“Taking Out Leadership”

We can see here that Satan plan was to devour Peter. And if He got Peter He would not have any problem with the rest of the disciples. Why? Because Peter was their leader. And if the leader is taken out the rest would be easy to overcome, because the leader is going.

<Talk her about what happen when Martin Luther King was killed>

It is great to have much love for your pastor, but you need more than that for God. You need absolute love for God. There is nothing beyond absolute. Why would I say that? If the pastor falls or leave you will not be devastated and fall for grace.

Luke 22:31

And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:

START HERE TODAY

On last Sunday we talked about “Taking Out The Leader” I do not want anyone to think that Peter was not attacked by Satan simply because Jesus said that He had prayed for him and the rest of the disciples. No that is not the case at all. Jesus prayed that their faith would fail them. He did not pray that Satan would not brother them. There is a difference between being a failure or being devoured by Satan and having spots of failing. Yes, Satan was sifting them all. Remember in

1 Peter 5:8-9 what is stated there;

8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

NKJV

9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

NIV

Now we know that Satan was sifting Peter and the rest of the disciples.

Looking if you will;

We know that the statement that Peter made in verse 33 of this chapter did not hold true. He stated; Luke 22:33

33 But he replied, "Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death."

34 Jesus answered, "I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me."

(That can and is a spot of failing)

Look if you will at verse 45. We are still in Luke chapter 22.

Jesus is now in the Garden Gethsemane praying about what He is about to face.

Luke 22:45

45 When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow.

46 "Why are you sleeping?" he asked them. "Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation."

We can see from this that this too is a spot of failing. It is not just Peter, but all of them.

The next point of fail by Peter as recorded by the apostle John in chapter 18 verse 10 states;

Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant's name was Malchus.)

Matt records in Matt 26:52 where Jesus tells Peter

"Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to him, "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. NIV

Close message with John chapter 18.

John 18:16-18

16 but Peter had to wait outside at the door. The other disciple, who was known to the high priest, came back, spoke to the girl on duty there and brought Peter in.

17 "You are not one of his disciples, are you?" the girl at the door asked Peter.

He replied, "I am not."

18 It was cold, and the servants and officials stood around a fire they had made to keep warm. Peter also was standing with them, warming himself.

NIV

John 18:25-27

25 As Simon Peter stood warming himself, he was asked, "You are not one of his disciples, are you?" He denied it, saying, "I am not."

26 One of the high priest's servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him, "Didn't I see you with him in the olive grove?"

27 Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow.

NIV

Do sift demonstration

And the Lord said, Simon, Simon. Jesus spoke to Simon Peter as the representative of the Twelve. You. A plural pronoun. Sift you as wheat. Wheat was sifted to remove the dirt and chaff, and to eliminate the broken and withered grains. The temptations of the devil often serve the purpose of revealing strength as well as weakness in believers. 32. But I have prayed for thee. The singular pronoun indicates that the Lord had a special concern for Peter. He knew the failure impending because of Peter's overconfidence; yet he would not relinquish him, nor depose him from his position of leadership.

Look at what Jesus told Peter to do.

Luke 22:32

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

NIV