He Who Is the Servant Is the Greatest

This is Chris Hughes with the Christian perspective podcast with Chris Hughes. We encourage our listeners to engage the culture with Jesus Christ your chosen Truth Network podcast is starting a just a few seconds.

So enjoy it share but most of all, thank you for listening to The Truth Podcast Network. This is the Truth Network who's the greatest in the kingdom he who is the servant the words of Jesus Christ. The theme of the book of Luke, by the way, Luke 1910, the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost. He came to serve. Have you been served by Christ return or earn your way to heaven and are you trying to out serve him and that.

Are you trusting in his mighty grace to save you in his grace. By the way, teaches our heart to fear, and in his grace empowers us to serve him in a mighty way. I'm Stu Epperson so glad you're with us in our journey through the word. The last segment of experience truth we go through the word of God or Luke 2224 to 34 on the regal passage this week were wrapping up this passage and working to hone in on verses 31 through 34 Christ encounter with Peter in the upper room some powerful stuff.

Let's resulting those who give the context Luke 2224 through 34 now there was also a dispute among them as to which of them should be considered the greatest and he said to them, the kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them and those who exercise authority over them are called benefactors, but not so among you. On the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be. As the younger and Hugh governs as he who serves for who is greater. Hugh sits at the table or he who serves. Is it not he who sits at the table yet. I am among you as the one who serves. Verse 28 but you are those who have continued with me in my trials and I was still upon you a kingdom, just as my father bestowed one upon me that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel and the Lord said, Simon, Simon, indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you that your faith should not feel and when you have returned to me, strengthen your brethren. But he said him Lord, I am ready to go with you both the prison and a death then he said I tell you, Peter. The rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know me in this is the word of our God. So Jesus is encouraging his disciples you're not rebuking them there fighting and jogging is the most sacred meal of all times. He's come to this point is ministry he's been talking about this that I the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinners and tried and killed and murdered, but on the third day he will raise again. But these guys know this is coming yet they don't did it and in his final momentous Last Supper. The great celebration that we celebrate. We call it the Lord's supper. We celebrated to this day because he told us to the or the beautiful ordinance celebrating is amazing. Death on our behalf is bloodshed for us, his body broken for us. And if this amazing climactic moment his disciples are fighting their jogging.

Who's going to be the greatest. I want to run things. I want to be in charge.

Put me up there. Christ gently rebukes them by saying that Windows would be the greatest. He who is the least. This is always the way of the kingdom, the blessed ones are the poor in spirit, the blessed ones are those who mourn the blessed ones are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness the blessed ones are the meat they're the ones inherit the earth. That's where greatness comes from serving in the greatest come from the younger and the children. He said believes that hearken the little children to come on to me, for such is the kingdom of God. Beautiful picture. The Christ gives us there. So here toward the end of this conversation he blesses them as is.

But I bestowed upon you kingdom this disciples are to have a special place the 12 different gates of the kingdom and in Revelation will be judged by the 12 tribes of Israel will be judged by these disciples we see that in verse 30 but Jesus turns his attention to Simon, Simon, Simon, indeed, Satan has asked for you. What about this. What about he calls him by his earlier name by the way, the earth, the name Simon means shaking the name Peter means rock. So Christ calls him is renamed and what he calls by the of the first name because there's a shakiness there is a there is a unsteadiness to Simon this come upon him, and in Christ tells what that is. Satan wants to sift you as we only Luke's Gospel makes this reference to Satan very similar to the attack on Job. This idea of sifting indicates this intense trials in a come and there's up there's a pressure to corrupt him and to to take out the good bite by pushing him with evil but what God does is he takes that test to purify him. What is Jesus a look at this statement here absolute of slaves is but I have prayed for you.

How Hebrews 715 says Jesus ever lives to make intercession for us. He is our high priest.

He prayed for Peter when Jesus Christ as I have prayed for you that's pretty strong. What if I told you Christ was praying for you right now what if I told you you had an advocate with the father you had a mediator one mediator between God and man, first of the 215 what I told you that he was up fighting for you as you have give the right hand of the throne of God will guess what is not. What if it is happening and he says I will pray for you and Jesus says operate when I see him to pray for you.

Take a listen old experts only about that horrible thing to happen are all I'll be sure pray for you how often we follow up with praying for someone I love texting was it had previous more ill of getting this text. Believe me, once I get that text resources a pray for yesterday and all know that was real and all know that goodness gracious, that that I can see that work. Thank God for prayer but we were human rights and will forgive horrible Stu Epperson exiting all dog on and her prayed for Micro Center would warn Jesus as a pray for you, pray for, he prayed for Peter.

What a great message and lessened us to follow through in our prayers right. I like to prove you right there I'm right there with you. I do as long time with our team Robbie Christian cargo others. I'm with them.

