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Peter- Transformed

8/30/2020

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Last time we looked at Peter's Repentance and what it took to prepare Peter for deliverance from self. Just a short while later we see Peter on the day of Pentecost preaching boldly and publicly by the leading of the Holy Spirit. Peter was truly a changed man. Peter's whole nature was changed! What Jesus started in the life of Peter with that look, was perfected when he was filled with the Holy Spirit. This is where we see Peter Transformed. 
Just weeks before we saw Peter deny his Lord in spite of his insistence that he would never deny Jesus. In this Peter showed how little he knew himself, and yet in 1 Peter he writes, "If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rest on you." this is not the old Peter that we see! This is the very Spirit of Jesus breathing and speaking through him. But he doesn't stop there, "But rejoice in as much as you participate in the suffering of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed." This is not the same Peter at all! 
I encourage you friends, to truly look at the life of Peter and see a man utterly changed! The self-pleasing, the self-seeking the trusting in self is gone! Peter was filled with the Spirit and the life of Jesus. He was filled with the Holy Spirit and Peter was a brand new man. Peter's story has to be the story of everyone of us who truly want to be crucified with Jesus and have Him living in our lives. Peter's life teaches us a couple lessons that I would like to briefly consider. 
The first lesson: We can be earnest, godly, devoted believers and still have the power of self very strong in our lives. 
This is a sobering, scary thought to me! Just shortly before Peter denied Jesus, he had cast out devils and healed the sick; and yet the power of self, the love for self caused him to betray his Lord. Dear Church Family we must realize that even though we love our Lord. Even tough we honestly desire to live for Jesus; it is possible that the self-life in us can keep the power of God from doing the mighty work that He so much wants to do. Our God wants more than anything else to double and triple His blessing. He wants to give us ten times the blessing we have allowed Him to give us so far! 
We have talked about Peter's pride; we talk of how impetuous he was. How self-confident he was. And it all came down to one thing, self! Jesus said, "Deny self." Peter didn't get it, and every failing he had came from that! 
Andrew Murray puts it this way, "What a solemn thought, and what an urgent plea for us to cry: O God, do discover this to us, that none of us may be living the self-life! It has happened to many a one who had been a Christian for years, who had perhaps occupied a prominent position, that God found him out and taught him to find himself out, and he became utterly ashamed, falling down broken before God. Oh, the bitter shame and sorrow and pain and agony that came to him, until at last he found that there was deliverance! Peter went out and wept bitterly, and there may be many a godly one in whom the power of the flesh still rules." Absolute Surrender page 56 
As I have read through the life of Peter I am convicted that these words are talking about me. That I must allow the Holy Spirit to fill my life with Jesus, as I have not allowed Him to do up to now. I am ashamed to admit it, but transparency trumps shame every time! 
The second lesson: It is the work of our lovely Savior Jesus through the Holy Spirit to root out the self-life. 
How was it that the self-willed, self-loving Peter became the courageous Peter of Pentecost and the writer of first and second Peter? It was because Peter allowed Jesus to take control of his life. It started with that look of love at his betrayal of Jesus and Peter was broken and wept bitterly. It then continued throughout the rest of Peter's life. 
And the beautiful, lovely Jesus who led Peter to Pentecost is waiting to take charge of our lives if we are willing to surrender our self-life, our self- comfort, our self-pleasing and self-will to Him! 
Let me close with Andrew Murray's answer: "It is Christ Jesus who can rid you of it; none else but Christ Jesus can give deliverance from the power of self. And what does He ask you to do? He ask that you should humble yourself before Him."

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Peter Repentance

8/2/2020

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So far we have looked at “Peter the Devoted Disciple of Jesus”, and “Peter Living the Life of Self.” This week we will consider Peter's Repentance. 
Peter denied Jesus three times in a fashion that makes us cringe when we read the story. I am so thankful the story doesn't end there, but tells us that Jesus looked at Peter; and it was that look of love and forgiveness that broke the heart of Peter. He saw his awful sin and failure and just how far he had fallen, and "Peter went out and wept bitterly." 
Can you imagine the shame during those next few hours as Peter watched Jesus be hung on a cross and buried in a tomb. I wish I could tell you that I have no idea what he went through, but I have denied my Savior so many times, and put Jesus back on that cross more times then I even want to admit. If we are honest, each of us have been there and hurt our Lord and Savior. We have had a Sabbath like Peter experienced of despair and shame; wishing it could have been different! 
We have been there! "My Lord is gone, my hope is gone, and I denied my Lord. After that life of love, after that blessed fellowship of three years, I denied my Lord. God have mercy upon me!" Absolute Surrender page 53 
I am not sure I can fully realize just how far Peter fell, but I have been there! The other side of this story is that this was the turning point in Peter's life. The next day on resurrection morning Peter received the news that the tomb was empty. That evening he met with the other disciples. Then by the sea Jesus asked Peter: "Do you love me?" Three times, Jesus reminded him that he had denied Him just as many times. 
Even now, I am reminded how many times I have denied my Lord! The beauty is that it was at this time that Peter began his transformation. And Jesus promises that He will, and is transforming our lives so that we can say, 
"Lord you know that I love you!"

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    Pastor Brad

    Pastor Brad Traxler is the pastor of the Wrangell SDA Church. Brad Traxler is the husband of forty years to Cheryl, father to Kimberly and Ryan, and grandfather to Brad, Kevin, William, Eamon, Zairhen, Seraphina, and Zeelyah. He holds a BA in Theology and has been pastoring churches for twenty years. The greatest passion of His life has been to share Jesus. 

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