Meeting Your Capacity For Failure | Matthew 26:69-75

Scripture

• Matthew 26:69–75

About this sermon

Introduction: One of the clearest evidences of the forgiveness of your sins, is the knowledge of your sins. A knowledge that belongs to godly sorrow — a knowledge that leads to Christ. A knowledge unlike worldly sorrow — a knowledge of sin that produces a guilt that simply leads to death. 2 Corinthians 7:10 (LSB) 10 For godly sorrow produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world brings about death. Saved people are characterized by humble faith — GOD HUMBLES THE PEOPLE HE SAVES. That humility has sensitized us TO OUR OWN SINS. We have been taught by God about our sin, and we BELIEVE HIM. The proud person — the lost person — is different. The proud person is oftentimes alert to what he sees as the failings of everyone BUT HIMSELF. He often misses the mark on what sin is, but WHATEVER HE THINKS IT IS, he thinks it characterizes others more than him. The saved person has been ENLIGHTENED as to the true nature of sin, and therefore sees himself more clearly. This points to the fact that God’s saving work in His people is never just legal in nature — it is experiential as well. You are a new creation in Christ Jesus. You are a part of a new humanity formed in God’s Son. You have been given a new life. You have a renewed mind. You are no longer in spiritual bondage — you are now free to love and serve God. You have come to Christ in penitent faith — a faith that sees sin and is contrite over sin and forsakes sin — because of the Holy Spirit’s work. OUR LORD SPOKE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT’S WORK IN EVANGELISM. John 16:8–11 (LSB) 8 “And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; 11 and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. WELL, HIS WORK DID NOT END UPON CONVERSION. HIS WORK OF CONVINCING CONTINUES THROUGHOUT OUR SANCTIFICATION. He goes on teaching us, convincing us of all that is true. THIS MEANS THAT THE PEOPLE OF GOD HAVE A NEW RELATIONSHIP TO THEIR OWN SINS. We see our own sins. We are convicted over our own sins. We GRIEVE over our own sins. We CONFESS our sins. SOMEONE WHO DOES NOT MOURN OVER HIS OWN SINS IS SOMEONE WHO IS A STRANGER TO THE GRACE OF GOD. 1 John 1:5–10 (LSB) 5 And this is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not do the truth; 7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us. THIS IS A GREAT TEST FOR YOU. ARE YOU A CONFESSOR OF YOUR SINS? AND YET, even after being initially enlightened as to our sins, and even though we experience the ongoing work of the Spirit in our lives, there are times when we are SURPRISED BY OUR OWN SINFULNESS. We are guilty of overestimation. We are falsely confident regarding our ability to stand. We think ourselves beyond the reach of what we have been warned about. Sometimes we have even turned a deaf ear to what someone has loved us enough to try and help us with. The result is that we are eventually humbled by MEETING OUR CAPACITY FOR FAILURE in a way that shocks us and is deeply bitter to us. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN SHOCKED BY YOUR OWN SINFULNESS? What we thought ourselves incapable of, we find ourselves guilty of. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED WITH PETER. THIS MORNING WE SEE A MAN WHO MET WITH HIS CAPACITY FOR FAILURE IN A WAY THAT HE WOULD HAVE NEVER BELIEVED AND WOULD NEVER FORGET. And, as we LOOK AT PETER’S SHOCKING FAILURE, may WE LEARN FROM IT. 1 Corinthians 10:12 (LSB) 12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall. But we will also see that, even where believers meet with bitter failure, we also meet with the amazing grace of God in Jesus Christ. I. THE SETTING (vs.58, 69) Peter was following at a distance and made his way into the courtyard where he could watch what was taking place (vs.58). Remember that all the disciples fled (vs.56), so Peter had to have remained close, kept his eyes on the arresting group as they led Jesus away from the garden. He had to have remained close as they took Him to Annas, and then followed Him to the house of the high priest Caiaphas. Now, something we want to recognize on the part of Peter is that there is no reason to have done this except love and concern. PETER’S DISCIPLESHIP IS ON DISPLAY EVEN DURING THE NIGHT OF ONE OF HIS WORST FAILINGS.