This sermon delves into the story of Jesus facing the Sanhedrin, highlighting the significance of surrendering to God and the consequences of denying Him. It emphasizes the importance of repentance, acknowledging one's mistakes, and seeking forgiveness to experience restoration and victory in the Christian walk.

Matthew chapter 26 verse 57 this is when Jesus faces the Sanhedrin what the Sanhedrin was is a governing body in Jerusalem that would govern the people spiritually so Rome was the law over the people and the Sanhedrin was the governing body of mainly just Israel of the Jewish people and they could not execute the power of execution was taken away from the nation of Israel when Rome conquered them but right before we reread Matthew 2657 do you remember what God is here last week I talked about when darkness reigns and we just saw the Judas betrayed Jesus and it was interesting this week and sometimes I recommend books I would recommend this book it's called the Christian in complete armor by a Puritan William William Grinnell written in the 1700s David Wilkerson CH Virgin a lot of men and women highly recommend this book I actually got the modernized abridged version of it versus I've got the big larger one but it's it's an old English and it's a little challenging to say the least so this is put in modern language but talk about a page I can't highlight I mean it's talking about the Christian being in complete armor and it's not for the faint of heart so I'll tell you that up front but he wrote this and I thought of and I read it yesterday two days ago and I thought of Judas Iscariot on this and actually many who live today would it not be wise before you barter with the devil to ask if his promises come with a warranty can you secure the bargain and keep you from a lawsuit with God can you guarantee that when you die you will not be left destitute in another world let the buyer be warned time will show how Satan has cheated you and that's what happened with Judas and that's what happens with a lot of people the devil presents the bait and we think that we can rebel against God but there will become a day of reckoning there will become there will come a time where we have to give account for our choices and many of you many of you know I can say this because he definitely won't hear the sermon probably but my friend from high school came last week and he's still caught up in that whole lifestyle and we talked afterwards and he makes comments like well that's good for you I'm glad you found that you know it's good for you and I want to just keep in mind it's everybody at some point you will have to give an account for your life but the devil barters with him and many people who aren't believers you just keep up that lifestyle you know that that that drunkenness in that party scene and I don't want to give this up because I love it well the flesh loves it and that's what the devil keep bartering with you and it goes by week and then month and then years later you realize that he had led you astray because you can't barter with the devil and you can't play with him and get away scot-free you have to repentance has to take place in that disconnect has to take place Matthew 26 57 and those who had laid hold of Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest now Caiaphas is the high priest and what that means is once a year the high priest would go into the holies of holies and make atonement for the sins of the people so he actually had this position above all those who served in the temple all other administration administrators he was the high priest and that's why Hebrews talks about we have a high priest now who's been tempted like we are he was tested in all points yet he's without sin so we go straight to our high priest that's one big difference between Protestants and Roman Catholicism we don't need the guy sitting in the booth to go confess to we have our high priest that's sufficient and there's that's a there's a big distinction there that people like to argue but it's crystal clear that we don't need that anymore but that's where it comes from that they had priests back in in in Old Testament in Jesus's time so they led him away to Caiaphas the high priest where the scribes and the elders were assembled but Peter followed him at a distance you know it's safer to follow Jesus's at a distance isn't it for most people just stay back not get in that controversy but then it's hard to stay in God's will when we follow at a distance so they went to the high priest courtyard and he went in and he sat with the servants Peter went and sat with the servants to see the end now the chief priests the elders and all the council sought false testimony against Jesus to put him to death but none found any or found none even though many false witnesses came forward they found none but at last two false witnesses came forward and said this fellow said I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it up in three days now this to me maybe it's just me but it's ironic because this is all you got this is all you have on Jesus after three years that's that you can't find anything so you bring in false witnesses he taught he preached he rose people from the dead he cleansed the temple he drove the money changers out and none of none of that was bad none of that was wrong three years they found nothing and I want to throw that invitation out to you as well if you're seeking you will find nothing in Christ nothing that will cause you to find and seek something else else nothing demeaning nothing of sin nothing at all and that's one another distinction from Christianity with other religions that the founder Jesus Christ was God he was free of sin you look at any other religion that was founded on somebody they were a sinner and they're trusting in the center for eternal life that's a distinction and a difference Jesus really said destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days meaning his body you destroy me I will raise it up again in three days so after all of this all they have is false witnesses saying that he would destroy the temple and rebuild it now even if he was talking about the temple of God that's not a blasphemous statement that's not going to get you killed they might just say away with this man that's that's no big deal that's nothing to die over so you can imagine Caiaphas is getting rather upset by now he's trying to find something he can't find anything he wants to put Jesus to death and he can't find anything and the high priest arose and said him do you answer nothing he's getting mad now do you answer nothing what is it that these men testify against you but Jesus kept silent and that's a good model you don't have to respond to all the lies we're going to see Jesus respond in a minute but he doesn't respond to the lies he just whatever whatever the truth will defend itself but then Caiaphas puts him on the spot so to speak but Jesus kept silent and the high priest answered and said to him I put you under oath by the living God tell us if you are the Christ the Son of God so you have the high priest the highest position of authority asking Jesus I put you under oath answer this question so Jesus felt compelled to answer the question he says it is as you said it is as you said nevertheless I say to you hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the power and coming on the clouds of heaven that did it right there and we like what's the big deal with that well you have to understand that the right hand of power they knew exactly what Jesus was talking about Old Testament imagery the right hand of God's is the right hand is the power is usually a signal of strength so Jesus is going to sit on the right hand of God be in his position of authority and ride the clouds in judgment he just put himself above Caiaphas and said you will see me coming again to judge you that's not going to do right now you can understand Hebrews Hebrews 12 I read it this morning I jotted down he endured the cross Jesus endured the cross he put up with the shame and then he sat down at the right hand of the authority of the father that's why God says every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Christ is Lord he's at that position of power and authority there's no other name greater than the name of Jesus you can say any other name and nobody cares but when you start why do they want to remove him from the schools from the government office even from the churches even from the little kids at the public school get Jesus out of here why because that name spit that name grabs the spiritual realm and it rips it apart even demons have to flee even Satan is under his control and dominion Jesus Christ every knee will bow and every tongue will submit what they're saying to him everything there's no other name under heaven that saves and he just told Caiaphas this and he's upset he's alarmed then the high priest tore his clothes with which is unthinkable for a high priest to stand up and tear his clothes which they cannot be put back it's to say blasphemy and he rents his garment he rips it in half you know it's interesting I just thought of something I didn't express last night I think it was pastor Steve Schell on the radio a year ago I heard him talk about this and it it's it's it's it's just interesting concept but it's it's it's something I think it fits in here the high priest said blasphemy and tore his clothing and tore his outer garment but it's interesting when Jesus died on the cross it is finished the veil and the temple was rent from the top to the bottom as if God was saying blasphemy blasphemy on you you just sacrificed the Messiah and God rent ripped that that temp that that veil that's thick it's impossible you couldn't just rip and he just ripped that thing as if he was saying blasphemy Christ has just died you don't need the veil now separating the inner court the outer court the Holy of Holies you don't need that veil that veil has been removed by Christ and Christ alone and you can walk boldly to the throne of grace that's why I want to talk about a clean slate and tied in because so many Christians walk around defeated and beat up by the devil and they fell down and they fall and they can't get back up God doesn't say oh you're in trouble he says get back up and win this race you are not designed for failure here get up and take your place that's what life is getting back up the Christian life folks you get when you go to the grave you go limping you go with the hurt arm you go with crutches you go and you go broken before that's that's why it's called warfare the Christian walk is not easy I don't care what you hear on television it's not it's warfare were tempted the enemies coming after our homes he's coming after our hearts he's coming after our testimony we're one choice away from ruining our testimony have you ever realized that 111 choice away one choice away