Introducing an Old Fisherman, Part 2

Smoke from the burning of Rome still lingering in the air and to the ear of those believers there needing a word from God and Christians are preparing for greater more organized persecution. In fact, Peter will be executed in the wake of it picture man with callused hands and fingers.

Here's attending that's cleaning session growing calmly writing trial.

Jesus failed to live up to his boat and he denied the Lord Jesus restored and Peter went on to be an important early church leader.

It wasn't long before Peter and the church in general was experiencing its own persecution in many, including Peter faced death for their faith. Looking at the life of Peter as we begin a series through an epistle he wrote called first Peter this is part two of a lesson Stephen Davey began yesterday Stevens calling this lesson, introducing an old fisherman wanted is dropping in the several different scene and give you a caption to write next to each picture if you want to try to keep up and turn with me you can. The first snapshot is in Matthew chapter 16 Matthew chapter 16 and you can write the caption underneath this text insightful. This is one of the high marks of Peter's development covering these chronologically the Lord is asking the disciples do people say here is aces given the world to straighten people say I am and then verse 14. You can hear the answer the disciples or file something or John the Baptist.

Others say you're Elijah so others Jeremiah the weeping prophet as you weep a lot, so you must be Jeremiah or one of the other prophets and outcomes. The major question on this examination.

Jesus says to them, but you say that I am 16 Simon Peter answers in your thinking on a please sign and put your hand down, he has it up. Yes, Simon Peter, Simon Peter says you are the Christ.

Notice that you are the Christ, the son of the living God while he got it right.

Jesus goes on to tell me and only God the father could put that revelation into your heart out of your mouth and that little pebble Peter will become the bedrock the confession upon which the church will be built who Christ is and you think that's great, Peter speaks with such wonderful insight out of his mouth comes this great declaration that is the early creed of the New Testament church that Jesus is the Christ the son of the living God.

Let's just put it.

Her and say that's great Peter grew up were done. The problem is you just go to verses later and Peter, filled with insight becomes Peter, filled with arrogance.

That's the caption arrogance verse 21 from that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things and the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke Joan God, Lord. This is never going to happen to you. Peter took him aside look like Lord you step over here all that discussion about dying and rising for bid that whatever happened that's not the will of God for your life.

Trust me, I speak with with insight and Jesus as we are actually Satan right now and get behind me you are following, not the thoughts or the intentions of God but the intentions of man filled with arrogance.

Peter is rebuking Jesus for the same reason we rebuke Jesus, he doesn't meet our expectations is follow-through like we think the auto. It is in Peter's plan. There are no crosses in Peter's expectations.

There are no nail. There's no empty tomb either. Peter expected Judaism to be performed.

In fact, Peter is good to be one of the slowest disciples to catch on eventually got him to give him a vision of a sheet coming down with all these animals anything to say to Peter it's okay to kill a mini all known in the Lord, I know better than this three times takes him a while because he wants to see Judaism reform cleaned up were alive and Jesus sees the Judaism and the creation of the church. Peter expected get a nice little fish dinners were Jesus broke the bread and fish and everybody always, you had better tummy still not been Jesus is envisioning the future marriage supper of the layout. Once you get past all this Peter sees synagogues packed with listeners with Jesus teaching and Jesus can already see a nation screaming for his crucifixion, Peter is looking for the one miracle after another. And Jesus is looking forward to defeating crushing the head of the serpent conquering the grave as little surprise then you can turn the John chapter 18 and you can write in the word you come to know Peter by the caption can simply read failure three denials Jesus and warned him about it.

Peter was filled with self-confidence now rooster signals his crushing defeat doesn't take long for any of us to take our eyes off the Lord and demand of him our own expectations. We don't deserve this valley where you taking me through it. I plan on something different, something better.

It doesn't take long for any of us to turn our thoughts against him who loves filled with self-confidence filled with our own cells filled with promises and it isn't long before the grace of God and we thank him for that are promises crumble and they break apart at our feet in the dust of red grants and we go back to rely, not self-confidence. William Carey, the man we call the father of modern missions is biography have enjoyed reading and I noted this in the flyleaf of one common of one. The biography you may remember or know that he was used by the Lord tremendously in India he wrote these words in his journal during days of inconsistency.

In fact, his journal was spotted with these kinds of comments. This particular entry is marked 1794 and it reads my soul is a jungle when it ought to be a guard I can scarcely tell if I have the grace of God or not. I am perhaps the most inconsistent cold creature that ever possessed the grace of Christ. If God uses me none needed despair, father of modern Peter that you and me. But if anybody was finished with Peter.

It would've been the Lord. Peter had so stunningly so quickly after his promises denied him soon after his denials. Jesus dies dies of the Lord did rise from the dead, and we know it it'll find somebody else.

Some more worthy apostle to write inspired letters to encourage the church to stand firm environment know when you change things up a bit, not the God of grace.

