Good morning, everyone.
My name is you all.
I'm the RUF campus minister at the Air Force Academy.
And as you all can imagine, everything in 2020 just looks a little different, right?
And our ministry also looks very different this year.
More Zoom calls than I care to discuss.
More small groups, more outdoor events, more off-campus events, more face masks, more hand sanitizer.
You guys know the drill at this point.
Everything just looks different.
The coronavirus has thrown a wrench in our plans, but not in God's plans.
And God is still doing some amazing things through our ministry at USAPHA.
Every week, 50 to 75 cadets hear the gospel through RUF.
Lives are changing.
Hearts are healing.
Idolatries are shrinking.
And our community is growing.
Praise God.
Thank you guys for your continued prayers, your financial support, for making our ministry possible.
I can say sincerely that our ministry would not be possible without Cheyenne Mountain Presbyterian Church.
Thank you guys so much.
So it is said that a picture is worth a thousand words.
So here's a picture of one of our recent outdoor worship events.
As you can see, it's at Forest Gate Presbyterian.
So it's a beautiful thing.
Forest Gate has been providing the facility.
Village 7 has been providing us transportation and providing a shuttle.
And then Grace and Peace and Cheyenne Mountain have been providing our meals,
allowing us to pay for dinner and drinks for our students.
It's just a really cool thing to see all the churches in an area come together to make our ministry possible.
Here's another picture.
This is our sophomore class.
They were recognized recently.
So we took them out to Texas Roadhouse and treated them to steak lunches.
Anyway, amazing, amazing ministry happening at USAPHA.
And thank you for being a part of it.
Now, a picture may be worth a thousand words,
but this morning I'm going to try to use about 3,000 words to paint you a picture.
And I pray that the picture that I paint with my limited finite words
is far more meaningful than 3,000 words.
If you could look at a picture of your soul,
what do you think that picture would look like?
Oscar Wilde, in his novel written in 1890,
a novel called The Picture of Dorian Gray,
he poses this question to his readers in a frightening fashion,
in a dramatic way.
The story tells, the novel tells the story of this handsome young man.
His name is Dorian Gray, and he has a portrait painted.
He's a beautiful young man.
He looks at this portrait of himself,
and he realizes that one day he's going to grow old,
and he begins to dread this future reality.
And so in the pursuit of immortality,
Dorian Gray, he makes a wish that his portrait,
this beautiful portrait of himself,
would grow old so that he could stay young.
In a sense, he sells his soul to the devil for immortality,
and his wish comes true.
Now that Dorian is essentially immortal,
he starts doing whatever he wants to do,
and the things that he wants to do,
they're not good things.
After some time, he goes back into this room
that he had stored this painting, this portrait,
and he looks at the painting,
and he realizes that it wasn't just a reflection
of his physical decay,
but it was also a reflection of his spiritual decay as well.
So all the evil that he had been doing
was reflected in this hideous portrait of his soul.
And so Dorian does what I think anyone would do
in that situation.
He wraps the portrait up.
He puts it in the secluded room.
He locks the door, and he throws away the key.
And then he goes on living a hedonistic lifestyle.
He throws himself into sensual behaviors,
experimenting with every vice known to man.
Dorian concludes,
the only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it.
And that's exactly what he does time and time again
throughout this short novel.
Meanwhile, his portrait that's locked away in this room
becomes increasingly more hideous and revolting.
The novel illustrates how the person we project to others
may be a very different person from who we are inside.
So let me ask you the opening question again.
If you could look at a picture of your soul,
what would that picture look like?
This morning, we're going to look at three scenes.
There are unpleasant scenes from the Gospel of Mark, Mark 14.
Each unpleasant scene invites us to see ourselves,
to see our soul in the disciples.
And my friends, it isn't a pretty picture.
Each of the scenes in Mark 14,
it paints a picture not only of the disciples,
but of ourselves.
And it is a portrait that forces each of us
to ask the question,
what did Jesus get when he got me?
What did he get when he got me?
