نظرة عامة
Peter was a man for God: a fisherman with no formal training who did great things, made mistakes, and refused to stop in condemnation and quit. This teaching walks his life through John 21, Matthew 4, Acts 2 and Acts 9 — from the Sea of Galilee, where he straightway left his nets and followed Jesus, to Pentecost, where he stood up with the eleven and told all Jerusalem what God had done, to Joppa, where he kneeled down and said, Tabitha arise. Peter walked on the water and sank, cut off a soldier’s ear, and went back to fishing, and God still called him. The love of Christ is compassionate and forgiving, and it removes judgment and condemnation from our heart so we can walk with joy and confidence.
النص الكامل
An Old Country Boy: God Works With You Where You’re At
All right, we’re ready to go here. These guys have been working real hard for me and it’s been a great blessing. It’s taken a big load off of my heart and my concerns with things that are going on.
And putting a thing together like this takes a lot of work, takes a lot of heart. And we’ve got men and women with great heart and love that want to bless people. And it’s been a wonderful weekend so far.
And it’s not going to stop here, right? That’s right. We’re getting moving here and I’m excited. I’m just an old country boy.
I grew up on a farm ranching. I didn’t have a great education. I got through high school, tried to go to college.
That was fun. Was fun. But I didn’t get a degree.
Peter, a Man for God: Turning to John 21
But you know what? God works with you where you’re at. And we’re going to look at a man today that might have had similar thoughts about where he came from. Please take your Bibles and let’s turn to John 21.
And Tom hit on this. This is about Peter. And I kind of titled my teaching, Peter, a man for God.
This guy, bless his heart, he was a wonderful man and he did great things and he did things that weren’t always so great. But you know what? He didn’t stop in condemnation and quit. He almost did.
And we’ll see right here where it is. Remember how in John 21 and in verse 2, it says, there were together Simon, Peter and Thomas, called Didymus and Nathanael of Cana and all these guys. And Simon, Peter in verse 3 saith unto them, I go a fishing.
Like, you know what? I’ve done enough AV. I’ve done enough of this stuff. You know, I’m tired. I’m not doing this anymore.
Todd, let’s go fishing. That’s what he did. But he keeps his mind about him whenever he’s out on the boat.
Fishing All Night in John 21: Peter Jumps In to Reach Jesus
He gets out on the boat and they’re fishing. They fish all night. They haven’t caught anything.
They’re probably a little ticked off. It’s like, Todd, I thought you said this was the best fishing spot in Jacksonville. Well, I always catch fish here.
Well, why aren’t we catching fish here tonight? Well, who knows? But God knew. So whenever they get to the point where they see Jesus Christ and who recognizes him? Lazarus. And Peter’s thinking, man, he outran me to the tomb.
He’s not beating me to the shore. He grabs his jacket, jumps in the water and off he goes. Maybe he thought he was going to try and walk on the water again.
I don’t know. That’s between him and God. But anyway, he’s going to be first to the shore so that he makes sure he gets to see his Lord Jesus Christ.
Because he was a man that loved this man. He saw Jesus Christ do great, miraculous things for people. He saw the great heart that his Lord had.
Matthew 4:18: Where Peter Came From and How Jesus Called Him
And I said I wasn’t going to do this, dadgummit. Take your Bibles and turn to Matthew 4 and we’ll see where Peter came from and how Jesus Christ got these guys together. We all know this record probably, but if we if you don’t, we’ll take a quick look at it.
Matthew chapter 4, Don hit on this about a little bit here and there with these guys. Verse 18, And Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee and saw two brethren, Simon called Peter and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishers. And he said unto them, follow me and I will make you fishers of men.
Well, they said, well, let me think about it. I’ll get back to you tomorrow. No, and straightway they left their nets and followed him.
They were excited to see what this man was going to do for their lives. We can be excited about that today. We have that great heart for God and what our Lord Jesus Christ did.
It is in us to be more than what the world expects you to be, because if you look at where I came from and the standards of the world, I would probably not be picked first on the team to do something like this, to run this AV, to do the things that I do. But you know what? God works in you. And if you don’t know it, he’ll show you.
