Good evening. God bless you. Thank you so much for joining us this evening, wherever you are. God bless you and strengthen in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. Good to have you with us. Wherever you all across the earth this evening. The sun is just disappearing over the top for the studio window where you can see the bottom of the screen now you could just see the sun shining through reflected through one of the windows stroke, wherever you are, out the shower. Just be a much member Jesus Christ. Thank you so much for that you're joining us. Wherever you are. We just gather around the word of God for a few moments. Little bit longer than a few moments. Brian limit Jesus, you can find us on iHeartRadio can find on Buzzsprout, Spotify, and many other social platforms. Amazon music, which is waiting for those that are just hopping on live the second Yes, I can see you. God bless you too. Thank you so much in the mighty name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit and all those that capture this broadcast across the world. We thank God for your lives. In the mighty name of Jesus Christ. As I've just said, we're going to be turning to the book of Luke chapter 22. Luke chapter 22. Let's turn to Luke chapter 22 Verse 31. And we will see where we go from there. So we're in verse 31. And we'll go to the end of roundabout verse 34 As we just take our time, and just take it steady this evening, I just keeping my eyes on the socials and on the computer there making sure everything's right just as we get in. And for all those that have been with us for three years or more. Through lockdown has been broadcasting. And as we've been podcast in America, it's been going on here, through the live stream servicing. We thank you so much that you've been with us all the way through. And we've just pushed over the 310 podcasts that have come out of this house with many people have been sharing what God has been placing on their heart, and we thank God for everyone that listens, and everybody that shares that, then podcasts out so wherever you are, may God bless you tonight. Whatever your timezone is, is 736, roughly here, within the UK, wherever you may be doing whenever you are capturing this broadcast. I thank God for your life because God is with you. And in verse 31, verse 31, of Luke, chapter 22, we'll just give it a couple of moments just as people are coming online. And I can see the activity that's happening there. We're in a really, I would say, a peaceful part of the text, even though it reads quite heavy at first, and we think Wow, that's some serious spiritual pressure. That is a that is a serious spiritual awakening, as we look, and in verse 31, that Christ's and Simon have a small conversation of what Satan wants to do and how he wants to do that. But what I find absolutely beautiful in a roundabout way, is that Christ does not reject him at all. He speaks in a way he speaks in a in an understanding that, that when you come back when you come back when you come back, so Christ knows that there may be times in our lives where something may happen, an incident comes around, there's a denial, there's, there's a sinful moment, there's a moment of of failing is a moment of upset there's a moment of, of anger or frustration. There's a moment of the courtyard experience that we'll see in a few moments in the text that we're in, where I say I may verbalize the rejection of Christ, but actually my heart is still connected. I find this very competent, but I'm going to read this part of the text first verse 31, of Luke chapter 20. Turn I hope you can hear me okay. And I can I believe that you can it is Simon Simon, Satan has asked to sift you all as wheat but I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fall. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers, but he replied, Lord, I'm ready to go with you to be put into prison and to death. Jesus answered. I tell you the truth, Peter, when the rooster crows today you will deny me three times when you deny me three times that you knew me. Really interesting text that we're in here because here we have the verbalization here we have the the Speak impression here we have the human being If we look at Simon Simon Peter, who Christ says, upon you, I will, I will use I will, you will be the instrument I upon you, I will build the church and I will do what I'm going to do. So when we look at the text that we're in here, there may be many of us that can put ourselves in the stretch of life. And as we was looking at Monday evening, you know, the Bible says, Do not forget the Lord thy God. It's not so much my heart forgets God, it's not so much the innermost part of me forgets the living Messiah, it's my lips, it's my actions, it's my focal point. It's the issues in the day is a pressures at work, it is just the circle of life. And what I find absolutely beyond human expression, and human verbalization. And understanding in wording is that we have or I'm going to use me, I'll use me as, as the as the model here as in what what I feel happens. And please correct me if you think that this is wrong, I speak Lord, I will not deny you, Lord, I will not deny your Lord, I love you, I will go to prison, I will I will go to death for you. And then something happens in the circle of living, something comes around us, over us, upon us in us and whatever that may be the circumstance of life, I will put it this the circle of living just just the general understanding that we are humanity that we are human beings, saved by grace. So whether it's work, whether it's family, whether it's relationships, whether it's children, whether it's frustration, whether it's unforgiveness, whatever it may be, when I look at this text, I draw a lot of comfort, because what this what this tells me something where it tells me rather very clearly, is that I can verbalize God, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you God, yes, Jesus, I will, I will go and I will not leave you are how can you say that Lord I, I will go to prison, I will go to death with you for you. But then the realization and the understanding of when my back is against the wall, something happens. It is very easy for almost a Darwinistic approach of humanity, or it's like survival of the fittest I, my back is in an up against the wall i i think i've got to be careful how and what I say. So when when we bring this whole story together, I just want to lay out across this table at this moment. Here we have Simon Simon, let's just start the first anyway, there's Simon Simon Satan's asked to sift all of you. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith or may not fail. So there's a difference between faith and love. So when we're looking at Faith, faith, we understand is the just shall live by faith. So Faith is an expression through the human being. And I will go a bit further to say the Christian, the Bible believing believer that the just shall live by faith. So I'm trying to live by faith. I'm trying to walk. In the words of Christ, I'm struggling trying to walk in, in God's book, I'm trying to live and to do everything that the Bible that the word of God tells me. But as a human being, I have failings I have idiosyncrasies, I have trip points, I have hazardous points. The Bible makes it very clear says watch out for the snare layers, you know, there'll be people out there somewhere in the circle of life, wherever that may be trying to last snare out for you and and all the stuff that goes along with the general issue of being a human being, but being a brother or sister in Christ, walking with the King of kings and the Lord of lords. But what I'm just trying to get to tonight, I'm going to say is very quickly is that nothing can separate from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. I believe that we are living in very spiritual and very critical times within the framework of the UK. And as a believer, I honestly believe that as we journey together, whatever church wherever we sit wherever we walk, in the way of wherever we worship, if we are if I am a real Bible believing believer, now nothing has nothing to do with lifestyle choices. But this is bringing something else into the arena of discussion and into the the arena of life of my faith. And my love for Christ are two different areas. I love him I love God, I love the Father, Son, the Holy Spirit. We know how and why we love the King of kings and the Lord of lords. But then Christ also talks about faith. And he says when you when you come back to there is not a separation of the love of Christ. There is never a separation of the love of God we can never be separated. But sometimes culture life circumstances, issues, trials, tribulations, the stress, the fear of living, something might derail us from a moment in time, where we almost deny by him, but he already knows that Simon Simon Peter is going to deny him. But what I want to get to is that Christ never rejects us. Because we were saved before, I would say that my rejection through my understanding and through my lip service, and through my action has just shown very clearly through this physical attitude of me. And my understanding that I have rejected Christ in one way or another, not rejected His love. But that this is this is quite a fine line. And I'm not saying that I have rejected him. But there may be a circumstance in life where fear comes in and is overtaken, it accelerates our innermost being. And it's almost like a fight and flight mode where something happens, the adrenaline kicks in, something has gone wrong, and it's almost not a denial. But even but even when you look at Simon Simon, Jesus actually said, you will deny me when the rooster crow so there is a there is a denial there is there is a point there is a I would say as the scripture says there is a fire been exercise for many of us. And can't Can we read this text if we if we read this text, but what I want to try and get to tonight is that Christ never rejects me, or Christ never rejects you. Whatever our situation is, whatever our upbringing, whatever our lifestyle may be, whatever it is, Christ never rejects us. And here we have a biblical fact, in the text that we are in tonight in Luke chapter 22. When Christ is telling him before his physical being as as acted in such a way, and he has verbalized clearly the rejection, through his vocabulary also through his physical action. But in before the wrestle, in the courtyard around the fire, Ben we've conversation and dialogue, before he was he was wrestling all that when it was just him and Christ and the disciples, he was full of faith, he was full of everything, I will, I will go, I will do this for you, I will die for you, I will wrestle with you, I will do this, and I will do everything for you, I will not, but Jesus knows our circumstances, Jesus knows our action before the action has actually been executed in our lives. So when I look at verse 31, Jesus is emphasizing his name, Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you all as wheat. So all of them in the arena, Satan has asked that I want I want them, I'm going to sift them. But Jesus doesn't say to Satan, he doesn't come back and he goes, No, you're not touching him. What's interesting in the scripture that we're in, it says, But I have prayed for you, that when you turn back so there comes a point, can I be completely honest and open? And can we be honest and open with ourselves and with myself? There is there are times in my life where my physical action and my verbalization and my, my speech doesn't line up with what my heart is feeling. So there are so when you look at a human being, there is mind, body, spirit and soul. So we have the thinking, we have the revelation through the spiritual knee, we have the soul the innermost being of someone we have the physical attributes, the physical skillsets, the physical press online, that is, that is that is around us as human beings. So we, so we are human beings, we are human