Phil Beach Jr. emphasizes the transformative journey of Peter from denial to boldness, illustrating how the shaking and trials in our lives serve to uproot self-centeredness and establish a Christ-centered existence. He highlights the importance of being rooted in God's word and the necessity of the Holy Spirit in this process of transition. The sermon encourages believers to embrace the discomfort of spiritual growth, recognizing that true life comes from surrendering to God's will and allowing Him to shape us into His image. Ultimately, it is about moving from a self-focused life to one that glorifies God and reflects the character of Christ.

Well, to hear your word, I pray, Lord, that you would encourage us by your word. I'm asking for the Holy Spirit to every heart here. And take your word, Lord, and write it into our hearts. Don't let it escape us, Lord, so that when the day of fire and shaking comes to our life. We are reminded of your word. And we're not left alone, we're not left in confusion, but we can be comforted by your word and know what you're doing and where you're leading us. Oh, God, please establish our lives. In you, on the rock of ages. Dismantle everything in our life. That's not according to your house, that's not according to your life, that's not according to your son. And make us the people that you created us to be, people who reveal your beauty. To one another. And to a dark world, we pray, Father. Father, we thank you for your presence. We thank you for your word. We thank you, Lord, for the Lord Jesus, who truly is beyond description. Who is truly heavenly, who is truly a son at heart. Who truly pleases you and Lord, we just long to know him. We long for the Holy Spirit to make known to us. The depths of Christ, his heart, his passions and etch those. Realities into our lives as your church. Lord, we know the process by which these things occur. Is one of trouble and suffering and difficulty and uprooting and plucking out, as the prophet Ezekiel said. And Lord, we do pray that. You would be patient with us, but you would be persistent with us and not let us slip away, not let us fall short of the full reward. That you are promising those who love you. We pray today, Lord, that the Holy Spirit would give us ears to hear and eyes to see. Give us meek hearts to receive your word. That we might be changed and grow in our salvation, Lord, we pray for Jesus' sake, amen. And a man, John. Chapter 13, John, chapter 13, beginning in verse number 36. Simon Peter said unto him, Lord. Whither goest thou? Jesus answered him. Where I go, thou canst not follow me now. But thou shalt follow me afterward. Peter said unto him, Lord. Why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life. For thy sake, Jesus answered him. Wilt thou lay down thy life? For my sake, verily, verily, I say unto thee, the cock shall not grow. Till thou has. Denied me. Three times acts chapter two, and when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing, mighty wind, and it filled all the house. Where they were sitting and there appeared unto them clothed in tongues like an as a fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues as a spirit gave. Them utterance. Verse 14. But Peter standing up with the 11 lifted up his voice and said unto them. Ye men of Judea and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem. Be this known unto you and hearken unto my words. Verse 38, chapter two. Then Peter said unto them, repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. And you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Verse 43. And fear came upon every soul. And many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. And all that believe were together. And had all things common. And sold their possessions and goods and parted them to all, as every man had need. And they continuing daily with one accord in the temple. Breaking bread from house to house. Did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart. Praising God and having favor with all the people. The Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. Acts chapter three. Beginning in verse one. Now Peter and John went up together into the temple. At the hour of prayer. And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried. Whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple. Which is called beautiful. To ask alms of them that entered into the temple. Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked alms. And Peter fastening his eyes upon him with John said look on us. And he gave heed unto them expecting to receive something of them. Then Peter said silver and gold have I none. But such as I have give I thee. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up. And immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood and walked. And entered with them into the temple. Praising and leaping and praising God. And all the people saw him walking. And praising God. Verse number 11 chapter 3. And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John. All the people ran together under them in the porch. That is called Solomon's greatly wandering. And when Peter saw it he answered unto the people. Ye men of Israel why marvel ye at this. Or why look ye so earnestly on us. As though by our own power of holiness. We had made this man to walk. The God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob. The God of our fathers hath glorified his son Jesus. Whom he delivered up. And denied him in the presence of Pilate. When he was determined to let him go. But ye denied the holy one and the just. And desired a murderer to be granted unto you. And killed the prince of life. Whom God hath raised from the dead. Whereof we are witnesses. Chapter 4 verse 1. And as they spoke unto the people. The priests and the captain of the temple. And the Sadducees came upon them. Being grieved that they taught the people. And preached through Jesus Christ. The resurrection from the dead. And they laid hands on them. And put them in hold. Unto the next day. For it was now evening. How be it many of them heard the word. Believed. And the number of the men was about five thousand. Verse 7. And when they had set them in the midst. They asked by what power. Or by what name. Have ye done this? Then Peter filled with the Holy Ghost. Said unto them. Ye rulers of the people. And elders of Israel. If we this day be examined of the good deed. Done to the impotent man. By what means he is made whole. Be it known unto you all. And to all the people of Israel. That by the name of Jesus Christ. Of Nazareth. Whom ye crucified. Whom God raised from the dead. Even by him. Doth this man stand here. Before. You all. Acts chapter 5. A certain man named Ananias with Sapphire. His wife sold the possession. And kept back part of the price. His wife also. Being privy to it. And brought a certain part. And laid it. At the apostles feet. But Peter. Said. Ananias. Why has Satan filled your heart to lie. To the Holy Spirit. And to keep back part of the price. Of the land. Verse 5. And Ananias hearing these words. Fell down. And gave up the ghost. And great fear. Came on all them. That heard these things. Verse 7. And it was about the space of three hours. When his wife. Not knowing what was done. Came in. And Peter answered. Under her. Tell me. Whether ye sold the land for so much. And she said. Yea for so much. Then Peter said to her. How is it that you have agreed together. To tempt the spirit of the Lord. Behold the feet of them. Which have buried thy husband. Are at the door. And shall carry you out. Then fell she down straightway at his feet. And yielded up the ghost. Verse 11. And great fear. Came upon all the church. And upon as many. As heard. Chapter 5. Verse 40. And to him. Gamaliel. He was giving advice at the time. They agreed. And when they had called the apostles. And beaten them. They commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus. And let them go. And they departed from the presence of the council. Rejoicing. That they were counted worthy. To suffer shame. For his. Name. Now beloved. We read. In John chapter 13. A statement that Peter made. To the Lord Jesus Christ. Lord. Why cannot I follow you? I will lay down my life. For you. And then Jesus said. Will you Peter lay your life down for me? On the contrary. At this time. In your life. You will not lay your life down for me. But you will deny me three times. Then. We just read. Numerous scriptures in the book of Acts. If you'll. Notice Peter was. The prominent subject of most all the scriptures. We see a different man don't we? Something. Radically happened. In the life of Peter. Who said Lord. I will lay my life down for you. And who ended up denying him three times. To the Peter that we see in Acts. Who is full of the Holy Ghost. Boldly speaking. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Not ashamed. Of the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Being beaten. And imprisoned. For the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. And continued right on through. The book of Acts. As a prominent figure in the New Testament. Testifying. To the mighty power and name of the Lord Jesus Christ. What. Happened to Peter. Brothers and sisters. How can a man. Who was following the Lord Jesus Christ. And was wanting to go with the Lord all the way. But had to deny him three times. End up. In a position. Of spiritual stature in the. Book of Acts. Where the Lord Jesus. Was using him. To declare his glory all through the known world. What. Happened. To Peter. Last week. We mentioned the fact that everything. That can be shaken. Is going to be shaken. The purpose of the shaking is to remove whatever cannot. Be shaken. So that the only thing that will remain in our life. Is that which the Lord himself has established. Peter. Was subject. Under the hand of God. To a shaking. Peter was subject to the very prophetic. Word that the Bible speaks of. That we're hearing now through God's word. Peter was