Category: Saturday Study

Paul 12.7.24

1. Saul before Paul

Before Paul was renamed Paul, he was born as Saul. Saul was born in Tarsus in Cilicia (modern day Turkey). He was of Hebrew ancestry and Benjamite lineage. His parents were Pharisees (whom we studied about last week), who adhered strictly to the Law of Moses. In his young teens, Saul was sent to Palestine to learn from a rabbi named Gamaliel, under whom Saul mastered Jewish history, the Psalms, and the works of the prophets. Saul became zealous for his faith, and this faith did not allow for compromise. It is this zeal that led Saul down the path of religious extremism. Saul eventually turned his focus to a ruthless pursuit of Christians, as he believed he was eradicating them in the name of God. Arguably, there is no one more frightening or more vicious than a religious terrorist, especially when he believes that he is doing the will of the Lord by killing innocent people. This is exactly what Saul of Tarsus was: a religious terrorist. Acts 8:3 states, “He began ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women to put them in prison.”

Saul was like many whom we might look at today and say, “They are just too far out there. There is no hope for them.” As Christians, we can even become jaded and give up hope in praying for these kinds of people or even develop feelings of hatred towards them. The good news is our God will have whom He wants. God saves both the prodigals, who are irreligious and consumed with the secular world’s ways, and the zealots, who are super religious and consumed with self-righteous methods and self-salvation. It is good for us to remember that our gospel testimony needs to be to those who are lost on both ends of the spectrum. The parable of the prodigal son is a good example of this. Both the younger brother (irreligious) and the elder brother (religious) were lost in their own way and needed to see the gospel of the Father’s grace for salvation. Both of these extremes exist in our culture today, and both need the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

2. Paul’s Conversion

God had great redemption for Saul. In Acts 9:1-22, we see that Paul met the “resurrected Jesus” on the road to Damascus. He hears the words, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” He says, “Who are you Lord?” Jesus answers directly and clearly: “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting” (vv. 4-5). Wow. What a moment. God saved Saul and gave him faith in and submission to Jesus Christ. From this moment on, Saul’s life was turned upside down. As a result of this miraculous transformation, Saul became known as Paul (Acts 13:9).

As a result, Paul devoted his life to Jesus’ glory and becomes one of, if not the most, influential pastors of the early church! He planted churches and wrote most of the New Testament. Most theologians are in agreement that he wrote Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, Philemon, Ephesians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Timothy, and Titus. These 13 “letters” (books) make up what are known today as the “Pauline Epistles.” 

3. Where is Paul’s Authority From?

In Galatians 1, Paul introduces himself this way: “Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— and all the brothers who are with me.”

Paul is sent (the word apostle means “one who is sent”) by Jesus Christ Himself, who converted Paul’s life on the road to Damascus. Not only is his authority given by God Himself, but it is confirmed by the body of believers (his brothers) who are with him. So, we see here, Paul’s authority is by God and confirmed in godly people. Trust me, if Paul was not sent of God, there is no way the early Christian Church would have backed a guy who devoted his life until that point to having Christians arrested or killed. 

In his opening words of the book of Romans, Paul says this of himself: 

Romans 1:1-6 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.

First, Paul refers to himself as a “slave of Jesus Christ.” The Greek word for servant here is actually slave. Paul counted it his greatest joy to be a slave for Jesus. Why? Because he understood the slavery from which he was freed and for whom he now serves.

All of us are formerly slaves to sin. We were spiritually dead and in bondage to nothing but sin and deserving of nothing but eternal damnation apart from the glory of God. To be saved is to be set free from the bondage of sin, but we are never free in the sense that our flesh longs for total control. In Christ, we become slaves to righteousness (Romans 6:16-18). We are slaves to Jesus. He is our Lord; He is our Master. 

We are free from the eternal bondage of our former slavery to sin and our sentence of death. But we are never free, meaning apart from rule. God created man to be under rule. It is the sin of man to ever think that we are free from any kind of rule or authority. We are ruled by sin or we are ruled by God. The difference is it is life to be a servant of God. It is joy to be a slave of God. There is no higher or greater role we could ever play. Like Paul, do you value the fact that in Christ you are a slave to Christ? Is your life His? Is your purpose to do His will for His glory?