beings, we are saved by grace, we all failed to the full measure of the glory of God. But there may be circumstances that we may have done that we may be approaching that has happened. We may be struggling with unforgiveness, we may be struggling with anger issues, we may be struggling with the pride of life we may be struggling with so many areas of life. And when we and when I'm going to say I when I'm praying to Lord, Lord, I thought Father, I thank you for today, Lord, that no weapon formed against me shall prosper. Lord, I thank you for your word. You strength for me, Lord, you hold me you carry me. Yes, Lord, no matter what happens, Lord, I'm going to stand for you today. I'm on this rock Lord and nothing's going to shake me and then something happens in the in the humdrum of life. Something happens just maybe fear comes in maybe there's a challenge. Maybe we're challenged in the workplace. Now that's that is a good area to look at that the workplace this, it seems to be and it has been for a long time that certain areas of work seems to push and try to squeeze Christianity out even certain areas of education and certain lifestyles and, and certain presses and certain ways that we walk tries through general living to push Christianity out. So for those that work in a really hard work environment, trying to express yourself as a believer, you may understand what I'm saying, to let your colleagues to let know Those that are around you know that you are a true child of the living God can be quite a hard thing to do. So I've experienced that. I'm not worried about talking about it. I've had a fire been experience. What do you mean a fire been experience? Well, if we look at this text down a little bit further, so I'm bouncing backwards and forwards. We have just read a part of that tax rate as Simon Simon, Satan is asked to sift you as wheat but I've prayed for you, Simon, that your faith will not fail. Christ is not talking about love, because we love him. We love him unconditionally, and nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. So there is nothing in this world that can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus, but maybe some lifestyle choices maybe some verbalize in some maybe some action maybe some certain press on life, makes it look like that I have denied him I've had a fire been experience I've I've been my back has been against a wall saying as happen, denying Christ through actions through verbalization. Even Simon Simon Peter, he says when you turn back he says, I know, I know that you are going to deny me No Lord, no Lord, no Lord. But what I love is that Christ never rejects. Christ never rejects. This is a very deep a very, very test in a very stretch in text tonight to know that my actions my lifestyle, good lifestyle choices, bad lifestyle choices. Yes, Lord, no your Lord. Thank You, Jesus. Not sure Lord, my backs against the wall as a trial or tribulation. Fear has jumped in. I know what you're saying. The scripture says perfect love drives out all fear. In the Gospel of John, I get that perfect love drives out all fear. But then I got to know who I am in Christ. So there is a lot to this Christianity. It's not about just me going to church jumping up and down and praising Jesus, hallelujah, praise the Lord. It's about walking with him. It's about my prayer. Life is about my study time. It's about me just living as a believer, but I will foul I will let him down because I am a human being. But by the grace of God and His mercy and His unconditional love, he saves us he's washed us in the blood of Jesus by the power of redemption. So maybe we we may be able to put ourselves into just a rhetorical question, maybe we we might be able to put ourselves in a fire bin experience. So when we look at this text, firstly, we understand that Satan wants to sift all of them. But Jesus says, I have prayed for you that when you come back, so there is a clear understanding in the dialogue in the conversation between Christ and the disciple, I know that you are going to fail in the action and in the verbalization. But when you come back, so there's no rejection from Christ. Christ knows all things because if we look in the Scripture, it says God knows the beginning from the end, the end from the beginning. So God knows all things, he created all things. We are blessed and highly favored, wonderfully and fearfully made, we are grafted in. That's what the New Testament says we are grafted in, and we are joined, and nothing can separate us from the love of God. But maybe there are areas in my life where I deny Him, not through verbalizing, but maybe through living through lifestyle choices, for frustrations for annoyance, whatever it may be, there are there are certain areas of life that we will struggle with. The great New Testament writer, wrote very clearly says Three times I pleaded with the Lord, that they will take it away from me, but he says My grace is sufficient. So his grace is greater than the area or the element or the issue that we are praying for to be taken. So that said, God's grace comes over and arches over and wraps over around that, then his grace gives us the strength to go through. So when we get strength, then we get endurance. But when you look at the scripture that we're in here, there is a clear denial of this. We know this is three times because we're very familiar with the text. You know, we're quite schooled in so I believe we're, we're not just looking on the social making sure you're still out of power cut in the name of Jesus. So when we look at this scripture that we're in, there is an action of denying Christ. There is an action in the conversation with Christ and Simon, saying, I will not but his body and his lifestyle has made a clear cut decision that what my attitude is and what I do and how I say and what I'm going to do now is a clear understanding that I have denied him. So when we come up into this tech now let's let's quickly jump down to verse 54. First 54 of Luke