The Secret to Walking on Water

Let's play a little guessing game for a moment. I'm thinking of a biblical character.

He was the son of Jonah.

This person was a fisherman.

He was enthusiastic, strong-willed, impulsive, and at times brash. He was from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee. His brother was named Andrew.

And he was one of 12 apostles chosen by Jesus from his first disciples.

This person was one of only a few disciples who witnessed the transfiguration. He confessed Jesus as the Messiah.

And he was part of Jesus in a circle. And he preached on the very first day of Pentecost.

And here's one that will definitely give it away. This biblical character denied Jesus three times. And here's another example of Jesus. Originally, his name was Simon.

But Jesus called him Cephas or Cephas, which translated means Peter or Rock.

What fascinates me when I study the life of the apostle Peter is that he was a real person with real challenges, with real failings, and yet he overcame his limitations through the power of the Holy Spirit and showed us how we too can become converted.

We too can live a successful Christian life, no matter our own past or our own shortcomings. In fact, such was his faith that he even walked on water.

Have you ever tried to do that? I have! As a kid, in the backyard swimming pool, jumping off the deck on the side and walking as fast as I could to see if I could actually walk on the water. It just didn't go so well. Let's study into the life of this amazing individual. Let's see what we can learn from him. And I've titled this sermon, The Secret to Walking on Water. So when you all go home tonight, you can try it, okay? The Secret to Walking on Water.

What kind of people did Jesus call to be part of his work?

Well, we know he didn't ask Caesar or the Roman governor or even the Jewish high priest or the leader of the Sadducees to join him in his ministry.

No, Jesus chose regular people, regular folk. He chose tax collectors, not highfalutin lawyers. He chose fishermen, not multinational corporation CEOs. He chose sinners, not the self-righteous. And guess what? He chose you and me too.

The lesser-known people in our cities and towns. Let's turn to John chapter 1 and see the beginning of the story here for Peter. John chapter 1, verses 40 through 44. John chapter 1 verse 40.

And we read, one of the two who heard John, this is John the Baptist, one of the two who heard John the Baptist speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.

So we've got the two brothers here. Verse 41. He first found his own brother Simon, that's Peter, and said to him, we have found the Messiah, which is translated, we have found the Christ. Verse 42. And he brought, Andrew brought Peter to Jesus. When Jesus looked at him, he said, you are Simon, aren't you? The son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas or Cephas, which is translated, you shall be called a stone. So we know Peter means rock or or pebble or stone. Verse 43. The following day, Jesus went to Galilee and he found Philip and said to him, follow me. And now Philip was from Bethsaida, the same city as Andrew and Peter. So Simon or Peter was originally from Bethsaida, but we find that later that he lived in Capernaum. Both are cities on the coast of the Sea of Galilee. So Peter and Andrew were from Bethsaida and later on they moved to Capernaum.

In the ancient world, nearly everyone had two names. Greek was the universal language and nearly everyone had a name also though in his native language by which you would be known to his friends. So Peter is his Greek name and Cephas is his Aramaic name. They're not different names, they're the same name in different languages depending on whether you're speaking Greek or you're speaking Aramaic. So let's study the life of the Apostle Peter more closely here. What type of individual was he? What were his major accomplishments? Where did he struggle with his faith? Now I've divided the message up into four main areas and the first section I've simply called the fisherman. The fisherman. The fisherman.

In 1986, which is not really that long ago, a 27-foot long boat was found on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee in Israel. An archaeologist simply called it the Sea of Galilee boat or the Jesus boat. If you go to Wikipedia on your smartphone right now and type in the Jesus boat, it'll show up as this 28-foot long boat that was found in 1986. It was an ancient fishing boat from the first century and it first appeared during a drought when the waters of the Sea of Galilee, not actually a sea, it's actually a great big freshwater lake, when the waters of the sea receded, the Sea of Galilee boat is important as an example of the type of boat used in the first century for fishing and transportation across the lake. So if you google the Jesus boat or the Sea of Galilee boat, you'll see what it looks like. That's the kind of boat the fishermen actually used in the 21st, in the first century.

