The Apostle Peter

And this evening we want to focus upon one about whom much is said in the New Testament, Simon Peter. The Apostle Peter is unlike many of the others. You know, with some of these apostles, we've had to scratch and claw to get enough information out of the New Testament to really get a message on. Well, there's enough about Peter to do a whole series on, and I'm going to do it all tonight. Just in summary fashion, just kind of an outline fashion. Just give you the whole thing tonight on Simon Peter. There is much in the New Testament about him. He spoke more to the Lord. The Lord spoke more to him than any other disciple. No disciple so boldly confessed Christ as Peter did. No disciple so boldly rebuked Christ as Peter did. No disciple received the kinds of praise that Peter did, and no disciple received the kind of rebuked from the Lord that Peter did. There's a lot on both sides of this man. He's a very interesting man. Just by way of a resume, Peter was the brother of Andrew. He was a fisherman by trade. His salvation experience is described in John chapter 1, where Andrew, first of all, meets Jesus and goes and finds his brother Peter and brings him to Christ. And it was on that occasion when Jesus first met Peter, then he said, Simon, which was his name, you shall be called Seifas or Peter, which means a rock, indicating that he would become a rock, a pillar, if you will, among the twelve apostles. In Matthew chapter 4, his call to ministry evidently is given where Jesus finds Peter and Andrew fishing, carrying out their day job. And he says, come follow me and I will make you fishers of men. And the Bible says they left everything and followed him. And from that day on, Peter is in the very forefront of the apostles, kind of their spokesman, if you will. He is probably the most loved, the most maligned, certainly the most human of the apostles. And that's why we love him so much. He's probably more like us, or at least we can identify with him better than maybe any of the others. So let's see, at least in some refashion tonight, some lessons that we can learn about living for Christ, following Christ from his follower, Simon Peter. The first lesson I believe we can learn is the lesson of a transformed temperament, a transformed temperament, a personality, a temperament that was literally transformed by Jesus Christ himself. You see, Peter was naturally very impulsive. He was a naturally impulsive kind of person. He was impetuous, he was forceful, he was frank, he was outspoken, he was hotheaded, he was quick to speak, quick to act, and then think in that order. That's not always a good thing, in fact it's rarely a good thing. But Peter is so loved by us because a lot of the foibles and failures that we have, we see mirrored in Peter. He was a naturally impulsive kind of man. Most of all we see that in his speech. He was impulsive in speech. Peter seems to have been the spokesman for the 12. If there was a question in the minds of the apostles, you could expect Peter to verbalize it. If there was an opinion to be expressed, Peter was the first one to open his mouth and say something about it. If there was a suggestion to be made, at least the disciples felt like Jesus needed a suggestion, Peter was quick to make it. So he was very impulsive in his speech. Just to give you a few examples in Matthew chapter 15, Jesus is telling a parable about it's not what comes, or not what goes into a man that defiles him, but what comes out. The rest of the disciples said, Lord, don't you know that offended the Pharisees? But Peter speaks up and says, Lord, explain to us this parable. And Jesus' answer was, are you also dull spiritually? Nobody else would dare to ask for looking bad, Peter would ask. And so even something that would make them all look bad, Peter was quick to ask. On another occasion in Matthew chapter 19, Jesus had just told the story of the rich young ruler, or actually the rich young ruler, had come to him, said, Lord, what do I need to do to follow you? And to have eternal life, and Jesus had said to eventually, after going through several of the commandments, give up everything you possess, sell it to the poor and come follow me. And the man went away sad because he had a lot of possessions. Peter speaks up and he says, Lord, we've forsaken all to follow you. What is there in this for us? And Jesus goes on to tell him that they will rule over the twelve tribes of Israel in the regeneration of the earth when he sets up his kingdom. But Peter was the one to speak what nobody else would dare to speak. On another occasion in Mark chapter 11, Jesus, last week of his life, had cursed a fig tree because it had no figs on it. They walk out the next morning, go by the fig tree, and Peter speaks up and says in Mark chapter 11, verse 21, Lord, look, the fig tree you cursed, it is withered. If anybody had something to point out to Jesus or something to say, it always seemed to be Peter in Luke chapter 8. You remember the story