Simon The Stone
Text: John 1: 41-42
Intro: Simon Peter is one of my favorite characters in the Bible. He fills its pages with life and energy. Though he was often reckless and impetuous, he was always sincere. Simon was a man who was passionate about everything he did. Later in his life, his passion for serving Christ would become especially obvious.
In his earlier life, he was simply a rough and tumble fisherman, hardened by the elements and his daily toil. And he probably exhibited a “devil-may-care” attitude about life. But one day Simon met Jesus, and his life was changed forever.
Fortunately, Jesus was able to look beyond the flaws of Simon’s personality and see his potential. Jesus would take this unstable, wishy-washy and volatile man, and make him a man of spiritual stability, firmly grounded in Christ and His teachings.
What Christ did for Peter, He can do for you and I. Whether we like to admit it or not, there’s probably a little bit of Peter in all of us. We all have our flaws and weaknesses. We all have a tendency to follow our impulses rather than the leading of the Holy Spirit. If anything, Peter is representative of the common man. But like Peter, Jesus can take a common, ordinary man or woman, and make a very uncommon servant of God. That is always His purpose for His children.
After Simon met Jesus, his name was changed. That name change was indicative of the work Christ would perform in this man’s life. Let’s examine the transformation that took place in Simon’s life.
Theme: What process led to Simon’s transformation?
I. JESUS CAPTURED PETER’S IMAGINATION
A. Christ’s Promise Captured His Imagination.
John 1: 42 “…And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.
NOTE: [1] Jesus made this promise based on what He saw in Simon. The word “beheld” carries the idea of “a close, penetrating look” (W.E. Vine, M.A., An Expository Dictionary Of New Testament Words, Vol. III, published by Fleming H. Revell Company, Old Tappan, New Jersey; pg.13). Jesus looked inside Simon and saw not merely what he was, but what he would be.
[2] This is one of the few times Peter was speechless. Peter was weak and impetuous, yet Jesus said, “You will become a rock.” The prospects of Christ’s promise to him captured Peter’s imagination.
[3] It’s truly wonderful what God can do with a life that is given to Him.
3a. Give God a scheming and conniving Jacob, and He’ll make a prince with God out of him.
3b. Give God a legalistic, cruel and persecuting Saul of Tarsus, and He’ll make a loving and dedicated Paul the apostle out of him.
3c. Give God a weak, impetuous and cocky Simon, and He’ll make a rock-solid and stable man out of him.
B. Christ’s Power Captured Peter’s Imagination.
Luke 5: 4 “Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.
5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.
6 And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.
7 And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.
8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”
NOTE: [1] If there was one thing Simon knew about, it was fishing. It must have seemed strange to him to have a carpenter tell him about fishing. But to Simon’s amazement, fish began to fill his net by the droves. It was here that Peter learned that Jesus had power over his business.
[2] In this miracle Jesus was establishing His authority in the life of Peter. Peter not only learned that Jesus had power over his business, but also that the Lord wished to give his business eternal dimensions. Jesus said, “Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men” (Luke 5: 10b).
[3] God doesn’t call everyone to be a preacher or a missionary. But He does want His children to realize that whatever they do in life can have eternal dimensions to it. No matter what line of honorable work one may do, they can still be a fisher of men.
[4] Peter had been captured by the power of Jesus, for Luke 5: 11 indicates that he immediately followed Jesus.
II. JESUS CHALLENGED PETER’S FAITH
NOTE: [1] Jesus told Peter, “I’m going to make a rock out of you.” But as we all know, rocks don’t come about over night. They are formed through a process of heat and pressure.
[2] Someone once said, “Some people will change when they see the light. Others change only when they feel the heat” (Source Unknown). In the same manner, the Lord allows things in our lives that will ultimately produce a godly stability in our makeup. The same was in store for ole Peter.
[3] We humans don’t like change very much. I think Isaac Newton got it right when he said, “Everything continues in a state of rest unless it is compelled to change by forces impressed upon it” (Isaac Newton, First Law of Motion).
A. His Faith Was Challenged By An Experience Of Sinking.
Matt.14: 25 “And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.
26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.
27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.
31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?”
NOTE: [1] In this portion of scripture Jesus came to His disciples one night walking on the water. Peter said, “Lord, if that’s really You, bid me to come to You on the water.” Jesus said, “Come on.” Peter stepped out of that tossing boat and began walking to Jesus. However, Simon hadn’t considered the difficulties associated with walking by faith. He looked at all the tumult about him and began to sink.
[2] We are talking about failure here. But even our failures are used by God to challenge us to walk with Christ by faith, and not by sight. Dr. Jerry Vines has noted: “A defeat that leaves you humble is better than a victory that leaves you proud” (Jerry Vines, Interviews With Jesus, published by Broadman Press, Nashville, Tennessee; pg. 25).
[3] A defeat that causes you to cling to Jesus is far better than a victory that prompts you to be independent of Him.
[4] Peter learned something else: He learned that he needed to keep his eyes trained on Jesus in order not to be overwhelmed by the tempests of life.
[5] Peter also learned that faith is essential to a victorious walk. Jesus said, “…O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt” (Matt.14: 31b)?
