I think that most of us who have a good working knowledge of the Bible can agree that Peter has to rank up there in the top three as to contributions made to the new sect of Christianity that was started over two thousand years ago. Christianity, the faith in Jesus Christ that we all believe in. Peter was a hard nosed fisherman that probably settled things with his fists his whole life before Jesus got a hold of him. He was hot tempered and full of passion and I’m sure Jesus had his hands full with this wild man of the sea. Here is how the first meeting between Jesus and Peter transpired…

John 1: 40 - 42... 40. Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, "We have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ). 42. And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas" (which, when translated, is Peter) or “A Stone”.

So the first thing that Jesus does is give this wild man a new name, Cephas, which means A Stone, A Rock…Jesus knew that he would be able to mold this wild man into a man of God and that the passion he had for rambunctious living would be translated into Godly passion. The next time we hear from Peter is in John chapter 6 when Jesus had been teaching his many disciples that without a personal, purposeful relationship with Christ, one cannot have eternal life or be raised up with him in the last days…Here is what Jesus said…

John 6: 53 - 59...53. Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. 57. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever." 59.He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.

After Jesus speaks these words to his many disciples, a lot of them left him and “walked with him no more”, the word says. Then Jesus asks the Twelve, Will you also go away? That’s when Peter speaks up and says…

John 6: 67 - 69...67. "You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve. 68. Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."

So Peter’s passion was already moving him to the head of the class and he was quickly becoming the teachers pet. Now, we know that Jesus did not have pets or favorites but it is clear throughout scripture that god had a special purpose for this passionate wild fisherman. Peter speaks up and says, you’re the Holy One of God, were not going anywhere!

The next time we see Peter, we see his zeal get the best of him as the twelve disciples are on a boat in the midst of a storm and Jesus comes walking to them on the water. Peter finds out that his faith is not quite as strong as he thinks it is. Here is how Matthew saw it…

Matthew 14: 24 - 31...24. but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. 25. During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear. 27. But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." 28. "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." 29. "Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" 31. Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?"

So here is scrappy Peter again fighting for and against his new faith in his savior Jesus Christ. His faith wasn’t yet where it needed to be but he was always ready and willing to take chances while the other eleven watched. Peter fell down a lot but only because he was always willing to continually step out and be counted. The next time we see Peter, he gets a gold star for his faith and receives his commission from Jesus. Jesus asks the twelve, “Who do men say that I am”? Then bold Peter speaks up again…Lets read…

Matthew 16: 13 - 20...13. When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" 14. They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." 15. "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" 16. Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17. Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. 18. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." 20. Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.

So Peter’s bold faith is rewarded by God as Jesus tells him he will use him, to build his church on. The next time we see Peter, Jesus and the twelve are at the “Last Supper”. Jesus had just revealed that Judas would be the one to betray him and then they proceed to have the first communion. Please read on your own (Matthew 26: 17 - 30). Jesus then tells them that that night, they would all be offended because of him and be scattered. Then the bold confident Peter speaks up in his defense, only to have Jesus break his heart moments later. Here is how Matthew tells it…

Matthew 26: 31 - 35... 31. Then Jesus told them, "This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: " 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.' 32. But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee." 33. Peter replied, "Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will." 34. "I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "this very night, before the cock crows, you will disown me three times." 35. But Peter declared, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you." And all the other disciples said the same.

Then as Jesus and his disciples were in the Garden of Gethsemane, Judas brings the soldiers to Jesus and betrays him. As the soldiers approached, there came old Peter to Jesus’ rescue and cut off the ear of one of the soldiers. Now, John’s account tells us for sure it was Peter who did this…

John 18: 10 & 11...10. Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant's name was Malchus.) 11. Jesus commanded Peter, "Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?"

But in Matthews account, Jesus tells Peter this…

Matthew 26: 52 - 56...52. "Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to him, "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. 53. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? 54. But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?" 55. At that time Jesus said to the crowd, "Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me. 56. But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled." Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.

Now just for our learning, Jesus was basically telling Peter…(My Words)…Peter, my dear passionate friend, Don’t you know that if I wanted to I could ask God and he would send me more than 72,000 angels to fight for me? I do not need your puny sword but I thank you for having my back. This all has to be done to fulfill prophecy. (Stop My Words). So, Jesus gives Peter one last confidence shot in the arm and then…

Later that night after Jesus was arrested, his prophetic words about Peter’s denial came to pass…

Matthew 26: 69 - 75...69. Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. "You also were with Jesus of Galilee," she said. 70. But he denied it before them all. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said. 71. Then he went out to the gateway, where another girl saw him and said to the people there, "This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth." 72. He denied it again, with an oath: "I don't know the man!" 73. 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." 74. Then he began to call down curses on himself and he swore to them, "I don't know the man!" Immediately a cock crowed. 75. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: "Before the cock crows, you will disown me three times." And he went outside and wept bitterly.