Mark 14, it's going to make us a little uncomfortable.
It'll make us feel a little uneasy.
But the truth is, we desperately need Mark 14.
Mark 14 helps us see ourselves rightly.
And we need to see ourselves rightly
by looking honestly at this portrait of the disciples
on the night that Jesus was arrested and betrayed.
Because here's the thing, my friends.
You will never feel the weight of the Gospel
until you see yourselves in the disciples in Mark 14.
And you will never grasp the depths of God's love for you
until you see what it cost God to get you.
So if you are willing and able,
I invite you to please stand
for the reading of God's holy, inerrant, and inspired word.
And this is a long passage this morning.
As I said, we're going to look at three scenes
and we're going to break them down.
Mark 14, verses 26 through 50.
All right, here's the first scene.
And when they had sung a hymn,
they went out to the Mount of Olives.
And Jesus said to them,
you will all fall away, for it is written,
I will strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered.
But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.
Peter said to him, even though they fall away, I will not.
And Jesus said to him, truly,
I tell you this very night before the rooster crows twice,
you will deny me three times.
But he said emphatically, if I must die with you,
I will not deny you.
And they all said the same.
Second scene.
And they went to the place called Gethsemane.
And he said to his disciples, sit here while I pray.
And he took with him Peter and James and John
and began to be greatly distressed and troubled.
And he said to them, my soul is very sorrowful,
even to death.
Remain here and watch.
And going a little further, he fell on the ground and prayed
that if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.
And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible for you.
Remove this cup from me.
Yet not what I will, but what you will.
And he came and found them sleeping.
And he said to Peter, Simon, are you asleep?
Could you not watch for one hour?
Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation.
The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
And again, he went away and prayed, saying the exact same words.
And again, he came and found them sleeping,
for their eyes were very heavy.
And they did not know what to answer him.
And he came the third time and said to them,
are you still sleeping and taking your rest?
It is enough.
The hour has come.
The son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
Rise, let us be going.
See, my betrayer is at hand.
Third scene.
He threw his sword and struck the servant of the high priest
and cut off his ear.
And Jesus said to them,
have you come out as against a robber
with swords and clubs to capture me?
Day after day, I was with you in the temple teaching,
and you did not seize me.
But let the scriptures be fulfilled.
And get this.
And they all left him in flood.
This is the very word of God.
Let me pray.
Heavenly Father, this is a convicting passage
as we see ourselves in imperfect disciples.
We pray that you would open our eyes
to see our shortcomings, our imperfections,
our brokenness,
so that we will see our need for a sinless savior.
And it's through his name we pray.
Amen.
All right.
You may be seated.
All right.
So the disciples have just left the upper room.
And Jesus takes his disciples to the Mount of Olives.
And he reminds them of a prophecy from Zechariah 13.
The prophecy went something like this.
I will strike the shepherd,
and the sheep will be scattered.
He reminds them of this ancient prophecy.
And he says, it's time.
Jesus tells his closest friends,
his disciples, for three years,
that they were about to deny him.
They were about to fall away.
They were about to desert him.
And in response, the disciples essentially say,
well, that's just not going to happen, Jesus.
We would never desert you.
We would never deny you.
That prophecy must have been talking about other sheep.
Like, remember all those people at your triumphal entry?
Yeah, I was probably talking about them.
Because look, it hasn't even been that long.
And we're the only ones left.
Where are they?
They're the sheep that have been scattered.
We're still with you.
And we're with you to the end.
They essentially say, till death do us part.
Peter goes a step further.
It's as if Peter pulls Jesus aside
and has like this quiet, private conversation.
And Peter doesn't hesitate to throw
all of his buddies under the bus.
Peter goes, I know these guys.
And I hate to say it, Jesus,
but your prophecy is probably right.
I wouldn't be surprised if they all fall away.
But I'm different.
I'm better.
I'm not like them.
My faith is true.
My faith is unshakable.
When they fall away,
which they probably will,
I won't fall away.
