Intro: I have often wondered how the path that the Lord
chooses for some is often so different than the path he chooses for others
A)With
some people it seems like everything comes easy – comes to them on a silver
platter.
B)Friends/
School / business/ ministry- they just seem so gifted { Everything flows{ Effortless
C) When
we see that sort of thing happening – I think our natural response is to think
– Man they are blessed by God.
But then you can take another believer and it is just the
opposite.
A)Everything
with them is struggle – nothing comes easy –
Silver platters don’t exist for them
B)
Health problems / Financial challenges / Heavy trials – seem to constantly line
their path!
1)
Which can leave us WRONGLY WONDERING – “what
did they do wrong – what sin is in their life?”
C) I
have wrestled with that contrast often in my mind – Lord
why does it seem so easy for some and so hard for others
D)
Maybe you have WRESTLED W/ the same thing about your own life or maybe someone
you love.
I think of my daughter Amy – my 16 year old – Of my 3
kids she likes sports the most
A)But
of my 3 kids she has the most physical challenges to contend with
B) For
one she is an asthmatic - / she has a thyroid condition / she has Type 1
Diabetes
1)
Which has nothing to do with her eating habits – that is Type 2
C)Type1
not in our family- no reason for her to have it
1)
Constantly has to wear an insulin pump
D) Crooked feet – make it harder for her to run – slower
and not as mobile as she could be
1) All
of which makes it hard for her to do the thing that she loves to do the most –
play sports
E)
Often wondered – Lord Why her! – Why not someone else – Aaron doesn’t like
sports
1)
Wouldn’t even matter
When She was diagnosed with Diabetes 3 yrs ago –
A)She
cried – I cried – told her don’t know why – but I know this God allowed this – He knows you can handle it – wants to use it to shape
your Character
B)He wants
to use it – to make you more useable – in life
1) Part
of your Character and usefulness is going to be shaped by your suffering.
Well in our text today – We see where Jesus basically
shares a similar thing with Peter.
A)Set
the scene {
B)
Peter and some others head to
1) Debate –Was Peter wrong – answer on Wed. nite
C) They
are fishing { Jesus shows up
1)
Brings some fish and makes some Breakfast
D)
Interesting to me – that what they were looking for Jesus already had – fish –
Provision
After Jesus gives them some fishing instructions the nets
fill they recognize it is the Lord { Peter dives in
A)Jesus
– issues a Challenge to Peter – Love me more than these – Asked 3 times
B) 3
Denials –
1) 3
commissions – Feeds lambs / tend Sheep / feed Sheep { Look at more on Wed
C) But
after that exchange – Jesus challenges Peter to follow Him and reveals – His
yrs of service would be filled w/ difficulty – RD
V.18-23
Now In V.18-19 Jesus describes the Kind of death that
Peter is going to die
A)The
Phrase – in your old age they will stretch out your hands –is significant{
Peter died by Crucifixion
B)It is
interesting to note the way that Jesus describes Peter - when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked
where you wished;
C)
There is a certain resilience with the Youth –
1) I like the Youth – because they are not afraid to
dream
D) They
haven’t experienced enough disappoints to be doubt yet –
1)They still believe that God can do anything –
E) Oh they can sometimes be very idealistic about things
in their idealism - not always realistic
1)But still they are able to dream to envision –
F) I find that GO FOR IT – attitude refreshing:
1)
Sometimes it is foolish – but I loved being surprised when something – I may
have thought was crazy comes to fruition – Youthful vigor / passion
Peter in his youth was impulsive man { First to speak /
only one to act walk on water here dives
out of boat
A)We
might call him crazy – but hopefully there is a part of him that stirs in all
our hearts
B) Faith to say: Lord I will jump out – venture out
1) I am
going to go for it – Wrong –well – I tried
C) JC –
Attempt something so big …. To fail !
That was Peter I think Jesus liked that about his friend
– wanted to harness that
A)That
would be a part of the strength of Peter’s ministry – go for it kind of Guy.
B) First
to preach at Pentecost – First to heal
1)
First to take the gospel to the Gentiles
C) We
who are older must be careful not to quench the zeal and faith of the Peter’s
in our midst.