subject to that very thing. The result. In Peter's life. Was a man. Who denied his Lord. To a man. Who eventually. Chose. According to church history. To be crucified upside down. For his Lord. Because he said he wasn't worthy to be crucified right side up. What happened. How. Can a man. Be so radically changed. Turn your Bibles to John chapter 14. John chapter 13. Amazingly. What we're going to discover. Is this. Because Jesus is so. Profound. And he's so. God. And man. Jesus. Addressed. The very problem. That Peter had. Which was the cause of his denial. And showed us. By his words. The Lord Jesus's words. The journey. That Peter would have to take. In order to become the man. That he was in the book of Acts. Brothers and sisters. Write. This. Down. In your Bibles. Write it down on your notes. Ask God to write it down in your heart. You and I. Individually. As well as. Corporately. Are going to have to go through the same history. The same kind of dealing. If we are going to know. The same kind of change. That Peter experienced. From John chapter 13. To the book of Acts. You cannot put. Together. A group of people. And make them into a church. You cannot put together a group of people. And make them become. A New Testament expression. Of what we see in the book of Acts. You cannot do it. It's impossible. We can't do it. By organizing prayer meetings. We can't do it by organizing Bible studies. We can't do it by all agreeing. On certain doctrines. And affirming those doctrines. And then saying look we've got it. No my brothers and sisters. You can't do it. We are at the mercy of God. The church is at the mercy of God. Only God. Can take a person. Or a group of people. And fashion them into the stature. And character. That we find. Was working in the book of Acts. Namely in Peter. Only God. And he shows us exactly how he's going to do it. He shows us exactly how he's going to do it. And that's what we're going to look at now. This process. Is within the context. Of the day of fire. The day of testing. The day of shaking. So the day of shaking. Will not only be exposing. And uprooting. And pulling out of our life. All of those things. That are not pleasing to the Lord. But at the same time. Because we're children of grace. Because we're children of the new covenant. We are going to be experiencing the planting. And the establishing. And the developing. And the growing. Out of the shaking. Of the spiritual substance. And realities. That are inherent within the Lord Jesus himself. Which is what the church is to be. An expression. A corporate expression. Of the substance. The reality. The spiritual stature. Of the man in glory. There is to be no difference. Until we as believers. And we as a corporate church. Understand. That we are to be the body of Christ. The depository. The place where the head. Finds full expression. Of himself. We will stumble at the dealings of God in our life. Because we won't understand them. The church and the head are one. And it's not just a doctrinal thing. It's one in substance. One in heart. One in soul. One in mind. Many weeks ago we looked at the profile of a son. We saw the kind of heart that Christ has. That's the same kind of heart the church. Has to have. By the process of God. The process of God's dealing. So. Here's what's going to happen. In your life individually. And as your life together. With other believers. As they join your heart together. As God joins your heart together with other believers. And listen. The glory of the Lord. And the truth of your lives. And my life. Will only line up to what is written. Only to the measure. That we are subject to. And submit to. The dealing of God. During the shaking in our life. That produces the spiritual realities. That we're going to be talking about. In God's word. That we're going to be talking about. As Jesus spoke to us. That's how God. Puts together. His church. That's how God. Is putting us together. I'd like to first read before we go to John. Chapter 14. I'd like to read a verse of scripture. In John chapter 12. Now this is right before the time. That Jesus is talking here. John chapter 12. Beginning in verse number 20. And there were certain Greeks among them. That came up to worship at the feast. And the same came therefore to Philip. Which was of Bethsaida of Galilee. And desired him saying. Sir. We would see Jesus. This is of utmost importance. This is of utmost importance. We would see Jesus. There were people. Who wanted to see Jesus. And Jesus's response to the question. The inquiry. Is very important for us to understand. If someone was looking for you. And they met some of your friends. And your friends went and told you. There's a good chance that you would. Probably go to the mirror. And make sure your hair looked good. And you would go and present yourself. To the inquirers. Hi. I'm the one you're looking for. How may I help you? But Jesus did not do that. Because Jesus. Was answering. The inquiry. From a spiritual perspective. From