I'm with you, Jesus.
I'm with you to the end.
After hearing this,
Jesus has to get specific with Peter.
Right?
And so he says,
Peter, not only will you desert me,
but you will deny me three times
before the rooster crows twice.
This first scene is a portrait of denial.
Peter doesn't think so, right?
Peter says, yeah, right.
That's not going to happen.
I'm different.
I'm better.
My faith is real.
I actually get it.
In verses 66 through 72,
Mark, the author of this gospel,
he gives us front row seats to this encounter.
Peter, he comes across a harmless servant girl.
And she is going to lob three juicy softballs his way.
She says, hey, aren't you one of his disciples?
I think I've seen you with Jesus.
And Peter replies, no.
You must be thinking of someone else.
I don't know what you're talking about.
Strike one.
Second pitch is thrown.
No, seriously, aren't you one of his disciples?
I swear I've seen you before.
And Peter replies,
I don't know what you're talking about.
I don't know him.
I'm positive I am not one of his followers.
Strike two.
And then the third pitch,
the third juicy softball is thrown his way.
She says, how many?
She says,
essentially, don't lie to me.
I know I've seen you with Jesus before.
Just tell the truth.
I won't do anything.
And what does Peter say?
The text says,
he goes,
I swear to God,
I don't know him.
Strike three.
And the rooster crows a second time.
Luke,
in his gospel,
he fills us in on a,
an often over-missed detail.
And it is a heartbreaking detail.
Luke tells us that immediately after the rooster crowed a second time,
the Lord,
the text says,
the Lord turned and looked at Peter.
Jesus witnessed
at least Peter's third denial.
Now it seems that Jesus' trial has ended
and he's being taken by the guards
across the courtyard
to his prison cell.
His face is already black and blue
from the guards who covered his face
and beat him
while yelling,
prophesy.
Prophesy.
Who hit you?
That is the face
that Peter saw
after he denied Jesus
for the third time
to a harmless servant girl
who posed zero threat.
Do you see yourselves in Peter?
Now this is interesting.
While the guards are beating Jesus up
and yelling,
prophesy,
Jesus' prophecy
to Peter
is being fulfilled.
Isn't that interesting?
But can you imagine the pain
that it must have caused
Jesus to see Peter,
his closest disciple,
possibly his closest friend,
deny him
when Jesus had
just taken a beating for him?
Now this probably hurt Jesus
more than all of the prior blows
Jesus received from the guards combined.
Look at Peter.
And so much for Peter's
I'm different talk, right?
His I'm better,
his they may fall away,
but not me.
I get it.
I'm with you to the end talk.
So much for his words.
Not even Peter
had the faith
to back up
his claims
to be faithful.
And listen, y'all,
this is Peter,
right?
This is Peter,
one of the pillars
of the church,
the apostle of apostles.
This is the guy
who first professed
that Jesus was the Messiah.
He saw countless miracles performed.
He heard countless sermons delivered.
He walked with Jesus
for three years.
He witnessed the transfiguration.
This is the guy
who would be renamed Cephas,
which means the rock,
because his sermon in Acts 2
would become the firm foundation.
It would become the rock
on which the church was built.
This is Peter.
This is the guy
who would be crucified upside down
for the sake of the gospel.
Now, if Peter,
if Peter was unfaithful,
if Peter was able to deny Jesus,
what makes you think
that you are somehow different?
What makes you think
that you are somehow better
than Peter?
As if you get it,
no one else does.
My friends,
don't be deceived.
The spirit is willing,
but the flesh is weak.
You see,
every time you sin,
you deny Christ.
Sin,
by its very nature,
is a betrayal of God.
It's a betrayal of Jesus.
It's a betrayal
of Christ's redemptive work
for you.
So this means
that every time you sin,
every time you slander
another person,
every time you gossip
about another person,
you are denying Jesus.
Every time you care more
about what others think of you
than what God thinks of you,
you are betraying Jesus.
