Fear in Control

May 17, 2018

Mark 14:66-72

When fear has control of you, the fear of others is a potent tool of the devil; in 2018 we have a fear of getting branded with the title racists.  Now it is of interest a person of color cannot be a racist as stated by the politically correct group, yet anyone with a mind that is working knows that racism is a matter of fear and it found in the hearts of people of all colors.

And that brings us to Mark’s account of Peter sitting in the courtyard of the high priest, where he has followed the crowd that took Jesus with clubs and swords.  How Peter followed at a considerable distance so as not to be associated with Jesus, many a person who claims Christ as Savior is doing the same thing in the workplace, so they can gain favor with man.

It is a cold evening, and the temple police are warming themselves by the fire, and you will never guess who sitting there with them; Peter.  And the next thing that happens is a servant girl comes up to Peter and ask are you one of his disciples?  Now you been at that party and someone says something like why are you not drinking is it because you are now a Christian.  How you answer that question, will you confess that Jesus has changed your desire and wants are will you come up with some lame reason?

Now Mark tells us this servant girl saw Peter again she began saying to those nearby, “This man is one of them!”  Now listen to Mark’s account of what happened next in verses 70-72, “But again he denied it. And after a little while, the bystanders again said to Peter, “Certainly you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.”  But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know this man of whom you speak.”  And immediately the rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept.

Now Peter did not do so well that night, but after Jesus forgave him and he received the Holy Spirit his fear of men was very small, but his fear of God was great.   You and I have acted like Peter at least once, have you ask the Lord to forgive you?  

Let me share this from Romans 8:31-39, ^“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?  He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?  Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.  Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?  As it is written,

“For your sake, we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

From our Back Yard,

Bob Rice