from ruining our testimony but God wants us to return to that clean slate and I'll get to that in a minute then the high priest or is closing he has spoken blasphemy what further need do we have a witnesses look now you have heard his blasphemy what do you think they answered and said he is deserving deserving of death also this is even a false charge I don't know it's not I was looking for the name last night it's not the Talmud and it's not a I couldn't find the exact wording or that with the term of the Jews have their law inside of this this this book and actually the charge of blasphemy the the word Yahweh has to be used the word Yahweh has to be to be taken in vain the word Yahweh basically has to be taken and trampled on the ground blasphemy this is not blasphemy according to their own rules but that's why it upset him so much then they spit in his face and beat him another struck him with the palm of their hand saying prophesy to us Christ who is the one who struck you this is interesting as well as a commentary I'm reading talked about when they hit his face or spit in his face I don't know if you ever had that happen to you I still remember a girl in elementary school did it to me spitting in the face to lack of respect for authority beating him showed he had no power and then saying who who who hit you prophesy to us try to show him as a false teacher false prophet let me stop here for a minute when he said tell us if you are the Christ the Son of God he said it is as you say there is no wiggle room there there's when he said I am the Christ I am the only way the only truth no man comes with father except there's no wiggle room everybody wants a little bit of wiggle room it's very clear very direct that he is the only way the only truth the only life now I thought this is interesting as well how could Caiaphas how could these religious leaders not recognize Jesus I mean you you you start out your ministry there's no fault in here all you're gonna you're gonna find that he said destroy this temple and and I'll rebuild it that's all you have I mean they heard the report the reports went went nationwide people travel far to be healed and touched and delivered set free why how in the world can Caiaphas hearing these things no doubt seeing these things he sent men to get him they said no man ever spoke like this man we can't take him he would see he wouldn't hear the healings he probably saw the healing the feeding of the thousands and how in the world can you see all this and still deny him that folks is the power of a hard heart that's that's a hard heart how do I know because on this side is Caiaphas who's on this side Nicodemus religious leader wasn't he he was high up there Nicodemus was one of the religious leaders so he comes to Jesus and by night by the way I don't want people know just yet clearly you have been sent from God because nobody could do these works if it wasn't for God being with them so how do you have Nicodemus and Caiaphas different complete right Nicodemus one is Joseph of Arimathea rich man probably on the council there was followers of Christ that were Pharisees it was Sadducees that were religious leaders but then you have this side why how it's the power of a hard heart what's okay from believer Shane but no it's true of believers to the power of a hard heart it will destroy a marriage it will destroy a church it's devastating the reason is to one is a searcher Nicodemus the other is a skeptic that's the difference if you don't know God if you if you don't know Christ is your Lord and Savior you must turn from being a skeptic to a searcher and I don't I encourage people often it's a God if you're out there Jesus I want to know if you're real would you show me God will answer the prayer of a sincere heart God's not gonna be up in heaven going no not answer that one no you have to find me on your own this is your you're out of luck he wants he wants he's bringing your questions to me bring your sincerity to me he wants a soft pliable teachable heart he'll show that person the way so you have Caiaphas you have Nicodemus you see the difference there I want to read a quote from stop playing church it's I found him on Facebook they have a lot of interesting quotes they said 2,000 years ago Israel was expecting a lion but they got a lamb 2,000 years later the church is expecting a lamb but they're going to get a lion when Christ returns he's no longer on the throne of mercy he's on the throne of judgment see don't we live in it we live in an interesting time here because when Christ comes again there's no there's no plan B there's no backup plan there oh now it's time to get ready no when he comes the time of mercy and grace is coming to an end at some point those times come to an end and then the time of judgment comes people have to be prepared and a hard heart is what is keeping many people away from the kingdom you might say Shane what is a hard heart glad you asked let me tell you what a hard heart is Baker's evangelical dictionary says this the heart in effect is the whole person in all of his or her distinct human activity as thinking planning willing feeling worshiping and interacting and of course when the person is not living according to God's will it is the heart that is described as darkened rebellious callous unfeeling and idolatrous now this is interesting you can look at get a lot of scriptural support for this yes that's true of an unbeliever when they're when an