The Pride Crusher
Luke 22
Message #6
This is our sixth message in the “Bait of Satan” series (they all build on one another). We are loosely following the book of the same name, by John Bevere (today we are looking at Chapter 8). Our focus in this series is how do we avoid being taken out by the deadly trap of offense – especially in the church. Our previous two messages were about helping you not run away mad when you get offended in the church.
And what I want us to know today is pride is our Achilles Heel in this area. Our pride is such an easy target for the enemy, and he capitalizes on it to get us to take ourselves out and take others out with us.
Please hear me when I tell you until the pride crusher comes, we are often completely blind to our own pride and to the damage it does.
So, today we see the hammer God often uses to crush our pride –
So that we can become who God made us to be
So that we can do what God made us to do.
Today, I’m going to review a section of scripture you might know well. But please don’t miss the point. Today we’re talking about one of our greatest needs in order for us to be used by God and not be used by the enemy, and that is the need for us to be put through the Pride Crusher.
Turn over to Luke Chapter 22. In the ESV, the section heading over Chapter 22 says, “The Plot To Kill Jesus.” This is the last night before the Cross. The Disciples might not be fully “gettin’ it” but this is a heavy, heavy night.
Luke 22:7 begins the Last Supper and the institution of the Sacrament of Communion, which is one of the most vital, life-giving truths Jesus could teach us and the Disciples. The sharing of his life, it’s monumental. And just look at the weight of this moment.
Luke 22:16 (NLT)
16 For I tell you now that I won’t eat this meal again until its meaning is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.”
And then verse 18.
Luke 22:18 (NLT)
18 For I will not drink wine again until the Kingdom of God has come.”
And then the second half of verse 19.
Luke 22:19(b) (NLT)
19 . . . “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
And then the second half of verse 20.
Luke 22:20(b) (NLT)
20 . . . “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.
These are all massive statements about who Jesus Christ IS and what he is about to do. And then Jesus drops another huge bombshell.
Luke 22:21–22 (NLT)
21 (Jesus says) “But here at this table, sitting among us as a friend, is the man who will betray me.
22 For it has been determined that the Son of Man must die. But what sorrow awaits the one who betrays him.”
Not only is it a bombshell to the Disciples that Jesus is about to die but his death is going to come at the betrayal of one of the Disciples sitting at the table with him.
This was a huge moment with huge revelations from Jesus. But… notice the first thing the Disciples do.
Luke 22:23 (NLT)
23 The disciples began to ask each other which of them would ever do such a thing.
They didn’t ask Jesus about these massive statements or even about him referring to his death. Instead, they immediately make this about them. After all of these bombshell statements, all the Disciples could say was, “Well it sure isn’t going to be me – I would never do that!” “It’s probably Thomas – he’s such a doubter!” “Well, it isn’t me.” “Well, it’s not me!” Well, it certainly isn’t me!”
Wait a minute, boys, are you listening to what Jesus is saying? Are you just concerned about protecting your pride? I assure you, it’s the latter.
And then, unbelievably, in the midst of all this, the very next verse says,
Luke 22:24 (NLT)
24 Then they began to argue among themselves about who would be the greatest among them.
You have got to be kidding! After three and a half years with Jesus, and after these monumental statements – including the clear statements that Jesus was about to die – all that was on the Disciples' minds was which one of them would be the greatest?
On the night of the Last Supper, those that Jesus had called as his closest Disciples are ignoring Jesus completely, and instead, they are exploding with prideful self-focus! And still, today, those that Jesus has called to himself tend to explode with prideful self-focus.
It shocks us. And that’s why the devil uses offense in the church so much. Because if somebody exhibits self-focus, especially if they’re a leader, it’s really easy to allow your pride, your self-concern, your self-confidence – anything that starts with the word “self” – to allow that to offend somebody, then the enemy flames that up and causes huge problems. But here’s the truth. There’s nobody in the church that doesn’t struggle with self-focus. There’s nobody in the church that doesn’t struggle with pride. And so, if we take out all the prideful, self-focused people, we would have a “storage facility” because the building would be empty.
And so, for our good and for the good of the Kingdom, God brings in the Pride Crusher. And when it comes to pride that needs crushing, Simon Peter is always our example.
You can easily hear him in the “who is the greatest” argument.
“Well, it WAS ME who walked on water, none of you guys did.”
