Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20050821.htm

JESUS CHRIST'S DISCIPLING OF SIMON PETER: A STUDY IN MAKING DISCIPLES
Part I: Getting Peter To Follow Jesus
A. Christ's Establishment Of Rapport With Peter
(John 1:40-42)
  1. Introduction
    1. Many believers have "jumped right in" to giving the Gospel with strangers without having gained a "right to be heard." This effort is often met with resistance, for in our country, religious beliefs are very personal parts of one's thinking where strangers are not usually permitted to tread uninvited.
    2. Jesus developed the "right to be heard" as the first step in discipling Simon Peter, and how He did this is recorded for us in John 1:40-42 for our instruction on properly beginning to disciple others (as follows):
  2. Getting Peter To Follow Jesus: Christ's Establishment Of Rapport With Peter, John 1:40-42.
    1. God used Peter's normal, reputable circle of contacts to build a relational bridge between Peter and Jesus:
      1. Peter's brother, Andrew had already come into contact with Jesus and had come to trust in Him as Messiah and God through the witness of John the Baptizer, John 1:40.
      2. Well, John the Baptizer was in turn a nationally known, reputable prophet, John 1:19-24: the Pharisees, a conservative sect, had already sent their leaders from Jerusalem, the center of Hebrew religion, to investigate John; John was thus a well known, reputable prophet to the Jewish people, one whom Peter knew and also respected.
      3. In following the reputable prophet, John the Baptizer, Andrew had been directed to trust that Jesus was the long-awaited Scriptural Messiah and Son of God, cf. John 1:29-34.
      4. Thus, when Peter's trusted, reputable brother, Andrew whom he knew had followed the reputable and nationally known prophet, John then began to follow Jesus, God arranged for the credible Andrew to build a bridge between Jesus and Peter by way of his contact with Peter about Jesus, John 1:41!
    2. Accordingly, Andrew testified to Peter that Jesus was the long-expected Scriptural Messiah, John 1:41.
    3. Thus, when Peter was personally introduced to Jesus as the Messiah by Andrew, Peter was prepared to hear Jesus and respect what He had to say to him, John 1:41-42a:
      1. Andrew, the credible brother to Peter told him that he with other reputable disciples of the reputable prophet, John had found the long-awaited, long-expected Scriptural Messiah, John 1:41.
      2. So trustworthy was Andrew and his associates who had followed the nationally-known and respected prophet, John, Peter was willing to come with Andrew to meet Jesus, John 1:42a.
    4. Having gained a hearing by way of reputable contacts with Peter, upon first meeting Peter, Jesus set him at ease, encouraging and directing Peter that a great spiritual future awaited him, John 1:42b:
      1. Peter was introduced to Jesus as "Simon" in the Greek language, a possible reference to a form of the Hebrew word, "Samuel" that means, "God has heard," Zond. Pict. Ency. of the Bible , vol. Five, p. 441.
      2. Christ changed Simon's name to "Cephas" in the Aramaic that Jesus spoke, a word meaning "stone." (Ibid.) "Peter" means stone in Greek, so his name often appears as "Peter" in the New Testament.
      3. This name change indicated Peter had a blessed future as a disciple of Jesus: he would become a key figure in the Church (Matthew 16:18) and be graciously, mightily used by God (Acts 2:14, 37-41 et al.)
      4. Since Jesus' credibility had been backed up by the credible lives of Peter's brother, Andrew, and in turn by the credible witness of the prophet, John the Baptizer, it was easy for Peter to trust Jesus' word about him and to be encouraged by His prophecy about his future effectiveness with Jesus.
Lesson: (1) Jesus let God the Father arrange for a VERY CREDIBLE CONNECTION to occur between JESUS and PETER by way of ANDREW and JOHN the BAPTIZER; that way, WHEN Jesus and Peter FIRST MET, Peter was OPEN to what Jesus had to tell him! (2) Jesus then set Peter at ease, richly encouraging him regarding the hope God had in mind for PETER when he followed JESUS!

Application: (1) We must WAIT upon the LORD to SUPPLY the OPPORTUNITY to witness by supplying through life's REGULAR, CREDIBLE events and contacts circumstances that connect the one to be discipled with us with an EAR for what we have to say, Colossians 4:2-4. (2) When we first speak with the one to be discipled, we should testify of the HOPE of a bright FUTURE found in Christ!