Until this discovery, the only references to what these boats might have looked like were from Roman authors, from the Bible, and from mosaics, tile mosaics that art has created back in the first century. But now archaeologists came to see what these first century boats actually looked like, what type of vessel they were. And that Jesus boat is important to studies today because it was a sort of boat used by Jesus and his disciples, several of whom were fishermen. I don't know how many of you are good at it right now. It's okay if you want to do that. I'm okay with that. But boats such as this played a large role in Jesus' life and ministry, and are mentioned 50 times in the Gospels. This kind of boat is mentioned 50 times in the Gospels. Let's turn to Luke chapter 5 now. Luke chapter 5.

In the first century, being a fisherman was not for the weak or the faint of heart.

The job was very physically demanding and could be dangerous if a storm caught you off guard. The fishermen were known for their loud personalities. You all know stories of sailors, right? Their loud personalities. Maybe this is why Peter's business partners, James and John, were referred to as the Sons of Thunder. You've seen Discovery Channel documentaries today, TV shows like The Greatest Catch and things like that, where they follow these fishermen out onto the ocean, into the storms as they risk their lives to bring in the fish and the catch of the day. Let's see if Galilee could get quite rough as well. Being a fisherman was someone with a loud voice and a strong heart. Luke 5 verse 1. Here we see where Peter was first approached by Jesus to be part of his ministry. Luke 5.1. So it was, as the multitude pressed about him, as the multitude pressed about Jesus, to hear the word of God that he stood by the lake of Gennesaret. The lake of Gennesaret is also called the Sea of Galilee, right? This is Galilee. And saw two boats standing by the lake, but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. So Jesus got into one of the boats, which happened to be Simon's, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat. When it stopped speaking, he said to Simon, launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch. Of course, Christ is about to teach him a lesson right here. Verse 5. Simon answered and said to him, master, come on, we've toiled all night and caught nothing. Nevertheless, at your word, I'll let down the net. But just so you know, I doubt it's going to work. We've had a bad day. And when they're done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats so that they then began to sink. And when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus knees, saying, depart from me for I am a sinful man, O Lord. Peter realized that he doubted Jesus and was repentant, and realized he'd made a mistake in being so unbelieving when Christ told him to put down his net. Verse 9, for all who were with him were astonished at the catch of which they had taken. And so also were James and John, Peter's partners, right, in the company. James and John, the sons of Zebedee. And Jesus said to Simon, do not be afraid. From now on, you will catch men.

So when they brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed him, followed Jesus. So this is where Jesus first told Peter and James and John, you guys are going to come work for me now. The famous sheet of water in Galilee is actually called by three names. The Sea of Galilee, the Sea of Tiberius, and the Lake of Gennesaret. Here in Luke, it's called the Lake of Gennesaret. It's 13 miles long by eight miles wide, and it lies in a dip in the earth's surface and is 680 feet below sea level.

And as a result, it has an almost tropical climate.

Today, it's not very populous around the lake, but in the days of Jesus, it had nine cities clustered around its shores with more than 15,000 people in each. They were quite large towns, those nine towns around the lake. Look at Mark chapter 1. Here's a parallel account in the book of Mark. Mark 1 verse 14.

Now, after John the Baptist was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God and saying, the time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand, repent, and believe in the gospel. So, this is right when Jesus Christ is beginning his public ministry. John the Baptist has been locked up, he's no longer able to preach, and now this is where Christ began his ministry. And as he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. Verse 17, then Jesus said to them, follow me and I will make you become fishers of men. So, and Luke says you're going to catch men. Here in Mark, he says you're going to be fishers of men. And it says in verse 18, they immediately left their nets and followed him. When he got a little further from there, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who also owned the boat mending their nets. And immediately he called them and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and went after him. So, you've got these four fishermen that now have joined Jesus' ministry.

Fishing was a major business of the area. The four brothers had their own prosperous fishing business, owned their own nets and boats, and had multiple employees who worked under them. And this may be what had allowed them to follow Jesus, leaving the business in the capable hands of Zebedee now, James and John's father, and probably other managers as well. But they turned the fishing business over to Dad, basically, and these four boys, who were fishermen and friends and brothers, followed Jesus. It's interesting if you look at a little bit of history here, they were also very savvy businessmen.

It appears that the brothers changed the city their business was based out of in order to get a tax break. But who's not for a tax break? There's a biblical archaeology review article titled, Fishes of Fish, Fishes of Men, from June 1999 by Jerome Murphy O'Connor. And in this article, O'Connor says, Bethsaida, so that's where Peter was born, right? Bethsaida was but one of 13 ancient harbors that decorated the coast of the Sea of Galilee. Now, if you look in your little Bible map at the back of your Bible, Bethsaida's on the east side of the Sea of Galilee. So the Jordan River comes down into the top of the Sea of Galilee, and on the east side is Bethsaida.