The other thing we see here in Romans 1 is the scope of Paul’s ministry. He says he is doing all this “for the sake of his name among all the nations” (Romans 1:5). The great commission of Jesus commands His people to go make disciples of all nations. Paul saw that the nations were his scope of ministry. How could one man get the gospel to all nations? He couldn’t, but he could train up disciples who then went and made disciples who could. 

This is a picture of the glorious birth and work of the early church. Paul was a critical leader and teacher used by God to spread the gospel and to plant churches. Do we see and value our mission the same way as Paul, or are our daily focus and priorities all too set on our little lives and self-made kingdoms? May we repent of making this life about ourselves and give far more of our time and energy to being discipled so that we can truly go and make disciples unto the nations!

4. Paul’s Suffering

One of the biggest highlights of Paul’s ministry and focuses of his teachings was the reality that as Christians in this time and place, we will suffer for the name of our Lord. Paul didn’t run from this; instead, he embraced it as the reality of the eternally important call on our lives that God has given us. 

Take a moment and read the following passages again and be reminded of what Paul went through in his life and ministry for our Lord: 2 Corinthians 1:8-9; 4:8-12; 6:4-10; 11:23-29; 12:7-10.

Wow. We thought we had a hard time. It is so important that we learn from Paul in this area. He went through so much and yet remained joyful and on mission, despite his struggles and sufferings. He knew who his God was. He understood his mission and purpose for this life. He let his theology shape his thinking and attitude in all that he went through. Here is just a taste:

• I rejoice in my sufferings (Col. 1:24)
• Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you (1 Thess. 5:18)
• Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (Eph. 5:20)
• Rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor (Acts 5:41)
• But we rejoice in our sufferings (Romans 5:3)

Sometimes it is easy for this to be agreed with in the good times and forgotten in the bad. So how do we keep the joy of the Lord despite our sufferings like Paul did? 

Let’s look at Romans 8:31-39. 

In this passage Paul says, “If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” 

This is saying since God paid the infinite price of His Son by sending Jesus through the ultimate suffering on your behalf—if He did that, will He not then surely follow through in providing everything you need?Then it goes on to say this in verse 35: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?” These are gnarly forms of suffering, right? But he goes on to say in verse 37, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” So you’ve got persecution and murder of Christians. And then he says in all these sufferings we are more than conquerors through Christ who loved us!

This is how we are able to find joy in our suffering.

A conqueror has his enemies lying subdued at his feet, right? So, your sufferings are conquered; they are defeated—distress, famine, nakedness, peril, sword, persecution—there they are, conquered at your feet.

Now “more than conquerors” means these things are not just in chains at my feet; they are serving me. My tribulation, my distress, my persecution, my famine, my nakedness, my danger, the swords against me—as painful and tearful as they are—they are serving me in Christ. God is working them all together for my good. The good is the key. The good is the foundation of our joy. 

The good that God works in and through our suffering is the foundation of my joy. I trust in God who is over all things. I trust Him completely. This is how we walk in joy even when we can’t see through the fog or the pain, or when we’re barely staying afloat. The joy is not the circumstance. Hear me: The circumstances of our suffering are full of tears. In Christ, we can have joy in our suffering. This doesn’t mean that when we are in the thick of it that there are not tears! There are plenty of tears. The Bible tells us in Isaiah 53:3 that Jesus was “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.” Paul says in 2 Corinthians 6:10 that he was “sorrowful, yet always rejoicing.”

God wants us to be joyful. But He doesn’t do it with circumstance; He does it with Himself. He does it with the gospel. And we must trust that He does it in and through the circumstances. This is what Paul understood, and I pray you do, too. 

Oh, I could go on for days with all we can take way from Paul. Like how to live the sacrificial life in the here and now. How to be satisfied in plenty or little. But for the sake of time, I will just leave you with one of my favorite Paul quotes from Galatians and pray you see what I do in the power of these words and what they mean for those of us walking in Christ: 

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

By His grace and for His glory,

Pastor Joshua Kirstine

Disciples Church

Matthew 11.23.24

Matthew is the next New Testament figure we are studying. He is most famously known as one of Jesus’ disciples and the author of the Gospel of Matthew.

According to Matthew 9:9 and 10:3, before Matthew became a disciple of Jesus Christ, he was a tax collector in the town of Capernaum. Matthew was also called Levi, the son of Alphaeus, by Luke and Mark (Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27). Although Luke and Mark do not come out and say that Levi and Matthew are the same person, we can see that the names refer to the same individual. Also, Matthew’s account of his call matches exactly the accounts of Levi’s call in Luke and Mark. It was not uncommon for a person to be given a new name after an encounter with God. Abram became Abraham, Jacob became Israel, Simon became Peter, and Saul became Paul. It is likely that Matthew, which means “gift of God,” was the new name Jesus gave to Levi after his conversion. 

