Title: God Who Uses the Sinful
Contents
I pray that this will be a precious time to come closer to God as we think of the cross of Jesus during the Holy Week, realizing the great grace that God gives us.
I. We humans are fragile.
(1) God knows our weaknesses. - If you look at today's Bible verse, you can see that Jesus prophesied that all his disciples would deny him. “Tonight you will all forsake me” (verse 31). “All the disciples forsook Jesus and fled” (verse 56).
(2) But we often live with a loud voice. - The more blessed a person is from God, the louder they live, the more they give thanks. Peter exclaimed at Jesus' words. “Even if all forsake you, I will never forsake you” (verse 33). “Even if I die with you, I will not deny you” (verse 35). All the other disciples said the same thing (verse 35).
- I suddenly thought of this while watching Peter shouting. “Do I have this passion for God today?” Saints! Take a moment to look around yourself and ask yourself questions. “Do I have a passion for the Lord?” Most people try to believe in Jesus comfortably without devotion or sacrifice. Such believers are called 'minimum christians'. It refers to having an attitude to do worship attendance, offering, devotion, zeal, and service to the minimum necessary to maintain the status of a believer. In short, there is no enthusiasm. No passion. Everyone! I bless you that you can restore your passion for God.
(3) (We need passion) Many people shout, but we are really fragile. - Peter, who was shouting, could not pray with Jesus for even an hour.
- We cannot fully follow the Lord with human zeal alone. We can follow the Lord properly only when our self is broken. Paradoxically, we need to realize our weakness and experience our self-brokenness in order to live a powerful life that can be used in a great way by God. And above all else, we need God's grace in order to be truly used in a great way by God.
II. In spite of our weakness, God is with us.
(1) Even though Jesus knew that his disciples would deny and forsake him, he was with them to the end. - “After I am raised, I will go before you into Galilee” (verse 32).
(2) Jesus prayed for his disciples even though he knew that they would deny him. - “But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail; after you are converted, strengthen your brother” (Luke 22:32).
(3) And the resurrected Jesus came to Peter and all the other disciples who had failed. He gave them a mission and promised to be with them to the end of the world (Matthew 28:18-20).
This week we are having a hard week. When we meditate on the cross of Jesus, what we are most grateful for is the fact that, despite our weaknesses, many faults, and failures, Jesus does not give up on us and loves us. Therefore, in spite of our weakness, we can serve God and glorify God. As we celebrate Holy Week and Easter Sunday, I pray that God's grace and blessing may overflow in your life. Amen.