But O'Connor says it's unlikely that Bethsaida had all the specialized facilities that were necessary to preserve fish so that it could be transported any distance. Given the size of the lake, it would have made economic sense to have a central fish factory to process the catch of the many small harbors. That such was in fact the case is strongly suggested by the name of one harbor, Tarakea. Tarakea is translated the fish factory.

The name indicates Tarakea was the place where fish were salted. The Tarakea was on the western side of the Sea of Galilee, opposite to where Peter was born and grew up, right?

And if you look at your map, you'll see the Tarakea was about three miles north of Tiberius on the western shore. O'Connor says, for the fishermen of Bethsaida, bringing fish to be processed, that Tarakea created a serious problem.

Because they were residents of the territory of Philip. But Tarakea was in the territory of Herod Antipas, Philip's half-brother. He got these two half-brothers that for the Roman government controlled territory around the Sea of Galilee. One was governor of one half, one was governor of the other half, and the Jordan River came right down the middle. It says here, the two territories were divided by the Jordan River. Not surprisingly, the first village on Antipas's side of the border, Capernaum, the member that's where Peter and his brother moved their business to, was Capernaum. The first village on Antipas's side of the border, Capernaum, had a resident toll collector. You guys should read about that in Mark chapter 2. He mentions the toll collector in Capernaum. And a small military garrison to enforce his rule. And Matthew chapter 8 talks about that military garrison there at Capernaum. O'Connor says, if tariffs were levied on goods coming across the border, then fishermen coming from outside Antipas's territory to have their fish processed at Tarakea no doubt paid a premium tax for the privilege. This tax problem explains why Simon Peter and Andrew moved across the Jordan from Bethsaida to Capernaum on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. So, as I said, these fishermen were smart. They ran a profitable enterprise. They set up their business where it's most profitable to do so, and no doubt avoided extra taxes in the process. In addition, the brothers probably spoke Aramaic. But researchers say with a Galilean accent, you may remember that later on, people said, don't you have a Galilean accent? And, you know, it sounded uneducated to people from the city.

Peter would have probably spoken Aramaic as well as Hebrew and Greek, which was the language of the more educated. When Jesus called Peter, Peter was willing to walk away from all this business. As we said, no doubt leaving it in the hands of James and John's dad, Zebedee. But here's a key point in this part of Peter's life. Jesus said to him, follow me, and I will make you fishes of men.

What have we been told to do?

Christ said, follow me. Christ said, follow me. And he said, go therefore and make disciples of all the nations. That's in Matthew chapter 28. So, just like in the first century, we too in the 21st century are spiritually told to cast a wide net, gather up the fish that Christ provides, and make disciples of whom those God is calling to his way of life. We too have been told to catch men. That's part of the mission of the church. Each of us here has a responsibility to support, so to speak, the fishing expedition.

To mend the nets, to offer prayerful support, to provide funds for new boats, or new internet websites today, right? And to help nurture those whom God calls into the fold. We too are to become fishes of men as the wider body of God's church.

So, that's kind of a little bit of background about who Peter was when he was first called to the faith. Number two, let's look at him as the family man. The family man.

So, turn over to the book of Mark for a moment.

We read that Jesus heals Peter's mother-in-law.

It's in Matthew chapter 8, and it's also in Mark chapter 1. It's repeated in parallel accounts. Let's look at the Mark chapter 1 version of Peter's mother-in-law. If you have a mother-in-law, that means you're married, right? Mark 1 verse 29. Now, as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John. Here are these four fellows again. But Simon's wife's mother, so Peter's mother-in-law, lay sick with a fever, and they told Jesus about it at once. So, Jesus came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her, and then she served them. So, this tells us he was a married man, and his wife was part of his work, because she accompanied him on some of his journeys later on in his ministry. 1 Corinthians chapter 9 verse 5 talks about that. If you want to make a note of it, I'll read it to you. 1 Corinthians 9 verse 5.

