Leadership from The Emergent Church and Young Restless Reformed, two current movements, illustrate the danger of apostasy - a faith that doesn't survive but falls away or defects from truth to falsehood. Three common reasons people make shipwreck of their faith are temptation, deception, and/or persecution. Peter illustrates how quickly we can fall into these three errors. When Jesus relates to the disciples that the Shepherd is going to be struck and the sheep be scattered Peter responds NOT ME! I won't even if everyone else does. Peter was depending on his own strength. He was self deceived He also feared what might be required of him if/when the Shepherd was killed. His fear was of man, not of God. He is willing to do whatever it takes to save himself. So, why didn't Peter follow in the footsteps of Judas and apostatize? GRACE. Jesus' promise of a future (vs.28) and a two-fold warning (vs. 30). For Peter it was manifest in the crowing of a rooster and it stopped him dead in his tracks by bringing remembrance of Jesus words. The restoration of Peter comes later but God kept him by using a rooster. We can trust Christ to hold us and give us what we need to persevere in the faith. We cannot do it in our own strength.
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