Matthew 26:57-68is about "WITNESS and TESTIMONY".
Matthew 26:57-58
26:57. And those who had laid hold of Jesus led Himaway to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled.
26:58 But Peter followed Him at a distance to the high priest’s courtyard. And he went in and sat with the servants to see the end.
In Gethsemane, Jesus was arrested and brought to Caiaphas the high priest. It equals to Jesus experienced flesh suffering without any sins, or cross experience.
In the last days, God’s church will also experience flesh suffering without any sins (cross experience) with Jesus.
Why do we have to go through cross experience?
II Corinthians 4:16-17
4:16Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward manis perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.
4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding andeternal weight of glory,
Cross experience results in renewal of life or eternal glory, from flesh man to become spiritual man as Jesus. We are renewed from clay pot to become glorious golden pot.
Physical man will decrease more and more. Let us not be careless. The spiritual man must increase (must be renewed) more and more.
Isaiah 11:1-3
11:1. There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.
11:2 The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.
11:3 His delight isin the fear of the Lord, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His ears;
One of the sign of new man as Jesus is having the spirit of THE FEAR OF THE LORD.
Satan also has wisdom, understanding, etc., but not the fear of the Lord.
Matthew 26:57 is about Jesus’ suffering.
But, Peter appeared in Matthew 26:58, that is life who rejected cross experience.
Matthew 26:58
26:58 But Peter followed Him at a distance to the high priest’s courtyard. And he went in and sat with the servants to see the end.
Be watchful!
In the last days, many God’s churches will reject cross experience. It equals to becoming the enemies of the cross of Christ.
The example is Peter, who is a senior disciple (great pastor).
The consequence is Peter did not experience renewal and kept becoming flesh man.
Peterwas afraid of something that would harm the flesh, such that Peter had no fear of the Lord.
This kind of life even will be against God (against the Word).
The consequenceis Peter went farther from God, until the farthest is denying Jesus three times (It equals to becoming false witness, or antichrist who will be perished forever).
Although he came to minister, his heart has been far from God.
Because of being afraid of something that would harm the flesh, he forgot each help and care from the Word.
This morning, we HAVE TO CHOOSE FIRMLY between rejecting the cross or receiving the cross.
Christian lives are the chosen nation. God chooses, we also have to choose firmly.
The system of God is ‘choosing’ not ‘forcing’.
Rejecting cross means being afraid of something that will harm the flesh, up to denying God (being false witness).
Let all of us receive the cross.
Receiving the crossequals to having fear of the Lord such that not being afraid of something that will harm the flesh, whatever the risk.
This is the life who can become the true witness.
When we receive the cross experience, it seems as a failure. But there is the glory of God behind the cross.
On the contrary, if we reject the cross, there is death or perdition behind although it seems as success.
The daily PRACTICES of having fear of the Lord are as follows:
Matthew 26:57-58
26:57. And those who had laid hold of Jesus led Himaway to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled.
26:58 But Peter followed Him at a distance to the high priest’s courtyard. And he went in and sat with the servants to see the end.
In Gethsemane, Jesus was arrested and brought to Caiaphas the high priest. It equals to Jesus experienced flesh suffering without any sins, or cross experience.
In the last days, God’s church will also experience flesh suffering without any sins (cross experience) with Jesus.
Why do we have to go through cross experience?
II Corinthians 4:16-17
4:16Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward manis perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.
4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding andeternal weight of glory,
Cross experience results in renewal of life or eternal glory, from flesh man to become spiritual man as Jesus. We are renewed from clay pot to become glorious golden pot.
Physical man will decrease more and more. Let us not be careless. The spiritual man must increase (must be renewed) more and more.
Isaiah 11:1-3
11:1. There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.
11:2 The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.
11:3 His delight isin the fear of the Lord, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His ears;
One of the sign of new man as Jesus is having the spirit of THE FEAR OF THE LORD.
Satan also has wisdom, understanding, etc., but not the fear of the Lord.
Matthew 26:57 is about Jesus’ suffering.
But, Peter appeared in Matthew 26:58, that is life who rejected cross experience.
Matthew 26:58
26:58 But Peter followed Him at a distance to the high priest’s courtyard. And he went in and sat with the servants to see the end.
Be watchful!
In the last days, many God’s churches will reject cross experience. It equals to becoming the enemies of the cross of Christ.
The example is Peter, who is a senior disciple (great pastor).
The consequence is Peter did not experience renewal and kept becoming flesh man.
Peterwas afraid of something that would harm the flesh, such that Peter had no fear of the Lord.
This kind of life even will be against God (against the Word).
The consequenceis Peter went farther from God, until the farthest is denying Jesus three times (It equals to becoming false witness, or antichrist who will be perished forever).
Although he came to minister, his heart has been far from God.
Because of being afraid of something that would harm the flesh, he forgot each help and care from the Word.
This morning, we HAVE TO CHOOSE FIRMLY between rejecting the cross or receiving the cross.
Christian lives are the chosen nation. God chooses, we also have to choose firmly.
The system of God is ‘choosing’ not ‘forcing’.
Rejecting cross means being afraid of something that will harm the flesh, up to denying God (being false witness).
Let all of us receive the cross.
Receiving the crossequals to having fear of the Lord such that not being afraid of something that will harm the flesh, whatever the risk.
This is the life who can become the true witness.
When we receive the cross experience, it seems as a failure. But there is the glory of God behind the cross.
On the contrary, if we reject the cross, there is death or perdition behind although it seems as success.
