1 00:00:01,500 --> 00:00:05,100 In the Gospel of Matthew, in chapter 26, 2 00:00:05,560 --> 00:00:08,860 we find the tender scene of the Lord's 3 00:00:08,860 --> 00:00:09,280 Supper. 4 00:00:09,840 --> 00:00:12,880 And we see, after they had eaten and 5 00:00:12,880 --> 00:00:15,740 sang a hymn, they went out into the 6 00:00:15,740 --> 00:00:17,280 Mount of Olives. 7 00:00:17,740 --> 00:00:22,680 And in verses 31 through 35, we read, 8 00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:28,300 Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall 9 00:00:28,300 --> 00:00:30,320 be offended because of me. 10 00:00:30,820 --> 00:00:33,980 This night, for it is written, I will 11 00:00:33,980 --> 00:00:36,700 smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the 12 00:00:36,700 --> 00:00:39,980 flock shall be scattered abroad. 13 00:00:40,460 --> 00:00:43,320 But after I am risen again, I will 14 00:00:43,320 --> 00:00:46,360 go before you into Galilee. 15 00:00:46,360 --> 00:00:51,480 Peter answered and said unto him, Though all 16 00:00:51,480 --> 00:00:54,500 men shall be offended because of thee, yet 17 00:00:54,500 --> 00:00:56,980 will I never be offended. 18 00:00:57,760 --> 00:01:01,540 Let me pause here to say, friends, here, 19 00:01:02,060 --> 00:01:04,600 Peter makes a vow to God he will 20 00:01:04,600 --> 00:01:05,540 not keep. 21 00:01:05,980 --> 00:01:09,460 I wonder how many of us have made 22 00:01:09,460 --> 00:01:12,500 vows to God that we didn't keep. 23 00:01:12,500 --> 00:01:15,820 Let's continue with our text. 24 00:01:16,560 --> 00:01:21,880 Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto 25 00:01:21,880 --> 00:01:26,000 thee, that this night, before the cock crow, 26 00:01:26,480 --> 00:01:28,800 thou shalt deny me thrice. 27 00:01:29,360 --> 00:01:33,280 Well, Peter doubles down and argues with Jesus 28 00:01:33,280 --> 00:01:35,580 and strengthens his vow. 29 00:01:35,580 --> 00:01:40,040 Peter said unto him, Though I should die 30 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:43,620 with thee, yet will I not deny thee. 31 00:01:44,020 --> 00:01:46,000 I will stop their friends. 32 00:01:47,300 --> 00:01:50,180 We have to turn over to Luke's Gospel 33 00:01:50,180 --> 00:01:53,580 in chapter 22 to see the sad story 34 00:01:53,580 --> 00:01:57,680 played out in verses 54 to 62. 35 00:01:58,400 --> 00:02:01,320 Then they took him and led him and 36 00:02:01,320 --> 00:02:04,940 brought him into the high priest's house, and 37 00:02:04,940 --> 00:02:07,460 Peter followed afar off. 38 00:02:07,940 --> 00:02:10,420 Let me pause here to say, we can 39 00:02:10,420 --> 00:02:14,300 just picture the cowardly Peter who had just 40 00:02:14,300 --> 00:02:17,500 boasted and bragged he would die with Christ 41 00:02:17,500 --> 00:02:19,420 rather than deny him. 42 00:02:19,420 --> 00:02:22,200 But when the robber met the road, Peter 43 00:02:22,200 --> 00:02:25,860 shrinks to the shadows, stays back far enough, 44 00:02:26,200 --> 00:02:30,000 far enough away from Jesus so not to 45 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:31,920 be associated with him. 46 00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:36,340 All sin is a step downward, and then 47 00:02:36,340 --> 00:02:40,340 you're on a water slide, slipping down the 48 00:02:40,340 --> 00:02:43,000 rest of the way until you hit rock 49 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:43,540 bottom. 50 00:02:43,540 --> 00:02:47,220 Well, let's pick up things in verse 55. 51 00:02:48,320 --> 00:02:51,280 And when they had kindled a fire in 52 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:53,680 the midst of the hall and were sat 53 00:02:53,680 --> 00:02:57,800 down together, Peter sat down among them. 54 00:02:58,160 --> 00:03:01,460 But a certain maid beheld him as he 55 00:03:01,460 --> 00:03:05,520 sat by the fire and earnestly looked upon 56 00:03:05,520 --> 00:03:09,440 him and said, This man was also with 57 00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:10,020 him. 58 00:03:10,020 --> 00:03:13,980 And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know 59 00:03:13,980 --> 00:03:14,860 him not. 60 00:03:15,340 --> 00:03:18,600 And after a little while another saw him 61 00:03:18,600 --> 00:03:22,200 and said, Thou art also of them. 62 00:03:22,520 --> 00:03:25,360 And Peter said, Man, I am not. 63 00:03:25,700 --> 00:03:28,540 In about the space of one hour after 64 00:03:28,540 --> 00:03:33,660 another, confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth, this 65 00:03:33,660 --> 00:03:36,960 fellow also was with him, for he is 66 00:03:36,960 --> 00:03:38,080 a Galilean. 