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Bro. Otis Fisher
Turning your Bibles to Luke 22 31. Myron, I'm glad you're here. Does Satan lay ambushes for a person?
Does Satan lay ambushes for a person? I don't know what I'd say on that question. Perhaps say yes.
Behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat. Now what do we learn from this? David, what's the first thing that jumps out at you in that verse? Where did you find that in that verse?
All right. Russell, are you here? What do you see in that verse? All right. Now let's see. John, what do you see? Well, we've got to always think about the ambush that Satan lays for us, to toss us, to scatter us, to cast us out.
He tells Peter that while you're contending for supremacy, Satan is endeavoring to destroy you all. Now, he had gotten one of them, and who was that, Debbie? Judas. But Jesus tells them, I have prayed for thee as being in the most danger.
It was Simon that was the most outspoken. It was Simon that was closest to being destroyed. But Satan has desired you, that is all of the apostles, but particularly the three contenders. Now they were contending, we see in the previous verses, they were wondering who was going to be the greatest.
You know, the apostles didn't. Didn't get the picture. Of course, they didn't have the Holy Spirit yet, but they were contending to see which one of them would be the greatest in the coming kingdom. I suppose they assumed as any other king would set up his earthly kingdom, he'd have this one in this head and this one in another head office and another one.
But it wasn't so with Christ. Satan had already got Judas, we said, and he'd nearly got another, Peter, and he wished to have them all. But the greatest thing that I see in that verse, you have mentioned that no matter how much he tempts you, he cannot even tempt you unless he gets permission from the Lord.
So the Lord has sent the temptation. Why is it, Myron, that we try our best to avoid temptations, to get out of temptations, to not work in this area because it isn't good for me? Why do we always go at it like that?
Instead of saying this is good, I'm going to find the good in it and work my way through it. And why is that? It's just natural. It just comes as part of me to not look at the good that can come from this.
Now after it's all over, I can look back on my life. I can tie it together. I can see how being in the hospital and dying on the operating table and everything that I went through, the pain, the misery that I caused the folks and I underwent myself, that was all good.
But boy, you couldn't have convinced me it was good at the time. But I can look back and I can see that it was good. So if that was good, then how can anything bad happen to me? Thirty-two. But I have prayed for thee.
Boy, oh boy. I have prayed for thee. I have talked to the Heavenly Father concerning you. That thy faith fail not, and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. So the Lord knew what was ahead of Peter.
He also knew that if he had allowed the disciples in one of the Gospels, he says, if you're seeking me, let these go their way. He said that because he knew that if they underwent what he was undergoing or was going to undergo, they would turn their back on him.
So he didn't allow them to get into that position. That tells me that he governs the sins that we do commit. Well, he told Peter, while he interceded for the Apostle, he offers a special prayer for Peter.
Fail not, not utterly fail. But when weakened, revive again and become triumphant, converted, turn from thy sin. Jesus Christ is acquainted with all of the dangers of his people and guards them, that when they fail, they may rise again and be forever victorious over all of their foes.
That's what lies ahead. That's where we're headed. And that's where we're going to go. Now, please note, in all of this conversation, he did not pray thus for Judas. He said, that that you're going to do, do quickly.
Now, why didn't he pray for him? That's right. A simple matter, he didn't, he wasn't one of his. And he said unto them, Lord, I'm ready to go with thee both to prison and to death. But the Lord wouldn't let him go.
Peter's resolution to accompany Christ both to prison and to death was holy and good. It was a righteous thing for him to do. But it was too confident, too self-opinionated in his own ability. Self-confidence is a sin.
Also, to the holiest and best of men. Little did Peter think what a feather he should be in the wind of temptation. If once God left him go, he thought he could withstand anything and everything. And I think Peter thought he could.
And he was willing to try. But God didn't allow him to try. I'm so glad that he has kept me from trying in many endeavors. He's kept each of you from trying, from going down that path. How hard a matter is it for a Christian to excel in gifts and not to be overconfident?
To see a man eminent in gifts yet exemplary in humility is a rare, rare sight. If we stand in the evil day, it is a humble fear of falling that must enable us to stand. But we will not be able to stand unless we're afraid of falling.
And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me. And this was the strangest thing to Peter. He probably thought to himself, you don't know what you're talking about.
And he said unto them, when I sent you without purse and script and shoes, did you lack anything? They said, nothing. Did not God fully provide for you? He refers to this to convince them that his words were true.
That their past experience should lead them to put confidence in him, in God. Does our past experience give us enough confidence to trust God for the next step? We say, yes. And I wonder. I wonder about myself.
Have I got enough confidence and enough assurance in God to put down the uplifted foot? I think not most of the time. Then said he unto them, but now he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his script.
And he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one. The Savior says that the times are changing. They're not going to be here to protect you and lead you. I won't be around, and the times are changing.
Believe you me, they are changing today. And we can see it. Before, when he sent them out, it was just for a little time. They went into their own country. Their journey would be short. There was no need for that they should make preparation for a long absence or encountering great dangers.
But now they were to go into the wide world among strangers, trials, dangers, and wants. And as the time was near, as he was about to die, as these dangers pressed on, it was proper that they should make provision for what was before them.
He had to get them ready. He was going to die. He knew he was going to die. They did not believe it. Now, they may have said yes. They may have voiced yes, but they really didn't understand it. I'm so glad that it was brought out this morning that in the world we believe first.
I mean, we have to see first, then we believe. But in the scripture, in the spiritual world, you believe, then you understand. For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me.
And he was reckoned among the transgressors, for the things concerning me have an end. Things concerning me on earth, in my physical body, they have an end to them. I want to stop there. We'll start with 38 next week.
Is there anything anybody would like to say?
There is. It is not hard for me. We may not finish this job. But it is a strong, strong wish. I want to say a little about our work today. Please stay here. I think you will understand. I encourage you.