“It WAS ME, who got the Revelation from the Father that Jesus WAS the Christ - in Caesarea Philippi.”
“It WAS ME at the front of the line on the Mount of Transfiguration.”
Peter had confidence in his self-confidence. He had pride in his pride. And Peter’s self-confidence and his pride needed badly to be crushed. Peter could not be of any true eternal value to the Lord until his pride was crushed. And guys, we cannot be of any true eternal value to the Lord UNTIL our pride is crushed.
Why aren’t we looking for our pride to be crushed? Why aren’t we saying, “Lord, I know that I can not actually do any eternal good until my pride and my self-confidence are completely crushed?” Instead, we protect our pride. Sometimes we don’t even realize it. But, like Peter, our pride needs to go through the crusher.
And when our pride is finally crushed, God is able to replace it with humility (it’s not thinking “low” of yourself – it’s not “thinking of yourself”) and dependence on him. You say, “God, I’ve got nothing. I have nothing to say, I have nothing I can do, I can’t accomplish anything, I need you. If I’m going to do this, I need you completely.” It is our humility and dependence on God that makes us truly usable for the Kingdom.
Our humility and dependence on God are what makes us “jars of clay” as 2 Corinthians 4, verse 7 says.
2 Corinthians 4:7 (NLT)
7 We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.
When our pride is finally crushed people will begin to see God in us instead of seeing us filled with our “self”.
So, how does God bring the Pride Crusher? Well, often it is through crushing failure because those crushing failures can show us the true us.
They can show us:
our own pride
our own self-dependence
our own self-confidence
And here is the critical truth we must remember about those crushing failures.
The enemy desires to use them to destroy us.
But God desires to use them to transform us.
What the enemy intends for evil – God intends for good.
And often, God will prepare us in advance to help us see the good that he wants to bring on the other side of our pride being crushed.
Which is exactly what Jesus did for Peter. Back in Luke Chapter 22, the section heading over verse 31 says, “Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial.”
Jesus says,
Luke 22:31 (NLT)
31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat.
The word “you” is plural in the original language (this is a great translation). Satan asked to sift each of the Disciples of Jesus, and Satan still asks to sift each of the disciples of Jesus.
Sifting separates the bad from the good.
Satan wants to sift us to get us to keep the bad and discard the good.
God wants to sift us to get us to keep the good and discard the bad.
But look at the next verse. Jesus says in Luke 22, verse 32,
Luke 22:32 (NLT)
32 But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon (this “you” is SINGULAR, personal), that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again (when your Pride is Crushed), strengthen your brothers (which is what I made you to do).”
Jesus is saying when your pride is crushed, and you come back, do what I made you to do. Be the person I made you to be. Because “strengthen your brothers” that’s what Peter is made to do.
There are such awesome truths in this verse, and Peter missed every single one of them. Instead,
Luke 22:33 (NLT)
33 Peter said, “Lord, I am ready to go to prison with you, and even to die with you.”
In other words, Peter says, “No Lord. You’re wrong. What you just said is not going to happen. You don’t have to worry about me. I’m not going to have to repent, I’m not going to have to turn to you again. I’m good to go! I’m here for good. I’m rock solid.”
Oh, Peter, you prideful, self-confident, little man – the Pride Crusher is coming for you.
And Jesus sets up the Pride Crusher in the very next verse.
Luke 22:34 (NLT)
34 But Jesus said, “Peter, let me tell you something. Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.”
The stage is set, and the hammer is raised, and the Pride Crusher is coming. But first (in Luke 22:50), Peter tries to prove his self-confidence and his own strength. When the Temple Guards come to arrest Jesus, Peter starts swinging a sword and lopping off ears. (Which is what we usually do to prove our self-confidence and our own strength.) But after Peter’s valiant attempt to prove his own strength, he finds himself across the fire from a wee, little servant girl, and the Pride Crusher begins to fall.
Our failures come where we don’t expect them. Look, Satan’s been doing this a lot longer than you’ve been trying to fight him. He will come where you least expect him. Don’t ever say, “Oh no. That’s not a problem.” It might be a problem. Especially if you don’t think it’s a problem.
Here’s the Pride Crusher beginning to fall in verse 56.
Luke 22:56–62 (NLT)
56 A servant girl noticed [Peter] in the firelight and began staring at him. Finally she said, “This man was one of Jesus’ followers!”
