From Time To Time - Part Forty One Sep 01, 2024 by: John Herbert | Series: From Time to Time Audio Study Notes PDF https://s3.amazonaws.com/cornerstonejax/sermonfiles/T025_20240901.mp3 Refresh A Recap from the Sermon Lk 22:31 Simon, Simon, behold, Satan by asking obtained you and your fellow disciples for himself and from my power to his, in order that he may shake you in a sieve as grain is sifted..... We will continue to look at the events of the night of the Lord's betrayal, and their repercussions. The full text of this message can be found by clicking the PDF button. Sunday September 1st 2024 From Time to Time – Part 41 1). 1 Pe 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls. These are very familiar verses for us, verses that we have looked at many times but as we read them again today perhaps, we can see them within the context of Peter’s experience on the night of the Lord’s betrayal that we had looked at last week - Lk 22:31 Simon, Simon, behold, Satan by asking obtained you and your fellow disciples for himself and from my power to his, in order that he may shake you in a sieve as grain is sifted, by an inward agitation, trying your faith to the verge of overthrow. 32 But as for myself, I made petition concerning you that your faith should not be totally eclipsed. And as for you, when you have returned to your original position with respect to your faith, stabilize your brethren. 33 But he said to Him, Lord, with you I am ready to proceed both to prison and to death. 34 And He said, I am saying to you, Peter, a rooster shall not crow this day until three times you will deny that you know me. [Wuest] Lk 22:59 Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, “Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean.” 60 But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are saying!” Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” 62 So Peter went out and wept bitterly. Satan had asked for Peter and the other disciples so that he could sift them as wheat. And this sifting had a specific purpose, the overthrow of their faith. To overthrow what they had been told by the Christ concerning the Kingdom of the heavens, that which they had received from the Lord during the course of His earthly ministry. And Satan would apply this sifting on this particular night both through fear and intimidation and through the events themselves that seemed to bring an end to their expectations – Lk 24:20 and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. 21 But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened. 22 Yes, and certain women of our company, who arrived at the tomb early, astonished us. 23 When they did not find His body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said He was alive. 24 And certain of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but Him they did not see.” From the conversation of two disciples on the road to Emmaus on the day of the Lord’s resurrection, we can tell what all the disciples had been thinking. It had been their hope that Jesus would be the One to redeem Israel. Which of course He is, but not in the way or at the time they were expecting it to happen – Lk 19:11 Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately. And then they experienced further consternation concerning the empty tomb and the missing body – Mk 9:31 For He taught His disciples and said to them, “The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And after He is killed, He will rise the third day.” 32 But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him. Jn 20:3 Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb. 4 So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. 5 And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed. 9 For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went away again to their own homes. And amidst the apparent confusion of the night of His betrayal let’s remember the things the disciples had witnessed during the Lord’s earthly ministry – Mt 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. 6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. Jn 11:3 Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” 44 And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go” Mt 17:1 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; 2 and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. 3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. They had been challenged to walk away - Jn 6:66 From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. 67 Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” 68 But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of age lasting life. 69 Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And they had been told remarkable things – Mt 16:16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. Lk 22:24 Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest. 25 And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’ 26 But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves. 27 For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves. 28 “But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials. 29 And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, 30 that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” Jn 13:6 Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, “Lord, are You washing my feet?” 7 Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.” 8 Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” 9 Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!” These are just a smattering of the things the Lord’s disciples had seen and heard and witnessed, and these things could not be denied as not only did they come from the Lord but were previously set out in the OT Scriptures. However, on the night of the Lord’s betrayal, these things that could not be denied seemed to be completely at odds with the events they saw unfolding before them. They had believed that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the living God, and it was this faith, that the disciples possessed, that was to be tried, to the point of overthrow. Would they still hold fast to that which could not be denied, or would they turn away from that towards what they thought they were seeing? 