Do You Really Want This?

If we claim a particular level of growth for ourselves— especially in comparison to our Brothers and Sisters in the Battle— if we say, “Yeah... I’m at such and such a level,” God will try our hearts at this level {Prov. 17:3}.  Let’s see if we can illustrate this from the life of Peter.  In John 13:8 Peter said to Jesus, “You shall never wash my feet!,” to which Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with Me [‘No place with Me.’  Jesus is speaking of fellowship, communion, intimacy.].”  Our Lord tested him to this degree of humility.  Peter failed.

Test number two.  Peter claimed to be a man of great vigilance, of tremendous spiritual awareness.  He thought of himself as the watchdog of everyone else in this little Band of Brothers following in Jesus’ footsteps.  In Matthew 26:38 Jesus said to Peter, James and John, “My soul is overwhelmed to the point of death.  Stay here and keep watch with Me.”  What He was saying was, “I’m under phenomenal strain, enormous pressure.  Physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.  I need you to pray for Me.”  Before He’d walked ten steps away they were fast asleep... all of them.  V. 40 says, “Then He returned to His Disciples and found them sleeping.  ‘Could you men not keep watch with Me for one hour?,’ He asked Peter.”  Peter flunked.

In the area of courage no one boasted more than Peter.  You know the Story.  Jesus said, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know Me” {Lk. 22:34}.  Matthew records in 26:31 how Jesus told the entire group, “This very night you will all fall away on account of Me, for it is written, ‘I will strike down the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered.’  ...Peter replied, ‘Even if all fall away on account of You, I never will.’  ‘I tell you the Truth,’ Jesus answered, ‘This very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown Me three times.’  But Peter declared, ‘Even if I have to die with You, I will never disown You...,’” 26:32-35.  Let me give you the RR Paraphrase.  Jesus say’s, “Tonight, every one of you will turn and betray Me.”  Peter answers, “Lord, I can see how you’d say that to the rest of them {gutless cowards that they are}; but not me Lord, I’ll never do it!”  Yet he did it, to a worse degree than any of them.  He failed the test of courage.

In the realm of relationship, who boasted to love Jesus more than Peter?  No one.  So, in John 21:15-19 Jesus puts him to the test.  This time, just like the betrayal, He even told him ahead of time.  Three times— in perfect parallel to Peter’s three denials— He said, “Peter, do you love Me?”  And three times Peter responded with, “You know I love You.”  Here’s what Peter was saying, “Lord, I phileo You, I love You as a friend.  Lord, I have a wonderful rapport with You ...but not a selfless and sacrificial love for You, not agape.”  Nevertheless, Jesus told him what the test was.  “Peter, since you say you love Me, from this point forward til the day you die, tend My lambs, shepherd My sheep, you care for the Flock!  Peter, you follow Me, faithfully unto death!”

This test Peter passed; and I’ll tell you why.  There’s an old saying, “Good judgment usually comes out of bad decisions.”  In fact, Gen. Omar Bradley once said, “I learned that good judgment comes from experience, and that experience grows out of mistakes.”  A lot of the tests you pass in life are the ones you’ve learned how to pass through your failures.  You fall, and you get back up and you drive on; you fall, and you get back up and you drive on.  As long as you’re alive and you haven’t quit, you’re not a casualty yet.

There’s a powerful lesson for life in this... and here it is.  You become a casualty in the Conflict the day you quit getting up.  Peter’s life is a magnificent illustration of this.  And ours should be one Day as well ...one fine and glorious Day when we stand before our King!

HJC	Ric Webb  |  Shepherd Heart’s Journey Community 9621 Tall Timber Blvd. |  Little Rock, AR 72204 t +1.501.455.0296
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Heart’s Journey – Live Generously and Love Graciously