The daily PRACTICES of having fear of the Lord are as follows:
- Proverbs 3:7
3:7. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil.
Proverbs 8:13
8:13 The fear of the Lord isto hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate.
Hating or departing from all evil and sins, until hating lies. It equals to getting closer to God.
The results are as follows:- We can become the true witness.
- We are close to Godand we live in peace and salvation(peace = salvation).
Psalm 62:2
62:2 He only ismy rock and my salvation; He ismy defense; I shall not be greatly moved.
We will enter rest and everything becomes easy and light (Matthew 11:28-30).
We will not be greatly moved nor deny God.
In the Garden of Eden, everything was available, but life became heavy after men did sin. - We can become the true witness.
- Joshua 24:14-15
24:14 “Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord!
24:15 And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that wereon the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Serving God in sincerity and in truth.- Serving God in truth or serving God faithfully= being keen, do not want to be hindered by anything until cannot be hindered by anything.
We must be serious! Being hindered to serve God equals to being hindered to enter the Heaven’s gate.
Big obstacle must be made small, and small obstacle must be dispensed. We pray to God and God is able to eliminate all obstacles.
Do not hinder one another in ministry! Do not be hindered and do not hinder anyone to serve God! - Serving God in sincerity= there is no bitterness, there is no doubt, there is no intention, but we serve only because we love God.
We minister God not to look for something, but moreover we are willing to sacrifice everything for God.
Everything must be sacrificed, except one, that is the true teaching Word (Jesus Himself). Do not sacrifice the true teaching Word! (Do not crucify or sacrifice Jesus for the second time!).
This morning we must be assertive to choose! We serve God or idol?
Serving idol means the ministry is not according to the true teaching Word (Holy Bible).
Ministry which is according to the true teaching Word has Jesus as the Head.
In gospel Word, there are differences between lives who minister God and not.
But, in teaching Word, there are differences or separation between lives who minister God.
The example is Cain and Abel who both ministered and offered sacrifice to God, but there were differences or separation.
Serving God means the ministry is according to the true teaching Word (Holy Bible).
If we personally can be assertive to choose serving God whatever the risk, there is hope for our whole family to minister God also.
Remember our family! Do not only remember ourselves!
The resultif we are being assertive to choose serving God in sincerity and truth is God will choose us to become His chosen nation, a special treasure of God, as the apple of His eye.
Life who is as the apple of God’s eye gets exclusive care and protection from God.
We face many matters in this world, as facing the ambience of the wilderness, but we are safe if we become the apple of God’s eye. - Serving God in truth or serving God faithfully= being keen, do not want to be hindered by anything until cannot be hindered by anything.
- Ecclesiastes 12:13
12:13. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all.
Being obedient until the flesh does not sound anymore.
Being obedient until the flesh does not sound anymore equals to stretching out both our hands to God and God will also stretch out His hands to us, such that we live in the embrace of God’s hands.
The embrace of God’s hands equals to the anointing of Holy Spirit.
Isaiah 11:1-3
11:1 There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.
11:2 The Spirit of the Lord(1)shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom(2)and understanding(3), The Spirit of counsel(4)and might(5), The Spirit of knowledge(6)and of the fear of the Lord(7).
11:3 His delight isin the fear of the Lord, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His ears;
We obey until the flesh does not sound anymore = the veil is torn apart, and we enter the Most Holy Place where there is God’s glory (we are anointed by the Spirit of glory of God).
We are in the embrace of God's hands means wherever God is, there we are. We are never separated from God anymore.
The usefulness of the Holy Spirit or the Spirit of glory of God is as follows:- Romans 5:5
5:5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
The Holy Spirit pours the love of God such that we have strong heart,that is:- Not being doubtful because of another teaching = not denying the true teaching Word.
Be watchful to close fellow or people from outside! Remember that Solomon was misled by his wives.
We must hold on one true teaching Word. - Not being disappointed or desperate in facing anything, not denying God.
- Not being proud of something.
Be careful in testifying, whether we show ourselves or God?
- Not being doubtful because of another teaching = not denying the true teaching Word.
- Acts 1:8
1:8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
John 15:25-26
15:25 But this happenedthat the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’
15:26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.
Holy Spirit helps us to be able to testify wherever we are, whenever, in every situation and condition.- Testifying about the gospel of salvation, to bring sinful men to believe Jesus and be saved.
We must live in righteousness starting from ourselves (being right = being saved). - Testifying about Bride Tidings, to bring saved life to be purified and perfected and become Heavenly bride.
We must live in holiness starting from ourselves.
- Testifying about the gospel of salvation, to bring sinful men to believe Jesus and be saved.
- Titus 3:5
3:5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,
Holy Spirit gives strength in renewal (miracle) from clay pot to become golden pot.- Physically, the impossible thing becomes possible.
Stem can produce rod. It can grow again, until produce flower and fruit (Isaiah 11:1).
Stem describes life who has no more hope.
Actually stem must be burnt to become brick used to build the supply cities of Pharaoh.
Holy Spirit gives strength and life to person who has no more hope.
The strength of Holy Spirit gives us life which cannot be prevented by anything, and cannot be imitated by anyone. We ourselves will amaze on seeing it.
Holy Spirit is also able to solve all our problems. - Spiritually, Holy Spirit gives the fruit of spirit, and takes us to enter the ministry of building perfect body of Christ.
- Physically, the impossible thing becomes possible.
- Romans 5:5