We are remembering those in our
midst. Let's be remembering also. Linda
is going to have some tests this week. Mike had some surgery the
day before yesterday. I'm going to ask you to take
your Bibles and turn with me to the book of Luke chapter 22. Luke 22. This is a passage of Scripture
I'd like to read, verses 61-62. This is a couple of verses here
that have always just arrested me. And I pray that the Lord be pleased. I'd like to deal with them this
morning. And I pray that God bless this message. It will be a message that I know
you that know him agree with, because by the grace of God,
I plan to be consistent to the scriptures. But I pray that the
Lord be pleased to arrest our hearts and bless the Word to
our understanding, to our comfort. Luke 22.61, and the Lord turned and looked upon Peter. And Peter
remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before
the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And Peter went out
and wept bitterly. 1 Corinthians 11.23 says that the
very night that our Lord was betrayed, he ate his supper. The institution of the Lord's
supper was made, started, begun on the very night in which our
Lord was betrayed. In Luke 22, verse 19 and 20,
it says, He took bread and gave thanks. He gave unto them, saying,
This is my body. Not literally, we know that.
This is the representation which is given for you, this do in
remembrance of me, and likewise also the cup after supper, saying,
This cup is The New Testament. Here's the fulfillment of that
everlasting covenant of grace. Here's the fulfillment of it.
In my blood, which is shed for you. Judas was there. Verse 21 says,
But behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table. He who
has always betrayed me. He who has never been faithful.
He who has never loved me. One of my own that I chose according
to God's everlasting purpose. Judas was one of the twelve apostles
and the Lord described him as a devil. But also it seems that when they
were told That the one that would betray him, continually betray
him, the realization of that fact that one of them among the
group was the one that was betraying the Lord, it perplexed the other
disciples. Verse 23 says, they began to
inquire among themselves which of them it was that should do
this thing. It seems with uninterrupted thought. They began to speak of their
own merit. Verse 24 says, There was also
a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the
greatest. The Lord told them that There's
one among you that's going to betray me." And they just started
wondering, who is it? I wonder who it could be. But
then there was also that with that thought freshly in their
minds, implanted by the Lord Himself, they started having
strife about who was the greatest among them. Here's what the strike
was all about. It's found in Mark 10, 35-37. It says, James and John, the
sons of Zebedee, came unto him, saying, Master, we would that
thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire. And he said
unto them, What would ye that I should do for you? And they
said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right
hand, and the other on thy left hand in thy glory." Now you think about that question.
They were striving about who among them was the greatest. And this was the strife. Can we be the ones that sit on
each side of you in glory? Can it be that man can be that
arrogant? Yes. That nature is in every
man born in Adam. Thinking that he himself is worthy. Worthy to sit with the Lord Jesus
Christ. Worthy to sit. Now we shall sit
with Him. But not in our worthiness. And while they were striving
about being able to have the merit to sit upon the seats with
the Lord in glory, the Lord answered them and related who He is. Look at verse 27. He asked them,
whether He is greater. He that sitteth at meat, or he
that serveth, is not he that sitteth at meat, but I am among you as he that
serveth." They were asking if they could be exalted to the
position to sit. And the Lord asked them. He said,
Consider me as the servant, as he who has humbled himself. He who came into this world made
flesh as the surety of his sheep and humbled himself to require
that all that which was demanded be laid upon him That all the
obedience that God demanded of all of God's elect, that He would
be looked to as Jehovah's Servant, the Servant of God. And heaven
and earth was His. He made it. He owned it. And in His glory as the King
of kings, as the Lord of lords, Here he is administering for
the good of his people. Now listen, I back his statement
up by Romans 8.28. All things work together for
good to them that love God, to them who are thee called according
to His purpose. But I can tell you right now,
He who is God Almighty, the King, the Lord of Lords, He who is
Jehovah's Servant, is ordering every event in this world right
now to bring about the salvation
of His elect. You want to know why? All the
mess is going on in the world. This group's raised up. We're
going to have to do this. You know why Almighty God is
ordering for the salvation of His people? You say, how can
that be? The Lord said it is. He works all things after the
counsel of His own will. What is His will? It's the Father's
will that all that the Father has given Him should come to
Him. And He that cometh to me said,
I will in no wise cast out. Well, I don't see how that could
be. That's okay that we don't see it. It's enough that He said
it is. And therefore, we can with that
thought make a joyful noise unto the Lord, that we can rejoice
in triumph, because our God reigneth in every event. He sustains and
supports His people as Jehovah's powerful servant. He who directs and maintains
He who orders. Let me ask you this, and this
is a thought that is way too high for us. We do well to not tread where
angels dare not tread. But I can tell you this, that
He is highly exalted, you know that. He sits on God's throne
because He's God. And is He not among you? That's
what he said, verse 27, last part. Am I not among you as He
that serveth? As He that serveth? Is He supporting and comforting
by His Holy Spirit right now? Are you not being kept right
now? He who sustains his people? I'm telling you, this is way
too high for us. We speak so disrespectfully of
Him. Jehovah's servant who rules and
reigns, ordering all things. And then
our Lord revealed to Peter, The trial that Peter was going
to endure. Verse 31, the Lord said, Simon,
Simon, behold, Satan hath desired... Now, to have is in italics. It
doesn't change the meaning. It's okay. Sometimes words added. to try to help really take away
from what it really meant. But this one doesn't. But if we read it without the
italics, Satan hath desired you, that he may sift you as wheat. But, verse 32, Now at that particular moment,
Satan had not actually executed and came right in and tempted
Peter. He will. He will. But at this
moment, he had not yet. But the Lord is telling Peter,
this is what's going to happen. Satan... How did the Lord know that Satan
desired Peter? He's God. He's God. He's omniscient. Almighty God knows exactly what
Satan thinks, whatever demon thinks. He knows what they're
going to do because Almighty God rules and reigns, orders
and directs. There's no struggle going on
with God. People talk of the Lord like
this is a boxing match. And we've got two opponents,
one in each corner, and when the bell rings, they're going
to come out slugging. Satan is defeated. God Almighty
rules and reigns. Satan has desired you. He hadn't yet, I said. But listen
to what our Lord said, I have prayed for thee that thy faith
fail not. I've already petitioned for you.
