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July 11, 2022 12:00 am
Welcome to the end of July 11 when you encounter Christ can either start your work you into a deeper state. Let's begin a study of the New Testament book of first Peter to learn to live triumphantly over trials or the entire book of first Peter was written primarily for the purpose of encouraging those who are undergoing persecution. Those who are in distress and those who were about to go on the go. A great persecution of the Roman Emperor by the name of Nero and Saul want us to begin an hour passes through these five chapters of first Peter on the sea of living triumphantly through our trials in this first message. What I would like to do so to give us full background and deal with the person who wrote it primarily and it begins with his name Peter and apostle of Jesus Christ. Now, many just think about it for a moment as Peter, the leader his name is mentioned 200 times in the New Testament there isn't any other man in the New Testament mentioned this many times is his as Peter Paul only hundred 62 Peter 200 all the rest of the apostles, only 142 times all over the Gospels. This man is out front. He is a leader by nature, by character. There's something about him.
He's just a born leader.
And when Jesus saw you recall what he said the first time. Well I was look at not only as a leader but I want us to look at his strengths were just the moment you recall. Let's go through some passages here, you recall, in John chapter 1 how Peter was introduced to Jesus and you recall the first chapter that John the Baptist was down by the river and he said, behold the Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world and so the two disciples heard him speak and they followed him in one of the course was Andrew and so the Bible says in verse 41 of the two who heard John speaking follow him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, and he first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, we have found the Messiah, which translated means Christ devoted to Jesus. Listen this. Can you imagine what Jesus most thought first time a song about assist in the Jesus and Jesus looked at him and said you assignment the son of John. You shall be called Cephas, which translated means Peter which means what rock the Bible says that Jesus knew all men for what they were and I believe when he looked in the eyes of Peter he saw within him the tremendous potential and here is Peter now a fisherman meeting Jesus for the first time. If some Evandro and said Peter on their way home that night. If he does that. You know what, more than likely you not going to be followers of him and would like one of these days you're going to be a great leader in his call, the problems that are you kidding me, a leader in his cause what you talking about my friend, don't ever underestimate what Jesus Christ can do in your life. Jesus looked in the eyes of Peter changed his name. He said I'm gonna call you Peter. The rock because he saw within him a potential this man had this stuff on the inside I was Jesus Christ was going to make something fantastically if it for the whole kingdom of God and Christians until Jesus comes back would be talking about.
Well, when you look at them going over to Matthew chapter for a moment and look how he was called. Look what happens when he was called Jesus is gone there from his baptism and from the wilderness being tempted.
The Scripture says in chapter 4 verse 17 of Matthew from that time Jesus began to teach and preach and say, repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand and walking on the sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon was called Peter and Andrew his brother, casting into the sea. They were fishermen. He said to them, follow me and I will make you fishers of men.
Now Peter did not say want to hold it. Wait a minute. If, on the file you some things I gotta take care is the what he says and they immediately left the nets and followed him. Peter had a sense of loyalty within him. That is absolutely fantastic and the more I read the Scriptures about how he responded to Jesus, the more that loyalty rises to the surface. Well, let's move on his life. When you look at his life is going over to Matthew chapter 14 you recall he'd been following Jesus some time now and the big storm came up. In Matthew 14 and the Bible says they were afraid and the Lord Jesus Christ came walking on the sea in the middle of the night in the darkness and remove what happened when the disciples saw him in verse 26 when the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were frightened. Think it is a ghost and they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them saying, take courage, it is be not afraid, Alec. What happens, the Scripture says and Peter answered him and said, Lord, if that's really you. You command me to come to you and I'll come come walking on the water and him if he would've said that Izzy, Peter had already seen enough. He'd already signaled that his faith was ordered. Rossi said Lord if that's you, you call me and I'll come walking on the water, Peter. The Bible says jumped out of the boat on the water to walk the Jesus now sometime. What we do is we major on the fact that he sank. But let me ask a question, don't you think will give them a whole lot credit for just getting out of the boat. He needs a whole lot credit were just getting out of the boat on the water in the midst of the storm and listen 80 walk along, but I think I'd be with Peter brother just to take two or three steps on top of the absolutely fantastic held up by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ turnover the John chapter 13 debtor in the upper room. The 13th chapter of John and them. They have prepared for the Passover and the Scripture says they're all seated there around the table and Jesus rises and takes a tile in was one of the basin begins to wash the disciples feet and wiped them with his tile which he was girded. So he came to Simon Peter, and he said to him that is Simon said him Lord you think you'd not this says Lord, do you wash my feet. The way you and I would probably put that is Lord you think you going to wash my feet Jesus answered and said to him what I'd do, you do not realize now, but you shall understand hereafter.
Peter said him. Never shall you wash my feet. Nobody is going to kill you. You not wash in my feet while everybody else but listen, they may over say cute.
You can count on me. Simon Peter said him Lord, not my feet only but wash me from head to foot.