2). The faith of the disciples is essentially the same faith that Peter later wrote about with respect to Christians in 1 Peter Chapter 1, faith that has to be tested to prove its genuineness. Faith that is tested through various trials that may well cause us to be extremely sorrowful in the midst of them. And Peter had experienced firsthand the sorrow that can come in the midst of trial and testing as faith is shaken, So Peter went out and wept bitterly. a). Peter’s realization of what he had done as his Lord looked at him with a penetrating intensity and clarity, coming face to face in that moment with the reality of who he was, rather than who he portrayed himself to be, left him separated from the One who is the Light of the World, left him in a place associated with darkness having aligned himself with those whose purpose was to crucify the Christ he had sworn he would die with. b). But in the midst of this extreme shaking of his faith, let’s pay attention to what the Lord had said to him and the other disciples But as for myself, I made petition concerning you that your faith should not be totally eclipsed. The Lord prayed for them with respect to their faith. He didn’t pray for the preservation of their lives that night, or that they would not be persecuted because of Him afterwards, rather He prayed that their faith would not fail them. That no matter how close they came to being completely overthrown, their faith, coming from what they had seen and heard in His presence, would not be totally eclipsed by what was taking place in front of them. His prayer essentially would be that they would walk by faith and not by sight. c). And if we remember the prayer that Jesus had prayed, recorded in the Gospel of John, which we had looked at last week, we will remember this, I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. The Lord did not pray that they would be removed from the world, the realm under Satan’s jurisdiction in which they would inevitably be subject trial and testing, but that in the midst of this trial and testing in the world, that God would ‘keep them’ from the evil one. d). And if our memory is working well today, we might call to mind part of what has come to be known as the Lord’s prayer – Mt 6:13 And do not lead us into temptation [trial], But deliver us [rescue us by drawing us to Your side] from the evil one. The whole of this prayer recorded in Matthew Chapter 6 has Christ’s coming Kingdom as its focus, and it provides us with the framework in which our own prayers are to be made. It is not a prayer to be parroted but a template for how we are to pray in alignment with God’s will, how we are to pray in harmony with His Word. e). The ‘temptation’ [trial] that we see in this verse of the prayer is the same ‘temptation’ [trial] that we find in the Lord’s words to the church in Philadelphia in the Revelation – Re 3:10 Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. 11 Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. And it is the same trial addressed by Peter, recorded in – 2 Pe 2:9 then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations [trial] and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment…… In the Revelation, we see that the Lord would keep those in Philadelphia from the hour of trial because they have kept His command to persevere. This hour of trial refers to Satan’s sifting with respect to the faith, just as we have seen with Peter and the other disciples. And in 2 Peter we see that the Lord will deliver the ‘godly’, the faithful, those who patiently endure, out of this same trial, out of Satan’s sifting. f). And this trial is for the same purpose as Satan’s sifting on the night of the Lord’s betrayal, to overthrow those who would have faith to the saving of the soul, those who would believe the gospel of the glory of Christ. And whatever dealings we might suppose that ‘Satan’ would want to have with us can only be with the same purpose in view. To overthrow our faith to the saving of the soul, to overthrow what we have come to believe of the gospel of the glory of Christ so that we will go after that which we see with the natural eye rather than the eyes of faith. Focusing on the world in the present rather than the Kingdom in the future – Heb 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14 For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. 15 And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them. 3). The word translated ‘keep’ in Jesus’ prayer recorded in John’s Gospel has to do with being guarded from loss. The loss of our soul/life through our faith being overthrown. And this we must see in conjunction with what Peter wrote in the verses we began with this morning concerning those, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. The word translated ‘kept’ in 1 Peter, although not the same word as in John, also has to do with guarding, in this case, guarding and protecting as by a military garrison, God’s power. a). Jesus prayed for His disciples, and us, that the Father would keep us from the evil one, that we should not be overthrown. He has taught us how we should pray, in Matthew Chapter 6, so that we may be delivered from the evil one and not be overthrown. And through Peter, in his first letter, the Lord has told us that the Father will keep us from the evil one, keep us from being overthrown by him, through the Lord’s Divine power in response to our faith. The very thing we saw again in Peter’s second letter and exactly what He said to the church in Philadelphia. And all of this has one focus, the