A Lesson from Peter
Tonight, our lesson will be from Peter. And before someone asks me, if we will be in 1st Peter or 2nd Peter, I must confess that we will be in neither. In fact, most of our lesson will be taken from the Gospel of Matthew. And now that I've got you totally confused, let me explain. Tonight, we will be learning by example, from Peter's life, not his inspired writings. So let’s begin. Matt. 14:19-33 "And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the
five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and
brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the
multitude. Now, there are several lessons we could learn from this account; and we will be looking at some of them, when we continue in our lessons in the Gospel of John. However tonight, we will confine ourselves to one subject, namely Peter's attitude concerning tribulation. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ It had been an eventful day, but nothing compared to their present situation. Yes, they were literally in deep water, and in deep trouble, and all because they had followed Jesus’ instructions. And so it will always be. Even if you never set foot in a ship, you will experience the storms of life. As Jesus once told His disciples, "In the world ye shall have tribulation:
but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ So the disciples were in trouble, and apparently for no fault of their own. If they had been running away from God, as Jonah had, this kind of thing would not be surprising. But they had strictly obeyed the Lord's instructions, and those very instructions had landed them right in the middle of a storm. Is that the way it's supposed to work? Let's check it out. V22 "And
straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to
go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away."
This was no mere suggestion; Jesus had constrained them. And there was a very good reason for His urgency. We'll talk about that in a few minutes, but the point I want to make here is this. They had been following orders. Jesus had been very explicit, and the disciples had been very obedient. In fact, they had probably been obedient against their better judgment. As far as they were concerned, it was a case of trusting in the LORD with all
their hearts; and leaning not unto their own understanding.
I’m told that storms can come up quite suddenly on the
However, these men were experienced fishermen, and they knew that body of water very well. In fact their life depended upon that kind of knowledge. However, they had followed their Lord's instructions, and as a result the ship was now "--- in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary." Some one might say, "well, what can you expect, when seasoned fisherman take the advice of a carpenter", but we know better don't we? And so did the disciples, even to the point that they were willing to put their lives in His hands. Yes, they knew Jesus was their Messiah, and He was the Son of God. However, the very fact that He was the Son of God only proves conclusively, that Jesus would have known the storm was coming when He constrained his disciples "to get into a ship". So you see, the idea that you can't get into trouble if you obey the Lord, doesn't really hold water? Certainly we should always obey our Lord, and certainly He always has our good in mind, but obedience does not guarantee the absence of tribulation. No, "In the world ye shall have tribulation". ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ So what about tribulation? Is it something we should try to avoid at all costs? Certainly that would be a natural reaction, and certainly Jesus did teach His disciples to pray --- "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:" But is tribulation evil? And doesn't avoiding tribulation at all costs, often include denying our Lord? No, tribulation is not evil, and as the disciples so aptly demonstrated, tribulation can be the result of obeying the Lord. And, if we check Matt.
The words "straightway"
and "constrained" suggest urgency.
John's account sheds more light on the nature of this urgency. John
Yes, the people had gotten completely out of hand. They had been so affected by the miracle of the loaves and fishes that they were prepared to take Him by force. So it's not surprising that Jesus had found it necessary to act quickly. First of all, He got His disciples into a ship and sent them away, and then He departed into a mountain to pray. However, the disciples’ obedience had gotten them out of one nasty situation and right into another. Matt
What does it mean, "the wind
was contrary"?
It probably means, "the wind was contrary" to the direction they wanted to go. They wanted to go to "the other side", because that was their Lord’s instructions, but the wind was blowing in the opposite direction. And there's no doubt that the waves were going in the opposite direction. Now, I'm not a sailor, but someone has told me that it is safer to go with the wind, not against it. I'm sure the disciples knew that, after all they were experienced sailors, but they continued to point their ship toward "the other side". So you might say, common sense pointed in one direction, and Jesus’ orders pointed in the other. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ And you know what; Christians will always be pressured to go with the flow, even though Jesus has pointed specifically in the opposite direction. So what should we do, when the wind has turned contrary? Is tribulation a sign that it really wasn't the Lord's will in the first place? Jesus’ disciples didn't think so. No, they were convinced that Jesus’ directions always overruled the circumstances. And Church history has proven by experience, that adverse circumstances usually confirm the fact that it is the Lord's will. So press on, into the storm. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ John's Gospel tells us that the disciples were about 25 to 30 furlongs from shore, which is about 3 1/2 miles. They were in a desperate situation, and the very person who had told them to launch forth, was miles away. Yes, Jesus was up in a mountain, totally oblivious to their peril. Is that right? No, that’s not right. In fact, Mark 6:48 tells us that, way up in that
mountain, many miles away, "--- he saw them toiling in rowing ---".
