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When the enemy shakes, it is
to destroy. But God has a different purpose.
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He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but
also heaven.” Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things
that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot
be shaken may remain. ~ Hebrews 12:26-27
In the previous lesson we saw that the revealed Word of God is the
foundation on which Jesus builds His church. We watched Simon Peter remain even
when other disciples left offended. Even when Jesus gave him an opportunity to
leave, Simon Peter spoke what was established in his heart.
Now let’s look at another test for Simon Peter -- the night Jesus was
betrayed.
Jesus was seated with His twelve apostles, giving thanks and serving
communion, when He made a startling statement: “Behold, the hand of My betrayer
is with Me on the table. And truly the Son of Man goes as it has been
determined, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!” (Luke 22:21-22). What
an announcement! We would say today that Jesus had “dropped a bomb” with those
words.
Although Jesus knew from the beginning that He would be betrayed, it
was the first His disciples had heard of it. Can’t you imagine the horrible
feeling in the room as He said that one of them who had been with Him from the
start, a close associate, was going to betray Him?
In response, “They began to question among themselves, which of them it
was who would do this thing” (Luke 22:23). They were overwhelmed with shock
that one of them would be capable of such a horrifying thing. But their motive
for this investigation was not pure. We know this by how their conversation
ended. Their reason for the inquest was selfish and full of pride. Look at the
very next verse of Scripture:
Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be
considered the greatest. ~ Luke 22:24
Picture this: Jesus told them He was about to be turned over to the
chief priests to be condemned to death and delivered to the Romans to be
mocked, scourged, and killed. The one who would do this was sitting with Him at
the table.
The disciples questioned who it was, and it ended up in an argument
about which of them would be the greatest. It was dishonorable -- almost like
children arguing over an inheritance. There was no concern for Jesus, but a
jockeying for power and position. What unimaginable selfishness!
If I had been in Jesus’ position, I might have asked if they had heard
what I had said or if they even cared. We see from this incident an example of
how the Master walked in love and patience. Most of us, if in Jesus’ place,
would have said, “Every one of you, get out! I am in My greatest hour of need,
and you’re thinking of yourselves!” What an opportunity to become offended!
We can almost guess who initiated the dispute among the disciples:
Simon Peter, since he had the most dominating personality of the group and was
usually the one who spoke up first.
He was probably quick to remind the others how he had been the only one to walk on water. Or
perhaps he refreshed them about how he had had the first revelation of who
Jesus really was. Then he may have shared again his experience on the mount of
transfiguration with Jesus, Moses, and Elijah.
He was fairly confident that he was the greatest of the twelve. But
this confidence was not rooted in love. Rather it was anchored in pride.
Jesus looked at all of them and told them they were acting as mere men,
not sons of the kingdom: “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over
them, and those who exercise authority over them are called ’benefactors.’ But
not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as
the younger, and he who governs as he who serves. For who is greater, he who
sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I
am among you as the One who serves” (Luke 22:25-27).
The Purpose of Sifting
Even though Simon Peter had received abundant revelation of who Jesus
was, he was not yet walking in the character and humility of Christ. He was
building his life and ministry with past victories and pride. Paul admonished
us to take heed how we build on our foundation in Christ. (1 Cor. 3:10).
Simon Peter was not building with materials necessary for the kingdom
of God but with supplies such as a strong will and personal confidence. Though
unaware, he was still awaiting the transformation of his character. His
reference was from the “pride of life” (1 John 2:16).
Pride would never be strong enofugh to equip him to fulfill his destiny
in Christ. If not removed, this pride would eventually destroy him. Pride was
the same character flaw found in Lucifer, God’s anointed cherub, causing his
downfall (Ezek. 28:11-19).
Now look at what Jesus says to Simon Peter:
And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that
he may sift you as wheat.” ~ Luke 22:31
Pride opened the door for the enemy to come in and sift Simon Peter.
The word ‘sift’ is translated from the Greek word “siniazo.’ It means “to sift,
shake in a sieve; fig. by inward agitation to try one’s faith to the verge of
overthrow.”