salvation of our soul, which is the goal of our faith. b). The Lord’s protection for us and the deliverance He provides is always in response to our faith to the saving of the soul, not because we are a Christian, nor just because we have heard the Word of the Kingdom. And the protection and deliverance He provides is so that our faith will not be overthrown, that we should be found worthy at the Judgment Seat. And we should not attempt to take it beyond the spiritual realm into the physical realm. c). Our faith is the key to being brought safely through this present time of spiritual darkness. It is our faith that will stand against all the wiles of the devil and our faith that will be rewarded at the Lord’s Judgment Seat. d). And this is something that the Apostle John, also sifted by Satan on the night of the Lord’s betrayal, wrote about in his first letter 1 Jn 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. 4 For whatever is born of God [brought forth from above, the gospel of the glory of Christ which we believe, have faith] overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes [has faith] that Jesus is the Son of God? And with respect to what the Lord said through John in v5, let’s once again visit Peter’s revelation at Caesarea Philippi – Mt 16:16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And what did the Lord say in response to this? – Mt 16:18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades [And the councils of the unseen world shall not overpower it] shall not prevail against it. This then is the time when we are to observe with the natural eye but believe through the eyes of faith. A time when we will realize that all that we see with the natural eye is passing away – 1 Jn 2:15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. But that which we see with the eyes of faith will remain – Mt 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. That which the Lord has said will come to pass, and it really doesn’t matter if anyone believes it or not, it will come to pass anyway. Peter was brought face to face with the reality of this on the night of the Lord’s betrayal. And this is a reality that we must embrace as well. The questions, ‘What if?’ or ‘Couldn’t it be?’, must give place to, ‘What does the Scripture say? And whatever the Scripture says, it is that which we are to believe, and that’s where we are to leave it. e). The time will soon be upon us when that which we have seen only through the eyes of faith will become the things we shall see with the natural eye – Job 19:25 For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; 26 And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God, 27 Whom I shall see for myself, And my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! 4). The Lord also said to Peter and the other disciples on the night of His betrayal, And as for you, when you have returned to your original position with respect to your faith, stabilize your brethren. How encouraging is that word ‘when’. He did not say ‘if’ you return, implying that it may or may not happen but ‘when’, giving an absolute certainty that they would. And where does that certainty come from? It comes from the fact that He had prayed that their faith would not fail them. a). Satan had asked for and was given permission to sift the disciples because their actions and their words that night came entirely from their own resources. They had rejected through their denial of what Jesus had said, not only what Jesus had spoken to them but also what He had confirmed to them that was already written in the OT Scriptures - Mt 26:31 Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: ‘I will strike the Shepherd, And the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ 32 But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.” And in doing this they had unintentionally aligned themselves with their adversary. This is simply the fact of the matter. But this alignment of itself was not terminal – Lk 22:61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” 62 So Peter went out and wept bitterly. The Lord had not said to Peter that he would lose the salvation of his soul that night. He did not tell him that the promises that the Lord had given him would become null and void. He simply told Peter that Peter would deny Him three times before the rooster crowed. And that’s exactly what happened. b). We have in previous weeks seen Esau weeping bitterly in a similar fashion to that which we see with Peter, but the two events are completely different. Esau’s weeping was over a terminal loss. The rights of the firstborn had been lost through his actions and could never be recovered, and Esau was looking for repentance from his father Isaac. This was not what was happening with Peter. This was a moment in his life when all could have been lost, but instead he recognized the reality of the unchangeable Word of God. And a change of mind that night belonged to Peter. He would come to understand that the Christ had to suffer these things and then enter into His glory. A process of understanding that began on the day of the Lord’s resurrection – Lk 24:44 Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” 45 And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. 46 Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And you are witnesses of these things. 49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.” The beginning of a process and an empowerment by the ‘Promise of My Father’, that would first be witnessed when the Day of Pentecost had fully come – Acts 2:14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. 15 For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel……. And would result in two Books within the cannon of Scripture. A long way from the darkness of that courtyard. We will continue next time if we remain and the Lord is willing, and we have prayed. From Time To Time - Part Forty One Sep 01, 2024 Speaker: John Herbert Series: From Time to Time Category: Sunday Morning https://s3.amazonaws.com/cornerstonejax/sermonfiles/T025_20240901.mp3 Download Audio x
