DID YOU KNOW
WORD FOR THE DAY MESSAGE
Luke 22:31-32, “And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith fail not and when you are converted, strengthen your brother.”
This morning’s WORD FOR THE DAY was brought to you by the Apostle Luke, also known as the Physician. Luke writes in a ‘clinical’ style that captures those things that would hurt the MAN-person.
Bible scholars understand that the gospels are overshadowed by the writers bias - that is to say - as with Matthew, he wants his readers to recognize and become fully acquainted with Jesus the KING. Mark’s bias is that his readers should know Jesus as the SERVANT. John, being the only one of the 12 Apostle present at Jesus’ crucifixion believes it is imparative for us to know without a shadow of doubt that Jesus is the Christ - the Son of the Living God. But Luke’s prospective is that of a physician - solely infatuated with us knowing Jesus the MAN.
Luke’s account is the only gospel to capture this unusual exchange between Jesus and Peter. Luke says, that just prior to Judas betraying Jesus with a kiss, this exchange took place. I believe it was put here for you and me and here’s why:
1. Peter’s Emphatic Denial.
Peter DENIED he KNEW the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord already KNEW that Peter would deny him; that’s why he told Peter “before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times.” This is the same person who said, “If it’s you, Lord, bid me to come out to you.” And the bible records Peter as being the only man besides Jesus to ever walk on the water. This is the same Peter who was ready to fight in the garden of Gethsemane, and declared Jesus as the Christ, Son of the Living God in the presences of his peers. And yet, in Jesus’ hour of needing a witness, someone to stand with him when the chips were down…Peter Denied him. How about us? Do we deny Christ also. Is there a bit of PETER’S SPIRIT in us. Do we allow ourselves to be used by the Devil?
2. Peter Emotional Dependence.
Peter was emotionally dependent. Many of us are just like Peter, we rely more on our ‘feelings’ instead of facts; you may remember Peter (after Jesus shared what death he would die), pulling Christ aside and saying, “Don’t say that.” The bible says Jesus looked at Peter and told him to “Get behind me Satan” because Jesus KNEW that Peter had yielded himself to be used by the Devil.
The question is: are we, too, yielding ourselves as instruments to be used by the Devil… or for God? How many times have you operated on feelings, rather than what the Word of God says. Sometime God will have us looking like fools, crazy and being misunderstood…following him. I’m reminded of a story about the boy who deliberately attended a contraversial event. He was walking down the street during a Gay Pride Parade with a T-shirt on that said, “I am a FOOL FOR CHIRST.” People were snickering, booing, yelling obscenities at the young man because of the shirt and his beliefs. On the reverse side of the shirt said, “Whose FOOL are you?”
3. Peter’s Experiences Disregarded.
Peter’s previous experiences were disregarded and forgotten. This same Peter, who Christ called PETROS (The ROCK), quickly had forgotten who he was? In an instant he put down his ‘birthrite’ as a Citizen of the Household of Jesus Christ and submitted to the cares of the world. The bible tells us to be ‘in the world and not of the world.’ Peter’s experiences should have led him to say, ‘not my will Lord, but your will be done.’ After all, it was Peter’s own mother who was nearly dead and Jesus healed her right in front of him. Peter’s previous experiences should have grounded him in the assurity that Jesus knows what is best. Peter should have recalled the wedding celebration they all attended; that was when Jesus turned water into wine; or perhaps he should have recalled the time when Jesus adjusted the sight of blind Bartimaeus or fed a crowd of 5000 with a sack lunch.
How could Peter have forgotten the woman’s epileptic son that he and the other Disciples were unable to heal, but Jesus healed him and told them how he did it, saying - ”this kind of demon can only be removed by prayer and fasting.” Honestly, Peter should have recalled out of his experiences Jesus healing the woman who had been bleeding from her minstrel cycle for 12 long years and was healed just by touching the hem of Jesus’ garment.
SUMMARY
What previous experiences have God given us to use in our moments of crisis? What experiences has God given us to lift and encourage others when they are down or in the dumps of despair? Everyone has a past and those are the very experiences that God calls on each of us to use for his glory. The bible says that - “They will see OUR good works and glorify your Father in Heaven.”
Through our experiences we are able to effectively minister to others; they should cause us to have the Faith to tell the ‘Mountains’ of fear, depression, racism, unemployment, lack of education, unplanned pregnancy or a bad relationship… to MOVE! Get out of our way! The bible says ‘God will NOT withhold ANY GOOD THING from those who walk uprightly.’ Our experiences should lead us to KNOW that when we call on the Lord, he will answer. David said, “I sought the Lord and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.”
Are you wondering today what you were created for? Are you wondering why God brought you through that hellish and nightmare past? I’ll tell you why; for this moment…to give him glory and tell the WORLD who it was that brought you through it.
The Lord Jesus told Peter ‘the Devil wants me to give you over to him. In fact, he is begging me to have you; but I prayed for you.’ Someone needs to know that Jesus is our ADVOCATE. He is PRAYING for you and me…even right now. He is standing between us and the Devil. We may have (like Peter) at times turned our back on Jesus, let him down or struggled with sin and failure, but through REPENTANCE we can be restored; GRACE will grant us another opportunity to be successful and through FAITH we will be victorious. The Devil does not have to win in your life. You can be victorious and triumph over your daily challenges by KNOWING that ‘We are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus.’
If you are strong in your FAITH as a Christian, the Devil knows your name. He is asking for you by your name, because he wants all those who are being effective in their Christian walk and exhibiting Faith in Jesus to fall and ultimately fail. He wants to knock you out of the race. He will attempt to disqualify you - using your own guilty-conscious. But Jesus is praying for you.
The ending of that verse says: “But I have prayed for you, THAT your FAITH does not fail. And when… (not if…but when) you are converted, (you are to) strengthen your brothers (and sisters).
Failing happens. It a temporary experience. It’s not supposed to be a permanent condition. Get up, clean yourself up and CONTINUE CONTENDING FOR THE FAITH.
I love you with my whole heart;
D’Adran Bryant,
The Clockwatcher
