How far will you go with Jesus? Part IV

April 8pm, 2001 How Far will you go with Jesus? Part IV Luke 22

By Ronald E. George Jr. at the Fayetteville Baptist Church.

How far will you go with the Lord in your own personal life? The disciples of the Lord had to each decide what they would do with the Lord. When the heat gets on what will you do with the Lord? In personal sacrifice and devotion, How far will you go with Jesus?

When I was in school I remember a football player who decided he didn’t want to play his senior year. After the long hot summer practice session school started again and the player decided he wanted to go out. But, the coach wouldn’t let him play since he had missed the summer practices. The team that year went all the way to the state playoffs, but that player didn’t enjoy all of that success. He had chosen to not go all the way during the long hot summer. I know how that felt, because I was that high school football player. We may be asked to stick it out with the Lord, but we can be sure that the sacrifice will be well worth it. How far will you go with the Lord? The choice is yours.

Scripture Text: Luke 22:54 Then took they him, and led [him], and brought him into the high priest's house. And Peter followed afar off. 55 And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them. 56 But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with him. 57 And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not. 58 And after a little while another saw him, and said, Thou art also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not. 59 And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this [fellow] also was with him: for he is a Galilaean. 60 And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew. 61 And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. 62 And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.

1. Peter followed afar off: How close will you dare to follow the Lord? Can you get too close to him. In all fairness to Peter the pressures that he faced are certainly different that they are today for many of us, but we are under pressure from the world to not follow too closely. If you do follow too closely, you may be labeled as one of those who are too weak to stand on your own too feet. You could be called one of those of weak mind. You may even be labeled in your church as a fanatic for the Lord. You could even be called ignorant and one who is not in touch with the modern man. How close will you come to Jesus? Will you be willing to take a risk? Great rewards come to those who are willing to take great risks. The widow who willing gave her two mites to the offering of the Lord was willing to go all the way with him. Stephen, the deacon and the first martyr, risked his life to tell others that Jesus was the messiah and he had the pleasure of seeing Jesus standing on the right hand of the Father in his behalf. Paul the apostle who was called out of season sought to tell the world about the Lord and he was very much responsible for bringing many to the Lord at the risk of his life. Many disciples of the Lord have risked getting too close to Jesus. And the Lord has never let them down. How closely will you dare to follow the Lord?

2. Peter sat down among them: The Bible warns against being unequally yoked believers with unbelievers. What fellowship does light have with darkness? When a believer is joined to the unbeliever almost always the believer will be the one who is brought down. The force of the world is too great to overcome. The attitudes and actions will eventually pull the believer down. Many temptations could have been avoided if we had just not gone there. When we join with the unbelievers we give our blessing to their actions and attitudes. We are to be in the world, but not of the world. The light is not effective by being hid under a lid or dimmed to not hurt the eyes of those living in the dark.

Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.

3. Peter denied having been with the Lord. We deny the Lord with our lips, our life, and our love. We don’t confess with our lips who is our Lord by not telling others, we don’t live our life in such a way to show that we are the Lord’s, and we don’t give His unconditional love to those we see everyday. Then we have denied the Lord in our life.

4. Immediately the rooster crowed the dawning of the day.

Peter remembered the word of the Lord. If you have denied the Lord in your life then remember what the Lord has said. He knew you would. It didn’t surprise him any. He knew all along and he still loves you enough to die for you. He wants us to recognize his love for us and repent. When we recognize that we have failed the Lord then we are called upon to come back to the Lord and keep on trying to serve him. When we fail is when we don’t come back. Then we loose what we could have had with the Lord.

5. Peter went out and wept bitterly. Tears of remorse are no substitute for tears of repentance. We will sin, but then we must repent and come back to go again with the Lord.