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"THE ANATOMY OF A
BACKSLIDER"
Learning
From One Who Knows By Experience
INTRODUCTION: BACKSLIDER = "Image of one sliding
back"
Today's
Language = A Quitter; A Turncoat; A Traitor
Prov.
1. In 2 Peter 2:20-22, we read of the real possibility and serious
consequences of
backsliding
For if after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the
knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them
and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would be better for them not to have
known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the
holy commandment delivered to them. It
has happened to them according to the true proverb, "A DOG RETURNS TO ITS
OWN VOMIT," and, "A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the
mire."
2. Peter knew about "backsliding" - (His experience w/denying
Jesus)
3. The process of backsliding is a gradual one, often overtaking a
person by surprise; NOTICE: Back
SLIDING
a. We WILL BRIEFLY examine the PROCESS that led to
Peter's denial of Christ
b. Followed by noticing how Peter's own words in
his epistles are designed to prevent the same from happening to us!
I. THE
ANATOMY OF A BACKSLIDER
A. PRIDE - Mk
1. Peter - "I'll
never fall away"
2.
In doing so, Peter takes the first step
in backsliding: "pride"! - cf.
Pr 16:18
Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling.
3. You?
"I'll never fall?" - Is this your attitude?
B.
LAZINESS - Mk 14:32-42 - READ
1.
Told to keep watch, Peter kept falling
asleep
2.
He was OVERCONFIDENT that "nothing
can happen to Jesus – to us"
3.
The same thing can happen to us!
a.
More often than not, it is a
"gradual drifting" that catches us off guard - cf. Heb 2:1-3
For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have
heard, lest we drift away from it. For
if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression
and disobedience received a just recompense, how shall we escape if we neglect so
great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was
confirmed to us by those who heard,
b. Proud of Bible knowledge - quit studying
Proud of work we've accomplished for the Lord-
quit working
c.
But when we are proud of ourselves, we become
lazy, and that easily leads to the next step...
C.
COWARDICE - Mk 14:54
And Peter had followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of
the high priest; and he was sitting with the officers, and warming himself at
the fire.
1. Note that it says "...Peter followed Him at a
distance"
a. Peter stays
far enough away so as not to be identified with Him
b. Peter was
unprepared for the challenge of facing ridicule and persecution
2. Without diligent
preparation, we too can become guilty of cowardice!
a. Ashamed to be
seen carrying a Bible
b. Ashamed to be seen giving thanks
c. Ashamed
to be seen with other Christians
d. Perhaps
even ashamed to let others know that we are Christians!
3. And yet, Jesus has
made it clear what He thinks of "cowardice"
a. Mk 8:38
"For whoever is ashamed of Me and My
words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be
ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy
angels."
b. Rev. 21:8
"But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers
and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will
be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second
death."
4. When we are
ashamed of Christ, it is natural for to fall away completely
D.
WORLDLINESS - Mk 14:54
And Peter had followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of
the high priest; and he was sitting with the officers, and warming himself at
the fire.
1. We now find Peter
sitting with the servants of the High Priest and warming
himself by the fire
2. Ashamed to be seen
with Christ, it becomes easy to mingle with those of the
world and enjoy their comforts
3. But one cannot be
"comforted by the fire" of the world, and not be "burned"!
a.
Close contact with that which can harm has its effects! - Pr 6:27-29
Can a man take fire in his bosom, And his
clothes not be burned? Or can a man walk
on hot coals, And his feet not be scorched? So is the one who goes in to his neighbor's
wife; Whoever touches her will not go unpunished.
b. So it is we cannot
"flirt with the world" and walk away untouched!
1 Co 15:33
Do not be deceived: "Bad company corrupts
good morals."
4. Play w/fire you're
going to get burned
5. Lay down with the
dog - get up w/fleas
E. DENIAL - Mk 14:66-71
1. Away from Christ,
at comfort with those in the world, Peter finds himself denying His Lord and
Savior!