This isn't the end of the snapshot go to John chapter 20 were given a life-changing photograph and the logistically caption this one eyewitness I witness Peter and John are racing toward the tomb. The news has reached them that the body is gone and they don't immediately connect the dots.

Verse six tells us Peter, John, do a little foot race and they reached the tomb and they go in and it says they saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the face cloth which had been on his head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up, you could render that folded neatly entirely significant effect.

It's so significant that it'll say that they saw and believed what they see the grave clothes are not torn apart by a resuscitating man, which is the theory of liberals to this day just swooned on the cross and came back in the coolness of the writ through those linen strings. There are not ripped to shreds by grave robbers who are stealing the body and their lying there in there literally in their folds imagined now by this time the spices had begun to harden that are interlaced between the overlapping of these linen strips that they would wrap the body still lying in their folds, which means what Peter and John are struck with is the fact that these linen wrappings are still in the form of a body it would wrap them from the armpits down and here they are still wrapped in the feet, but it's empty like a cocoon, perhaps slightly sunken in.

In the middle and then John is careful to mention that there's this face napkin phone neatly. Why did Jesus fold the napkin neatly is he just tidy. Is he just doing what your kids never did minded your students what I've heard, but is he just sort of folding the laundry and I will tidy up the tomb before I leave something to just fold one New Testament author commented that in the ancient world when Riley ate a large meal there would be several courses and take several hours.

They would often pause from their courses and rise from the couch and mingle with people and walk in the garden.

They took that napkin wipe their mouths and wadded it up it meant they were finished they would not return delete that napkin was folded neatly in their seated meant they were coming back Peter Saul that napkin.

He and John so carefully placed there. Why, because Jesus not only risen not only was Jesus alive, but he was signifying was coming back. There was ever any doubt Mark records the words of the angel in Mark's gospel and when I returned the second time, delivering the news of Christ's resurrection to the women who come tonight. The body and in the age of the W managed and others why are you amazed this is Jesus you're looking for him write the Nazarene, he's been crucified, but is risen is not here hold long. Here's the place where they laid him.

Now go and tell his disciples and Peter. I love the expression go tell the disciples and Peter almost as if to imply that Peter think he belongs anymore in the company of the disciples baby is withdrawn. We do know I would like to fish and you and feel like he is rejoining them easy is out of it doesn't tell the disciples and make sure you tell Peter he is not discard this failure is not final. In fact, he is not going to be an eyewitness is not going to be an eyewitness work. Paul tells us in first grade. In chapter 15. Those precious words that inform us that Jesus made several appearances to witnesses, sometimes to as many as 500 and he made one to Peter were not given the conversation but I would've loved to have heard it, but I think we have the scope of Peter. I'm not finished with you. I'm gonna make you more rocklike than ever as you follow me back snapshot of some of their Pentecostal turn your attention to acts chapter 2 were Jerusalem swelled in the millions of Jews come from all around the world and disciples are given those miraculous abilities to speak in known languages to those who gathered from other parts of the world. And Peter becomes the main spokesman and you can write under that photograph. The caption courage he's denying nothing. Now he delighted to little servant girls and just a few people now in front of tens of thousands of people he is delivering the truth he tells Israel without pulling any punches you murdered the Messiah the rest of the world is guilty as well.

In any he makes that reference as he delivers the truth and he says in verse 36 that he is both Lord that Jesus is both Lord and Christ. There is, he is both a man and he is the final authority happens to be the anointed Messiah and 3000 people sit around and assignment confession of faith and believe in him and the church is born. Now there are many other snapshots that we could give. It's been more than 30 years. By the time you arrive the last snapshot which is simply the book of first Peter if you go back to that. I want you to imagine this man whom the God man changed. Here's this old fisherman. This old church statesman it's been 30 years since his first encounter with the Lord which puts him at right around the age of 75 and you can write the caption underneath this letter and all around it was simply the word grace Peter, can you hear the grace in this apostle can hear the grace of God in this apostle of Jesus Christ Peter will never forget the grace of God we ask and answer quickly three questions and that our introduction to the letters finished the first question is this. Did Peter learn the importance of prayer transparent, open prayer, a mention of the Lord prayed on two different occasions up. Peter slept thinking to need as much as Lord of the learned effect on occasion warranted Peter of his future failure and the Lord said this to Peter. This is an amazing text, and I'm scared to give it to make it, we can move on, but only chapter 22 verse 31 he says to Peter, Peter, the devil wants to sift you like wheat you want to throw you up in the area was to turn you upside down, but I have prayed for you find it interesting that even though Jesus prayed for him. Peter failed, does that mean that the prayers of Jesus failed no Jesus prayed with perfect understanding that Peter's cowardice was not the conclusion of his Niagara for that we learn from this that prayer doesn't always prevent failure.

Maybe you're thinking will I just keep filling out a quick break failure. We learn from the life of Peter can be used by God in providentially developing someone's character and life so that now is in old man.

He has learned the value of prayer, to the point where he says to the believer, you need to cast all your care on him because the me tell you he cares about you.

