GROWING UP THE HARD WAY (1): THE WAY DOWN

(Luke 22:54-62)
September 3, 2017

Read Lu 22:54-62 Question: How do we go from babes in Christ to mature

adults? How do we grow up in Christ? Answer: Obey! How would Adam and
Eve been confirmed in righteousness? By obeying. Peter found out that to
stray from the path of obedience was to grow up the hard way.

Obedience is difficult bc it often defies human reason. Stonewall Jackson

once needed to get from A to B over unfamiliar ground. He had a man named
Boswell who knew the area. Soon his men were marching in cornfields, over
cow paths and thru backyards. Only Boswell and Jackson knew where they
were going. One wrote, It looked like madness to march away from our
supplies and support, but we learned to obey and to blindly follow. Peter
hadnt learned that. Hes a believer, but watching Jesus go to His death defied
human logic for setting up a kingdom. So Peter followed HIS logic --
showing us the way down, but also the way up to learning the hard way.

I. The Way Down So what led to Peters downward spiral of denial?

A. Peter Boasted Too Much -- Lu 22:33, Peter said to him,

Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death. Peters
committed. But he didnt know himself. He didnt realize the weakness
within. And so he boasted too much. Before he could honor his commitment
he had to learn humility, and surrender.

Commitment to Christ involves death to self. Peter was doing Jesus work in
Peters way. Thats a bad combo whether dealing with a difficult person,
performing at work, witnessing to a neighbor, creating food for fellowship or
teaching a Bible study. It all requires Gods work done in Gods strength. The
moment we think we got it covered; thats the moment were in for failure.

In his early days in China, Hudson Taylor was working night and day to
succeed. Near a breakdown, he got a letter from fellow missionary, John
McCarthy who told how his study of John 15 about being a branch abiding in
the vine changed his life: Abiding, not striving or struggling; looking off
unto Jesus; trusting Him for present power this is not new, and yet tis
new to me. Christ [is] the only power for service; the only ground for
unchanging joy. It changed Taylors life, too. He wrote his sister, As to
work, mine was never so plentiful, so responsible, or so difficult; but the
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weight and strain are all gone. A letter from dear McCarthy removed the
scales from my eyes, and the Spirit of God revealed the truth of our oneness
with Jesus as I had never known it before. Forever after, Taylor realized it
wasnt what he could do, but what Christ could do thru him. His effort;
Christs strength; the Fathers results. No strain; no boasting; just trusting.

B. Peter Prayed Too Little At least twice in Gethsemane Jesus

implored the disciples, Pray that you may not enter into temptation (Lu
22:40, 46). Peter did not. His painful failure can be traced directly to lack of
prayer, while Jesus success, absorbing the most inhumane treatment ever
experienced by a human being, can be traced to His persistence in prayer.

Peter denied His Lord bc he did not pray. Were not in the enemys courtyard
fearing for our life. But who among us has not denied our Lord fear of being
thought odd or different or stupid? Im at the front of that line. Perhaps you
have to join me there. Without prayer, well fail like Peter.

When we pray too little, we fail too much. We may not apostles, but we have
the same commission -- make disciples. It doesnt matter whether we are an
executive, a farmer, a banker, a laborer, a housewife, an accountant, a painter,
a teacher or out of work, were on this planet to share the love of Jesus every
way we can. And we will fail even to the point of denying Him unless we
follow Jesus instruction: Pray that you may not enter into temptation.

How do we make our everyday existence eternally significant? Psalm 90:17,

Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish [literally, make
permanent] the work of our hands upon us; yes, [make permanent] the work
of our hands! Things done in our own power can never have eternal
significance; things done by the power of the HS can never fail to have
eternal significance. R. A. Torrey wrote in The Power of Prayer, The great
cry of our day is work, work, work, work, organize, organize, organize, give
us some new society, tell us some new method, devise some new machinery;
but the great need of our day is prayer, more prayer, and better prayer. The
way to failure is littered with too little prayer. Lets pray more.

