Grosey's Messages

31 "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, 32 but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers." 33 Peter said to him, "Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death." 34 Jesus said, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me."

35 And he said to them, "When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?" They said, "Nothing." 36 He said to them, "But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. 37 For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: 'And he was numbered with the transgressors.' For what is written about me has its fulfillment." 38 And they said, "Look, Lord, here are two swords." And he said to them, "It is enough."

Simon, Simon …. Oh dear… if you call out "Steven Richard Grose" instead of "Steve" or "Grosey" I know I am in trouble.  So did Peter. Umm Simon!  Why would he be in trouble?

24 A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. 25 And he said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. 26  But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. 27 For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves.

Guess who was involved in this debate!

Here is a man who loves Jesus sincerely and had the truest desire to follow the Lord Jesus and yet he may be overcome and overborne with fear and intimidation and by the devil and fall into great, great sin. I have every confidence Simon meant exactly what he said when he told the Lord that he was ready to go with Him to prison and even to death…I have no doubt that the apostle meant it because Simon Peter dearly loved the Lord Jesus with all his heart…that rough fisherman loved the Lord Jesus. He had given up everything to follow His Master…and I believe He meant it! He wasn't just bragging! He wasn't making an idle boast! He meant it when he said, ""Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death." And, yet even with this dedication…even with this love…even with the highest resolve, 34 Jesus said, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me."

Your Sifting Is Predicted

That is a very frightening prophecy!

It reveals to us that a man who has lived in very close and intimate fellowship with the Lord for three years and whose heart is dedicated to the Lord and whose life is filled with the sincerest desire to follow Him and serve can fall into great sin! We somehow feel that our highest ideals, our highest resolves, our greatest times of dedication will somehow stop us from failure.  It is a frightening thing that tells me that the best can fail.

H. G. Wells once said that a man can love music and be a very poor musician…and there's a lot of truth in that. A man can love art and yet be a very poor artist himself. A man can love Jesus and have the highest desire to never do anything that would dishonour and disgrace Him, and yet that man can fail miserably.

"Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat,"

The word "you" is in the plural, indicating all the disciples, but He singles out Simon in particular… Notice He doesn't call him "Peter." He calls him by his original name. Simon was Peter's name when Jesus met him. Jesus had said, "Thou art Simon and thou shalt be called 'Cephas,'" or "Peter," which is interpreted "rock" or "stone"…in other words, Jesus is saying to Peter when He meets him that first time and calls him to be His disciple that Jesus is going to change his character. He's going to make something firm and steadfast and dependable…a rock…out of Peter. But, when He comes to prophesy of the failure of this apostle, He does not address him as "Peter." He addresses him as "Simon." He uses his former name and I think by this, Jesus Christ is indicating that Peter is full of frailty and fickleness and human weakness because this is the area in which the devil is going to strike at Peter.

Satan desires to possess the believer. Jesus said to Simon,"Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat,"

The fact that the devil has an intense interest in the believer…the fact that this interest is so great that he had a desire to possess this man, to literally bring him, pull him, extract him from the hands of God…get him in his own clutches and do with him as he pleases. I think this is a very important truth for every believer to understand.

Your Sifting Is Personal

The devil has a great desire for you. He wants you. He wants to take you in his hands and sift you as wheat. He wants to harass you, to trouble you, to attack you, to separate you from the Lord Jesus, to separate you from the fellowship of other believers. I think that Simon Peter was speaking out of his own experience when he wrote in 1 Peter 5:8  "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." The devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour. You remember in the book of Job, when the devil showed up in the court of God. God asked the devil where he's been…

Job 1: 6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan  also came among them. 7 The LORD said to Satan, "From where have you come?" Satan answered the LORD and said, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it." 8 And the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?" 9 Then Satan answered the LORD and said, "Does Job fear God for no reason? 10 Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face." 12 And the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand." So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.

Now, the interesting point there is that when God asked Satan, "…hast thou considered My servant, Job…," and Satan, by his reply indicates he has spent a great deal of time considering Job. He knows a great deal about Job. He says, "Aha, Job is Your servant, and he has served You, but the reason he has served You is because You've built a hedge about him and not only is there a hedge about him, but there's also a hedge about his house and there's a hedge about everything that he has on every side and You have blessed the work of his hands and his substance is increased in the land." I tell you, the devil knew a great deal about Job. I have an idea he had a pretty thick file on Brother Job.

How did Satan know there was a hedge around Job? Well, because he'd been trying to get to Job and he found a hedge. You can rest assured he investigated every inch of that hedge to see if there was a hole that he could sneak through. He found out there was a hedge about his house, and a hedge on every side of everything that he had. Job had been considered by the devil…indicating the devil's great interest in Brother Job….as he also had an interest in Simon…and my friend, as he has an interest also in you and me. The Apostle Paul tells us that we are still involved in a hand to hand combat with the devil and all his minions.

