Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction: Did you ever play hide and seek as a child?

After the countdown the person would say, “Ready or not, here I come.”

I remember one particularly intense game as a child.

We lived in the country and underneath our deck we had a dog house.

I was very skinny, very short and somewhat flexible in those days.

I remember crawling inside that dog house convinced I would never be found.

When you play Hide and Seek you know know someone is coming to look for you.

They give you warning and you know if your hiding spot isn’t good enough you will eventually be found.

Sermon Introduction: Jesus wanted to prepare his disciples for what He knew was coming against them.

He knew they were going to face trouble and temptation and he wanted them to be ready.

He wanted them to know, “Ready or Not, Here it Comes.”

Notice Luke 22:31-34

Here Comes Targeting

Explanation (vv.

31, 33-34)

Here Comes Targeting (vv.

31, 33-34)

Jesus has now finished the Last Supper with His disciples and He is continuing to try to prepare them for what is to come.

In this passage of Scripture before us He singles out Peter and makes Peter aware of the fact that the enemy has targeted him in particular for a full fledged attack.

It is Satan’s desire to “sift him as wheat.”

It is important to note that Satan isn’t just targeting Peter.

The “you” in verse 31 is plural, so it’s probably a reference to all of the disciples.

However, Peter is going to be the key to their restoration after failure (Teach the Text).

The idea of “sifting like wheat” is a metaphor that points to intense testing.

It is very similar to what we find in the OT Book of

Peter and the disciples are being targeted by Satan himself, and he is going to shake them and rock them to their core!

Jesus is seeking to prepare them for this event.

Peter chimes in and says in verse 33, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.”

I believe, in Peter’s spirit, he really meant this.

I believe he had every intention of doing whatever it took to follow Jesus anywhere and everywhere this night may lead.

But as we will find out later, “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is so very weak!”

Jesus then reveals a shocking prophecy in verse 34: “Peter, before the rooster crows the next morning you will deny three times that you even know me.”

How could this be?

How could Peter, the one who left his family’s fishing business, the one who was privileged to go to the Mount of Transfiguration, the one who was in Jesus’ inner circle . . .

how could he of all people deny that he even knows Jesus?

It is because he was being set up and targeted by the enemy.

Peter had gained some self-confidence and maybe had become a little prideful.

The enemy was developing a plan and a scheme, not only to try to take out the Son of God, but to take out His followers as well.

I hope that YOU know YOU are not exempt from the enemy’s schemes.

Illustration

reminds us:

A few years ago I heard the story about a very tiny Christian school basketball team from Arkansas that went to a national tournament.

They had won their state tournament against overwhelming odds and no one expected them to even get past the first round of the national tournament.

When they arrived their head coach began to scout the competition.

He would very intently and very closely watch the other games and look for weaknesses among the other teams.

There was one team at the tournament that stood head and shoulders above everyone else.

Everyone expected them to win it all.

This tiny team from Arkansas didn’t have a chance . . .

or did they?

It was a David vs. Goliath scenario.

The team from Arkansas began to win games, against all odds and they made it, believe it or not to the championship game.

They had to play the favorite, they had to play “Goliath” and no one gave them any chance.

However, the coach who had been scouting this team noticed a weakness.

Their star play had quite a temper.

The coach of the small team from Arkansas knew that if they could get into this players head, and get him kicked out of the game they would have a chance to win.

The coach decided to put his best defender on their star play and face guard him and deny him the ball the entire game.

The strategy worked, the star player got frustrated and lost his temper and was benched by his coach.

The little school from Arkansas went on to win the tournament.

Application

You do realize there is more at stake here than just a basketball game?

The “other team” has a coach and assistants that have been watching you from day one.

They have been studying you and examining you and they know your strengths and they know your weaknesses.

They know they things that they can pull out of their bag of tricks and out of their arsenal to keep you sidelined, to keep you from fulfilling your potential, to encourage you to bring shame and disgrace upon the name of Christ.

You, dear friend, are being targeted and set up by the enemy.

You and I must take very seriously Paul’s command in 1 Peter to be “sober-minded” and to “be watchful.”

The idea of being “sober-minded” is the idea of being “self-controlled” or the idea of “sobering up” to reality.

We can’t live in “La-La” land and not take seriously the fact that we are in an all out spiritual war for not only our future, but the future of our loved ones and children!

He also commands us to “be watchful.”

Again the idea is to “be alert, to be awake.”

If you knew a rapist was on the loose in your neighborhood it’s very unlikely you would set out milk and cookies and leave your door unlocked.

You would deadbolt the door, you would protect your family, you would take measures to ensure everyone’s safety.

But I’m afraid when it comes to the ENEMY of our soul, instead of protecting our mind, where most battles are won and lost, we engage in things and watch things and listen to things that are swinging the door wide open to the enemy’s crafty schemes to destroy and damage us.

Here Comes Trouble

Explanation (vv.

35-38, 47-53)

Verses 35-38 have been somewhat confusing for commentators and those who have studied this Scripture.

Suffice it to say Jesus is trying to get the disciples to understand things are about to change.

Previously when He sent them out He would tell them not to take a sword and not to take provisions, but now they are going to need both.

Some do not believe He is speaking of a literal sword because when they show Him they have two swords He says, “It is enough” . . .

not in the sense of, “yes that’s enough swords” but in the sense of “enough of that.”

Regardless, of one’s interpretation of exactly what Jesus meant, one thing is certain: THERE ARE SOME CHANGES THAT ARE GETTING READY TO TAKE PLACE AND TROUBLE IS ON THE HORIZON.

Verse 47 gives us the first signs of this trouble when Judas shows up at the Garden and gives Jesus the kiss of betrayal.

As they proceed to arrest Jesus, Peter takes one of the swords that had been revealed earlier in the chapter and cuts off the ear of the servant of the High Priest (v.

51) . . .

I’ve got a feeling he wasn’t aiming for his ear.

Jesus rebukes Peter, heals the mans ear and reveals that the hour of darkness has come.

Although they could have tried to publically arrest Him, they chose to wait until the middle of the night in seclusion.

What they do not know is this is all a part of God’s plan.

The “prince of darkness” has indwelt Judas and has inspired these empty religious leaders to come against the King of kings and Lord of Lords.

Illustration

This trouble should not have taken the disciples by surprise, although it did.

Jesus had warned them time and time again that He was going to be arrested, tried, put to death and rise again.

Maybe they thought He was speaking in parables, maybe they just couldn’t conceive of this taking place.

Irregardless, as we will see they were not prepared for the trouble that was to come.

Application

We are like the disciples in a lot of ways.

God’s Word warns us over and over again that trouble lies ahead for each one of us too.

Job reminds us in

Trouble is going to come into this broken, messed up world in which we live.

It is inevitable.

The real question is, “How are we going to respond?” Are we going to throw up our hands in despair, are we going to run, are we going to lash out or will we, like Job, fall to our knees and worship our Creator God who has promised to set all things right one day?

Here Comes Temptation

Explanation (vv.

39-46, 54-62)

As they arrive in the Mount of Olives, Jesus gives one last instruction to His disciples before He finds a place to pray.