Loyal?

For the past few weeks, we have been following Peter as he interacts with Christ and how there is a good bit of similarities.

We have seen that as Christians, we have a good bit in common with him.

This brings us to this week.

Most of us know this story of Peter.

I know I have heard several sermons preached on it.

It is where Peter says he will stick by Christ through it all, and fear has him deny Christ three times before the rooster crows in the morning.

Again, Peter goes from faith to failure.

This message today truly convicted me and had me looking back over my life.

But, before we continue, let’s look at where on the map our band of misfits are and what is happening at this time.

Insert map.

Insert picture of the upper room...both.

The Last supper meal or the Passover Seder (Pesach Seder) is a Jewish tradition where a meal of matzah (unleavened bread) and wine is served. It is also where the people would have retold the story of the exodus of the jews from Egypt.

This meal is also known as the seudah maphesehket. Or a last meal before a fast.

Now we know that this meal took place on the night before Christ suffered and eventually sent to the cross.

Ok, so we got a better picture of what is going on, let’s open the word to Luke 22:31-34

Luke 22:31–34 CSB

“Simon, Simon, look out. Satan has asked to sift you like wheat. But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And you, when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” “Lord,” he told him, “I’m ready to go with you both to prison and to death.” “I tell you, Peter,” he said, “the rooster will not crow today until you deny three times that you know me.”

Let’s Pray!

Earlier I said that I was truly convicted by this message. And it was the very first part of these verses that got me.

Luke 22:31 CSB

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

I have said before that we must pay attention when something is repeated.

Here Christ is using Peter’s given name of Simon. Every time Peter is or will mess up, Christ uses his birth name of Simon.

Here he expresses it twice to drive home a point.

Look out!

I want to express something important here. Peter is what we would consider in today’s standards as a new or baby Christian. He has only been around Christ for three years.

New Christians make Satan mad, and he wants them to fall away. He knows that he can not get them to love him, but what he does want is to have them question their faith.

If he can get them to doubt their faith, he can get them to doubt God himself. And that is his victory.

But Christ also knows this...

A faith that has never been tested, can never be trusted.

Now some of you may be asking, How can Satan ask Christ to test someone.

It is not uncommon in the bible. Just look at Job.

Job 1:9–11 CSB

Satan answered the Lord, “Does Job fear God for nothing? Haven’t you placed a hedge around him, his household, and everything he owns? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and strike everything he owns, and he will surely curse you to your face.”

Let me be very clear here.

Satan is known as the price of the air, and he has abilities that are extremely powerful, but he is still bound by laws God has set.

Bring in flour and a metal sifter.

Explain how they sifted wheat.

So Satan asked to shake and rattle Peter and the other disciples.

Now you may feel like this is cruel. It isn’t. Faith must be tested or your Christianity is just pretend.

But when it happens, you are never alone.

Luke 22:32 CSB

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

Notice carefully, Christ is praying for him.

Me and you have a mediator, someone going to bat for us.

1 Timothy 2:5–6 CSB

For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, a testimony at the proper time.

There is a word here that brings comfort to my heart … that word is when.

Jesus did not tell Peter if you turn back, but when you turn back.

And this let’s me know that He has given me the opportunity to either be Peter or to be Judas.

And this is where we get our

Wood for the Fire

Peter denied but he repented of his failure and turned back, Judas didn’t deny Christ, He just wanted a different Jesus that did what he had.

Let’s look at our next set of verses

Luke 22:54–62 CSB

They seized him, led him away, and brought him into the high priest’s house. Meanwhile Peter was following at a distance. They lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, and Peter sat among them. When a servant saw him sitting in the light, and looked closely at him, she said, “This man was with him too.” But he denied it: “Woman, I don’t know him.” After a little while, someone else saw him and said, “You’re one of them too.” “Man, I am not!” Peter said. About an hour later, another kept insisting, “This man was certainly with him, since he’s also a Galilean.” But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Immediately, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. 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.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.

We can arm chair quarter back this and say that Peter should have never denied Christ.

“oh I would have died along with him! That is how strong a Christian I am.”

No. I do not think so. Most of us would run in the opposite direction if asked to defend our faith to an atheist.

Plus, we were not there. And we understand his testing after the fact.

Peter would have been beaten, his family would have been arrested, he would have had to endure a crus fixation also...in a very hostile environment.

But that wasn’t the point of it. Most test that we must endure is to remove our selfishness from his glory.

Peter’s test was to break his selfishness. If he did not get broken in that way, he may have continued to rely on his on strength and not be the cornerstone he was called to be.

God does not help us by removing the tests, but by making the tests work for us. Satan wants to use the tests to tear us down, but God uses them to build us up.

Warren W. Wiersbe

We look at the test and trials as if we did something wrong.

If you living in sin against the bible, then yes you are doing something wrong.

But if we are living according to God’s word, the test and trials are there to remove us as we walk with him.

I will end today with this quote from J. Vernon McGee.

God tests those who are His own today. He tests you and me, and the tests are given to us to strengthen our faith, to establish us, and to make us serviceable for Him.

J. Vernon McGee

NEC has gone through test. And we have come out of them with a strength to stand and a desire to burn with that Holy Spirit fire that has started to consume us each and every day.