57 But Peter denied it. “Woman,” he said, “I don’t even know him!”
58 After a while someone else looked at him and said, “You must be one of them!” “No, man, I’m not!” Peter retorted.
59 About an hour later someone else insisted, “This must be one of them, because he is a Galilean, too.”
60 But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.
61 At that moment the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Suddenly, the Lord’s words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.”
62 And Peter left the courtyard, weeping bitterly.
THAT is a direct hit, and step one of the Pride Crushing is accomplished. Finally, Peter had been shaken deep enough that he has entered… the sifter. The sifter is where God works to sift out our pride and self-confidence and leave only an unwavering dependence on the Lord. “God, I only have you left, now. There’s none of me – it’s only you.” And so, we cling to Christ when our pride is crushed.
All that Peter thought that he was – had been crushed. His self-confidence and his pride were being sifted OUT of his heart. Peter could no longer boast of being the greatest or strongest, or anything else. And if you follow Peter’s life, he says what Paul says in Corinthians, “If I’m going to boast, I’m going to boast only in the cross of Christ.” This is what brought Peter to that place.
He had been humbled and his pride had been crushed, and now – finally – he was ready to receive the grace of God as Peter himself would write many years later.
1 Peter 5:5 (NKJV)
5 . . . be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”
And it should say after this, “I know by experience” because this is Peter’s personal testimony.
In order to receive God’s grace, we must be clothed in humility, and in order to be clothed in humility, our pride must be crushed.
So, the crushing of our pride allows us to be clothed in humility, being clothed in humility allows us to receive the grace of God. That’s what made Peter who he was.
And Peter fell far. Peter was devastated! The higher we think of ourselves the greater the fall. And he was most likely on the verge of giving up. And so, to finish the Pride Crusher’s job, when Mary Magdalene and the other women showed up at the empty tomb, the angel had a message for the Disciples and personally for Peter.
Mark 16:7 (NLT)
7 Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there . . .
Peter’s pride and self-confidence had been shipwrecked and he needed to hear that the Resurrected Jesus was asking for him by name.
And so, in John Chapter 21, as the Disciples were “passing the time” fishing back on the Galilee, in verse 5 Jesus called out to them from shore. And in verse 7, when Peter realized it was the Lord, he jumped out of the boat and swam to shore to get to Jesus as fast as possible. THIS is a picture of repentance. Repentance is you jumping out of whatever boat you’re in and getting back to Jesus as fast as you can. THAT is what Peter was doing here.
Then, the Resurrected Jesus made and served the Disciples breakfast. And then,
John 21:15 (NLT)
15 After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these? . . .
Most scholars agree Jesus was most likely referring to Peter’s pride in his feeling that he was somehow “more” of everything than the other Disciples.
Verse 15 continues,
15 . . .” “Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.” “Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him.
TWICE More Jesus asked Peter – DO YOU LOVE ME?
TWICE More Peter Answered – YOU KNOW I LOVE YOU
TWICE More Jesus Responded TAKE CARE (feed) MY SHEEP
And… it was done. Peter’s pride and self-confidence had been sifted out of him. Peter was finally ready to actually become who God made him to be and do what God made him to do.
The final step was the baptism of the Holy Spirit in Acts Chapter 2, and Peter was never the same again.
Peter had been sifted by a trial that crushed his pride and his self-confidence and that sifting and that crushing was critically necessary for Peter to become what God created him to be and do what God created him to do.
And it is the same with us. I’m telling you, so often, we see this from the outside, but it’s really hard to see from the inside (and I’ve been on the inside). But what we see on the outside is, when you get offended in the church, when you get “out of sorts” or “get your feathers ruffled”, small offense or large offense, God is wanting to sift you. God actually doesn’t want to obliterate that other person. That’s not God. And if he does want to, he doesn’t need your help.
So often, the offense that we take (in the church) is exactly what God wants to use
to sift us
to refine us
to transform us…by crushing our pride.
But far too often, instead of allowing the trial of an offense to show us our own pride and our own self-confidence, we make ourselves the victim and we make that other person (or the church) the enemy. And by doing that, we not only feed the monster of our own pride but we also put a full stop on the sifting and refining that God needs to do in our own lives.
So often, when it comes to conflicts in the church, the good that God wants to bring is a complete crushing of our own pride
SO THAT - we can be CLOTHED in HUMILITY
SO THAT - we can RECEIVE the GRACE OF GOD
SO THAT – we can BE who God made us TO BE
SO THAT – we can DO what God made us TO DO
Please don’t run from the Pride Crusher. Allow God to do what he needs to do in you – to crush your pride so that you can
Be who God made you to BE and
Do what God made you to do.
