SIFTED!
LUKE 22:31 32
One day a man went to a fortune teller who studied the man's hand very carefully and finally said, "You will be poor and unhappy until you are 37 years old." The man said, "Well, after that will I be rich and happy?" The fortune teller said, "No, you'll still be poor, but by then you'll be used to it."
Lately I have heard the question "Why is this happening" repeated over and over again by several different people, regarding several different circumstances. And it's a legitimate question that deserves an honest, biblical look. I'd like you to turn with me to Luke 22:31 32...and I want to look at this question from the perspective of Peter. (READ v.31 32)
This passage gives us one of the most profound peeks into just what is going on behind the scenes of situations similar to what some of you may be experiencing. We'll also be looking at the book of Job, which goes hand in hand with this particular subject.
Testing...competition...grading are all integral parts of life. In fact there are very few areas of our lives that are without these elements. And for the most part I agree with the testing process...I don't necessarily like it at times, but I believe it is a necessary thing.
What we are deep inside must be known...and what we are deep inside must be tested for its relevance and effectiveness. Let's face it...no one can escape the sifting process. In school we're graded...at work we're evaluated...as individuals we're scrutinized to determine our viability as a friend or mate or whatever.
Regardless of how private a person we may be...we are open to, and involved in, this lifelong process of public evaluation. And it doesn't change by becoming a Christian. The Christian experience was never meant to be a sheltered, isolated way of life.
In fact, the Christian experience is public...from confession to interment....from the moment we become born again till the day we die. And anything public is open for examination and evaluation.
Now, Peter and Job have a lot in common....because both were exposed to the complete treatment. They were held up to the view of both the physical world and the spiritual world. And they both survived the worst that hell could throw at them. And that is a great encouragement to me.
The first point we need to make here is that every believer is subject to Satan's attacks. And this is so important to understand. There is no heritage...no denomination...no environment...no community...no marriage...and no grace that gives any one of us immunity.
There's just as much hell in Pennsylvania and there is in California, New York, Moscow or Havana. Your children will face the stark reality of life whether they attend a public school or a private one. Your marriage will be tested in the church as well as in your home or in the workplace. Even your choice of habits will be challenged. Opposition is the name of the game!
Luke 22:31 says that Satan has asked to sift you. The Greek literally says, "Satan has secured you by asking." The fact of the matter is that hell places you on its schedule...it asks for you as an opponent. This is clearly brought out in Job. Read Job 1:7, 8, 12
Satan asked for the privilege of putting Job under examination...an examination that hell itself would set. This fact explains a lot of what goes on. And Satan asks specifically for those who have influence over the lives of others...and especially those destined to become spiritual leaders of God's people.
Peter was a man marked for leadership. We can see this throughout the gospels. He was the General Patton of the New Testament. But as gifted as he was as a leader...he was impetuous...very bold...and also inclined to ignore counsel.
But once he was guided safely through the sifting process...he shines like one of the brightest stars of heaven. But you must see that he needed to be combat tested. He needed to come under fire. There's a big difference between a rookie and a veteran.
Last year the Pittsburgh Steelers went to the Super Bowl. They made it there because they had been able to reach a level of performance that outlasted or overcame their opponents throughout the regular season and then through the playoffs.
But on Super Bowl Sunday...it was obvious that they were rookies when it came to the pressure of the big game. They looked pretty rough...nervous...unsure especially in the early going. And one of the things I've heard time and again this year is the thought that "now we've been there, and experienced it...we'll be better prepared the next time" (if there is one anytime soon).
They were veterans at one level...but rookies when it came to the pressures and demands of reaching that highest level of excellence. I saw the same thing in the Persian Gulf. Soldiers and sailors who knew their jobs well found that once you find yourself in a combat zone there's much more at stake and that a higher level of preparedness was needed...mostly mentally and emotionally.
Peter came through the sifting process, and his credits are quite impressive. He becomes the preacher of not just one Pentecost...but three of them. One for the Jews, and also one for the Gentiles and then for the Samaritans. The early events of the Church found in the first chapters of the Book of Acts revolve around Peter....
...Two epistles or letters bear his name, and he is the main source of material for the gospel of Mark. We see in Peter the reward of a life that has been tested. No wonder the devil asked for him. And from this we can determine one thing. "Usually the life that is seldom tested is the life of relatively little value or potential in the kingdom of God.
Some people are saved but will be content to get to heaven by the skin of their teeth...and their lives are an obvious reflection of their complete lack of commitment...or their desire to do only what is absolutely necessary for them to get by.
But there are others who sincerely desire to live for the Lord. They may not believe they have much to offer...and may not actually have the natural talents and abilities of others in the church...but their heart's desire is to do what they can for the Lord. These are the ones with the potential to be a leader of God's people.
And being a leader of God's people doesn't necessarily mean being a pastor or teacher with a visible position. Some of the greatest spiritual leaders of this nation were moms and dads, grandparents who were true to God and who were living examples of the grace and mercy and power of God.
