2017-09-03 Luke 22: 54-62 Growing Up the Hard Way (1)- The Way Down

GROWING UP THE HARD WAY (1): THE WAY DOWN (Luke 22:54-62) September 3, 2017 Read Lu 22:54-62 – Question: How do we go from babes in Christ to mature adults? How do we grow up in Christ? Answer: Obey! How would Adam and Eve been confirmed in righteousness? By obeying. It’s an everyday challenge that sometimes reaches a crisis point that will pull the rug out from under us. Like Peter. His failure to obey nearly devastated him. But he found restoration and renewed fellowship with Jesus – all part of growing up the hard way. Obedience is difficult bc it often defies human reason. Stonewall Jackson once needed to get from A to B over unfamiliar ground. He had a man named Boswell who knew the area. Soon his men were marching in cornfields, over cow paths and thru backyards. Only Boswell and Jackson knew where they were going. One wrote, “It looked like madness to march away from our supplies and support, but we learned to obey and to blindly follow.” Peter hadn’t learned that. He’s a believer, but watching Jesus go to His death defied human logic for setting up a kingdom. So Peter followed his logic -- showing us the way down, but also the way up to learning the hard way. I. The Way Down -- How could Peter go from boasting he’d follow Jesus to death to denying Him 3 times in one night? How did that happen? A. Peter Boasted Too Much -- Lu 22:33, “Peter said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.” Peter’s committed. His problem wasn’t lack of commitment. His problem was he didn’t know himself. He thought he had power to honor his commitment; he didn’t realize the weakness within. And so he boasted too much. Before he’d honor his commitment he had to learn humility, and surrender. Commitment to Christ involves death to self. It can’t be Christ and self at the same time. Peter was doing Jesus’ work in Peter’s way. That’s a bad combo whether dealing with a difficult person, performing at work, witnessing to a neighbor, creating food for fellowship or teaching a Bible study. It all requires God’s work done in God’s strength. The moment we think we got it covered; that’s the moment we’re in for failure. In his early days in China, Hudson Taylor was working night and day to succeed. Near a breakdown, he got a letter from fellow missionary, John McCarthy who told how his study of John 15 about being a branch abiding in 1 the vine changed his life: “Abiding, not striving or struggling; looking off unto Jesus; trusting Him for present power … this is not new, and yet ’tis new to me.… Christ [is] the only power for service; the only ground for unchanging joy.” It changed Taylor’s life, too. He wrote his sister, “As to work, mine was never so plentiful, so responsible, or so difficult; but the weight and strain are all gone. The last month has been perhaps the happiest of my life. A letter from dear McCarthy removed the scales from my eyes, and the Spirit of God revealed the truth of our oneness with Jesus as I had never known it before.” Forever after, Taylor realized it wasn’t what he could do, but what Christ could do thru him. His effort; Christ’s strength; God’s results. No boasting; just trusting. B. Peter Prayed Too Little – Prayer – the only way to unleash God’s power, right? The only way. At least twice in Gethsemane Jesus implored the disciples, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation” (Lu 22:40, 46). Peter did not. His painful failure can be traced directly to lack of prayer, while Jesus’ success, absorbing the most inhumane treatment ever experienced by a human being, can be traced to His persistence in prayer. So, Peter failed this tough test because he did not see it coming and did not pray. But how’s that apply to us? We’re not in the enemy’s courtyard fearing for our life. But who among us has not denied our Lord in ways big and little –for fear of being thought odd or different or stupid? I’m at the front of that line. Perhaps you have to join me there. Without prayer, we’ll fail like Peter. So how is your prayer life? Growing, I hope? When we pray too little, we fail too much. We may not apostles, but we have the same commission -- make disciples. It doesn’t matter whether we are an executive, a farmer, a banker, a laborer, a housewife, an accountant, a painter, a teacher or out of work, we’re on this planet for one reason – to share the love of Jesus every way we can. And we will fail – even to the point of denying Him – unless we follow Jesus’ instruction: “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” How do we make our everyday existence eternally significant? Moses knew. Psalm 90:17, “Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish [literally, make permanent] the work of our hands upon us; yes, [make permanent] the work of our hands!” Things done in our own power can never have eternal significance; things