Do You Know Him?
Preaching
What Jesus Did:
The Answer To WWJD
"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names can never hurt me." Such is the rhyme we learned in grade school when someone called us a name or used words against us. Our parents were teaching us how to resist the power of hurtful words; they hurt only if we let them hurt. To a degree, this rhyme is true. What other people think of us doesn't necessarily have any value unless we invest it with value. We can choose to ignore the ignorance of others. But we also recognize that this rhyme is not true. Names and words can hurt. They can wound deeply. Many marriages and friendships end over harsh words that should have never been spoken. Many people have been ruined by rumor, gossip, and innuendo. Words are extremely important.
• Name a time when you wish you could have taken back what you said.
When we look at Peter's denial, it is all about words. It is also about our word. In the Hebrew and Greek mind, words were very important. They had power. That is why the blessings and the curses in the Old Testament are so important. Once a blessing or a curse was uttered, it could not be taken back. That is why Isaac could not bless Esau. Isaac had spoken words of blessing over Jacob, and they could not be recalled. We might think, "Oh, I made a mistake; I'll bless you instead. No big deal." Not so back then. Once the words were out, you could not call them back and revise them. So as we look at Peter's denial, we need to look at his words, and then we need to compare our words.
Peter gave his word to Jesus at the end of the supper: "Though all become deserters because of you, I will never desert you ... Even though I must die with you, I will not deny you" (Matthew 26:33, 35 NRSV). Now those are big words. That is a big promise. I wonder if Peter really understood the gravity of what he was saying. In the long run, I don't think Peter appreciated how quickly the words of Jesus would come true -- "Truly I tell you, this very night, before the cock crows, you will deny me three times" (Matthew 26:34 NRSV).
Perhaps Peter envisioned the arrest of Jesus someday in the future. It would happen in broad daylight with a nice friendly crowd around. Those were safe conditions. Life would not be at serious risk in front of a crowd. But Jesus was arrested at night, with no friendly crowd around. Now what?
• Have you ever made such a promise, only to have the fulfillment be in a situation you did not count on?
Peter's words come back to haunt him. It seems as if he wasn't really aware of what he was doing until the rooster crowed. His words betray him. "I do not know him." Confronted by an ordinary peasant woman, and Peter's word is no longer reliable. He betrays himself and his Lord with his words.
Peter's first denial was short and abrupt, "I do not know him." Those are dangerous words for a Christian. Jesus says in Matthew 10:32, "Everyone who acknowledges me before others, I will acknowledge before my Father in heaven, but whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my Father in heaven." As with Peter so with us, we find ourselves in a tense situation, a nervous situation, a fearful situation. People will challenge us, "Do you know Jesus?" "You're not a Christian, are you?" "Do you mind if we watch these X-rated movies?" "Let's get drunk!" "Here, you can take this deduction; the IRS won't be able to track it." "Want to hear this ethnic joke?"
• What kinds of challenges to your commitment do you face?
Opportunities surround us each day. At each opportunity we can say, "I know him," or, "I don't know him." Do we confess Jesus before others without fear or anxiety? The truth is we testify every day with our words and with our actions. Sometimes we testify for him, sometimes we testify against him, but every day we give testimony to our relationship with Jesus.
• What is your relationship with Jesus? How deep is that relationship?
Peter's second denial goes along with his first: "I do not know the man." Here we see Peter trying to depersonalize the relationship with Jesus. He calls Jesus "the man." How many today want to keep their relationship with Jesus at this superficial level? We've met, but I don't really know the man. Our relationship with Jesus must be more than perfunctory and superficial. It must be close, personal, and intimate. Not only do I know the man, but I know Jesus as Lord, Savior, God, and friend. Not only do I know Jesus, but Jesus knows me. Do you know Jesus today? Have you met Jesus face to face? Is Jesus your personal Lord and Savior, or just a passing acquaintance? The Christian life gets exciting when you know Jesus up front and personal. You can know Jesus today by praying to him and asking him to come into your life. We continue to grow in our knowledge through prayer, Bible study, worship, giving, and service.
With the third denial, some of the real personality of Peter begins to shine through. Call it the fisherman. He begins to curse and swear that he does not know Jesus. They aren't just words. It is foul language and filthy talk. Christians should be able to communicate without using such words. We need to remind ourselves of Jesus' words: "I tell you, on the day of judgment you will have to give an account for every careless word you utter; for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned" (Matthew 12:36-37 NRSV).
