Sermon for Sunday June 13th, 2004

Staying Loyal Under Pressure by Greg Nance

Luke 22:57-71

The Lone Ranger and Tonto were being chased and had ridden their horses into a canyon with no way out when the Lone Ranger noticed that there were Indians all around them. Startled and out of options he said, “Tonto! Tonto! The Indians have surrounded us; we are in terrible trouble! What are we going to do?” Tonto replied, “What you mean, “we” white man?”

How do you handle pressures that test your loyalty and trustworthiness to the Lord?

Today’s text in Luke 22:54-71 begins with what happened to Peter when he faced the loyalty test after Jesus was arrested. Jesus had already prophesied what would happen. Peter had declared his loyalty to Jesus to the death. Peter had a great opportunity to prove himself… But Jesus knew Peter better than Peter knew himself. Let’s look at this passage together and see what we can learn about handling pressures that test our loyalty to the Lord.

The very first verse gives us a hint that Peter is having a problem. Look with me at verse 54 And having arrested Him, they led Him away, and brought Him to the house of the high priest; but Peter was following at a distance.
Look at those last three words. Where is Peter in this verse? What is his proximity to Jesus? He is close enough to see what is going on, but far enough away to feel safe. He was following… but, at a distance. Now think about Peter’s conversation with Jesus just a little while earlier this same day. Jesus had said: 31 "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."
33 And he said to Him, "Lord, I am ready to go both to prison and to death with You!"

These are bold words. There is no reason to believe that Peter doubted that he meant every one of them. But this was at a different moment and in a different place. Where was Peter when he said this? Peter is in the company of Jesus and the disciples at the Passover. Jesus has just said some troubling things about the disciples being scattered, and all the disciples are making statements about their loyalty to Jesus, with Peter leading the pack.

You know, it is one thing to declare that we will be faithful when we are in the company of believers who agree with us in faith, like here at church. It is quite another thing to be among the enemies of Jesus and make such statements. And we need to give Peter credit! When Judas came up and kissed Jesus, Peter was there, ready to fight to the death for Jesus! He grabs his knife and swings at the first person he can reach that looks like a threat to Jesus.

Can’t you just see him? Peter to the rescue! I’m not sure what things were on his mind at the moment, but retreat wasn’t one of them. If Jesus hadn’t stepped in, you can be sure Peter would have gone down fighting. But then everything took an unexpected turn! Jesus has a way of doing that, doesn’t he. But if Peter could have only given it some thought, he would remember that Jesus is acting in perfect harmony with all he has taught!

If only Jesus had more time he could have explained it all again. Peter, that “turn the other cheek” thing I told you about? Well, I meant it!!! That “love you enemies” message back on the mountain side that I taught all of you? I meant that too!
All Jesus says in Luke is a small sentence. In Greek, it makes up only three words:
The KJV says it literally. “Suffer ye thus far.” Many modern translations say something like, “No more of this!” or “Enough of this!” It’s hard to see if Jesus is talking to the crowd that has come to arrest him, or his disciples, or maybe both. But one thing is clear, Jesus wants Peter to put up his sword and he is willing to be turned over to those who have come out to get him.

Matthew gives a fuller account: Mat 26:52 Then Jesus said^ to him, "Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword.
53 "Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?
54 "How then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen this way?"
55 At that time Jesus said to the multitudes, "Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me as against a robber? Every day I used to sit in the temple teaching and you did not seize Me.
56 "But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets may be fulfilled." Then all the disciples left Him and fled.

I love Jesus so much! He’s the same way whether he’s in a storm or calm. He doesn’t fluctuate according to the social climate. What he says about love and kindness in the safety of the company of his disciples, he stands for when his enemies rush in to arrest him and kill him. Jesus doesn’t change. He’s the same loving Savior yet. How I want to be more like him! I’m sure that deep down inside, Peter did too.

