"WHY WE FAIL THE LORD"
MARK 14:66-72

INTRO. After Jesus' intense agony in the Garden, He was betrayed by one of
His own and then arrested by the Temple guard. All His disciples
forsook Him and fled. Peter, who would later deny Him, followed Him
afar off. Peter was confused, yet courageous. He had attempted to
defend Jesus in the garden, but Jesus stopped him and even forbade
him to come to His aid. Peter could not understand. In the Garden of
Gethsemane, when Jesus stopped him from fighting the arresting
party, Peter had to flee for his life. But Peter loved his LORD too
much to flee too far away. His love for Jesus stopped him, turned him
around, and led him back to Jesus. He followed the mob from a safe
distance. The trail ended up in the Courtyard of Caiaphas' palace. It
took enormous courage for Peter to enter the courtyard, for Peter was
risking his life by being there. But he had to see what happened to
his LORD. He hoped against hope that Jesus was just waiting to act
and take over. He had to see.

Jesus had predicted earlier, that very night, that Peter and all the
disciples would forsake Him and flee. "..Before the cock crow twice,
thou shalt deny me thrice," the LORD had told Peter. But Peter
vehemently denied, "If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in
any wise. Likewise also said thee all." None of us desire to fail the
LORD. But so many times we do! Failing the LORD is very, very
serious. It is something we want to avoid if at all possible. Peter did
not want to deny Jesus, but he did! All our failures in the Christian
Life are faith failures! Peter learned that when we allow our faith to
fail we then fail God. Later in life, the aged Apostle wrote in the
Second Epistle bearing his name, the importance of Faith as being the
foundation. To faith we should add virtue, knowledge, temperance,
patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity. He went on to
write, "for if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that
ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our
LORD Jesus Christ.. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to
make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall
never fall." (2 Peter 1:8,10).

Faith can overcome failure! 1 John 5:4 tells us, "for whatsoever is
born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that
overcometh the world, even our faith." Faith overcomes, but the flesh
fails! Peter rested on the arm of the flesh and failed. The same will
happen to us if we rest in the flesh and not in our faith! Peter failed
Jesus in several areas, and his failure reached its climax in an actual
denial of the LORD. I want us to try and answer this question, "Why
Do We Fail The LORD?"

PETER FAILED THE LORD BECAUSE:

(1) HE WAS MISPLACED
MARK 14:66—"And as Peter was beneath in the palace..."

A. THE WRONG PLACE. Peter was where he should not have been. He was
with the crowd of rejecters, sitting with them and warming himself by their
fire. The crowd there was probably discussing the trial and mocking,
joking, and cursing Jesus because of His claims. Peter was out of place.
He should have been alone or else with the other disciples in prayer,
seeking an answer to their confusion.

B. THE WRONG PATH. When we allow ourselves to enter into places or into
situations where we know we should not be, then we open ourselves up for
failure. Someone has said, "if you lie down with the dogs you're going to
get fleas." We must guard our steps so as not to be in places or situations
that might open us up for failure!

There is a song which the little children often sing that says, "Be careful
little feet where you go, be careful little feet where you go. For the Father
up above is looking down in love, so be careful little feet where you go."
We, as Christians, must be careful where we go! The Bible tells us,
"Abstain from all appearance of evil." (1 Thessalonians 5:22). If it looks
bad stay away! Don't go there!

ILLUS. To pray against temptation, and yet rush into occasions, is to
thrust your fingers into the fire, and then pray that they may not
be burnt. The fable saith, "that the butterfly inquired of the owl,
how she could do with the candle that singed her wings; the owl
counseled her, not so much as to behold the smoke." If you hold
the stirrup, no wonder Satan gets in the saddle (1).

Peter was in the wrong place because he followed the wrong path. When
we are in the wrong place, it becomes much easier for us to yield to
temptation!

(2) HE MISUNDERSTOOD THE LORD'S WORDS

A. THE CONFUSION. Jesus, during His earthly ministry, spoke to the
disciples much of the coming Kingdom. Mark says that, "He came into
Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom" (Mark 1:14,15). The Parables
in Matthew 13 speak about the beginning, growth, and consummation of
the Kingdom. But Peter and the rest of the disciples misunderstood His
words concerning the Kingdom. They thought of it in physical and
material terms only. They failed to see the Spiritual kingdom, that is:

--the death and resurrection of Christ.
--the LORD'S indwelling power, His rule and reign in the human
heart.
--the remaking of a new heavens and earth (2 Peter 3:10).