Now if Jesus had had the mentality many have in the church, He would
have said, “Let’s pray, guys, and bind this attack of the devil. We are not
going to let Satan do this to our beloved Simon!” But look at what He says:
But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when
you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren. ~ Luke 22:32
Jesus did not pray that Simon Peter would escape this intense shaking
to the point of overthrow. He prayed that his faith would not fail in the
process. Jesus knew that out of this trial would emerge a new character, the
one Simon Peter needed to fulfill his destiny and strengthen his brethren.
Satan had requested permission to shake Simon Peter so severely that he
would lose his faith. The enemy’s intent was to destroy this man of great
potential, who had received so much revelation. But God had a different purpose for the shaking, and,
as always, God is way ahead of the devil. He allowed the enemy to do this in
order to shake everything in Simon Peter that ‘needed’ to be shaken.
God showed my wife, Lisa, five purposes for shaking an object:
1. To bring it closer
to its foundation
2. To remove what is
dead
3. To harvest what is
ripe
4. To awaken
5. To unify or mix
together so it can no longer be separated
Any thought process or heart attitude that is rooted in selfishness or
pride will be purged. As a result of this tremendous shaking, all of Simon
Peter’s self-confidence would be gone, and all that would remain was God’s sure
foundation. He would be awakened to his true condition, the dead would be
removed and the ripe fruit harvested, bringing him closer to his true foundation.
He would no longer function independently but would be interdependent on the
Lord.
He would be awakened to his true condition, the dead would be removed
and the ripe fruit harvested, bringing him closer to his true foundation. He
would no longer function independently but would be interdependent on the Lord.
Judas vs. Simon
Some think Peter was a big talker and cowardly. But in the garden, when
the temple guard came to arrest Jesus, he unsheathed his sword and struck the
high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear (John 18:10). Not many cowards
attack when they are outnumbered by enemy soldiers. So he was strong, but his
strength was in his own personality, not in God’s humility, for the sifting had
not yet begun.
It happened just as Jesus predicted. The same bold, strong Simon Peter,
ready to die for Jesus, wielding the sword in the garden full of soldiers, was
confronted by a little servant girl. He was intimidated by her and denied even
knowing Jesus.
Some think it is the big things that cause men to stumble. Often it is
the minor ones that shake us the most. This shows the futility of
self-confidence.
Then Peter denied Jesus two more times. Immediately the rooster crowed,
and Peter left and wept bitterly. He was shaken of all his self-confidence and
believed he could never rise again. All he had left, though he was not even
aware of it, was what was revealed to him by the Spirit.
Simon Peter and Judas were similar in many ways, including the fact
that they both rejected Jesus in the crucial last days of Jesus’ life. Yet the
two men had a fundamental difference.
Judas never longed to know Jesus in the manner that Simon did. Judas
was not founded in Him. It appeared that he loved Jesus since he had left all
to follow Him, traveled in His constant companionship, and even stayed under
the heat of persecution. He cast out devils, healed the sick, and preached the
gospel, (Recall that Jesus sent out the ‘twelve’ to preach, heal, and deliver,
not the eleven.) But his sacrifices were not out of love for Jesus or out of a
revelation of who He was.
Judas had his own agenda from the start. He never repented of his
self-seeking motives. His character was revealed by statements such as: “What
are you willing ‘to give me’ if I…” (Matt. 26:14, inner quotes added). He lied
and flattered to gain advantage (Matt. 26:25). He took money from the treasury
of Jesus’ ministry for personal use (John 12:4-6). And the list goes on. He
never knew the Lord even though he spent three and a half years in His company.
Both men were sorry for what they had done. But Judas did not have the
foundation Peter had. Because he never hungered to know Jesus, Jesus was not
revealed to him. If Judas had revelation of Jesus, he never could have betrayed
Him. When a strong storm attacked his life, everything was shaken and blown
away! See what happened:
Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was
remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests
and elders, saying “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” And they said, “What
is that to us? You see to it!” Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the
temple and departed, and went and hanged himself. ~ Matt. 27:3-5
He was remorseful and knew he’d sinned. But he did not know the Christ.
He had no understanding of the magnitude of whom he’d betrayed. He only said, “I
have betrayed innocent blood.” If he had known the Christ as Simon Peter did,
he would have gone back to Him and repented, knowing the goodness of the Lord.
