Introduction:
A. Once there was a school teacher who had injured his back and had to wear a plastic brace around the upper part of his body.
1. The brace fit under his shirt and was not noticeable at all.
2. On the first day of school, with the cast under his shirt, he found himself assigned to the toughest students in school.
3. And so on that first day of school, the teacher walked confidently into the rowdy classroom, opened the window as wide as possible and began to address the class.
4. When a strong breeze made his tie flap, he took the stapler from his desk and stapled his tie to his chest.
5. The teacher had no trouble with student discipline from that day forward.
B. Today, as we continue our sermon series on the life of Peter, we will walk alongside Peter in his earliest days as a student in the Master’s college.
1. I doubt that Jesus needed to staple His tie to his chest to get His student’s respect and attention.
2. But I’m sure His students, including Peter, were amazed at all they took in from Jesus, their Teacher.
3. As we walk with Peter as he learns his first lessons in the Master’s college, I hope we will also learn the lessons we need to learn from Jesus, our Teacher.
C. Last week, we looked at Luke’s version of the calling of Peter, Andrew, James and John, which included the episode of the miraculous catch of fish.
1. Let’s begin today by looking at Mark’s version of the same calling.
2. The Bible says: 16 Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” 18 And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19 And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20 And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him. (Mk. 1:16-20)
3. Mark’s version is much more streamlined and matter of fact – Jesus walked along the sea, called Peter, Andrew, James and John, and they left everything and followed him. Period.
4. And so they became disciples, students, of Jesus and let’s see how the lessons began.
I. Lesson #1: Discipleship Requires Engagement in Spiritual Warfare
A. Let’s continue reading in Mk. 1, the Bible says: 21 And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching. 22 And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. (Mk. 1:21-22)
1. Earlier, Jesus had preached His first sermon in the synagogue of Nazareth, His hometown, and when He read from Isaiah 61 and claimed its fulfillment, they tried to throw Him off a cliff because they understood He was declaring Himself to be the Messiah.
2. Jesus escaped and moved to Capernaum and began to teach at the synagogue there.
3. Interestingly enough, the synagogue at Gamla, just 6 miles from Capernaum has been discovered and excavated.
a. It was 84 by 56 feet and people were seated around three sides on five stair-steps.
b. It could hold as many as 430 people.
c. The floor was dirt with four tiles in the center where the reader of Scripture stood.
d. In all likelihood, Jesus taught there during His ministry.
4. But what a privilege it must have been to hear Jesus preach and teach – wouldn’t you have loved to sit at His feet to listen and learn?
5. The synagogue custom was to gather on the Sabbath to hear the reading of Scripture and its interpretation by the rabbis.
a. The rabbis learned in rabbinic school how to quote from the writings of other famous rabbis to reinforce their interpretation, but their messages were only informed opinions of what any passage meant.
6. When Jesus taught there was an obvious difference – Mark described the difference saying, “And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.” (vs. 22)
a. When Jesus taught and gave the interpretation, He didn’t quote from other famous rabbis, rather He just gave His own interpretation.
b. Jesus spoke as one having authority, because He knew absolutely the true meaning of every passage of Scripture – after all, He was the author and was the living Word of God!
c. This was evident in the Sermon on the Mount, when Jesus said things like: “You have heard it was said…but I say to you…” – Jesus gave the clear meaning and even added authoritative commands.
d. You can see why they were astonished and had never seen anyone teach with such authority!
B. The worship in the synagogue was moving along that day in an amazing fashion, but then a startling interruption occurred.
1. The Bible says: 23 And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, 24 “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” 25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” 26 And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. 27 And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” 28 And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee. (Mk. 1:23-28)
2. We can only imagine how the hush of the enthralled assembly was suddenly broken by the cry of this man’s disturbing voice: “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth…I know who you are – the Holy One of God.”
a. Over the years, we have had a few disturbances while I have been preaching, like a crying baby, or a medical emergency, but nothing like this.
3. The disturbance caused by that wailing cry from the abyss must have been very startling.
a. The man who had done it, up to that moment, may have been regarded as a respectable member of society and of that synagogue.
b. Up until that moment, no one would have suspected that the man was demon possessed.
4. What a relief it must have been to the disciples as well as the synagogue members that Jesus was equal to the spiritual emergency.
a. Jesus knew exactly how to handle this spiritual warfare and so He commanded the unclean spirit to hold his peace and to come out of this tormented man.
b. And because of the powerful word of Jesus, the demonic spirit could do no other than to obey, and although he convulsed his victim with malignant rage and a loud unearthly voice, he came out of the man.
