We'll start the new year learning from Peter who is like the prototypical disciple. Self-confident, well-meaning, but often wrong. “Get behind me, Satan.” Strong yet not always courageous. “Jesus? I never even heard of Him.”
But Peter loved the Lord and came to be one of Jesus's closest friends.
It started when Peter first trusted in Jesus at the Sea of Galilee. This is where everything starts, the moment you believe in Jesus for eternal life.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but haveeternal life.
John 5:24 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.
Everything changes the moment you trusted Jesus to make things right between you and God.
Having believed, you have eternal life. You will never come into judgment.
Your spirit will never die. You now have life in Christ that others do not have. Sounds exclusive but it is for everyone. Jesus says, "whoever believes..."
Eternal life is not only an eternal quantity of time, but also an eternal quality of relationship.
John 17:3 This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
Eternal life is permanent and real relationship with God starting now. It is non-forfeitable everlasting life in the personal love, life, and fullness of God.
1 John 5:13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
So for those who want a relationship with God, for those who want a more personal and transformative relationship, it starts with trusting Jesus.
But the entire Christian life is a life of faith.
Romans 1:16… The righteous man shall live by faith…
Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
This is where it starts. But it is NOT automatic that we live this relationally.
So just a reminder of the importance of putting down the phone and taking time with our Lord. Talking with God. Listening. Sharing your heart. Receiving from Him. Doing things together. These type of things deepen relationships.
If you want to feel closer to God and live happier,
Listen to God (Bible. People. Indwelling Spirit)
Talk to God (pray)
Share your heart (worship, confess)
Receive from God (accept His word as authority, receive His love, accept His direction, protection, care)
Do things together (serve, and obey God)
This will strengthen your faith. Increase your passion. Change your life.
So, Peter first believed when Jesus called him to follow him. But something happened before then—his brother, Andrew invited him to meet Jesus.
This was a common sequence, something to follow. Starting with John the Baptist. Note, he trusted Jesus, and he told his friends and followers.
John 1:35Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as He walked, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.
And notice, one of these men, Andrew trusted Jesus and he told his brother.
John 1:40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He found first his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which translated means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus.
In the very next scene, Philip then trusts Jesus and tells his friend Nathanael.
The Gospels show the power of inviting our friends and bringing them to meet Jesus. This practice is all the more necessary that we still do this today.
People are dealing with a very sinful stressful world all without God. They don’t know how to cope with life’s hurts, heartaches, mental health, family breakdowns, loneliness. They don’t know forgiveness or true love. Even as they face life-and-death issues, they don’t think of going to Jesus or church.
This is especially true in NE. Tell a friend. Introduce them to Jesus, the Savior, the Healer, Who embodies wisdom and love. Who changes hearts, makes sense of this world, helps us through life’s worst, & gives eternal life.
Tell a friend. This month. Bring a friend to church.
We’ll set up a few Sundays in 2023 specifically for this. This is a way of inviting them to meet Jesus.
Next, be an involved member in Christian community.
Having believed in Jesus, Peter was immediately connected to a community of Christians. Rich and poor. Right and Left. Moralists and sinners.
When you trust Jesus, you are set into a community of believers, peers who are also in Christ. Jesus puts us together. Says you are one body. One family.
People poke fun at the church, even Christians marginalize it. Distance themselves. Apologize for it. They agree with a hyper-individualized world that we can’t trust organized religion. This is not Jesus’ view of the church…
The church is people. So from the start, the church has had issues. Every NT letter corrects some error. Yet the Church—you and I—is Jesus’ beloved bride. His body. The one thing He’s using, building. And not even the gates of Hades will prevail against it.
In order to foster your faith and kindle your passion, trust Jesus and practice relation-builders like listening to God, to His Word, and praying. Tell a friend, share your hope. And choose community—identify, connect with His people.
We also learn from Peter to pour into others. Pour yourself into someone. Disciple someone. When you help others to get closer to God, they make wiser choices, they have new motivations to love. It’s easier to forgive. This makes their life better and it roots us in Christ. And it feels good.
