Eleven Ordinary Men
This morning we had 11 men for our 5 AM Bible study. We had an interlude in our study of Luke 5, so that we could discuss Simon Peter, as a disciple and an apostle of Jesus Christ. Throughout our study of Luke we will have these interludes, in which we will focus on one disciple at a time using Dr. John MacArthur's book, Twelve Ordinary Men. Therefore, we had eleven ordinary men discussing why Jesus chose twelve ordinary men and Peter in particular. It was a great study.
Simon Peter was a born leader. He was naturally talkative and take charge. However, he was also prone to saying the wrong thing. He needed a lot of direction from Jesus before he could be an effective witness and apostle. That is just what Jesus gave him starting with the name "Peter." Peter means rock or stone. He was very unstable at first, but once Jesus was finished, and he was filled with the Spirit, Peter became a rock for the Lord. It shows all of us what can happen when we yield to Jesus as Lord, and we are filled with His Spirit. We can all be used by Jesus to do great things.
Even though Peter failed Jesus by denying Him before the crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus did not give up on him. He had a plan and a purpose for Peter, and He led him in that plan. He has a plan for each of us. We can't give the excuse that we are too weak or we are not smart enough. Peter was just a fisherman, but he became an excellent fisher of men by the power of God. Just read the letters of I and II Peter and see all of the truths that Peter had learned form the Lord by the time the Spirit inspired him to write these epistles. Peter was a changed man.
Then, we closed with the story of his death for his Savior. Clement tells us that Peter had to watch his wife be crucified before he was killed in the same way. As they led her away, he encouraged her to be faithful to Jesus. Then, he told the soldiers he was not worthy to be crucified like Jesus, so he wanted to be nailed to the cross upside down. They did just that. In the end Peter did not deny His Lord. he honored Him in his humble death as a testimony of his love for Jesus. Yes, Peter did love Jesus completely after all. I pray that we all would be as brave as Peter and love Jesus as much as he did.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 119:1-88 and I Corinthians 7:20-40.
Simon Peter was a born leader. He was naturally talkative and take charge. However, he was also prone to saying the wrong thing. He needed a lot of direction from Jesus before he could be an effective witness and apostle. That is just what Jesus gave him starting with the name "Peter." Peter means rock or stone. He was very unstable at first, but once Jesus was finished, and he was filled with the Spirit, Peter became a rock for the Lord. It shows all of us what can happen when we yield to Jesus as Lord, and we are filled with His Spirit. We can all be used by Jesus to do great things.
Even though Peter failed Jesus by denying Him before the crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus did not give up on him. He had a plan and a purpose for Peter, and He led him in that plan. He has a plan for each of us. We can't give the excuse that we are too weak or we are not smart enough. Peter was just a fisherman, but he became an excellent fisher of men by the power of God. Just read the letters of I and II Peter and see all of the truths that Peter had learned form the Lord by the time the Spirit inspired him to write these epistles. Peter was a changed man.
Then, we closed with the story of his death for his Savior. Clement tells us that Peter had to watch his wife be crucified before he was killed in the same way. As they led her away, he encouraged her to be faithful to Jesus. Then, he told the soldiers he was not worthy to be crucified like Jesus, so he wanted to be nailed to the cross upside down. They did just that. In the end Peter did not deny His Lord. he honored Him in his humble death as a testimony of his love for Jesus. Yes, Peter did love Jesus completely after all. I pray that we all would be as brave as Peter and love Jesus as much as he did.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 119:1-88 and I Corinthians 7:20-40.