done by the power of the HS can never fail to have eternal significance. R. A. Torrey wrote in The Power of Prayer, “The great cry of our day is work, work, work, work, organize, organize, organize, give us some new society, tell us some new method, devise some new 2 machinery; but the great need of our day is prayer, more prayer, and better prayer.” The way to failure is littered with too little prayer. Let’s pray more. C. Peter Acted Too Fast – He took out his little sword and cut off Malchus’ ear (probably aiming at his head). Fast and rash! Good intentions, but good intentions are not enough. We need God’s guidance and God’s timing and that takes prayer. Prayer slows us down. Without it we get ahead of God – wrong timing, wrong motives, wrong methods, and wrong enemy. Paul reminds Eph 6:12, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” Peter was trying to kill a flesh and blood enemy. Jesus was about to die and be resurrected to kill the real enemy – the devil. Peter’s intentions were great, but he had the wrong enemy, the wrong weapon and the wrong timing. The New England preacher Philips Brooks was known for his poise. But a friend found him peevishly pacing the floor one day. “What is the trouble, Dr. Brooks?” Brooks replied, “The trouble is, that I’m in a hurry – but God isn’t.” Good insight. That’s why every decision – every reaction – must go to God first. And we can almost be sure if our reaction involves a personal attack, we’ve probably got the wrong enemy. James 1:19 gives great advice: “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.” And always pray – before any action! D. Peter Disobeyed Too Willfully – John expands on Luke’s account. Jn 18:12 So the band of soldiers and their captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound him. 13 First they led him to Annas, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. 14 It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews that it would be expedient that one man should die for the people. 15 Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple (Jn). Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he entered with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, 16 but Peter stood outside at the door. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the servant girl who kept watch at the door, and brought Peter in.” Lu simply notes that Peter “was following at a distance” (54b). Many sermons have rightfully been preached on the dangers of following Jesus from afar. But the bigger issue here is Peter was not intended to be following at all at this point. Jesus told them in Mt 26:31: “You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the 3 flock will be scattered.’ Scatter, not follow! Jn 18:7-8 tells us at the time of His arrest, “7 So he asked them again, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” 8 Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go.” Implied instruction – disperse! But a combination of regret at his failure, curiosity and love for Jesus compelled Peter to follow. So he ended up where he had no business being. He chose His way over Jesus’ way – willfully disobedient. Too much boasting, too little prayer, too fast to act and disobedience have put Peter in harm’s way. And he’s not ready. I wish I could get this principle into my heart and yours! We cannot disobey God and expect good results, Beloved. He is always right and we are always wrong. But like Peter, we rationalize. It can’t be wrong if it feels so right. Peter could have written that song. And most of us sing it daily. It’s a lie! Frances Chen tells of his wife praying for lunch at a family reunion. After she finished, a little 3-year-old child of a cousin said, “You did that wrong.” Everyone laughed, but the toddler persisted: “You didn’t do that right.” Chen’s wife finally asked, “Well, what did I do wrong?” The little girl couldn’t say but insisted, “It was wrong. It was just wrong.” Pretty silly for a 3-year-old telling an adult they didn’t pray right, isn’t it. Yet every act of disobedience is nothing more than the created telling the Creator: “You didn’t get that right.” That’s what we’re saying every time we disobey God’s law: “You didn’t get that right. I know how to do it better. When you said ‘Vengeance is mine,’ (Rom 12:19), you surely didn’t have in mind that backstabbing friend of mine. When you said in Phil 2:3, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves,” you obviously didn’t have in mind the people I have to deal with. When you said, ‘Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you’ (Mt 5:44), you couldn’t have known how evil my enemies would be. When you said, ‘abstain from sexual immorality’ (I Thess 4:3), surely you only meant if there is no love involved. When you said, ‘Go therefore and make disciples of all nations’ (Mt 28:19), You must have had pastors in mind. You didn’t