Why Jesus Chose a Fisherman and Not a Scholar Like Paul
And if he doesn’t show you, he’ll get you someone that can help you get the answers that you need, because God’s here to deliver you today. I still think it’s night. My days and nights have gone together to this weekend.
And if I say night, if I say day, you know what time it is. Just remind me, OK? But you know the same thing. Jesus Christ didn’t go down to the college in Jerusalem and say, hey, Gamaliel, who you got? No, that comes later, right? Paul was under Gamaliel.
He studied under him. And Paul comes after Peter. He went and those that were ready to move with him were right there.
There’s timing with God. God has a timing for you and for me. And when you’re ready, you’re going to have what you need to move with God.
And when you’re fully committed to move ahead with God, he’s going to give you what you need. Paul wasn’t there yet. He had all the knowledge, all the training.
God’s Timing and the Man Who Would Take a Stand
He would have been the perfect choice, right? Just like David and his sons. You know, surely this is the, you know, the king. No, it’s David out in the pasture.
Here’s Peter. He’s a fisherman. And this is who God’s calling.
He’s the man that’s going to take a stand. And we’re going to take a look at that. Let’s go to Acts chapter two.
Acts 2: Peter Stands Up at Pentecost
This is a very familiar record. Acts 2, 1 through 13. We remember that’s the miracle of Pentecost where they received Holy Spirit.
All of them got that wonderful gift of Holy Spirit that day, that morning. And they went home and said, OK, I’m done. I got what I needed.
I’m out of here. No, they didn’t. Let’s look at Acts.
We’ll pick it up in Acts chapter two, because how many of you have read two through 13? How many times? Quite a few. If you haven’t, then take a look at it. Verse 14, Peter, 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 me.
I have the answer. And he goes on from there to teach him from Joel what just happened, what had been accomplished in these men, that Holy Spirit that was given by our Heavenly Father. And each one of us have it.
Holy Spirit Is Available to Every One of Us
Each one of us. We have the potential to do whatever your heart desires. I don’t know what God’s called you to do.
I don’t. I can’t. I don’t know what if you want to do anything, if you don’t just love God and love people and live your life and enjoy it.
But if you want to serve, if you want to do things for God, there’s things to do. There’s people to love. And when you start loving people and seeing God do great things in people’s lives, like these wonderful testimonies of people that have shared here with us, how God gave them great deliverance because someone had the courage and boldness to love them.
Peter, he did great things. He had confidence. Let’s keep on reading here.
I lost my place. Sorry. We’re going to go to verse 36.
Acts 2:36-39: Repent and Be Baptized, and the Promise Is to Those Far Off
Acts 2, 36. Therefore, let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus whom ye crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now, when they heard this, they were pricked in their hearts and they said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, men and brethren, what shall we do? 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 Holy Spirit. For the promise is unto you and to your children and to all that are far off, even as many as the Lord shall call. I’m a far off, but the Lord’s called me.
He’s called me to do something for him. And I’m still figuring some things out, but other things I know what I’m doing. You know, Peter, bless his heart.
Thou Art the Christ, Then Get Thee Behind Me: Mistaking Correction for Rejection
I can understand Peter because I’ve been there. I know where he’s coming from. You know, one minute he’s doing great.
What happens? He’s talking with the Lord and Jesus asks, who am I? And Peter says, thou art the Christ. And Jesus Christ tells him, you are right. But you didn’t know that by your own five senses.
God revealed it to you. And then a few verses later, poor guy’s getting told, Satan, get thee behind me. You know, it’s like, wow, God gave me this.
And then I’m getting told to get behind because I’m Satan. You know, this guy could have some problems believing that his Lord really loved him by what he said, by what you think you read. But that’s not what it is.
Sometimes people mistake correction and people’s hearts and mannerisms. I’m pretty rough. You can ask these guys that work with me.
If something comes up that I don’t like, that I don’t understand, I’ll try and do it in a loving way. But if it comes down to it, I’ll tell you where we need to be and what we need to do to get the job done. But I do it in a loving heart.
Raised on a Ranch: Why Correction Is Not Unkindness
I don’t do it out of mean, but it was the way I was raised. You lived on a farm, you lived on a ranch, you could die if you didn’t obey. And if you’ve ever been around farm equipment, balers, swathers, anything like that, it chops you up into pieces and you don’t go home.
