Could Your faith Get You Arrested?

Easter is 28 days away. At one time in American history, Easter was the most holy of holidays. Vacations, Lunches, the death and dreariness of winter welcomed of sprouting of springtime. But now America has to much to offer to worry about Easter.

February 21, 2018 Apple’s iOS 11.2.5 update removed Easter from Apple’s calendar app. The Apple calendar defaults to US holidays, such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Independence Day, but Easter is omitted. Easter is no longer recognized as a US holiday.

Once Easter was the most holy holiday for Christians. We shopped for new Easter apparel. The linen came out of the closet, the white belts, white shoes, and bright hats were unboxed. Easter was the one time of year men and boys proudly paraded in pink.

Easter has lost it luster on the Christian calendar. The iOS 11.2.5 update offers alternative calendars, such as Chinese, Hebrew, and Islamic, but the Christian calendar is not an option.

The Christian Faith is no longer popular among governmental or religious authorities. With all our advanced technology, how long will it be before we could get arrested for celebrating Easter. How long will it be before faith in the resurrection of Jesus Christ could get us arrested? My Question to you this morning is if it was illegal to celebrate Easter . . .

Could Your Faith Get You Arrested, in 2018?

It Should not surprise you that the governmental authorities and religious leaders mock and arrest those who profess faith in the resurrection of Christ, from the dead. It is not a new fade. Our text this morning, Luke 22:54–62 , tells us that the religious leaders had conspired with the governing powers to arrest Jesus for His faith in His Father’s plan for saving sinners like you and me.

Read text and pray

Easter should be a time of celebration. I don’t want you to be sad or worried about getting arrested, so I want to point out 3 questions you can ask you accusers.

3 questions to keep you from getting arrested for you faith?

I must warn you that, by considering these questions, Jesus predicts that anyone afraid of be convicted for their faith will in reality deny their faith in Him. Are you with Him or are your comfortably sitting in the pew trying to bend in.

It is bad news that the religious elite disown God’s Son. It is bad news that the religious and the ruling powers, reject God’s King. It is bad enough that one of Jesus’ close friends betrays Him. But the worst news is that one of Jesus’ closest disciples denies Him 3 times. Peter denies knowing Jesus 3 times after promising to follow Jesus to jail and even to death.

(FCF) We all make promises to God that we break. Our emotion often cause us to break our promises. Our feelings of fear and anger can easily cause us to deny our relationship Christ Jesus.

Three questions motived by feelings to keep you from getting arrested for following Christ.

Do I Walk Like Someone who follows Jesus?

Read 56–57

Peter’s first mistake was that he did not heed Jesus’ warning that pride precedes the fall (Proverbs 6:18) .

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 16

Pride goes before destruction,

And a haughty spirit before stumbling.

Fear of the crowd (not Fitting in) caused Peter to deny knowing Jesus.

Peter started off strong in his own strength. But by the time he had his opportunity to be arrested with Jesus he was walking at a distance. We can walk so far behind Jesus that we can deny knowing Him.

Walking a safe distance behind Jesus makes it easy for us to sit comfortably by the fire and bend in with the crowd. Jesus is on trail for identifying with us, and following God’s will to save sinners, while Peter sits among the enemies of the most hight God.

Dictionary of Bible Themes 2221 Jesus Christ, Son of Man

Jesus Christ, Son of Man

Jesus Christ’s preferred title for himself. The term points to the humanity and servanthood of Christ, but also reflects Daniel’s vision of the son of man as a coming figure of judgment and authority.

Paint picture of house and courtyard and Jesus not denying us.

Some times just asking the question do I walk like someone who follows Jesus won’t do the trick. Fear sometimes makes us timid. we have to get angry. Ask the second Question with an attitude.

Do I Look Like Someone Who Follows Jesus?

Read verse 58

The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 26: Luke Feelings and Actions

Anger is both destructive and constructive. It can be a kind of neurotic emotion that comes from in-grown eyeballs. Nobody appreciates us, nobody notices us, nobody loves us enough. On the other hand, there is the anger that comes from righteous indignation; the strong abusing the weak, powerful nations indifferent to the plight of the Third World. That’s a holy anger, and God help us if we don’t experience some of that.

When we first begin with Jesus we are not afraid of walking like Him him, we don’t even mind looking like Jesus in actions and attitude. But after we have been inside in the midst of the comfort of acceptance, from the world, culture, and society we can stop deny looking like Jesus. Our anger is no longer directed at sin, but we become angry at everyone and everything, because we are only worried about ourselves

When our anger gets the best of us, we don’t walk the walk or talk the talk, which brings us to our last defense in avoiding arrest for our faith.

Do I Talk Like Someone Who Follows Jesus?

Read 59–60a

When we get under emotion pressure our real self, which sometimes is our old self shows up.

The greatest golf swing can turn south when the game is on the line.

Get anger or agitated and our old language and mannerisms return and give us away.

Peter’s excitement caused his northern dialect to come out. The man said you sound like Jesus. You have that Galilean giggle. You have that southern draw. You have that cultural slang. You have that I will put you in you place pause.

Church members and even cuss and cruse.

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 15

“But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man.

As Disciples of Christ we are to Walk like Jesus, Look Like Jesus, and talk like Jesus, but we all have denied knowing Jesus in one of these ways. The Good news is. . .

Jesus always forgives and gives us a way out of denying Him.

Sometimes Jesus gives us a way out before we realize how deep we are in denial. Sometimes Jesus gives us a way before we realize we have a problem.

Once at a funeral, I asked if anyone would like to say anything about the deceased. A young lady stood and began telling about some of their adventures. She could stop talking. The she tried the worst it got. So I had to stop her. I said thank you for your kind words. We all have memories, Let’s sit down and think in silence of the good times.

After the service she came up and thanked me for helping her. She said no matter what I tried, I just couldn’t shut up.

Have you left left church or a conversation and just wished you had shut up?

Read 60b–2

Peter was still talking when Jesus bailed Him out of trouble.

The Lord Jesus Looked at Peter and Peter saw that he didn’t look like a disciple of Christ.

Peter remembered Jesus’ warning and recognized he didn’t talk like Jesus.

When the rooster crowed, Peter saw how much distance had become between his walk with Jesus.

Jesus warns us that we must depend on Him.

Jesus is faithful even when we fear being arrested for our faith. Jesus is faithful even when we are angry that we are not in control.

Jesus says we should heed his word.

Jesus commands us to pray and keep watch, less we fall into temptation (22:46).

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 22

“Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not enter into temptation.”

(FCF) We all make promises to God that we break. Our emotions often cause us to break our promises. Our feelings of fear and anger can easily cause us to deny our relationship Christ Jesus.

Three questions motived by feelings to keep you from getting arrested for following Christ. The facial expressions and tone of our voice and demeanor determine if we deny our Faith in Christ.

Four questions that could get you arrested for your faith: Will you join me March 18, for our Easter Drama? Will You join me March 25, for the commissioning of our Appalachia mission team? Will you join me April 1, for breakfast and our Easter Service?