of the woman with the issue of blood who had been to many doctors and had not been able to be healed. She heard about Jesus and as Jesus is moving through a crowd to the house of gyros because he's been asked to come heal gyros' daughter as he's moving through this bustling crowd, all of a sudden he stops and he says, who touched me? And Peter speaks up. Peter says, Lord, people are pressing and crowding you. What do you mean who touched you? I mean, I think maybe Peter kind of called him to the side, said, Lord, people are all around you. That's laying up against you, don't you realize? What do you mean who touched you? He has to be the one to correct the Lord, to point out where the Lord may be wrong in his mind. And Jesus, of course, said, someone touched me. I felt power go out from me. It was a special touch of faith that he felt. But Peter was the one that seemed to speak up. There were times when that got him in big trouble. In Matthew chapter 16, when Jesus begins to explain to his disciples that he is going to the cross, he's going to Jerusalem and he will suffer and he will die. The Bible says that Peter called him aside, said, Lord, never, this shall not happen to you. Again, he's the one that will step out and correct the Lord and make sure the Lord understands what the real program ought to be. Peter was just that kind of impulsive guy and his thinking and his speech in Mark chapter 9. They are on the mount of transfiguration and Jesus, the Bible says, is transfigured before them and his face shone like the sun and his clothes were blazing white. And he appeared as though he will appear when he comes back in his second coming. And the Bible says that Moses and Elijah appeared there with him and then there's this interesting little side light. Peter speaks up. The Bible says the reason he spoke up is because they were also frightened. They didn't know what to say. But that won't stop Peter. Peter decides somebody's got to say something might as well be me. So Peter speaks up and says, Lord, it's good for us to be here. Let's make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, one for Elijah. That was not the right thing to say. Because then comes this booming voice from heaven. This is my beloved son. Hear him. In other words, Peter, don't make the mistake of putting him on the same level as Moses and Elijah. Not three tents. Jesus is the one you need to listen to. So sometimes Peter's speech got him in trouble. Do you remember in the upper room the night before Jesus died, the story is in John chapter 13? Jesus has gone to get the basin and wash the feet of the disciples. Peter speaks up. Peter says, Lord, you're not going to wash my feet. I think he's embarrassed because none of the disciples, who by the way we're arguing about who would be the greatest in the kingdom. None of the disciples thought to do that servant's task. And so he says to the Lord, Lord, you're not going to wash my feet. And Jesus says, Peter, if I don't wash your feet, you have no part with me. And Peter blurt's out. Then Lord, wash me all over. And Jesus says, Peter, you're missing the whole point. You don't need to be washed all over. I'm giving you an object lesson here. If you've already been washed all over, if you've already been saved, you've been washed all over. I'm trying to teach you that you just need to clean the dirt off your feet as you walk through life. So, Peter sometimes spoke up and it got him in trouble. He was impetuous in speech. He was impulsive also in action. In action. We saw one of those instances this morning in John chapter 18 in the Garden of Gethsemane, where he impulsively whips out his sword and wax off the ear of the servant of the high priest there in the Garden of Gethsemane. It doesn't seem to have occurred to Peter. There are 600 Roman soldiers with well-equipped armaments to take him on. But it doesn't matter to Peter. He's so impulsive, he'll take on the whole group. He doesn't think about it. He just acts. He's impulsive in action. You know the book of Proverbs tells us a lot about this kind of naturally impulsive behavior. Whether it be speech or action. Just look at these verses for a quick summary of what the Bible teaches about the kind of character and temperament Peter had. Proverbs chapter 10. And verse 19 says, When words are many, sin is not absent. But he who holds his tongue is wise. Proverbs 133 says, He who guards his lips guards his life. But he who speaks rashly will come to a blank screen. He who comes to ruin, I think it's supposed to say there. 