B. His Faith Was Challenged By An Experience Of Sternness.
Matt.16: 13-22 (Peter, in the Spirit, confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, but is then rebuked by Christ when he is used of the devil to rebuke Jesus concerning His crucifixion.)
1. One minute Peter was talking in the Spirit.
Matt.16: 16 “…Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
2. The next minute Peter was speaking from the devil’s corner.
Matt.16: 22 “Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.
23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savorest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.”
NOTE: Sometimes all of us are just like Peter. We all find ourselves vacillating in our Christian walk from time to time. But thank God that He understands us and continues to work with us. Sometimes we need to be jarred to our senses a little:
Former New York Yankee great Mickey Mantle recalls that as a teenager in the minor leagues he began playing poorly. Discouraged, homesick, and feeling sorry for himself, Mantle tearfully called his father to come to take him home.
When the elder Mantle arrived, Mickey expected sympathy and reassurances that yes, it was time for the father to take the boy out of his cruel environment. But Charles Mantle jarred his strapping son by saying, “Okay, if that’s all the guts you’ve got, you might as well come home with me right now and work in the mines.”
Snapped awake, Mickey Mantle stuck it out that year—and wrote his name in baseball history.
Today in the Word, November 9, 1995, pg. 16.
Ps.103: 14 “For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.”
C. His Faith Was Challenged By An Experience Of Satanic Sifting.
Luke 22: 31 “And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:”
NOTE: Notice that Satan had to get permission to sift Peter. However, God will often allow Satan to buffet and shake us in order to rid us of the spiritual chaff in our lives. Peter had a few things in his life that God wanted to work on.
1. Peter had a problem with presumption.
Luke 22: 33 “And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.”
NOTE: [1] Peter was assuming too much of himself. As we know, he later denied even knowing Jesus (Luke 22: 57-60).
[2] Many are the times we determine to be totally dedicated to the Lord, and yet find ourselves doing things that don’t indicate total dedication.
2. Peter had a problem with prayerlessness.
Luke 22: 46 “And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.”
NOTE: [1] Just moments before, Peter had declared that he was prepared to die for Jesus. Not only was he not prepared to perish for Jesus, but also neither was he prepared to pray for Him.
[2] It is extremely easy to deny Jesus when we don’t stay close to Him in prayer.
3. Peter had a problem with profanity.
a. Matthew says that Peter denied the Lord with an oath (Matt.26: 72).
b. Matthew also says that Peter denied the Lord by cursing and swearing (Matt.26: 74).
NOTE: God had permitted Satan to sift Peter, and it left him a broken man. He learned how foolish it is to put confidence in the flesh.
III. JESUS CONVERTED PETER’S HEART
Luke 22: 32 “But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.”
NOTE: The word “converted,” as it is used here, means, “to return or restore.” The idea here is not that Peter needed to be saved, but that Jesus foresaw Peter’s spiritual departure from the Lord due to failure and discouragement, and the fact that he would need to be restored to fellowship.
A. He Did This By Recalling His Failure.
John 21: 3 “Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.
4 But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.
5 Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No.
6 And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.
7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher’s coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.
8 And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes.
9 As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread.”
NOTE: [1] Peter is fishing on the Sea of Galilee when Jesus calls to the disciples, asking them if they’d caught anything. When they replied that they had caught nothing, Jesus told them to cast their nets on the right side of the ship. The result was an overwhelming influx of fish into their net. This incident closely correlates to that of Luke 5: 10, where Jesus had called Peter to be a fisher of men.
[2] After the disciples recognized Jesus, they came to shore and found that He had already fixed breakfast for them.
2a. The fish no doubt reminded Peter of his failure, since Jesus had called him away from fishing for fish to fishing for men.
2b. The bread probably reminded Peter of the day Jesus said that He was the bread sent down from heaven. Many of His disciples had ceased to follow Him at that point. Jesus asked, “Will you also go away?” Peter had stated that there was no one else who had the words of life (John 6: 66-69). But now he too had forsaken Jesus in His greatest hour of need.
2c. The coals of fire would have reminded Peter of the fire where he sat warming himself the night he denied even knowing Jesus.
[3] The Lord wants us to recall our failure, not to humiliate us, but to help us. You see, sin must be faced and forsaken.
B. He Did This By Rekindling His Fervor.
John 21: 15 “So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.
16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.”
NOTE: [1] When Jesus said, “Lovest thou me” in verses 15 and 16, He used the Greek word “AGAPE,” which is that kind of love that God is. Peter however, responded by saying in essence, “Lord, You know that I like You.” Peter had learned not to presume too much. He was afraid to say, “Yes Lord, I love You with the highest form of godly love.”
[2] The third time Jesus asked this question of Peter, He said, “Simon, do you like me—are you fond of Me?” You see, Jesus often has to deal with us where we are, not where we ought to be. Peter did begin to feed Christ’s sheep, and later even died a martyr’s death.
Theme: What process led to Simon’s transformation?
I. JESUS CAPTURED PETER’S IMAGINATION
II. JESUS CHALLENGED PETER’S FAITH
III. JESUS CONVERTED PETER’S HEART