Every time your heart is greedy,
every time it is lustful,
every time it is slothful,
every time it is bitter,
you are denying Jesus.
Every time you sin,
you deny Christ,
the one who loves you,
the one who made you,
the one who sustains you,
the one who suffered for you.
Do you see yourself
in this portrait?
Let's turn our attention
to the second scene.
Okay, we're going to go
with Jesus,
Peter, James, and John
into the Garden of Gethsemane.
In this scene,
we see a portrait
of distraction.
Jesus takes Peter,
James, and John.
They're his inner circle.
He takes them
into this olive grove,
the small olive grove
called Gethsemane.
And he has one purpose in mind
as they enter this garden.
That purpose is this.
They go into the garden
to prepare themselves
for the trials
that await them.
Okay?
And they're about to face
an array of trials
and tribulations.
Jesus tells them
to watch and pray
lest they fall into temptation.
In the Garden of Gethsemane,
Jesus gives these three disciples
two imperatives.
He tells them
to watch and to pray.
And these aren't suggestions.
These are commands.
Jesus is saying,
if you want to avoid
falling into temptation,
here's the secret sauce.
Don't overcomplicate it.
Watch and pray.
You have to be on your guard.
You have to watch out
for temptation.
And you have to pray
and pray and pray.
But in Gethsemane,
we see a stark contrast
between Jesus
and these three disciples.
You see,
Jesus knew
what was about to happen to him.
He knew he was going to be
betrayed,
arrested,
mocked,
beaten,
and crucified.
And he knew that his disciples
were about to desert him
and deny him.
And he knew that he was about
to be alienated from his father
for the first time in eternity.
He was about to face
an isolation
that he had never experienced before.
And yet,
knowing this,
Jesus also knew
that if he was going
to accomplish God's redemptive plan,
he had to be prepared.
And so he had to watch and pray.
And that's exactly
what Jesus does.
He watches
and he prays
and he prays.
The disciples,
on the other hand,
they're fast asleep.
They were incapable
of one hour
of true discipleship.
One hour.
Each of them,
they're about to face
an array
of trials
and temptations
and tribulations,
not just in the short term
but long term.
Their life is going
to be defined
by trial.
But in the garden,
they neither watch
nor pray.
When they should have
been vigilant,
they were negligent.
When they should have
been prayerful,
they were prayerless.
The disciples
got distracted
by material things.
They were concerned
about worldly things.
Do you see yourself
in Peter,
James,
and John?
Does this portrait
of distraction
apply to you?
My friends,
don't be deceived.
The spirit is willing
but the flesh is weak.
There are so many things
in this world
that distract us.
We get so fixated
on the periphery
that we lose sight
of what's ahead of us.
And my daughter,
when she was in first grade,
she raced,
she entered into
like a 50 meter race
with five local schools.
And my daughter
is pretty fast.
And during the race,
she was so focused
on the kids running
to her left
and her right
instead of focusing
on the finish line
that she ended up
running a lot slower
than she actually was.
And she performed
a lot worse
than she actually
could have performed.
Instead of focusing
on the finish line,
she was running,
looking to her left
and her right.
And as a result,
she was running
with the pack.
And we do the exact
same thing,
don't we?
We get so distracted
by the things
of this world.
We get so distracted
by the things
that are periphery.
We get so distracted
by the people
who are running
to our left
and our right
when our eyes
should be fixed
on Jesus.
so they should be
fixed on the finish line.
We're always
comparing ourselves
to others.
We're always
coveting
what others have.
We're always
so concerned
about how others
are living their lives
that we neglect
the two imperatives
in Mark 14,
to watch
and to pray.
You see,
when we,
like Peter,
James,
and John,
struggle
to do these two things,
to watch
and pray,
we let good things
distract us
from the best thing.
We prefer to play
in mud puddles
when the beach
is around the corner.
We prefer to eat
breadcrumbs
when there's a feast
on the table.
We are so easily
distracted.
This is not
a pleasant picture
of ourselves,
is it?