Thus Peter was confused. Peter had drawn his sword and attacked when
the arresting party came for Jesus in the Garden. Peter had been ready
to act in the flesh, to fight to establish the LORD'S Kingdom (v47), but
Jesus had rebuked him and stopped him. On top of that, Jesus had not
blasted his enemies nor made His move; but rather, He had allowed them
to take Him, voluntarily surrendering to their abuse. Peter could not
understand. He was confused. His mind was reeling and searching for
answers.

B. THE COMPARISON. Have you ever felt like Peter? Confused, without
understanding, and searching for answers? Many times we can't
understand the LORD'S ways, but even then we must trust Him! He knows
what He's doing (Isaiah 55:8-9)! If we fail to trust Him, it is then that we
doubt and fail Him!

(3) HE WAS MOTIVATED BY FEAR
MARK 14:67-71

A. FEAR LEADS TO DENIAL. In these five verses, we see the three denials of
Peter. All of these denials are motivated by fear! All of these fears are
failures. To fear is to fail. Why? Because 2 Timothy 1:7 tells us, "For God
hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound
mind." I agree with the statement, "Faith chases our fear, or fear chases out
faith." Faith and fear are at opposite ends of the same spectrum. When
we doubt, we move toward fear. But when we trust God and commit our
way to Him we are growing in our faith as God would have us to do and
moving ahead on the Faithway!

B. FEAR LEADS TO DISOBEDIENCE. Peter had created a bad situation for
himself. He had attacked the arresting party (v47). He had failed to wait
upon the LORD'S directive, acting in the arm of the flesh and doing what he
believed was best. Therefore, to some degree he was a hunted man. In the
scuffle, he had forsaken the LORD and fled for his life. But Peter's great love
for Jesus and his great hope that Jesus might yet make His move had
stopped Peter and turned him around. He followed Jesus, although from a
safe distance (v54). Throughout the entire incident his heart was probably
palpitating with fear--fear of being recognized, arrested, and killed.

Peter’s fear resulted in three denials-three failures:

1) He feared the damsel (vvs. 66-68). This caused Peter to act pretentious.
The word means "to pretend to be something one is not." Look at what
happened. A maid simply walked up to Peter and said that he had also
been with Jesus of Nazareth. There seems to be no threat or danger in this
statement to Peter. At worst, it seems it may have led to some bantering or
ridicule. The rejecters stood around bantering back and forth about Jesus
and His claims. In their minds and talk He was but a fool. Peter had a
great opportunity to be a witness for Jesus, sharing His love and
compassion for people, but Peter cracked under fear. He denied Jesus,
pretending he knew nothing about Him nor had anything to do with Him.

The fear of ridicule and embarrassment often causes a person to deny
Jesus. This denial can be by: voice, by act (going along with the crowd), or
by silence. Many profess Christ on Sundays and among believers, yet say
not a word about Him during the week. Or else, they live no differently from
the world. No one ever knows they are believers (Mark 8:38)!

Someone has asked the question, If you were charged with being a
Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you? Would your
friends and co-workers have suspected it all along? or would it be a total
shock to them?

2) He feared the Crowd Twice (vvs. 69-72). This time a maid recognized
Peter and said to the crowd standing around, "This is one of them." (v69).
The pressure this time on Peter was greater because the crowd was present.
He denied more emphatically this time. Matthew says, "he denied with an
oath." Note four things:

a) Peter actually denied Jesus before men and used an oath. This oath in
essence said, "I swear by God, I do not know this man. I know nothing
about Him." Notice Peter's downfall thus far: lying led to swearing.
Instead of denying Jesus, he should of been upstairs in the courtroom
standing by the LORD'S side and testifying for Him!

b) Peter was falling more and more into sin. He was denying Jesus because
He was not by His side, he was among the LORD'S rejecters. He was
standing with the LORD'S rejecters because he had fled the LORD. He
had fled the LORD because he had acted in the flesh. He had acted in
the flesh because he had not accepted the LORD'S words.

c) Peter was fearing persecution. This was Peter's first real test of face to
face life-threatening persecution. And he was failing terribly. He was
failing despite the fact that Jesus had told Him time and again that he
must suffer for God.

d) Peter followed Jesus eagerly when Jesus was popular and had a large
following. But he could not stand the heat when Jesus was being
opposed and rejected by many.