a vantage point. That his apostles and followers. Had no clue of. The way he was going to manifest himself. To the world. The way he was going to manifest himself. The way people would actually see Jesus. In this age. Was how Jesus responded to this inquiry. Now watch what he said. Jesus answered saying. The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. Truly, truly I say unto you. Except a corn of wheat. Fall into the ground and die. It abideth alone. But if it die. It brings forth much fruit. Brothers and sisters. The corn of wheat here. That Jesus is referring to is himself. He is that corn of wheat. He was. He was. The corn of wheat. The perfect son of God. He was the son of God from heaven. He was the son that pleased the father. He was the one that the father loved from eternity. He was the son that pleased the father. He had in himself that kind of life. Seeds produce after their own kind, correct? Tomato seeds produce tomatoes. Corn seeds produce corn kernels produce corn. Well here Jesus is saying. Except a corn of wheat. Go into the ground and die. It abides alone. But if it dies. It brings forth much fruit. Now let me ask a question. If you plant a tomato seed. What kind of fruit does it bring forth? Tomatoes. So that originally you had one, right? The one seed. But if you plant it into the ground. And that seed goes into death. What comes out of that? Many exactly like what? Exactly like the original seed. Exactly like it. Remember what Peter said? Lord, I want to follow you. I will lay my life down for you. Will you, Peter? Will you really lay your life down for me? You're going to deny me three times. Watch. He that loveth his life shall lose it. And he that hateth his life in this world. Shall keep it unto eternal life. The principle of divine reproduction. The principle of the kingdom of God. The principle of the church's growth. The church's ability to grow spiritually. Is not us doing something for God. It's not us trying to be like Christ. It's not us putting together an outward form of biblical Christianity. The principle upon which Christ planted His church and is going to cause His church to grow is the principle of reproduction. It's the principle of planting the seed and the seed bringing forth after its own kind. It's the principle of God has given us the life of His Son. Which brings forth identical after its own kind. The character. The moral perfections. Not the deity. God is not reproducing the deity of Christ. We are not becoming little gods. As some are teaching. But it is the reproducing of the divine nature with the moral perfections of God's character. That's what's inherent within the life of Christ. That's what's been planted in the earth. What earth is He talking about? The earth of humanity. The earth of redeemed humanity. You and I who are redeemed. God's planted something in this earth. In your earth. If you're a true follower of Jesus Christ, it's the life of His Son. This is the principle of the church and the principle of church growth. Not numerical growth, but spiritual stature and character. And so Jesus foretells the manner in which He would establish His rule and His reign in the church. And then He gives this sober warning. He that seeks to save his life shall lose it. And so the principle of divine reproduction has to do with God planting His Son in us and through the power of the Holy Spirit, which we'll see, reproducing the likeness of Christ. And we gaining His life, but losing our life. Losing our life. First Corinthians, First Corinthians. Chapter six, beginning in verse number 19. What don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit that is in you, which you have of God and you are not your own. Brothers and sisters, we are not our own. We don't have rights over our life. We belong to God. Shaking, pruning, fire, trials, testings. Every one of these spiritual dynamics that God initiates into the life of His church is intended to give us the proper climate into which into which, listen, transition occurs. We are in need of transition. We are in need of transition. And so the first thing that's going to happen, begin to write this stuff down. The first thing that's going to begin to happen in your life, in my life individually, and also it will be evidenced in our gathering together. It will be evidenced in your gathering with other believers is there will be marked transition from the mindset of it is my life, my plans, my desires, my body to. It is not my life. It is not my plans. It is not my body. It is the Lord's. It will be transition from man centeredness to Christ centeredness. It will be transition from viewing things, how they relate to us personally to viewing things as how they relate to God's glory and the increase of his kingdom. Any man without the Holy Spirit will assess any situation and he will determine to what advantage the situation has for himself. And then he will act accordingly. That's natural. But such thinking ought not to be in the