And what I want us to know today is pride is our Achilles Heel in this area. Our pride is such an easy target for the enemy, and he capitalizes on it to get us to take ourselves out and take others out with us.
Please hear me when I tell you until the pride crusher comes, we are often completely blind to our own pride and to the damage it does.
So, today we see the hammer God often uses to crush our pride –
So that we can become who God made us to be
So that we can do what God made us to do.
Today, I’m going to review a section of scripture you might know well. But please don’t miss the point. Today we’re talking about one of our greatest needs in order for us to be used by God and not be used by the enemy, and that is the need for us to be put through the Pride Crusher.
Turn over to Luke Chapter 22. In the ESV, the section heading over Chapter 22 says, “The Plot To Kill Jesus.” This is the last night before the Cross. The Disciples might not be fully “gettin’ it” but this is a heavy, heavy night.
Luke 22:7 begins the Last Supper and the institution of the Sacrament of Communion, which is one of the most vital, life-giving truths Jesus could teach us and the Disciples. The sharing of his life, it’s monumental. And just look at the weight of this moment.
Luke 22:16 (NLT)
16 For I tell you now that I won’t eat this meal again until its meaning is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.”
And then verse 18.
Luke 22:18 (NLT)
18 For I will not drink wine again until the Kingdom of God has come.”
And then the second half of verse 19.
Luke 22:19(b) (NLT)
19 . . . “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
And then the second half of verse 20.
Luke 22:20(b) (NLT)
20 . . . “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.
These are all massive statements about who Jesus Christ IS and what he is about to do. And then Jesus drops another huge bombshell.
Luke 22:21–22 (NLT)
21 (Jesus says) “But here at this table, sitting among us as a friend, is the man who will betray me.
22 For it has been determined that the Son of Man must die. But what sorrow awaits the one who betrays him.”
Not only is it a bombshell to the Disciples that Jesus is about to die but his death is going to come at the betrayal of one of the Disciples sitting at the table with him.
This was a huge moment with huge revelations from Jesus. But… notice the first thing the Disciples do.
Luke 22:23 (NLT)
23 The disciples began to ask each other which of them would ever do such a thing.
They didn’t ask Jesus about these massive statements or even about him referring to his death. Instead, they immediately make this about them. After all of these bombshell statements, all the Disciples could say was, “Well it sure isn’t going to be me – I would never do that!” “It’s probably Thomas – he’s such a doubter!” “Well, it isn’t me.” “Well, it’s not me!” Well, it certainly isn’t me!”
Wait a minute, boys, are you listening to what Jesus is saying? Are you just concerned about protecting your pride? I assure you, it’s the latter.
And then, unbelievably, in the midst of all this, the very next verse says,
Luke 22:24 (NLT)
24 Then they began to argue among themselves about who would be the greatest among them.
You have got to be kidding! After three and a half years with Jesus, and after these monumental statements – including the clear statements that Jesus was about to die – all that was on the Disciples' minds was which one of them would be the greatest?
On the night of the Last Supper, those that Jesus had called as his closest Disciples are ignoring Jesus completely, and instead, they are exploding with prideful self-focus! And still, today, those that Jesus has called to himself tend to explode with prideful self-focus.
It shocks us. And that’s why the devil uses offense in the church so much. Because if somebody exhibits self-focus, especially if they’re a leader, it’s really easy to allow your pride, your self-concern, your self-confidence – anything that starts with the word “self” – to allow that to offend somebody, then the enemy flames that up and causes huge problems. But here’s the truth. There’s nobody in the church that doesn’t struggle with self-focus. There’s nobody in the church that doesn’t struggle with pride. And so, if we take out all the prideful, self-focused people, we would have a “storage facility” because the building would be empty.
And so, for our good and for the good of the Kingdom, God brings in the Pride Crusher. And when it comes to pride that needs crushing, Simon Peter is always our example.
You can easily hear him in the “who is the greatest” argument.
“Well, it WAS ME who walked on water, none of you guys did.”
“It WAS ME, who got the Revelation from the Father that Jesus WAS the Christ - in Caesarea Philippi.”
“It WAS ME at the front of the line on the Mount of Transfiguration.”