One unique point of observation is that the only gospel that mentions Matthew’s former occupation as a tax collector is his own. This is a mature thing to be willing to share, because as tax collectors, they were absolutely despised in that culture. They worked for the Roman government and often enriched themselves by collecting taxes from their own people. They, all too often, dishonestly collected excessive amounts and took advantage of the lowly (Luke 19:8). 

Additionally, tax collectors like Matthew were seen, by the religious elite, as very sinful people. They were seen as being so sinful that even spending time with them could destroy a good person’s reputation (Matthew 9:10–11). One of the accounts we read was when Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house. There were many other tax collectors and sinners present, and the Pharisees questioned the disciples about Jesus’ choice to hang out with them. It is in this that we hear one of Jesus’ clearest explanations of God’s heart and His gospel to man: “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick … I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Matthew 9:12b–13)

Matthew was one of the tax collectors whom Jesus saved. When called by Jesus, Matthew immediately left his tax collection booth and followed the Lord (Matthew 9:9). In this, he left behind his source of riches and his position of security and comfort. He did this to enter into a life-changing relationship with Jesus that would mean lowly accommodations, lots of travel, and even persecution that would lead to martyrdom. Consider this for a moment with me: The call to follow Jesus is one that is costly. When Jesus says, “Take up your cross and follow me,” He is saying, “Your service to me will be one of regular sacrifice.” Have you counted the real cost in following Jesus? Are you aware of the ways in which you fight this call of the Lord by holding on too tightly to what you want instead of that to which He has called you? 

What an example of the crucified life disciples like Matthew give us. Paul says it well in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Looking back, what have you given up in order to serve and follow Jesus? Looking forward, what do you need to give up? What idol or fleshly pursuit is holding you back from living the crucified life for Jesus?

Let us not forget the amazing transformation God is able to do in His people. Matthew not only received a new name, but he lived a completely different life the remainder of his days. When we give our lives to the Lord, we truly die to ourselves and now love Him. May we be ready to sacrifice it all to take up our cross and follow Jesus to whatever He has for us, for His glory and others’ good!

I remind you of the passage we read on Tuesday. May we see it and receive it in a new light today and for the rest of our lives. 

Matthew 10:16-23

“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.”

By His grace and for His glory,

Pastor Joshua Kirstine

Disciples Church

John 11.16.24

John, also known as “the beloved disciple,” was probably the youngest apostle, as well as the only one of the twelve who did not die a martyr’s death. Not only was he special to Jesus and a part of His innermost circle of three, he was used by God to do great things—especially in the writing of the Gospel of John and the letters he penned under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

In the gospel he wrote, he calls himself “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” This makes sense to me, because if you had the choice between calling yourself “John” and calling yourself “the disciple whom Jesus loved,” you would probably pick the latter, right? He was always in awe and wonder over the fact that he was so loved by Christ. 

John’s portrait of Jesus is written as an eyewitness who was part of these infinitely important events. Five times in this gospel, we find the unusual words “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (13:23; 19:26; 20:2, 21:7, 21:20). For example, at the very end of John 21:20, it says, “Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them.” Then four verses later, in John 21:24, it says, “This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things and who has written these things.”

So, the one called “the disciple whom Jesus loved,” the one who was there leaning on his shoulder at the Last Supper (13:23), is the one who wrote the Gospel of John and the letters of first, second, and third John.

John starts out as “the son of thunder.” He has an older brother named James. Together, they are called the “sons of thunder.” This has to be one of the coolest nicknames in Scripture. John is known in history as the “apostle of love.” The reason he’s known as the “apostle of love” is because he makes reference to love 80 times in his writings—80 times! 

The call of God on John’s life to write the Gospel of John has been celebrated by many throughout the centuries as “the Holy of Holies of the New Testament,” meaning it is one of the most sacred places you can go in order to know God. In fact, one of the most sacred chapters in the entire Bible is the 17^th chapter of John. This is the only place we witness our Lord Jesus praying to the Father in that intimate, inter-trinitarian, high priestly prayer. The Gospel of John is also often called “the Holy of Holies of the New Testament,” because in this gospel, the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ is fully displayed. 