house of God, brothers and sisters. We ought not to simply look at life and base our actions and our plans and our decisions on what is it that seems to be best beneficial for me. Because when we come into the kingdom of God and God starts shaking our world and pruning through fire and trials and testings, we are in a climate in which transition begins to occur. And the first sign of transition is we are convicted of man centeredness, self centeredness, selfish thinking, selfish living, self centered planning. We are so convicted we become ashamed. We become ashamed at seeing how our whole world revolves around one person and it's not the eternal God. It's our self. For ye are bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's property. If I give you a $20 bill and I make it clear to you that it is my money and I want to give it to you and I want you to hold it for a week. I want you to keep it for one week. You've got to walk in the awareness that that money in your pocket is not yours. Until we are subject to the dealing of God and we come into a measure of shaking and trials and testings, whether we like it or not, whether we believe it or not, and we could be follower of Jesus as Peter was. He was a follower of Jesus. He was one of the elect, wasn't he? He was chosen. Jesus said, I hate Peter. You haven't chosen me. I've chosen you. He was one of God's chosen children. And yet. The fundamental flaw in Peter's life. In John 13, it was all about Peter. What did Peter do, Norman, when Jesus was foretelling that he had to go to Jerusalem and be crucified? Don't do it. Have mercy on thyself. Why do you think he said that? You really think he didn't want the Lord to be crucified? I don't think so. I think old Peter was plotting, Cary. He was saying, wait a minute, Jesus called me to follow Him. It's alright to follow Jesus when He's healing the sick and casting out devils and performing miracles. And boy, I like the feeling of importance through association. I'm one of His followers. But wait a minute, I'm putting this all together now. Old Peter's after one thing, saving his own skin. He wants to save his own skin. And if Jesus says to Peter, I have to go get crucified, Peter's saying, wait a minute, I'm one of your followers. That means I can potentially lose my life. Peter, Jesus, that's a bad decision. That's a bad decision. Have mercy on yourself, Jesus. What Peter was saying was, have mercy on me. Don't subject me to the danger of following you to where if you get crucified, I might get crucified. You see how Peter was viewing following the Lord? He was viewing it from how he was benefiting. And this is what we're doing as the church. We are following the Lord. We believe in the Lord. We love the Lord. Some of us have forsaken all that we have. Did Peter at this point forsake all that he had? Yes, he did. At least outwardly he did. I mean, he let go of his nets. He was walking with Jesus, living with Jesus. He was a good Christian man, wasn't he? The shaking, the fire that we are going to be subject to as God's people in this late hour is the fire that's going to expose how even our following the Lord and our Christian service is tainted with how is it benefiting me? And brothers and sisters, when that is the case, we can't follow the Lord wholly because we'll put the brakes on every time God's movement in our life is moving us in a way that suddenly it's no longer to our advantage. We'll put the brakes on. We'll convince God it can't be right. We'll find someone to give us counsel, someone to give us counsel to confirm our fears and our suspicions that that can't be what the Lord wants. So what we're looking at as the very beginning stages of this seed that God has planted in us in the earth, it's got to reproduce after its own kind. But before it does, all the outer man, all the outer self has to be broken up, has to be denied. It starts with a climate created by God's sovereign hand where there's shaking and trials and testings and fire, and transition begins to occur. Transition begins to occur. It's not my life. It's not my property. The $20 bill is not yours. It's mine. And so if you go through the week and you start to look at things, boy, I would like to have that and I have a $20. You're missing it. It's not yours. You can't look at that $20 bill in your pocket and say, boy, wonder what I can get for it. It's not yours. That thing in your pocket is not something that's been given to you to get what you want. It's a trust. I'm the one that tells you how to spend it. I might say, keep it in your pocket for six months and don't touch it. I might say, all right, I want you to give it away to someone. See, you've got to get your instructions from the one who owns it. Transition. That brings us to John chapter 13, 14. Now, suddenly, suddenly, Jesus is speaking words that only make sense when people are subject to shaking and they are in a state of transition. Brothers and sisters, let me just say this. We must pray that