One passage of scripture repeatedly stands out to me, especially around Easter. It is the detailed description of what Jesus' closest friends were doing during the most critical time in his life and theirs. Jesus is moments away from being betrayed, arrested, tried, and executed. He is moments away from taking the sins of Peter, James, John, you, me, and the world upon himself. He is moments away from having his Father turn his back on him. He is moments away from the most critical moment in his ministry: when he went to the cross to shed his blood as the Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world. What would you be doing just prior to such a critical turning point in the Kingdom of God and the plan of God? What would you be doing?
It is not only about to be the most critical time in the life of Christ, but it is about to be an extremely critical moment in the life of Simon Peter. Satan is about to sift him like wheat according to Jesus. He has been warned that he will be made to stumble. He has been warned that he will deny his Lord and Master. He has been warned that he is about to face an extremely critical moment in his life. What would you be doing just prior to such a critical moment in your spiritual walk and personal life? What would you be doing?
I would think that you would answer, “Praying like crazy!” If I were living in such a critical moment as Simon Peter I would be praying. If I were there when Christ was just about to be betrayed, arrested, tried, tortured, crucified, and buried, I would be praying! If I were about to have a head on collision with Satan and were in danger of denying my Lord, I would be praying! That is what I would be doing! But look at what Peter was doing in Matthew 26:36-46. “Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, "Sit here, while I go over there and pray." 37 And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, "My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me." 39 And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will." 40 And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, "So, could you not watch with me one hour? 41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." 42 Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, "My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done." 43 And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44 So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again. 45 Then he came to the disciples and said to them, "Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand" (Matt 26:36-46 ESV).
Peter wasn't praying. Peter was sleeping! During the most critical time of Christ's life and during the most critical time of his own life up until this point, Peter is sleeping instead of praying. Peter, if there has ever been a time to pray, it is now! If there has ever been a need to pray, it is here! If there has ever been a cause to pray, you have it! Pray Peter, Pray! Peter takes a bad rap quite often, but when you think about it, we are a lot like him. Sunday's are the most critical day of the week when you think about it. On Sunday the Word of God is proclaimed to a host of people. There are lost people who may hear the Gospel for the last time in the worship center. There are hurting people who may be on the very edge of giving up altogether in the worship center. There are people who are physically ill who have no hope of healing outside of the Great Physician. The hope of a host of individuals and really the hope of the world rests on Sundays. Think about it. The hope of the world (and it is in bad shape) is the West. Europe, Asia, Africa, India, China, and beyond all depend upon the West for their spiritual hope, and their physical hope in many ways. The hope of the world is the west, but the hope of the west is the U.S. Think about it. Canada, Mexico, and South America depend largely upon the U.S. The hope of the west is the U.S., so what is the hope of the U.S.? The only hope America has, is found in evangelical Christianity. America is not going to find what she needs outside of a great awakening and a mighty revival. The only hope for America is Christianity. The only hope for Christianity is the evangelical church. And the only hope for the evangelical church is the preaching of the Word of God. The church isn't going to be revolutionized by musicals, dramas, or movies. It will be revolutionized by the preaching of God's Word in the power and anointing of the Holy Ghost. Do you see the trend! The preaching of God's Word is the only hope of the church. The church is the only hope for Christianity. Christianity is the only hope for America. America is the only hope for the West and the West is the only hope for the world! The hope of the word rests upon what happens in the house of God on Sunday. NOW THAT IS CRITICAL. So let me ask you…are you sleeping or are you praying? Let me ask you…are you cramming your mind with music on the way to work, or are you praying? Let me ask you…are you wasting your life in front of a television screen or surfing the net or are you praying? Are you rushing right into work independent of God… or are you praying? I want to plead with you to pray for your staff. I want to plead with you to pray for the Sunday school classes. I want to plead with you to pray for the services. I want to plead with you to pray for the sermons. I want to plead with you to pray for souls to be saved and lives to be changed and for revival to break out in the church and to spill over into Christianity and to spill over into America and to spill over into the West, and to spill over into the world, for the hope of the world rests upon what happens in the house of God on Sunday!! Are you praying or are you sleeping?