Committing suicide was yet another act of living independent of God’s grace.
The shaking revealed Judas had no foundation, even after following the Master
for three years.
Numerous converts have prayed a “sinner’s prayer,” attended church,
become active, and studied their Bibles. All of this, however, is without a
revelation of who Jesus really is, though they confess Him with their mouths.
When a severe disappointment occurs, they are offended with God and will have
nothing to do with Him.
“God never did anything for me!” I’ve heard them say. “I tried
Christianity, but my life only became more miserable.” Or “I prayed and asked
God to do this, and He did not do it!” They never laid their lives down for
Jesus but tried to align themselves with Him for their own benefit. They served
Him for what He could give them. They were easily offended. Here is Jesus’
description of them:
Who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with
gladness; and have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time:
afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake,
immediately they are offended. ~ Mark 4;16-17
Notice that He said they were quickly offended because they had no
foundation. In what are we to be rooted? We find the answer in Ephesians
3:16-18: We are to be rooted and grounded in love. Our love for God is our
foundation.
Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s
life for his friends” (John 15:13). We cannot lay down our lives for someone we
do not trust. We cannot lay down our lives for God unless we know Him well
enough to trust Him. We must know and understand the nature and character of
God. We must have the assurance that He would never do anything to harm us.
He always looks out for what He knows is in our best interest. What may
look like a disappointment to us will always turn out for our good if we do not
lose faith. God is love; there is no selfishness or evil in Him. It is Satan
who desires to destroy us.
Often we view situations in our lives through short-range glasses. This
distorts the true picture. God looks at the eternal aspect of what we go
through. If we look at situations only from our limited vantage, two things can
happen.
First, in the midst of God’s purging process we will be easy prey to
offense, whether it be with God or one of His servants. Second, we can easily
be deceived by the enemy. Satan will use something that seems right at the
moment, but his ultimate plan is to use that to our own destruction or death. When
we are settled in trusting God, we are not moved from the Father’s care. We
will not succumb to the temptation to care for ourselves.
Depending on God’s Character
One way the enemy attempts to draw us away from trusting God is by
perverting our perception of God’s character. He did this in the garden with
Eve when he asked her: “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree
of the garden’?” (Gen. 3:1). He twisted God’s commandment in order to attack
and distort His character.
God had said, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of
the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day
that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Gen. 2:16-17).
In essence the serpent was saying to Eve, “God is withholding everything
good from you.”
But God’s emphasis was, “You may freely eat, except…” God had given
mankind the entire garden to enjoy and all the fruit to eat with the exception
of one.
The serpent was twisting how the woman saw God by saying, “God doesn’t
really care for you. What good thing is He keeping back from you? He must not
love you as you thought. He must not be a good God!” She was deceived and
believed a lie about God’s character. The desire to sin was then aroused
because God’s Word was no longer life but law. And “the strength of sin is the
law” (1 Cor. 15:56).
The enemy still operates this way today. He perverts the character of
the Father God in His children’s eyes. We have all had authorities over us such
as dads, teachers, bosses, or governors who have been selfish and unloving.
Because they are authority figures, it is easy to project their nature onto God’s
character since He is the ultimate authority.
The enemy has masterfully distorted the character of the Father by
perverting our view of our earthly fathers. God says that, before Jesus
returns, the hearts of the fathers will be returned to the children (Mal. 4:6).
His character or nature will be seen in His leaders, and it will be a catalyst
for healing.
When you know God would never do anything to harm or destroy you, and
whatever He does or does not do in your life is in your best interest, then you
will give yourself freely to Him. You will gladly be one to lay down your life
for the Master.
If you have given yourself totally to Jesus and are committed to His
care, you cannot be offended because you are not your own. Those who are hurt
and disappointed are those who have come to Jesus for what He can do for them,
not because of who He is.
When we have that attitude we are easily disappointed.
Self-centeredness causes us to be shortsighted. We are unable to view our
immediate circumstances through the eye of faith. When our lives are truly lost
in Jesus, we know His character and share His joy. We cannot be shaken or
shipwrecked.