Peter had confidence in his self-confidence. He had pride in his pride. And Peter’s self-confidence and his pride needed badly to be crushed. Peter could not be of any true eternal value to the Lord until his pride was crushed. And guys, we cannot be of any true eternal value to the Lord UNTIL our pride is crushed.
Why aren’t we looking for our pride to be crushed? Why aren’t we saying, “Lord, I know that I can not actually do any eternal good until my pride and my self-confidence are completely crushed?” Instead, we protect our pride. Sometimes we don’t even realize it. But, like Peter, our pride needs to go through the crusher.
And when our pride is finally crushed, God is able to replace it with humility (it’s not thinking “low” of yourself – it’s not “thinking of yourself”) and dependence on him. You say, “God, I’ve got nothing. I have nothing to say, I have nothing I can do, I can’t accomplish anything, I need you. If I’m going to do this, I need you completely.” It is our humility and dependence on God that makes us truly usable for the Kingdom.
Our humility and dependence on God are what makes us “jars of clay” as 2 Corinthians 4, verse 7 says.
2 Corinthians 4:7 (NLT)
7 We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.
When our pride is finally crushed people will begin to see God in us instead of seeing us filled with our “self”.
So, how does God bring the Pride Crusher? Well, often it is through crushing failure because those crushing failures can show us the true us.
They can show us:
our own pride
our own self-dependence
our own self-confidence
And here is the critical truth we must remember about those crushing failures.
The enemy desires to use them to destroy us.
But God desires to use them to transform us.
What the enemy intends for evil – God intends for good.
And often, God will prepare us in advance to help us see the good that he wants to bring on the other side of our pride being crushed.
Which is exactly what Jesus did for Peter. Back in Luke Chapter 22, the section heading over verse 31 says, “Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial.”
Jesus says,
Luke 22:31 (NLT)
31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat.
The word “you” is plural in the original language (this is a great translation). Satan asked to sift each of the Disciples of Jesus, and Satan still asks to sift each of the disciples of Jesus.
Sifting separates the bad from the good.
Satan wants to sift us to get us to keep the bad and discard the good.
God wants to sift us to get us to keep the good and discard the bad.
But look at the next verse. Jesus says in Luke 22, verse 32,
Luke 22:32 (NLT)
32 But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon (this “you” is SINGULAR, personal), that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again (when your Pride is Crushed), strengthen your brothers (which is what I made you to do).”
Jesus is saying when your pride is crushed, and you come back, do what I made you to do. Be the person I made you to be. Because “strengthen your brothers” that’s what Peter is made to do.
There are such awesome truths in this verse, and Peter missed every single one of them. Instead,
Luke 22:33 (NLT)
33 Peter said, “Lord, I am ready to go to prison with you, and even to die with you.”
In other words, Peter says, “No Lord. You’re wrong. What you just said is not going to happen. You don’t have to worry about me. I’m not going to have to repent, I’m not going to have to turn to you again. I’m good to go! I’m here for good. I’m rock solid.”
Oh, Peter, you prideful, self-confident, little man – the Pride Crusher is coming for you.
And Jesus sets up the Pride Crusher in the very next verse.
Luke 22:34 (NLT)
34 But Jesus said, “Peter, let me tell you something. Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.”
The stage is set, and the hammer is raised, and the Pride Crusher is coming. But first (in Luke 22:50), Peter tries to prove his self-confidence and his own strength. When the Temple Guards come to arrest Jesus, Peter starts swinging a sword and lopping off ears. (Which is what we usually do to prove our self-confidence and our own strength.) But after Peter’s valiant attempt to prove his own strength, he finds himself across the fire from a wee, little servant girl, and the Pride Crusher begins to fall.
Our failures come where we don’t expect them. Look, Satan’s been doing this a lot longer than you’ve been trying to fight him. He will come where you least expect him. Don’t ever say, “Oh no. That’s not a problem.” It might be a problem. Especially if you don’t think it’s a problem.
Here’s the Pride Crusher beginning to fall in verse 56.
Luke 22:56–62 (NLT)
56 A servant girl noticed [Peter] in the firelight and began staring at him. Finally she said, “This man was one of Jesus’ followers!”
57 But Peter denied it. “Woman,” he said, “I don’t even know him!”
58 After a while someone else looked at him and said, “You must be one of them!” “No, man, I’m not!” Peter retorted.
59 About an hour later someone else insisted, “This must be one of them, because he is a Galilean, too.”
60 But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.
61 At that moment the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Suddenly, the Lord’s words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.”