Consider how you might serve others, who you might pour into. Maybe in your life group. Someone in the church. The youth or children in our church.
Serving may be as important as community for personal growth.
What if when you attend on Sundays, or go to your life group, you intend to serve. It doesn’t mean you lose out, you don’t get blessed. But it’s more blessed to give than to receive.
By serving, we help people to worship. We help kids to hear about Jesus. To be grounded in truth. We help teens to know the truth of God’s love, God’s design for living. We meet needs. We ease burdens. We make life easier, richer for people. We glorify God when we serve Him.
Pour into someone. Serve, disciple, bless others. Join the mission.
Finally, in order to deepen your faith and live closer to Jesus—FOLLOW JESUS. Obey Jesus. Say yes to Jesus. Let Jesus change your life.
One of the most significant moments in Peter's life occurred when he first obeyed Jesus' command to “Follow me.” This began his new life.
Another time Jesus told him to cast his nets into the sea.
Luke 5:4 He said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” ||||| 5 Simon answered and said, “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets.”
Another time Jesus told him to come out of the boat and walk on the water. Another time he told Peter to go fishing and when you catch a fish open it’s mouth and pay our taxes with the money you find. Peter models failure. And obedience. And in his obedience he is humbled and his faith in Jesus grows.
This is one of the most transformative, faith-invigorating things we can do: obey Jesus. If you love me—Jesus says. Not only if you trust Me, but if you love Me at this very moment—obey Me. It is an act of love to obey Jesus.
To follow Jesus implies a close relationship with Him. How? By going with Him where He goes. By doing with Him what He commands. Serving. Loving. Forgiving. Slowing down your driving.
The apostle Peter, is just one example of following Jesus and living out one's faith. Through his faith, serving in his church, his small group of disciples, and through his obedience to God, Peter’s faith was strengthened, his passion grew strong, and his life still invites each of us to follow Jesus, today.
As we enter 2023, may you embrace the opportunity to live out your faith, whether that means bringing a friend to church, choosing to invest in a life group, serving in a way that helps others, discipling others, whether kids or men or women, or simply obeying Jesus in a significant area.
Ways to Foster Your Faith in the New Year
We'll start the new year learning from Peter who is like the prototypical disciple. Self-confident, well-meaning, but often wrong. “Get behind me, Satan.” Strong yet not always courageous. “Jesus? I never even heard of Him.”
But Peter loved the Lord and came to be one of Jesus's closest friends.
It started when Peter first trusted in Jesus at the Sea of Galilee. This is where everything starts, the moment you believe in Jesus for eternal life.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
John 5:24 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.
Everything changes the moment you trusted Jesus to make things right between you and God.
Having believed, you have eternal life. You will never come into judgment.
Your spirit will never die. You now have life in Christ that others do not have. Sounds exclusive but it is for everyone. Jesus says, "whoever believes..."
Eternal life is not only an eternal quantity of time, but also an eternal quality of relationship.
John 17:3 This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
Eternal life is permanent and real relationship with God starting now. It is non-forfeitable everlasting life in the personal love, life, and fullness of God.
1 John 5:13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
So for those who want a relationship with God, for those who want a more personal and transformative relationship, it starts with trusting Jesus.
But the entire Christian life is a life of faith.
Romans 1:16… The righteous man shall live by faith…
Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
This is where it starts. But it is NOT automatic that we live this relationally.
So just a reminder of the importance of putting down the phone and taking time with our Lord. Talking with God. Listening. Sharing your heart. Receiving from Him. Doing things together. These type of things deepen relationships.
If you want to feel closer to God and live happier,
This will strengthen your faith. Increase your passion. Change your life.
So, Peter first believed when Jesus called him to follow him. But something happened before then—his brother, Andrew invited him to meet Jesus.
This was a common sequence, something to follow. Starting with John the Baptist. Note, he trusted Jesus, and he told his friends and followers.
John 1:35 Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as He walked, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.
And notice, one of these men, Andrew trusted Jesus and he told his brother.
John 1:40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He found first his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which translated means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus.
