Speaker: Deacon Dadang Hadi Santoso
Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Matthew 10:38
10:38 "And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
To become worthy to God, we must take the cross that is experiencing the suffering of flesh without sin, together with Jesus.
2 Timothy 3:12
3:12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
The kinds of taking the crossare as follows:
Mark 9:9-10
9:9 Now as they came down from the mountain, He commanded them that they should tell no one the things they had seen, till the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
9:10 So they kept this word to themselves, questioning what the rising from the dead meant.
The disciples talk about ‘the rising from the dead.’It means they do not understand about the cross even refuse it. It means not all of servant of God understand, even they refuse the cross.
One of them is Peter. Why does he refuse the cross? The reasons are as follows:
God blesses us.
Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Matthew 10:38
10:38 "And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
To become worthy to God, we must take the cross that is experiencing the suffering of flesh without sin, together with Jesus.
2 Timothy 3:12
3:12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
The kinds of taking the crossare as follows:
- Ministering God in faithfulness and responsibility to Him.
- Holding fast and obeying to one true teaching Word.
Mark 9:9-10
9:9 Now as they came down from the mountain, He commanded them that they should tell no one the things they had seen, till the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
9:10 So they kept this word to themselves, questioning what the rising from the dead meant.
The disciples talk about ‘the rising from the dead.’It means they do not understand about the cross even refuse it. It means not all of servant of God understand, even they refuse the cross.
One of them is Peter. Why does he refuse the cross? The reasons are as follows:
- He still uses the flesh thought and does not have the spiritual mind.
Matthew 16:22-23
16:22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!"
16:23 But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."
The signs are pride and arrogance (‘took Him aside’).
The practice is he does not want to be shepherded well.
The result is decreasing in spiritual life, Peter who is a disciple becomes Satan. - He does not have love.
John 21:15-17
21:15 So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Feed My lambs."
21:16 He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Tend My sheep." 21:17 He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Feed My sheep.
The signsare as follows:- His ministry is empty, tasteless, without spiritual value.
1 Corinthians 13:1
13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. - His ministry is not eternal or cannot reach the end line. The ministry is easy to be blocked.
- He returns as a fisherman or his old life so he fails and gets naked.
- He becomes stumbling-block for others and easy to stumble.
The signs of Peter who are willing to hear and respond the Wordare as follows:- [John 21:17] ‘He was grieved’means he realizes and regrets for his sins, faults, and arrogance. Then, God forgives and touches his life.
- Stretching out the hands to God.
John 21:18-19
21:18 "Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish."
21:19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me."
Peter stretches out his hands to God two times. The first is when he almost sinks and when nothing happens (there is no problem). The second is when he stretches out his hands because he loves God. It is obeying and being faithful whatever the risk may come.
1 Peter 5:6
5:6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,
The result is God stretches out His kind and merciful hands to make everything successful in physically and spiritually.
- His ministry is empty, tasteless, without spiritual value.
God blesses us.