Okay. So when someone said something, you paid attention. You listened.
Why would it be any different when someone’s sharing the Word of God with you and you’re looking to serve? If you’ve got a heart to serve and you remember that forgiveness like Jason was just teaching about, forgetting the little things. You know, we have things go on here all the time in these meetings that people probably never even notice. But we do.
And we want to do better. But you know what? We don’t go around thinking, oh man, you left that dadgum button on and nobody could hear him. What’s wrong with you? You know, how many times have I done that? How many times have I made that mistake? Like the woman that was caught in adultery.
The Woman Caught in Adultery and the Heart of Jesus
Was she really caught in adultery? I mean, here’s the Pharisees bringing this woman to them and saying she’s caught in adultery. Well, I don’t know that I believe all the things that the Pharisees told me. She might have been.
She might have not been. I don’t know. But I know that Jesus Christ loved her.
And I know that He had the heart to listen to His Heavenly Father and to be peaceful and to get the answer He needed to deliver that woman. And that’s what we can do as sons and daughters of God. You know, there’s so many records of where Peter did great things.
Matthew 14: Peter Had the Boldness to Walk on the Water
I do want to read this one because it’s just so awesome to me. In Matthew 14, verse 28. And you probably always all know this.
Jesus is walking on the water out to them and they say, oh, it’s a spirit and all this stuff. But then they find out, oh, it’s Jesus. In verse 27, it says, straightway Jesus spake unto them, be of good cheer.
It is I. Here I am. It’s your Lord standing on the water. Now, how many of you have been around water? How many of you stepped on the water and it not go boop? How far down? All the way to the bottom.
I’ve never been able to do that. If you have, God bless you. I want to know how you did it.
But Peter, he had the boldness to ask, Lord, can I come out there? And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come out unto thee on the water. And he said, come, come on, Peter. What does Peter do? He came.
That’s right. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water. Doesn’t say he just stepped on the water.
Lord, Save Me: Jesus Immediately Reached Out His Hand
He walked on the water to his Lord Jesus Christ. But when he saw the wind and it was boisterous and he was afraid and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And he said, come on, Peter.
Get it together. You’re out here. Why didn’t you just keep going? No, that’s not what he said.
He immediately grabbed his hand. He immediately reached out because of that love that he had for people. And he knew that Peter had a heart for him, that he was going to step out and be bold in what he did, that he loved God.
And he did walk on the water to Jesus. And whenever he got in trouble, Jesus Christ was right there to pull him up. And then the King James, like it reads, is like, oh, thou little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? Sounds a little harsh, but it was like, man, Peter, come on up here, buddy.
Peter Did Not Fail: He Did Great Things for God
You were doing it. You walked all the way out. What’s going on, bud? It’s OK.
You know, it’s right. Everybody wants to think that, oh, well, Peter really screwed it up. He walked out on the water and he gave it up.
That’s not true. He did great things for God. He was an awesome man and he really saw the love that his Lord Jesus Christ had for him.
The Garden, the Sword, and Peter’s Mistakes
Let’s go to Acts chapter 9. You know, Peter did a lot of things with Jesus Christ. He saw a lot of great things happen and he made a lot of mistakes. Victoria was sharing about how it was so heavy for them to be in the garden.
You know, and have you ever been in a situation where everything is just so burdensome that you get so tired that you can’t hardly stay awake? You’re just kind of nodding off. These poor guys were like that. Well, then they come for Jesus.
And Peter’s like, man, I’m not messing this up again. He pulls out a sword, cuts off this guy’s ear. Jesus is like, oh, great.
Here we go again, Peter. Come on. Take it easy.
Chill out. You’re OK, buddy. This poor guy is just doing his job.
He’s a soldier. They’re telling him to go get this man. He went to go get this man.
Acts 9: Peter Called to Joppa for Tabitha, Called Dorcas
Peter cuts off his ear. You know, there was all kinds of things that Peter could have been condemning himself for his whole life and just gone back to his profession, gone back to what the world was going to offer him. But you know what? God’s called us to do greater things.
And whenever we do not allow the world to dictate what we are and who we can be, that’s when we’ll see great things come to pass. And that’s when we can get great deliverance for people. And I want to pick this record up in Acts 9, 36 says now there were was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas.
