A lesson by Pastor John Skaggs

Sovereign Grace Baptist Church

P.O. Box 1447, Claypool, Az. 85532

520-425-8345 or 520-402-9134

Web Page: www.oocities.org/heartland/plains/3364

Email: pastorjohn@gila.net

Date: 5-30-99

Sermon Number: 143

Text: Luke 22:31-34

Christ Prays for Us

The life of a Christian is both a joyous and mournful one. We are filled with joy for many reasons, especially when we contemplate what Jesus has done on our behalf. But then we mourn at times because sin still reigns in our mortal bodies. We are tempted, tested, tried, and tormented. Sin, the flesh, and the Devil seem to surround us and those we love. Often we cry out in prayer for help and find that our Savior is on duty twenty-four hours a day. He is an ever present help in time of need. He is one who intercedes with God on behalf of all His blood bought brothers and sisters. What a precious truth this is. Jesus is the believer’s Priest. He stands between us and God. Lets look at what the Bible says about Jesus, our High Priest.

Our text today reveals our need for an intercessor who will pray effectively on our behalf. Follow with me as I read.

Here we find Jesus dealing with impetuous Peter. Peter is always ready to speak before he thinks. He is always thinking more highly of himself than he should, he is proud and pride always goes before a fall. The omniscient Christ knows Peter’s weaknesses but Peter does not. He sees only strength and determination. "I am ready to go with you to prison and to death." But in reality he was not ready at all. He was not ready to follow Christ into His suffering and he was not ready for service in the kingdom. Peter must be educated. He must know the truth about himself. He must be broken in spirit before he will be profitable to God or man. He must learn not to put confidence in the flesh but to trust only and exclusively in Jesus. The Devil is the instrument God will use to teach him the lessons he must learn. Pride goes before a fall. Another way of saying the same thing is this, "When we lift our selves up high with pride we may be certain that God is about to humble us by some means or the other."

Let’s consider the words of verse thirty-one. "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat." Here we are granted a glimpse into that place where God and spirit beings carry on in ways mysterious to us. In this case, the Devil has asked permission, indeed demanded permission to, "Sift Peter like wheat." We must pause and think about this statement. What does it mean? It means many things. It means that there is one God, not two. It means that the Devil is not God’s equal and potential conqueror, as many believe he is. It means that God is as Nebuchadnezzar described Him to be. He is on His throne doing whatever pleases Him with the inhabitants of heaven and of the earth. It means that the Devil is a created being like all other created beings and is subject to the will of Him who made us all. It means that the evil one is not free to do as he pleases in the heavens or on the earth. Rather, the Devil must have permission from God before he can touch one of God’s children! It means that even in the world of devils and demons "God works all things together for good to them that love Him and are called according to His purpose." It means that, "if God is for us not even the Devil can finally overthrow us." It means that we need to consider what is going on when we find ourselves being, "Sifted like wheat."

Some of you are being sifted like wheat at this very moment. You are being tossed about with violence by invisible forces. The situation you are presently dealing with seems to be completely out of your control. It makes you wonder, where did this come from and why must I go through this? Before this lesson ends I hope you will agree that all "sifting" ultimately comes from God and that its goal is our good, the good of others, and most importantly the glory of God.

To be sifted like wheat is to be treated with violence. When the farmer sifts his wheat, he beats it with rods, grinds it with stones, throws it up in the air, all with a specific goal in mind. That goal is to loosen the chaff or hulls on the wheat so they come to the surface, can be identified, and disposed of. Thus, the wheat is left pure and clean. The violence has done a good and profitable thing. Satan, however, has a different goal when he sifts us. His desire is to bring our chaff of sin to the surface in the form of rebellion against God. His goal is to discourage and discredit. He desires that we dishonor God. When he has accomplished all this, he has reached his goal, he has his victory. But God does not allow Satan to have his victory for long. The Bible tells us that from the beginning of every such trial God has had a good purpose in mind. Any time Satan and his helpers mess with us they mean it for evil, but God means the same demonic activity for our good.