I've already besought Jehovah. I've already sought the Father's
will and direction. Here is God the man, Christ Jesus. He who knows all. This is our
friend right here, Neal. This is our friend. This is our
Lord. This is our husband. This is
the Master. Satan's desired you, but I've already prayed for you. Before any temptation, ever befalls,
ordered by Almighty God, directed by God Himself, before any temptation,
any trial, any chastisement, before it comes, before you ever
realized it was there. He said, I've already prayed
for you. That your faith does not stop. That your faith doesn't end. Do you know why we believe Him
this morning? Because He's prayed for us. I've
prayed for thee that thy faith fail not. And you're going to
stumble. And you're going to succumb to
the temptation. And you're going to deny Me three
times. You're going to tell Him that
in just a second. But I've prayed for you. And when you're brought
about, when you're converted, not in regeneration, but when
by the grace and power of God I bring you to yourself, and
you see, and you know, and you remember, then you strengthen
the brethren. And you relate unto them. I know how you feel. I know what
it feels like to stumble. When you cast down, the Lord
will lift you up. And Peter said unto him, verse
33, Lord, I'm ready to go with Thee both to prison and to death. You go to prison, I'm going with
You. I'll die defending You. I'll die for Your cause. And
I'm telling you, don't doubt for one second. I don't doubt
it. Peter meant it. He meant it. He meant every word
that he said. He loved the Lord. He confessed
that in the latter part of John. Lord, You know all things. You
know I love You. I'm ready. I'll die for You. I told him, verse 34, I tell
thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day before that thou
shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me. That rooster is not going to
crow until three times you say, I don't even know him. I desire no communication with
him. I don't even know the man. The Lord, after that, went to
the Mount of Olives. Verse 42 says, Our Lord began
to pray, saying, Father, if Thou be willing, remove this cup from
me. Nevertheless, not my will, but
Thine be done. That prayer is recorded in all
the Gospels. I would not even attempt to try
to plumb the depth of what our Lord, the fullness of what He
was asking. I know this. It was not that
He was asking to not die. I know that. He set His face
like a flint to the cross. the joy of the Lord in the redemption
of His people, His bride. Those that He has everlastingly
loved, that He shall, His will was that those that the Father
had given Him be with Him. That they may behold His glory
seated with Him. Seated with Him. But I know this, He did pray,
And here in contemplation of the frown of heaven, here our Lord who was, if not, was going to, if
not already, bearing the guilt of His people. I don't know when
He was made sin. I don't know. I know He was. But here our Lord contemplating
being forsaken of the Father, bearing guilt that was not His
personally, but made His, my sin, my iniquity has taken hold
upon me. And the contemplation of bearing
the guilt of His people, made sin, forsaken of the Father, that thought that I truly desire
to be respectful. Someone says, well, he's the
Lord. That's right. He's God Almighty. And here is the man, Christ Jesus,
God Himself made flesh in our Lord, and we bow as we hear those
holy words that came from His heart. Father, if Thou be willing
to remove this cup, this lot from me, Nevertheless, not my
will, but thine, be done." Oh, blessed Spirit, give me a heart
of thankfulness that He prayed that. Give me a heart that bows
before Him and says, Unto you and you alone is all the honor
and glory and praise. You that would approach the Father
for me and would in no wise do anything but bow for the sake
of your people and for your honor and glory and praise. There He
endured. and the anticipation of what
He was going to be made in Calvary. Verse 45-48, it says, when He
rose up from prayer and was come to His disciples, He found them
sleeping for sorrow. You know, as a general rule,
if you're grieved and you're sorrowful and you're hurting,
You can't sleep. Isn't that so? It's something
so deeply gripping, you just can't sleep. Here the Scripture
says that they were sleeping for or because of sorrow. Sorrow that was so deep, sorrow
that obviously The Spirit of God has revealed sorrow that
was so intense. We read that sometimes. We've read that. I have. Let
me just say it like me. I just thought, how could they
be so insensitive? There's the Lord and they're
sleeping. That's not what Scripture says.
