HOFC Sermon Archive

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SERMON TIMELINE

10. Jesus Cleanses the Leper

11. Jesus Heals the Paralytic

12. Jesus and the Tax Collector

13. Jesus Questioned About Fasting

14. Of Wine and Wineskins

15. Jesus, Lord of the Sabbath & Resurrection Sunday 2025

16. Hard Hearts and Hard Thoughts

17. Three Responses to Jesus

18. Jesus Appoints the Apostles

19. The Family of Jesus

20. The Unforgivable Sin

21. The True Family of Jesus

22. Parable of the Four Soils

23. How Well Do You Listen

24. Parable of the Growing Seed

25. Parable of the Mustard Seed

26. Benefits of Private Teaching

27. Jesus Calms the Storm

28. Who is Afraid of Jesus?

29. The Touch of Jesus

30. When Familiarity Breeds Contempt

31. Principles of Evangelism

32. Weakness in the Seat of Power

33. The Need for Rest

34. Feeding 5000

35. Jesus Walks on Water

36. Healings at Gennesaret

37. The Danger of Traditions

38. The Source of True Defilement

39. Gentile Blessed for Her Faith

40. He Has Done All Things Well

41. Jesus Feeds 4000

42. Jesus Sighs

43. Beware of Leaven

44. The Blind Man at Bethsaida

45. Who Do You Say That Jesus Is?

46. Mindful of the Things of God

47. The Cost of Discipleship

48. The Value of a Soul

49. Ashamed of Jesus and His Word

50. The Transfiguration

51. The Disciples ask Questions

52. The Unclean Spirit

53. The Way to Greatness

54. Principles of Discipleship

55. God Hates Divorce

56. Jesus Blesses Children

57. The Problem with Wealth

58. The Cost and Reward of Discipleship

59. A Couple Days Before Palm Sunday

60. The Cup and Baptism

61. Greatness in the Kingdom Comes from Serving

62. Blind Bartimaeus

63. Triumphal Entry

64. Cursing and Cleansing

65. Faith and Forgiveness

66. Is it from Heaven or from Men?

67. Parable of the Wicked Vine Grower

68. Our Duty to God and Country

69. The Resurrection of the Dead

70. The Two Greatest Commands

71. David’s Son and David’s Lord

72. Beware the Pretentious Scribes

73. The Widow’s Mites

74. Olivet Discourse I

75. Olivet Discourse II

76. The Preparations

77. The Last Supper Part I

78. The Last Supper Part II

79. Peter’s Denial

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE

Mark 14:27-31 “And Jesus *said to them, “You will all fall away, because it is written, ‘I will strike down the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.’

²⁸But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.”

²⁹But Peter said to Him, “Even though all may fall away, yet I will not.”

³⁰And Jesus *said to him, “Truly I say to you, that today, this very night, before a rooster crows twice, you yourself will deny Me three times.”

³¹But Peter kept saying insistently,

“If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And they all were saying the same thing also.”

INTRODUCTION - How well do we know ourselves?

It is now Thursday Night of the week of Passover.

§ Sunday: Triumphal Entry, Monday: Temple cleansing, Tuesday: Jesus teaches extensively in the Temple

§ Thursday: The Last Supper / Judas leaves after Communion, Late Thursday Night: Gethsemane, betrayal, arrest, Jewish hearings (TODAY’S MESSAGE)

§ Friday morning: Jesus before Pilate, Crucifixion and death, Friday before sunset: Burial

How well do we know ourselves?

Some, as we see the disciples doing here, make bold statements, such as “I would never deny Christ. Even if they said they would throw me in prison, or shoot me.”

Oftentimes, these are the same people whose daily words and deeds do not reflect the kingdom of God. They never pick up their bible, read or study the word of God, etc. Yet, still, they boldly cry out and proclaim their love and obedience to Jesus on Sunday, but live mundane, worldly lives during the week.

To the observer, no difference in speech from the world. No difference in actions from the world. No difference at all in the way they talk or live. In fact, one would never know from their lives they were Christian at all if not for their loud proclamation of such.

Today we read of the disciples who are very confident they would not betray Jesus. The same disciples who, earlier that same night, were fearful they might be the one who would betray Him.

“Is it I, Lord?”

Now, overconfident of themselves, they believe they could never, in Jesus’ words, “fall away” from Him.

And it won’t be just Peter. Jesus says they will all fall away.

How did we get here? How did we get from the fearful self-examination at Communion with the Lord, “Is it I, Lord?” to the bold and overconfident, “I would never betray you, Lord!”

Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling.”

Romans 12:3 “For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think, but to think so as to have sound thinking, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.”

“Sound thinking” means thinking about oneself with sober, disciplined, God-governed judgment rather than with inflated self-importance.

Sound thinking is realistic rather than falsely humble. Paul does not say that Christians should think poorly of themselves. Biblical humility is not pretending that God has given you no abilities. It is recognizing their source.

“…who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?” 1 Corinthians 4:7

Jesus says in John 15:5 “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides [remains] in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.”

The disciples were thinking rightly of themselves when they self-examined themselves at Communion with the Lord, and asked, “Is it I, Lord? Am I betraying you?”

When they heard it was another, a few hours later, pride sneaks in, and they begin to think more highly of themselves than they ought.