In the very next scene, Philip then trusts Jesus and tells his friend Nathanael.
The Gospels show the power of inviting our friends and bringing them to meet Jesus. This practice is all the more necessary that we still do this today.
People are dealing with a very sinful stressful world all without God. They don’t know how to cope with life’s hurts, heartaches, mental health, family breakdowns, loneliness. They don’t know forgiveness or true love. Even as they face life-and-death issues, they don’t think of going to Jesus or church.
This is especially true in NE. Tell a friend. Introduce them to Jesus, the Savior, the Healer, Who embodies wisdom and love. Who changes hearts, makes sense of this world, helps us through life’s worst, & gives eternal life.
Tell a friend. This month. Bring a friend to church.
We’ll set up a few Sundays in 2023 specifically for this. This is a way of inviting them to meet Jesus.
Next, be an involved member in Christian community.
Having believed in Jesus, Peter was immediately connected to a community of Christians. Rich and poor. Right and Left. Moralists and sinners.
When you trust Jesus, you are set into a community of believers, peers who are also in Christ. Jesus puts us together. Says you are one body. One family.
People poke fun at the church, even Christians marginalize it. Distance themselves. Apologize for it. They agree with a hyper-individualized world that we can’t trust organized religion. This is not Jesus’ view of the church…
The church is people. So from the start, the church has had issues. Every NT letter corrects some error. Yet the Church—you and I—is Jesus’ beloved bride. His body. The one thing He’s using, building. And not even the gates of Hades will prevail against it.
In order to foster your faith and kindle your passion, trust Jesus and practice relation-builders like listening to God, to His Word, and praying. Tell a friend, share your hope. And choose community—identify, connect with His people.
We also learn from Peter to pour into others. Pour yourself into someone. Disciple someone. When you help others to get closer to God, they make wiser choices, they have new motivations to love. It’s easier to forgive. This makes their life better and it roots us in Christ. And it feels good.
Consider how you might serve others, who you might pour into. Maybe in your life group. Someone in the church. The youth or children in our church.
Serving may be as important as community for personal growth.
What if when you attend on Sundays, or go to your life group, you intend to serve. It doesn’t mean you lose out, you don’t get blessed. But it’s more blessed to give than to receive.
By serving, we help people to worship. We help kids to hear about Jesus. To be grounded in truth. We help teens to know the truth of God’s love, God’s design for living. We meet needs. We ease burdens. We make life easier, richer for people. We glorify God when we serve Him.
Pour into someone. Serve, disciple, bless others. Join the mission.
Finally, in order to deepen your faith and live closer to Jesus—FOLLOW JESUS. Obey Jesus. Say yes to Jesus. Let Jesus change your life.
One of the most significant moments in Peter's life occurred when he first obeyed Jesus' command to “Follow me.” This began his new life.
Another time Jesus told him to cast his nets into the sea.
Luke 5:4 He said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” ||||| 5 Simon answered and said, “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets.”
Another time Jesus told him to come out of the boat and walk on the water. Another time he told Peter to go fishing and when you catch a fish open it’s mouth and pay our taxes with the money you find. Peter models failure. And obedience. And in his obedience he is humbled and his faith in Jesus grows.
This is one of the most transformative, faith-invigorating things we can do: obey Jesus. If you love me—Jesus says. Not only if you trust Me, but if you love Me at this very moment—obey Me. It is an act of love to obey Jesus.
To follow Jesus implies a close relationship with Him. How? By going with Him where He goes. By doing with Him what He commands. Serving. Loving. Forgiving. Slowing down your driving.
The apostle Peter, is just one example of following Jesus and living out one's faith. Through his faith, serving in his church, his small group of disciples, and through his obedience to God, Peter’s faith was strengthened, his passion grew strong, and his life still invites each of us to follow Jesus, today.
As we enter 2023, may you embrace the opportunity to live out your faith, whether that means bringing a friend to church, choosing to invest in a life group, serving in a way that helps others, discipling others, whether kids or men or women, or simply obeying Jesus in a significant area.