In our third
and final scene,
Judas shows up
and he brings
with him
a small army
and Judas
portrays Jesus.
Judas
portrays the one
who just hours
earlier
put a towel
around his waist,
grabbed a water
basin,
dropped to the ground
and washed
Judas' feet.
Judas is betraying
the one
who just
fed him
bread and wine
saying,
this is my body
which is broken
for you.
This is my blood
which is poured
out for you.
Judas,
one of the twelve,
he got distracted
by the things
of this world
and as a result,
he denies Christ
and he deserts
his savior
and friend
in his hour of need.
Well,
Peter,
Peter is Peter,
Peter,
Peter will be Peter,
he's just a hothead,
right?
Peter has a short
sword on him.
Peter draws his sword
and he decides
that he's going
to fight
these armed guards
even though Jesus
literally just told him
in the upper room
and in the Mount
of Olives
that what was
about to happen
had to happen
so that the scriptures
could be fulfilled.
And he strikes
this man.
Y'all do realize
that Peter
was not aiming
for his ear.
He took his sword,
a short sword
which is meant
for stabbing
and he tried
to stab
this guy
in the face.
Now listen,
after walking
with Jesus,
after learning
from Jesus
for three years,
Peter still thought
that attacking
somebody,
that killing
somebody
for Jesus
was an acceptable
solution.
But then things
take another turn,
right?
And we see
that prophecy
from Zechariah 13
unfold before our eyes
and it's hard
to watch.
I don't like
verse 50.
Verse 50 says,
and they all
left him
and fled.
Nobody stuck
around.
Nobody went
with Jesus.
Nobody was
faithful.
Instead,
Peter,
James,
and John,
like Judas,
they desert
their Savior
and friend.
Do you see
yourself
in this
portrait?
It's a portrait
of desertion.
It's not just
a portrait
of the disciples
desertion.
It's a portrait
of us.
Instead of
sharing our
faith with
others,
we do what
the disciples
did.
We leave
them and flee.
Instead of
living out
our faith
before others,
we fear
their opinion
of us.
And so we
conform ourselves
to their
image.
Instead of
giving our
time and
talents to
serve our
community,
to serve
the least
of these,
we choose
to stay
in the
comfort and
security of
our own
homes.
But Lord,
when did we
see you hungry
and feed you,
or thirsty
and give you
drink?
And when did
we see you a
stranger and
welcome you,
or naked and
clothe you?
And when did
we see you sick
or in prison
and visit you?
And the king
will answer
them,
truly I say
to you as
you did it
to one of
the least of
these my
brothers,
you did it
to me.
Every time
you deny
them,
you deny
him.
You're not
any different
than Peter,
James,
and John.
So what did
Jesus get
when he got
you?
Well, I
can't speak
for you,
but I can
speak for
myself.
I know what
Jesus got
when he got
me.
He got a
person who
denies him
every day,
every time
I sin.
He got a
person who
doesn't love
others very
well.
He got a
person who
doesn't lead
his family
very well.
He got a
person who
doesn't pray
to him
very much.
He got a
person who
doesn't think
about him
very much.
He got a
person who
is sometimes
embarrassed of
him.
He got a
person who
is easily
distracted by
the things
of this
world.
He got a
person who
cares way
too much
about what
other people
think.
He got a
person who
regularly
chooses to
eat bread
crumbs when
there's a
feast on
the table.
He got a
person like
the disciples,
a person who
denies, a
person who
is distracted,
a person who
deserts his
sinless Savior
and friend.
God.
I got to
say, y'all,
Jesus got a
pretty raw
deal when
he got me.
Like Dorian
Gray, when I
see this
portrait of
myself, I
want to wrap
it up, put
it in a
secluded room,
lock the door,
and throw away
the key.
I don't like
this portrait,
but I need
to see it.
it shows me
my brokenness.
It shows me
my imperfections.
It shows me
my need for
the gospel.
I need to
see it, but
I still hate
it.
The good
news is God
hates it
too.