“I would never fall away!”

Not even realizing, in the height of their pride, that the fact that they tell Jesus He is wrong about what He says, they are calling the Lord a liar.

Denying the word of the Lord is a red flag of falling away.

Jesus and the disciples are now finished with their Last Supper, have all taken communion (even Judas before he left to betray Jesus), and they are now on their way to the Mount of Olives.

I. THE NARRATIVE

a. Desertion and reunion foretold

i. Jesus says the disciples will “all fall away” Mark 14:27

ii. As foretold by the prophet Zechariah 13:7

iii. But Jesus also speaks of His resurrection and reunion in Galilee

Mark 14:28 “But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.”

Mark 16:7 “But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you.’”

b. Peter’s denial foretold

i. Peter states, even if all the others fall away, I will not!

ii. Jesus clarifies, you will deny me three times this very night

iii. Peter angrily disagrees, “even if it means death!”

iv. Then we see the rest of the disciples jump in with him, saying the very same thing

We see that in Mark 14:50; Mark 14:66-72, the prediction of Jesus was fulfilled as He said.

No matter how highly you may think of yourself, pride can blind you to the truth. You do not see yourself as clearly as the Lord does. You are not as great as you imagine yourself to be. And in that pride, you can lose sight of the only thing that truly matters, your relationship with Jesus Christ, and drift away from the Savior who alone can save.

James 4:6 “But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, ‘GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.’”

1 Peter 5:5 “…clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.”

II. THE APPLICATION

a. Revealing the limits of self-knowledge

i. The disciples became convinced of their faithfulness

ii. Yet, they fell, just as the Lord said

iii. In 2 Kings 8, we see Hazael, whom Elisha prophesied that he would commit terrible evil one day against Israel.

1. Hazael’s response to Elisha shows how poorly people can know their own hearts.

2. Hazael did not yet see himself as capable of such evil, but power and opportunity later revealed what was already within him.

3. The passage is a sober warning against pride and self-confidence. We may think we know ourselves, yet Scripture repeatedly shows that the human heart can be far more corrupt and deceptive than we realize.

“The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately wicked; Who can know it?” Jeremiah 17:9

iv. What can we do?

1. Acknowledge that ONLY God truly knows us

Jeremiah 17:10 “I, Yahweh, search the heart; I test the inmost being, Even to give to each man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his deeds.”

a. Psalm 139:1-16

Hebrews 4:13 “There is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are uncovered and laid bare to the eyes of Him to whom we have an account to give.”

2. Look at ourselves through the word of God to see ourselves as we really are

Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

3. Look to God in prayer for help

Psalm 19:12 “Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.”

Psalm 139:23-24 “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; ²⁴And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.”

2 Thessalonians 3:5 “And may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ.”

b. Beware of what is often missed in life because of selfishness

i. Notice the disciples ignored Jesus’ words of encouragement

1. He spoke PLAINLY about His resurrection and their reunion in Mark 14:28

2. Yet, they focused on defending themselves…

This is how pride and arrogance work.

Pride causes one to be self-centered, self-important, self-seeking (why I Corinthians 13 says love seeks others before self)

Pride causes one to be self-serving, focused, justifying, defensive, and conceited

Pride breeds in one a feeling of superiority, a domineering, manipulative attitude.

They are unteachable, argumentative, blame-shifting, and

They constantly seek attention, approval, image-conscious, easily offended

The prideful lack true compassion, empathy, and are indifferent to others’ needs

They don’t care how their actions affect others; they use people for personal advantage, they expect special treatment, and believe ordinary rules don’t apply to them

This is thinking more highly of themselves than they ought.

In their pride, they look down on others, refuse accountability, refuse responsibility, minimize their personal wrongdoing, magnify the faults of others, needing to be admired, resisting humility, resisting submission, resisting repentance, unwilling to forgive perceived wrongs, making everything about them.

Romans 12:3; Philippians 2:3-4; James 4:6; Proverbs 16:18

THIS is why Scripture warns in Proverbs 16:18, pride comes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling.

Are you stumbling? Backsliding? Fallen away?

We have been encouraged throughout Scripture, but has pride makes us blind to the truth

We can be “comfortable” in our sin. It is the natural nature of our hearts after all. Do not get lost and focus on selfish concerns. Open your eyes to Scripture, and examine yourself through the truth of God’s Holy Word.

c. Be careful of PROUD proclamations.

i. Peter got angry when the Lord revealed his true self, saying he would fall away.

ii. The disciples as well!

iii. How many are quick to boast of their faithfulness to the Lord and His Church, forgetting the warning from Solomon, the wisest, about pride and a haughty spirit.

CONCLUSION

As disciples and followers of Jesus Christ, let us learn from His first disciples. Those who walked and lived with the Lord for three and a half years!

What can we learn?

· The limits of self-knowledge

· The danger of selfishness

· The need of self-examination and revelation at Communion with the Lord

· Be careful of proud assertions

FINAL THOUGHT

We can also learn of our Lord's grace and mercy, for He was quick to forgive (Psalm 86:5; Nehemiah 9:17) those who denied Him and fled away. So He will do for us when we stumble, if we are willing to repent and return to Him...!

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Thursday, September 10, 2026

Gospel of Mark Part 79: Peter’s Denial