unbelievers heart my friend I was talking to you okay let's the hard heart and make sure I don't send in this message right but if he finds on Facebook there's nothing to do about that so unbeliever the heart is darkened rebellious callous unfeeling and idolatrous that's a hard heart because they're outside of God's will but you can take a believer whose heart is becoming hard and the same things apply they're darkened they're living according to the flesh the rebellious a person with a hard heart is rebellious there's just no way around that let me just get that out just in case you're wondering if you have a hard heart you are rebellious there's many times we've talked to marriage counseling and wanted a marriage counseling for people and then no I don't want to do it I don't want to do it I don't want to hear it why because you're rebellious you've got a hard heart somebody has a teachable pliable open heart wants to know what God's Word says they want to change so believer can have a very hard heart rebellious callous unfeeling and idolatrous idolatrous means idle there's something else where God should be we see that everything from sports to partying to everything that God is you'll fit him in on Sunday but he's really not your whole life if there is idolatry taking place and idolatry is just putting anything where God should be and I wrote an article last year I might bring it sometime or print it about where I see sports going to with kids and they you know the little leagues and all those didn't want to publish it because I talked about how it becomes idolatry now all these travel ball teams and how they'll have to get them to soccer and to baseball and all these things on weekends and we'll fit church in maybe once a month when did that happen I mean I drove down Valencia last year the churches are empty but the parks are full what idolatry idolatry I want the next Nolan Ryan I want the next my son's going to the big leagues I'm gonna do everything he can to get there it becomes idolatry because you see how that works because in church will squeeze it in and that's this is a struggle I have helping with little league and coaching and seeing you know my son's potential and I could turn him into a very very good player if it was five days a week batting lessons to pitching lessons all these things I could do that but then that becomes the focus we've asked to be on three or four different travel ball teams now we can't do that we'll take your son for the weekend and bring it no that's not gonna happen either but it's just culture you have to be careful because it happens with believers that we start to put other things before God just look at church attendance 30 40 years now that's gonna get a little convicting it's okay it's time I'm time for the choir to get convicted right they say you're preaching to the choir well it's time for the choir to get convicted because the choir is getting pregnant the choir's getting pregnant out of wedlock the choir's you know indulging in all these things so sometimes the church needs to be convicted and it's okay that to preach this conviction but look at church attendance it was always consistent except for you know if things came up and then it came to three times a month and now I think it's two times a month it's because our culture is changing we don't wake up with I've got to get to church that's my passion week I guess though should we go today I've had those discussions I won't tell you when it hasn't been last six years since we planned the church but we it's like are we going today I don't know are we going today I don't know we go today and then you go back and forth and you don't end up going or you end up arguing see the enemy why is there no arguments on the way the movies getting ready have you ever thought about that getting ready going to the movies or going out to dinner very rarely is there an argument you've got a babysitter lined up you're going to the movies but come Sunday morning come Sunday morning the littlest thing and that's why because the enemy wants us out of fellowship you take somebody out of fellowship that's the first step in the wrong direction when we isolate ourself we get out of fellowship we get out of the normal course of following God now he talks about here a disregard for God's Word does lead to a hard heart but also I've seen people use God's Word as a weapon and they are judgmental and they are arrogant they are bitter they are mean and they're just as in much sin as this person because you have to remember the Word of God is not meant to be used as a sledgehammer all the time a surgeon and a thief both use a knife do they not but one is to help the others to hurt so we have to be careful because I've seen people on this side just oh I can't believe you did this and this and this and this but they're just as mean as a rattlesnake stirred up with a stick and they're just judgmental and bitter and mean you can just see it coming off of them like well you're not in a much better spot to be critiquing this person okay they fell off the wagon but you still on the wagon so we have to watch it on both sides and judgmentalism can creep in those who've been Christians a while or mature in the faith or in the word you careful careful for this side your pastor can slip into this side quite often right so be careful because a hard heart and the more we do this ccc the heart of the heart becomes I could you how could you what would