Todd Howerton Music

on us to look at quickly. And that is the trial of the believer, the trial of you, and the trial of me, because we are all under trial. We all face crises in our lives, pressure in our lives, just like Jesus did at His trial, just like Peter did around that fire that night. We all face pressure, we all face trial, we all face difficulty, we all face crisis. And the real question is, which response will it be for you? Will it be strength and victory like Christ, or will it be weakness and failure like Peter? Well, I'll tell you where we need to begin, because all of us need to begin here. And that is with the recognition of our weakness. Friend, let's own up to it. You are weak. I am weak. None of us is strong enough in ourselves to stand up to the kind of pressure that we face in life. We must admit our weakness. We are all like Peter, weak. You come this morning. I come this morning. What is your weakness? What is the point of weakness in your life this morning? Is it some sin you're struggling with? Is it some temptation you're facing that is in your face every day? Is it some kind of anger or resentment or bitterness that you've not let go of? Is it a physical illness that is affecting your whole outlook on life? Is it maybe that you're just tired of fighting all the challenges of life and you're ready to give up this morning? You feel weak and helpless, or maybe you just feel drained of all your strength at home or at work. And you're not sure how you're going to go another day. Is that your point of weakness this morning? Or is your point of weakness maybe related to your strength? You see, Peter failed at his very point of strength. A take charge, brave kind of guy who's outspoken and outgoing fails in a crowd where bravery is called for. He fails at his very point of strength. And my friend, what we need to understand is that no matter what natural strengths you may have, they will fail you in the greatest crises of your life. When you face crisis, when you face struggle, when you face deep trial, even your greatest strength, if that's what you're depending on, that will fail you. What is your greatest strength that you've kind of taken you through life, you kind of ride on this wave through your life? Maybe it's a win some personality. And you can kind of work your way through any situation, just the virtue of the strength of your personality. Maybe you're a real charmer. And you just got this easy charm about you. You walk into a room and people just immediately like you and you can kind of work your way through any, that's been your strength all through your life. It's gotten you through a lot of hard times. Or maybe you have incredible discipline. Or maybe for you, your strength is your speaking ability or your intellect, or maybe for you, your strength is your wealth. And you've been able to buy yourself out of a lot of situations. Maybe for you, your strength is your impressive appearance. Maybe for you, your strength is that you're aggressive and bold and can just kind of run through any crisis or any people that are in your way. Maybe it's an incredible talent that your strength. I guarantee you, my friend, there will come a time in your life when your strength will fail you. If that's what you're depending on, you will fail, just like Peter did. At the point of his very strength, he failed. Your natural strength will fail you. So there is another way when you face the greatest crisis in your life. There's something else. Only this will get you through. And it is Christ's strength for your weakness. I don't care if your point of weakness is your point of strength. It will fail you at some point. And you will need to call upon the strength of Christ because Jesus, who responds at the greatest crisis of his life with such strength and victory, offers us weak followers of Jesus that same strength, that same victory, that same power, the difference in these two, in their trials. Is that Peter is counting on his natural strength to see him through like it usually does. And he fails miserably. While Jesus recognizes that even perfect humanity, perfect humanity as he has without dependence on the Father is not enough to see you through life's greatest trials. So just previous to this event in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus is flat on his face praying while Peter is sleeping. That's the difference. Jesus is calling on the strength of his Father, doing spiritual battle in the Garden. If it's possible that this cup pass from me, this cup of your wrath, I don't want to be separated from you, Father. I don't want to experience your wrath, but not my will. Yours be done. The Bible says that Satan himself appeared and tempted him in the Garden. And God sent an angel to strengthen him. He's availing himself of the strength that is available from his Father while Peter is sleeping and counting on his own resources to get him through what lies ahead. That's the difference in the two. And that will make all the difference in the world for you. Paul would learn this. Paul would say in 2 Corinthians, chapter 12, look at it on the screen. But after Paul has prayed three times for this physical affliction to be taken from him. And Jesus said, no, he said to me, my grace is sufficient for you. Now notice this next statement, for my power is made perfect in weakness. You see that? See the contrast? Your weakness, his power. Paul goes on to say, therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses. It's not like he's going around telling everybody, you know, I'm weak in this area. I'm really proud of that. It's not that. That's not the idea. The idea is that he will readily recognize his weakness and not be ashamed of it. Why? Because he knows that he knows that Christ's power may rest on me. And he goes on to conclude this. That is why for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses and insults, hardships, persecutions, difficulties. Why? For when I am weak, then I am strong. It is in our weakness that Christ's strength meets us, Peter. Peter needed to learn that. Paul needed to learn that. The psalmist needed to learn that. In Psalm 46 and that great psalm of praise, he begins this way. God is our refuge and strength. An ever present help in trouble. So when you are in trouble, when trouble is filling your day, where do you find strength in yourself? No, no, God is our refuge and strength. He is an ever present help in trouble. And that's why Paul could say in Philippians 4.13, I can do all this through him. Who gives me strength? It is Christ's strength in our weakness that will make the difference in your life and mine, no matter what we face today or tomorrow, or next week or next month or next year. No matter what comes our way, you try to live life in your own strength, you will miserably fail, like Peter. If you will exchange your weakness for Christ's strength and you will recognize that your weakness and even your point of strength will become your weakness if you depend on it. If you recognize that, then Christ's strength rushes in to give you what you need for the day, for whatever crisis you're facing. You see, it's not only Jesus and Peter who are on trial. We are all on trial. Life puts us on trial. And so what will the verdict be for you? Will the verdict be strength and victory? Or will it be weakness and failure? Maybe your whole life has been characterized by weakness and failure, even at your point of strength. Why do you realize this because you've depended on yourself? Rather than calling upon God your strength, ever-present strength and time of trouble, recognizing that in your weakness his strength is made perfect and you cast yourself wholly upon him. You depend on yourself, it is weakness and failure. That's the verdict. You depend on Christ and it is strength and victory. The decision, the verdict, really will be rendered by you. You will decide how you will face the greatest crises in your life. And it all comes down to who you're depending on, who you're trusting, who you're leaning on. Is it Christ or is it yourself? Let's pray together. I want to thank you for these beautiful illustrations in your word of what it means.