Here, the apostle Paul is actually writing a letter to the Corinthians, and he mentions Peter. He says, do we have no right to take along a believing wife, you know, on these trips, as to also the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas, Peter? So, the apostle Paul says, not only could he ask for support for himself in doing the work of God, but also for a wife if he had one. And he says, in fact, the other apostles, like Cephas, did receive such support on these journeys. So, this is none of the reference to Peter's wife in being married. We don't know her name, really, or much about her at all, but one day upon the resurrection of the saints, Christ returned, we may like to ask her what it was like being a wife in the first century, the wife of an apostle in the first century. And it's quite likely that they had children, too. One seems to be mentioned in one of Peter's letters. That's in 1 Peter 5, verses 10 through 13. There's a reference here to Peter having a son. 1 Peter 5 verse 10. Peter writes this letter, and he says, May the God of all grace, who called us to his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. It says in verse 11, To him be the glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. But notice verse 13 of 1 Peter 5. She who is in Babylon, elects together with you, greets you, and so does Mark, my son. Some people say this may have been John Mark who wrote the Gospel of Mark, but other theologians say, No, this is a son in, this is an actual blood relative, not a son in the faith, but an actual blood relative. But anyway, it does give me the occasion that Peter may have had a son. Despite the calls by some churches for their ministry to be celibate, we see one of the leading apostles here as a family man. God is a family, and God is adding sons and daughters to his family, as we understand. And as the apostle Peter wrote, we too will be part of that family, God's family. In fact, he says we will partake of the divine nature of God's family. That's in 2 Peter 1 verse 4.

I'll read that to you, 2 Peter 1 verse 4, where Peter says, Great and exceedingly precious promises are being given to us, and through these you may be partakers of the divine nature. That's talking about us becoming part of God's family, taking on the divine nature upon our resurrection. So Peter was a fisherman, and he was a family man. Now let's move into the real nitty-gritty of what happened in the remainder of Peter's life. This third section I've called the humanity of living a new life in Christ. The humanity of living a new life in Christ.

Peter's life as a Christian, after becoming converted, was radically different to his early years. He was no longer a fisherman.

But a disciple of Jesus Christ. And he learned to live a new life, focusing on the example given him by Jesus Christ. But as we know, Jesus showed his humanity as he struggled to live this new life. It's interesting that Jesus had a special connection with three of the twelve disciples. And it was three of the fishermen, Peter, James, and John. And Jesus showed a lot of extra things to these three, to Peter, and James, and John. Let me just mention a few of them to you, if you want to make some notes. But notice the transformed life of Peter in particular, as we go through some of these examples. You may want to make a note that Peter himself became the de facto spokesman for the twelve disciples. That ask him to kind of, yeah, why don't you ask Peter? Go ahead. Let me just give you three examples out of many, but you recognize them.

Often when a parable was given, the disciples would nudge Peter and say, ask him what it means. He became like their spokesman. In Matthew 15, 15, Peter answered and said to Jesus, explain this parable to us. The others said, yeah, yeah, what does it mean?

Matthew 18 verse 21, we read, Peter came to Jesus and said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? After seven times. I heard about that earlier today in the service. So it was Peter that said, yeah, how many times we've got to forgive people around here?

It was kind of like the spokesman for the others and would say things they were too scared to ask, probably. Matthew 19 verse 27, Peter answered and said to Jesus, look, we have left all and followed you. Therefore, what shall we have? You know, what's in it for us?

So Peter was kind of like the defacto spokesman for a while. These three, Peter, James and John, were the only three who saw Jesus raise the daughter of Jairus from the dead. Let's turn over to that one in Mark chapter 5. Let's take a look at this one in Mark chapter 5 starting in verse 35. Mark 5, 35. So it says, Jesus was speaking at the synagogue and while he was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue's house who said, to the ruler, your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further? And as soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he said to the ruler of the synagogue, don't be afraid, believe. And he permitted no one to follow him except Peter, James and John. And it always says, John the brother of James. So you know it's not John the Baptist or different John. It says, John the brother of James. Yeah, the fisherman, right? Verse 38, then he came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly. In verse 40, they ridiculed Jesus. What are you doing here? Thanks, you know, thanks for nothing. But when he had put them all outside, he took the father and the mother of the child and those who were with him, so that was Peter and James and John that were with him, and entered where the child was lying. And so Peter, James and John got to see this miracle now that everybody else was shut out from. He took the child by the hand and said to her, Talitha kumi, which is translated, little girl I say to you, arise. And immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was 12 years of age, and they were overcome with great amazement. But Jesus commanded to them that strictly no one should know about this, and said that something should be given to her to eat. So Jesus basically said, keep this under wraps. He wasn't trying to prove something by miracles and healings. So these three, Peter, James and John were the only ones that got to see this miracle. And these three were the only three who saw the glory of Christ at the Transfiguration. Remember that vision? It's in Matthew 17, one of the places where it's mentioned. I'm going to turn over to Matthew 17. You'll notice verse 1. Matthew 17 verse 1. After six days, Jesus took Peter, James and John this time. Peter, James and John.