And these are the ones who Satan desires to sift...These are the ones Satan wants to test...these are the ones that can make the most difference for the gospel and he wants to cause them to give up in defeat.
Peter went through this sifting...and we remember that Peter didn't handle the sifting process very well...because he denied Christ three times. But in spite of that Christ was with him in a very special way.
His offense was so great...so unjustifiable...so flagrant that to all but Jesus he was a miserable failure. This leader turned his back on the one he served...and no respectable headquarters would give him another command. He should have been, by our measurements, court martialed, broken, and drummed out of the service.
But still the Lord was with him. Heaven and hell both saw great qualities and they both battled for this man's faith...for this man's soul. And this you can be assured of this... Heaven is never idle...and the Lord will never lose you by default.
In the midst of Peter's denials of Christ and his bitter, obscene, waterfront language must have fallen on the ears and heart of Jesus like shrapnel Luke tells us that Jesus turned and looked straight at Peter. What kind of look was it?
I'm not sure. But one thing I do know. I know the words Jesus spoke to Peter just a few hours earlier. He said "I've prayed for you Peter, that your faith may not fail." And then He said to him (v. 32) "And when you have turned back strengthen your brothers."
Peter was sifted...he was strained to the limits...but Jesus made the difference. And He still does today. And that changes cursing to weeping...it turns rebellion to repentance...it changes treason to trust. And it frustrates hell! It's the miracle that Satan can't match.
Why do terrible, trying things happen to us? Because someone is fighting against us. But be assured that someone is also fighting for you! So what are your chances? They're excellent! Jesus is praying for you. And if that doesn't strengthen your faith, nothing will.
Now, the testing and sifting will come...but the God never gives the devil a total carte blanche. Heaven places a limit to the sifting. The process is necessary for God's glory, but is never permitted to satisfy the sadistic appetite of the devil. God fixes in your life and mine the bounds past which hell cannot go!
But also be aware that God does a lot of sifting Himself. Jesus took over in Peter where Satan left off. Remember in John 21 when Jesus told Peter to cast the net on the right side of the ship after a long night with no success? It's never easy for a professional to take advice.
A temperamental Peter had hardly recovered from disaster when he told everyone "I'm going fishing." And he actually meant he was going to return full time to his old occupation...and in the process discourage and direct the whole organization to do the same thing.
But he learned in one night that the gifts and callings of God are without repentance. Hallelujah! You can't easily lay aside the call of God on your life. Peter learned what each of us need to learn...that God's way is so much better than man's way...than our way! And we need to see that with God an empty net can become a full net very quickly.
But the real sifting was still to come! In John 21:15 Jesus asked the question of all questions...Simon son of John, do you love me more than these? That's the bottom line. That's where our leadership is made or broken. How "all out" are you? What is your dedication? Under what conditions will you turn back? Where is your heart? You need to make that determination.
What's your priority? The question is one you need to ask yourself today...do you love him more than any other things? That's the first commandment...and it hasn't been revised in 1996. God will not settle for second or third place. And because of that, many of you are in the midst of this divine sifting.
Jesus doesn't want the kind of affection that only shows up on Christmas and Easter. He wants first place now! Once Peter crossed that bridge...once he made the right decision...he could go to prison and even death row for Jesus. And Jesus never stopped sifting peter until He penetrated that disciple's heart.
Satan sifted Peter that he might have him and destroy him. Jesus sifted Peter that He might keep him and use him. That's the difference between hell's pressures and heaven's. Some of you are being sifted and may not know who is doing it...but the answer to both is the same. Turn to Jesus with all your heart.
In the northeastern U.S. codfish are a big commercial business. But public demand posed a problem for those trying to ship the cod to other parts of the country. At first they froze the cod and shipped them...but freezing them took away much of the flavor.
Then they tried shipping them live in tanks of seawater, but that was even worse. It was much more expensive and the cod still lost its flavor and besides that became soft and mushy.
Finally, some creative person solved the problem. The codfish were placed in the tank of water along with its natural enemy the catfish. From the time the cod left the East Coast until it arrived at its destination, those ornery catfish chased the cod all over the tank. And you guessed it...when the cod arrived they were as fresh as when they were first caught. There was no loss of flavor or texture, and if anything, they were better.
Many are in a tank of particular and inescapable circumstances. And its painful enough to stay in the tank...but in addition to that there are "catfish" there to bring about enough tension to keep us alive and alert...fresh and growing. It's all part of God's plan to shape our character so we'll be more like Jesus. The key is to remember the words of Jesus spoken to Peter when he faced his sifting process..."I have prayed for you that your faith will not fail."
I want to leave you with a promise found in Hebrews 7:25: "He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them."
Jesus is praying for you right now...interceding to the Father that your faith will not fail. With that sure promise we know we can make it through if only we trust in Him.
goes hand in hand with this particular subject.