67 00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:41,200 And Peter said, Man, I know not what 68 00:03:41,200 --> 00:03:42,280 thou sayest. 69 00:03:42,460 --> 00:03:46,240 And immediately, while he spake, the cock crew. 70 00:03:47,720 --> 00:03:50,580 Let me pause here to say, friends, that 71 00:03:50,580 --> 00:03:54,180 the only gospel account of Peter's foul mouth 72 00:03:54,180 --> 00:03:58,320 of cursing and swearing appears in Mark's gospel. 73 00:03:58,320 --> 00:04:03,560 Because most church historians affirm that it was 74 00:04:03,560 --> 00:04:06,980 Peter who was Mark's main source for the 75 00:04:06,980 --> 00:04:10,480 information contained in his gospel. 76 00:04:11,180 --> 00:04:15,000 Peter made certain that Mark included all of 77 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:18,140 his denial of his Lord, including his foul 78 00:04:18,140 --> 00:04:21,760 mouth part where Peter cursed and swore. 79 00:04:22,200 --> 00:04:24,060 But what I want to focus on here, 80 00:04:24,200 --> 00:04:27,060 friends, is not Peter's shortcomings. 81 00:04:27,060 --> 00:04:31,300 For we all have our own shortcomings. 82 00:04:31,820 --> 00:04:34,220 But what I want us to notice here 83 00:04:34,220 --> 00:04:38,340 are two main things from these gospel accounts. 84 00:04:38,920 --> 00:04:42,360 Number one, Peter had vowed a vow to 85 00:04:42,360 --> 00:04:45,260 Jesus and then broke that vow. 86 00:04:45,740 --> 00:04:48,700 And in Peter's unique style, he peppered it 87 00:04:48,700 --> 00:04:52,100 with some cursing and swearing from an emotional 88 00:04:52,100 --> 00:04:55,120 outburst of trying to preserve his skin. 89 00:04:55,120 --> 00:04:58,040 But the second thing I want us to 90 00:04:58,040 --> 00:05:01,500 note here is Peter's heartfelt repentance. 91 00:05:02,280 --> 00:05:05,480 He's really broken hearted over his sin. 92 00:05:05,740 --> 00:05:10,520 In verses 61 and 62 we read, And 93 00:05:10,520 --> 00:05:14,280 the Lord turned and looked upon Peter, and 94 00:05:14,280 --> 00:05:17,540 Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how 95 00:05:17,540 --> 00:05:20,460 he had said unto him, Before the cock 96 00:05:20,460 --> 00:05:24,140 crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. 97 00:05:24,540 --> 00:05:27,740 And Peter went out and wept bitterly. 98 00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:29,760 I will stop there. 99 00:05:30,740 --> 00:05:33,640 In the life of faith, we will come 100 00:05:33,640 --> 00:05:37,340 across times in our own life where we 101 00:05:37,340 --> 00:05:39,000 just plain mess up. 102 00:05:39,240 --> 00:05:42,140 I can't point my finger at Peter because 103 00:05:42,140 --> 00:05:45,640 I mess up as much or more than 104 00:05:45,640 --> 00:05:46,260 him. 105 00:05:46,260 --> 00:05:47,920 Peter vowed an oath. 106 00:05:48,180 --> 00:05:49,580 He broke that oath. 107 00:05:49,880 --> 00:05:51,260 He wept bitterly. 108 00:05:51,360 --> 00:05:54,440 He was broken hearted over his sin. 109 00:05:55,020 --> 00:05:59,080 God showed me an area in my life 110 00:05:59,080 --> 00:06:02,860 recently where I was in direct disobedience to 111 00:06:02,860 --> 00:06:04,140 his word. 112 00:06:04,560 --> 00:06:06,880 It was like I was stabbed in my 113 00:06:06,880 --> 00:06:08,220 heart by a knife. 114 00:06:08,220 --> 00:06:12,500 At first I couldn't believe it to realize 115 00:06:12,500 --> 00:06:16,300 how blind I was, how stupid I was, 116 00:06:16,420 --> 00:06:18,860 how disobedient I was. 117 00:06:19,200 --> 00:06:20,540 It so disturbed me. 118 00:06:20,640 --> 00:06:23,480 I became broken hearted over my sin. 119 00:06:23,620 --> 00:06:26,660 I cried like a baby so hard I 120 00:06:26,660 --> 00:06:30,760 didn't realize I was soaking my open Bible 121 00:06:30,760 --> 00:06:32,740 that was sitting in my lap. 122 00:06:32,940 --> 00:06:37,560 With profuse tears I had wept so profusely. 123 00:06:37,560 --> 00:06:40,240 It looked like I poured a glass of 124 00:06:40,240 --> 00:06:43,460 water onto my Bible as it pooled into 125 00:06:43,460 --> 00:06:44,060 binding. 126 00:06:44,780 --> 00:06:48,600 God had reminded me I'd made a vow 127 00:06:48,600 --> 00:06:51,660 to him on a certain issue and I 128 00:06:51,660 --> 00:06:52,980 had broke my vow. 129 00:06:53,440 --> 00:06:56,900 I was allowed to experience the sadness of 130 00:06:56,900 --> 00:07:00,400 that broken vow from God's perspective. 