Jesus say woman I don't condemn you but go and sin no more see it's okay to do both you show the love but you also encourage him in the right direction I'm gonna keep reading from about the hard heart I'm almost done the heart represents a total response of a person to life around him or her into the religious and moral demands of God hardness of heart describes a negative condition in which the person ignores spurns or rejects the gracious offer of God to be part of his or her life you know how many people I've talked to my friends a perfect example dozens of times about God's gracious gift and a hard heart rejects that and rejects that but as believers who have those who have a hard heart if you ever went to somebody say you might want to consider I've noticed a lot of things I don't think you're heading in a good direction and with whatever you name it and they're like no I'm not yes I am it's you and they'll put it back on you all excuses that there's a hard heart there there's a hard heart because they don't want to address the problem so I would just really really really encourage you is there a strong word for really really really look at your heart are you are you open to constructive feedback are you teachable are you pliable are you flexible are you loving are are you very rigid because that is a sign of a hard heart there's no way around that God says often choose life or choose death choose humility or choose pride choose being teachable or choose being arrogant choose to soften your heart or choose to harden it it's a very interesting thing so on this topic of a clean slate I would encourage you I'm going to use that word encourage a lot this morning because I do want to encourage you look at your heart and start a clean slate that's one of the things I love about God when I come to him and I want to soften my heart a clean he says no you have to wait six months no you've you know what you've asked me a hundred times I'm not going over a hundred one but it's that loving father gracious father clean slate actually if you've never never embrace God's gracious gift of forgiveness through Jesus Christ the Bible says you just have to repent of your sin confess that Christ is Lord and then you're a new creation in Christ a new creature a creek creation in Christ all things have passed away behold and now everything is new it's as if this old self was put off and this new person in Christ starts a clean slate that's a wonderful gift of God you want to shout it from the rooftops why don't more people embrace it why because of a hard callous heart verse 69 now Peter set outside in the courtyard and a servant girl came to him saying you also were with Jesus but he denied it before them all saying I do not know what you're saying and when he had gone out to the gateway another girl saw him and said to those who were there this fellow also was with Jesus but again he denied it with an oath I do not know the man basically swearing I do not know the man and a little later those who stood by came and said to Peter surely you also are one of them for your speech betrays you then he began to curse and swear saying I do not know the man immediately a rooster crowed and Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him before the rooster crows you will deny me three times so he went out and wept bitterly I'm gonna do something a little bit differently Susie's gonna get it ready and you get the lights to as well tray I'm gonna show you what this actually looked like to get a better picture of it many of you seen it before but it fits right in and I think it's gonna be a huge benefit to get our hearts in a right spot to see exactly what this looked like with Peters denial and it was just it was terrible I gave her yeah I did my back back is it dumb I don't know I'll bet that you're in I mean a man and I like to be turned down to lock rot in your nose the gaga Danny Dillard I don't know we've all denied him in some way correct all of us have denied him in some way now what's the definition of deny you might say no I haven't well here's the definition one who refuses to admit the truth or the existence of it J.A. Brody said in fact a Christian is always and everywhere either confessing Christ or denying him every wrong act performed every duty disregarded or imperfectly discharged every indication of a character not conformed to his will and likened to his image is by the very necessity of the case a denial of our Lord and Savior anything that we do there's three ways and unbeliever denies the Lord and there's three ways that also believers can be tied into this Titus 116 that we deny him by our works they profess to know God but they deny him by their works so that should be a wake-up call to many people that they can deny him by their works so these people that think they hadn't think they know God if there's no fruit if their life doesn't line up with scriptural with the scriptural course they are living in deception that's that's that's clear throughout the Word of God and then it dawned on me about believers we can deny him by our lifestyle too can't we we can deny him by our words people are watching and so it's our character I think I read that poem on Father's Day about a son looking his father saying dad the lessons you give me may be very wise and true but I'd rather get my lesson by observing what you do for I may misunderstand you and the high advice you give but there's no misunderstanding how you