What you think. He said Lord you not wash in my feet because Peter knew that was the work of the lowest slave in the household and his feet were dusty and listen he'd Artie told everybody he was the Messiah. This man is the son of the living God. He is not in the foot washing business and when Jesus said to them, if you let me wash your feet, you can have a departments ministry. What is say Lord you have it your way. You wash me from head to foot. Now you remember what happens in the garden. They cross over the valley and there up in the garden of Gethsemane and he tells him to wait for Amon. He says I want you to watch and pray they'll go to sleep but when the Romans, and the Sadducees, the Pharisees and all the leaders, the apostles of their and what happens they get ready to take Jesus remember Judas plants a kiss on the Lord Jesus cheek and betrays him and what happens when they start told him. The Bible says all Peter pulls a sword, what is he did the bodices erect out this guys here and ask you what you think he was Amon that Peter was in the battle for Jesus unto the death.
If you look at this man's life. He was committed to Christ. He was committed to protecting him. He was committed to following him. He was committed to obeying him listen. He had to be reproved over and over and over again, but every time he was. He just fit in the plan in the mold of what Jesus required of he was a man who was rough on the edges spiritually had a lot of growing to do. But he hung in there and when the going got rough. He was there fighting and struggling and standing up for the Lord Jesus Christ is there, but it was no strong. That's right yet his weaknesses not only with his mouth not only his impulsiveness but he made some boast that he could live up to have a will. So here he is now. He's frustrated he's confused he's upset everything he believed, all of a sudden, is hanging in the balance and is thereby the firing is some teenage girls is say have not seen you before, I never saw you.
In fact, I believe you were with him, you look like one of you memo the Scripture says, he said, Lord, you can count on me and Jesus said no for the cockroach you will you will of denied me.
You going to deny me. Peter couldn't possibly believe that. But he did the 93 times.
The Bible says and Peter went out and wept bitterly. He had his weaknesses but his strengths far far outweighed his weaknesses. Usually the reason I'm saying all of this about Peter before we get to the book because I want you to say that here's a man who isn't just writing about something he doesn't know anything about. He knows about suffering and trial and partake in tribulation, and all the rest, he denied the Lord.
But Peter was a very teachable man and that made him a very usable man, you talking about a man who love the Lord Jesus Christ.
Peter was a man loyal you faithful, full of strength full of weakness. The one most inspiring things to me about Peter is this God didn't choose man who just solid rocks with no cracks and no crevices.
He chooses people like you and me who have breast rate to have our weaknesses who fail who falter, who Sammy who have to be forgiven over and over and over again, but who are willing to learn willing to repent, willing to yield willing to surrender willing to follow. Willing to be committed and willing to give it all we've got until Jesus calls us home.
That's the man who wrote this first epistle, the suffering saints. He'd been there. He knew what to write under the leadership of the Holy Spirit Nana.
Some of you seated right here tonight who are decided how much God can do with you.
You are decided how much education you don't have how many gifts you don't have and how few talents you have and you are decided how little God can do with you.
I will tell you something, God hasn't decided anything of the sort. God doesn't look at how little your talents have to your gifts, he doesn't major on your weaknesses.
You know what Jesus Christ is majoring on as he looks at you tonight. He's just majoring on your willingness to let him have what you are to do with you what he places and I will ask you this evening how usable, have you made yourself to the Savior, Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the son of the living God.
How much do you and I love it how would we have answer that question. Suppose he decided Charles, do you love me I'll have to be honest with you it was a time in my life even after I was saved and outside been a preacher long time that I had to say Lord I'm not really sure that if I understand what true love is that I really and truly love you. I'm not sure I understand how to love you. I think I understand how to follow you how to obey you had to trust you, but I'm not sure I fully understand how to love you all I'd said I did, until one day on Mondays up in the mountains fasting and praying about something and I told the Lord. I love them in my throat was like it had motion.
It didn't sound right. It didn't come out right on knew that something was wrong.
I tried to tell them again. Lord, you know I love you somehow it just didn't come out right that I finally had to say God may be I don't but I sure want to know what to tell you something. If I can tell you it wasn't but about three or four months till God put me in one of those situations like a vice of something.
I had absolutely no control over whatsoever and for the first time in my life I understood on the inside of me what it meant to her. Really and truly love Jesus Christ with all of my heart if somebody had told me I did know how to loving all those years I would've denied. But when he told me I didn't know how I had to tell him he was right.
It's amazing what we think we know about until suddenly, we learn what it's all about and I want to ask you tonight how much of you has been fully surrendered to the Savior. Let him do with you what he will.
Lord Jesus, how precious you are, how patient you are how forgiving and how loving and how kind I want to ask you tonight to speak to our heart and father. I want to ask you tonight in Jesus name would you bring all of us here this evening to the place in our heart, with all the sincerity of our heart to be able to say to the Lord Jesus Lord Jesus, whatever there is of me. I surrender to you teach me what I need to know do with me what you will all there is of me, Lord Jesus, I give to you. Is there anything my friend that you not willing to surrender to the Savior tonight. Has he brought anything to your mind that he wants from you tonight. He wants you to give it. You may have to give up somebody something, some plan, some desire some goal. Would you say to him, Lord Jesus hears all of me. Take me and use me or Jesus, thank you for loving us and it is my prayer this evening that every single one of us has related all down. No more arguments about following you more arguments about obeying you. We might be able to say here in my send me doing me as you choose is my prayer in his name. Thank you for listening to triumphant over trial. If you like to know more about child family or intense ministry that night and had started liking this podcast is a presentation of text ministries Atlanta, Georgia