2. In so doing, he
has put himself in grave danger - cf. Mt 10:32-33
"Everyone therefore who shall confess Me
before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever shall deny Me
before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven."
3. Though we may
never actually deny Jesus in "words", we can easily backslide to the
point of denying Him in "action"...
a.
We are called to worship Him...but make
excuses why we cannot
b. We are
called to serve Him...but render little or no service
c. We
are called to stand by His side and suffer for His name ...but stand afar off in the safety of the
world's comfort
[When we deny the Lord, our
backsliding is complete; unless we repent, the only thing left is to one day
face the Lord, where we will fully realize the error of our ways! For Peter, he fully realized his sin when the
Lord turned and looked at him there in the courtyard (cf. Lk
22:60-62).
But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are talking
about." And immediately, while he was still speaking, a cock crowed. And
the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord,
how He had told him, "Before a cock crows today, you will deny Me three times." And he went out and wept bitterly.
Imagine the feeling in
Peter's heart as those eyes of His Savior pierced his soul! Like
Judas, Peter wept bitterly
over his sin. Unlike Judas, Peter had "godly sorrow" that results in
true repentance (cf. 2 Cor
For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation; but the
sorrow of the world produces death. For behold what earnestness this very
thing, this godly sorrow, has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves,
what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what avenging of wrong!
In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter.
[And years later, we find Peter writing the sort of things
that would prevent us from making the same mistake he did...]
II. ADVICE
FROM ONE WHO LEARNED THE HARD WAY
A.
TO GUARD AGAINST "PRIDE"...
1. Peter enjoins
"humility" - 1 Pet 5:5-6
You younger men, likewise, be subject to your
elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for
GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE. Humble yourselves,
therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper
time,
2. Indeed, "God is opposed to the proud, but gives
grace to the humble"
B.
TO WARD AGAINST "LAZINESS"...
1. Peter commands
"diligence" - 1 Pe 5:8-9
Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls
about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing
that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren
who are in the world.
2. Note especially
his words in his second epistle - 2 Pe 1:5,10; & 3:14
(2 Pet 1:5 NASB) Now for
this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence,
and in your moral excellence, knowledge;
(2 Pet
(2 Pet
C. INSTEAD OF "COWARDICE"...
1. Peter charges us
to "glorify God" - 1 Pe
but if anyone
suffers as a Christian, let him not feel ashamed, but in that name let him
glorify God.
2. Think not of what
it means to you, but what it means to God!
D.
INSTEAD OF "WORLDLINESS"...
1. Peter tells us to
"abstain" - 1 Pet 2:11-12
Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly
lusts, which wage war against the soul.
Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in
which they slander you as evildoers, they may on account of your good deeds, as
they observe them, glorify God in the day of
visitation.
2. Remember that we
are "sojourners and pilgrims", destined for a better place
than the things of this world
have to offer!
E.
INSTEAD OF "DENIAL"...
1. Peter exhorts us
to ever be ready to "give a defense" - 1 Pet
but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make
a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in
you, yet with gentleness and reverence;
2. By careful
preparation, we will "defend" Christ, and not "deny" Christ!
CONCLUSION:
1. From one who learned by the hard road of experience, let's heed his
advice lest we one day backslide ourselves, and in so doing deny the Lord! -
cf. 2 Pe 3:17-18
You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard lest,
being carried away by the error of unprincipled men, you fall from your own
steadfastness, but grow in the grace and
knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be
the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
2. Remember too that when Peter saw the eyes of his Lord, he realized
the error of his way...
a. Fortunately for him, there was still time to
repent
b. But for us, when we see Jesus "face to
face", the time to repent will be gone...it will be the
time for judgment!
3. If we realize that we are guilty of backsliding...
a. Repent now, do not
wait until you stand before Jesus
b. Do it now, so that your "face to
face" encounter with Jesus will be terrific, not
terrifying!