It is easy to become offended when we judge by our natural surroundings
and circumstances. This is not seeing through the eye of the Spirit. Often God
does not answer me in the manner or amount of time I feel is absolutely
necessary. But as I look back at every case I understand and can see His
wisdom.
Occasionally our children do not understand our methods or the logic
behind their training. We try to give explanations to the older children so
they can benefit from the wisdom. But at times they may not understand or agree
because of their immaturity; later on in life they will. Or perhaps the reason
is to test their obedience, love, and maturity. It is the same with our Father
in heaven. In these situations faith says, “I trust You even though I don’t
understand.”
In Hebrews 11:35-39 we find the record of those who never saw the
fulfillment of their promises from God and still never wavered: “Others were
tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better
resurrection. Still other had trial of mockings and scourging, yes, and of
chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted,
were slain with the sword. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and
caves of the earth. And all these, having obtained a good testimony through
faith, did not receive the promise.”
They had decided God was all they wanted, no matter what the cost. They
believed Him even when they died without seeing the promises fulfilled. They
could not be offended!
We are rooted and grounded when we bear this intense love and trust in
God. No storm, no matter how intense, can ever move us. This does not come by
strong will or personality. It is a gift of grace to all who place their
confidence in God, throwing away the confidence of self. But to give yourself in total abandonment you must know
the One who holds your life.
Grace Is Given to the Humble
Simon Peter could no longer boast of being great. He had lost his
natural confidence. He saw all too clearly the futility of his own strong will.
He had been humbled. He was now a perfect candidate for the grace of God. God
gives His grace to the humble. Humility is a prerequisite. It was a lesson
burned in the conscience of Peter as he wrote in his epistle: “Be clothed with
humility, for ‘God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble’” (1 Pet.
5:5).
Peter had been shaken to the verge of giving up. We know this by the
message the angel of the Lord gave to Mary Magdalene at the tomb: “But go, tell
His disciples -- and Peter -- that He is going before you into Galilee; there
you will see Him, as He said to you” (Mark 16:7). The angel had to single him
out. Peter was at the point of shipwreck, but God still had laid a foundation
in him. It would not be removed by the shaking, but strengthened.
Jesus not only forgave Peter but restored him. Now that he had been
shaken, he was ready to become one of the central figures in the church. He
courageously proclaimed the resurrection of Christ before the very ones
responsible for His crucifixion. He faced the council, not a servant girl. With
great authority and boldness he stood up to them.
History reports that Peter was crucified upside down after many years
of faithful service. He insisted he was unworthy to die the same death his Lord
had died, so they hung him upside down. He was no longer afraid. He was a stone
built on a solid foundation of the Rock.
Trials in this life will expose what is in your heart -- whether the
offense is toward God or others. Tests either make you bitter toward God and
your peers or stronger. If you pass the test, your roots will shoot down
deeper, stabilizing you and your future. If you fail, you become offended,
which can lead to a defilement with bitterness.
Lord, I have served You, so why… ?
When I was a pastor, a sharp, fourteen-year-old young man who was well
respected by his friends and leaders was in the youth group. He was a good
student and an accomplished athlete. Zealous for the things of God, the young
man served faithfully and volunteered for every project. He took a missions
trip with us, witnessing to almost everyone he met.
At one point in his life he spent four hours a day in prayer. He heard
many things from the Lord and shared them with others. What he shared was
always a blessing. He acknowledged his call to the ministry and wanted to be a
pastor before the age of twenty. He seemed to be an unshakable rock.
I loved this young man, recognized the call of God on his life, and
invested my time in him. I had only one concern: He seemed to have too much
confidence in himself. I wanted to say something to him but did not have a
release to do so. I knew a change would come. He weathered some tough storms
and yet stayed strong. Sometimes I questioned my discernment as I saw him
endure severe trials.
A few years passed. He moved, and I began to travel full-time. But I
kept in touch with him. I knew he would go through a breaking process. Since it
had to take place, I had no idea what would happen but realized it was
necessary for him in order to fulfill his destiny. This would be a similar
process to Simon Peter’s sifting.
When this young man was eighteen, his father contracted incurable
cancer. He and his mother fasted and prayed, believing that his dad would be
healed. Others joined with them as well. Only months earlier his dad had
committed his life to the lordship of Jesus.