She shares a bird nest list for now. Why weren't pray right now ages, I will forget and be thinking about it. So let's just do it and let's go before God write the best form of communication is not email but an email so Christ prayer is perfect.

His prayer is powerful and is prayer is very specific in two areas.

First, he says I'm praying for you that your faith should not fail.

Why does he pray that because he prays for his faith to be strong first on 54 whoever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.

I learned that verse is a rising senior in high school at a Christian camp and is stuck with me for who 30+ years the faith. Why, because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Our faith is what the reason that faith is so important because Christ is so important. Faith puts our trust. Our dependence reliance on him so Christ first praises faith won't fail. It is very strong prayer because Christ doesn't feel.

Secondly, that when you return to me, strengthen your brethren, so he presumes that his failures in a happen. He knows he's good.

93 times any prophesies that right but check this out. He says when you return. He knows he's gonna come back and testify the way a wise man problems as sales fall seven times would get back up. He knows that we fall. We stumble the sign you're truly in him is when you're chastened. Hebrews chapter 12, you will get back up.

He was 12, five through eight says who the Lord loves he chastens chasing is good because it purifies and it and it it's it's God the gentle Shepherd leading us back in the flock. In John 10, the shepherd leaves the 99 goes gets the one that once a lot of it is been me.

Amen. Think God is come after you and then you will strengthen your brethren. How did God use computers failures. The same guy who failed, by the way whose boasting that I'm at a stand with you and I Lord I'm in a stick with you and I'm in a know it all fall you the death the same guy that denied Christ three times the same guy that failed. It was, it had the open mouth insert syndrome. This same Peter, let me tell you about him just what he said about Pentecostal Holy Spirit and priest Matt powerfully. Thousands were saved. He stood up as a leader of the early church. He was beaten striped put in jail had miraculous things happening. People want to get area shadow in acts chapter 5 because of the power that came from him, God was used used him in a Mighty Way, God restored him to strengthen his brother and Peter do you love me.

You love me Peter do you love me three times. John 21, three different Greek words for love what he said at the very own Peter said yes yes yes each time he Peter denied Christ three times Christ reaffirmed and restored him three times in John 21 and guess what Jesus says, feed my sheep see these failures. God uses your failure. Think about this to bring other people to him.

That's why you feel this way of a checkered past, and yet you struggle to think about things you get beat up. Not right because you those things happen for God used to bring others to him.

You've gone through the mess you've gone through.

I know I've interviewed so many ladies who have had abortions on my radio show.

I've interviewed them on my show to tell about their story and they have blessed so many other ladies and let so many other ladies to keep their baby and let similes through the guilt and shame of that process to Jesus who gives you, who gives beauty to your ashes and this is how God used the fall of Peter is his help. Jesus specifically was praying for him. Verse 33. Even before Peter says this boast Christ as I'm praying for you because I know you're going to fail. But verse 33 he said to him, Lord, I'm ready go to both the prison death Christ as the rooster to crow three times will deny me three times.

You know, but before this route eatable is that the router before the rooster crows and uses this is all going to happen and it's gonna happen quick and here you are the Last Supper sacred ground.

Luke 22 the 24th 234 Christ exposes his enemy who would betray him, and any and you know what any any also exposes a friend who would deny him and but Jesus is not just the star of the Last Supper. He's also our advocate, our intercessor, our media before God. What comfort how to inspire with how inspiring right and he takes your failures. He takes your mess, and he creates and that amazing message to shine his light others, and he's praying for us just like he prayed for Peter. So the bottom line is how my strengthening my brothers to the trials and attacks that besiege me that I've messed up in how my trusting Jesus as my high priest in my intercessor. What a question he is there.

Are you calling upon the name of the Lord every day. Are you walking with him. Are you sharing the good news of Christ and I share the gospel with people you know I've done with my more recent Christian life.

I shared my sin sure you look at a guy who's messed up royally. Look what Jesus Christ is done and I go right to him bring up Jesus Christ early and often in every conversation and watch him work and watch how God took and restored Peter and how God were here today because faithful men like Peter trusted Jesus and the Holy Spirit used him as such a leader that early church and the Holy Spirit can use you wherever you are today. That's why your list.

If you don't know Christ trust him as your savior call upon the name of the Lord be saved if you do take that message and share the good news with your friends there waiting to hear about why you're different and what is done in your life. We had to go this experience truth. I'm Stu Epperson think so much of our awesome radio fillets all over the country in the world for carrying this fall between Mr. Instagram and all over the place just back in my name, Stu Epperson, and you can hear me elitist Bible study called Wednesday in the word at a local restaurant in North Carolina. It's a men's group and we take a bunch of guys went to messed up guys we go to the word of God.

It's awesome and love to have you attend that would learn more about that at my Facebook page you guys you watch some of the videos of these teaching mirrors will God bless you. This is the Truth Network