Satan has a great desire for the believer! He watches us and he considers us, looking for an opportunity, a vulnerable spot. This is why the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 4, tells us not to give place to the devil. The idea there, of course, is of giving the devil a toehold, a foothold…letting the devil get a foot in the door. "Be careful," the apostle says, "of how you live because the devil is an opportunist, and if there's anger among you, if there's an unforgiving spirit, if there's anything that smacks of bitterness or resentment, if there's any kind of crack or sin in the armor of the Christian life, the devil will be able to slip in and he will be able to overpower you. Be careful that you do not give an opening to the devil." Again, I believe, indicating the devil keeps a watchful eye on every believer.

You see, the devil stalks before he leaps. The devil had been stalking Simon Peter.

Your Sifting Is Permitted

Satan Must Have Divine Permission

Now, Friend, this is one of the most important and encouraging truths you'll ever entertain in your mind. The devil, while he hates the believer, while he is our antagonist, he is committed to the destruction of our lives, and he walketh about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may – not simply taste or bite – but whom he may devour, swallow whole, yet this master of malice cannot touch me without divine permission. He cannot touch me without divine permission! Look at verse 31 again:
"The Lord said, 'Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath
desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat…'"

Now, the key is the word translated "desire." It means "to beg earnestly for." Literally, the word could be translated "to obtain by asking permission."

God regulates the devil. Now, I emphasize that this is a very important truth to understand. Years and years ago, there was a heresy that was called "dualism." This heresy said that there are dual powers in the universe. They are equal powers. They are opposing powers, but they are equal powers. They are dual powers…the power of good and the power of evil.

God is a sovereign God. That means there belongs to God unlimited power…"all authority," Jesus said, "is given unto Me in heaven and in earth." All authority! All power! The devil may be the prince of the power of the air…but all power belongs to God! And, the devil can do nothing except God permit him to do it!

You remember when the Lord Jesus stood before Pilate, and Pilate was questioning the Lord and he made this statement: "Jesus, don't you know that I have the power of life and death over you?" And, Jesus said, "You would not have any power but that was given to you of My Father which is in heaven." That's an amazing statement! Pilate didn't have any power except the power that was given him of God. Now, what that boils down to mean is this…that God the Father gave Pilate the power to crucify His Son. But Pilate, regardless of his being the dupe of the devil, didn't have the power to crucify Jesus unless the Father permitted it. All power belongs to God! And everything the devil does, he must do under the permissive will of the Lord…and so, Jesus says, "Simon, Simon, Satan hath desired to have you…"

Your Sifting is Purposeful

Because we need it. it is for our own good.

Sift: The process of separating the wheat from the chaff.

Sifting is necessary to wheat. Wheat must be sifted because it is wheat! Sifting separates the good from the bad.

Satan wanted to sift so no wheat would remain to take out whatever was good. But Christ's desire was that no chaff would remain.

The devil strikes at crisis moments, he also strikes at the points of our strength.

Now, let me make this very clear…To us it is a point of strength, but in fact it is a point of weakness. Peter believed that his strong point was his courage. I think in the Gospels, you get the idea that Peter's not afraid of anything. There's nothing bashful or shy about this fellow at all. He's always the first one to speak out on any subject, whether he knows what he's talking about or not. He's often been in error, but never in doubt. Peter is that type of brusque, rough man…he's a man's man…big, burley fisherman! He's not afraid of anything…in the Garden of Gethsemane, he is the one who takes out his sword and attacks that man, and of course he may have been brave, but he wasn't a very good shot…he got his ear while trying to go for his head. One man said that Peter was trying to split Malchus in two…"Mal" on the one side and "Chus" on the other. But, Peter missed and hit his ear, and be that as it may, Peter was a brave and courageous man. He wasn't afraid of anything.

As I said earlier, I believe Peter was absolutely, totally sincere when he said, "Lord, I'll go with Thee to death…I'm ready to die for You…" Now, to Peter, that was his strong point. That was one thing that Peter didn't need to worry about. He may have other points that he needed to reinforce, that he needed to keep a watchful eye on…but as far as his boldness, as far as his courage, as far as his fearlessness was concerned, that point was alright.

Now, I want you to notice. That was at the point the devil struck. The devil will always strike at your strong points because your strong points are your weak points. Why are they your weak points? Well, for a number of reasons, but the main reason is this: If I believe this is my strong point, then I am going to be complacent in that area. I'm going to be satisfied in that area. I'm not going to put any guards over there in that area.

The truth is both God and Satan agreed Peter needed a good sifting!

Peter was arguing when he should have been listening.