The Father’s condition grew worse. I was ministering in another city in
Alabama when my wife called, urging me to telephone this young man. I reached
him and could see he needed someone to encourage him.
I drove all that night after my last service, arriving at his house at
four in the morning. His father’s condition was so severe that the doctors gave
him only days to live. He could not even communicate.
The young man was confident that his dad would rise up healed. I
ministered to the family and left several hours later. The next morning we had
a call saying things had taken a turn for the worse.
Lisa and I prayed immediately. As we did, God gave my wife a vision of
Jesus standing by this man’s bedside ready to take him home. Thirty minutes
later the young man called and told us his father had passed away. He
seemed to be his same strong self. But
that was only the beginning.
That night he called some of his close friends to tell them his father
had died. When they answered the phone, they were crying. He wondered how they
had already heard the news. But they hadn’t heard. The tears they were crying
were for one of his best friends who had just been killed in an accident. In
one day he had lost his father and a very good friend.
The shaking had begun. He was bewildered, frustrated, and numb. The
presence of God seemed to have eluded him.
A month later, driving home, the young man came upon an accident which
had just taken place. He had had emergency medical training and stopped.
Everyone in both cars was a close friend of his. Two died in his arms while he
was trying to help.
My young friend had reached his limit. He spent three hours in the
woods praying and crying out to God. “Where are You? You said You would be my
Comforter, and I have no comfort!”
It seemed as if God had turned
His back on him. But this was, in fact, the first time his own strength
had failed him.
He became angry with God. Why had He allowed this? He was not angry at
his pastor, his family, or me. His offense was with God. He was consumed with
frustration. God had failed him in his hour of greatest need.
“Lord, I’ve served You and laid many things down to follow You,” he
prayed. “Now You have abandoned me!” He believed God owed him something for all
he had given up to serve Him.
Many people have experienced hurts and disappointments that are less
extreme and some that are more. Many become offended with the Lord. They
believe He should take into consideration all they have done for Him.
They are serving Him for the wrong reasons. We should not serve the
Lord for what He can do but rather for who He is and what He has already done
for us. Those who become offended do not fully realize how great a debt He has
already paid for them to be free. The
have forgotten from what manner of death they were delivered. They see through
natural eyes rather than eternal.
This young man stopped going to church and started running around with
the wrong crowd, frequenting bars and parties. In his frustration he wanted
nothing to do with the things of the Lord. He wanted to avoid any contact with
God.
He could not keep up this lifestyle for longer than two weeks, for his
heart was deeply convicted. But he still refused to approach the Lord for six
months. Even then the heavens seemed to be as brass. The presence of the Lord
seemed nowhere to be found.
Over a year had gone by. Through several incidents he saw that God was still at work in his life. He approached God, but now it was different.
He came humbly. After this time of trial was over, the Lord showed him how he
had never left him. As his spiritual walk was restored, he learned to put his
confidence in God’s grace, not in his own strength.
I kept in touch with him. A year and a half later he told me things he
had seen in himself that he never knew were there. “I was a man without
character and shallow in all my relationships. I was raised by my dad to be
strong outwardly, a self-made man. I could never have grown the way God wanted
me to. I am thankful the Lord did not leave me in that condition.
“But what grieved my heart the most was not running around in bars and
drinking. It was that I turned by back on the Holy Spirit. I love Him so much.
My fellowship with Him has never been as sweet as it is now.”
A lot of shaking occurred in his life. Self-confidence was eliminated.
But this young man had the foundation that Simon Peter had, and it could not be
taken away. Instead of building his life and ministry through pride, he is
building by the grace of God.
Offenses will reveal the weakness and breaking points in our lives.
Often the point where we think we are strong is our place of hidden weakness.
It will remain hidden until a powerful storm blows away the cover. The apostle
Paul wrote, “For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit,
rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh” (Phil. 3:3).
We can do nothing of eternal value in our own ability. It is easy to
say this, but having this truth deeply rooted in our being is another matter.
Due to the holidays, we will be taking a few weeks off of study and will be returning for our next lesson, The Rock of Offense, on January 8, 2005.