Think about this with me for a moment: What was not accessible to people in the Old Covenant? It was the Holy of Holies. But it has become accessible to God’s redeemed people in the New Covenant because the veil is down, the way is open, and Christ, our promised redeemer, is now our perfect intercessor. 

In Jesus alone, we come boldly into the presence of the almighty God. So, as we enter the Gospel of John, we, like the priests of old on the Day of Atonement, have access to the Holy of Holies to see the glory of Christ. I want you to really treasure with me the word of God and especially this word of God—this good news testimony of Jesus Christ. I want you not to miss how utterly supreme this treasure is to us —that Jesus is to us. We know Jesus in this precious Gospel of John in a very sweet and unique way. 

There are four Gospels that tell the story of Christ. The first three, Matthew, Mark and Luke, are known as the “synoptic” Gospels because they “see together with a common view.” The word synoptic literally means “together sight.” 

Matthew, Mark, and Luke cover many of the same events in Jesus’ life—most of them from Jesus’ ministry in Galilee. They even do it in much the same order. Nearly 90 percent of Mark’s content is found in Matthew, and about 50 percent of Mark’s appears in Luke. 

All of the parables of Christ are found in the Synoptics; there are no parables of Christ told in John. The first three Gospels look at the birth, the life, the experiences, the travels, and the calling of Jesus upon His followers; as well as the events of His life including His arrest, trial, execution, and resurrection. John doesn’t give us the historical view of the life of Christ; John gives us the heavenly story. He gives us the supernatural view of Christ, and in that way, John is unique. Ninety percent of what is in John is not found in Matthew, Mark, or Luke. Ninety percent of this is John’s alone to declare under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. 

John does not include Jesus’ genealogy, the testimony of His birth, His baptism, His temptation in the desert, His casting out of demons, His parables, His travels, His transfiguration, His institution of the Lord’s Supper, His agony in Gethsemane, nor His ascension into heaven. Why? Because John is not focused on the history of Jesus’ life. Instead, John’s Gospel stands, uniquely, as a beautiful, powerful look at who the Son of God, Jesus Christ, is and what He came to do.

A major body of the Gospel of John is what is referred to as the “Book of Signs” (chapters 2:1–12:50), which testifies of seven miracles or “signs” which proclaim Jesus as the messiah, the Son of God. Another notable, exclusive feature of John’s Gospel is the seven “I am” statements that were made by Jesus, identifying Himself as God and an equal part of the Holy Trinity. 

Further, the testimony of Jesus’ dialogue with Nicodemus, which includes the famous John 3:16 passage and His ministry in Samaria (including the woman at the well in John 4), are not found in any synoptic counterpart. The resurrection of Lazarus, Jesus’ frequent visits to Jerusalem, and His extended dialogues or discourses in the temple and various synagogues are also included only in the Gospel of John.

So, the point is God did something very important in and through John for him to write these important testimonies of Jesus Christ down for us.

Later, John penned three short letters that have become, for us today, a beacon of hope and our grounding of certainty in a hopeless, uncertain world. Let’s look at 1 John 2:12–14 today, to build on what we read this week and remind ourselves of the certainty we need to have in this uncertain world.

1 John 2:12 I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake. 

First of all, he is writing to the Church—to those showing evidence of salvation. He is saying, “Your sins are forgiven. You can be certain of this—nothing more to prove, nothing more to accomplish; It has been done by Jesus.” 

1 John 2:13a I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. 

Notice he says “you know.” “You know” is affirmation language. These words are reminders of who we are. It is a plea for certainty. He is saying to those of us who are alive in Christ, “You know.” 

1 John 2:13b-14 I am writing to you, young men, because you haveovercome the evil one. I write to you, children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

Don’t forget it: You know! You have! You are! 

John is saying to his brothers and sisters in Christ, “Be certain! Remember. You overcame the evil one. You are strong in Christ. The word of God abides in you!”

He wants them to be so certain that he says two of these things twice: 

1. “You know Him, who is from the beginning.” 

and 

2. “You have overcome the evil one.”

1 John 2:14b “I write to you … because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.”

​

Notice two things: the evidence of strength and the evidence of victory over temptation and sin. Why do they have these evidences? Because the word of God abides in them! 

How does one navigate this uncertain world? How does one grow in maturity in faith and life in Christ? The answer is the word of God! 

