TGIF
Pastor Don gave an excellent sermon last Sunday in which he spoke of the impact of the devil (Satan) on our world. He reminded us that Satan is always pursuing us and we need to keep our guard up against him always.
I then heard a comment this week about how we can expect to be sifted like wheat by Satan, and we need to overcome such trials. So I have investigated this topic further and discovered the following. First, we see that Jesus warned Simon (also known as Peter) just before His crucifixion of exactly this issue and that Simon would deny Him soon.
Luke 22:31-34 – “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded to sift you men like wheat; 32 but I have prayed for you, that your faith will not fail; and you, when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” 33 But he said to Him, “Lord, I am ready to go with You both to prison and to death!” 34 But He said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me.”
I found a powerful description of this scripture online from Pastor Barbara Mosher (you can Google her if you want to learn more about her), so will simply share her words with you below.
Peter. The big fisherman. Physically strong. A hard-working man. A man able to withstand the storms at sea.
Peter. The loyal one. The steadfast one. He would never, never cave in. He would fight if necessary. He would go with Jesus even to the death. The man of integrity.
Let’s look at Peter’s history. He was the man who took a risk and stepped out of the boat to walk on the water during a storm, when Jesus beckoned to him.
Peter was the one, who with James and John on the mountaintop, saw the glorification of Jesus. Peter was ready to put up some shelters so they could stay there. Peter, who had such a wonderful friendship with Jesus.
What happened to Peter? We see him now, weeping bitterly because he publicly denied knowing Christ. He let Jesus down. Right within Jesus’ hearing distance he swore that he didn’t know him. In Jesus’ hour of need, Peter wasn’t there for him. What happened?
In Luke’s gospel account we read that earlier Jesus had warned Peter. Calling him by his given name, Jesus had said, “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat.” In other words, “You’re going to be run through the sifter, Peter. You’re going to be shaken up and bounced around. You’re going to go through an ordeal. To sift as wheat means to separate the grain from the chaff. You’re going to find out what’s in you, Peter!” Oh, oh!
Every Sunday we pray to God, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (from the evil one). I don’t want to be sifted by temptation, do you? It’s a terrible experience.
Jesus doesn’t say to Peter (and he doesn’t say to us), “I won’t let this happen to you.” Instead, Jesus says, “But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” That tells Peter that indeed he will fall away for a time. Jesus even tells him the form it will take: “Peter, this very night you will disown me three times before the cock crows.” What could be clearer? But Peter can’t see himself ever doing that.
The reason that Peter was allowed to be sifted by Satan, and the reason we are, even as Christians, is so that we’ll know where our weaknesses are. We’ll know first-hand the temptations to which we are susceptible.
If God is ever going to use us to further his kingdom on this Earth, we need to know what our weaknesses are (which may be different than what we think they might be). And we need to know that only by the grace of God will we be over-comers, and usable to him, and that not by our own merit.
The sifting is done to refine us. In this process we see what we’re made of. We may find that our weakness is in the area of money (greed), or illicit sex (egotistical flattery), or caring about public opinion (pride), or self-interest or whatever. Or, as in the case of Peter, an inflated idea of his own integrity: “I will never fall away.” Let’s not be so sure of our own righteousness, our own integrity. Any given situation may prove us lacking.
Sometimes God sifts us. Sometimes God sifts his churches, so that true believers may be separated from false. A return to true worship will result from it.
Sometimes God sifts the nations. [NOTE: Is our nation being sifted right now?]
Sifting is always done to show us the truth, and to bring us to remorse, followed by our repentance.
After Peter is sifted he goes outside and weeps bitterly. His pride is slashed to bits. He is a humbled man, awaiting the verdict.
Will Jesus hate him for being a coward?
Will Jesus disown him for his lack of loyalty at a time when it was needed so badly?
Will Jesus forever see Peter as a weak and unreliable man, and set him aside?
We cannot separate ourselves from Peter. We sin. We cause God grief. We are sorrowful when we see our sin. We repent. Perhaps we go out in the alley and weep.
But Jesus does not leave Peter. Nor does he leave us. It is no small thing that at the resurrection the very first words carried a message for Peter, that Christ was going ahead and would see him in Galilee. At that joyful meeting Peter is reinstated by Jesus! “Feed my sheep.” Are you being sifted? Keep the faith. Have hope. It’s a learning process, a strengthening process. God isn’t done with you yet.
I hope you found this message helpful to you in your current walk with God, as I have. We certainly need our Godly strength and to keep our Christian wits about us as we go through the current trials throughout our country and world.