• Will your words justify you or condemn you?
How many bleeps are they going to have to put in the videotape of our lives? Are our words justifying us or condemning us? They aren't just words. Your eternal destiny may be riding on what you are saying. Not just foul language, but also careless use of God's name. That includes: God, Lord, Jesus, Christ, Jesus Christ. The third commandment states that we are not to use God's name in vain. The psalmist prayed that God would set a guard at his mouth so that his tongue would not sin (Psalm 141:3). That is what we need, a guard at our mouths. Become aware of what you are saying and how you are saying it. One of the more frequent things we hear now is, "Oh, my God." Isn't that using God's name in vain? Be careful and set a guard at your mouth. We should use God's name in valuable ways: prayer, praise, thanksgiving, intercession, petition, and Bible study.
More and more in today's society, you can tell the people with self-control, dignity, and integrity by the language they use in their everyday speech. We need to set the example for the rest of the world that we can communicate to one another without resorting to foul language or taking God's name in vain.
Finally, Peter's words show that he is not a person of integrity, at least at this point. He promised Jesus, "I will never deny you." He didn't live up to his promise. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, "Do not swear, but let your Yes be Yes and your No be No" (Matthew 5:36, 37). Jesus is saying, "Be a person of your word." If you say you are going to do something, do it. If you say you are not going to do something, don't do it. Peter not only cursed, he swore an oath when he denied Christ. "I swear I do not know the man." Implied in that is, "I swear by God, I do not know the man." Essentially, Peter compromised his integrity in three ways. He did not keep his commitment to Jesus not to deny him. He lied to the people around him that he did not know Jesus. He used God's name in vain by swearing to a lie.
• How important to you is keeping your word? How do you feel when others betray their word?
Keeping our word is just as important today as it was in Jesus' time. Yet how often do we compromise our integrity. "I'll take care of that matter for you." "I will be at that meeting." "I pledge to give fifty dollars each week to the church funds." "I'll be praying for you." In the end, all a person ever truly owns is one's reputation and one's integrity. Those are the most valuable assets we will ever have. Lose them, or compromise them, and our relationships with other people will become very difficult indeed. To be a person of integrity is relatively simple. Tell the truth. Follow through on our commitments. Keep our promises and our word. Jesus kept it simple. Let your "yes" be "yes" and your "no" be "no."
There is good news about Peter. The difference between Judas and Peter is what each one does when the rooster crows. Peter goes out and weeps for how he has failed Jesus. Judas goes out and hangs himself. Peter's tears are tears of true sorrow and repentance. In that repentance, there is hope for Peter. John 21 records Peter's restoration, at the Sea of Galilee, around the breakfast table. Jesus gives Peter the opportunity to change his words of denial into words of affirmation. Jesus asks Peter three times, "Do you love me?" Once for each denial. Peter responds the first time, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus responds with his call, "Feed my lambs." The second time Jesus asks, "Peter, do you love me?" Peter responds, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." The call comes, "Tend my sheep." The third time Jesus asks, he asks with a different word for love, which is of less intensity than the first two. That is why Peter is upset with the third question. It would be comparable to us asking the third time, "Do you even like me?" Peter responds, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you."
• How would you answer these questions from Jesus right now?
That is what it boils down to for us, because none of us is perfect. At points, we have compromised our integrity, not kept our word, denied Jesus, cursed, swore, used God's name in vain. And if it wasn't that, maybe we misused our language in any number of different ways -- gossip, slander, name-calling, lying, hurtful words, hateful words, racial slurs, dirty jokes, whatever. No one will be fully justified by their words. That is why we need Jesus to forgive us of our sins. As in the case of Peter, Jesus does forgive us and restore us. He renews us and continues to live inside us, filling us with the Holy Spirit. This is all by God's grace. We don't deserve grace any more than Peter did, but just like Peter, we can rely on the fact that Jesus knows all things. Jesus looks beyond our words to our hearts. He knows our hearts, whether we truly love him and know him. Because he knows that, he forgives our words and restores us.
