1. Scattered Sheep
Ephesians 6:10-20

2. Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might
Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
- Ephesians 6:10-12 (NASB)

4. Sequence of Events Affirmations of loyalty
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Sequence of Events
Affirmations of loyalty
Jesus predicts that they all would desert Him…
But does so as a statement of fact
ALL said they would remain true to Jesus
Randy Bowles 4 4 4 4 4 4 4

5. Sequence of Events Affirmations of loyalty Arrest of Jesus
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Sequence of Events
Affirmations of loyalty
Arrest of Jesus
ALL deserted their Master
John appears at the courtyard of the high priest
Peter also shows up; denies Jesus thrice
John 18:15-18 – John goes to the high priest’s house and waits in the courtyard; Peter denies Jesus; – he denies Jesus 2nd & 3rd time; Luke 22:54-62 – Peter’s denial of Jesus and His look at Peter
Randy Bowles 5 5 5 5 5 5 5

6. Sequence of Events Affirmations of loyalty Arrest of Jesus
5/19/2019 pm
Sequence of Events
Affirmations of loyalty
Arrest of Jesus
After the crucifixion
Hid themselves in their homes
Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with Me.
- John 16:32
Randy Bowles 6 6 6 6 6 6 6

7. Sequence of Events Affirmations of loyalty Arrest of Jesus
5/19/2019 pm
Sequence of Events
Affirmations of loyalty
Arrest of Jesus
After the crucifixion
Hid themselves in their homes
Locked the doors out of fear
On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
- John 20:19
Randy Bowles 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7

8. Sequence of Events Affirmations of loyalty Arrest of Jesus
5/19/2019 pm
Sequence of Events
Affirmations of loyalty
Arrest of Jesus
After the crucifixion
Hid themselves in their homes
Locked the doors out of fear
Retained little or nothing of the instruction of Jesus concerning His death
Randy Bowles 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

9. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel
But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened.
- Luke 24:21
As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace to you!” But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit.
- Luke 24:37

10. What the Disciples Lacked
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What the Disciples Lacked
Forethought
But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into.
- Matthew 24:43
Jesus had told the disciples on at least 3 occasions of His coming death; Can be wise by: a) listening to advice and counsel of those who are older; b) taking seriously Peter’s admonition to be careful of Satan – don’t underestimate his powers; c) grounding ourselves in God’s Word; d) cultivating habits and thought patterns suitable for a Christian (controlling temper, avoiding tempting activities, thinking good of others)
Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.
- Matthew 10:16
Randy Bowles 10 10 10 10 10 10 10

11. What the Disciples Lacked
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What the Disciples Lacked
Forethought
A Good Grasp of the Truth
Their faith in Jesus was warped by a false concept of the Messiah - one that did not involve the cross
As long as the cross was only talked about, they could accommodate it
They mis-understood the battle – spiritual not physical; If Truth (belt or girdle) is not on our side, we are powerless and vulnerable; available only in Scripture; we must apply it and develop character
When the cross became a reality, their belief system came crashing down
Randy Bowles 11 11 11 11 11 11 11

12. What the Disciples Lacked
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What the Disciples Lacked
Forethought
A Good Grasp of the Truth
Self-knowledge
Honest self-examinations are CRITICAL to avoid acting on instinct
Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.
- I Corinthians 10:12
Randy Bowles 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12

13. What the Disciples Lacked
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What the Disciples Lacked
Forethought
A Good Grasp of the Truth
Self-knowledge
Disciples thought they knew how strong they were, but they did not know how much fear of man existed within them
One who knows his weaknesses can become strong, even on his weak point
Honest self-examinations are CRITICAL to avoid acting on instinct
He who knows not his weaknesses cannot be strong at any point
Randy Bowles 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13

14. What the Disciples Lacked
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What the Disciples Lacked
Forethought
A Good Grasp of the Truth
Self-knowledge
Discipline of Experience
Disciples had only experienced the trials of raw recruits
Matthew 17:24-27 – Peter readily agrees that Jesus pays the temple tax
Randy Bowles 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14

15. What the Disciples Lacked
5/19/2019 pm
What the Disciples Lacked
Forethought
A Good Grasp of the Truth
Self-knowledge
Discipline of Experience
Disciples had only experienced the trials of raw recruits
Previously, their worst “sifting” came when unable to cast out a demon
Matthew 17:24-27 – Peter readily agrees that Jesus pays the temple tax
Experience would teach them the importance of Forethought, Truth, and Self-knowledge
Randy Bowles 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15

16. Conclusions
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Just like the disciples, we need to prepare ourselves for battle
“Sifting” frequently comes without warning
Remember, we are engaged in spiritual warfare; as Chris put it last week, “If called upon to make some withdrawals, have we made enough deposits?” Are we prepared to lead someone to Christ? lovingly respond to a family member in sin? confront error?
In warfare, preparation is everything!
Randy Bowles 16 16 16 16 16 16 16