Everyone goes through some high points in life, and some very deep valleys.

1. Hills and Valleys of Life
Mark 8:27-33

2. Mark 8:27-30
27 Now Jesus and His disciples went out
to the towns of Caesarea Philippi; and on
the road He asked His disciples, saying to
them, "Who do men say that I am?" 28 So
they answered, "John the Baptist; but
some say, Elijah; and others, one of the
prophets." 29 He said to them, "But who
do you say that I am?" Peter answered
and said to Him, "You are the Christ." 30
Then He strictly warned them that they
should tell no one about Him.

3. Mark 8:31-33
31 And He began to teach them that the
Son of Man must suffer many things, and
be rejected by the elders and chief priests
and scribes, and be killed, and after three
days rise again. 32 He spoke this word
openly. And Peter took Him aside and
began to rebuke Him. 33 But when He had
turned around and looked at His disciples,
He rebuked Peter, saying, "Get behind
Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the
things of God, but the things of men."

4. Hill and Valley
• Peter is on the hill
– He confesses the Jesus is the
Christ
– He did something right
• Then comes the valley
– He is called “Satan”
– Jesus rebukes him

5. Syrian Thinking
• 1 Kings 20
• Great slaughter – v. 21
• Second army – v. 25
• 127,000 killed in one day
• Plan for second attempt
• What went so wrong?

6. Syrian Thinking
1 Kings 20:23 Then the servants of
the king of Syria said to him, "Their
gods are gods of the hills. Therefore
they were stronger than we; but if
we fight against them in the plain,
surely we will be stronger than
they.

7. Elijah – Mt. Carmel
• 1 Kings 18-19
• On Mt. Carmel
• Baal – God of lightning
• Prayed all day – no fire from
heaven
• Elijah's turn – 12 barrels of water
• Prayed – fire bured offering, wood,
stones, and water in trench

8. Elijah – Valley of Jezreel
• 1 Kings 18-19
• Threatened with his life
• Ran 18 miles; servant quit
• He ran another 20 miles
• He hid in a cave ready to die
• “What are you doing here?”

9. John the Baptizer
Matthew 3:5-7 5 Then Jerusalem, all
Judea, and all the region around the
Jordan went out to him 6 and were
baptized by him in the Jordan,
confessing their sins. 7 But when he
saw many of the Pharisees and
Sadducees coming to his baptism, he
said to them, "Brood of vipers! Who
warned you to flee from the wrath
to come?

10. John the Baptizer
John 1:36 And looking at Jesus as He
walked, he said, "Behold the Lamb of
God!"
Matthew 11:2-3 2 And when John
had heard in prison about the works
of Christ, he sent two of his disciples
3 and said to Him, "Are You the
Coming One, or do we look for
another?"

11. Peter – on the mountain
• Transfiguration – Matthew 17:1-2
1 Now after six days Jesus took
Peter, James, and John his brother,
led them up on a high mountain by
themselves; 2 and He was
transfigured before them. His face
shone like the sun, and His clothes
became as white as the light.

12. Peter – in the valley
• Denied Christ – Matthew 26:74-75
74 Then he began to curse and
swear, saying, "I do not know the
Man!" Immediately a rooster
crowed. 75 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.

13. Job – from hill to valley
• Blessed by God – Had everything
• Lost it all in one day
– Family
– Home
– Possessions
– Income

14. Jesus – from hill to valley
• Triumphant Entry
– Palm leaves
– People saying, Hosana
• One week later
– “Crucify Him!”

15. Us – from hill to valley
• Life is full of ups and downs
• Jesus is always present
– At the high spots of life
– AND in the deepest valley
– Acts 17:27 so that they should
seek the Lord, in the hope that
they might grope for Him and
find Him, though He is not far
from each one of us.