133, Roger told me he was going to get me tonight for something I said to him earlier. He's done a good job of it already. Proverbs chapter 16 verse 32. Is that one there? I know it says something about better as he who controls his spirit than he who conquers a city. There it is. Better a patient man than a warrior. A man who controls his temper than a one who takes a city. So self-control of a person's speech and action is commended in the book of Proverbs chapter 29 verse 11 says, A fool gives full vent to his anger but a wise man keeps himself under control. So to be impetuous in speech and action is not necessarily a good thing, biblically. But Peter learns something. Yes, he was a man who was naturally impulsive, but he was a man who learned restraint. This is one of the most beautiful things about Peter's life. Christ never gave up on molding this man. And he was a man who did learn restraint. Christ continued to deal with him in his area of weakness, speaking and acting before he thought, speaking rashly, foolishly. God continued to work with him by the time he comes to the book of Acts. He is the one who has chosen to be the preacher of Pentecost. He preaches powerfully a message controlled by the spirit of God that was used in the salvation of 3,000 people. But I think one of the best examples or ways to see the fact that Peter was a man who had learned restraint is to look at his own writings in his two epistles that he wrote. So if you would open your Bible, please, to 1 Peter chapter 2. We're just going to quickly glance at a few passages where Peter demonstrates that he has learned what it means to restrain himself both in speech and in action. 1 Peter chapter 2. As we read these verses, just think of them in terms of coming from the pen and the heart of a man who was so impulsive in the way he spoke and acted. Think of these same words coming from that kind of person. I think you'll see the point. 1 Peter 2 verse 13. Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men. Whether to the king is the supreme authority or to governors who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right, for it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. Sounds like a man who has learned to come under authority rather than always be the one speaking up and telling people how to be done. It's a man who's learned to restrain himself and learned by good living, by faithful, disciplined living to put to silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. Look down at verse 19, same chapter. For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it, but if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called because Christ suffered for you living you an example that you should follow in his steps. He committed no sin, no deceit was found in his mouth, no look at verse 23. When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate. When he suffered, he made no threats. Instead he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. Peter says, I learned from Jesus example what I'm telling you now to follow Jesus example of taking insults and not speaking back, of being treated unjustly and not acting rashly. You see here's a man who's learned something about restraint and he no longer responds as rashly and foolishly as he once did. After 3, verse 8, he says, finally all of you live in harmony with one another, be sympathetic, love his brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. For whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. Sounds like a man who's learned something about restraining his tongue, doesn't it? In chapter 4 he talks more in verses 12 through 19 about being willing to suffer unjustly and to be able to suffer within the will of God. We won't take the time to read those verses, but I think one of the reasons why Peter was able to say these kinds of things is the last verse he writes in his second epistle. Many of you have memorized it. In chapter 318, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ to him be glory both now and forever. Amen. How did he learn to be humble and speech, to restrain both his tongue and his impulsive behavior? How did he learn that? He grew in grace and in the knowledge of his Savior. Peter is often maligned for his mistakes. We laugh with a sense of recognition at the times he spoke out of turn or said something rashly, but I think we also must recognize that here is a man who really learned as he walked with Jesus what it meant to be more controlled, restrained in both his speech and his action, a transformed temperament. You know God wants to transform all of us as well. He's not trying to make us something we're not, obliterate our unique personality, but he does want us to learn as we grow in grace. How to knock the rough edges off of our personality and our temperament to become more spirit-filled and more Christ-like. He wants us to improve in the areas of our weakness and to, he wants to heighten and use our strengths and that's what we see happening to Peter, a transformed temperament. But there's a second lesson we can learn from Peter. It's the lesson of spiritual boldness, spiritual boldness. Because you see, the very thing we've talked about just now leads us to understand that Peter was a man of self-confidence. He had a natural self-confidence which led to his high claims and led to what I believe were very sincere claims, but again, indicating a rash speech on his part. And that comes