Refresh A Recap from the Sermon Lk 22:31 Simon, Simon, behold, Satan by asking obtained you and your fellow disciples for himself and from my power to his, in order that he may shake you in a sieve as grain is sifted..... We will continue to look at the events of the night of the Lord's betrayal, and their repercussions. The full text of this message can be found by clicking the PDF button. Sunday September 1st 2024 From Time to Time – Part 41 1). 1 Pe 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls. These are very familiar verses for us, verses that we have looked at many times but as we read them again today perhaps, we can see them within the context of Peter’s experience on the night of the Lord’s betrayal that we had looked at last week - Lk 22:31 Simon, Simon, behold, Satan by asking obtained you and your fellow disciples for himself and from my power to his, in order that he may shake you in a sieve as grain is sifted, by an inward agitation, trying your faith to the verge of overthrow. 32 But as for myself, I made petition concerning you that your faith should not be totally eclipsed. And as for you, when you have returned to your original position with respect to your faith, stabilize your brethren. 33 But he said to Him, Lord, with you I am ready to proceed both to prison and to death. 34 And He said, I am saying to you, Peter, a rooster shall not crow this day until three times you will deny that you know me. [Wuest] Lk 22:59 Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, “Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean.” 60 But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are saying!” Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” 62 So Peter went out and wept bitterly. Satan had asked for Peter and the other disciples so that he could sift them as wheat. And this sifting had a specific purpose, the overthrow of their faith. To overthrow what they had been told by the Christ concerning the Kingdom of the heavens, that which they had received from the Lord during the course of His earthly ministry. And Satan would apply this sifting on this particular night both through fear and intimidation and through the events themselves that seemed to bring an end to their expectations – Lk 24:20 and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. 21 But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened. 22 Yes, and certain women of our company, who arrived at the tomb early, astonished us. 23 When they did not find His body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said He was alive. 24 And certain of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but Him they did not see.” From the conversation of two disciples on the road to Emmaus on the day of the Lord’s resurrection, we can tell what all the disciples had been thinking. It had been their hope that Jesus would be the One to redeem Israel. Which of course He is, but not in the way or at the time they were expecting it to happen – Lk 19:11 Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately. And then they experienced further consternation concerning the empty tomb and the missing body – Mk 9:31 For He taught His disciples and said to them, “The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And after He is killed, He will rise the third day.” 32 But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him. Jn 20:3 Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb. 4 So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. 5 And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed. 9 For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went away again to their own homes. And amidst the apparent confusion of the night of His betrayal let’s remember the things the disciples had witnessed during the Lord’s earthly ministry – Mt 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. 6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. Jn 11:3 Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” 44 And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go” Mt 17:1 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; 2 and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. 3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. They had been challenged to walk away - Jn 6:66 From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. 67 Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” 68 But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of age lasting life. 69 Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And they had been told remarkable things – Mt 16:16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. Lk 22:24 Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest. 25 And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’ 26 But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves. 27 For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves. 28 “But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials. 29 And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, 30 that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” Jn 13:6 Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, “Lord, are You washing my feet?” 7 Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.” 8 Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” 9 Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!” These are just a smattering of the things the Lord’s disciples had seen and heard and witnessed, and these things could not be denied as not only did they come from the Lord but were previously set out in the OT Scriptures. However, on the night of the Lord’s betrayal, these things that could not be denied seemed to be completely at odds with the events they saw unfolding before them. They had believed that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the living God, and it was this faith, that the disciples possessed, that was to be tried, to the point of overthrow. Would they still hold fast to that which could not be denied, or would they turn away from that towards what they thought they were seeing? 