act and how you live and we can deny Christ by our works by our lifestyle look at what our kids see sometimes oh this hurts a little it's okay it's okay because the reason this hurts a little is so the heart will start to soften your heart will never soften nor will mine unless it's convicted and hit sometimes with a little sledgehammer from God breaking that hard stone so believers and unbelievers can deny him by their works the second way they can deny who Jesus really is did you know you can deny who Jesus really is first John who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ so everybody that comes knocking on your door trying to give you a false gospel of who Jesus well this is who he is he was Satan's brother he's a created being he's not really God they are liars and the truth is not in them they are antichrist when is the last time you heard that that those people are antichrist I love them but I'm telling them the truth antichrist come on chain isn't that some figure in the end of the world what depends what your theology is but John says that the antichrist spirit has been here for 2,000 years the antichrist spirit denies who Jesus is because that's the way to salvation why is it have you ever thought why is that so important the virgin birth it had to be conceived by God not man had to be they can't have the DNA of man in Christ born of a virgin it had to be God himself who who is going to take my place in your place on the cross another man it won't happen without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin for for sin to be eternally cleansed and had to be God himself dying on the cross in the form of Jesus Christ that's why this is so important so somebody denies who Jesus is he wasn't God he was a created being he's the brother of Satan that is antichrist that's against what God proclaimed to what God did the verse if I keep reading says that is the antichrist he who denies the father and the son no one who denies the son has the father so people who deny Jesus you don't have the father you have the wrong God because it's the whole package it's the Trinity the triune nature of God God is father son and Holy Spirit if you've got that theology master talk to me afterwards because I don't but we know that it's true we see the triune nature of God you can go back into the very beginnings of the Old Testament when God said let us create man in our image and you look at the the single the singular word of God L and then you look at the plural L and then you look at Elohim and you see that this this this triune nature of God and who denies that denies that the father and the son are one yet separate is antichrist now let me encourage you in this as well those who are new believers are those who don't understand this is it's a process to understand theology it's good to have questions if you say God I don't understand it I believe in Christ I believe you sent him help me understand this this theology the study of God God will show you God will will help in that area so a person doesn't need to have perfect theology before they die but they better have good theology that lines up with Scripture as long as they know believe that Jesus died for the sin that Jesus is the son of God that's what this is saying here Matthew 1032 deny him before others deny him before others so everyone who acknowledges me before men I also will acknowledge before my father who is in heaven but whoever denies me before men I will also deny before my father who is in heaven you're gonna be seeing this a lot more in our nation it's happening in other countries where if you can quote the Koran they won't shoot you but if you can't you are dead and we're gonna see this as the cultures that as the gas on your stove right turn turn on the heat on that water and that water starts to get hotter you can see more people jumping out of that that crockpot it's very right now it's very easy to be a Christian you just put a little sign the fish on your car and you show up to church and you post a cute little Facebook things but when persecution comes that's when the rubber meets the road when you will die for your faith or you'll be lose a job because of your faith there's so many people right now in the school system on the government different things and I don't I'm not in the position but to maintain their job they have to be silent you can't say a word about anything and this will come as we're seeing more the more we deny him not us in particular I'm saying the more the world and the more carnal Christians that say they're Christians and possibly aren't the more we deny him the stronger the warning comes that God will Jesus will deny us before the Father and I was going to with showing that video with Peter and is it ready at all did we you guys fix it no okay the words work okay well that's all right no to self-check it before the service starts my fault the difference between Peter and Judas what was the difference Judas went out and hung himself Peter repented Peter repented and I believe this goes back where Jesus says Peter you Satan has asked for you to he's going to sift you as wheat but I pray for you that your faith fail thee not and when you strengthen yourself return to your brothers and feed the sheep feed the flock so Peter broken before God did not I mean that you put you put him and Judas you know what they each did was each not very good you know you're not going to sit and I don't know the man I in