Go and tell Peter

Sermon notes from Sunday 20 April 2014

MARK 16 VERSES 1 – 8

“go your way and tell his disciples and Peter.”

Peter was not to be left out.  The significance of these 2 words come in the light of what he had done in the garden of Gethsemane.  He denied the Lord 3 times and forsook him, ran away, abandoned the Lord.  Now he was forlorn – if only he could relive those moments.  Then this wonderful message came that the stone had been rolled away, that the tomb was empty, when they were asked “you seek for Jesus of Nazareth, he is not here he is risen.”  Then the women were told to go and tell his disciples that he would meet them in Galilee and tell Peter.  He needed to hear those words of comfort and solace.  Maybe there is a Peter here tonight.  Maybe there is someone who needs to hear these words.  What did it mean for Peter?  Turn to Luke chapter 22.

Here was a challenge to his faith – verse 31.  Here they are in the Garden of Gethsemane when the Lord says to him “Simon, Simon, behold Satan has desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat.”  He came to this great juncture in his life.  There was a specific battle going on for his soul.  He was coming to the knowledge of putting faith in Christ.  Now comes a challenge to his faith.  Satan wants to take everything good in your life and sift you as wheat Jesus told him.  One thing the devil wanted to do with Peter was to bring him down, take him away from the Lord, destroy him.  Maybe the devil seeks to bring you down this evening.  There is already something in your life that is challenging your faith.  You are being told to go forward but there is something holding you back.  An obstacle to climb.  The devil will challenge you the whole way.  The Lord Jesus in all his grace and mercy wants to save your soul.  He has brought you here that he might reveal his great love for you, to show you his sacrifice for your sin, that he might save you from a lost and Christless hell for eternity.  The devil wants to destroy your life, to rob you of the greatest gift he could ever give you, the gift of eternal life.  There was something before Peter and he needed to make up his mind.  The devil was there to oppose him.  Remember that first day when Peter came to know the Lord.  Andrew his brother told him he had got saved, he had found the Messiah the one they had been searching for in the scriptures had been found.  We have come to trust him.  John has told us he is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world.  Peter didn’t leave it there until he came to where Jesus was and found him for himself.  The Lord wants to save your soul.  Peter came and trusted the Lord for himself.  Remember when the Lord came again out fishing, mending and washing nets.  The Lord called to them “follow me and I will make you fishers of men.”  There was a day he fully surrendered, forsook his boats, gave his all to the Lord.  Do you remember that day when you trusted the Lord as Saviour?  Do you remember the night when you gave your all to the Lord?  Maybe your all is not on the altar for the Lord.  Peter said you can have my boats, my nets, my livelihood.  He said I will follow you Lord.  Sadly now he is here at this junction in his life – a challenge to his faith.  Do you feel there is a tug in your life?  The devil wants to stop you in your tracks.  Have you faced this challenge?

Notice also how the coldness sets in.  A few hours later Judas enters into the Garden with the soldiers.  He took the Lord in an embrace and kissed him.  The soldiers arrested Jesus and dragged him out of the Garden – verse 54 – “and Peter followed afar off.”  He considered the challenge and he has backed off.  Something has happened in the Garden and his faith is faltering.  He is not where he once was.  He realised he had lost out on ground.  Maybe you have lost out in that spiritual life of yours.  There would have been a time when Peter stood shoulder to shoulder with Christ.  We need to be careful because coldness soon settles in.  Peter remembered the former days in the synagogue.  Jesus was preaching when a man stood up and opposed Jesus.  Peter stood with the Lord.  Peter remembered the day when Jesus was invited into his home.  His mother-in-law was so sick.  The Lord reached down and raised that woman up.  Peter knew what it was like to have answers to prayer.  He remembered that day when he went up the mountainside.  The glory of the Lord filled the whole place.  Here he is now walking afar off.  Maybe you remember that day you were saved, remember how the Lord answered prayer for you.  Sadly tonight you are walking afar off, not just as close as once where.  Remember John Mark and the day when Paul came to him and said “come with me to preach the gospel.”  He went with Paul and stood shoulder to shoulder with him and Barnabas.  When they came to Antioch they preached the word of God.  They saw a demon possessed man who tried to stop them.  Somehow John Mark saw something that day he didn’t like as a Christian.  We can come up against battles and when they come we tend to step back.  John Mark left them and went back to Jerusalem.

Notice the carelessness that enters in.  Verse 55 “Peter sat down among them.”  He had heard a challenge and the coldness had settled in.  After that came the carelessness.  He didn’t really care about the things of God.  He was careless about meeting the Lord, in remembering his word and praying.  He began to walk afar off.  Peter is attracted to the fire which led him into the wrong company.  Who attracts us and what places attract us?  It leads us into the wrong company.  Here Peter was sitting down amongst the Lord’s enemy.  What happened there?   3 times he denied the Lord.  He is sitting at the fire amongst the Lord’s enemies taking part in the conversation.  He got himself into the place of temptation.  In the Old Testament scriptures Abraham and Lot came out of Egypt, they had lots of herds of cattle, flocks of sheep and were very wealthy.  What happened?  The herdsmen began to quarrel and fall out.  Abraham realised they could not dwell together.  He told Lot the people of the land can see what is happening.  We are going to separate – you take whatever you wish and I will take the rest.  Abraham dwelled in the land of Canaan while Lot dwelled in the plain.  Lot pitched his tent toward Sodom and it tells us “but the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly”.  That is where Lot made his choice.  You will make a choice tonight – choose which pathway you will tread as you leave God’s house.  There is a narrow way that leads to heaven and home and a broad way that leads to hell and destruction.  You can step out tonight and trust the Lord as Saviour.  Lot made a choice that ruined his family and home for many years.  Many a young person who has been brought up in a Christian home, had the influence of a godly parent, minister or teacher but has been attracted by a relationship and are now out in the wilderness.  A lot of places are away from the word of God, all bubble and squeak with no foundational teaching from the word of God.

The conviction that settles in – verse 61 – the Lord’s eyes meet Peter’s.  No place to hide.  There is still no place to hide tonight.  The Lord is speaking to you tonight.  Verse 62 “and Peter went out and wept bitterly.”  That is conviction.  Do you realise that you are not saved tonight?  You can remember Sunday School teachers, missions you have sat in yet you are not saved.  That is conviction.  It is not something parents or Sunday school teachers can put in your heart, that is the work of God himself.  Peter realised what he had done and he wept bitterly.  As we come to the cross of Calvary let us weep tears of bitterness and regret.  Do you feel conviction in your heart tonight?  Things are not as important to you as once were in the spiritual realm.

The compassion – Mark 16 verse 7.  Knowing all Peter had done the women were instructed to go and tell the disciples but also to tell Peter.  The significance of those 2 words.  He might have thought he was forgotten about.  He had faltered, failed, been frightened but the Lord didn’t forget him.  Maybe you are running from God, come running back to him.

There was also a conversion there.  The disciples went fishing one day.  They saw the Lord on the shore.  The first person Jesus spoke to was Peter.  “Peter lovest thou me?”  3 times he had denied the Lord and 3 times he was asked if he loved the Lord.  He had denied the Lord at a coal fire now Jesus brought him back to a coal fire.  You have got to come back to the place where you denied the Lord to walk afar of.  Are you coming back?