131 00:07:01,260 --> 00:07:04,000 Our sin breaks the heart of the Father 132 00:07:04,000 --> 00:07:06,060 when we sin. 133 00:07:06,060 --> 00:07:08,940 He gives us enough grace to see our 134 00:07:08,940 --> 00:07:12,000 sin for what it is and it should 135 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:14,060 break our heart as well. 136 00:07:14,560 --> 00:07:17,140 This is true heartfelt repentance. 137 00:07:17,980 --> 00:07:21,120 God's not blessing us because we are in 138 00:07:21,120 --> 00:07:22,260 a place of rebellion. 139 00:07:22,820 --> 00:07:25,460 We said we would do something and we 140 00:07:25,460 --> 00:07:26,500 didn't do it. 141 00:07:26,780 --> 00:07:29,300 He called us to a ministry but we 142 00:07:29,300 --> 00:07:30,180 wouldn't go. 143 00:07:30,180 --> 00:07:34,200 I recall a girlfriend of my daughter was 144 00:07:34,200 --> 00:07:37,240 visiting her home one time and I asked 145 00:07:37,240 --> 00:07:38,920 her what she wanted to do with her 146 00:07:38,920 --> 00:07:41,200 life once she got out of college. 147 00:07:41,680 --> 00:07:44,960 She told me that she felt God had 148 00:07:44,960 --> 00:07:47,880 called her to be a missionary but after 149 00:07:47,880 --> 00:07:51,520 she looked into it she realized she'd have 150 00:07:51,520 --> 00:07:54,740 to raise her own financial support and it 151 00:07:54,740 --> 00:07:57,780 was too risky of an endeavor for her. 152 00:07:58,220 --> 00:08:01,320 So she had decided against it and instead 153 00:08:01,320 --> 00:08:04,720 to become a medical worker because it paid 154 00:08:04,720 --> 00:08:08,160 a salary of $80,000 a year and 155 00:08:08,160 --> 00:08:10,360 that's more of what she wanted. 156 00:08:10,860 --> 00:08:13,900 Since that conversation I had with that girl 157 00:08:13,900 --> 00:08:17,300 about seven years ago I've kept up with 158 00:08:17,300 --> 00:08:20,960 her and she is yet to graduate college 159 00:08:20,960 --> 00:08:24,860 with her degree for the medical field and 160 00:08:24,860 --> 00:08:28,540 she's had one broken wedding engagement right after 161 00:08:28,540 --> 00:08:29,060 another. 162 00:08:29,660 --> 00:08:32,720 She doesn't realize she has a broken vow 163 00:08:32,720 --> 00:08:33,559 with God. 164 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:36,760 He had called her to a specific ministry 165 00:08:36,760 --> 00:08:40,220 but she wouldn't go because it didn't suit 166 00:08:40,220 --> 00:08:41,760 her well enough. 167 00:08:41,760 --> 00:08:46,560 God remembers a broken vow long after we 168 00:08:46,560 --> 00:08:48,560 have long forgotten about it. 169 00:08:48,940 --> 00:08:50,600 That's the way it was with me. 170 00:08:50,780 --> 00:08:54,760 I had forgotten about my vow to God 171 00:08:54,760 --> 00:08:58,220 regarding something but He had not forgotten. 172 00:08:58,820 --> 00:09:00,820 I was out of step with God in 173 00:09:00,820 --> 00:09:03,980 a particular area of my life because of 174 00:09:03,980 --> 00:09:07,500 a sin of omission, sins of omission or 175 00:09:07,500 --> 00:09:10,420 just as grievous to God as sins of 176 00:09:10,420 --> 00:09:11,000 commission. 177 00:09:11,000 --> 00:09:14,500 They're even more sneaky because they're not on 178 00:09:14,500 --> 00:09:18,200 our spiritual radar like a glaring sin from 179 00:09:18,200 --> 00:09:19,220 our actions. 180 00:09:19,820 --> 00:09:22,840 But God keeps a record of all we 181 00:09:22,840 --> 00:09:25,840 promise Him, all we vow to Him. 182 00:09:26,120 --> 00:09:28,740 If we fail to keep our word to 183 00:09:28,740 --> 00:09:31,900 Him He will remind us of that in 184 00:09:31,900 --> 00:09:33,240 our life of faith. 185 00:09:33,660 --> 00:09:36,280 A principle of faith is how do we 186 00:09:36,280 --> 00:09:39,460 respond when God convicts us of sin? 187 00:09:39,460 --> 00:09:41,220 How do we respond? 188 00:09:41,620 --> 00:09:45,400 And how we respond will determine how much 189 00:09:45,400 --> 00:09:48,920 further we go with God in our walk 190 00:09:48,920 --> 00:09:50,600 of faith with Him. 191 00:09:51,160 --> 00:09:55,420 Take this time now friend to reflect on 192 00:09:55,420 --> 00:09:58,820 your own walk with God to see if 193 00:09:58,820 --> 00:10:02,400 you have any broken vows to Him. 194 00:10:02,900 --> 00:10:07,880 How you respond will determine how you progress.