The Scripture says they were sleeping for sorrow. And He said unto them, Why sleep
ye? They are hurting. They are hurting. Rise and pray, lest ye enter
into temptation. Why he yet spake? Behold a multitude. And he that was called Judas,
one of the twelve, went before them and drew near unto Jesus
to kiss him. But Jesus said unto him, Judas,
betrayest thou the Son of Man with a kiss?" Man is so deceitful. Trying to appear so religious,
so pious, so loving to the Lord. Judas just walked up to him and
just kissed him. This is the one. The one I kiss. Oh, how deceitful our hearts. Verse 54, And they took him,
led him, brought him into the high priest's house, and Peter
followed afar off. And when they had kindled a fire
in the midst of the halls, were sat down together, here's the
first indication there's going to be a problem. Peter sat down
among them, kept company with them, sat down. But a certain maid beheld him
as he sat by the fire. earnestly
looked on him and said, This man was also with him. And he denied him. He denied
him. He denied him, saying, Woman,
I know him not. After a little while, another
saw him and said, Thou art also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not. And about the space
of one hour after another, confidently affirmed, saying of a truth,
this fellow also was with him, for he is a Galilean. And Peter
said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet
spake, while the words were still in his mouth pat, the cock crew. And the Lord turned and looked upon him. And Peter remembered the word
of the Lord. How he said unto him, before
the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And Peter went out
and wept bitterly. Three things I want to say about
that look. Number one, it was a look of
sovereignty. Mark relates that the Lord had
told him before the cock crows twice, you'll deny me thrice. The account in Luke, the Lord
says before the cock crows, you're going to thrice deny me. No inconsistency
here. The Lord told him of his depravity. God in sovereign knowledge, omniscience,
said to him, this depraved sinner, you are going to deny me three
times. He told him before it ever happened.
Ezekiel 16.6 says, And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted
in thine own blood, Peter? The Apostle Peter? All have sinned and come short
of the glory of God. There's not an ounce of difference
between Peter and his attitude and me or you. That nature right there is in
every one of us. I'll never deny the Lord. Don't
you ever say that. By the grace of God, God's going
to keep you. But don't you ever say, I'll
never do this, I'll never do that. Here was Peter. But they've all
gone aside. They're all together filthy. That is stinking. There's none
that do it good. No, not one. There's not one. Man is ruined in the fall. You don't have a little good
in you. In Adam, every one of us stink. There's nothing good that can
be said. In me, Paul said, that is in
my flesh, there dwelleth no good thing. It was a look of sovereignty. But secondly, it was a look of
mercy. Think of the Lord if he had never
turned. If he had never looked. Just
left Peter to himself. Ezekiel 16.8 says, continuing
from 16.6, When I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thine
own blood. 16.8 says, Now when I passed
by thee and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time
of love, and I spread mine skirt over thee, and cover thy nakedness.
Yea, I swear unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith
the Lord God, and thou becamest mine." When did he do that? He ever did it. He said, I've
always loved you. I've loved you with an everlasting
love. Therefore, in loving kindness have I drawn you. The reason
that Almighty God draws His own unto Himself is because He's
always loved them. You're mine. You're mine. Here was one. All of them standing
around Peter, and there he was sitting with them, and there
was this maiden, and that man, and that man. You're one. I don't
know him. I don't know the man. Cursed. I don't know that. And the Lord looked upon him,
showed mercy to him. A sinner. This is the one that
Christ came to this world to save. Sinners. Do you thank God
that God would show you what you are? It was a look of sovereignty,
it was a look of mercy, but it was a look of power. The scripture sets forth, and
the Lord looked. He didn't say anything. He didn't
have to. The Lord looked. And Peter remembered. With that look, of sovereignty
and mercy with the power. And in the day of God's power,
Peter remembered. You know why an unbeliever doesn't
remember? Because he has no heart to remember. He's dead. Oh, the blessing of
being able to remember. This do in remembrance of me.
A man, a woman, God has given a heart to remember. And Peter
remembered what the Lord, and that look broke his heart. Went out and wept bitterly. Peter knew, this is the one who
is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity. And he has looked upon
me in mercy because Here's my substitute. Here's my mediator. Here's my advocate before God.
Here's the one that will not impute my sin to me. Surely, Peter felt like old Mephibosheth. What is thy servant that thou
shouldst look upon such a dead dog as I am. Lord, for your sake,
according to your mercy, according to your kindness, Lord, look
upon me in mercy. Lord, look not upon me in wrath.
Lord, help me. Lord, beholding something of
the frailty of my flesh, have mercy upon me for your sake and
for my good. Amen.