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Pastor: Matthew 26:58a: “Peter was following [Jesus] at a distance.” One of the great problems we face in life is fear. We have fought wars so that we can live in our country with¬out fear. We maintain a strong defense posture to make our enemies fear us so that we need not fear them. We have devised nuclear weapons to defend us, but now we face simple explosives strapped to a suicide bomber. Assisting Minister 2: No matter how we try to be safe and secure, there’s always something to fear. Assisting Minister 1: We are fearful also in our lives as Christians. Pastor: Tonight we can say, All three: It’s Jesus, Peter, and me; and it’s all about fearful, and thus distant, discipleship. [THEME HYMN] Pastor: We’re going to look at our fears, which make us distant disciples. But more than that, we’re going to look at Jesus. All three: See Jesus, who saves us from fear to follow Him in loyal discipleship. I. Pastor: Jesus’ disciples were, for a time, fearless in their dis¬cipleship. They were inspired by the success of His preaching, His popularity, and His demonstrations of power and authority. Assisting Minister 1: How quickly all this changes during that last visit to Gethsemane! Pastor: We see Jesus taken, bound, and led away as a common criminal. Confidence and optimism change to fear. Assisting Minister 2: Tonight we see Peter, the fearful follower, the disciple who follows Jesus from afar. Pastor: The enemies of Jesus had long planned to do away with Him. And now, at last, their opportunity had come. Assisting Minister 1: Then those who had seized Jesus led Him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and elders had gathered. Pastor: Jesus must face them alone. But as we see Him led away, we find He is not entirely alone. Assisting Minister 2: Peter was following Him at a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and going inside he sat with the guards to see the end. Pastor: Peter kept his distance, a far-off disciple. II. Pastor: Sometimes we, too, are distant, far-off disciples. What is that distance like? Often, it’s being a half-hearted disci¬ple. It’s following Jesus only when it is convenient, when it requires no sacrifice. In other parts of the world, loyalty to Christ has cost Christians their lives. What are we willing to do or not do for the sake of Christ in our comfortable country? Assisting Minister 1: It’s evening, and you’re tired. There’s a meeting you should attend at church or in the community. What do you do? Assisting Minister 2: Here’s what’s right, and you ought to stand up for it. But it will cost you the good will of others. What do you do? Assisting Minister 1: Here’s a chance for profit, but it isn’t quite honest. What do you do? Pastor: These questions have to do with discipleship. What’s that distance from Jesus like? Sum it up this way: It’s going by our own will and desires in life’s deci¬sions, or in life’s day-to-day affairs. It’s what I want to do, not what my Lord wants me to do. We earn Jesus’ rebuke. Assisting Minister 1: Why do you call Me “Lord, Lord,” and not do what I tell you? Assisting Minister 2: Fear kept Peter at a distance in his discipleship. Assisting Minister 1: Fear is at the heart of our faulty discipleship. Pastor: We don’t always have the courage of our convictions. Assisting Minister 2: We are afraid to live our faith because we are afraid of the consequences. Assisting Minister 1: We are afraid we might be ridiculed, we might lose our pop¬ularity, we might be considered odd or different. Pastor: We may not get ahead in life as fast if we put what’s right, what’s honest, what’s unselfish above everything else. All this is a sign of spiritual distance from God. We are afraid, and so we follow from a distance. The distant disciple may soon not be a disciple at all. III. Pastor: What to do? When you are afraid of what it means to be a follower of Christ, then think on Christ. In His suffer¬ing and death you find the answer to the fear of being too close to Jesus. His life, death, and resurrection count for you. He bore your sins in His body on the cross. He lives again, having disarmed the powers that frighten you and keep you from faithfully following Him. God’s “fear not,” echoes throughout Scripture to reassure you. Assisting Minister 1: Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are Mine. Assisting Minister 2: Fear has to bow before our Lord’s “fear not.” Jesus draws us close to the heart of God as His redeemed, restored, forgiven people. The fear of being a disciple has to let go. Pastor: So the call comes from Jesus, “Follow Me.” His path leads to His cross and His vacated tomb, where your sins of distant discipleship have been put away forever. Assisting Minister 1: His path leads to the death of your sinful self, because He is alive in

12345. Medina Jenkin. Just the two of us is the name of the card(?). From the first time the doctor place you in my arms, I knew I met death before I let harm met you. Although questions rose in my mind, will be man enough against wrong, choose right and stand up. From the hospital, the first night, it took an hour just to get the car seat in right. People driving too fast got me kind of upset. Got home safe, placed you in your basin net. That night, I don't think one ___

My sister Susie was famous for a lot of things. One of which was her blanket. Susie was the baby so we all remember when she was little. Susie had a blanket it was yellow cotton with certain edges, when she didn't have her blanket she would stand up in her crib and yell I want my Mickey(?). I still don't know why she called it a Mickey(?) but I know she carried it with her until she wore it into shreds and it completely fell apart in the washer and dryer. Today Susie has two sons age of 13 and 19, you can be sure when they were little they both had a blanket.

My name is Brian Kelly and I'm calling from Albuquerque in New Mexico. We need to stand up to keep our promise withstand with with Haiti and have a decent and honest elections there and that elections promoted(?) by France Canada and United States. Thank you.

Ms Chris Ancio(?). I am a web developer for from Lexington Massachusetts. We need to keep our promise and stand up with Haiti.

Hi my name is Laura and I am an unemployed social worker from Denver Colorado. I believe we need to keep our promise and stand up with Haiti. We promised them some money that money is just sitting here and it's not gone to them to give them one cent. The primary responsibility for that lies with a senator from Arizona who is obviously a very hateful person and I encourage you because I have 2 very good senators in Congress to try and put some pressure on him to send the billions of dollars that we have committed and not sent. I blame him personally for all of these cholera(?) deaths that could have been prevented by some decent plumbing had the money been sent there when we guaranteed to send it. We are now liars and that makes us murderous(?) liars so do what you can if that comes all the way down to a physical fist fight with the idiot from Arizona and.

Hi, my name is Julie Sikarola(?) and I am a disabled citizen living in Port Charlotte Florida. We need to keep our promises and stand up for Haiti.

I believe that everything happens for a reason. The ___ things that occur can either make a person stronger or things and some a little bit harder that for example makes me appreciate to try to live each day with full since I never know which one is going to be my last on the other hand some people close to me died difficult to get over the grip(?) and sorrow. I guess I believe this because throughout my life I had some I'd say odd things happen to me up time I wonder if I was being punished and asked myself why me. After I had stopped poking I realize I would do anything so I won't ever be in that situation again then I realized that even though something bad has happened there is some sort of lesson from which I learned to realize that something's are meant to be and there isn't anything I can do to change it. All I can do is hope that tomorrow would be better. When my dog became sick last year she became so sad that I could barely recognize her for the ___ change for being hype up and running through the house to laying down in a corner my dad having to help her stand up.

I would like to blog(?) about but I maybe like video games. Cos like a lot people like video games. But there's like certain types of video games like you got the first person shooters, you got the RPG's, you got the stand up active game like then Wii and the Play Station Move. So just like comment on the bottom or whatever you comment and hopefully get a lot of opinions I guess. Yup.