Peter: A Hard-Hitting Servant
The following Scriptures trace key encounters between Peter and Jesus. These encounter’s helped shape Peter from a businessman to a servant of the Lord.
Biblical Foundation ________________________________________________
40 Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard John and followed Him. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and told him, "We have found the Messiah!" (which means "Anointed One"), 42 and he brought Simon to Jesus. When Jesus saw him, He said, "You are Simon, son of John. You will be called Cephas" (which means "Rock"). [John 1:40-42]
27 Then Jesus said to them, "All of you will run away, because it is written: I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered. 28 But after I have been resurrected, I will go ahead of you to Galilee."
29 Peter told Him, "Even if everyone runs away, I will certainly not!" 30 "I assure you," Jesus said to him, "today, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times!" 31 But he kept insisting, "If I have to die with You, I will never deny You!" And they all said the same thing. 32 Then they came to a place named Gethsemane, and He told His disciples, "Sit here while I pray." 33 He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be deeply distressed and horrified. 34 Then He said to them, "My soul is swallowed up in sorrow-- to the point of death. Remain here and stay awake." 35 Then He went a little farther, fell to the ground, and began to pray that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. 36 And He said, " Abba, Father! All things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me. Nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will." 37 Then He came and found them sleeping. "Simon, are you sleeping?" He asked Peter. "Couldn't you stay awake one hour? 38 Stay awake and pray so that you won't enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." [Mark 14:27-39]
54 They seized Him, led Him away, and brought Him into the high priest's house. Meanwhile Peter was following at a distance. 55 They lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, and Peter sat among them. 56 When a servant saw him sitting in the firelight, and looked closely at him, she said, "This man was with Him too." 57 But he denied it: "Woman, I don't know Him!" 58 After a little while, someone else saw him and said, "You're one of them too!" "Man, I am not!" Peter said. 59 About an hour later, another kept insisting, "This man was certainly with Him, since he's also a Galilean." 60 But Peter said, "Man, I don't know what you're talking about!" Immediately, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. [Luke 22:54-60]
15 When they had eaten breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," he said to Him, "You know that I love You." "Feed My lambs," He told him.
16 A second time He asked him, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" "Yes, Lord," he said to Him, "You know that I love You." "Shepherd My sheep," He told him. 17 He asked him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved that He asked him the third time, "Do you love Me?" He said, "Lord, You know everything! You know that I love You." "Feed My sheep," Jesus said. 18 " I assure you: When you were young, you would tie your belt and walk wherever you wanted. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will tie you and carry you where you don't want to go."
19 He said this to signify by what kind of death he would glorify God. After saying this, He told him, "Follow Me!" [John 21:15-19]
Principle Development ______________________________________________
Jesus took a tough minded small business man with a lot of raw talent and many rough edges and eventually turned him into a powerful servant of God. It took time, but it happened. Underneath the coarse exterior was a heart beating with love. Jesus changed him from the inside out and He wants to change you as well.
Principles to Live By_______________________________________________
The final chapter in Nehemiah’s life story leaves us with two important perspectives on leadership. The first involves the appointment of qualified leaders, and the second involves dealing with sin in the lives of God’s people.
Principle 1
Jesus Christ Can Use You
God specializes in transforming our hearts, redirecting our self-centered energy, and reshaping our raw talent and abilities to achieve His purposes in this world. He did this for Peter and as we’ll see, for the other men that followed Him. They were all different and unique. Only one turned his back upon Jesus!
Principle 2
It Takes Time
As far as we know, Peter and his brother, Andrew, grew up in a good Jewish home. They had been taught the Law of Moses. The promise of the coming Messiah was not a strange concept to these men. When Peter began to follow Christ, it took several years for God to deal with his self-sufficiency, pride, and prejudice.
Principle 3
Prejudice
Five years after Pentecost, the Lord confronted Peter about his prejudice against Gentiles… When Peter obeyed the Lord and abandoned his bias, the rest of the church followed Peter’s lead. It was one of his finest moments.
QUESTIONS
- Of Peter’s characteristic’s, which do you feel you possess?
- Why do you think Jesus renamed Simon, “the Rock”?
- Why do you think Peter got defensive when Jesus spoke of denial?
- Why did Jesus ask Peter to pray with Him in the Garden?
- What do you think affected Peter’s denial the most?
- After his denial, how do you think he felt about his relationship with God?
- When do you resonate most closely with the life of Peter?
- What part of spiritual growth challenges you the most?
- How has God used failure in your life to grow you?
- What do you sense God is trying to tell you know?