two Need to. There's so much in this and I'm trying to take my time. I'm just trying to relax in this tech but my, I want to gallop I want to I want to race ahead because this is just really encouraging. But I've got I'm learning to speak different, I'm learning to walk different. I'm learning to just to verbalize very different. So in first 54, of Luke chapter 22 says, Then they seized him, they led him away and took him to the high priests house, pizza followed at a distance that is very significant. The way the writer writes this text, the way the synoptic writer writes the way Luke writes this, and he presents this to us as Bible believing believers. He says Peter followed him at a distance. So if we go back to what we was looking at, in verse 31, there is a conversation between Christ and Simon, Simon Peter, and he's very clear, I will not I will not I will not Jesus says, you will, you will, I know you will. I have prayed for you. And when you come back, so there's a practical experience happening on the page, there is Christ is speaking about our practical experience before the physical was actually gone in to the future. And before, so the physical hasn't even committed the denial. And Christ hasn't rejected the denial, even though Christ knows all things. And He is before all things and all things consist. And he holds all things together, even though he knows all things, there is not a rejection of Christ. To his disciple, he is speaking to him that I have prayed for you, that when you come back, and then the then he writes, I'm not I'm not gonna deny you. And Christ is seen very clearly in his writings and his expression, he says, And when you come back, when you come back, and when you come back, so if there's anyone out there tonight, that is in this arena, whether you're in this posture at this moment, in this position of going, God, I'm going to follow you no matter what Lord, I will not deny you, I love you, Jesus, I love you to the very end of this age, Lord, I love you, Lord is nothing more I want to do is just to follow. Because when we say I am a follower of follower of Jesus, I am a disciple of Christ, suddenly, it froze open so much. The hardest thing that I've ever done in my life is to be a believer, a Bible believing believer not to believe, because the Scripture says, just believe, the Scripture says that just shall live by faith, but is to live in a world that is completely Darwinistic. And it is very humanistic as well. When you look within the UK, it is very for self. The leaders that run the nation, the leaders in certain areas of certain departments of this nation, are very Darwinistic in the way that they approach because it's trample on whoever, the survival of the fittest, we don't worry, and we're not worried about you, because we are the elite, and we will trample on whoever we will. So there's a very Darwinistic approach, and this nation is a very humanistic approach and this nation, and amongst the threat of that and the spoke of life, also there is a clear understanding that there is an occultic vibe of feeling as well, which is a very dangerous, so when you've got those layers running together, you've got the humanistic side, and then you've got the occultic side, and then you've got the Masonic realm as well. And then almost, you've got the Darwinistic approach of, I'll trample on whoever to get whatever I'm going to do, and to see whatever I can get and doesn't matter who's beneath me. I'm just going to take whatever I can take, we find ourselves in a in a very awkward land that he's that he's very, very twisted and, and knocked around. So whoever you are, and wherever you are tonight, across this nation or across this world, I asked you, I really urge you to follow Jesus like never before. But maybe just maybe tonight, there might be many sitting around the fire bin. So I've mentioned that about four times. So what do you mean the fire bin? Well, the fire being cut is a very important part of this text. It says then they seized them and they took them away. And in verse 54, of Luke chapter 22. It says Peter followed at a distance, really important followed him at a distance. There are many following Jesus at a distance, why would I follow him at a distance? Well, if I was in that, if I was in that thread of Christ existence at that time, I would probably be following Christ at a distance because of the fear and the uncertainty of what was going to happen. Although we have the full stretch of the text, we have the full New Testament and it was being written as these disciples and as Christ lived out moment by moment, and as they walked as they walked near life as they lived their lives, as miracles happened as the feeding of the 5000, as the crucifixion, as everything was unfolding, as they, as it was being unfolded by their stretch on life, and as they lived, and as they walked, and as their physical them, presented themselves to each other, suddenly, as they live like that, that we can see that the New Testament was being written as they was living. So for us, looking back, it is quite easy for me to go, do you know what? I don't know why I denied him. Because if that was me, I would have done this a, b, c, and d, it's easy to look back and to analyze and to look in, sorry, but to put myself in the arena, and to be in this situation, looking at Christ understanding, hang on a moment, he's been arrested, there is something not right here. I thought he was the savior of the world. I thought he was the miracle worker, I thought he was going to save us and set us free. And then suddenly, the authorities have their hand on him, and then leading him and there's there's all this dialogue breaking out and there's all this area of physical aggression happening to the Savior of the world. I'm not surprised that he's fallen in at a distance. I'm not surprised that he stepped back Well hang on a moment. This could this could frighten me this, this could affect me. So here we start to see a very slow burn