But Jesus tells Peter there is a day coming when that is
going to Change – led where you don’t want to go
A)Crucify
you Peter – they are going to Stretch out your hands like they did mine
B) The
thing that I think is funny about that – is even in the end – Peter gets his
way
1) He asked to be Crucified upside down because He didn’t
think he was worthy to be crucified like his Lord
C) Peter preached for 37
years, & was 70 years old when he died a martyr’s death for his Lord!
Eusebius (early church father) lets us know while Peter was in
D)It’s also said (history) about his
beloved wife, being led out to be put to death, on account of having confessed
the faith, he addressed her in these words,
“O my beloved wife! Hear the lord Jesus always before thine eyes; this is the marriage of the saints.”
E)So Jesus is telling Peter
– the
This brings us back to the beginning of our Study – The
path that God chooses for some is different
A)Like
Peter – maybe your path has been one of suffering –
B))Sometimes
when it comes to our difficulties and trials – there is no reason – for it
1) Seems random – Person gets cancer – age old
question why do bad things happen to good pp
C) Sometimes
our difficulties are the result of someone else’s sin
1)
Family devasted when a spouse – commits adultery and
bails –
D)
Probably easier if they would have died than to just leave.
1))
Everyone is wrestling with Why? How? – I thought they loved us and loved the
Lord
E)
Sometimes Physical ailments God heals sometimes he doesn’t How many healed ?
A)But in all those situations the suffering is meant to
build our Character and make us more useful.
My brethren, count
it all joy when you fall into various trials , 3 knowing that the testing of
your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that
you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
B)Peter’s
suffering His failure would become a part of his usefulness -
1) He would write a letter to the Church during a time
when it was going thru – Ht of Persecution / suffering
C) His
suffering and struggles gave him keen insight to write those words
D) When you find yourself in that type of situation
remember that -
1) God
isn’t going to give us more than we can handle
E)Paul
His grace is sufficient { His Power …perfect in our weakness – { that is what
He wants to reveal.
Now Peter’s first reaction to these words isn’t such a positive on. His immediate response is to look at John –
ask what about him.
A)That
can so often be the natural response when something is going wrong for you –
Right for someone else
B) How
come they have got it so good – why is it so easy for them.
C) God
convicts you of something that needs to Change in
your life –
1)But
it seems to be a liberty that someone else enjoys
We want
to say – what about them Lord
D) That
is the natural response: Remind you that we are not called to be natural men
1) That
comes easy – But Jesus calls us to be spiritual
WALK IN THE SPIRIT
Well here is how Jesus responds to Peter – Don’t worry
about John you follow me!
A)If I
want him to live until I come back – that is not your concern – You Peter
follow me in the path I have laid out for you.
B) The
Path that God Choose for John was different
C)
Peter was called casting his nets – great evangelist
1) John
was called while mending nets – he was a mender – Epistle
of Love
D) Peter preached for 37 yrs - died at 70
E)John lived on to a ripe
old age living in
1) Ministry covered probably
60 plus years
It was Peter’s function to Shepherd the Sheep of
Christ, & in the end to Die for Him!
A) It was John’s function to
Witness to the Story
of Christ, & to Live to a great old age!
B)This didn’t make them
rivals & it didn’t make one greater, or less.
1)
It made them both servants of Christ!
Serve where you are set!
C) Don’t worry about
another’s task, your job is to “Follow Him!”
1)
Lord they are getting married I am still single
2)
Lord they got a great job I am still waiting
3)
Lord they just got asked to be involved in that ministry and I was overlooked
again.
4)
Lord they got healed and I am still sick -
D) When
we are wrestling with those type of QUESTIONS: it
really boils down to this:
1) Do I
really believe that God loves me
Do I
really believe that He is sovereign?
E)
Listen it doesn’t have to make sense to me
8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD.
9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
Now for some of you – it is this very thing that keeps you from living a
life of Surrender
A)Don’t
believe He loves you – don’t want to trust His Sovereignty –
B)
Follow from afar –
C) What
if Peter said – No way! Not going that route
1) No
Peter at Pentecost –
2) No
healing
3) No
Epistle of 1, 2 Peter
D) Stop
resisting – stop saying – not fair
Don’t
Know Jesus – He has a plan for you –
Loved
you to die –
Trust
Him today