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Mark 14:27-30 (NLT) - On the way, Jesus told them, “All of you will desert me. For the Scriptures say, ‘God will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’²⁸ But after I am raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there.” ²⁹ Peter said to him, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I never will.” ³⁰ Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny three times that you even know me.”

Luke 22:31-34 - “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. ³² But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So, when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.” ³³ Peter said, “Lord, I am ready to go to prison with you, and even to die with you.” ³⁴ But Jesus said, “Peter, let me tell you something. Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.”

Mark 14:66-72 (NLT) – Now as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came. ⁶⁷ And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with Jesus of Nazareth.” ⁶⁸ But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you are saying.” And he went out on the porch, and a rooster crowed.⁶⁹ And the servant girl saw him again, and began to say to those who stood by, “This is one of them.” ⁷⁰ But he denied it again. And a little later those who stood by said to Peter again, “Surely you are one of them; for you are a Galilean, and your speech shows it.” ⁷¹ Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know this Man of whom you speak!” And immediately the rooster crowed the second time. Suddenly, Jesus’ words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny three times that you even know me.” And he broke down and wept.

Three of the four Gospels record this event in Peter’s life. 

Jesus prophesied what would happen - and with all of his sincerity Peter told Jesus that it would never take place that he would never deny him and that if need be he would die for Jesus.

We know that at the end of his life Peter did indeed die for Jesus in Rome, crucified upside down on a cross. Peter did make good on his promise but before he did – there was this night.

~ Halford Luccock - a Methodist minister said: “in Christian experience, great living begins in tears. It is God’s starting point. When Peter broke down and wept, all pride, of which he had much, and all self-sufficiency and self-trust dropped away from him.

Peter began to weep because he remembered what Jesus said. – Sometimes we don’t take seriously the Word that God has given us until it finally comes to pass.

We would do well to remember long before we need to remember so that His Word to us is always on our mind.

The rooster was a wake-up call to Peter. The second crow of the rooster caused him to remember what Jesus said.

Right after the third denial the rooster crowed the second time. The question really is – Peter, what were you thinking when the rooster crowed the first time.

The first crowing didn’t slow him down at all. He never stopped to realize what was happening. This wasn’t just some shmo, some jabroni, this was Peter.

A disciple trained by Jesus himself.

1. A Rooster reveals who we are in times of Crisis.

All of us will face moments of crisis in our lives. Times where the heat is on and we are either going to confess our faith and trust in Jesus or it will reveal our lack of faith and trust in Jesus.

Satan desires to sift the best of us.

Luke 22:31 - And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.

Satan wanted to sift Peter just as badly as Satan had sifted Job.

The name Satan is not a complimentary name. Satan means adversary. It means enemy.

Remember Jesus gave Simon a new name. He called Him Peter or Rock.  This was a new identity. You are Peter – You are Rock solid.

Remember that Satan used to be called Lucifer. Or the shining one or the light bringer. He got a name change that means adversary and enemy. He is called a devil which means – slanderer, deceiver and accuser.

The roosters in our lives are the points of crisis that really test our faith in God.

These are the times when we will face persecution, ridicule. It is where the devil lies to us about God’s love for us.

These points of crisis in our lives are where we must learn what we really believe about Jesus and about ourselves.

It is where Satan causes us to find fault with ourselves and with God.

Remember Peter used to be called Simon – That name means – something that is unstable. Simon was someone that could be sifted. This is why Jesus looked at him and used his name twice. Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you like wheat.

But Jesus had already called him Peter. He knew that Simon would come through the sifting. He said I have prayed for you that your faith would not fail.

The value of the rooster is found in the sifting.

Think about this. Jesus granted Satan’s request to sift Peter. Why because the value of the sifting was greater than the value of Peters comfort.

Sifting helps us to discover all of the impurities, dirt and trash that are in our lives. You can’t remove all of that from wheat without sifting and the same is true for us.

Without sifting you can’t remove what needs to come out because it is hidden among all the good.

Peter was saved. He believed in Jesus. But the battle isn’t over.

For Simon to truly become Peter the unstable needed to be filtered out of Simon.

We can do to things with the dirt, impurities and junk that Satan sifts from our lives.

1. We can let him use what he discovers in our lives to accuse us and as a weapon against us. Satan wants to sift in order to have something that he can accuse us with. There is proof of what we have. If we hold on to those impurities then Satan has a weapon that can weaken us.

b) The Second thing that we can do is recognize those things that our sifted out of our lives and then allow God to remove them. This is called repentance. This only makes us stronger. Now all of the sin, all of the instability and all of the dirt is removed.

When this happens then Satan’s plan to weaken us actually works against him.

³² But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So, when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.”

God removes the flaws and faults and our faith comes out stronger. Not only are we now a rock and stable in our walk with God we are able to help strengthen others.

That is one valuable rooster.

This Resurrection season I pray that you will learn to appreciate the Roosters in your life. My you be stronger for it.

I look forward to what God is going to do in us and through us as we all  become Rock Solid in our Faith.

Remember that you are Loved<
Pastor Marvin & Dawn

Image by Andreas Neumann from Pixabay