2). The faith of the disciples is essentially the same faith that Peter later wrote about with respect to Christians in 1 Peter Chapter 1, faith that has to be tested to prove its genuineness. Faith that is tested through various trials that may well cause us to be extremely sorrowful in the midst of them. And Peter had experienced firsthand the sorrow that can come in the midst of trial and testing as faith is shaken, So Peter went out and wept bitterly. a). Peter’s realization of what he had done as his Lord looked at him with a penetrating intensity and clarity, coming face to face in that moment with the reality of who he was, rather than who he portrayed himself to be, left him separated from the One who is the Light of the World, left him in a place associated with darkness having aligned himself with those whose purpose was to crucify the Christ he had sworn he would die with. b). But in the midst of this extreme shaking of his faith, let’s pay attention to what the Lord had said to him and the other disciples But as for myself, I made petition concerning you that your faith should not be totally eclipsed. The Lord prayed for them with respect to their faith. He didn’t pray for the preservation of their lives that night, or that they would not be persecuted because of Him afterwards, rather He prayed that their faith would not fail them. That no matter how close they came to being completely overthrown, their faith, coming from what they had seen and heard in His presence, would not be totally eclipsed by what was taking place in front of them. His prayer essentially would be that they would walk by faith and not by sight. c). And if we remember the prayer that Jesus had prayed, recorded in the Gospel of John, which we had looked at last week, we will remember this, I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. The Lord did not pray that they would be removed from the world, the realm under Satan’s jurisdiction in which they would inevitably be subject trial and testing, but that in the midst of this trial and testing in the world, that God would ‘keep them’ from the evil one. d). And if our memory is working well today, we might call to mind part of what has come to be known as the Lord’s prayer – Mt 6:13 And do not lead us into temptation [trial], But deliver us [rescue us by drawing us to Your side] from the evil one. The whole of this prayer recorded in Matthew Chapter 6 has Christ’s coming Kingdom as its focus, and it provides us with the framework in which our own prayers are to be made. It is not a prayer to be parroted but a template for how we are to pray in alignment with God’s will, how we are to pray in harmony with His Word. e). The ‘temptation’ [trial] that we see in this verse of the prayer is the same ‘temptation’ [trial] that we find in the Lord’s words to the church in Philadelphia in the Revelation – Re 3:10 Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. 11 Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. And it is the same trial addressed by Peter, recorded in – 2 Pe 2:9 then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations [trial] and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment…… In the Revelation, we see that the Lord would keep those in Philadelphia from the hour of trial because they have kept His command to persevere. This hour of trial refers to Satan’s sifting with respect to the faith, just as we have seen with Peter and the other disciples. And in 2 Peter we see that the Lord will deliver the ‘godly’, the faithful, those who patiently endure, out of this same trial, out of Satan’s sifting. f). And this trial is for the same purpose as Satan’s sifting on the night of the Lord’s betrayal, to overthrow those who would have faith to the saving of the soul, those who would believe the gospel of the glory of Christ. And whatever dealings we might suppose that ‘Satan’ would want to have with us can only be with the same purpose in view. To overthrow our faith to the saving of the soul, to overthrow what we have come to believe of the gospel of the glory of Christ so that we will go after that which we see with the natural eye rather than the eyes of faith. Focusing on the world in the present rather than the Kingdom in the future – Heb 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14 For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. 15 And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them. 3). The word translated ‘keep’ in Jesus’ prayer recorded in John’s Gospel has to do with being guarded from loss. The loss of our soul/life through our faith being overthrown. And this we must see in conjunction with what Peter wrote in the verses we began with this morning concerning those, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. The word translated ‘kept’ in 1 Peter, although not the same word as in John, also has to do with guarding, in this case, guarding and protecting as by a military garrison, God’s power. a). Jesus prayed for His disciples, and us, that the Father would keep us from the evil one, that we should not be overthrown. He has taught us how we should pray, in Matthew Chapter 6, so that we may be delivered from the evil one and not be overthrown. And through Peter, in his first letter, the Lord has told us that the Father will keep us from the evil one, keep us from being overthrown by him, through the Lord’s Divine power in response to our faith. The very thing we saw again in Peter’s second letter and exactly what He said to the church in Philadelphia. And all of this has