Pastor Aaron Cordeiro
June 17, 2018 - W1824

Welcome to New Hope! Today, we are continuing our Ohana Factor series, focusing on different biblical characters and their traits that we need or should have in our lives. Today’s focus is on Peter who actually messed up a great deal; we learn from him that we are human and will make mistakes!

In spite of Peter’s trials and failures, Jesus sees Peter’s potential and changes his name from Simon to Cephas/Peter, meaning rock and says, “I will build my church upon this rock.” God uses Peter to establish the early church; Peter becomes one of the forefathers of our faith.

Here’s bit about Peter: He is a passionate person, outspoken, strong?willed, impulsive, and sometimes kind of brash—Peter is very passionate and messes up a lot! 

We see Peter messing up along the way: Jesus is in the Garden of Gethsemane praying and the soldiers come, along with the high priest and his servant, to take Jesus away; Peter pulls out his sword and chops off the servant's ear and Jesus heals it—and yet, this is the guy that is to start the church! 

Jesus tells His disciples, “When you are tested and going through trials and tribulations, many will forsake me.” Peter says, “Not me, Lord. I'll never forsake you!”  Shortly after that he denies Jesus three times. Peter is so devastated that he goes back to fishing—returning to his old ways, wondering who he is and trying to find his purpose in life.

So Jesus dies on the cross, rises from the dead, appears to the disciples twice; and Peter still wrestles with his faith a little. But here's the purpose of the book of John...

John 20:30, 31 NIV says, ^“30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. ³¹ But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

We learn from Peter what it really means to love Jesus: Even though Peter messes up, he finds his purpose again in this season; God uses these moments to establish the church!

Fishing was not the purpose God had for Peter. Fishing for you might represent a job, person, relationships, bad circumstances, or lack of finances.  In life, we run through tensions or poor circumstances.

Whenever you feel that God seems distant or that He has pulled back, it’s because He wants to see what’s in your heart—who you really are or if you will still believe and pursue Him and His best in your life and future?

Your greatest quest in life is to find your purpose.  Let me summarize in one statement: The more eternity you infuse in your daily life, the more fulfilled you will be because you have a purpose in life. How do we get back to the purpose and identity in Christ when we’ve lost them?

John 21:15 NIV says, “When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ he said, ‘you know that I love you.’ Jesus said, ‘Feed my lambs.’”

1. Love Makes Pleasing Jesus Your Greatest Purpose.

If we have Jesus, our greatest desire should be to please Him; we lose our identity when we don’t please Him. When we care about eternal things, we will be fulfilled because God created us for eternity. Increasing our love for God will keep us from losing our identity.

The devil wants to steal our identity and purpose—confuse us as much as he can. His aim is to steal the potential from our life, marriage, and future so we just exist and wander and wonder through life.

Do you ever feel that you should be doing, listening, obeying something God has said but you are waiting on it because the circumstances are not right?

The only thing that is solid and eternal, when searching for God, is His Word. When our lives are close to God, peace reigns and guards our heart beyond comprehension…

John 21:7-8 NASB says, ^”Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved, said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord.’ So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put his outer garment on (for he was stripped for work), and threw himself into the sea…for they were…about one hundred yards away...” 

Peter couldn't wait to get to Jesus; he swam a hundred yards to get to Him! Peter must have felt that tension way too long and couldn't handle it anymore; so when he heard that Jesus was on the shore, he jumped into the water and swam to Him. Peter loved Jesus and knew he had messed up but just wanted to be as close as he could to Him!

Peter teaches us that love makes pleasing Jesus your greatest purpose in life. When you are far from God, there's a haunting tension; Peter didn't want to feel that ever again and he couldn't wait to get to Jesus!

2. Love Is Always Seen In Action.

The greatest act of love is when we shepherd: when we love and are there for one another! Love in action infuses eternity back into our lives on a daily basis.  We will see how God reignites our identity and purpose in life.  Love is active.  Love takes action.  Love gives.

Jesus reminds Peter a second time that love is always seen in action…

John 21:16 NASB says, “He said to him again a second time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love Me?’ He said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord; You know that Ilove You.’ He said to him, ‘Shepherd My sheep.’”

John 3:16 NASB says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. 

You can influence the people that God placed around you by just a few words of encouragement. It’s so simple, but just a few words of encouragement just might make an eternal difference!  When you infuse eternity into people’s lives, you find purpose and identity in Christ. 

3. Giving Allows Everyone To Be In Ministry.

Some might be thinking that ministry is just for pastors or leaders in the church; but the meaning of ministry in Greek is to lift burdens off people. There may be a youth with an absent parent and a word of encouragement just might change that person’s outlook or future: be a friend, mentor, or kupuna an older friend—someone who will listen, talk to, and be with.  We could also learn something along the way because giving allows everyone to be in ministry! 

John 21:17 NASB says, “He said to him the third time, ‘Simon, son of John, do youlove Me?’ Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, ‘Do youlove Me?’ And he said to Him, ‘Lord, You know all things; You know that Ilove You.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Tend My sheep.’”

When Jesus asks, “Do you love me?” He is actually saying, “If you love me, feed my sheep, tend my lamb!”

Tend means to feed, give nourishment (spiritually, emotionally, physically, mentally, whatever it might be); Jesus is saying love takes action and “just as I have loved you, love one another.”

4. Love Never Compares. Love Refuses To Rationalize. Instead, It Says, Yes To God.

If you think you don’t have anything to give, it’s because you’re comparing yourself with someone else and rationalizing what you have or don’t have. Start small and start now. You don’t have to be a millionaire to give.  You don’t have to have your life together to give. Even the smallest action will make a big difference!

God has much for you to do. The last thing we want is to get caught up in secondary things and miss our purpose in life—making life shallow and unfulfilling.

John 21:21-22 NASB says, “So Peter seeing him said to Jesus, ‘Lord, and what about this man?’ Jesus said to him, ‘If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!’”

John 14:21 NASB says, “He who has my commandments and keeps them, he is the one who loves Me.  The one who loves Me will be loved by My Father and I will love him and reveal Myself to him.”

Think of how God gave grace and mercy over and over again to Peter; then Peter realizes that God was with him all along—he should be in hell, but God loved him so much that He stuck with him!

Peter said, “God, my life is not my own. My life is yours.  My family is not my own.  I will steward my family.  My future is not my own, it is yours.  Give me ears to hear you, eyes to see you, a heart to follow you.  I love you, I love you, I love you. Oh, Lord, thank you for loving me.God, I am yours.” And God used Peter to build His church! 

We must always come back to God’s unconditional love: Peter though frail sets an example for us so that we can say, “God, no matter what I go through, I believe!”

Study Questions

1. What are some things that make you go “back to fishing”?

2. How can you be a shepherd to someone?

3. What are some things that you can take “action” on?

4. Who can you encourage today?

   5.   Who do you look to as a “shepherd”?