Time To Engage: "Distant Discipleship”

Time to Engage: The Journey to Discipleship

“Distant Discipleship”

Luke 22:54-62

Watch on YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnO8Qw29I6w

As you probably know, we’re on the third word in the vision I believe God gave to us last year. And this new series takes us into the issue of discipleship, that is, being a disciple which Jesus calls us all to be.

Now, the last time we met I introduced what I called being a secret disciple. Today, I’d like to introduce another type of disciple, one seen in the life of Peter, which I am calling, being a distant disciple. A distant disciple is one who follows Jesus, but at a distance.

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

Let’s take a moment and read what happens with Peter. Read Luke 22:54-62

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 said 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’d like to look at in our time together.

In John 18 we see this in more detail. As the Jewish guard approached to arrest Jesus, Peter courageously pulls out a sword and cuts off the ear of one of the high priest’s servants (Malchus), but then ran for his life with the rest of the disciples, but he didn’t run far, instead he turned around and began to follow, but he followed behind at a safe distance, which is now what we see in Luke 22:54.

“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.

Peter Had a Discernment Problem

Let’s now look at what it says in verse 55.

“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. Not close enough to be identified with.

There are some who want to be a Christian, but 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. (Example Lot)

Peter Had a Denial Problem

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. In verse 60, while Peter was making his last denial, it says,

“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 Him.

But this happens daily 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, and guess what, the rooster is crowing.

We deny Him in our actions. We take short cuts, lie, and cheat. We deny him in our words, that is, when we had the opportunity to share our faith, we instead choose to keep quiet.