep us, protect us, Lord. Spirit of God, we need you, Lord. We need your strength. Protect us from the boastful pride of life that we often flaunt in our flesh. Lord, humble us, give us grace and mercy to follow after you in your strength, independence upon you. We know, Lord, that our strength is smoke. It just whisks away with a breath. We know, Lord, that you are all powerful, able to keep that which we've committed to you. We pray that you would do that for your glory, God. We pray these things. In Jesus' name, amen. Let us stand as we end.