Message by Larry Thacker Jr. from April 21: An Ordinary Man
Sometimes those of us raised in church can have a harder time with grace and humility than those who were not. We imagine that we’ve got this. Then, something puts us in our place. Temptation, fear, disappointment; the reasons are as diverse as we are, but they lead us to a crisis of faith. We have fallen, and we can’t get up.
Consider Peter. This ardent follower of Christ has just pledged his life in devotion to Him. He’s ready to go out in a blaze of glory, attacking the mob that had come out to arrest Jesus with his loan sword. But Jesus puts a stop to that, and within hours Peter has fulfilled His prediction that he would Deny Him three times. Is his life over? Is his ministry career finished? Is he going to be cooking next to Judas in Hell? No! In a moment of weakness, Peter fell, but Jesus would not allow him to stay down. He became a central figure in the early church, performing the same kinds of miracles that Jesus did.
Our central text is Luke’s account of Peter’s denials, found in Luke 22:54-62. It will be helpful to read Matthew 26:69-74, Mark 14:66-72, John 18:15-27, and John 21:15-17.