Don’t minimize the crucial place of the word of God here. We need to receive it, and we need it to abide in us. When we do this, we abide in Christ. We abide in His great accomplishment on the cross that defeats the accusations of the devil. 

We overcome the evil one by the word of God because day by day this word is abiding in us. It is living in us.

The gospel—the great story of redemption, the great Christ of redemption, the great God of redemption, the great process of redemption, and the great effects of redemption—this gospel, this word of God, is not something to be believed once and left behind. We believe the word of God and then it “abides” in us. 

Some of you really need this today. You need to stop trying to fight the evil one, with all his lies and temptations against you, on your own. 

John is saying, “Know who you are in Christ. Know that, in Christ, you have defeated the evil one.” Don’t kind of know it. Know it. Claim it. Live out of it. Abide in it! Be certain in His victorious work on your behalf! 

John was the beloved of Christ. The Scriptures say, again and again, that we who are in Christ are also His beloved. May we live our lives certain of these truths that change everything about us and give us a confidence, even when the world is coming at us all of the time. I am praying for you. 

By His grace and for His glory,

Pastor Joshua Kirstine

Disciples Church

Peter 11.9.24

Who was Peter?

• Peter was originally named Simon. 

• Simon was originally from Bethsaida (John 1:44) and lived in Capernaum (Mark 1:29).

• He was married (1 Corinthians 9:5).

• He ran a fishing business with James and John (Luke 5:10). 

• Simon met Jesus through his brother, Andrew.

• Upon meeting Simon, Jesus gave him a new name: Cephas (Aramaic) or Peter (Greek), which means “rock” (John 1:40-42). 

• Later, Jesus officially called Peter to follow Him, producing a miraculous catch of fish (Luke 5:1-7). Immediately following this, Peter left everything behind to follow the Lord (verse 11).

• For the next three years, Peter lived as a disciple of the Lord Jesus. 

• Being a natural-born leader, Peter became the unofficial spokesman for the Twelve (Matthew 15:15, 18:21, 19:27; Mark 11:21; Luke 8:45, 12:41; John 6:68, 13:6-9, 36). 

• It was Peter who first confessed Jesus as “the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). 

• Peter was part of the inner circle of Jesus’ disciples, along with James and John. 

• Only those three were present when Jesus was transfigured on the mountain (Matthew 17:1-2). 

• Peter and John were given the special task of preparing the final Passover meal (Luke 22:8).

• Peter was enthusiastic, faithful, strong-willed, impulsive, and, at times, brash. 

• For example, it was Peter who left the boat to walk on the water to Jesus (Matthew 14:28-29).

• It was Peter who took Jesus aside to rebuke Him for speaking of His death (Matthew 16:22).

• It was Peter who drew his sword and attacked the servant of the high priest in the garden of Gethsemane (John 18:10).

• It was Peter who boasted that he would never forsake the Lord, even if everyone else did (Matthew 26:33-35), and then later denied three times that he even knew the Lord (verses 69-74). 

• Jesus made a special point of forgiving and restoring Peter and recommissioning him as an apostle (John 21:6-7, 15-17).

• Through all of Peter’s ups and downs, the Lord Jesus remained his loving Lord and faithful guide. Jesus told Peter that he would be instrumental in establishing Jesus’ Church (Matthew 16:18-19). 

• At Pentecost, Peter was the main preacher to the crowd in Jerusalem (Acts 2:14), and the New Testament Church began with an influx of about 3,000 new believers that were saved that day (verse 41). 

• Later, Peter healed a lame beggar (Acts 3:2-8) and preached boldly before the high ranking Sanhedrin (Acts 4:1-22). 

• Even imprisonment, beatings, and threats could not dampen Peter’s resolve to preach the risen Christ (Acts 5). 

• Peter struggled in the area of his bias for the Jews and his favoritism toward those he was with at the time. Thankfully, he showed growth and repentance upon brotherly rebuke and correction. (Acts 15:7-11; Galatians 2:11-14).

• Later in life, Peter spent time with John Mark (1 Peter 5:13), who,with some of Peter’s insights, wrote the gospel of Mark.

• Peter wrote 1 Peter and 2 Peter, likely between A.D. 60 and 68. 

• The prophecy of Christ, that Peter would die a martyr’s death (John 21:18-19), came true, as he was killed for his faith.