in Peter Peter's life by following them at a distance as the scripture says in verse 54, it says Peter followed him at a distance here, we start to see the rooster experience in his life. When the rooster crows three times it's time to burn already, is starting to unfold for Peter because he's starting to follow him from a distance. And it says he follows him from a distance. And it says, infer, where are we verse 55. And when they had some, had some kindling and a fire in the middle of the courtyard, and sat down together, Peter sat down with them, I got to be careful who I sit down with, around the fire been of existence, that fire been the kindling, the fire, the conversation, the dialogue, I got to be careful on every layer of life. And all of us, all of us have got to be very careful who we associate ourselves with, who we walk with who we get into the stretch of life with because I got to be careful of their influence. Because here we have a clear understanding that the crowd was influencing through fear of what he was saying and through the force. And the power when I mean force, I'm talking about the power in which they spoke to Peter, I see you you are one. You are a believer, I saw you you as with him, and you can see the defenses went up in his in his in his vocabulary. I did not. So the fire bin. You can just picture this, let's just picture this. There's a fire bin in the courtyard, and it's burning away. And there's something that's attractive to humanity, about watching the flames watching the fire, watching the smoke, watching the way they the flames dance within an hour of each other, the way the color change the way it moves, the way that it it just flows through there is something very powerful about watching fire. So they had some kindling, there was a fire starting in a very interesting it says that they there was a fire, there was a kindling, there was a slow burn. Sometimes there is a slow burn within us where something is happening around us. Where suddenly through life's actions through the verbalizing and through issues at work issues, whatever it may be, there is a denial but not separation. Now this is really important that the verbalizing that we see through this disciple, the verbal was the was the area that was the separation. Christ did not separate him, because Christ makes it very clear. When you come back, he is referring to the physical. How do you know that there wasn't a separation through through the relationship? Because it says as you read the end of the text that he went outside, and he wept bitterly, so to weep bitterly knows that there was a mistake. There was a trial, there was a situation that I didn't mean to happen and to go through, but he wept bitterly. And I can imagine, to a slight degree, what that must have been like looking across the courtyard at Christ, on the third stroke of his voice. And when he said, I am not one of his disciples. I was not with him. You've got it wrong. There's no way I I'm not a follower of the way, it's very easy to look back into the New Testament, and almost put pressure and look in and go, You know what if that was me, I would never have done that. But it's very different. When you are living, and you are walking, and something happens that comes your way, and it changes your conversation, it changes your, your, your visual look on Christianity. And then suddenly, before you know, you've said, you've done something that not as taken your way from the love of God, but has just made you react in the way that you wouldn't normally react. So fear. Here we have a clear example, that when fear comes into a believers life, it can make you say it can make you act, it can make you when your life is in the arena of your own mortality being looked at, and you almost been imprisoned for and you've been charged for, and you've been really pressed for. You could almost say anything to get yourself out of the fire been experience. He was clearly sitting in an audience that wasn't for Christ, I've got to be careful that I don't sit in an audience in a crowd. And I've got to be careful who I work with who I who I let in who I move with who is in my life, I've got to be very careful who I talk to. Because I've got gotta be careful that there is power in a crowd. A crowd is very influential a crowd can be very powerful. A crowd you've only got a look at a crowd at a football stadium, something starts the flow of chanting. Now charts and chanting is a very interesting way and a very powerful way to get you to do something that you don't realize that you are doing. And chanting is used in eastern myth a lot logical gods are gonna go down that road too much. And I don't know we gotta be careful our presented to us. So chanting is used in many other religions, and shall we say, a cultic ways chanting, there is something very powerful about chanting. And then the chant turns into a trance, trance turns into almost, you can have a donor go about talking about Transcendental Meditation, and having out of body experiences, and, and all that trying to, I don't want to bring us away from what we're talking about. But what I'm just trying to mention very clearly, very strongly tonight, be careful of the crowd. And it's not about the individuals, it's about a crowd, a crowd, that is not for Christ's will try to influence you, in your workspace, in your culture, in your life, in the area of where you are a crowd, it can be a very dangerous influence on someone's life. Not that we are weak in our faith. But because the crowd is so loud, and can be so powerful. And it's like the crowd within the UK at this moment, the political crowd, the crowd of pride, you know what I'm saying? The crowd of, of religion, the crowd of have so much can be coming against you. Be careful of the crowd. Because the crowd can change your verbalization of what you believe, but actually what you believe doesn't change inside of you. I'm just trying to present this really easy tonight. Because I just I'm asking