Have you ever felt that you were toiling all alone? I think we've all felt that way, haven't we? It's not true! Jesus sees us, and Jesus cares. Matt.
--- "the fourth watch" --- Do you know what part of the night that is? The "fourth
watch" is between
In other places, it’s called the morning watch. And it is the very watch in which the children of
Let's turn back to Ex. 14:23-24 "And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst
of the sea, even all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. And so it was here. As far as the disciples were concerned, this was the darkest hour in their lives. In actual fact, it was the moment of their deliverance. Matt. 14:26-27 "And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled,
saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. Oh the storm was still there, but so was Jesus. And here’s where we can glean a very important lesson from Peter, so don't miss it. In a word, it's a lesson about attitude. How did Peter deal with this horrendous storm, that threatened to take his life? Did he blame the Lord? Lord, can't you see the trouble you've gotten us into? I'm a fisherman you know, and I didn't think this was a good idea from the very start. Sometimes we do that, don’t we? And actually, Jesus had known all about the storm when He sent them off in that little craft. Or were Peter's words a desperate prayer for deliverance? After all they could be swamped at any moment, and the storm was still raging. Actually, it was none of the above. In fact, Peter was the only disciple in the ship that saw this storm as an opportunity. That's right, an opportunity! And it was an opportunity that would be forever lost, when the storm abated. So Peter’s first words were this --- "Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water." And you know what, the Jesus agreed! Immediately, and no doubt with a great deal of enthusiasm in His voice, He said "Come". ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ People often major on the fact that Peter didn't make it. Personally, I think we should remember that Peter is the only man in history, other than the Lord Himself, who ever walked on water. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ I once heard about an optimists and pessimists who were out in a boat, duck hunting. The optimists had brought a very special bird-dog with him. Actually, he was the first one to shoot a duck, and he sent his faithful retrieve to fetch it. Immediately, the dog jumped out of the boat, and believe it or not, walked across the water to retrieve the duck. As the dog stepped back into the boat, completely dry, the pessimist was heard to say ---- "just as I thought, your dog can't swim can he? ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Of course, that’s only a story, but Peter really did walk on water. Granted, he didn't get very far, and Jesus did rebuke him, but for a few glorious moments, Peter walked on the water.
V31 "And
immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him,
O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?"
I don't believe Jesus was angry, simply extremely disappointed. He would have so loved to see Peter make it all the way. And did you notice, He caught him first and admonished him second --- "immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him". It was like a loving father catching his little child, after his first faltering steps. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ "Lord, save
me."