one focus, the salvation of our soul, which is the goal of our faith. b). The Lord’s protection for us and the deliverance He provides is always in response to our faith to the saving of the soul, not because we are a Christian, nor just because we have heard the Word of the Kingdom. And the protection and deliverance He provides is so that our faith will not be overthrown, that we should be found worthy at the Judgment Seat. And we should not attempt to take it beyond the spiritual realm into the physical realm. c). Our faith is the key to being brought safely through this present time of spiritual darkness. It is our faith that will stand against all the wiles of the devil and our faith that will be rewarded at the Lord’s Judgment Seat. d). And this is something that the Apostle John, also sifted by Satan on the night of the Lord’s betrayal, wrote about in his first letter 1 Jn 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. 4 For whatever is born of God [brought forth from above, the gospel of the glory of Christ which we believe, have faith] overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes [has faith] that Jesus is the Son of God? And with respect to what the Lord said through John in v5, let’s once again visit Peter’s revelation at Caesarea Philippi – Mt 16:16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And what did the Lord say in response to this? – Mt 16:18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades [And the councils of the unseen world shall not overpower it] shall not prevail against it. This then is the time when we are to observe with the natural eye but believe through the eyes of faith. A time when we will realize that all that we see with the natural eye is passing away – 1 Jn 2:15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. But that which we see with the eyes of faith will remain – Mt 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. That which the Lord has said will come to pass, and it really doesn’t matter if anyone believes it or not, it will come to pass anyway. Peter was brought face to face with the reality of this on the night of the Lord’s betrayal. And this is a reality that we must embrace as well. The questions, ‘What if?’ or ‘Couldn’t it be?’, must give place to, ‘What does the Scripture say? And whatever the Scripture says, it is that which we are to believe, and that’s where we are to leave it. e). The time will soon be upon us when that which we have seen only through the eyes of faith will become the things we shall see with the natural eye – Job 19:25 For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; 26 And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God, 27 Whom I shall see for myself, And my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! 4). The Lord also said to Peter and the other disciples on the night of His betrayal, And as for you, when you have returned to your original position with respect to your faith, stabilize your brethren. How encouraging is that word ‘when’. He did not say ‘if’ you return, implying that it may or may not happen but ‘when’, giving an absolute certainty that they would. And where does that certainty come from? It comes from the fact that He had prayed that their faith would not fail them. a). Satan had asked for and was given permission to sift the disciples because their actions and their words that night came entirely from their own resources. They had rejected through their denial of what Jesus had said, not only what Jesus had spoken to them but also what He had confirmed to them that was already written in the OT Scriptures - Mt 26:31 Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: ‘I will strike the Shepherd, And the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ 32 But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.” And in doing this they had unintentionally aligned themselves with their adversary. This is simply the fact of the matter. But this alignment of itself was not terminal – Lk 22:61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” 62 So Peter went out and wept bitterly. The Lord had not said to Peter that he would lose the salvation of his soul that night. He did not tell him that the promises that the Lord had given him would become null and void. He simply told Peter that Peter would deny Him three times before the rooster crowed. And that’s exactly what happened. b). We have in previous weeks seen Esau weeping bitterly in a similar fashion to that which we see with Peter, but the two events are completely different. Esau’s weeping was over a terminal loss. The rights of the firstborn had been lost through his actions and could never be recovered, and Esau was looking for repentance from his father Isaac. This was not what was happening with Peter. This was a moment in his life when all could have been lost, but instead he recognized the reality of the unchangeable Word of God. And a change of mind that night belonged to Peter. He would come to understand that the Christ had to suffer these things and then enter into His glory. A process of understanding that began on the day of the Lord’s resurrection – Lk 24:44 Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” 45 And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. 46 Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And you are witnesses of these things. 49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.” The beginning of a process and an empowerment by the ‘Promise of My Father’, that would first be witnessed when the Day of Pentecost had fully come – Acts 2:14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. 15 For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel……. And would result in two Books within the cannon of Scripture. A long way from the darkness of that courtyard. We will continue next time if we remain and the Lord is willing, and we have prayed.
