by District Superintendent Rev. Palmer Zerbe
John 1:35-42
Sermon Notes from 07 January 2001
You are Simon. You will be called Peter (v42). Simon is destined to become a man of character like a rock. Others might think that will never be true of Peter. God did a tremendous work in Peter. He still works in people and in churches.
Things about Peter:
A. Genuinely human. Peter never struck a pose. He always said what he thought, not what people wanted to hear.
B. Gift of leadership. Example: When he goes fishing, others go too.
C. Whole-heartedness. Peter sometimes was on the wrong side of fence. But he never straddled the fence. He was hot or cold, but was never lukewarm.
A. He was proud, like a strutting peacock. He must be #1. Examples: "They all might fail, but not me." "You will never wash my feet."
B. Impulsive. He would speak and then think.
C. Unpredictable. Unreliable. Peter lived emotions. He would say things that he would end up not doing. It is nice when people do what they say.
A. Jesus gave Simon a glimpse of his possibilities. Jesus pointed to the new man. Jesus says to us all, "You are.... You shall be...." There is a more Christ-like you in our future.
B. He gave Simon a pledge of help to reach this. Are you where you ought to be? Is our church? Here is a promise of strength to make this real in our own lives. Do you know what it is to have the Holy Spirit present over your life? Peter was never the same after Pentecost. Holy Spirit always focuses on Christ.
C. It happens by Simon's choice. You must put yourself fully into God's hands. Example: We put ourselves in the hands of a physician, who is fallible. We should do it even more so with God.
We fall, to rise. If we refuse to quit, nothing can defeat us.