One of the things I admire about the books that make up our bibles, is that the different authors not only include the achievements of their heroes but also their startling failures. I'd like this evening to share some thoughts about one of my favorite characters, the disciple Peter.

What a man of contrasts. On the day of Pentecost he stands as the Rock, and the words he speaks give shape and form to that which we now know as Christianity. But only a short time earlier, on the Mount of Transfiguration Jesus has described him as "Satan's mouthpiece". In the passage before us today, John's gospel records with startling honesty the time Peter denied his Lord.

Why this passage for a community revival? Because friends, as a community, as different churches, as individuals, pastors and people alike, we, like Peter are a mix of the good and the bad. At times our actions may indeed give God the Glory, but at others they may amount to a denial that our faith counts for much at all.

In this account therefore, of a disciple who denies the one he professes to love, there are surely things we do well to take note of. So I would like to do three things. Firstly back up a little and think about what's been going on in the story up till this point. Secondly, take a look at those denials again, and thirdly seek to draw some lessons out of this passage for our selves.

1. What's been going on up till this point in the story?

Let's begin our journey in the upper room on that sacred night when that meal we know as the Lord's Supper was instituted. Here we discover Jesus laying bare his soul to the disciples; speaking of the sacrifice He would make at Calvary and offering to the church a way, through the of sharing bread and wine, to have deep communion fellowship with God.

But what are the disciples discussing? (Luke 22:24). Not the love of Jesus, that's for sure.
They are having an argument about which one of them was the greatest.
"I'm better than you.. He called me the Rock"
"Yeh, but I'm the one they say he loves the most"
"Hey , I'm the one whose life he turned around..that wasn't easy you know"

Who's the greatest?
Presbyterians, Baptists, Brethren, Tabernacle, Methodists, Church of God,?
"My church is better than Your church"
"But we're founded on true Reformation principles"
"Yes but in my church we know what it is to be saved"
"But our tradition stresses the activity of the Holy Spirit.. "
"Your church is to High"
"Your's is to low"
"Your's is to conservative!
"Your's is to liberal."

And Jesus took a bowl and washed their feet
And told them that Kingdom people were servants not kings

Having received a lesson in humility, the disciples now profess to be full of loyalty. "We will follow you, wherever you go, whatever may happen!" Which one of us, as denominations, churches, or individuals has not said much the same? We're full of good intentions.

Jesus tells them, "Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later"
Peter protests. "Why can't I follow you now? I'll lay down my life for You!" And we may, like the rest of the disciples sometimes say similar things.

"Will you really Peter?" says Jesus, "Will you really lay down you life for me? I tell you the truth, before the cock crows you will disown me!" Proverbs 16:18 "Pride comes before a fall". Paul wrote to the Corinthians,"So you think you are standing firm? (Look out!) Be careful you don't fall"

Jesus predicts that not only will Peter fall but that all the disciples would be scattered like sheep when the shepherd was struck down. Yet still they have such little appreciation of the urgency of the hour. Nowhere is this plainer than when Jesus invites Peter, James and John to go with Him to the Garden of Gethsemenae and join Him in prayer. "Pray" he counsels them, "That you will not fall into temptation"

Following their self-important posturing at the first ever communion service, there profession of undivided loyalty, now, at this decisive moment in the history of Creation, this moment of deep anguish and eternal signinficance.. this moment when the King of the Universe is about to betrayed..what do they do?

What they don't do is pray. They sleep. Jesus chastises them and pleads with them to share in his hour of need. They sleep. As they sleep into the darkness comes the betrayer with the soldiers, with blazing torches and sharp swords to arrest the Prince of Peace.

There's Peter. Now he's awake! He's determined to show that he meant it when he said that he would stand by his Lord whatever it took. "O.K. we messed up on the humility, but you're not going to get me on the loyalty!" He launches a single-handed assault upon those who came to arrest Jesus. He takes a swipe and cuts of Malchus, the high priests servants ear. Knowing Peter he was probably going for his head! He'd show them all. He was not a coward.

Jesus looks him in the eye. "Put your sword back in its place. Those who live by the sword will die by the sword. Do you know that I can call on my Father and He will put more than twelve legions of angels at my disposal? But then how will the Scriptures be fulfilled?" (Matthew 26:52)

Again, Peter's blown it. Seeing that he cannot fight, the disciples take the only remaining option. Flight follows fight. They run for it! The sheep are scattered.

Scattered and scared. Terrified, yet Peter cannot resist following from a distance to see what will transpire. He follows the arresting party all the way to the courtyard of the High Priest and sits down with the guards to see what the outcome is going to be. (Matthew 26:58).

And then we come to..

2. The denials themselves.

The first one (John 18:15-17) comes at the gate of the High Priests residence. Peter is following from a distance, drawn by love and curiosity. He is with another disciple, possibly John. This other disciple is known to the gatekeepers and gains admittance.

But Peter's left outside. Uh-Oh. Up till then he'd had the others around him. Now the Lord wasn't there. His fellow disciple had gone in and he was outside alone. Could be that John recognized Peter's vulnerable state for he asks the maid who kept the door to allow him to enter in.

As she does so she comments, "Surely you are not another of that man's disciples?" (John 18:17). Peter, without hesitation replies, "No. I am not" as if the very suggestion was ludicrous!

What a remarkable turn about we see here. This Peter who was prepared to single-handedly take on Pilate, and a legion of soldiers and who had vowed undying loyalty to Jesus Christ, is now petrified by a slave girl. Afraid of the maid he heads for the shade.

The second denial comes by the fire in the courtyard. It's a cold night. Peter after this embarrassing entry, shuffles across to the fire and stands with the servants and soldiers keeping warm. Again the question is asked, "Aren't you one of this man's disciples?" Again he denies it.

The third denial comes a bit later. Attention is focused on him by a relative of Malchus, the guy whose ear Peter had swiped off with his sword in the garden. Luke records him saying, "Certainly this fellow is a Galilean". Apparently his accent gives him away. (Well, hey, I can identify with that!). Can't you imagine the scene. There they are huddled around the fire. Talking, sharing, joking, wondering. The pressure is on for Peter to make a stand, to say 'Yes" to Jesus. But he won't acknowledge the fact that his life has anything to do with that of the Christ. The way his response is worded in the N.I.V.