God will ever keep us in the mindset of transition. Whenever you get set to where you are resisting transition, you're setting yourself up for loss spiritually. And it is the nature of the creature to resist transition and to find a lifestyle, a mindset, an inner heart posture that doesn't have to change. That's our nature. And so our only safety that will guarantee. The Lord will get everything he's after in our life is that we pray, God, keep my heart in a posture. All right, let's begin. Let's begin here. Peter, Jesus is prophetically speaking now about the spiritual dynamics that are going to go on when we are in transition, when we're in the climate of fire and pruning and testing. And oh my God, may the Lord help us to see this is not doctrine. This is not just a doctrinal discourse. These are spiritual realities that pierce to the very center of our being. God, help us give us eyes to see. I saw the first thing that Jesus begins to utter. Let not your heart be troubled. Oh, dear God, when did he speak this word? Right after he said what? Peter, you're about to deny me three times. Let not your heart be troubled. The first thing the Lord Jesus establishes in the midst of the trouble, in the midst of the shaking, in the midst of the pruning is a word from Him. Don't be troubled. I'm with you. I'm with you. Now watch what Jesus starts to do. Jesus is starting to identify Peter's problem. Ye believe in God, believe also in who? Who did Peter believe in more than anyone? Peter. Thank you, Norman. Oh, the Master is now getting into the depths of the heart. Come on, brothers and sisters, every single one of us believe in God, but we've not yet fully learned to believe in Christ. We believe in ourself. We believe in our wisdom. We believe in our understanding. We believe in our power to control other people. We believe in our power to control our circumstances. And how do we know that? Because when God begins to put His finger on our life, we begin to erupt and go into convulsions. Why? Why? Because we're trusting in someone who can't handle it. We're trusting in ourself and we realize we don't have what it takes. And we hear the words of our Savior. Believe in God, believe also in Me. These words are now addressing the very root of what caused Peter to say, Lord, though all men forsake You, I won't. I'll follow You. Peter was speaking out of confidence in himself. Peter was speaking out of a man who was infatuated with himself. A man who hadn't learned that he was of no value to God and that his wisdom was foolishness to God and that his strength was weakness to God and that his charismatic personality meant nothing to God. Peter had not yet seen that, but he was loved by Jesus. Chosen by Jesus. God will uproot us from trusting in ourself. Second, in my Father's house. Stop right there. Whose house? Father's house. Now, I don't know about you guys, but when I'm invited over someone's house, I don't walk in and take over. I try and demonstrate a measure of grace. I try and wait for them to tell me where to sit down. What their agenda is. I'm visiting. It's not my house. It's their house. In my Father's house, Jesus is now saying to Peter, Peter, you have got to make a big transition in your life. It's not about Peter anymore. It's not about Peter doing what he wants in his own house. It's not about Peter doing what he wants under his own authority. It's not about Peter. You are in another person's house. How many of us are cognizant, consciously aware, that we are living in the house of another? And that we are to give honor to the owner of the house. That it is not our prerogative to walk in the house and decide where we're going to sit, what we're going to do. We're going to open the refrigerator. We're going to eat. We're going to go into the master bedroom and kick back and just... No, you are in the house of another. Jesus is saying, Peter, you are in Father's house. You will learn, Peter, by the discipline of Father, that you are under authority. You will learn, Peter, by the discipline of Father, that it is no longer about you. You will learn that you are now a guest in another's house. A loved guest, yes. A cherished guest, yes. But one that doesn't have the prerogatives and rights if he was in his own house. How are you and I living our lives? Aware that we are in another's house? Now, I don't know about you, but who owns the property in another's house? Yeah, that's what I thought. Certainly not you. How are we living our life? Father, help us to see. Transition. It's not about me. Now, it's Father's house. Father's property. And Father's family. Father's house. Father's property. And Father's family. Do you know all the kinds of trouble that we get into simply because we have not even made the transition from John chapter 13, verse 38 to John 14, verse one and two. We haven't made this transition yet. That's why we know very little about the Holy Spirit. This is broken up in sections. It's the boast of Peter. Then it's