MARK 14:66-72

While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the high priest’s maids came along. Seeing Peter warming himself, she looked intently at him and said, “You too were with the Nazarene, Jesus.” But he denied it saying, “I neither know nor understand what you are talking about.” So he went out into the outer court. Then the cock crowed. The maid saw him and began again to say to the bystanders, “This man is one of them.” Once again he denied it. A little later the bystanders said to Peter once more, “Surely you are one of them; for you too are a Galilean.” He began to curse and to swear, “I do not know this man about whom you are talking.” And immediately a cock crowed a second time. Then Peter remembered the word that Jesus had said to him, “Before the cock crows twice you will deny me three times.” He broke down and wept. 

Gospelthink: My apostle Peter denied that he knew me.

As Greg Laurie's and Cathe's friendship developed, so the Jesus ministry grew in popularity, being seen as a "Jesus Revolution" or "Jesus freaks" and even gave rise to a Time magazine cover in 1971. Lonnie Frisbee and Chuck Smith's ministry continued to grow, moving to a gigantic tent rather than the Calvary Chapel. As with many popular movements, when two charismatic figures dominate, tension in the leadership began to develop. Eventually, realizing what was happening with his life and marriage, Lonnie left the ministry, and Greg was not sure what direction he was seeking. With Chuck Smith's help, after Greg's and Cathe's marriage, Greg set up his own branch of the ministry called the "Harvest Fellowship." Lonnie and Chuck reconciled, and history shows that Chuck Smith and Lonnie Frisbee are the founders of the Jesus movement and Greg being known as one of the leaders of the Calvary Chapel movement. All functioned as ministers of Jesus until their deaths.

In the movie "Jesus Revolution" it is clear that both Chuck Smith and Lonnie Frisbie were the charismatic leaders of the Calvary Chapel ministry. They had moved from the chapel to a large tent and literally hundreds of worshipers had found their direction to Jesus because of the two leaders.

But evil will look for any way to stop a movement to Jesus, and more often than not, it finds a way through the leaders themselves. In particular, in the Calvary Chapel ministry, Lonnie began to think that he was more important than anyone else, and the ministry suddenly became Lonnie's ministry instead of God's. Luckily, Lonnie and his wife were "Christian" enough to recognize the problem, and decided to leave the ministry to put their own lives back in order.

Not unlike the recognized leader of the original Apostles whom Jesus had called. Peter thought that he was invincible, and if his leader Jesus were to have problems of any kind, he would help resolve the situation. In a sense, what he was thinking became more important than what was happening to his friend Jesus. Luckily, he remembered Jesus's prediction of what would happen. And he was mortified, and as he wept, he began to understand.

One of the pitfalls of popular leaders or people who are in any kind of leadership is the chance that he or she will begin to think that they are more important than what they are leading. Pride takes over, and evil has found its way to destroy the situation. Luckily, we human beings will often have reminders of what we are doing, and can make the adjustments that are necessary in order to make the situation be what it should be. But we must accept the opportunity to understand.

PRAYER
Good and gracious God, Your Son set up a way of life for us to find our way to you. And we can choose to follow it. Chances are as we make such a move, evil can overtake us, and suddenly our pride makes us feel more important than what you have taught, and we lose direction. Help us understand. Be with us, we pray.

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GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: Even though we have found the way to God, we are still flawed human beings and make mistakes.  But we can re-commit ourselves.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
(session: approximately 56 minutes)
1. What scene during this session of the movie is most striking to you and why?
2. What does the movie "Jesus Revolution"  teach young people?
3. What is your definition of "selfishness?
4. Where in the world do you see "evil" working? What can you do about it?
5. As you study Christian churches today, what are they doing "right", what are they doing "wrong"?
6. What is the one thing that Christians should teach our world?