out most clearly just before Jesus went to the cross. For instance, in Matthew chapter 26, verses 33 to 35, Jesus is talking about the fact that all of his disciples, he tells them on the night that he prayed in the Garden of the Gassimony, says, all of you will fall away on account of me. For it is written, I will strike the shepherd in the sheep of the flock, will be scattered. In verse 33 of Matthew 26, Peter replied, even if all fall away on account of you, I never will. See that self-confidence? I never will. I tell you the truth, Jesus answered this very night before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times. Verse 35, but Peter declared, even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you. The other disciples said the same. Well, of course they didn't want to be behind Peter in that. I mean, Peter's stepping out for the whole group, saying, I'll never deny you. I'll die for you. And the other disciples say, yeah, me too. I agree. I'll do the same thing. But Peter was bold and confident in his ability to stand. Same thing is said in Luke 22, and again in John 13, where Peter says, I will never deny you. I will go to prison if it means that to stand for you. I will never deny you or disown you. He is so self-confident. He believes he has the strength in himself. You know, he was a man of natural courage. We've got to hand that to him. He'll stepped out of the boat when Jesus was walking across the water. Peter stepped out of the boat, stepped onto the water, said, Jesus, if it's you, bid me come to you. And when Jesus says, come, Peter steps out of the boat. Now I wonder how many of you would do that? How many of you would step out to walk on water having never done that before? And Peter's been around a lot of water. He's a fisherman. He was a man of natural courage. He's a man who drew the sword in Gethsemane. It was ready to take on the whole Roman cohort. A man of natural courage. That's admirable. But Peter had to learn that that would inevitably lead to failure. Self-confidence, natural courage, will at some point lead you to failure because we are inconsistent and weak in ourselves. So a man of self-confidence needed to become a man who learned spirit-filled boldness. And he was the kind of man who was willing to learn what it meant to have spirit-filled boldness. By the time we see him in the book of Acts, and we'll see the reason why there's such a dramatic change in just a moment, by the time we see him in the book of Acts, he's not self-confident anymore. That's been shattered. He is now filled with spiritual boldness, spirit-filled boldness, so that he will stand before a crowd and preach the gospel clearly. And he will stand before rulers and claim the gospel of Christ that there is no other name whereby men can be saved. And when the rulers heard that in Acts chapter 4 and verse 13, look at what they said. And they saw the courage of Peter and John realize that they were unschooled, ordinary men. They were astonished. And they took note that these men had been with Jesus. They recognized them as Jesus' followers. There is already developing in this man a courage that does not come from self, that does not come from self-confidence, a courage that comes from spiritual boldness. I think Peter had been crushed in the hands of the potter and had been reshaped to the point that he had learned true humility. Look at what he would say in his first epistle, first Peter chapter 5. He says, young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older, all of you clothe yourselves with humility toward one another because God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore, under God's mighty hand that he may lift you up in due time. Here is a man who recognized self-confidence, natural boldness and courage would only take you so far and it would indeed lead you to failure. But a man who understood that spirit-filled boldness, humility under the hand of God would lead to God exalting one in his time and in his way. What we need as followers of Jesus Christ is not self-confidence. We need spiritual boldness. There is a big difference. Self-confidence leads to a cocky attitude, confidence in your ability that you can take on anyone or anything and you know you will succeed. That's self-confidence. Self- boldness is different. It is an unassuming calm confidence in the power of God and there is a big, big difference. Now God blesses the one who has an unassuming calm confidence in the power of God but the one who lifts his head high does not humble it under God's mighty hand and strikes out to do what he or she wants to do on his or her own. Being I can do this, you will fall and you will fail. Peter had to learn that the hard way. And the way we know that he learned this kind of lesson is in the third lesson I want to talk about with Peter. One of the most touching instances in his life where he learned the lesson of forgiveness. The lesson of forgiveness and that lesson is brought about because of his denial. Look at Matthew 26 with me please where we find the story, one of the stories of Peter's denial of our Lord. Verse 69. Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard. This is when Jesus is on trial. Peter was sitting out in the courtyard and a servant girl came to him. You also were with Jesus of Galilee she said but he denied it before them all. I don't know what you're talking about, he said. And he went out to the gateway where another girl saw him and said to the people there, this fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth. He denied it again with an oath. I don't know the man. After a little while those standing there went up to Peter and said surely you are one of them for your accent gives you away. Then he began to call down curses on himself and he swore to them I don't know the man. Peter said, Peter, Peter, Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken before the rooster crow you will disown me three times and he went outside and wept bitterly. Think about it. Just a few hours before he's been in the garden of Gethsemane pulling out his sword ready to take on all the Roman soldiers. Then he flees from the garden in fear, manages to make his way to where Jesus is on trial. And when it is suggested to him that he must have been one of Jesus followers he three times denies the Lord in exact fulfillment of what Jesus had told him would happen that night. Luke's gospel tells us that after he denied him the third time and the rooster crowed jogging Peter's memory of what Jesus had said the Bible says Jesus turned and looked at Peter. Someday when I see Peter we get to know each other a little bit and Heaven he doesn't mind me asking this question. I'd like to ask. Tell me about that look. I've always wondered about that. Was it a look of disappointment? Was it a look of compassion of pity? Was it a look of anger? I suspect it was a look of compassion maybe even a look of comfort. Because Peter he knew what Peter was going to go through in the next 24, 48 hours. He knew what Peter would feel. Can you imagine? Can you imagine? Is Peter ran out and began to weep bitterly as he crashes to the bottom in failure, utter failure, all of his self confidence shattered at his feet. And does he tries to pick up the pieces of what he's done and will anything ever be the same again? For the next two days or so Peter will have the haunting memory of what he has said ringing in his ears, the sound of the rooster crowing ringing in his ears, the memory of Jesus looking at him, vivid in his imagination. Can you imagine the bitterness, the tears, the regret? Is there any possible way he could be forgiven? Have you ever been there? Where you know you failed your Lord so miserably, might not have meant exactly the same way Peter did, but in some way some fashioner and other, you failed the Lord. And you knew it and it came in with a crushing realization of your weakness and that in all of your boldness and self confidence you could not stand for Christ. Have you ever been there and wondered will it ever be the same again? Can Jesus ever forgive me? Can Jesus ever use me again? The answer for his denial is his restoration because Jesus does restore him once again. The first evidence of this occurs at the resurrection. When Jesus appears to the first woman who he talks with on the day of his resurrection, look at this verse. This one on the screen, Mark chapter 16, verse 7. Jesus told those women, but go tell his disciples and Peter. He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him just as he told you. Have you ever wondered why he said it the way he did? Have you ever wondered why he said go tell his disciples and Peter also. Could it be that he knew Peter felt distanced from the other disciples? Or Peter saw himself as such a failure. He felt like he could never be included with the disciples again. If Jesus wanted to see them, certainly he wouldn't want to see Peter. Not after what Peter had done. You think maybe Jesus knowing that Peter would feel that kind of self-condemnation included an extra reference to Peter here to make sure Peter understands. Yeah, you're included too. I want you there too. And I think that's the first sign that he has forgiven. He has restored. But the greatest time when that personally occurs between Jesus and Peter is in John chapter 21. The familiar story of Peter fishing with his disciple friends and Jesus making them breakfast on the shore. And when they come in to eat, this takes place between Peter and Jesus. John 21 verse 15. When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of John, do you truly love me more than these? Yes, Lord, he said, you know that I love you. Jesus said, feed my lands. Again, Jesus said, Simon, son of John, do you truly love me? Yes, Lord, you know that I love you. Jesus said, take care of my sheep. The third time he said to him, Simon, son of John, do you love me? Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, do you love me? He said, Lord, you know all things. You know that I love you. Jesus said, feed my sheep. Now, there is a whole sermon or more in these verses. And a lot has been made of the terminology Jesus uses, the words he uses for love, the words Peter uses for love. I'm going to leave that aside for right now. That's for another sermon. There are lots of things made about feeding my sheep, feeding my lambs, the difference between those two things. I'm not going to touch that for now. I think the real point of this passage is that Jesus gave Peter the same opportunity to profess his love for him as he had in denying him. Three times, he denied Jesus. Three times, Peter is asked, do you love me? Do you love me? Do you love me? And Jesus patiently waits while three times Peter is restored to a profession of love for Jesus Christ. And I think that's the real point of this passage is that Peter is given the same opportunity personally with Jesus looking at him again to profess his love for Christ as he did that night when he was in the womb. When he denied that he even knew him. And each time Jesus says, I've still got work for you to do, Peter. Feed my lambs. Take care of my sheep. I've still got something for you to do, Peter. The whole point of this passage really, with all of its intricacies of words and so forth, the real point is Peter, you're restored. You're forgiven. You can work for me. It is still a job for you to do that I have for you to do. So he is restored. Thank God that he restores us. You know, I think God allowed Peter to go through this time of testing and denial so that he would learn the limits of his self-confidence. The reason I think that is there's a very interesting statement Jesus made to Peter, the night of his betrayal before it happened in the upper room, when they're talking about what's going to happen. Look at these verses in Luke chapter 22, verse 31-32, Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I've prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers. Now there's kind of a veiled reference there to Peter's denial of Christ. That very night, Peter would fail. And in failure, there is a great danger. In failure, there is the danger that we will turn away in bitter defeat. And never feel like we can serve the Lord or live for Him again. There's always that danger. And Jesus was aware of that and alert to that danger. In Peter's denial that night, Jesus knew that spiritually behind the scenes of what Peter would say, the devil was lurking. And the devil wanted to use Peter's failure to shake him up. Sift you as wheat. In other words, take you and just shake you to the core to where there is nothing of substance left of you. But Jesus says, Peter, I prayed for you that your faith will not fail. And when you are restored, then I've got a job for you to do. Jesus was anticipating Peter's restoration. But you see, he let him go through that shattering time where his self-confidence lay in ruins on the floor. And he realized in all of his boasting, I will never deny you. I will never leave you. I will always love you. I'm going to prison. I'll die for you. All of that now I shattered at his feet. And it was in that moment that Peter began his journey toward spiritual greatness. Sometimes the Lord allows us to go through very difficult circumstances, even failure so that we might learn what it means to become spiritually great. That's what happened to Peter. He was a person of forgiveness. And then quickly, the lesson of usefulness. Other lots of things that Peter had in his life where he was taught by the Lord qualities that God taught or molded in him that made him a useful vessel. Let me just mention them briefly. He learned faith. He was a man who learned what it meant to trust God. He was the one who stepped out, walked on water, and learned that as long as he was looking to Jesus and trusting him, he could do that when he stopped looking to Christ, he began to sink. He learned a lesson of faith. This is the same man that when those came to Jesus, the authorities came to Jesus to collect taxes. Peter said, Lord, they're wanting our money. And Jesus said, Peter, go fishing. And the first fish you catch will have coins in its mouth. Now that was quite a fishing expedition for Peter, but he learned to trust God, to take care of his needs. He learned faith. Secondly, he learned a gracious spirit. In Matthew 18, it was Peter who came to the Lord, and I think probably again in self-confidence and boasting said, Lord, how often should we forgive one who trespasses against us seven times? I think he thought, you know, it's pretty good. I'm going to look really good among all the other disciples here by suggesting at least twice as much as the Pharisees taught. They said maybe three times, maybe four at upper limit. Seven times. And Jesus says, no, no. 70 times seven. In other words, really what he was saying was an unlimited number. Peter could not conceive of forgiving someone that many times, but what he learned was a gracious