But Peter has some more growing to do. Aren’t you glad that Jesus loved and put up with Peter even when he knew he was weak? I don’t know about you, but I need that. Now the last thing any of us should do is use this as an excuse! That’s not the point here at all. But I’m getting ahead of the account. After Peter put up his sword, he did the only thing else he knew how to do. He ran. We find out in John’s gospel that Peter is not a very fast runner, at least not as fast as John, but he can get up and go when he has to, and right at this moment, he has to. He didn’t run too far, but far enough to get to safety.
His mind must have been clouded with confusion and disturbed by lack of options. He’s a little like Tonto. He’s in company with the one they are trying to kill, and he’s not allowed to protect him in any way he can figure out. So he follows… but at a distance. Little does Peter know that there are more dangers in being at a distance than there are if he were to stand right beside Jesus.

When following Jesus is popular, it is easier to look normal and confess faith in Christ. It’s much more comfortable to be a cool Christian. But when following Jesus is unpopular, it is a lot harder. Jesus has given us standards to live by that are unmatched anywhere. They come from God and they reflect his holiness. Jesus is absolutely uncompromising about them. Sometimes these standards embarrass us in our world. The world is singing a tune and even if we don’t sing together it is very tempting to harmonize.

The farther you get from Jesus, the harder it is to hear heaven’s song. The music of heaven fades and the noise of the world grows when you follow at a distance. It was here, at a distance that Peter was vulnerable. He’s not only at a distance, but he’s out of the company of other disciples and in the wrong crowd. Double trouble!


Distance from Jesus and lack of fellowship can do bad things to God’s people. Men on business trips, Christian men, going 200 miles from home can feel like they are 200,000 miles from God. Some time ago I read a Christian magazine article about the dangers of pornography and sexual immorality for men who confess Christ. These sins are easy to fall into especially when we are away from home and away from Christian support and fellowship. Satan desires to sift you as wheat. Jesus taught us to pray, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

Now that Peter is at a distance look at what happens next. Luke 22:55 Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them.

Psalm 1 says, “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of mockers.” In other words God’s blessings come on those that avoid these places.

It is cool outside in the late night air. A fire sure would be nice. Somebody makes one and a group gathers and sits together around it. Peter joins them. Where is Jesus during all this? What is happening? The gospel of Matthew gives us a lot more detail again. Evidently, Jesus is close enough to see Peter, because the little extra detail Luke adds tells us that when the rooster crows Jesus turns and looks at Peter.

So Peter sits at the fire warming himself while in the background Jesus is being accused and abused by his enemies. Why doesn’t Peter rush to Jesus’ defense? How can he sit there around a comfortable campfire and let them do this to his Lord and Master?

Peter silently denied Jesus first, before he verbally denied him. That’s part of the process that leads to open denial of faith and relationship to Jesus. Get at a distance, get in the wrong crowd, keep your faith to yourself, and you are set up for to openly deny what you believe. Isn’t that what happened to Peter?

Let’s read the rest of the text again.

Luke 22:56 And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, "This man was also with Him."
57 But he denied Him, saying, "Woman, I do not know Him."
58 And after a little while another saw him and said, "You also are of them." But Peter said, "Man, I am not!"
59 Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, "Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean."
60 But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are saying!" Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.
61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times."
62 So Peter went out and wept bitterly.

So how do you handle pressures that test your loyalty and trustworthiness to the Lord?

Reverse the process that got Peter into trouble.
Number 1: Stay close to Jesus!
Number 2: Stay close to faithful believers!
Number 3: Keep confessing your faith!

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you shall be saved! Romans 10:9

Keep on saying it! Don’t stop confessing faith in Jesus Christ! Say it! I believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God! He is the Lord! Say it with me… I believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God! He is the Lord! Again: I believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God! He is the Lord! One more time: I believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God! He is the Lord!

Tell that to everyone you can today. Along with continuing earnestly in prayer being vigilant in it with thanksgiving, Col. 4:2, Let us also: Confess Jesus Christ before men so that he will confess your name before the Father in heaven! Matt. 10:32-33