A Practical Faith for Real Life
(Matt. 26:31-35, John 13:33-38, Mark 14:27-31; Luke 22:31-38)
1. Students at Bible College/seminaries…lose track of the real world…There used to be an old saying, "It takes 10 years to get over seminary…"
2. In our church, we try to encourage an "honest Christianity," one in which we do not pretend, one in which we grapple with the real issues of everyday life. We do not have all the answers, but, then again, we do not pretend that all problems have solutions. Life simply isn’t that way.
3. Jesus wanted to prepare the apostles for their greatest trauma: seeing Him arrested, beaten, and crucified. He knew they would fail Him, but He was concerned about their recovery. He was very realistic, not merely idealistic. He addressed what WOULD happen, not what SHOULD have happened.
4. Today’s message comes from all 4 Gospels harmonized, which means we are looking at events as they happened sequentially.
MAIN IDEA: How can WE face life’s realities as Christians? How can we bolster ourselves and make ourselves more likely to hold up in these chaotic lives we live?
TS-------- Our text does not give us a complete low down on this issue. It does not address the importance of being well grounded in the Word, for example. That is assumed. But it does provide us with 4 fortifications that can strengthen us as we face life.
I. LOVE (John 13:33-36)
1. Jesus’ loved His disciples in a way that He did not love His enemies. That love between serious Christians was to be learned and imitated by the apostles.
2. Most of us define love by our personalities:
(1) Sanguines (influencers)--- warmth, expressiveness, and intensity of feeling (the heart)
(2) Cholerics (doers) —good works, provision, and services given (help)
(3) Phlegmatics (relaters)—loyalty,listening, guiding, being there in need
(4) Melancholics (thinkers)—quiet support, empathy, and tokens of love
3. The truth is that love includes all of these qualities and a whole lot more
4. But notice this: the kind of love Jesus showed His disciples was based on friendship, "I call you friends…"
---not all on same level (Peter, James, and John were closest)
5. This kind of love is to be the hallmark of Christians: sometimes it is, sometimes it is not.
Application: We live in a day when people are crying out in despair because they cannot relate well to others! This is an opportunity for us to shine, simply by loving our brothers and sisters in Christ.
"By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
The kind of love Jesus is talking about here comes from relationship building, not the "blanket love" Christ has for all.
WE NEED THE SUPPORT OF ONE ANOTHER. IF WE ARE LONERS OR NOT ATTACHED, WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO STAND…
The first fortification is LOVE. But if we are to nurture a faith that will help us through the valleys of life, we need another fortification,
II. Humility (Matt. 26:31-35)
1. Humility is a multifaceted virtue: I cannot say it grasp it completely. It’s presented to us in bits and pieces, and we may have pre-existing ideas in our minds that keep us from understanding its true nature.
2. Here we see it in the negative: Peter’s example of non-humility
3. Humble people are cognizant of their VULNERABILITY
4. Some people say to themselves, "I would never do that." But you don’t know for sure!
(1) Who would have thought Peter would deny Christ?
(2) Who would have thought trusted Judas would betray Christ?
(3) Who would have thought David would commit adultery and arrange a murder to cover it up?
(4) Who would have thought righteous Noah would be passed out from drunkenness, or Lot commit incest, or wise Solomon turn to idolatry?
5. We see it all the time: a surprise divorce, a secret addiction, a major compromise of belief….seemingly out of nowhere…
6. A humble person knows he is capable of great sin. It may seem remote to him or her, and some temptation lure some people more than others, but the humble person takes precautions.
Application: The word vulnerable is defined as, "open to attack or damage….exposed to capture…." The world and the flesh and the devil are out to damage us and capture us…and we must be alert and realistic about ourselves….we are descendants of Adam…
IF HUMILITY destroys our smug arrogance, then the next FORTIFICATION lends us assurance.
III. A Sense of God’s Backing (Luke 22:31-32)
1. Jesus told Peter what was going on behind the scenes…
(1) Satan wanted to "sift" Peter
(2) although ancient sifting of wheat is described for you in the bulletin insert, a common flour sifter will paint a nice picture for you….
2. But Jesus revealed something to Peter that we need to hear ourselves,
(1) But I have prayed for you…
(2) Jesus ministry now in heaven, is sometimes called His "Session"
(3) We are eternally secure because Christ is our mediator, advocate….
(4) Look at Rom. 8:34
3. It helps if I sense God is backing me when I go through life’s trials…
sometimes I haven’t always sensed that
(1) if I’m in the wrong, He isn’t backing my behavior
(2) but He is always out for my good…even though it seems hard to believe at times…
4. When you know you are doing right based on the clear teaching of God’s Word, remember that God is behind you. When you fail God, remember He is out for your good and wants to restore you.
Application: All of us have been in Peter’s position: we have all let God down. True, we may not have denied Him, but WE COULD. And when we have let Him down, He has always been ready to restore us. Our job is to repent and confess our sin. Our Savior loves to RESTORE the fallen.
Besides the fortifications of LOVE, HUMILITY, and A SENSE OF GOD’S BACKING, there is a fourth fortification evident in our text:
IV. Pursuing Realism (Luke 22:35-38)
1. The Millennial Kingdom had been offered to Israel; most of the leaders did not accept the proposition…Christ is rejected….
2. Now the rules of the game change
(1) The church would be a Kingdom without a nation, colonies of believers scattered throughout the planet…
(2) The hospitality of the Jews would be replaced by the baseness of the gentiles….the church would find itself in hostile societies….
3. This begins with the time of the crucifixion…the rejection of Christ is intimately connected to the rejection of His disciples…we live in an era of rejection….
(1) So Christians will not be living in the Utopian Millennial Kingdom…they need to provide for themselves through financial foresight…
(2) They need to use the sword, not for propigating the Kingdom, but for self-defense in a hostile world
(3) What could have been—the Millennium—has been delayed. Christians must live and adjust to the messy realities of the present age…
4. Does idealism have a place in the Christian faith? For sure—that is the starting point, and some ideals can never be compromised. But sometimes life involves those messy questions, and we need real answers.
(1) How do you determine what movies to watch or to allow your kids to watch? How much swearing do you put up with? How many inuendos?
(2) Who do you side with in conflict between management and unions when both sides have valid points and neither side seems angelic?
(3) Who do you lay off, the inferior worker with a large family or the single man with no one else to support?
Application: We don’t have all the answers. Let’s stop pretending we do. But our FAITH does work in the Christian world, because it IS adapted to reality.
CONCLUSION
1. Is your faith practical? Does it influence all spheres of your life?
2. Will it withstand the storms?
3. Are you in tune with reality, and do you seriously contemplate how Chrstian truth comes to bear on everyday life?
4. In preparing His disciples for the harsh realities of life, Jesus is setting the tone for us, as well.
5. These 4 fortification are far from a complete list, because the battle is long and involved, but they are significant: LOVE< HUMILITY< A SENSE OF GOD’S BACKING, and REALISM.