God hates
this portrait
of me and
you so much,
in fact, that
he would send
his only son
to become it.
he sent
his only son
to live the
life that I
was required
to live, that
you were
required to
live.
He sent
his son to
die the
death that
we deserved
so that
our soul's
hideous
portrait could
be replaced
with the
gospel of
God's free
grace.
This is what
we call
double imputation.
Christ,
or my sin,
comes down
on Christ,
and his
righteousness
comes up
and it
hangs in
my heart
forever.
Listen,
Mark 14
is an
unpleasant
picture.
It shows
us how
undeserving
the disciples
are, were,
of God's
free grace,
and in so
doing, it
shows us
how undeserving
we are of
God's free
and unmerited
grace.
God's
grace.
Listen,
like the
disciples, we
are a people
who betray,
who deny,
and desert
Jesus.
But with
the disciples,
we are the
ones to whom
Jesus said in
the upper room,
this is my
body broken
for you,
this is my
blood poured
out for
you.
You will
never fully
grasp the
enormity of
God's hatred
for your
sin, and
you will
never grasp
the greatness
of God's
love for
you until
you see
not just
the portrait
of the
disciples in
Mark 14,
but the
portrait of
Jesus in
the Garden
of Gethsemane.
It was the
night of
his betrayal,
and Jesus
knew what
would follow.
He knew
what was
coming.
Jesus
understood
what his
father was
asking of
him.
He
understood
what he
would have
to become.
He
understood
all of
the hideous
portraits
that he
would have
to bear.
He
understood
the cup
that he
had to
drink,
and the
thought of
this was
horrifying
to Jesus.
And so
while his
disciples are
sleeping,
while they're
distracted,
he prays,
he asks
his father
if there
was another
way.
He says,
Abba,
father,
all things
are possible
for you.
Remove
this cup
from me.
The text
says that
Jesus prayed
this prayer
over and
over again.
And the
response was
always the
same.
Father,
is there
another way?
no,
son,
there's no
other way.
Father,
please remove
this cup
from me.
No,
son,
there's no
other way.
Please,
father,
please remove
this cup
from me.
No,
son,
there's no
other way.
You are
the way.
in order
for your
distracted
sleeping
disciples
to come
to me.
You have
to drink
the cup.
You have
to become
their curse.
You have
to go
through the
cross.
You are
the way
and there
is no
other.
And Jesus
responds,
not my
will,
but your
will.
And then
he drank
every drop.
He became
our hideous
portraits so
that we
could be
united to
his.
So let me
ask you
again,
what did
God get?
What did
Jesus get
when he
got you?
Well,
he got
someone that
he would
drink the
cup of
God's
wrath for.
He got
a family
that he
would separate
himself from
God for.
He got
a church
that he
would experience
God's
displeasure
for.
He got
a kingdom
that he
would go
through hell
for.
And he
got a
radiant
bride
that he
would go
through the
cross for.
God's
love.
My friends,
Jesus was
denied,
betrayed,
and deserted
so that our
Heavenly Father
would never
deny,
betray,
or desert
us.
And that,
my friends,
is the
beautiful
portrait that
hangs in
our hearts.
And that is
the portrait
that will
never,
ever come
down.
Amen.
Let me
pray for us.
Heavenly Father,
thank you.
Thank you for
being a good
and gracious
God to people
like us.
We don't
deserve your
grace.
We haven't
earned it.
But you
lavish us
with it
anyway.
We pray that
we would
see ourselves
in the
disciples,
that we
would see
ourselves
rightly,
so that we
would see
ourselves
in Christ.
We would
see our
need for a
sinless Savior
who did
what we
could never
do,
who lived
the life
that we
were required
to live,
who died
the death
that we
deserved.
served.
We pray
that we
would be
a people
who live
out this
good news,
who don't
fixate on
the things
of this
world,
but keep
our eyes
fixed on
Jesus,
who is
waiting for
us at
the finish
line.
We pray
all these
things in
his precious
name.
Amen.