Introduction: Two Promises to Peter

My message today is from Luke's Gospel chapter 22, verses 31 and 32. The Lord is speaking to Peter at the Last Supper, and there are two things He says: "You will be sifted as wheat" and "When you are converted, strengthen your brethren."

Peter this night was going to be sifted. All of that self-confidence that Peter had in himself was going to be totally useless. He was going to realize that what he trusted in—his own ability—when he said to the Lord, "Though all forsake you, I will never forsake you"—all of that self-confidence was absolutely useless in spiritual warfare.

The Purpose of Sifting

But the Lord was allowing Peter to be sifted for a purpose—so that it would bring forth the wheat of his relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Peter was wheat, but there was a lot of chaff surrounding that wheat. The Lord was allowing him to be sifted so that even though he was going to fail miserably, that failure would remove the dross from the gold, would remove the chaff from the wheat, so that Peter could be the man that God wanted him to be.

Now the Lord does this in our lives. When we belong to the Lord Jesus Christ, when we are born again of the Spirit of God, then we will go through a time of sifting. We will go through trial, we will go through temptations, we will go through difficulties, even sorrows—because the Lord brings out the beauty of His life in us through these trials and difficulties and temptations.

The Trial of Faith

Paul wrote in Romans 5:3, "We glory in tribulations." You must be joking! We glory in tribulations? Yes, because it produces wonderful fruit in our life.

"That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ."

— 1 Peter 1:7

So that trial that we really would like to run away from—it has this glorious effect: it produces this wonderful faith that will be so wonderful that when Jesus comes, we will be who He has made us to be.

All Things Working Together

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."

— Romans 8:28

Why? Because everything is working so that Christ can be formed in us. Christ lives in us—we are His people—but we are being changed into the image of Jesus. And the Lord does that through trials and tribulations, difficulties, sorrows, and all of these things, but also as we feed upon the Word of God.

Job said, "Though he try me, I will come forth as gold." That's the whole purpose of this: God allows us to go through trials so that the wonderful gold of the new nature can be produced in our life.

The Disciples' Problem: Desire for Greatness

In Matthew 10, Jesus chose 12 apostles and gave them power over unclean spirits, to heal all kinds of sickness and diseases. He sent them out to preach, "The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand." They were seeing tremendous miracles—the sick healed, the dead raised, devils cast out. Even Judas was doing these things!

You couldn't see much difference between Peter or Judas, because they were both ministering in the power that Jesus had given them. They were seeing wonderful signs and wonders, and they were being very successful.

But what did this success produce in them? They were arguing amongst themselves as to who was the greatest!

"Then a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest. And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a little child and set him by Him, and said to them, 'Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me... for he who is least among you all will be great.'"

— Luke 9:46-48

True Greatness: Becoming a Servant

Even at the Last Supper, they were arguing about who would be the greatest. Jesus responded by taking a towel, wrapping it around Himself, and washing their feet.

Peter's Failure and Transformation

On that night, Peter failed miserably in his own strength. He was relying on what he could do—he thought he was able to stand. But before a young girl, he denied the Lord three times. He went out and wept bitterly. He had completely failed.

All the disciples ran. They all scattered. All their dreams and ambitions were totally put to death as they saw Jesus not just being put on trial, but being crucified.

But on the third day, Jesus rose again from the dead! On that wonderful Resurrection Day, Jesus breathed His life—resurrected life—into His disciples. All of their ambitions, all of their dreams, all of their desires for greatness had been crucified with Christ, buried with Christ. Now they were completely changed, converted, turned around—no longer trusting in their own strength.

Personal Application: Being Turned Around

In the Christian life, we can be wonderfully born again—but then chase after being a successful preacher, a successful ministry. I can say it from my own life: when I was born again at age 21, my only desire was to be a preacher of the gospel. I wanted to be successful.

But the Lord brought me to where there was almost nothing. No successful ministry. Just in love with Jesus, with the simple message of the Gospel. And then God turns us around—just like He turned Peter around.

No longer chasing after that successful ministry. No longer chasing after trying to be somebody great. Dead to trying to be a successful preacher. And then you look up ahead and say, "What am I running towards?" Running towards "that I might win Christ."

"I count all things as rubbish, that I might win Christ."

— Philippians 3:8

The Cross: Salvation and Separation

This is the gospel: Jesus died on the cross, He took your sin and my sin. When Jesus was buried, my sin was buried with Him. When He rose again from the dead, He rose for me so that I can have new life in Jesus.

But the same cross that saves me separates me from the world:

"God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom I am crucified unto the world, and it unto me."

— Galatians 6:14

I cannot be like the world and follow Jesus.