Joseph, speaking to his murderous brothers, said, "Do not be afraid, you meant it for evil, God meant it for good." The book of Job tells us the same thing. The Devil sought God’s permission to "Sift Job like wheat" and God gave it. Yet he had to play by God’s rules. He had to reek his havoc within divine parameters. All creatures created by God have to function within certain fixed boundaries. This must be the case since they have been created for Him and are subject to His will and wishes. The Devil is no exception to the rule. Praise God! Some people will be shocked when I say, "Satan is nothing more or less than a tool in the hands of God for the sanctification of His people!" He is like a shovel in the ditch-digger’s hand. Don’t get me wrong. I do not deny that the Devil is real, or powerful, or dangerous to us but I do deny that he is in any way shape or form a threat to our God or the unfolding of His plan. Rather, he is part of the plan whether we can understand it or not, whether we like it or not.

Satan sought permission to attack Peter and it was granted. God could have said no but He said yes instead. What does this say about our natural inclination toward comfort. We think that the best thing for us is that we always be comfortable and at peace. But God thinks differently. Sometimes it is good for us to be afflicted, tried, and tested. If we are to become like Jesus we must suffer many things. Our faith must be tested, challenged, and tried. The chaff must be brought to the surface and disposed of. The dross must be brought to the top by the fires of tribulation to be skimmed off by repentance and forgiveness through grace and faith. Therefore, the wise child of God will acknowledge the necessity and benefit of suffering. King David learned this and wrote about it.

The word "affliction," as used in this passage, means to be bowed down by force. It speaks of being disturbed by violence, humbled, mistreated, oppressed, ravished, silenced, treated harshly, violated, or weakened.

What did David’s affliction consist of? I do not know. Was he sick? Is this a reference to that extended period of time when Saul sought his life? I do not know? Was this a spiritual affliction or a physical one? Was Satan involved or did God use humans to afflict him? We are not told. But we are given all the information we need to come to the following conclusions. Whatever instrument used, God was the first cause of the affliction. For David declares, "In faithfulness Thou hast afflicted me." God was behind the scenes "Sifting David like wheat." But why? Because he had went astray, David had sinned in some way. "Before I was afflicted I went astray." Then we see what the affliction accomplished for David. He says, "But now I keep thy word." This "affliction" was corrective and its goal was David’s sanctification. When the affliction had done its work David was more Christ like than before. What’s more, he knew who to thank for the whole thing. Our faithful God, who does all things for our good, had afflicted David BECAUSE he was a man after God’s own heart. God loved David, therefore, He corrected him.

God loved Peter as well although his affliction does not appear to be a corrective device for a particular sin. Rather, by this affliction God intended to open Peter’s eyes to his weaknesses. He must realize that he cannot stand for God in his own strength. Peter must see the truth about himself. He must learn that human pride is the Christian’s enemy. So, God allows Satan to sift him like wheat. Praise the Lord! You and I think that peace, health, wealth, and contentment are good for us all the time and that affliction is all bad. How unwise to think this way. We will never be Christlike if we do not share in His suffering. We will never be holy as He is holy if we do not suffer. We will always be weak if we do not suffer. We will never know ourselves if we do not suffer and more importantly we shall never know God as we should if we do not suffer with and for Him. Listen to a few related texts.

1 Peter 5:10 "And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you." Our holiness, assurance, strength, and stability all come to us through this means of grace that is suffering, trial, and testing. Let us not despise the ways of the Lord.

Sometimes the trials we go through are very hard indeed. Often when we are being sifted like wheat it seems that we will fall and never rise. But we must not be afraid. The true Christian cannot finally fall! What warrant have I to say such a thing? The words of our Lord in verse thirty-two give me this right.

(Luke 22:31-34 NASB) "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; {32} BUT I HAVE PRAYED FOR YOU, THAT YOUR FAITH MAY NOT FAIL; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers."

