SIFTING FAITH
Text: Mark 14:66-72
Mark 14:26-31 King James Version (KJV)
26 And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.
27 And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.
28 But after that I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee.
29 But Peter said unto him, Although all shall be offended, yet will not I.
30 And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice.
31 But he spake the more vehemently, If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise. Likewise also said they all.
Mark 14:66-72 King James Version (KJV)
66 And as Peter was beneath in the palace, there cometh one of the maids of the high priest:
67 And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked upon him, and said, And thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth.
68 But he denied, saying, I know not, neither understand I what thou sayest. And he went out into the porch; and the cock crew.
69 And a maid saw him again, and began to say to them that stood by, This is one of them.
70 And he denied it again. And a little after, they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely thou art one of them: for thou art a Galilaean, and thy speech agreeth thereto.
71 But he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this man of whom ye speak.
72 And the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept.
Luke 22:31-34 King James Version (KJV)
31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.
33 And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.
34 And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.
1. Satan’s Desire (Lk 22:31-32)
Two things:
1) Sifting the disciples
- v. 31 – The two “yous” are plural. Satan wants to sift all the disciples.
- What does that mean? Satan wanted to separate these men from their
v. 32 – I have prayed for you that your faith fail not.
Satan wanted to sift Peter (and the others) like wheat.
Charles Stanley – “Vigorous shaking is required to separate wheat kernels from debris. The Enemy wanted to shake Peter’s faith hard in hopes that he’d fall away from Jesus like chaff.”
The sifting of Simon Peter and the others was Satan’s effort to destroy their faith. And this remains Satan’s main goal today.
- It is relatively unimportant to Satan whether we are healthy or sick, rich or poor; what he wants is to sift out our is faith.
- If he can do it by suffering, he will try that; if he can do it by wealth, he will try that. Peter learned a good lesson that night.
2) Demanding
- “Simon, Satan has desired to sift you all as wheat…”
- To whom was the demand made? God the Father.
2. Jesus’ Prayer (Lk 22:32)
- “Simon (singular) I have prayed for you (singular).”
Charles Spurgeon
What is the great protection of our faith? Our Savior’s intercession! Prayer is always good, it is always a blessed thing, but notice that great letter-word in the text, “I have prayed for you.”
It is the intercession of
Jesus’ prayer for Peter was in direct opposition to Satan’s desired permission.
- Satan demands permission to sift in order to cause Peter’s faith to fail.
Jesus prays in direct opposition so that Peter’s faith fail not.
And note this: Jesus gives the promise of success of his prayer: When you are converted strengthen your brethren.
3. Simon’s Failure (Mk 14:29-31, 66-72)
- In the garden, Peter would pull out a sword and stand against an army.
Around the fire, Peter melts in the face of a servant girl’s interrogation.
Peter is asked three times about knowing Jesus. Three times Peter denies that he has any knowledge or association with Him.
- Upon the third denial, the rooster crows. In that moment Peter remembered the words of Jesus, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.”
- Peter went out and wept bitterly.
- His faith failed in
4. Our Learning
Peter failed. Now what? What would he do? What can we learn from his failure? What would he learn?
1) Satan is gunning for us, but God is
- There is only one supreme force in the universe, not two.
2) When you feel yourself being sifted, you are there because God granted permission to Satan to sift you.
1 Cor. 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
3) God has something different in mind for your sifting.
If God
Satan sought to sift Peter’s faith, i.e. separate Peter from his faith. God allowed this sifting, not so Satan could separate Peter from his faith, but so that Peter’s arrogance could be sifted from him.
- In the end Peter gained a confident faith in Christ instead of a self-confidence in Peter.
Application:
What do we do with our failure?
1) Let it drive
2) Use it to strengthen and encourage
- I share my failure and lessons learned to help prevent failure in someone else.
I share my failure and lessons learned to help restore someone else experiencing failure.
Our failure uniquely qualifies us to encourage, minister to, strengthen, and to help someone else from failing or to help, encourage, strengthen someone who has failed.
Failure isn’t