And led them up a high mountain by themselves. And Jesus was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared. As we find out later, it was a vision. They weren't really there. Moses and Elijah appeared in a vision to them, talking with him. Verse 5. While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them. And suddenly, a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear him. So this has actually got the father, right? Saying, This is my beloved son. Whatever he says, whatever he tells you, listen. He's got some important words.

Verse 9. As they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, Tell the vision to no one, until the Son of Man is risen from the dead. Now don't talk about this till I'm gone.

So these were the only three. Peter, James and John, who saw the transfiguration. James and John were the two that were tasked with preparing the last Passover meal that Jesus would have with his disciples. And it was Peter who experienced walking on water. Let's turn to this one. It's in Matthew chapter 14, because it's the title upon which this sermon is based. Matthew chapter 14. Go back a few pages here to Matthew 14 verse 28. And you may recall that there was there was quite a storm going on. It was kind of dark.

The boisterous wind, the waves were big.

And Peter looked out from the boat that was filling with water and saw this figure coming across to them on the water. And at first they thought it was a ghost or something, if I recall, I hear from the story. Yeah, verse 26. They were troubled, saying, it's a spirit, and they cried out in fear. Thought they were seeing a ghost. But then Jesus said, no, it's me, guys. And verse 28, Matthew 14, 28. And Peter answered Jesus and said, Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.

And so Jesus said, come, go ahead.

And when Peter had come down out of the boat, here in verse 29, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.

So what is the secret to walking on water?

How is it done?

When beckoned by Jesus, we focus on him and nothing else.

Because if we lose focus, we fail. We sink.

And as you know from the story, that's what happened to Peter after his initial success in walking on water. Yes, he walked on water, but then he started to doubt the power of God. And he looked down. He took his eyes off Christ.

So the secret is not to lose focus on Christ. And of course, we're talking about spiritually walking on water for us now, right? Having a successful life, successfully becoming a child of God. But Peter did actually walk on water. Like I said, you try that sometime. Peter actually did it.

Putting aside fear and doubt and hesitation goes for all aspects of life. So we ask, what is the secret to any spiritual success?

It's keeping our gaze, our eye, our focus on God throughout the day. Because that's where our strength comes from.

On the outside, Peter may have seemed like an awesome Christian. He was passionate, zealous, and bold. As we noted a moment ago, he was closely connected to Jesus in a circle of all the disciples. And he saw the most private miracles and events that the others didn't get to see.

And he was also the first to recognize who Jesus really was. That's in Matthew 16, verse 15. Verse 15. He was the first to recognize Jesus for who he really was, namely, the Son of God. Matthew 16, verse 15, Jesus said to them all, But who do you say that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, once again, the de facto spokesman, right? Christ asked the disciples, who do you guys think I am? And Peter says, I'll tell you who you are. Let me speak up. You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus said to him, verse 17, Blessed are you, Simon by Jonah. That means Simon, son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my father has revealed this to you, who is in heaven. So this was a spiritual understanding that was revealed by the Father. So this was the outward appearance of Peter. The scriptures reveal a man of human weakness on the inside. If you could see what he was like on the inside, you would see a man who struggled with fear, doubt, and other weaknesses. His weakness resulted in him falling asleep multiple times when Jesus asked him to pray for him. He'd have fell asleep. In several instances, Peter showed himself to be impetus to the point of rashness. We catch glimpses of this throughout the Gospels. As I mentioned at the beginning in the introduction, Peter's fear caused him to deny Jesus three times. He was human.

This denials in Matthew chapter 26. Let's just read that as well. Matthew chapter 26. Notice verse 33. Matthew 26, 33. There's no mistaking Peter's denial here and his weakness.

But as we'll see in a moment, this trait actually followed him throughout his life. We'll come back to haunt him again, even after being converted. See that in a moment. Matthew 26, verse 33. Peter answered and said to Jesus, even if all are made to stumble because of you, I will never be made to stumble. So it's quick to speak up and, you know, be as strong as he could. But verse 69. Matthew 26, 69.