C. Peter Acted Too Fast He took out his little sword and cut off
Malchus ear (probably aiming at his head). Fast and rash! Good intentions,
but good intentions are not enough. We need Gods guidance and Gods
timing and that takes prayer. Prayer slows us down. Without it we get ahead
of God wrong timing, wrong motives, wrong methods, and wrong enemy.

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Paul reminds Eph 6:12, For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but
against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this
present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Peter was trying to kill a flesh and blood enemy. Jesus was about to die and be
resurrected to kill the real enemy the devil. Peters intentions were great, but
he had the wrong enemy, the wrong weapon and the wrong timing.

The New England preacher Philips Brooks was known for his poise. But a
friend found him peevishly pacing the floor one day. What is the trouble, Dr.
Brooks? Brooks replied, The trouble is, that Im in a hurry but God
isnt. Good insight. Thats why every decision every reaction must go to
God first. And we can almost be sure if our reaction involves a personal
attack, weve got the wrong enemy. James 1:19 gives great advice: Know
this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak,
slow to anger. And always pray before any action!

D. Peter Disobeyed Too Willfully John expands on Lukes

account. Jn 18:12 So the band of soldiers and their captain and the officers of
the Jews arrested Jesus and bound him. 13 First they led him to Annas, for he
was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. 14 It was
Caiaphas who had advised the Jews that it would be expedient that one man
should die for the people. 15 Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another
disciple (Jn). Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he entered with
Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, 16 but Peter stood outside at the
door. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and
spoke to the servant girl who kept watch at the door, and brought Peter in. Lu
simply notes that Peter was following at a distance (54b). Many sermons
have rightfully been preached on the dangers of following Jesus from afar.

But the bigger issue here is Peter was not intended to be following at all at
this point. Jesus told them in Mt 26:31: You will all fall away because of me
this night. For it is written, I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the
flock will be scattered. Scatter, not follow! Jn 18:7-8 tells us at the time of
His arrest, 7 So he asked them again, Whom do you seek? And they said,
Jesus of Nazareth. 8 Jesus answered, I told you that I am he. So, if you seek
me, let these men go. Implied instruction disperse! But a combination of
regret at his failure, curiosity and love for Jesus compelled Peter to follow. So
he ended up where he had no business being. He chose His way over Jesus
way willfully disobedient. Too much boasting, too little prayer, too fast to
act and disobedience have put Peter in harms way. And hes not ready.

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I wish I could get this principle into my heart and yours! We cannot disobey
God and expect good results, Beloved. He is always right and we are always
wrong. But like Peter, we rationalize. It cant be wrong if it feels so right.
Peter could have written that song. And most of us sing it daily. Its a lie!

Frances Chen tells of his wife praying for lunch at a family reunion. After she
finished, a little 3-year-old child of a cousin said, You did that wrong.
Everyone laughed, but the toddler persisted: You didnt do that right.
Chens wife finally asked, Well, what did I do wrong? The little girl
couldnt say but insisted, It was wrong. It was just wrong.

Pretty silly for a 3-year-old telling an adult they didnt pray right, isnt it? Yet
every act of disobedience is nothing more than the created telling the Creator:
You didnt get that right. Thats what were saying every time we disobey
Gods law: You didnt get that right. I know how to do it better. When you
said Vengeance is mine, (Rom 12:19), you surely didnt have in mind that
backstabbing friend of mine. When you said in Phil 2:3, Do nothing from
selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than
yourselves, you obviously didnt have in mind the people I have to deal
with. When you said, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute
you (Mt 5:44), you couldnt have known how evil my enemies would be.
When you said, abstain from sexual immorality (I Thess 4:3), surely you
only meant if there is no love involved. You didnt get it quite right for the
21st century. When you said, Go therefore and make disciples of all nations
(Mt 28:19), You must have had pastors in mind. Its all the same slippery
slope Peter was on. All our turmoil can be directly traced to acts and
attitudes of disobedience. The chaos in our lives starts right there.
Disobedience.

