Following God From A Distance

Following God From A Distance

Luke 22:54-62

{Watch on YouTube at https://youtu.be/xMHmAwWvRDk }

{Listen to the message at https://mega.nz/file/2EFwQCbK#UbaiJ3nvR3rxj1LK7-cYF5eNvjVmEEK2csDTJC77oUw}

Today, I’d like to kind of pick up where we left off last week in our message, “Going Further In,” as we looked at Jesus’s desire for us to go further in with Him from the Garden of Gethsemane story and the benefits when we do.

In that message we looked at two types of Christians, those who sit on the sidelines, and those who do go further in, but not all the way. From today’s story, I’d like to look at a third type of Christian, one who follows, but at a distance.

After Jesus arrest in the Garden, while everyone ran, we see Peter following after Jesus, but He wasn’t following close, instead He followed at a distance.

When we look at the life of the Apostle Peter, we see one massive roller coaster of a ride. During his time with Jesus he was up and down so many times it makes our heads spin.

• In one instance he’s walking on water; and next he’s sinking beneath the waves.

• At one point he boldly confesses Jesus as the Christ, the son of the Living God, and then shortly thereafter he tries to rebuke Jesus.

• Peter also boldly says he’ll go to prison and even die for Jesus, but then we see him following at a distance, staying out of sight and denying that he even knew Him.

It’s this last incident that I would like for us to look at in our time together.

As the Jewish guard approached Jesus to arrest Him, Peter courageously pulls out a sword and cuts off the ear of one of the high priest’s servants, but then ran for his life with the rest of the disciples, but he didn’t run far, instead turned around and began to follow, but he followed behind at a safe distance.

“Having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest's house. But Peter followed at a distance.” (Luke 22:54 NKJV)

And so the question becomes, “Why Did Peter Keep His Distance?”

Let me share with you a couple of reasons that I see.

1. Peter Had a Problem with Discernment

“Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them.” (Luke 22:55 NKJV)

It’s not that Peter didn’t want to be close to Jesus, he just didn’t want to be close enough to be connected. Peter showed a real lack of discernment, because he ends up smack dab in the enemy’s camp. He went into the courtyard of the high priest, the very person who had Jesus arrested.

As I see it, Peter wants to maintain some contact with Jesus, but not close enough to do any good.

Many who want to be a Christian don’t want to identify themselves with Christ in their everyday lives. They want to have some contact, so they come to church occasionally, but continue to live their lives on their own terms.

But while Peter warms himself at their fire he ends up getting burned in the process. We can’t warm ourselves at the world’s fire without our consciences becoming burned as well.

When we follow Jesus from a distance we’ll begin to lose contact and closeness with Him, and soon we’ll find ourselves not only in the enemy’s camp, but we’ve set up our tent as well.

2. Peter Had a Problem with Denial

Jesus even told Peter of this upcoming problem.

“I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me.” (Luke 22:34 NKJV)

And this is exactly what we see in Luke’s account.

“And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, ‘This man was also with Him.’ But he denied Him (Jesus), saying, ‘Woman, I do not know Him.’ And after a little while another saw him and said, ‘You also are of them.’ But Peter said, ‘Man, I am not!’ Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, ‘Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean.’ But Peter said, ‘Man, I do not know what you are saying!’ Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.” (Luke 22:56-60 NKJV)

Earlier Peter had the revelation that Jesus was indeed the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of the Living God. What a profession of faith. But after following Jesus at a distance and warming himself at the enemy’s fire, Peter completely denies knowing Jesus.

But this happens on a daily basis with most of us. We make the same declaration when we come to faith in Jesus. We make the declaration that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, but then by our actions and words we deny Jesus a little bit more every day.