That Peter sat outside in the courtyard, because this is while Christ is being beaten and being prepared for crucifixion. Peter sat outside in the courtyard and a servant girl came to him saying, you also were with Jesus of Galilee, weren't you? I think, aren't you with this guy? And Peter denied it before them all, saying, I don't know what you're talking about. Verse 71.

And we had gone out to the gateway, so he kind of slipped out a little bit here, kind of get away from it all a bit. When he got out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, this fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth. But again, Peter denied it, this time with an oath, I do not know the man.

Obviously lying through his teeth. Verse 73. A little later, those who stood by came up and said to Peter, surely you're also one of them, for your speech betrays you. You've got that accent from Galilee. You're from Hicksville, aren't you? And then Peter, verse 74, began to curse and swear, saying, I do not know the man. And immediately the rooster crowed. And so, you know the rest of the story. Peter then wept bitterly and repented.

Peter went through a lot before he became the pillar of a Christian that we think of when we hear his name. We hear him walking on water and writing epistles and leading the church in Jerusalem. Look at Galatians chapter 2, because eventually he did become Jesus' main representative to the Jews. Galatians chapter 2, the apostle Paul, writes about Peter. If you look at Galatians chapter 2, we see after some of these failings, we see Peter actually, though, being quite strong as well after his conversion.

Galatians 2 verse 6, Paul says, but from those who seemed to be something, those who thought a lot of them themselves, whatever they were, Paul says, it makes no difference to me because God shows personal favoritism to no man. For those who seemed to be something added nothing to me. So Paul is saying, you know, before Christ we're all equal. God chose favoritism to no man, even those who think that they're somebody. Verse 7, but on the contrary, when they saw that the gospel for the uncircumcised had been committed to me, as the gospel for the circumcised was to Peter, so Paul's saying, yeah, it was my mission to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, the uncircumcised, just like Peter was to be the main guy to preach to the Jews.

Verse 8, for he who worked effectively in Peter, for the apostleship to the circumcised also worked effectively in me toward the Gentiles. In verse 9, when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles as they did to the circumcised or to the Jews. So Peter was considered here to be one of the main proponents of preaching the gospel to the Jewish community, like Paul did to the Gentiles.

But even here, we'll see that Peter struggled and fought against his carnal human nature and personal weaknesses. He was remolded by Jesus, converted and filled with the Holy Spirit, and became the leader in spreading the gospel to the Jewish community.

But even then, just like us, he slipped from time to time. He fell short. He had to repent. It's human to do so. And I'm sure you can relate to these kind of struggles that he had. I know I do. It's hard to live a perfect life without stumbling and needing to repent. Because look what happens in the next few verses after Paul says, you know, here's this great Peter that is preaching to the Jewish community. Look what happens in Galatians 2 verse 11. Now, when Peter had come to Antioch, Paul says, I withstood him to his face because he was to be blamed.

He was falling short. Verse 12, for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles. But when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who have the circumcision. So when the Jews were around, Peter would eat with the Jews.

When the Gentiles came around, he would do otherwise. And the rest of the Jews, it says, verse 13, also played the hypocrite with him so that even Barnabas was carried away with the hypocrisy. So when no one was looking, Peter would eat with the Gentiles. When the Jews would come around, it goes somewhere else. Oh, no, I'm not with them. Verse 14, Paul says, when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the Gospel, I said to Peter before them all, if you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews?

So the Apostle Peter was showing favoritism, being a hypocrite. As we read in verse 6, God does not play favorites when it comes to our spiritual life, our spiritual potential. In the deepest sense, Peter was denying his faith and only eating with the Gentiles when no Jews were around. He was denying their calling. And ever since Jesus' crucifixion, Peter struggled with this. He was quick to kind of say, I don't know the man.

When Jesus denied, sorry, when Jesus died, Peter denied him openly those three times, right? But it's something we too can relate to. It's easy to be ashamed of the Gospel at times when we're in public or with co-workers. We don't want to say much about what we believe. But with Peter, it was to be overcome. And the Apostle Paul here insisted that Peter put it behind him.