So, take the lesson of Peter to heart. Watch your words. They are ever so important. Be a person of your word. Let your "yes" be "yes" and your "no" be "no." Let no foul language come out of your mouth. Set the example. Use God's name appropriately. Stand up for Jesus and confess him before others. Your words can condemn you or acquit you. Either way, we have to give an account of every word. Measure them carefully.
WWJD -- Evaluate your vocabulary and speech patterns. Make improvements as the Lord leads you.
• Name a time when you wish you could have taken back what you said.
When we look at Peter's denial, it is all about words. It is also about our word. In the Hebrew and Greek mind, words were very important. They had power. That is why the blessings and the curses in the Old Testament are so important. Once a blessing or a curse was uttered, it could not be taken back. That is why Isaac could not bless Esau. Isaac had spoken words of blessing over Jacob, and they could not be recalled. We might think, "Oh, I made a mistake; I'll bless you instead. No big deal." Not so back then. Once the words were out, you could not call them back and revise them. So as we look at Peter's denial, we need to look at his words, and then we need to compare our words.
Peter gave his word to Jesus at the end of the supper: "Though all become deserters because of you, I will never desert you ... Even though I must die with you, I will not deny you" (Matthew 26:33, 35 NRSV). Now those are big words. That is a big promise. I wonder if Peter really understood the gravity of what he was saying. In the long run, I don't think Peter appreciated how quickly the words of Jesus would come true -- "Truly I tell you, this very night, before the cock crows, you will deny me three times" (Matthew 26:34 NRSV).
Perhaps Peter envisioned the arrest of Jesus someday in the future. It would happen in broad daylight with a nice friendly crowd around. Those were safe conditions. Life would not be at serious risk in front of a crowd. But Jesus was arrested at night, with no friendly crowd around. Now what?
• Have you ever made such a promise, only to have the fulfillment be in a situation you did not count on?
Peter's words come back to haunt him. It seems as if he wasn't really aware of what he was doing until the rooster crowed. His words betray him. "I do not know him." Confronted by an ordinary peasant woman, and Peter's word is no longer reliable. He betrays himself and his Lord with his words.
Peter's first denial was short and abrupt, "I do not know him." Those are dangerous words for a Christian. Jesus says in Matthew 10:32, "Everyone who acknowledges me before others, I will acknowledge before my Father in heaven, but whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my Father in heaven." As with Peter so with us, we find ourselves in a tense situation, a nervous situation, a fearful situation. People will challenge us, "Do you know Jesus?" "You're not a Christian, are you?" "Do you mind if we watch these X-rated movies?" "Let's get drunk!" "Here, you can take this deduction; the IRS won't be able to track it." "Want to hear this ethnic joke?"
• What kinds of challenges to your commitment do you face?
Opportunities surround us each day. At each opportunity we can say, "I know him," or, "I don't know him." Do we confess Jesus before others without fear or anxiety? The truth is we testify every day with our words and with our actions. Sometimes we testify for him, sometimes we testify against him, but every day we give testimony to our relationship with Jesus.
• What is your relationship with Jesus? How deep is that relationship?
Peter's second denial goes along with his first: "I do not know the man." Here we see Peter trying to depersonalize the relationship with Jesus. He calls Jesus "the man." How many today want to keep their relationship with Jesus at this superficial level? We've met, but I don't really know the man. Our relationship with Jesus must be more than perfunctory and superficial. It must be close, personal, and intimate. Not only do I know the man, but I know Jesus as Lord, Savior, God, and friend. Not only do I know Jesus, but Jesus knows me. Do you know Jesus today? Have you met Jesus face to face? Is Jesus your personal Lord and Savior, or just a passing acquaintance? The Christian life gets exciting when you know Jesus up front and personal. You can know Jesus today by praying to him and asking him to come into your life. We continue to grow in our knowledge through prayer, Bible study, worship, giving, and service.
With the third denial, some of the real personality of Peter begins to shine through. Call it the fisherman. He begins to curse and swear that he does not know Jesus. They aren't just words. It is foul language and filthy talk. Christians should be able to communicate without using such words. We need to remind ourselves of Jesus' words: "I tell you, on the day of judgment you will have to give an account for every careless word you utter; for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned" (Matthew 12:36-37 NRSV).
• Will your words justify you or condemn you?