I wouldn't be surprised if that was the shortest prayer in the Bible, and it got instant results. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ I remember my shortest prayer, and it was a lot like Peter’s. At about 100 km an hour I hit black ice on the 401. All I could do was hold on and pray "Lord help me". And I got instant results also. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ However I don't think we should dwell on the shortness of Peter's walk. The real point is this; he saw the storm as an opportunity. And he saw it was an opportunity that would soon pass. Once Jesus was in the ship, all possibility of walking on water would be gone. And as it turned out, he never got that chance again. V32-33 "And
when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. It's not too hard to believe that Jesus is "the Son of God" when the storm is over, but Peter was only disciple who believed, when the storm was raging. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ And what about the crisis in your life and in mine, which threatened to drown us? Could it really be an opportunity to go where we have never gone before? Are God’s storms meant to drown us, or are they a pathway to Christ. Peters saw the storm as an opportunity to trust Christ in a way he had never done before, and he took it. That's our lesson from Peter. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ A number of years ago a book came on the market called "the power of positive thinking" by Norman Vincent Peel. As a missionary with Trans World Radio, I had the opportunity of attending a pastor’s conference, and hearing and elderly, rather short man, who was the conference speaker. Two things impressed me about him. First of all, he had a profound knowledge of the Word of God, and he was one of the most dynamic men I have ever met. The other thing was the fact that he was blind. I remember his comparison of the apostle Paul and Norman Vincent Peel. It was short and to the point. "Paul is appealing, but Peel was appalling". I must confess, I have never read Mr. Peel's book, and I don't believe I ever will. However, from comments I have heard, I believe his book encourages making the best of a bad thing. I suppose that's good advice as far as it goes, but that wasn't Peter's theory. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Also, there is another way to handle trouble, and it's much like the first. While you're grinning and bearing it, you should constantly remind yourself that it can't last forever. That is often helpful, but what if it does last for ever? ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ In the year 1820, a little six months old girl caught a cold in her eyes. The doctor, who turned out to be a fraud, prescribed hot mustard poultices on her eyes. When those poultices were applied, the lights went out, and they never came on again. Far from curing her, his treatment had blinded her for life. And so it was, when this little girl had barely seen the light of day, she was condemned to a life of darkness. What a tragedy! It could have been enough to make her bitter for the rest of her life, but it didn't. Somehow, through the eyes of faith, for they were the only eyes she had, this little girl looked upon her darkness as a pathway of light. She actually considered her affliction to be a gift from God. At the age of 8, she wrote her first recorded poem. It was a testimony to her whole philosophy of life. "Oh what a happy soul I am! Although I cannot see, I am resolved that in this world, contented I will be. How many blessings I enjoy, that other people don't. To weep and sigh because I'm blind, I cannot and I won't!" ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ In a very practical way she had said, "Lord, if it be thou---" if this is your plan for my life, then "bid me come unto thee on the water"--- and He said, "Come". Down through the years, they walked the stormy seas together in sweet fellowship.
How do I know that?
Because the blessings she enjoyed, overflowed to those of us who walk by site. During her life she saw, over 8000 of her poems set to music, and publishers gave her as many as 210 different names, so the public wouldn't know she wrote so many of them. Actually, her record was seven hymn-poems in a single day. She had a good and devoted mother, but because of the necessity of making a living, it was her grandmother who spent many hours with her describing the things of nature and of heaven. That same grandmother introduced her to the Bible. It was time well spent. Fanny Crosby, for that is her name, went on to memorize the Pentateuch, the book of Ruth, many of the Psalms, the book of Proverbs, Song of Solomon, and much of the New Testament! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ She married the blind musician and composer, Alexander Van Alstyne, who was a teacher like herself at the New York Institute of the Blind. After a very full life, she went on to glory at the age of 95. Some of her many hymns are, A Shel-ter in the Time of Storm, Jesus Is Calling, Near the Cross, Pass Me Not, Praise Him Praise Him, Safe in the Arms of Jesus, Saved by Grace, Take the World but Give Me Jesus, ‘Tis the Blessed Hour of Prayer, and we have been blessed tonight by singing two of her hymns. At her funeral Eliza Hewitt immortalized her passing with this poem. You will notice some of her hymns entwined in the words. "Away to the country of sunshine and song, Our songbird has taken her flight, And she who has sung in the darkness so long Now sings in the beautiful light; The harp-strings here broken are sweetly restrung To ring in the course sublime; The hymns that on earth she so trustfully sung Keep tune with eternity’s chime!
What heart can conceive of the rapture she knows Awakened to glories so bright, Were radiant splendor unceasingly glows, Where, cometh no shadows of night! Her "life-work is ended," and over the tide, "Redeemed" in His presence to stand, She knows her Redeemer, for her crucified, "By the print of the nails in His hand."
"Blessed Assurance"-- the lamp in her soul That made earthly
A "New Song" of joy shall increasing roll To Him who her ransom has bought. To "Rescue the Perishing," her greatest delight, What bliss, in the Homeland, to meet With those she has told of the Lord’s saving might, Together, to bow at His feet.
Good-bye, dearest Fanny, goodbye for a while, You walk in the shadows no more; Around you, the sunbeams of glory will smile; The Lamb is the Light of that Shore! Someday we will meet in the City about; Together, we'll look on His face; Safe, "Safe in the Arms" of the Jesus we love; Together we'll sing, "Saved by Grace!" ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Perhaps I should have entitled this message, "a lesson from Fanny."
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