Getting Roughed Up Spiritually!

(1) You men who have played football you know what it means to get roughed up!

(2) You ever been in a bad car wreck you know what it like getting roughed up!

(3) You who have fallen down a stair case you know what it like being roughed up!

We all who know what it is like being roughed up!

But today I want to share with you some things in this sermon about being roughed up by the devil spiritually.

This passage of scripture in Luke has to do with the “sifting” of the saints.

Before we can fully appreciate what this passage is teaching, we have to know something about sifting.

Illus: Some of the older women in this congregation can remember when years ago they had a “sifter” in their kitchen. This was something they could hold with one hand, and use the other hand to turn a handle that rotated on a wire mesh wheel inside the sifter roughing up the flour in the basket. It removed impurities and chunks of dough. Once it was there, they would turn the wheel and it would grind the flour and sift the flour through the small mesh wire at the bottom of the sifter. They then would take the fine sifted flour and use it to bake biscuits for their family.

The purpose of the sifting was to remove anything in the flour that should not be there.

Notice, in our text the Lord told Peter that Satan desired to sift him as wheat.

Perhaps in today’s language we would say, “Satan desires to rough you up!”

Let’s look at this passage that talks about Christians being sifted. (Roughed-up)

As we begin, notice that Satan does the sifting.

Let’s look at Satan’s desires –

I. SATAN’S INTENT

Look, at verse 31, we read, “And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath DESIRED TO HAVE YOU, that he may sift you as wheat.”

We need to look at THREE words in this verse of scripture to fully appreciate what the Lord is saying.

1. LOOK AT THE WORD “YOU”

The word “you” in the Greek is plural.

That is, Satan not only wanted to sift Simon Peter, but he wants to sift every child of God.

I can assure you that if you are a child of God, the Bible teaches that Satan desires to give you a good “shaking!”

In a few minutes I will tell you why he wants to sift every one of us…EVERYONE!!!

Let’s look at another word…

(2) LOOK AT THE WORD “DESIRED”

This is the Greek word DESIRED which means TO ASK FOR PERMISSION.

That is, Satan is asking God for permission to sift Peter as a farmer would sift wheat.

Some do not know this, but Satan can only do what God allows him to do.

Illus: Remember before Job could be “sifted,” the Book of Job reveals that Satan appeared before God asking permission to “sift” him.

Listen, God almighty is the supreme ruler of this universe. And He makes the final decision on EVERYTHING! I MEAN EVERYTHING!!!

Illus: When I was a child in Sunday school my teacher fail to teach me that God and satan is not equal in power. Satan is no match for God almighty and he can not do a thing without God allowing him to do it.

Anything that takes place in this universe is because God:

• ALLOWED IT

• CAUSED IT

We have looked at the word “You,” and the word “Desired,” but let’s look at the third word-

(3) LOOK AT THE WORD “SIFT” The Lord told Peter that Satan desired to “sift” him as wheat.

In order for us to understand what the Lord is talking about in this verse of scripture, we have to know something about the sifting of wheat during this time.

Illus: In Peter’s time, the farmers would often build their barns on the top of mountains so they could take advantage of the up-draft winds.

They would take their wheat into their hands and toss it up into the air. The blowing wind would blow away the unwanted chaff on the wheat, and only the wheat kernels (which were heavier) would remain.

I told you a few minutes ago I would tell you WHY GOD ALLOW US TO BE SIFTED?

There are several reasons:

(1)Because there are things in our lives that God is not pleased with. God allows us to be “sifted” so only the good will remain.

Every time we are sifted, God allows it for our good.

Roman 8:28 we read, And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Illus: Remember when Joseph had to go through that difficult time in the Old Testament with his brothers in Genesis 37. They actually took the clothes off his back and threw him into a pit. It cannot get any worse than that!!!