Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Spirit -- Flesh...

Sunday our message in Big Church and our home cell was on Peter and his denial of Christ. I absolutely LOVE Peter! He is so much a reflection of so many of our lives! Here is a guy who loved Jesus to pieces! His heart was incredible for Jesus but his flesh was challenging him continuously.

Remember when He walks on the water. Wow! Talk about a heart for Jesus! He trusts Him, but then his flesh kicks in and he starts thinking like the world. Fear sets in and his thinking changes, “I can’t walk on water, people don’t walk on water” and he begins to sink, but Jesus takes his hand.

What about when he steps out when the army of soldiers come to get Christ from the garden of Gethsemane and he immediately cuts the soldier's ear off. Peter stepped out with his heart for Christ and no thought of what might be done to him in return. But then as they lead Jesus away, his flesh kicks in and he starts thinking like the world and fear sets in and his thinking changes, “what if they find out I was with Him, will they take me too”, then he begins to follow from afar.

All the way up to Peter’s denial of Christ, we see these flashes of heart (Faith) and flesh (Fear) at work in his life. Isn’t that so like us! Our heart wants to be used of God for His glory and so that others might know Him. But, we don’t want the people that we work with or the people next door to think we are too radical. Spirit and Flesh at work.

Peter experienced something --the day He denied Christ and the following days before Christ ascension to heaven-- that I believe set Peter's heart in place in such a way that his Love and Faith in Christ outweighed his Fears and Flesh for the duration of his life on this earth.

These same truths can set our Love and Faith in Christ on solid ground for our daily journey while serving on this earth.

First Truth: Peter saw his sin through the eyes of Christ.

Luke 22:59-62
“Certainly this man also was with him, for he too is a Galilean.” 60 But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. 61And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” 62 And he went out and wept bitterly.


Can you even imagine the eye contact that took place between Jesus and Peter? I can see Christ's eyes full of compassion looking at Peter. He tried to tell Peter, but Peter wouldn’t listen. Jesus knew that Peter would deny Him.

Then Peter, seeing his sin through the eyes of Christ, went out and wept bitterly. When we really see our sin through the eyes of Christ, we experience the same thing that Peter experienced --we want to get away; we can’t stop weeping. That is what happens when we truly experience brokenness. I remember the first time as a believer I truly experienced brokenness because of seeing my sin through His eyes. I felt like my heart was crying and would never stop because I had denied Him by my actions. Yes, when we blatantly sin against Him we are denying who He is in our lives. We feel like a failure and we are of no use to Him any more just as Peter did. But, then comes the …

Second Truth: Forgiveness, He is a God of second chances plus! Peter do you love me?

John 21:15-19
15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. 18 Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” 19 (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”


So here Jesus and the disciples are following His resurrection and before his ascension into heaven. Just hanging out having breakfast together. Then he looks at Peter and says, let’s talk. Do you love me? Feed my lambs. Do you love me? Tend my sheep. Do you love me? Feed my sheep.

Can’t you hear Jesus saying, Peter I chose you and asked you to follow me and I would make you a fisher of men. I assured you along the way that you are mine. I told you the enemy wanted to sift you like wheat but I’ve already prayed for you that when you turn back to me, warn others so they don’t make the same mistakes. I even told you that you would deny me those three times but you wouldn’t have it. But, I forgive you. I wasn’t surprised by any of this. Now can we get back to kingdom work? “Follow me”.

Is it time for you to get back to kingdom work? Have you denied Him and allowed the enemy to convince you that you are of no use to Him and the kingdom. Precious one……Ask for the forgiveness promised you. Accept the work of the Cross and “Follow Him”. There is kingdom work to be done!

His,
vickie

1 comment:

Unknown said...

One of the most spine tingling moments for me, while watching the passion of Christ was when Jesus turned to look at Peter when the rooster crowed for the third time. Peter began to sob and the actors did an amazing job of portraying that moment. It was hard to watch, because I knew in my heart that I would have been in Peter's shoes. I had to stop the movie and pray, and ask God for forgiveness for many of the times that I had been in that situation in my life where I had been letting the flesh get in the way of my faith. Thank you for sharing this.