July 05 2025

Saturday July 05

Peter Sounds and Looks Like the World

54 Having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest's house. But Peter followed at a distance. 55 Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. 56 And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, "This man was also with Him." 57 But he denied Him, saying, "Woman, I do not know Him." 58 And after a little while another saw him and said, "You also are of them." But Peter said, "Man, I am not!" 59 Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, "Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean." 60 But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are saying!" Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times." 62 So Peter went out and wept bitterly

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Today we're looking at Luke chapter 22:54-62. Here we see Peter's steps to failure. We can look at what he did and how he got to where he would deny the Lord and even curse and swear. And then we can apply these things to our lives and learn how we can stand strong in the face of temptation by looking at his steps to failure. Remember, a couple days ago we said Peter’s first step was pride. Peter had just said, "Though all these others fail you and though they stumble and though they deny you and run from you, not me. I'll die with you." What pride to say that in front of the other disciples? Can you imagine how they must have felt when Peter said that as he compared himself to them?

Secondly, we see that Peter in the garden failing to heed the warning of Jesus to “watch and pray”. Instead of watching and praying, Peter was sleeping. When we get pride in our heart, we don't think we need to pray like we should. We can skip prayer. We can skip Bible reading. We can skip church. We can choose other things over those things that keep us close to the heart of God in our worship. And so the second thing is he did not watch and pray. He was sleeping. That's the problem with America today. Too many Christians are asleep at the wheel. They're asleep. They're not committed to doing those things that keep them close to the heart of God.

The third thing we see is Peter has now developed a wrong attitude. He decided to attack the mob with a sword when they grabbed Jesus. He tried to fight the spiritual battle in the flesh. And he had the wrong weapon. My friend, our weapons are not carnal, but they're mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. Yes, if you fail to pray, it won't be long till you have a wrong attitude. Remember Jesus had just said in the Upper Room a few hours earlier, “That without Me you can do nothing. Abide in Me and let My words abide in you. You can ask what you will and it'll be done unto you.” But of course Peter forgot about that.

Please read the above verses again (vv. 54-62). The fourth thing we see is that Peter followed at a distance. That's the fourth thing we see is that “Peter followed at a distance” (v.54). When you have pride in your heart, when you fail to watch and pray, and when you have a wrong attitude, it won't be long till you follow Jesus at a distance. from afar.

The fifth thing we see is Peter sitting by the fire of the enemy (vv. 55-56). He's warming himself at the enemy's fire. It's interesting how as we go down these steps away from the Lord, and begin to follow Him at a distance, that we then expect the world to give us the comfort we need and the protection we need. And he's warming himself at the enemy's fire. We try to use the things of the world to find comfort and warmth in our heart and satisfaction, but that's the wrong place to look.

Next a little servant girl confronts and accuses Peter and he responds “Woman I do not know Him.” Then a man accuses Peter of being with Jesus with Him, but Peter said, "Man, I am not." Then after an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, "Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean." But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you're saying." And immediately while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him before the rooster crows, "you'll deny Me three times." So Peter went out and wept bitterly.

Peter followed at a distance. He sat down with them. He warmed himself at the fire. Then the hour of temptation came. That little girl first says, "You're with Him." And brave bold Peter is scared of a little girl." We lose our courage when we get away from God and we start down these steps away from Him as Peter did.

Let's look at this closely in our own lives and make sure that we're not following at a distance, warming ourselves at the enemy's fire, have pride in our hearts, depending on the wrong weapons. Matthew’s Gospel tells us that Peter then began to curse and swear (Matthew 26:74). Peter goes back to his old ways. And that's exactly what happens when we get away from God. We begin to sound like and look like the world.

May the Lord help us and save us from these steps of failure.

God bless.