62 And Peter left the courtyard, weeping bitterly.
THAT is a direct hit, and step one of the Pride Crushing is accomplished. Finally, Peter had been shaken deep enough that he has entered… the sifter. The sifter is where God works to sift out our pride and self-confidence and leave only an unwavering dependence on the Lord. “God, I only have you left, now. There’s none of me – it’s only you.” And so, we cling to Christ when our pride is crushed.
All that Peter thought that he was – had been crushed. His self-confidence and his pride were being sifted OUT of his heart. Peter could no longer boast of being the greatest or strongest, or anything else. And if you follow Peter’s life, he says what Paul says in Corinthians, “If I’m going to boast, I’m going to boast only in the cross of Christ.” This is what brought Peter to that place.
He had been humbled and his pride had been crushed, and now – finally – he was ready to receive the grace of God as Peter himself would write many years later.
1 Peter 5:5 (NKJV)
5 . . . be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”
And it should say after this, “I know by experience” because this is Peter’s personal testimony.
In order to receive God’s grace, we must be clothed in humility, and in order to be clothed in humility, our pride must be crushed.
So, the crushing of our pride allows us to be clothed in humility, being clothed in humility allows us to receive the grace of God. That’s what made Peter who he was.
And Peter fell far. Peter was devastated! The higher we think of ourselves the greater the fall. And he was most likely on the verge of giving up. And so, to finish the Pride Crusher’s job, when Mary Magdalene and the other women showed up at the empty tomb, the angel had a message for the Disciples and personally for Peter.
Mark 16:7 (NLT)
7 Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there . . .
Peter’s pride and self-confidence had been shipwrecked and he needed to hear that the Resurrected Jesus was asking for him by name.
And so, in John Chapter 21, as the Disciples were “passing the time” fishing back on the Galilee, in verse 5 Jesus called out to them from shore. And in verse 7, when Peter realized it was the Lord, he jumped out of the boat and swam to shore to get to Jesus as fast as possible. THIS is a picture of repentance. Repentance is you jumping out of whatever boat you’re in and getting back to Jesus as fast as you can. THAT is what Peter was doing here.
Then, the Resurrected Jesus made and served the Disciples breakfast. And then,
John 21:15 (NLT)
15 After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these? . . .
Most scholars agree Jesus was most likely referring to Peter’s pride in his feeling that he was somehow “more” of everything than the other Disciples.
Verse 15 continues,
15 . . .” “Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.” “Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him.
TWICE More Jesus asked Peter – DO YOU LOVE ME?
TWICE More Peter Answered – YOU KNOW I LOVE YOU
TWICE More Jesus Responded TAKE CARE (feed) MY SHEEP
And… it was done. Peter’s pride and self-confidence had been sifted out of him. Peter was finally ready to actually become who God made him to be and do what God made him to do.
The final step was the baptism of the Holy Spirit in Acts Chapter 2, and Peter was never the same again.
Peter had been sifted by a trial that crushed his pride and his self-confidence and that sifting and that crushing was critically necessary for Peter to become what God created him to be and do what God created him to do.
And it is the same with us. I’m telling you, so often, we see this from the outside, but it’s really hard to see from the inside (and I’ve been on the inside). But what we see on the outside is, when you get offended in the church, when you get “out of sorts” or “get your feathers ruffled”, small offense or large offense, God is wanting to sift you. God actually doesn’t want to obliterate that other person. That’s not God. And if he does want to, he doesn’t need your help.
So often, the offense that we take (in the church) is exactly what God wants to use
to sift us
to refine us
to transform us…by crushing our pride.
But far too often, instead of allowing the trial of an offense to show us our own pride and our own self-confidence, we make ourselves the victim and we make that other person (or the church) the enemy. And by doing that, we not only feed the monster of our own pride but we also put a full stop on the sifting and refining that God needs to do in our own lives.
So often, when it comes to conflicts in the church, the good that God wants to bring is a complete crushing of our own pride
SO THAT - we can be CLOTHED in HUMILITY
SO THAT - we can RECEIVE the GRACE OF GOD
SO THAT – we can BE who God made us TO BE
SO THAT – we can DO what God made us TO DO
Please don’t run from the Pride Crusher. Allow God to do what he needs to do in you – to crush your pride so that you can
Be who God made you to BE and
Do what God made you to do.