Sifting of the Saints

Satan’s demand

V 31

Turn to Job 1

V 6

Sons of God -Angels

Satan was with them

V 7

why are you here and what have you been doing

V 8

God is bringing Job to the attention of Satan

Job’s life is going to turned upside down.

God has some lessons that Job needs to learn

We have some lessons we need to learn from Job

V 9-10

God has protected Job from satan

God has prospered Job

V 11 -12

Job loves you and worships you because he is prosperous

but ...

God gave permission to satan to destroy all he has

so satan stole and destroyed everything

even killed his children

Chapter 2 v6

God again said to satan you have permission

are you getting what I am saying

Satan cannot touch us unless God allows

Satan is powerful but God is more

so let’s go back and look at Peter

Peter’s Sifting

what is sifting?

sifting is separating the wheat from the chaff

first the wheat stalks are ground down under foot or the treading of a cow

until all of the wheat cornels are separated from the stalks

then they are thrown up in the air so the wind can blow away the chaff letting the cornels fall back to the ground

what is this sifting that Peter is going to go through

Peter’s self assurance is going to be separated from him

V 33-34

The sifting that satan has in mind is to separate Peter from Jesus

to cause Peter to be like Judas

God is going to allow sifting but not for the way satan wants

later on that evening Jesus warned the disciples

V 39-40

the forces of darkness were very prevalent that night

and Jesus knew the power of prayer

but what did Peter do instead? fell asleep

The Lords prayer- keep us from evil

Abraham and Sarah went into Philistene territory and the king took Sarah and God came to this king in his dream and told him that Sarah was off limits and if he had sex with her then there will be trouble in the kingdom

the king said to God I didn’t

and God said I know I kept you from doing evil

the famous prayer of Jabez he prays for God to keep him from evil

but Peter slept instead

Jesus’ Interceding

32

but I have prayed for you

His prayers are always answered

Jesus always prays in the Fathers will

Jesus knew what satan wanted to do to Peter

Jesus allowed it to happen for a reason

but Jesus also prayed for Peter to come through this trial and be more Christ like in the end

because Jesus at the end of this verse

V 32

once you have returned

God could have said to Job you are going to go through the trial of your life but at the other end you will have double what you have now

to Peter he said your going to go through it but you will be able on the other side to help others

we see in

1 Peter 5:8 LSB

Be of sober spirit, be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

he is speaking from experience

giving us warning against not being careful

giving us warning about not being in prayer

Jesus not only intercedes for Peter but for us also

Hebrews 7:25 LSB

Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

Jesus prays also for us in our temptations

He intercedes for us in out trials

our trials are given to us to grow and mature

Romans 8:28 LSB

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.

satan wants to destroy us but he needs God’s permission to do anything

and God does allow him to cause us pain

but he can only go so far

God wants us to learn to trust in him no matter the circumstances

God wants us to be conformed to the image of Jesus

so we have to be put into the fire so that the impurities are drawn out of us

but sometimes we dont have to go through the fire of temptation

Jesus told Peter to pray that he would not fall

again we are told to draw near to God

James 4:7 LSB

Be subject therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

maybe the first lesson we need to learn is to be subjected to God

to submit to the will of God

whatever the trial

whatever the circumstance we find ourselves in

whatever God is doing in our lives we need to learn to humbly submit to his work.