the comfort of Jesus. And the introduction of Father's house. Father's property. Father's authority. Then the Holy Spirit. Then obedience to God. Then the vine and the branches. And then the world hating us. You see, Jesus was introducing Peter to a whole new mindset, which would be the thing that would happen to him during his time of testing, which would make him into the Peter of Acts. Chapter two, three, four, and right on through the book of Acts. In my Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have not told you. I go to my Father's house go and prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself that where I am there, you may be also. Now, let me ask a question in verses one, two and three. How many times did Jesus mentioned Peter being in control? Who's the who's the subject of what's going on? Jesus, I will. I will. I will. I will. I will prepare a place for you. See, in Father's house, we settle down. We stop trying to live our own life based on what is it that is going to benefit me? We stop spending our money on how is it going to benefit me? We stop choosing our friends. How is it going to benefit me? We don't look at careers. How's it going to benefit me? We don't consider possessions. How is it going to benefit me? In Father's house, we're not initiating. In Father's house, we're listening. We're watching. And we are responding to His decrees. We're responding to His commands. We're responding to His initiatives. We're getting our direction from Him. In Father's house, we're watching Him work. Doesn't that sound like what Jesus said? As my Father works, so I work. As my Father speaks, so I speak. These truths are the exact opposite from the culture that we're living in today, brothers and sisters. And that's why they're so foreign to us. And that's why it's so hard for us to hear them and receive them. Because it's like another world, isn't it? It's like another world. Go with me to the end of the book of John. The end of the book of John. Jesus is now talking to Peter. And Peter had denied Him three times and Peter was the recipient of Christ's love and Christ was restoring him. Listen to what Jesus says to Peter here. Verse 18, Verily, verily, I say unto you, when you were young... Here's what Jesus could have said if the Bible had already been written and the book of John was right in front of Peter. Here's what Jesus could have said. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Peter, in John 13, 36, 37, and 38, you were young. You girded yourself. Who's in control here now? You girded yourself. In John 13, Peter, you hadn't made the transition yet. You hadn't come to understand the Father's house, the Father's property, the Father's family, and the Father's authority. You were still girding yourself. You were choosing your own way. You were being motivated by a mindset that assessed life based on how it benefited you. Yes, Peter, this is what you did when you were young. Thou girdest thyself and walkest wither thou wouldest. You chose your own path. What was the criteria that Peter used when he was young and immature that determined what path he chose? What was the criteria? What seemed good to him? Now, I know none of us do that, so I guess we could just sort of empathize with Peter, all the poor guy. Jim says we'll skip over that part. Can you see why our Christianity is so sterile today, brothers and sisters? You see why it's so sterile? These things are foreign. Why? Because we're students of our culture. We're disciples of this age. Well, you think we're going to put this thing together? Next week, let's all get all of our money together, all right? Let's all put it in a big pile, and we'll start distributing it around. Then we'll be a New Testament church. No chance. No chance. You can't do that. You can't make it happen. You can't make it happen outwardly. God has to give the heart of the Son. It's the heart of the Son etched into people that produces that spiritual truth. What about prayer? Come on, brothers and sisters. Do you have on your honest hat? Do you have on your honest hat? How many are praying without ceasing? How many are praying without ceasing? How many are groaning and weeping and travailing over the fact that this town alone doesn't even have a testimony of the true church? A lot of religion. I know what we should do then. Let's get together, guys, and let's start having prayer meetings and make this thing happen. Never happen. That's man's way. That's religion. Won't happen, guys. What about greed and covetousness and selfishness? What about the lust for things that is like a cancer right in the church? What about the taste we have for nice, new things? What about the resentment we have if we have to settle for something that's not beautiful and brand new? How can we rectify that problem? Well, let's make it a rule. Everyone has to give 60% of their income. Praise God, that'll take care of the greedy people. Is that going to work? Of course not. Of course not. Where