5. The reaction of those present is consistent with the reaction we would have had if we had been there.
a. They were indeed amazed – amazed at Jesus’ authoritative teaching and amazed at the power of Jesus’ command over evil spirits.
b. It is no surprise that Jesus’ fame spread everywhere – we think the internet and social media are fast at circulating information, and they are indeed, but so was the social network of ancient times.
C. Let’s put ourselves in Peter’s place as he sat there in the Master’s college.
1. In that moment, as Peter witnessed the spiritual war going on before him, he must have realized that the warfare to which he had been enlisted was not against flesh and blood, but against the wicked spirits that rule the darkness of this world.
2. Peter was being prepared for the day when Jesus would send him out with the command to “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, and cast out demons.” (Mt. 10:8)
3. This is an important first lesson for Peter and for all of us to learn: there is a spiritual war going on around us and in us and it must be fought in a spiritual way.
4. Peter and the rest of us are going to have to learn how to handle the Word of God and how to activate prayer in order to win spiritual victories in our lives and in the lives of those to whom we minister.
5. Satan and those working on his side are crafty and powerful, but God’s power and God’s Word are greater than theirs, and we must remember that they are defeated foes.
II. Lesson #2: Discipleship Requires Mercy and Compassion
A. Let’s pick up the story in the very next verse, the Bible says: 29 And immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 Now Simon's mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. 31 And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them. (Mk. 1:29-31)
1. After the amazing scene witnessed in the synagogue, the Lord accepted the invitation of Peter and Andrew to come to their home for some rest and refreshment.
2. I’m guessing that the invitation had been made in advance, and Peter’s wife and the other women of the household had been busily preparing for their guests.
3. However, when Peter and his guests arrived at the fisherman’s house, Peter’s wife met him at the door and quickly reported that her mother had suddenly taken ill with a fever.
a. To all outward appearances, this was an unfortunate incident to occur on such a day when guests were coming.
b. But as we know all too well, God specializes in turning unfortunate situations into important lessons and transformational moments.
4. When Jesus learned of Peter’s mother-in-law’s ailment, He went right to her and took her by the hand and lifted her up.
a. Jesus could have healed the woman in many different ways – He could have just spoken the word and healing would have happened instantaneously.
b. I think it is significant that Jesus went to her and gently took her by the hand – He wanted to demonstrate what a personal touch looks like, as well as compassion and mercy.
c. The mother-in-law’s situation didn’t appear to be critical or grave, but it was important to her and her family, and it was what she needed at the time.
5. Her immediate recovery is a demonstration of God’s power.
a. When Jesus healed people the healing was instantaneous and successful – there was no need for incantations or a lapse of time for it to take effect.
6. Peter, the strong, forceful, passionate one, needed to develop the compassion, empathy and courtesy that Jesus demonstrated that day.
a. In the Master’s college, Peter would learn that the world needs tenderness as well as strength.
b. In time, Peter showed how much he had learned as he demonstrated God’s love for the lame man on the temple steps in Acts 3, and for the beloved Dorcas at Joppa in Acts 9.
c. We also need to learn that discipleship requires mercy and compassion.
B. This lesson was then driven home even more memorably in what happened next, the Bible says: 32 That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. 33 And the whole city was gathered together at the door. 34 And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. (Mk. 1:32-34)
1. Can you imagine having been there for dinner at Peter’s house, and having seen Jesus heal Peter’s mother-in-law, and watched her being able to rise from her sick bed and serve the dinner, and then hearing the knock at the door after dinner and seeing all who had gathered on the street?
a. All who were diseased and possessed, together with their agonized friends and family, were gathered at sunset on the humble street where Peter lived.
b. Peter could not have believed that so vast a mass of misery and pain existed in his town.
c. If we are not careful, we can insulate ourselves from the pain and misery of others around us, but we must not, for we must remain sensitive to the suffering of others.
2. Let’s look at how Jesus responded to the great crowd with their great need.
a. As we see, over and over again in Jesus’ life, He was always moved with compassion and showed mercy in the presence of human need.
b. Whether it was a single leper or one mother-in-law, or whether it was a crowd, Jesus cared and He ministered.