curse and curse I don't know the man and then come to a point of just brokenness and say I've done I've denied him God restore me a clean slate that's the difference where Judas felt remorseful threw the money back and went out and hung himself he didn't finish strong and the more I the older I get the more I realize it's very important to start the Christian faith well don't get me wrong but you better finish well because that's what they're watching if there's big moral failure in the church you think they're gonna well but he's finished he started well everybody looks at how did you finish how did you finish but as believers I want to encourage you this morning get up and win that race finish you're gonna fall you're gonna be you're gonna be knocked down and that's the so it isn't about finishing perfectly it's about getting back up and fighting and getting back up and fighting and get that's the Christian that's the Christian walk to get up and win that race and I'm gonna read a brief poem it's about two minutes long I've read an excerpt before I think I read it here when I first started speaking and it talks about what I'm trying to encapsulate perfectly and I think it'll be a good encouragement as we conclude it's entitled the race by an author unknown whenever I start to hang my head in front of failures face my downward fall is broken by the memory of a race a child's race young boys young men how I remember well excitement sure but also fear it wasn't hard to tell they all lined up so full of hope each thought to win that race or tie for first or if not that at least take second place and have you I just want to stop there for a minute have you ever they lined up so full of hope do you remember that when you are full of hope and just full of God's hope and and then the enemy comes in and sites tracks and gets you completely out of ministry completely out of gifting completely just off to the side and you are hurt and you are broken because that hope has been dashed well I want to encourage you because God's word says though weeping may endure through the night joy cometh in the morning and the reason it comes is because the sun comes up again and there's a renewed hope and a renewed passion and you say okay devil you got me yesterday but come today I'm coming out with both barrels blazing and that hope can be reignited their parents watch from off the side each cheering for the sun and each boy hope to show his folks that he would be the one the whistle blew and off they flew like chariots of fire to win to be the hero there was each young boys desire one boy in particular whose dad was in the crowd was running in the lead and thought my dad will be so proud but as he sped down the field across the shallow dip the little boy who thought he'd win lost his step and slipped trying harder to catch himself his arms flew every place and midst the laughter of the crowd he fell flat on his face as he fell his hope fell to he couldn't win it now humiliated he just wished to disappear somehow but as he fell his dad stood up and showed his anxious face to which the boy so clearly said get up and win that race he quickly rose no damage done behind a bit that's all and ran with all his mind and might to make up for his fall so anxious to restore himself to catch up and to win his mind went faster than his legs he slipped and fell again he wished that he quit before with only one disgrace I'm hopeless as a runner now I shouldn't try to race anybody been there but through the laughing crowd he searched and found his father's face with a steady look that said again get up and win that race so he jumped up to try again ten yards behind the last if I'm going to gain those yards I've got to run real fast he gave everything he gained eight and then ten but trying hard to catch the lead he slipped and fell again defeat he lay there silently a teardrop from his eye there's no sense in running anymore there's three strikes I'm out why try I've lost so what's the use he thought I'll live with my disgrace but then he thought about his dad who soon he'd have to face get up an echo sounded low you haven't lost at all for all you have to do to win is rise each time you fall get up get up and take your place you were not meant for failure here get up and win that race so up you rose to run once more refusing to forfeit and he resolved that win or lose at least he wouldn't quit so far behind the others now the most he'd ever been still he gave it all he had and ran as though to win three times he'd fallen stumbling three times you rose again rose again too far behind to hope to win he still ran to the end they cured another boy who crossed the line in one first place head high and proud and happy no falling no failing no disgrace but when the fallen youngster crossed the line in last place the crowd gave him the greater cheer for finishing the race and even though he came in last with head bowed low and I'm proud you would have thought he'd won the race to listen to the crowd and to his dad he sadly said I didn't do so well to me you won his father said you rose each time you fell and now when things seem dark and bleak and difficult to face the memory of that little boy helps me in my race for all of life is like a race with ups and downs and all and all you have to do to win is rise each time you fall and when depression and despair shout loudly in your face another voice within you should say get up and win that race amen amen