Slow Leaks (Part #2)

So here's the good news about this whole idea of slow leaks: Jesus has more than just a little experience in dealing with slow leaks in the lives of His followers.  In fact it was one of Jesus’ closest followers that became the epitome of what a slow leak looked like in the life a follower of Jesus Christ.  Check out this passage...

Luke 22:31-32 says...

So here’s Simon Peter, one of Jesus’ closest followers.  Even from the twelve that Jesus did life with, Jesus seemed to have three, Peter, James and John that He interacted with at a different level.  Now to be fair, I don’t think you could have been a disciple and not had an amazing connection with Jesus but Peter’s connection must have been so much more amazing.  But in these verses above, it sounds like Jesus is alluding to some sort of defect with Peter, it’s as if Jesus was already aware of a leak in Peter’s life.  This must have made zero sense to Peter.  I mean after all, Peter absolutely loved Jesus. 

Think for a minute about Peter’s calling as a follower of Jesus.  He’s been fishing all night long, they’re wrapping up for the day, they’re washing the nets out, they’re exhausted and all they’re thinking about is going home.  And here comes this stranger who gets into his boat and says, “Why don’t you drop those nets one more time?”  Are you kidding me?  Who is this guy?  But for whatever reason, Peter obliges Jesus.

• Had Peter been a little more than casually interested as Jesus was teaching there on the beach?  
• Had Jesus’ reputation preceded Him?  
• Had word of the coming Messiah been spreading around the fishing industry?  

For whatever reason, Peter agrees and drops the nets one more time and hauls up a net busting catch of fish.  So many in fact that the other boats have to come over and help haul in the load.  

Can you imagine leaving everything you know, everything you’ve come to depend on for your livelihood, can you imagine walking away from all of that to follow a guy that seemed, at least at this point to deliver on what He promised but in fairness, made some pretty outrageous claims? 

It’s important as we think about these slow leaks in our lives to understand just how radical Peter’s decision to follow Jesus really was.  He wasn’t a casual on-looker to the ministry of Jesus.  

• He jumped in at the ground level.  
• He bought stock in the company.  
• Peter was in it to win it with Jesus.  
• He bet the farm on the claims of Jesus.  
• He pushed all his chips to the middle of the table. 

But for some reason, all of that passion and commitment and excitement slowly leaked from Peter's life and ended with Jesus saying, “Peter, before the rooster crows you will have denied three times that you even know me.”  

Can you imagine Peter’s shock at Jesus’ statement?  I wonder if there wasn’t a little indignation or resentment or frustration on Peter’s part after Jesus makes this comment.  I mean, Peter might have been thinking, “I left everything for you”, “I walked away from my own business to follow you around the countryside and do anything and everything you’ve asked me to do”. And now you’re telling me that I’m going to deny that I even know you.”  Peter was convinced that he could hang in there no matter what happened.  

Peter was confident...in himself.

God maps out pretty clearly that we have absolutely nothing to boast about except for the fact that we know Him.  Peter boasted that he would stay true to Jesus and even die for Him. But his boast came from personal pride and confidence, not spiritual power and boldness.

Listen to the words from Jeremiah 9:24...

I wonder how often we live in the confidence of our ability to stay true to the things of God?  We see stories of people falling into moral failure or people who experience major spiritual blow outs in their lives and we think:

• How can people do that, that would never happen to me.  
• How can she leave her husband, I’d never.
• How can they be so addicted to alcohol, I’d never.
• How can that person completely cash in the chips on their relationship with Jesus, I’d never do that.  

In our effort to stay true to the calling that God has placed on our lives we place the weight of our relationship with God on our shoulders alone. 

Hear this and believe it: “Our shoulders simply aren’t strong enough.”  

Peter has this idea that he was somehow above the possibility of spiritual blowout in his life, and by focusing all of his energy on avoiding the blowout, he missed the leak.

God calls us to stay humble.  He calls us to put all of our trust in Him and realize that without Him, we’re leaky people.