This woman was full of good works and alms deeds, which she did. And it came to pass in those days that she was sick and died. Whom when they had washed, they laid her in the upper chamber.
And forasmuch as Lydda was nigh to Joppa and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent unto him two men desiring him that he would not delay to come to them. Then Peter arose and went to them. When he was come, he brought him into the upper chamber.
They brought him into the upper chamber and all the widows stood by him weeping and showing the coats and garments. This wonderful believing woman took care of the household and her life. She made wonderful things and here she died.
Tabitha, Arise: Peter Raises Her From the Dead
Now Peter had been with Jesus quite a few times. He saw great things happen. And he had the boldness to step up and do this for this woman.
Verse 40, but Peter put them all forth and kneeled down and prayed and turning him to the body said, Tabitha arise. And she opened her eyes. And when she saw Peter, she sat up and he gave her his hand and lifted her up.
And when he had called the saints and the widows, he presented her alive. He was there when Lazarus was resurrected from the dead. He knew what was available from God.
The Love of Christ Removes Judgment and Condemnation
We have great things available to us. You know, I don’t know what God’s called you to. I don’t know what you want to do with your life, but I do know what is available.
And I do know that whenever we walk in love with each other, when we forget those insignificant things and stop condemning ourselves for little things that the world says is wrong and causing problems, then we’ll see great things come to pass. If I walk in love and you walk in love, we can see that great things come to pass. The love of Christ is compassionate and forgiving.
It encourages us to do the things of God. It helps remove judgment and condemnation from our heart so we can walk with joy and confidence. God’s the same today as he was yesterday, and he’ll be the same tomorrow.
And the same things that were available to those disciples and those powerful men and women that walked in the first century is available to us today. And if you haven’t seen it, then you need to stick around with the right people because you will see it. God is moving and he’s ready to move in you.
As soon as you give him that free will decision that you’re ready to move, then you’ll see great things in your life too. So God bless you. I love you.
And we’ll see you guys later.
الوجبات السريعة الرئيسية
- Peter is a man for God not because he never failed but because he didn’t stop in condemnation and quit, even though he almost did.
- In Matthew 4:18-19 Jesus called Simon Peter and Andrew off their nets by the Sea of Galilee, and straightway they left their nets and followed him.
- God has a timing: Jesus Christ didn’t go down to the college in Jerusalem to Gamaliel, and Paul, who had all the knowledge and training, comes after Peter.
- At Pentecost in Acts 2 Peter stood up with the eleven and preached from Joel, and the promise of the gift of Holy Spirit is unto you and to your children and to all that are far off.
- People mistake correction for rejection: Peter heard both “thou art the Christ, God revealed it to you” and “get thee behind me,” and it was still love.
- In Acts 9 Peter kneeled down and prayed and said, Tabitha arise, because he had been with Jesus, he was there when Lazarus was raised, and he knew what was available from God.
الأسئلة الشائعة
Why did Peter go back to fishing in John 21?
Peter had reached the point of saying, I’ve done enough of this stuff. You know, I’m tired. I’m not doing this anymore. So in verse 3 he says, I go a fishing, and they fish all night and haven’t caught anything. But when they see Jesus Christ on the shore, Peter grabs his jacket, jumps in the water and off he goes, because he was a man that loved this man and wanted to be first to the shore.
Did Peter fail when he began to sink walking on the water?
No. Doesn’t say he just stepped on the water, he walked on the water to his Lord Jesus Christ. When he saw the wind and it was boisterous and he was afraid and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me, and Jesus immediately grabbed his hand, immediately reached out because of that love that he had for people. Everybody wants to think that Peter really screwed it up. That’s not true. He did great things for God.
How did Peter raise Tabitha from the dead in Acts 9?
Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas, was a certain disciple at Joppa who was full of good works and alms deeds, and when she died the disciples sent two men to Peter. Peter put them all forth and kneeled down and prayed and turning him to the body said, Tabitha arise. And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up and he gave her his hand and lifted her up, and he presented her alive.
المراجع الكتابية
John 21:2-3; Matthew 4:18-19; Acts 2:1-13; Acts 2:14; Acts 2:36-39; Matthew 14:27-31; Acts 9:36-41
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