We do not see Peter again until John chapter 20 after the resurrection of Jesus. Peter’s confidence, his faith and his purpose had been restored to him by God and he was ready to fulfill the commission Jesus had given him earlier. We know that Peter rediscovered his strength after much weeping before God and begging forgiveness.
Well, I’ll bet you think the moral to this story is Jesus will forgive us no matter what we do? Or, that Peter’s perseverance is a model of how we need to get back on the horse when we’re thrown off? Or maybe, Look what God did with this wild fisherman, just think what he can do in you? Right…Wrong

The question today is this. How many times during the course of our day do we deny Jesus Christ to the world around us? Now before you answer to quickly like Peter did, let me first say this.

When you refuse to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ
with your friends, family & co-workers…

YOU HAVE DENIED HIM!

When you see your neighbor in a bad way and you refuse to help them…

YOU HAVE DENIED HIM!

When you refuse to visit the sick, elderly & fatherless…

YOU HAVE DENIED HIM!

When you refuse to love your neighbor as Jesus commanded you…

YOU HAVE DENIED HIM!

When you refuse to provide for your own, Paul says
you are worse than an infidel…

YOU HAVE DENIED HIM!

When you cannot control your tongue, James tells
us our religion is vain…

YOU HAVE DENIED HIM!

When you sit around with a high minded attitude that
you are better than everyone else…

YOU HAVE DENIED HIM!

When you become lazy and content in your own salvation…

YOU HAVE DENIED HIM!

When you refuse to give up time to pray for the lost,
hurting and sick…

YOU HAVE DENIED HIM!

When you compromise your beliefs to be like the
world that hates you…

YOU HAVE DENIED HIM!

When you hold your peace around the water cooler while
Jesus Jokes are being told instead of drawing your sword
and cutting off an ear…(figuratively) and run to your
Saviors defense…

YOU HAVE DENIED HIM!

Will we continue to hide in shame at the mention of his name or do we puff out our chest with pride and come to the defense of the Gospel? Will we be like the other eleven who quietly sat in the background waiting for Peter to speak up, or will we be the next Peter for the Kingdom of God, unashamed, unafraid and intimidated by no one? Are we just playing Christian or do we really believe in what this book (the Bible) tells us? Are we so ashamed of him that we can’t share with others the sacrifice he made for them? Have we become so content in our own salvation and refusal to share that we are ready to see those people go to Hell because of our weakness? Let me show you what the Bible says about those who are ashamed of him…

2 Timothy 2: 11 & 12...11. Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; 12. if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us;

Mark 8: 36 - 38...36. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? 37. Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 38. If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels."

Matthew 10: 32 & 33...32. "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. 33. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.

Believe me, there are more than just the three examples I gave above where we are told what will happen to us if we are ashamed of him or deny him. Peter is probably the most human, fallible example of what a true Christian life consists of…Ups & Downs, Ups and Downs. Most of us though lack the one quality that Peter had…PASSION! Passion for life, Passion for his friends and Passion for the God he served. Peter went on in the book of acts to be exactly what God called him to be, the Rock that Jesus built his church on. We all need to examine our lives very carefully because our time is running out. We can’t win the world for Jesus, but we can win our part of the world for him. Jesus is telling us to get off of the sidelines and change our hearts for him… “BEFORE THE COCK CROWS”!

If you came to this study today and don’t know Jesus Christ as your savior and you want to, pray with me wherever you are. Pray with a sincere heart and God will reach down from heaven, forgive your sins and give you new life….Lets pray…

Father God, I come to you in the name of your son Jesus Christ. Thank you for sending Jesus to die in my place on the cross. I know I am not worthy, but I ask you today to forgive me of my sins and give me a new heart. I make Jesus the Lord of my life from this day and forward. Teach me the love this study is speaking of so I can love others. Thank you for forgiving me, in the name of Jesus Christ I pray…Amen

If you prayed that simple prayer with a sincere heart, your eternal destiny has been decided. God tells us that he takes that sin and casts it as far as the east is to the west. So forget the past and press on in your new walk with Christ. If you need help, or need a Bible, please contact me through the group. Here are a few Bible verses to show you the pure simplicity of God’s plan of salvation…Tim

Romans 3: 23 says…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

John 3: 16 - 18...16. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.

Romans 10: 9 & 10...9. That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

Ok group, now it’s our turn…Lets go to God in prayer…

Father, forgive me for my lack of passion for you and the gospel. I have become complacent in my walk with you Lord and I want to change. Give me a heart for the lost, the hurting, and the sick. I want my life to be a shining example to all around me that you are the one and only true way to God. Forgive me for being ashamed of you and worrying what others might think of me. Give me a boldness and passion for you like Peter had. Renew my heart today and make me more like you. I pray this is Jesus name…Amen

So far, only a handful have participated in the group discussions. Please come in and share your thoughts on this study or any other topic. You can start your own topic if you feel there is something on your heart that you want to discuss or want the groups opinion on. In the discussion section I have also started a “Prayer request”. Please come in and post your needs. Thank you for attending this study, you are all in my prayers.
Tim Barrett