Jesus had told the disciples over and over about His coming crucifixion and death. But Peter wouldn't accept it. "Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying,"Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!" (Matthew 16:22).

But Peter wouldn't accept it, even when the Lord Himself told him. Think about that! Arguing with Jesus! Jesus then had to say, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me…" (vs. 23).

Hearing His Word, do you put your own spin on it, watering it down?

Peter was boasting when he should have been depending.

"Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death" (Luke 22:33).

Jesus, knowing the future, replies, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me"

Peter thought, "That's something I'll never do." But he did.

Here's Peter, naturally bold and aggressive—the one who jumped out of the boat to walk on water, drawing his sword in Gethsemane thinking he could protect the Lord—boasting when he should have been depending on God, not his own strength. Oswald Chambers said, "An unguarded strength is a double weakness."

Are you depending on your ability? Do you look around at others, saying, "Thank God, I'm not like them"?

Peter was sleeping when he should have been praying.

Agonizing in prayer in Gethsemane, Jesus found His disciples sleeping. "Then He said to them, "Why do you sleep? Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation"  (Luke 22:46).

Are you sleeping when you should be seeking Him in prayer? Do the things that break the heart of Jesus break yours? Or do you yawn in the face of God? Jesus taught us to pray every morning, not only for daily bread, but for daily protection: "And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one" (Matthew 6:13). Do you put on the armor of God every morning, asking, "In the name of Jesus, protect me and keep me"?

Prayerlessness reveals a pride that says, "I'm quite capable of handling this myself." Whispering a little prayer, off you go, then spiritually fall flat on your face.

Peter was fighting rather than loving.

When he took up a sword against the high priest's servant,

Peter had the wrong enemy. 

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12).

The devil loves to get people fighting people. Those who hate Christians aren't the enemy. They're victims of the real enemy—Satan.

Peter had the wrong weapon

Jesus told Peter to put his sword away. "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds" (2 Corinthians 10:4).

Our battle is against the powers of darkness. Nothing but divine power can overcome them. Our weapons are faith, prayer, surrender, obedience, revival; the devil cannot stand against those.

Peter had the wrong energy.

He'd not been praying. He awakened in the energy of the flesh, filled with misguided zeal.

Have you been boasting when you ought to be depending? Sleeping when you ought to be praying? Fighting in the energy of the flesh, rather than walking in the Spirit?

Peter had the wrong attitude.

"for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God" (James 1:20). You can have holy indignation over sin, but beware of misguided, unbridled anger.

Peter failed miserably, but God wasn't through with him.

No matter how badly you've failed, God isn't finished with you, either. Failure need not be final.

Your Sifting Is Prayed For

32 but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers."

This to me is the most wonderful point.  His eye is on you!

"I have prayed for you" It is personal and individual. Of course, Christ prayed for all the disciples (John 17) but here He singles out Peter. WHY?

"The man that was in the greatest danger was the man nearest Christ's heart, and chiefly the object of Christ's prayer. So it is always so–the tenderest of His' words, the sweetest of His consolations, the sweetest of his consolations, the strongest of His succours, the most pleading and urgent of His petitions, the mightiest gifts of His grace, are given to the weakest, the neediest, the men and women in most sorrow and stress and peril, and those who want (need) Him most always have Him nearest. The thicker the darkness, the brighter His light; the drearier our lives the richer His presence; the more solitary we are, the larger the gifts of His companionship. OUR NEED IS THE MEASURE OF HIS PRAYER. ..When you want Christ most, Christ is most to you.". Alexander McLaren

He prays for you!  The Lord Jesus Himself. He prays for you! Hebrews 7: 25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost  those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

You are in His heart! He prays for you!

32 but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail.

Jesus didn't pray that Simon would be exempt from it, but protected through it. The Lord's focus was that Simon's Faith would not fail.. He prays for you that your faith will not fail..

1Peter 1:3-5 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

God's power is prevailed upon to keep your faith in Him true. He keeps your faith so that it doesn't fail.. What does that mean? In my experience He continues to show you He is real.  He continues to show you He is in control. He continues to show you that He loves you and you are important to Him!

Your Sifting Is Powerful

"And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers."

Not "IF" but "WHEN". Peter's recovery was assured before his failure was experienced.

"strengthen your brothers."He will then be qualified to minister to others

2 Corinthians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.¹  6 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. 7 Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.

Joseph … the trial made him a source of life to others.

You may not be able to find the explanation of your suffering in your own life. It may be found only in the lives of others. The flowers may not grow in your own garden but in the garden of another. The wealth earned by your sufferings may be deposited in another's account. The benefits may go to someone else.

Are you going through a good sifting? God has a purpose in it.

Trust Him with it. Let Him change you.  Turn again to Him.