Did Peter learn secondly how easy it is to fail and help damaging self-confidence is the right in this letter, clothe yourselves with all humility. Peter was a want to talk about humility as earlier you now clothe yourselves put on the clothing look like all humility, put it on why Peter because God is because to the proud working in different directions, but he gives grace to the humble. First Peter 57 Peter will write don't don't be self-assured, don't be overconfident, though there is a devil who, like a lion is roaming around the perimeter of your life waiting to pounce. Christianity is no room for self-reliance only depend one more did Peter replace hotheaded reaction with calm, clear thinking mean he was the man who took the sword and started hacking away in the garden.

He was a want to jump out of the boat. He was one who promised to no one uninterrupted success.

Yes he did that three times. He will write to these believers to be sober to work for us today to be sober now in the Greek language. It simply means to avoid drunkenness. However, every time it's used in the New Testament by Peter. It is used as a metaphor to being clearheaded to being what we would call calm, cool and what collect, don't panic, remain with a calm and collected perspective so that you remain focused on what's important in the church beloved needs. This attribute now more than ever, calm, clear thinking on what matters most. What is eternal the gospel in the Lord. We represent this. This is not a time for the church in this culture to panic or pitch a fit or spend our time complaining over all the losses we are coming to understand in this country. As one author put it, it's not saying that were standing on the rock of ages, and then act as if were clinging to the last piece of driftwood beloved one of the best lessons we can learn from 2000 years of church history is that the church does not need to be appreciated in order to advance the church doesn't even need freedom in order to be fruitful and are brothers and sisters from lands where they are not free, prove that because their regions are fruitful and ours is not so much church does not need a seat at the table of power in order to be able to sow the seed of the gospel. Anything I would agree with the author who wrote recently God, among other things, humbling the believing church whose hopes and petitions have been directed more toward Congress over the past 50 years than to Christ. That doesn't mean you can't petition Congress or run for a seat in Congress or pray that someone in Congress will put on their thinking Exercise every right and privilege that we have the Christian has absolutely no right to panic or complain or resent what God is ultimately doing in his purposes as he moves planet earth and every nation on it over whom he has designed the times of their existence and boundaries, and orders of their nations. Peter and his moving at all. Right on time. To that point in time were ultimately the glory of the Lord will fill the earth, the waters of the sea. The question is will you be part of that. Can you make that statement that creed to you. Jesus is your Messiah in the ad quickly as God moves our world in the direction sometimes in history. God gives the nation a leader who is better than they deserve.

Israel just read their history. On occasion they were given a godly king just cited in deserve Josiah's godly king and got status judgment on the nation just I was a better king than the nations or sometimes God gives a nation leaders who are far worse than they deserve would be hard-pressed to say that Germany deserved out of Hitler or the former Soviet Union deserve Stalin the bloodbath and tens of millions of people killed. Sometimes God gives a nation a leader or leaders were far worse than they deserve.

But sometimes God gives a nation leaders they actually deserve nation is immoral and decadent and deceitful and arrogant openly rejecting the gospel, spurning the truth. They now have had have had centuries of foundation ignorance of the Bible, brazenly defying God's created order for everything from gender to marriage.

I have attached the name of the congressmen are presidential hopeful to that I have described our nation.

Sometimes God gives a leader to a nation that nation deserves what we do well we died in first Peter will spend a month or two or three years we refocus our mission. We realign our expectation.

We returned greater passion than ever to return things we demonstrate the grace of God out there that will help hopeless and wondering and can used world listen the smoke from the burning of Rome is still lingering in the air and and to the ear of those believers there needing a word from God and Christians are preparing for greater more organized persecution. In fact, Peter will be executed in the wake of its couple of years so picture your mind. However, at this point, a 75-year-old man.

I picture a man with callused hands and gnarled fingers from years attending that some cleaning fish and rowing with others, man calmly writing to encourage the believer he writes with think that in my mind is mixed with grace and hope and joy. Forgiveness says this letter you can entrust your life you can trust everything about your heart, mind and soul to your creator God who will always in a world gone wrong. He is making sure it will all turn out right madness Rome is under five chaos of culture is under his soft control is today as Christians we take great comfort in the fact that God is in control of all things.

That's good news from God's word today. I sure hope this Bible message has encouraged you.

This is wisdom for the hard with Stephen Devi.

Today's lesson is called introducing an old fisherman.

In addition to being our daily Bible teacher, Stephen is the pastor of the shepherd's church in Cary, North Carolina is also the president of shepherd's theological seminary. You'll find our website@wisdomonline.org if you'd like to learn more about us or if you want to access the other resources we have available. Please visit their anytime again.

It's wisdom online.org.

I also encourage you to install the wisdom international app to your smart phone.

Once you do, you can take the teaching you hear wherever you go, you'll find the ad in either the iTunes or the Google play store wisdom for the heart is also on Facebook and Twitter. If you'd like to receive regular updates about our ministry hit the like button on our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter sure and tune in next time will have another lesson from God's word.

So join us, right here on this