I think Peter is one of the easiest apostles for us to connect with because he didn't have it altogether. He didn't always do it perfectly. He knew what it felt like to fail, to be down and to have questions. He messed up. He stuck his foot in his mouth. He said things he shouldn't. He was brash. He spoke up too soon as their spokesman and would act rashly. Let's go back to Matthew 16 for a moment. Matthew 16. Look at verses 21 through 23. Matthew 16 verse 21 says, of course, before Jesus was crucified and he was still training his disciples. It says from that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he said, here's what's going to happen. I have to go to Jerusalem and I'm going to suffer many things at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes and they're going to kill me. I'm going to be killed and then I'm going to be raised up the third day.

Peter verse 22 took him aside and rebuked Jesus. He said, far be it from you, Lord. This shall not happen. Far be it from you, Lord. This shall not happen to you. He said, I'm going to stop it. No one's ever going to get to you, Lord. Verse 23, but Jesus turned and said to Peter, get behind me, Satan. You're an offense to me. For you're not mindful of the things of God but the things of men. He said, you're thinking carnally here. Peter didn't understand. This was all part of the promised plan that would bring about salvation for all of mankind. You may recall that it's in John 18 10 where he read that Simon Peter having a sword, about this similar time as this, struck the high priest's servant and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus. So Jesus had to put the ear back on because Peter just cut off some guy's ear with his sword. As a result, Peter did experience persecution, imprisonment and torture. He really had to prove his faith when it came down to it. He had his failings, but he also knew how to rejoice in the midst of these trying and difficult circumstances. He knew how to repent, acknowledge his shortcomings and move on and then rejoice in the gospel.

Look at what he became. Acts chapter 5 verse 40. Acts chapter 5 and verse 40. Here's in the early days of the church, not too long after the first day of Pentecost, and the early church was being really persecuted, not just by the Romans, but by those in the Jewish community. Acts 5 verse 40.

So here we read about the Jewish leaders of the synagogue, leaders of the synagogue agreed with what had been said and they called for the apostles and beat them, commanding that they should not speak in the name of Jesus and then let them go. So the apostles, which included Peter, he were beaten by the Jewish leaders and said, don't you ever preach about Jesus again? And so the apostles, including Peter here in verse 41, departed from the presence of the council, the Jewish leaders, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for Jesus' name.

Thanks for the beating. You're not going to stop us now. This council here, by the way, is the same council that condemned Jesus himself to death and now they were beating Jesus' apostles. And sometimes almost left them for dead as well. So now, rather than denying who Jesus was, Peter now, as we read through the book of Acts, spoke boldly about his faith, even rejoicing when he suffered for it.

Peter found that it was possible to change dramatically when filled with the Holy Spirit, when we repent of our sins, when we become baptized and filled with that Holy Spirit. Peter saw that when we become converted, we walk in a new life as a true disciple of Jesus Christ. See, this is all part of the brutal humanity of living a new life in Christ. It's not always easy. You have your failings. You deny Christ at times. You sink in the water. You say you don't know Him.

It's the brutal humanity that Peter showed of trying to live a new life in Christ and overcoming and growing and being converted. Yes, we too can know the secret to walking on water, but so often we too lose focus. We have to remember that. Finally here, the fourth point, I've called the writings of faithfulness, because Peter wrote some epistles here for us that truly encourage us in our faith now when we see what he went through. The writings of faithfulness.

I'm not going to turn there right now, but in 1 and 2 Peter, his epistles, Peter writes to encourage his readers in their faith during the hard times in which they lived. He wrote to Christians who are experiencing persecution and trials because of their newfound beliefs. And as we read those epistles, he talks to you and me about faith, obedience, and patience when life is not going so well. He shows us that through Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit, we can stand up to great stress. And he learned this himself through tough, real-world experience.

Look at John chapter 21. Let's turn to John chapter 21 for a moment. Through Christ living in him, through the power of the Holy Spirit, Peter was transformed from a once prideful and boisterous man into an obedient, faithful, humble servant of God.

But he paid a price for it, too. Jesus predicted that Peter would eventually be crucified also for his faith. See John chapter 21, verses 17 through 19. This is the last chapter of the book of John.

Verse 17.

He said to him, Jesus said to Simon, son of Jonah, Do you love me? You know this story. Peter was greeted because this was now the third time he'd said, Do you love me? And Peter said to him, Lord, you know all things. You know that I love you. So Jesus said to him again, you know, feed my sheep. He was giving him a job to do before Jesus then returned to heaven and ascended to heaven. Verse 18. Jesus said, Most assuredly I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked wherever you wished. Jesus said to Peter, you just lived your life however you wanted to. You had a successful business going. You came and went as you pleased. Make good money.

