Peter: The Rock of Faith

Introduction:

All of us know “that guy”! That guy is the loud, overconfident, non-thinking Christian that everybody sits back and watches make a fool of himself. We all feel this secret sense of connection with “that guy,” because he says things we thought but were too afraid to voice. We secretly admire his reckless abandon for Jesus, but we aren’t bold enough to follow in his footsteps. We feel sorry for him when he blunders and excited when he gets it.

All of us are really “that guy!” “That guy” is the Apostle Peter. He’s the one that gives a voice to all of our thoughts and opinions and shows of the power of God to use any one of us to transform the kingdom of God.

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1. Peter’s Faith Journey

Peter came to follow Jesus gradually, but was searching for the truth

Introduced to Jesus by His brother Andrew ()

John 1:40–42 ESV

One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).

Saw Jesus power to heal his mother-in-law ()

Officially called out of the boat to fish for men ()

Experienced what few others got to see - raising of Jairus’ daughter, transfiguration, closeness to Jesus in the Garden

Unique experiences only Peter’s life -

he walked on water ()

He had his temple tax paid by Jesus () - mouth of the fish

2. Peter’s Gaffs and Failures

“Who touched you? What were you thinking?” ()

Luke 8:45 ESV

And Jesus said, “Who was it that touched me?” When all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!”

Rebuked Jesus for saying He was going to the cross ()

Matthew 16:22–23 ESV

And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

Denied Jesus after promising to die for Him ()

Luke 22:33–34 ESV

Peter said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.” Jesus said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.”

John 18:15–18 ESV

Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he entered with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, but Peter stood outside at the door. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the servant girl who kept watch at the door, and brought Peter in. The servant girl at the door said to Peter, “You also are not one of this man’s disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.” Now the servants and officers had made a charcoal fire, because it was cold, and they were standing and warming themselves. Peter also was with them, standing and warming himself.

John 18:15-

John 18:25–27 ESV

Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, “You also are not one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not.” One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Did I not see you in the garden with him?” Peter again denied it, and at once a rooster crowed.

John 18:

3. Peter’s Profound Statements

One of the most lovable characteristics about Peter is that Peter is always saying crazy things. He says what everyone else wants to say, but He’s the only one that has the courage, or the stupidity to say it!

If Jesus Commands it, It is so ()

Matthew 14:28 ESV

And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”

Jesus has the Words of Eternal Life ()

John 6:68 ESV

Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life,

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Wash All of Me ()

John 13:9 ESV

Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!”

I’m Going Fishing! ()

John 21:3 ESV

Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

John 21:

4. Peter’s Restoration and Ministry

Peter Restored ()

John 21:17–19 ESV

He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”

Spokesman Among the Disciples (; ; ; )

Acts 1:15 ESV

In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said,

Acts 2:14 ESV

But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words.

Acts 4:8–13 ESV

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.

Acts

Galatians 2:9 ESV

and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.

First Missionary to the Gentiles ()

Apostle to the Jews ()

Galatians 2:7–8 ESV

On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised (for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles),

Source of Mark’s Gospel

Subject of the 1st half of Acts

Writer of 1-2 Peter to the suffering church in the dispersion

4. Peter’s Testimony

In His words ()

5. Peter’s

Matthew 16:13–19 ESV

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

In His death ()

John 21:18–19 ESV

Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”

Eusebius tells us that according to the church father Origen, Peter was crucified upside-down because he did not consider himself worth to be crucified in the same manner as his Lord. Whether true or not, we do know that Peter gave up his life for the sake of the call of Christ.

Conclusion:

What’s the takeaway from Peter’s life? God used this rough, ignorant, loud, and foolish Galilean fisherman to change the world. God took someone who was a liability, someone who would deny Christ to save His own skin, and use him to spread the gospel to the ends of the earth.

If God can use somebody like Peter, God has no problem using you too! The difference is that Peter had surrender his life to Jesus. We must too if we would see God use us!