get it quite right for the 21st century. But I’m happy to help straighten it all out.” Sounds good, doesn’t it? But it’s the same slippery slide Peter was on. All our turmoil can be directly traced to acts and attitudes of disobedience. The chaos in our lives starts right there. Disobedience. E. Peter Compromised Too Easily 4 Look what happens when you are where you are not supposed to be. 55 And when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them.” It’s a cold night altho Jesus sweat drops of blood earlier. So where is Peter? Warming himself among Jesus’ enemies – sitting down among them. Reminds us of the warning in Psalm 1:1: “1) Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers.” There’s Peter sitting in the seat of scoffers. Compromise comes easy when you’re where you shouldn’t be. And they’ll either become like you – or you’ll become like them. For Peter it’s the latter. Three blatant denials. Why? To fit in. To be accepted. To not give offense. To not be thought different. Luke’s account is brief. After the first denial, Peter made an attempt to leave. But at least 3 people caught him at the gate and challenged him. This time, Mt 26:72: “And again he denied it with an oath: “I do not know the man.” A Jewish oath meant Peter called on God to strike him down if he were lying. Eventually he’s challenged again for his accent. Mt 26:74: “ Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know the man.” He’s reverted to the language of the street to fit in. They haven’t become like him; he’s become like them. Compromise comes easy when you are where you are not supposed to be. That’s why Paul warns in II Tim 2:22) So flee youthful passions.” Joseph did. He’s sold into slavery by his brothers at 17. Amazingly, he keeps a positive attitude of trust in God. His master soon puts him in charge of his whole household. But Gen 39:6b: “Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance.” Good looks can be a curse as well a blessing. 7 And after a time his master’s wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, “Lie with me.” 8 But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, because of me my master has no concern about anything in the house, and he has put everything that he has in my charge. 9 He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” [This woman is no doubt beautiful. She’s wife of the head of the Secret Service in Egypt. Joseph’s young with raging hormones and little expectation of meeting girls anytime soon] 10 And as she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not listen to her, to lie beside her or to be with her. 11 But one day, when he went into the house to do his work and none of the men of the house was there in the house, 12 she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand and fled and got out of the house.” Joseph did everything he could to avoid her presence. When she finally caught up to him, he fled. He didn’t have II Tim 2:22, but he knew what to do. God eventually rewarded that behavior. 5 David did the opposite. While his soldiers went off to war, he luxuriated in the palace. He was where he didn’t belong, saw what he should not have seen, and took what he shouldn’t have had. He paid a heavy, heavy price. Compromise never works. It’s time to get out of those places we don’t belong. Private lunches with friends of the opposite sex, barroom conversations, gossip sessions, drunken parties, dirty-story sessions, suggestive movies – anything that puts you in the way of temptation. Get out! You don’t belong there. They’ll become more like you or you’ll become more like them. Most likely the latter as happened with Peter. The road to compromise is a slippery slope. Conc – So, if you find yourself on that slope, is it over for you? Not even close. David was forgiven; Peter is forgiven. God uses even our sin to grow us. But this is growing up the hard way. Better to just obey at the start. Ask God where you’re in danger, confess your sin, turn around now before the price gets very high. Be centered on Him, or soon you will be denying Him. Matt Chandler understands the slippery slope when he says: “I can’t trust myself to follow sports too closely. Isn’t that crazy? I can’t follow sports too closely, because I will start to care. And, really, how dumb is it to be emotionally affected by how a 21-year-old handles a ball? How dumb is it to have your day ruined because a group of twentysomethings fails you in a game? I can’t watch too much television. I’m not an anti-TV guy, and I’m sure there are some great things on television, but if I watch too much of it, here’s what happens to me: I’ll unplug from holy things. Before I know it, I’m giggling at things the Lord calls wicked. So I can’t watch too much.” As the Lord this morning – where am I getting too close to the enemy? Pull me back in. Help me obey rather than learn the hard way. Let’s pray. 6