Following From A Distance Series

Luke 22:39-62 (NLT)

39 Then, accompanied by the disciples, Jesus left the upstairs room and went as usual to the Mount of Olives. 40 There he told them, “Pray that you will not give in to temptation.” 41 He walked away, about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, 42 “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” 43 Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him. 44 He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood. 45 At last he stood up again and returned to the disciples, only to find them asleep, exhausted from grief. 46 “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation.” 47 But even as Jesus said this, a crowd approached, led by Judas, one of his twelve disciples. Judas walked over to Jesus to greet him with a kiss. 48 But Jesus said, “Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?” 49 When the other disciples saw what was about to happen, they exclaimed, “Lord, should we fight? We brought the swords!” 50 And one of them struck at the high priest’s slave, slashing off his right ear. 51 But Jesus said, “No more of this.” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him. 52 Then Jesus spoke to the leading priests, the captains of the Temple guard, and the elders who had come for him. “Am I some dangerous revolutionary,” he asked, “that you come with swords and clubs to arrest me? 53 Why didn’t you arrest me in the Temple? I was there every day. But this is your moment, the time when the power of darkness reigns.” 54 So they arrested him and led him to the high priest’s home. And Peter followed at a distance. 55 The guards lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat around it, and Peter joined them there. 56 A servant girl noticed him in the firelight and began staring at him. Finally she said, “This man was one of Jesus’ followers!” 57 But Peter denied it. “Woman,” he said, “I don’t even know him!” 58 After a while someone else looked at him and said, “You must be one of them!” “No, man, I’m not!” Peter retorted. 59 About an hour later someone else insisted, “This must be one of them, because he is a Galilean, too.” 60 But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 At that moment the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered that the Lord had said, “Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.” 62 And Peter left the courtyard, weeping bitterly.

INTRO

The 21st Century Christian has learned how to follow Jesus at a COMFORTABLE DISTANCE and still label himself as His disciple.

We see this in the entertainment world, the sports world, in government, etc.

I fear for a culture that claims Jesus is Savior but barely makes Him Lord!

This is an epidemic in today’s church

When you look at the Word of God, it shows us a complete different mentality…

1 Timothy 6:11 (NLT)

But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.

Isaiah 26:9 (NLT)

All night long I search for you; in the morning I earnestly seek for God…

Psalm 73:25 (NIV2011)

Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

Any distance we have away from God tends to start in our hearts way before it gets to our feet.

Let’s look at three important truths in this story…

I. AREAS (vs 45-60)

1) PRAYER (45-46)

45 At last he stood up again and returned to the disciples, only to find them asleep, exhausted from grief.

46 “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation.”

When we become inconsistent, in our prayer lives, we tend to see a distance in our relationship with Jesus

One way to close the gap is through prayer.

2) PATIENCE (49-50)

49 When the other disciples saw what was about to happen, they exclaimed, “Lord, should we fight? We

brought the swords!”

50 And one of them struck at the high priest’s slave, slashing off his right ear.

Did you notice what Peter did? He did not wait for an answer from Jesus and acted anyway.