E. Peter Compromised Too Easily

Look what happens when you are where you are not supposed to be. 55 And
when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down
together, Peter sat down among them. Its a cold night altho Jesus sweat
drops of blood earlier. So where is Peter? Warming himself among Jesus
enemies sitting among them. Like Psalm 1:1: 1) Blessed is the man who
walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor
sits in the seat of scoffers. Theres Peter sitting in the seat of scoffers.
Compromise comes easy when youre where you shouldnt be. And theyll
either become like you or youll become like them usually the latter!

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For Peter, its the latter. Three blatant denials. Why? To fit in. To be accepted.
To not give offense. To not be thought different. Lukes account is brief. After
the first denial, Peter made an attempt to leave. But at least 3 people caught
him at the gate and challenged him. This time, Mt 26:72: And again he
denied it with an oath: I do not know the man. A Jewish oath meant Peter
called on God to strike him down if he were lying. Eventually hes challenged
again for his accent. Mt 26:74: Then he began to invoke a curse on himself
and to swear, I do not know the man. Hes reverted to the language of the
fisherman to fit in. They havent become like him; hes become like them.
Compromise comes easy when you are where you are not supposed to be.

Thats why Paul warns in II Tim 2:22) So flee youthful passions. Joseph did.
Hes sold into slavery by his brothers at 17. Amazingly, he keeps a positive
attitude of trust in God. His master soon puts him in charge of his whole
household. But Gen 39:6b: Now Joseph was handsome in form and
appearance. Good looks can be a curse as well a blessing. 7 And after a time
his masters wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, Lie with me. 8 But he
refused and said to his masters wife, Behold, because of me my master has
no concern about anything in the house, and he has put everything that he has
in my charge. 9 He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back
anything from me except you, because you are his wife. How then can I do
this great wickedness and sin against God? [This woman is no doubt
beautiful. Shes wife of the head of the Secret Service in Egypt. Josephs
young with raging hormones and little expectation of meeting girls anytime
soon] 10 And as she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not listen to her,
to lie beside her or to be with her. 11 But one day, when he went into the house
to do his work and none of the men of the house was there in the house, 12 she
caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me. But he left his garment in
her hand and fled and got out of the house. Joseph did everything he could to
avoid her presence. When she finally caught up to him, he fled. He didnt have
II Tim 2:22, but he knew what to do. God eventually rewarded that behavior.

David did the opposite. While his soldiers went off to war, he luxuriated in the
palace. He was where he didnt belong, saw what he should not have seen,
and took what he shouldnt have had. He paid a heavy, heavy price.
Compromise never works. Its time to get out of those places we dont belong.
Private lunches with friends of the opposite sex, barroom conversations,
gossip sessions, drunken parties, dirty-story sessions, suggestive movies
anything that puts you in the way of temptation. Get out! You dont belong
there. Theyll become more like you or youll become more like them. Most

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likely the latter as happened with Peter. The road to compromise is a slippery
slope.

Conc So, if you find yourself on that slope, is it over for you? Not even
close. David was forgiven; Peter is forgiven. God uses even our sin to grow
us. But thats growing up the hard way. Better to just obey at the start. Ask
God where youre in danger, confess your sin, turn around now before the
price gets very high. Be centered on Him, or soon you will be denying Him.

Matt Chandler understands the slippery slope when he says: I cant trust
myself to follow sports too closely. Isnt that crazy? I cant follow sports too
closely, because I will start to care. And, really, how dumb is it to be
emotionally affected by how a 21-year-old handles a ball? How dumb is it to
have your day ruined because a group of twentysomethings fails you in a
game? I cant watch too much television. Im not an anti-TV guy, and Im
sure there are some great things on television, but if I watch too much of it,
heres what happens to me: Ill unplug from holy things. Before I know it,
Im giggling at things the Lord calls wicked. So I cant watch too much.

Ask the Lord this morning where am I getting too close to the enemy? Pull
me back in. Help me obey rather than learn the hard way. Lets pray.