The stuff of heroes – the holy spirit changes everything – the transformation of Peter from denier to preacher, you don’t have to be a hero alone – we are called to learn to ‘Keep in step with the Spirit’ Gal 5:16
The best turn arounds from zero to hero in a matter of days, was the apostle peter
Have you ever made a bold statement – i will never.... go out with / smoke cigarettes...
Or we will always be friends, and 2 months later you aren’t
Peter – at the first communion service, hanging with Jesus matt 26 :31 – 35 – Jesus tells him what will happen and he pledges to die with him.
Seriously short turn around – tea that night, and before breakfast the next morning – Peter’s not dying, he’s running.
Then a few weeks later, we see Peter standing preaching in front of thousands of people
What changed? Everything
Jesus has risen, Peter is now filled with the same Spirit that brought Christ back from the dead
I’m not the person i was – life for me in school
Everything changed at a camp age 17 – HS gave me boldness, now cf doing devotion Jn 11:35 (pic- high school)
2 Cor 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
If you ever wanted to start again, this vs reminds us we can – new creation, new person, fresh start if you haven’t been walking with Jesus or if you kinda were but mostly were fixated on yourself.
Peter became a new creation, so did Scott, mike, your small group leader and you can insert your name in here too.
Everything changed when I started to realise who my Father was and let it impact me.
Movie 'Spanglish' quote - "I've been overwhelmed by your encouragement to apply to your university and your list of scholarships available to me. Though, as I hope this essay shows, your acceptance, while it would thrill me, will not define me. My identity rests firmly and happily on one fact: I am my mother's daughter. Thank you,"
Where does your identity come from? Your image, your stuff, your family
It is only when our identity comes from Christ that we are secure and able to be godly heroes, free to no longer defined by others – child of God and one who the Spirit lives in.
Most imp news is, we don’t have to be a hero alone – Peter wasn’t, even Jesus wasn’t
Gal 5:22 - 25
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
Keep in step – God is not a fast walker eg doctors ward rounds
God is upto stuff, join in – don’t lag behind, or run off in front. Walk hand in hand, co-operating with
The Christian life isn’t about rules and regulations but learning to live by the Spirit
- What does that mean? Learning to hear the quiet prompting of HS, never loud.
- Eg the exorcist – demons can possess, why doesn’t God – Christian life isn’t a walking through a bland map but a roller coaster ride of seeing where God is leading and following.
- HS may call you to talk to the loser at school, speak up when others are bullying, walk away with others are gossiping (knowing they might talk about you), to take risks – nothing boring about that
- Eg HS working in me in yr 12 – dirty mouth, felt God, evangelist, learnt to pray
- This is the kind of life Jesus calls you to – hero life – empowered by HS
- In the same way that ppl in master chef develop their sense of taste and smell to pick ingredients, likewise we are called to develop our sense of hearing – listening to the HS – tough in this modern world, noises, distractions
Peter went on to live as a hero and even die as a hero, crucified upside down because he didn't deserve to die in the same way as his Lord and saviour such was his devotion
