HAVE YOU BEEN OUTRUN LATELY

John 20:1-10

Easter Sunday Morning

Fair Avenue Baptist Church

April 12, 1998

This morning I want to speak to your heart.  Therefore I am asking that you not take notes.  Put your notepads and notebooks up and just listen with your heart.

It’s early on that Sunday morning.  Christ had been crucified and then buried in the tomb.  Mary Magdalene goes to the tomb and finds it empty.  She ran back and told Peter and John.  They took off for the tomb.

Have you been outrun lately?

VERSE 3 says “Peter therefore went forth,” and I believe that meant that Peter was the first to take off running.

VERSE 4 says, “So they ran both together,” and I believe now they are running together.

VERSE 4 goes on to say, “and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre.”

Have you been outrun lately?

Mary Magdalene, in the darkness of early morning, goes to the sepulchre of Jesus and finds the stone rolled away and the tomb is  empty.

Peter, the impulsive one,

Peter, the go-getter,

Peter, the aggressive apostle,

Peter, the one so many believe was the one who took the sword and cut off the man’s ear in the Garden of Gethsemane when Judas betrayed Christ,

Good, old Peter,

Have you been outrun lately?

He takes off first,

He is going to be the first to the tomb,

He is going to be number one.

Have you been outrun lately?

He takes off,

John right behind him,

But John catches up,

Now they are running together,

And John beats Peter.

Have you been outrun lately?

Peter got outrun by John.

VERSE 4, “and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre.”

May I suggest to you that John had more to run for,

and Peter was probably ashamed of his actions just a few days earlier.

I can see Peter running to the tomb,

He wants to be the first one there,

But as he is running his mind starts to race,

“Oh, man, just the other day I denied the Lord.”

And his pace slows just a little.

“Oh, brother, just the other day I was cussing.”

And John catches up and now is running right along side Peter.

“Oh, man, did I ever mess up.”

Now John has passes Peter and outruns him,

and beats him to the tomb.

Have you been outrun lately?

John had stayed faithful,

He had not denied the Lord,

He had been there at the crucifixion,

He had something to run for,

He was excited about what was going to happen.

But Peter was ashamed.

Have you been outrun lately?

He had denied the Lord twice,

He had even cursed.

Matthew 26:75, “And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.  And he went out, and wept bitterly.”

Peter started running to the tomb,

John running right behind him,

But something happened,

and I don’t think it had anything to do with speed.

Peter remembered his mistakes,

His BIG mistakes,

He remembered his sorrow,

He remembered the tears.

Have you been outrun lately?

May I suggest to you that many Christians are being outrun because they have denied the Lord.

At one time they loved the Lord,

They were serving Him faithfully,

They were running hard.

But something happened,

They fell by the wayside,

They denied the Lord,

They didn’t really mean it,

They didn’t even want to,

But they did.

Have you been outrun lately?

Praise the Lord for those who are working hard,

For those who loved the Lord and prove it,

For those who are running the hardest and fastest,

Those who are sold out.

Have you been outrun lately?

Did you use to be faithful?

Did you use to be faithful on Sunday nights?

Did you use to be faithful on Wednesday nights?

On Thursday nights?

Have you been outrun lately?

Did you use to tithe?

Have you been outrun lately?

Did you use to love your Pastor?

Have you been outrun lately?

Peter was not a bad man,

He was not a wicked man,

But he let Jesus down.

Have you been outrun lately?

John stayed true to the Lord.

He was the disciple whom Jesus loved.

And on that first Easter Sunday morning,

When John got the word that the tomb was empty,

He lit out.

Yes, Peter got the jump on him,

But John had something to run for.

Peter wasn’t quite sure about it.

Have you been outrun lately?

Isn’t it time to get things right?

Peter did.

In John 21 we find where Peter got it right with the Lord.

Peter made up his mind that he didn’t want to get outrun again.

And in Acts 2 we find Peter leading the way on the Day of Pentecost, just a few weeks after getting beat to the tomb by John.

Peter didn’t want to get outrun again.

Aren’t you tired of being outrun?

Don’t you want to get it right this morning?

Have you been outrun lately?