God, Father, I pray for all of us that are in a work crowd, in a big work environment, in an environment in a church in a religion, the concept of life culture, gotta be very careful of culture as well, very interesting culture, culture shapes, all of us, every one of us has a shaping from a culture that we have come from, well, we've got the westernized culture, we've got the Eastern European culture, we've got the Asian culture, every one of us comes from a culture but within the main culture, there is another breakdown of certain offshoots of other cultures within the larger culture. So I've got to be careful that wherever I am born, and wherever I've been birthed into, that the culture doesn't influence me. How will it influence me through the crowd of the tradition of the way that it speaks? So when I look at the crowd of the UK, is the crowd of the UK for Christ or against Christ? Where can we put the crowd around this fire? Ben, have the dialogue that we're looking at this moment at this at this text that we are in tonight, we have a clear believer, and we know that the crash had upon you I will, I will use your my instrument I will build upon you feed my lambs Feed my sheep. And when you come back, so there is a lot within the Synoptic Gospels clearly pointed to Simon Simon Peter, that the Christ used him that he was he was very influential. In the early church, Christ used him. But before he got to that stage, there was a clear denial, not within his heart. So we got to make this really clear, not within the heart, but within the verbalizing within the action, within the physical presence that is around the bin. I believe that we have been in many situations, I'm going to say in our lives, where we may have been around the fire bin of accusation. And we have almost said anything to get ourselves out of a dodgy situation, zipped the lips, there's no need to reply. But I think humanity almost goes into an overdrive even though we are spiritual, even though we are saved, even though that we are a disciple, because when when we look at this text that we're in, he was chosen. He was a disciple. God used him, the Spirit of God was on him, Christ walked with him and he walked with Christ. But there came a time in his life of the fire Ben experience, where he was sitting with the crowd. And the denial came out very easy, his actions and his verbalizing and the process and the steps that he took, clearly there was a denial of the Messiah, but the Messiah did not reject Him. That is critical. Because this comes to something very important. We can't lose our salvation. It gives me comfort, it gives me rest, I might deny him. Now let's jump into the Old Testament. That was in the hour on Monday evening, I believe, I think was it Monday was in Deuteronomy, chapter six. Do not forget the Lord, your God. Do not forget. So in the human side of me, yes, we are human. Yes, we are made of flesh and blood. But yes, we are sons and daughters of the living God. Yes, we are saved by Christ. So there is a lot of influence upon us, as parents, in marriage out of marriage, grandparents, single one going through divorce, struggling, whatever the press of life is, I honestly believe with the fullness of my heart, that I have had many Feyerabend experiences with Christ, because Christ was in the courtyard with him. But Christ did not reject Him, He rejected Christ, at the fire bin of life. And it's not to say that I don't love him. It's not to say that Simon, Simon Peter did not love him. And it's not to say in Deuteronomy, chapter six, when when God says very clearly to the author, tell the audience, do not forget the Lord your God. How would I it's easy not to forget him. When it's hallelujah, praise the Lord. God loves me. It is wonderful. When my brothers and sisters, Hallelujah, Jesus, Kumbaya, Praise Jesus. It's easy to praise him when there's no fire been, and there's no crowd of the world. But when but when but when but when I'm on my own, and the crowd is pushing me. And the crowd is trying to get me to react to how they want me to react, I have reacted to those that were sitting around the fire been with me. I'm not afraid to say that. Because he says very clearly, there is now no condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus, For what the law was powerless to do Christ did. By going to the cross of Calvary, one price one sacrifice once and for all. Christ knows that I will deny him, Christ knows that I will fail him. Christ knows that I'm a sinner saved by Christ. Christ knows that before I verbalize and before I speak, and before my actions, he knows where my my trip points are in Christianity. He knows where the snares are. He knows the attitude that I have here. knows the frustrations I have, he knows the angles I have, he knows the the realization that I have a my expectation of him. And he knows that I will sit around the fire been with a crowd, because the crowd is humanity. And humanity is always trying to take us away from Jesus, because that's what it was trying to do. And it tried and it verbally did and his actions did. But the scripture says nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. So once I'm in I'm in, how do I get in? I cannot get myself in. But the Bible says that we are grafted in that we are, we are pulled in and we are grafted in. And the scriptures talks about predestination. The Scripture talks about salvation and justification, and sanctification. The Bible talks about redemption, and the washing of the blood of Christ. And Jesus says, around the Passover table, as often as you come to me do this, what am I doing? I am remembering the Passover, the passing over of the angel of death, the passing over, of, of, of death. Now I am saved, now I'm washed. So the power of redemption, the power of redemption, redeemed, I am always been redeemed, I am always been washed in the blood of Jesus, I'm always being drawn to him. The but the Bible makes this really, really clear that I cannot save myself. It is