Oh how grateful we ought to be for our God and Savior Jesus Christ. He has it all worked out! God is glorified by our suffering. We are sanctified by our suffering and there is no possibility that our faith will completely fail in the midst of trial. Why? Because Jesus, our great High Priest, intercedes for us! Jesus says, ". . . I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail." This is a most comforting truth. I may pray for you and my prayers may not be answered but this can never be true of Jesus. He is God the Son and is in perfect harmony with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. When He prays for something it is in line with the will of God. Therefore, it will come to pass! Jesus prayed that Peter’s faith would not fail completely and it did not. Peter fell into sin but he recovered and went on to be very useful in the kingdom of God. His faith did not fail because Jesus did not want it to fail, He interceded on his behalf. The same is true of all Christians. Jesus does not desire our ultimate failure. Therefore, He prays for us and in that way preserves us to the end. Let’s listen to Christ pray for us.

The "Evil One" would have us wholly, completely, and forever, but he cannot. For Jesus has prayed, "Father, keep them from the Evil One!" Jesus has prayed for me and you, if you are a Christian. Therefore, no matter what trial comes our faith will not fail. For Jesus intends that you and I be with Him in the presence of God. He intends that we behold His glory, the glory of the only begotten Son of God. He intends that we persevere to the end by faith. My High Priest, Jesus, my Lord, wills that I be in heaven with Him and that is where I will be. Paul tells us that there is nothing anyone or anything can do about that.

(Romans 8:35-39 NASB) "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? {36} Just as it is written, "FOR THY SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED." (The Christians’s suffering on this earth may be great . . . ) {37} But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. {38} For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, (This includes the Devil himself.) {39} nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Brothers and sisters, our faith will not fail! No matter how hot the fire or difficult the trial Jesus has prayed for us and that is enough. All true believers will persevere to the end by the grace of God imparted to them through the intercessory work of Jesus Christ.

Peter did in deed deny Christ. He fell off his proud perch to discover that he had no strength and no integrity of his own. He had nothing but weak, sinful, flesh to work with and when the ingredients are bad the outcome can be nothing better. In that painful and embarrassing hour Peter’s spirit was broken. He was brought down off his high horse to stand on level ground with all other saved sinners as dependants, not contributors. Satan sifted him like wheat and the chaff came to the surface in the form of sin. He denied that he even knew Jesus, but Jesus would not deny him. In just a little while Peter was forgiven and restored. He was a better man, able to do a better work than before. It was good that he had been afflicted. But could he be proud of having survived such an ordeal? Of course not! He survived because Jesus interceded for Him. He survived because God set limits on the Devil as to how far he could go with Peter. He survived because God intended that he survive so he could help others. Hear again the word of the Lord.

Finally we learn that our suffering is not just about us. When hardship comes it is first about the glory of God, then us, then it is about others. Through suffering I am being trained to help others. My troubles and what I learn from them are to be used to strengthen my brothers. The words of 2 Corinthians 1:3-12 tell us this as well. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort; {4} who comforts us in all our affliction SO THAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO COMFORT THOSE WHO ARE IN ANY AFFLICTION WITH THE COMFORT WITH WHICH WE OURSELVES ARE COMFORTED BY GOD. {5} For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ. {6} But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer; (When I am being sifted like wheat there are always three reasons for it. One is for the glory of God, two, it is for me, and three, it is to equip me for the work of the ministry. I am to take what I have learned and comfort my brothers in need.) {7} and our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are sharers of our comfort. {8} For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; {9} indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves in order that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; {10} who delivered us from so great a peril of death, AND WILL DELIVER US, He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us, {11} you also joining in helping us through your prayers, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the favor bestowed upon us through the prayers of many."

Peter did go on to help others. He was a changed man after the denial and restoration. And he never forgot that fight with the enemy of God’s people. Likewise he never forgot the value of suffering. Lets close this lesson with words from Peter himself.

1 Peter 5:8 "Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (Peter knew this first hand. This lion had sifted him like wheat.) 9 But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished (experienced) by your brethren who are in the world. 10 And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you." Amen

Will we be sorely tried and tested in this life? There is no question about it, but, Jesus has prayed that our faith would not fail, therefore, we will be where He is. We shall behold His glory!