Watch Out for that Iceberg!
Matthew 26:31-35 (NKJV) Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written:
‘I will strike the Shepherd,
And the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’
32But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.”
33Peter answered and said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.”
34Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”
35Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And so said all the disciples.
This April 14th marks the one hundred year anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, one of the worst maritime disasters of all time. Over 1500 people died on that night because the ship ran into an iceberg, despite several warnings from other ships.
Life is full of "icebergs". The iceberg represents any sin or weight that poses a hazard to your walk with God. Peter ran into an iceberg the night that Jesus was arrested and sentenced to death. His story is a perfect example of how we sin progresses, and we end up on a “slippery slope” headed for full denial of Jesus Christ.
The Anatomy of a Backslide
1. Boastfulness (v. 33-35). Peter’s pride prompted him to make a statement that he really couldn’t back up. Backsliding begins with pride. Pride is what led to the fall of man in the beginning. The people who built the Titanic were in pride. They felt like their ship was “unsinkable”.
2. Unwatchfulness (v. 40). 1 Peter 5:8: Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 1 Corinthians 16:13: Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. We have to be constantly on our guard because “evil is present” with us and the enemy is constantly seeking to steal, kill and destroy.
3. Prayerlessness (v. 41. 45). Prayerlessness comes before a fall. If we would spend more time in prayer, we would avoid some of the pitfalls of life. One of the reasons the Titanic ran into an iceberg was because the crew failed to get some of the warnings from the other ships. Notice, Jesus warns them that the flesh – a way of thinking that’s against God’s will - is weak. The way to defeat the flesh is to renew your mind (exchange your thoughts for the thoughts of God).
4. Fleshly service (v. 51). Fleshly thinking leads to fleshly actions. Peter is on a downward spiral towards a full backslide. When Judas appears, followed by religious leaders and Romans soldiers, he panics and ends up cutting off a man’s ear.
5. Following afar off (v. 58). This is called, “distant discipleship” – following from afar. Even though Peter’s following was commendable, it was still incomplete – he followed “at a distance.” Peter decided to “play it safe” and stay inside his comfort zone.
6. Fellowship with enemies (v. 69; Lk. 22-54). Backsliders love to hide. We can either confront our failure or allow our guilty conscience to cause us to feel condemnation. Peter began to hang with “outsiders”. Who are you hanging around? Who are you associating yourself with?
7. Open denial (v. 70-75). Peter’s backslide ends up in full denial of Jesus Christ. He cusses a little girl out (v. 71), saying he didn’t even know Jesus’ name (v. 72). But his accent gave him away. God will bring different people across your path to get your attention. When the rooster crowed, Peter remembered what Jesus told him and he ran away in tears.
Like icebergs, one of the problems with sin is that the biggest part lies under the surface. Many times we try to deal with “surface issues” instead of dealing with the source. (Examples: drinking, sex, anger)
Avoiding a Backslide
1. Recognize. The first step in avoiding or averting a backslide is to recognize where you are heading.
2. Repent. Ask God for forgiveness and repent. Repent here means to change your direction.
3. Renew your mind. Change your thinking so that you won’t head that way again. Renewing your mind means to exchange your thoughts for God’s thoughts.
The cost of backsliding: (SeeLuke 15:11-32). God often has to bankrupt us when we wander from Him in order to bring us back to Himself. Many Christians for a time feed on swine's food, but cannot be satisfied by it. The good news is that God says He is married to the backslider (Jeremiah 3:14). Peter was restored and went on to become a leader in the early church.