spirit. Thirdly, he learned obedience. Twice, it was Peter who was fishing and hadn't caught anything. Luke chapter 5, John chapter 21, two separate occasions. Fished all night, hadn't caught a thing. The Lord says, Peter, drop the nets on the other side of the boat. Peter's a fisherman. Jesus is a carpenter. What would you do in that situation? Lord, you stick to planning and sawing and fixing furniture. I'll take care of the fishing. I know fishing. But no on both occasions, he obeyed the Lord, and he saw the fruit of obedience. The Lord had rewarded him with a great catch of fish. In Acts chapter 10, the Lord let down a sheet from heaven. Because Peter needed to learn obedience to Christ, meant that he would take the gospel to the Gentiles. He learned obedience, and then fourthly, he had a fervent love for Christ. I mean, that really comes out so many times, even in times when Peter spoke up and put his foot in his mouth. A lot of times it was because of a fervent love for Jesus. You have to admire that. There were other impulsive declarations of love that were sublime, that were great. Matthew 16, when Jesus asks the disciples, who do men say that I am? The disciples respond, well, some say you're Elijah, some say you're one of the prophets. Jesus looks at them and says, who do you say that I am? And it was Peter that spoke up and said, you are the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus commended him for that answer. Instead, it is upon that rock, that confession that the church will be built. Peter the Lord revealed that to you. God revealed that to you. So he was blessed, rewarded because of that response. On another occasion, John 6, Jesus had preached the crowds away. You know, we often preach to get crowds today. Jesus preached them away sometimes with very hard messages, because he knew that people who were following him were not sincere. And when he had fed the 5,000, they wanted to make him king. Jesus preached a hard message on being the bread from heaven and commitment. And when he did that, they all turned around and walked off. And Jesus looked at his 12 and he said, will you go away also? Peter said, Lord, to whom shall we go? For you have the words of eternal life. What a great answer. What a great answer that was. This love for Christ shown through, even in his impulsiveness at times, it was love for Christ that came through. And my have a Lord did using. The disciple who is at the center of the action in the first 12 chapters of the book of Acts is none other than Peter. A man with a transformed temperament. A man who learned what it meant to be spiritually bold. A man who knew what it was like to be forgiven and restored. And a man who was a useful vessel for Jesus Christ. What a great example Peter is for us. I want to say this and I hope I hope it will be understood how I want to say it. As I was reviewing this message last night at home, thinking it through, kind of getting into my mind. You know who popped into my mind? Judd Dixon. Judd, before you go, I want you to know I see the potential of Peter and you. You have the capacity I believe to be greatly used of God. A spiritual boldness. One who could be greatly used to reach your generation of people in Phoenix. And I for one, I think many others will join me, we'll be praying that God will use you in that way. I believe you have that kind of potential to be used of God just like Peter. I think Peter was ADD. And I wouldn't say that except Judd has admitted to that himself. But I think Judd, there are a lot of great lessons in Peter's life for you. And I leave you with that kind of as a charge as you go from us. And I'm looking forward to hearing glowing reports like Pentecost and Cornelius and people like that through your ministry because I believe God will use you like you use Peter as you continue to develop the lessons that Peter learned in his life. Let's pray together. Father, I thank you for how good you are to us, for the many blessings you give us, for patterns that we have in your word of people who are so much like us. And we love them so dearly because they're just real people. Lord, we know that if Peter could be used as mightily as he was, there's hope for all of us to be used as well. We thank you for the encouragement you give us through his life. Lord, I would pray tonight for Judd and Paula, as this will be their last service with us. Lord, I pray that you would bless them. I pray that you will go before them, provide the way. Lord, you already know, as you once told Paul, the people that you have in that city who are waiting for Judd and Paula to get there and preach the gospel. Spread the gospel to them. I pray there will be a great harvest of souls there. And that you will continue to mold and make Judd, the man you would have him to be, to be your instrument, to be used there. So Lord, as they go out from our midst, we pray that you will use them and go with them, go before them, and bless them in their ministry. In Jesus' name we pray.