does that leave us? It leaves us at the mercy of God. Oh, God, change our hearts. So here's what Jesus is saying. When you were young, you girded yourself and you walked where you want. But when you shall be old, you shall stretch forth your hands and another shall gird thee and carry you where thou wouldest not. Now, is that transition? That's big time transition. There it is. This spoke he signifying what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he said unto him, follow me. How interesting. Back in John 13, Peter said, Lord, I'll follow you. And he failed him. And now Jesus is saying to Peter now, follow me. With this new mindset, follow me. With this transition. That father is being that that father's putting in your heart, this transition. It's not about you. It's not how it's benefiting you. It's what brings glory to God. We're going to be stopping in a moment. In John 13. We're always looking. At life. And determining what's good for me and that we lay hold of. And what's not good for me, we shun. But when we make the transition into John chapter 14, we come into a father's house. We lose sight of ourself. We forget about trying to gird ourself and choose our own path. And we see that there's only one way. There's only one way that we are to seek after and choose. Jesus said, John 14, six. What I am the way. The truth. And the life. Brothers and sisters, please listen. When you are living in the father's house with a proper mindset. The only way that you seek. The only truth that you seek and the only life that you seek is Jesus himself. It's no longer what is in it for me, but it's. Jesus is the way in the father's house. If I'm in the father's house, Jesus is the way. If I'm in the father's house, I don't assess. I don't plan. I don't consider what to do based on how it's going to affect me. I lay hold of the truth that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life in the father's house. And all who live in the father's house live and die by the principle of Christ is my life. Whatever is his way. Whatever is his life. Whatever is his will. Whatever benefits his kingdom. Whatever benefits his honor. Whatever benefits his glory. That's the way that I choose in the father's house. That's the way this leads us. And we're going to we're going to we're going to close now. We're going to pick this back up. This leads us to John 15 and John 15 through John 23 introduces us to the what? The Holy Spirit. Why is the Holy Spirit so unknown in our life today? Because the Holy Spirit doesn't come to establish the old Peter. The Holy Spirit comes to strengthen and empower the new man. Who's wholly devoted to Christ and his way. That's why Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts, because the old. Was out of the way. Well, brothers and sisters. We're going to. We're going to stop here and we're just going to. Let the Lord work these truths in us. And we're going to walk through this. And we're going to see where we're heading. As believers, if we follow on to know the Lord. And what the church is going to look like. At the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ. And so the question I'd like to leave. With everyone here. Is this what's happening? In your life right now. What shaking? What pruning? What fire? Listen carefully. And what is God? Trying to do. In you. As a result. I don't make it ambiguous. Don't make it aloof. What specific thing is God trying to do? That will enable you to make the transition. Out of a self. Conscious self centered. Heart. Into a heart. Step out into a new life. Into a new way of thinking where. Oh God. It's all about you. What is God trying to do in your life? I want to encourage you. Let. Him. Do it. Let him do it. Let's bow our hearts. Lord, we acknowledge our utter weakness. We acknowledge Lord, how frail. And unable we are. We also acknowledge Lord. That your word so adequately exposes. The truth of our heart. We acknowledge before you, Lord, that left to ourself. We are self centered. Self seeking. Arrogant. Individuals. Who even follow you. With motives that are impure. Only. Seeking to embrace what benefits us. And resisting. What would not benefit us? We confess this sin before you, Lord. And pray that in your loving. Compassion you would. Implement into our lives the necessary shaking. And fiery trials and tests. That will provide the climate. Where transition can occur. Where we can be freed. And come to the end of ourself. Please, Father. We submit to your authority. And to your word. Make us. In the inward parts. Full of truth. Do this, we pray, Lord. Lead us to where we can know the Holy Spirit's power. Lead us to where we can walk through the. Truth of being obedient servants. And then lead us to where we could actually suffer. Reproach. Be counted worthy to suffer reproach for your name's sake, Lord. Oh, such sacred things, Lord, that we could never, ever, ever lay hold of without you. Make this real to us, Lord, we pray. For Jesus' sake, Amen.