3. I don’t think Jesus did some kind of mass healing service where everyone was healed at the same time.
a. I don’t think he said, “Everyone who needs physical healing, raise your hand – okay you are healed,” “Everyone who needs a demon exercised, raise your hand – okay you are healed…goodbye, everyone, have a good day.”
b. Rather than that, I think that He took time to minister to each person individually.
c. Can you imagine how long that must have taken?
d. Can you imagine how exhausted a person might be after ministering in that way?
e. And can you imagine the impact of the lesson for Peter and the other disciples.
4. By His actions, Jesus was saying to Peter, and to us, this is how you show God’s love.
a. He shows us, this is how you have compassion and mercy for each person and their personal problems and needs.
b. Ministry is never a one size fits all, but always needs to be tailored to fit each person’s specific sized need.
5. This is the lesson that disciples must learn if they are going to win souls and grow them in Christ’s image.
C. You might think that those two were enough lessons for one weekend in the Master’s college, but there was one more lesson that needed to be learned in connection to the first two.
III. Lesson #3: Discipleship Requires Spiritual Recharging
A. Let’s pick up the story in the next verse, the Bible says: 35 And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. 36 And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, 37 and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” 38 And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” 39 And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons. (Mk. 1:35-39)
1. Can you image how surprised Peter and his household must have been when they woke up the next morning, after the exhausting day before, and discovered that Jesus was missing?
a. When they heard no stirring in Jesus’ room, they must have knocked and opened the door, only to discover that his room was empty.
b. In vain they searched the entire house and yard, but Jesus was not to be found.
c. Then they must have canvased the neighborhood.
d. Perhaps it was some fisherman who had returned at dawn from a night of fishing that informed them they had seen the Teacher on the path to the silent hills above the town.
2. When Peter and his search party came to the private place where Jesus was, there they saw Him kneeling or laying prostrate before the Father in prayer.
a. What a powerful and profound impact that must have made on Peter and the others.
b. While they had continued to rest their bodies, Jesus had risen early to recharge His soul.
3. Jesus knew what all of us who seek to be His disciples and servants must learn, doing the work of God requires spiritual power that comes only from a well-maintained relationship with the Father.
a. Jesus was conscious of the great expenditure of spiritual power that had been released in the ministry the day before, and He knew where to get His spiritual batteries recharged.
b. If Jesus, who was God in the flesh, needed this kind of spiritual recharging, then how much more would we need it? We need it infinitely more than He!
4. Peter and his search party wanted Jesus to come back to town and do some follow-up work, but Jesus explained that He and they needed to move on to other towns.
a. Jesus’ ministry needed to be a regional work, not a local work – for obvious reasons.
b. Our ministry will most likely be local, rather than regional – for just as obvious reasons.
B. But the lesson that Peter learned that day about the need for spiritual recharging would stick with him for the rest of his life and ministry.
1. The disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray like He prayed, and He taught them.
2. After Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, when the day of Pentecost arrived, there we see Peter and the disciples gathered together in one accord and in prayer. (Acts 2:1)
3. After Peter and John defiantly stood before the Sanhedrin and told them they had to obey God rather than obey men in Acts 3-4, Peter and John gathered the believers together and prayed, and after they prayed the place where they were meeting was shaken and they were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
4. It was while Peter was praying in Acts 10 that God gave him the vision to carry the word of God to the Gentiles at Cornelius’ house.
5. And it was by prayer that Peter was rescued from his prison cell by an angel on the eve of his execution. (Acts 12)
6. Like Jesus and like Peter, we must never attempt to do ministry without the spiritual recharging that comes from worship and Scripture and prayer.
Conclusion:
A. When Peter dropped his nets and left his boat to follow Jesus, he knew that he had a lot to learn.
1. Today we have looked at three of the early lessons that Peter learned in the Master’s college.
2. These three lessons are basic lessons that I hope all of us will learn, and hopefully not the hard way.
3. First, I hope that we will be keenly aware that we are in a spiritual battle and that we must be prepared for and engaged in spiritual warfare – Put on the full armor of God (Eph. 6).
4. Second, I hope that we will learn that carrying out the ministry of our God requires mercy and compassion – be sensitive to each person and their needs.
5. Third, I hope that we will learn that we won’t be able to remain effective in our Christian life and ministry without the spiritual recharging that comes from a daily and ongoing connection with God through spiritual activities such as prayer, Scripture, worship and fellowship.
6. Which of these three do you need to work on the most? What will you do about it this week?
Resources:
The Life of Peter, F.B. Meyer, Edited by Lance Wubbels, Emerald Books, 1996
The Apostle Peter, Jerry Haughton