Peter’s Faith and Struggles

Matthew 14:25-33

In our Matthew 14 text on Monday, we read the account of Jesus walking on water when Peter asked Jesus to tell him to come to Him on the water. When Jesus did, Peter climbed over the side and began to walk on the water toward Him. I want you to realize that the storm and the wind were still raging, but Peter’s faith in Jesus gave him a confidence to trust Him to do the unthinkable. 

Consider with me, for a moment, the disciples who had stayed in the boat. What caused them to stay in the boat and not follow Peter out onto the water? Answer: to them, the boat was safer. They trusted the craftsmanship of the boat more than the power of Jesus. Are you trusting more in your manmade boats than in Jesus?

The question is this: What is your “boat” in your life? What is the thing you rely on to weather life’s storms? For you it might be a relationship, or it might be your job or money, or it might be your addiction (internet, drugs, eating, TV) that you look to for your identity, personal significance, sense of security, purpose for living, and happiness. 

Essentially, these things become the functional “boat” in which you put your trust. I know many “Christians” who think their trust is in Jesus, but when the storms of life rage, their trust is in a functional savior and not in the one, true Savior. Your “boat” is something that has become more fundamental than God in your life for your identity, personal significance, sense of security, purpose for living, and joy. Instead, we must trust in Jesus—not ourselves, not our functional boats—Jesus!

Matthew 14:29-31 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

Peter, with the power of Jesus at work, was able to successfully walk on the water. This is incredible!

In Christ, we can, and will, do things we could never do on our own. But the reality is, the storms still rage. This world is still fallen in sin, and God is still redeeming and working out His plan of redemption while we testify of the gospel and make disciples. 

The temptations constantly before us are the plentiful distractions of this world vying for our focus. The problem is, when we put our focus on temporary things, we take our eyes off of Jesus. I ask you plainly today: Where is your focus? When the storms come, do you focus on Jesus, or do you put your focus on the storms?

Peter modeled this for us—it’s a focus thing, a forward thing! When he focused on the problem, the storm, he forgot to stay focused on the solution—Jesus!

When we focus on the temporary troubles of today, we forget that we have a God that is with us and is ultimately the One who holds all things in His hands—even the storms.

When Peter stepped out of the boat, the storm was already raging. In that moment, his faith and focus were on Christ who was his power and hope.

This shows us that on our own, we will not endure the race before us.We will rely on our own power; we will place our hope in our circumstances, and we will hope our circumstances will change or that we can change them. We will not place our hope and trust in our God who remains constant despite our circumstances. 

One of my favorite passages in the New Testament helps us with this.I’ll highlight a little from the NLT.

Hebrews 12:1 … And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us.

Hebrews 12:2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish.

I love the words to the old hymn that go like this: “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.”

Read again Matthew 26:30-75.

Peter’s struggles were put on display, exponentially, the night Jesus was arrested. While the Jewish trials were taking place, Peter found his way to the house of the high priest and was waiting with others outside in the courtyard. They were awaiting the verdict in much the same wayyou or I would gather with others around a TV. 

I can only imagine the conversation taking place about this historical event. Imagine their speculation about what was going on and what might happen to Jesus. What a prime moment for Peter to defend his friend. But, he didn’t; he decided to save his own hide instead. 

Read again Matthew 26:69-75.

There is no greater betrayal than to be so very close to someone and then to not acknowledge that you even know him. Many of you know what it is like to experience great betrayal. We can be confident that Jesus sympathizes with us when we go through this, because He, too,experienced deep betrayal by His best friends.

Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

While many of us can relate, in this story, to Jesus and the pain we feel when betrayed by someone we love, you might be feeling like you relate more to Peter as the betrayer. Thank God for grace, forgiveness, and restoration. Thank God that He pursues us when we don’t deserve it. He paid the high price for our betrayal against a holy God. He restores us to walk in the newness of life and to live for Him, just like He did for Peter. Look at our next passage we read this week.

John 21:7-25

Jesus sought Peter out and led him through his restoration. Three times Peter confirmed his love for Jesus. Jesus commissioned Peter to feed His sheep. And oh, did Peter go on to preach! The man that was once timid and constantly messing up was redeemed and empowered to be a leader in the early church and to be someone God would work through to do mighty things. 

We must remember that although we mess up greatly at times, God is able to restore and sanctify us in mighty ways. 

By His grace and for His glory,

Pastor Joshua Kirstine

Disciples Church