Turn with me to Mark 8.  I think it’s interesting that in Mark, Chapter 8, we begin to establish something that, though we’re looking at preachers, we can all relate to it in our personal lives.  We’re all the same.  Preachers are no different than you.  They’re just gifted of God, called of God, placed of God, and fight all the same temptations you do, and many times are not any more successful than you are.  Preachers sin.  Preachers have the same ugly thoughts you have.  Preachers battle with their flesh just like you do.  Preachers want to have their way just like you do.  Preachers are covetous.  Preachers are horribly ambitious.  Just one of you—just one of you fighting the same fight.  If anybody needs their hands lifted up, we do.  If any of us need to be recipients of patience, we do.

So, there’s Peter.  He was called.  He was placed.  He’s one whom God had put His hand upon, but in Chapter 8, verse 33, it’s pretty interesting.  Jesus is teaching them, in verse 31, that He was going to be crucified, and He was going to be raised again after suffering many things.  And Peter took Him and rebuked Him.  Not a good thing to do.  And we’re going to find out what the source of this was.  It wasn’t love and compassion for Jesus—“Oh, not so, Lord.  Oh, I can’t bear thinking of this happening to You.”  He rebuked Him.  “Jesus turned around and rebuked Peter, saying, Get behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.”  Peter’s heart is revealed here.  Peter was now somebody.  Peter was running with the Prophet.  They were being used mightily of God.  Jesus is coming to establish a kingdom, and Peter knew, “I’m going to have part of this thing.  And if You get killed and they persecute You and they kill You, then what’s going to happen to poor me?”  So, Jesus—first of all, I think it’s pretty bad.  I’ve been rebuked of the Lord a number of times, but thankfully, He’s never called me Satan.  I can say that; I am so glad.  I think probably it’s “my humility” that has protected me from that.  But He rebukes him here, and then something is interesting that takes place: “You’re seeking the things of men.”  Seeking the things of men.

So now we find this reproof.  We find this crack in his armor, and we fast forward ahead to Matthew 26, verse 33, and we see a little bit here about Peter again.  And in this particular chapter, Jesus again sharing with them, He says, “Now, one of you is going to deny me” (verse 21).  He said, “I’m going to be denied.”  And as He’s bringing this ministry to him, Peter—here he goes; good old Peter again.  “Though all men”—verse 33—now, remember, we’re talking about humility.  Humility is not thinking about yourself more highly than you ought to think.  “Now, though everybody else forsakes You, You can count on Peter.  I got my stuff together, man.”  And Jesus again enlightens him as He had done before.  “Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.”  Of course, Jesus speaks to him and says, “Before the cock crows, you’re going to deny me three times.”  Peter was having a little trouble with that because he thought he was greater than that.