Christ that saves me. So Christ comes to me first Christ spoke this world into being Christ created everything, and we understand through God for the power. And God said, Let there be but we understand that the scripture says in one John chapter one, it says, In the beginning, was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. So we understand that the Word was God, the Word was with God, the Word is God, who is the word we understand that that is Christ. And it says, very clearly, and the Word became flesh, and made his dwelling among us well, who presented himself through the vessel of marriage, we understand through the Scripture, that is Christ, that is the Messiah, through the Gospel of Matthew, we find that three times through the genealogy of Christ that He came down 14 generations, and he chose the dressing room of Mary to step and be presented into this world. And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, as the gospel writer writes very clearly, we have seen his glory, the gospel writer writes very, very clearly. I love this scripture that we are in tonight, because this is the human reacting to fear. This is the human being reacting to worry and trepidation. This is the human disciple, this is the disciple, but he's in a he's in his human skin, because he is reacting to the crowd. And I would say I have reacted to the crowd more times than I can count. The fire bin is a very dangerous place, but a very attractive place the fire bin to sit around to watch the flames dance, as the oxygen goes through as the air blows through the fire bin as the kindling is, is lit as the sparks are flying and, you know, you've only got to look a certain culture in, in America, how they, they they use fire and they look at fire and they they talk about fire as a god and they they watch it dance the flames across it's very interesting how powerful fire is and, and what fire can do and how fire you know the fire of the Holy Spirit, the fire of the Holy Ghost, the fire of God, the anointing of God, fire purges, fire cleanses, fire has to come there are certain nations certain parts of the world, where there are fires that are lit in certain areas of crop, to not to destroy but fire starts to accelerate the seedlings fire accelerates, it destroys it takes out it burns out but then suddenly fire brings life. Fire brings life. Fire is a very interesting word fire the way oxygen is needed with fire the way it is needed the spark of fire what is needed for fire. What are the elements the science behind fire is very, very interesting. So here we have a disciple reacting to what the crowd is verbalizing. When you've got a mass coming against you, it's very interesting how the human being reacts, almost reacts in however it's going to react. In a Could I could I use this way in a Darwinistic way, I'm going to save myself here, because that's what Darwinism that is about the theory of survival of the fittest. And I've got to get myself out of this situation, in a very humanistic approach of it's me, it's me, it's me, it's me, it's me, it's all about me. And I've got to do whatever I can to me to get me away from the fire Ben, and I'll say whatever I'm going to say, and I'll react to our I'm going to react. But what is interesting here is at the beginning of the text that we read, that Jesus said, and when you come back, and when you come back, and when you come back, so there is no rejection. If and when and the possibilities of us or me or you, being caught in a fire been experience. Christ will not reject. I think sometimes we put so much heavy weight upon us, because of certain cultural tides of the press of the crowd of church. See, the crowd of the church, religious crowd can be as damaging as the world because the crowd of church will almost get you to react to deny him Yes, I've said that the crowd of religion can get you to deny him because of the false teaching the false prophecies. The false that goes with that can take you away from the Messiah is interested in here that we have the courtyard with a fire. It talks about the courtyard of the high priests the courtyard of religion and within the courtyard of religion we have a fire been a fire Ben is an attractive place, cultures sit around fire, and have discussions and sit and, and you've only got to look at certain areas of culture about how they sit around fire, and they talk about life around the fire bin, you know, but we are we coming to a close in a moment and just the time has just escaped us again. But when you look about this, we know that he denies him. We know that he says Peter says I will not but he does. And what I just want to get across Before we say goodnight is it's okay. You are okay with Jesus. And sometimes we got to stop trying to be a su per natural being when that is impossible, because Jesus knows who we are. Try to relax in your life. Try to pause and to be still family, family issue alone. The stress of family Oh my Lord, the stress of family, the stress of living the stress of work, the stress of culture. So much stress off before the front door of our homes are open before we step into society. And before we approached the culture and the fire bin of life, he was sitting around a fire. He had a kindling and in the middle of the courtyard, he sat down but what courtyard was a sitting in, they were sitting in the courtyard of religion, sometimes seen in the courtyard of religion can be as damaging as sitting in the courtyard of the world, to courtyards, the courtyard of the world or the courtyard of religion, here we have a cross contamination. I will use it like that, of religion, of world of, of frustration of anger, come in against Jesus. So that here we have a clear switch sweetshop scenario of everything around the bin. And you might be in a life at this moment, where you are at the bin, you are around the fire side. And fire is breaking out. But with the fire that's breaking out there is dialogue and discussion breaking out. Are you for Jesus? Are