HE WAS MISPLACED, HE MISUNDERSTOOD THE LORD’S WORDS, HE WAS MOTIVATED BY FEAR, and finally…

(4) HE WAS MASTERED BY FEAR NOT BY FAITH
MARK 14:70-72a

A. FEAR IS RELENTLESS. AS the crowd approached and confronted Peter
the pressure on him reached its climax. V71 says, "But he began to curse
and to swear.." His chest was bound to have been pounding with emotion
and fear. His mind was reeling and trying to figure out a way to escape.
His lips, cursing and swearing, burst forth in a final emphatic denial, "I
know not this man." Note he called the LORD "this man." That was all
Jesus was to the rejecters with whom Peter was standing. A mere man.
Peter's denial gave no honor whatsoever to Jesus Christ. On many
occasions we see Peter calling Him Master and LORD, but in his denials he
refers to him as "the man, this man" (2). Peter’s failure had reached its
climax, and v72 tells us, "and the second time the cock crew..." Just as the
LORD had predicted before the crowing of the cock the second time Peter
had denied Jesus three times! Why did Peter fail the LORD? Because Peter
failed to trust Jesus in midst of confusing and threatening circumstances.
Jesus was being tried and condemned to die before Peter's eyes, yet Jesus
said He would arise. Peter had misunderstood Jesus' words, therefore his
faith was weakened when things didn't turn out as he believed they would.
He was thus unprepared for the events facing him. He was mastered then
by his fear instead of his faith! We must trust the LORD in every
circumstance and in every avenue of life; if not we will fail Him just as Peter
failed! (Proverbs 3:5-6).
B. FEAR IS REMORSEFUL. Note Peter's downward fall: Lying led to
swearing, and swearing led to cursing; no one but the LORD knows how
much further Peter would have fallen if he had not been divinely arrested in
his sinful career. Many men heard the cock crow that morning; but to Peter
it carried a solemn reminder of the LORD'S warning: "before the cock crow
twice, thou shalt deny me thrice." (v30) (3).

But the cock crowing did not affect Peter as much as what Luke records
concerning this account, "and the LORD turned, and looked upon Peter..."
(Luke 22:61). Peter must have looked up at the LORD or he would not
have seen that look of sorrow, pity, love, and forgiveness (4). V72 says,
"and when he thought thereon, he wept." The word "thought" there means
"threw his thought upon." Peter's mind was fastened upon what Jesus told
him. His mind would not let Jesus' words go. He could not get the LORD'S
look out of His mind!

I truly believe it breaks God's heart when we fail Him! It tells us, "..He
wept."(v72). The word means "to burst into tears." Matthew tells us, "he
wept bitterly," implying intense and poignant grief. The idea is that Peter
was utterly heartbroken and added weeping upon weeping. He wept and
wept and continued to weep.

CLOSING: Peter denied the LORD terribly. His failure was great, but in every
failure there is a remedy: God is willing and ready to forgive
(Psalm 86:5). The answer to our failures is repentance! Note
three steps in Peter's repentance: 1) He remembered the LORD'S
words (v72), 2) He removed himself from the LORD'S enemies
(Matthew 26:75--"and he went out..") He rushed out into the night
to get alone with God. He was broken and full of sorrow for having
failed the LORD, and 3) He repented and experienced godly sorrow
(v72--"he wept"). (2 Corinthians 7:10).

If we have failed the LORD there is remedy. We must face our
failures as Peter did! (1 John 1:9). Why do we fail the LORD?:
Because we are misplaced, because we misunderstand the LORD's
words, because we are motivated by fear, and because we allow
ourselves to be mastered by fear instead of by faith! Have you
failed the LORD? He is willing and ready to forgive. Will you
repent and trust Him?

NOTES: 1. Elon Foster. 6000 Classic Sermon Illustrations. Pg. 306.
2. John C. Butler. Peter: The Illustrious Disciple. Pg. 161.
3. Charles H. Spurgeon. Matthew: The King Has Come. Pg. 394.
4. Spurgeon. PP. 394-395.