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.
3) PEOPLE (50-51 & John 18:10)
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.
John 18:10 (NLT)
Then Simon Peter drew a sword and slashed off the right ear of Malchus, the high priest’s slave.
When we follow Jesus from a distance, we tend to hurt people we have no business hurting at all.
4) POSITION (55)
55 The guards lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat around it, and Peter joined them there.
Following Jesus from a distance tends to be displayed when you do your best to blend in with the world around you in order not to be noticed.
5) PRESSURE (56-60)
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.
When we create distance between Jesus and us, we tend to give in spiritually when the pressure is on…
II. ANSWER (vs 60-62)
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.
1) REALIZE the Lord sees you (60-61)
The Lord is not oblivious to your spiritual state…you are not fooling Him
2) RECALL the Lord’s Words (61)
It’s at this time that we need to be reminded of what God’s Word says:
Hebrews 13:6 (NIV2011)
So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”
Hebrews 11:6 (NIV2011)
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
Hebrews 13:5 (NIV2011)
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
Matthew 6:31-34 (NIV2011)
So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
2 Chronicles 16:9 (NIV2011)
For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war.”
3) Have REMORSE for the distance (62)
This is a concern of mine and I am not sure what has happened
I fear we have no remorse for the moments we are spiritually distant…we would rather see what we can get away with
III. ASSURANCE (Mark 16:4-7)
Mark 16:4-7 (NLT)
4 But as they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled aside.
5 When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side. The women were shocked,
6 but the angel said, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body.
7 Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died.”
After Jesus rose from the dead, He singled out the one who may have failed Him the most
And His entire purpose was to restore him…not beat him up!
He is looking to each one of us to store us to where we need to be spiritually
I have been to too many church services in my life where the only goal was to expose what was wrong and never deal with what needed to change
Jesus has had YOU on His mind all morning!
And He wants you to close the gap between you and Him!
James 4:8 (NIV2011)
Come near to God and he will come near to you.