you a believer? Your lifestyle, your lifestyle? Ben doesn't reflect Jesus and you are a believer. The fire bin of life. The fire bin tells us so much. Am I going to allow the crowd around the fire bin of life to dictate to me will I stand up and shout across the bin? The fire the kindling will I shall cross the flames. Jesus I'm here with you or will I react? It's like the disciple reacted and deny him three times, and walk out of the courtyard of religion. And will I weep bitterly. You know, I love, I love reading about the disciples. Because when I read about the disciples, I read about real Christianity, I read about people that were placed into fiery trials, people that were put into real life scenarios, real life settings, not not church set up, you know, almost church, religion can set us up to foul because it puts a bar up that doesn't really exist, but expects us to get to there. And when we don't get there, it points the finger and says, You're not going to take the bread and wine because you don't belong. But Jesus says to anyone that is disciple, as often as you come to me, break bread, take a cup, and do this in remembrance of me. There is no rejection in Jesus. And the scripture that we've been in tonight tells us very clearly, that even when their eyes even when, imagine what that was like when when their their eyeballs locked across the courtyard, the fire was burning. The noise, this almost the smell of death, the smell of fear, around a fire, Ben, and he looked at Jesus, and Jesus looked at him. It was the look that Christ gave him, and the realization that I've found Jesus. But in my failing and in my falling, and in my tripping, and in my mad mistakes of life, Jesus does not reject even when my physical reacts to the fire been, even when my verbalizing reacts to the fire bin, even when my expression of life reacts to the fire bin. And what I mean by the fire bin is the crowd around the bin, the crowd, I've got to be careful of the crowd, the audience, the vast audience doesn't want us to be believers. You was I see you. I recognize your voice. The Scripture is enormous. The word is always being opened up through revelation or knowledge. God's word is yes and amen. It is sharper than a double edged sword. But I love the fact that we are reading about humanity. Brothers, sisters in the Word of God, culture, we are looking at the birth of Christianity, we are looking and been in the Torah, the Old Testament, we see how the old and the new flow together. And it's easy for me to look back and say, Well, I wouldn't have reacted like that, I would have stood up around the fire bin, I know I wouldn't have stood up around a fire bin. Because I can put myself in that situation. And honestly, I can imagine the fear and the worry and the stress of everything going on. stress and fear makes a human being not the changes the character, what it does stress and fear. It turns us into someone we're not. But when we realize stress has had a hold of us and fears that are holding us, we realize what our true character is. So much to get from the text. I've just laid out a few things across the table of of chatting tonight. And I just pray that wherever you are, God bless you. I pray that the hand of God is always on you. And it is always on you. But there are a few things. So a quick recap just for a moment. So Jesus has made it very clear before the disciple even realizes what's going to happen to him. Jesus knows what's going to happen to us before we know what he's going to happen to us. So it doesn't really matter to that degree, because I'm saved and I'm blood washed. And I have the power of the blood of Jesus and the body of Christ and redemption. Because there was no rejection. From Christ side. No rejection from the side of Christ. Just the rejection from from the human side of a disciple and I must remind myself that this is a disciple That was called by Jesus. Jesus called him knowing that he would reject Him. And Deuteronomy chapter six says, Do not forget the Lord thy God. So as we said the other evening, I can forget, because I'm in the wilderness of life like the Israelites, stomping around the wilderness of life, the same old board the same old footpath carving out that footprint of life going round and round and round. It can be, it can be easy to forget. But that is the verbal, but your heart never does. Your heart never does. And the reason I say that is because of this text. Nothing can separate us from the love of God, that is in Christ Jesus. You can't be separated from Christ's love. I cannot be separated from the love of Christ. But my lips and my physical try and does so much. But Jesus says, as he said to Simon, Simon, Peter, when you come back, when you come back, then when you come back, when you come back, brother or sister when you come back, when you come back, this is refreshed me This is restored me. This has given me so much hope to know that Jesus never rejects. God bless you have a wonderful evening, whatever your time is. And wherever you are across the earth, it's 835 836. Here within the UK, we thank you so much for joining us this evening, as we've gathered around the Scripture. We've been in the Gospel of Luke chapter 22. We've just unpacked a tiny bit this evening. God bless you in the mighty name of Jesus. He loves you, He loves me. He loves pizza. He loves every walk. Jesus never rejects. How do we know? Because of John 316. How do we know? Because the scriptures have been fulfilled. The Messiah, the King of kings and the Lord. God bless every one of you. The mighty name of Jesus Christ. You can find us on Buzzsprout Spotify. I Heart Radio, find us on multiple platforms. Thank you for joining us tomorrow this broadcast as well. Because he lives I can face God bless. We'll see you soon.
Close:Thank you for listening to Elim church Swanleys latest podcast. You can find us on buzzsprout, Spotify, Apple Music, I Heart Radio, Google Play, Alexa, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.