How many bleeps are they going to have to put in the videotape of our lives? Are our words justifying us or condemning us? They aren't just words. Your eternal destiny may be riding on what you are saying. Not just foul language, but also careless use of God's name. That includes: God, Lord, Jesus, Christ, Jesus Christ. The third commandment states that we are not to use God's name in vain. The psalmist prayed that God would set a guard at his mouth so that his tongue would not sin (Psalm 141:3). That is what we need, a guard at our mouths. Become aware of what you are saying and how you are saying it. One of the more frequent things we hear now is, "Oh, my God." Isn't that using God's name in vain? Be careful and set a guard at your mouth. We should use God's name in valuable ways: prayer, praise, thanksgiving, intercession, petition, and Bible study.
More and more in today's society, you can tell the people with self-control, dignity, and integrity by the language they use in their everyday speech. We need to set the example for the rest of the world that we can communicate to one another without resorting to foul language or taking God's name in vain.
Finally, Peter's words show that he is not a person of integrity, at least at this point. He promised Jesus, "I will never deny you." He didn't live up to his promise. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, "Do not swear, but let your Yes be Yes and your No be No" (Matthew 5:36, 37). Jesus is saying, "Be a person of your word." If you say you are going to do something, do it. If you say you are not going to do something, don't do it. Peter not only cursed, he swore an oath when he denied Christ. "I swear I do not know the man." Implied in that is, "I swear by God, I do not know the man." Essentially, Peter compromised his integrity in three ways. He did not keep his commitment to Jesus not to deny him. He lied to the people around him that he did not know Jesus. He used God's name in vain by swearing to a lie.
• How important to you is keeping your word? How do you feel when others betray their word?
Keeping our word is just as important today as it was in Jesus' time. Yet how often do we compromise our integrity. "I'll take care of that matter for you." "I will be at that meeting." "I pledge to give fifty dollars each week to the church funds." "I'll be praying for you." In the end, all a person ever truly owns is one's reputation and one's integrity. Those are the most valuable assets we will ever have. Lose them, or compromise them, and our relationships with other people will become very difficult indeed. To be a person of integrity is relatively simple. Tell the truth. Follow through on our commitments. Keep our promises and our word. Jesus kept it simple. Let your "yes" be "yes" and your "no" be "no."
There is good news about Peter. The difference between Judas and Peter is what each one does when the rooster crows. Peter goes out and weeps for how he has failed Jesus. Judas goes out and hangs himself. Peter's tears are tears of true sorrow and repentance. In that repentance, there is hope for Peter. John 21 records Peter's restoration, at the Sea of Galilee, around the breakfast table. Jesus gives Peter the opportunity to change his words of denial into words of affirmation. Jesus asks Peter three times, "Do you love me?" Once for each denial. Peter responds the first time, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus responds with his call, "Feed my lambs." The second time Jesus asks, "Peter, do you love me?" Peter responds, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." The call comes, "Tend my sheep." The third time Jesus asks, he asks with a different word for love, which is of less intensity than the first two. That is why Peter is upset with the third question. It would be comparable to us asking the third time, "Do you even like me?" Peter responds, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you."
• How would you answer these questions from Jesus right now?
That is what it boils down to for us, because none of us is perfect. At points, we have compromised our integrity, not kept our word, denied Jesus, cursed, swore, used God's name in vain. And if it wasn't that, maybe we misused our language in any number of different ways -- gossip, slander, name-calling, lying, hurtful words, hateful words, racial slurs, dirty jokes, whatever. No one will be fully justified by their words. That is why we need Jesus to forgive us of our sins. As in the case of Peter, Jesus does forgive us and restore us. He renews us and continues to live inside us, filling us with the Holy Spirit. This is all by God's grace. We don't deserve grace any more than Peter did, but just like Peter, we can rely on the fact that Jesus knows all things. Jesus looks beyond our words to our hearts. He knows our hearts, whether we truly love him and know him. Because he knows that, he forgives our words and restores us.
So, take the lesson of Peter to heart. Watch your words. They are ever so important. Be a person of your word. Let your "yes" be "yes" and your "no" be "no." Let no foul language come out of your mouth. Set the example. Use God's name appropriately. Stand up for Jesus and confess him before others. Your words can condemn you or acquit you. Either way, we have to give an account of every word. Measure them carefully.
WWJD -- Evaluate your vocabulary and speech patterns. Make improvements as the Lord leads you.
