The King is coming

Title: The Look of Love

Text: Luke 22:31-34

· Happy Easter – We celebrate the resurrection of Jesus!

· Because of His resurrection we have life everlasting.

Question: Have you ever had an epic failure moment?

· Mine came at college when I was learning new words…I went to say aren’t you looking all conspicuous, but what I said aren’t you looking all promiscuous.

· All eyes were on me…It was a look of disappointment & embarrassment.

I want to talk to you about a different look today, the look of Love.

· This isn’t you conventional easter message and that’s okay.

· The story is about Peters Epic Failure…There is so much that we can take away.

Facts about Peter:

· Peter was the leader of the Disciples.

· Peter put his foot in his mouth a lot.

· He did some amazing things like walked on the water and answered who Jesus was.

Peter had a epic fail moment, but there is so much we can learn from it.

· They say, failure is the best teacher…But Jesus is a forgiver and restore in the midst of our failure.

I. Peter’s Failure Predicted (v.31-34)

Background:

· Jesus is getting ready to go to the cross

· He just had the last supper with the disciples.

· He tells the disciples that he is going to die…They don’t want to hear it…. They are going to protect Jesus at all cost.

Notice what Matthew says about this though…

Matthew 26:31-35, “31 Then Jesus said to them, “Tonight all of you will fall away because of me, for it is written: I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered., 32 But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.” 33 Peter told him, “Even if everyone falls away because of you, I will never fall away.” 34 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to him, “tonight, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” 35 “Even if I have to die with you,” Peter told him, “I will never deny you,” and all the disciples said the same thing.”

· This is the back drop…Luke in his gospel records this as well….Lets look at what Luke says!

31 “Simon, Simon, look out…

· Peter was beaming with pride…Jesus tells him to look out…why, because pride always come before the fall.

31 “Simon, Simon, look out. Satan has asked to sift you like wheat.

· Satan asked God to do this…God always has control…He never loses control

· Peter knew what it was like to experience trials with Satan trying to do everything to destroy him…That’s why Peter would tell the church in I Peter 5:8, be sober and vigilant because your adversary the devil wants to destroy you.

· Satan wanted to do damage to Peter, to destroy him. But notice what Jesus says.

32 But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail.

· What a beautiful statement…I have prayed for you!

· John 17 – We see that Jesus prays for us….He is our mediator/High Priest.

· Jesus wasn’t praying for perfection, but for perseverance.

· Jesus knew what was going to happen….Notice what he says next.

And you, when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” 33 “Lord,” he told him, “I’m ready to go with you both to prison and to death.”

· What a statement…But words mean nothing…actions speak louder than words don’t they.

Question: How many of you have made promises to God that you never keep?

34 “I tell you, Peter,” he said, “the rooster will not crow today until you deny three times that you know me.”

· Jesus tells Peter he is going to fail

Understand: You do realize that there are times in our Christian walk that we will fail?

· We say things like I’m going to love my enemy – Fail.

· I’m going to read my bible more – Fail.

· I’m not going to get angry and say those things – Fail.

· I’m going to stop doing this or that – Fail

Some of us may feel like a failure! Like God hates me because of my failure…

· Maybe you are here and you think you cant have a relationship with God because of your failure…there is always hope in Jesus.

II. Peter’s Failure to Pray (v.39-46)

Sometimes our greatest failure comes on the heels of our failure to pray.

· When we fail to pray we are susceptible to attacks

· We have to take prayer seriously.

· Prayer is the only thing that you and I have.

D. L. Moody, “He who kneels the most, stands the best.”

· The opposite is true when you don’t fall to your knees, you fall in a different way.

39 He went out and made his way as usual to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him.

· Point out that Jesus was known for praying and having a place…Get a place.

40 When he reached the place, he told them, “Pray that you may not fall into temptation.”

· He is imploring them, commanding them to pray.

41 Then he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and began to pray, 42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me—nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”

43 Then an angel from heaven appeared to him, strengthening him. 44 Being in anguish, he prayed more fervently, and his sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground. 45 When he got up from prayer and came to the disciples, he found them sleeping, exhausted from their grief. 46 “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray, so that you won’t fall into temptation.”

· They couldn’t stay awake and pray….This is our problem

Think about this: When is prayer our first inclination? We usually want to fix things ourselves. We don’t want to pray like we should.

· What we are going to see is that Peters fail comes on the heels of him failing to pray

Question: Could this be said of you? Every day we must pray, and pray some more.

· How much different would things be if you prayed like you should?

Fact: Sometimes our epic failure can happen because of our failure to pray.

III. Peter’s Failure to Confess (v.54-62)

· Here is where Peters Failure comes to its peak!

· He did try to fight and cut a dudes heads off

54 They seized him, led him away, and brought him into the high priest’s house. Meanwhile Peter was following at a distance.

· All the other disciples scattered, and Peter is still following though at a distance.

· John was most likely with Him.

55 They lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, and Peter sat among them. 56 When a servant saw him sitting in the light, and looked closely at him, she said, “This man was with him too.”

· A servant girl – nobody recognized him.

· Can you be recognized of being with Jesus?

57 But he denied it: “Woman, I don’t know him.”

· Strike one

58 After a little while, someone else saw him and said, “You’re one of them too.” “Man, I am not!” Peter said.

· Strike two

59 About an hour later, another kept insisting, “This man was certainly with him, since he’s also a Galilean.”

· Now they notice the way peter looks and even talks.

· He is form Galilee.

· Matthew would tell us that Peter even began to swear and cuss.

60 But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Immediately, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed.

· Strike Three – The rooster sounded, and it was fulfilled. But I want you to notice something that Luke records.

61 Then the Lord turned and looked at Peter. So Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” 62 And he went outside and wept bitterly.

· Everything Jesus is going through, he stopped and locked eyes with Peter….Peter remembered.

I Need to confess something….

· I have interpreted this passage wrong in the past…I have interpreted from a condemning standpoint.

Think about this…When people fail, we look at them in disdain, disgust, and even disappointment.

· But that is not the look that Jesus gave Him!

Jesus gave Him the Look of Love!

· How do we know this?

· Because Jesus already told him what would happen…He told him he would deny him. Jesus knew it and he loved him in spite of it.

Jesus knows where we are and loves us in spite of it…We are given the look of love even in our failure.

· We should weep over our sin, but we should never let our sin define who we are.

· For Peter a couple hours later, his sin would be nailed to the cross and forgiven.

But Peter Remembered…He didn’t just remember the denial, but remembered what Jesus said.

Look at verse 32 – Again.

“32 But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And you, when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

· We know Peter remembered and turned back.

· We must always remember what Jesus did on the cross

C.S. Lewis, “Though our feelings come and go, His love for us does not. It is not wearied by our sins, or our indifference; and, therefore, it is quite relentless in its determination that we shall be cured of those sins, at whatever cost to us, at whatever cost to Him.”

There is always redemption with Jesus!

· Peter returned strengthen his brothers.

· He was the first to go to the tomb

· Jesus restored him….By a charcoal fire

· He boldly preached at Pentecost.

Jesus looks on us with love….Even in our failure!

· Do you need to turn back to Jesus? Do you need to remember that Jesus loves you in spite of you? In spite of your sin.

Bottom Line: There is love even in our failure. God can use our failure for His purpose and His glory.

· Jesus death on the cross was the ultimate display of love.