But Jesus said, just so you know, when you're old, you'll stretch out your hands and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish. He said, Peter, you're not going to have this freedom. In verse 19, this Jesus spoke signifying by what death he would glorify God. When he spoke in this, he said to Peter, now again, follow me. So he was predicting how Peter would die here. He said he would stretch out his hands and be carried where he didn't want to go. Eusebius, a fourth century writer from AD 325, claimed in his ecclesiastical history that all the apostles were martyred, except for John. Remember, John died in old age on the Isle of Patmos. But all the other apostles were martyred. And this prophecy about Peter here was presumably fulfilled during Nero's evil reign. Remember, Emperor Nero? He persecuted the church greatly. While transformation is never easy, it is possible. And the apostle Peter proved it, as have so many of God's saints since. In the end, Peter didn't know what to do. Peter did not deny Christ any longer, and it led to his martyrdom. It is possible, through the power of God at work in us, for us to be transformed in the same manner, for us to, to figuratively walk on water, to beat all odds, to put sin behind us, to change. And through Peter, we see that Christ can forgive unfaithfulness, and we can overcome any weakness and move forward. I would like to turn to one final passage in 1 Peter 1. Let's read one of Peter's epistles here. 1 Peter 1, verse 6. 1 Peter 1, verse 6.

Verses 3, 4, and 5 talk about our eternal inheritance and the kingdom of God and our eternal life that's to come. And then Peter says in verse 6, In this you greatly rejoice. We do rejoice in what's been promised for us. Though now for a little while, if need be, you get grieved by various trials. Please consider, life's not always easy, though, as we look forward to our eternal life. We are grieved by various trials. Verse 7. The genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold. Our faith is much more precious than gold. Though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Verse 9. Receive in the end of your faith, which is the salvation of your souls. That's where this life is leading us. That's where the trials that we're going through are leading us toward. That is the salvation of our souls, eternal life in the kingdom of God. So if that's our future, our salvation, Peter says in verse 13, if that's our future, therefore gird up the loins of your mind. And he says, live like this, be sober and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. You know, when Christ returns and we see Him. As obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts as in your ignorance. You know, don't go back to your old life. But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct. So Peter says, if you want this kind of salvation, you want this eternal life, if you want to see Christ at His return, be holy in all your conduct. Verse 16, because it is written, be holy for I am holy. Peter says, that's what we're called to, is holiness. All we go through in this life, the trials we face, the sickness, the loss of jobs, loved ones who are ill or die. He says, stick with it, even though you're grieved by various trials, even though you're tested by fire, because our future is salvation and to be holy like Christ. Through all of Peter's ups and downs, Jesus promised that Peter would be instrumental in establishing the church.

He was on the first day of Pentecost that Peter was the main speaker to the crowd in Jerusalem. And the church began with about 3,000 new believers that week. Later, Peter healed a lame man who was more than 40 years old. He'd been lame since birth. And he even preached boldly before the Sanhedrin, the same council that had condemned Christ. And even arrests and beatings and threats could not stop then Peter's resolve to preach about Christ and Christ's resurrection. Jesus promised that Peter would be foundational in building the church was actually fulfilled in three different stages. As we know, Peter preached on that first day of Pentecost to the Jews. Then he was present when the Samaritans received the Holy Spirit. That's in Acts chapter 8. And finally he was summoned to the home of the Roman centurion Cornelius, who also believed and received the Holy Spirit. He was a Gentile then receiving the Holy Spirit in Acts chapter 10. Peter was intimately a part of the gospel message going to the Jews, the Samaritans, and the Gentiles. So let's take heart as we think on the life of one of God's saints.

Because we too are God's saints. Those filled with the Holy Spirit are God's saints. As we live by the Word of God, as we are filled with that Spirit, and like the Apostle Peter, as we put our failings, shortcomings, and weaknesses behind us, and prepare to be sons and daughters in God's family. As we prepare to take on, as Peter said, the divine nature. Remember the fisherman, the family man, and the humanity of trying to live a new life in Christ. And look at these writings of faithfulness from time to time that Peter wrote for us to learn from. If we keep our eyes on Jesus Christ, if we keep our eyes on God, we too can walk on water, spiritually speaking. We too can do great things on God's behalf. And we too can be prepared to be part of the Bride of Christ.