Apostle Peter – Matthew Laker

Your First Calling

Posted on May 18, 2016May 15, 2016 by Matthew Laker

Series: Walking with Peter and Jesus

What is your calling in life?

Followers of Jesus sometimes spend so much time trying to figure out our calling. Some followers of Jesus never ask the question of how best do I serve God’s Kingdom. Both of these positions have the potential of being self-centered.

Notice that Peter was first called to Jesus before he was called to the work he was given. Here in Luke 6:12-15, Jesus is calling them to a new level of work (to be apostles), but it comes after the call to follow him.

As followers of Jesus, we can get so hung up on “what am I to do” or we covet the roles others have. In both situations, we forget about Jesus. Thus, we fail to fully enter, engage and experience the life we were created for.

Sometimes we think that if we figure out what God has called us to do, then we have found wholeness. At times from our work or ministry, we form our identity and think we are secure. We wrongly come to believe that it is then that we feel we have reached the life Jesus calls us to.

However, Jesus first called Peter and you to himself. He did not call you to do this or that. He called you to himself.

In our lives, there is a general calling and this needs to be our first priority. This calling is about knowing, experiencing, and surrendering to Jesus. This calling is about letting Jesus change us and when we do that we experience wholeness.

Today we have let ourselves be defined by our titles and things we do. Yes, to an extent what we do is an extension of who we are. However, as followers of Jesus, our starting point of identity is Jesus.

First, we are called to Jesus, second to our work. Too often we only know Jesus based on the identity we find in our work. Remove our work and we are no one.

Peter would not have got this right away. I still struggle with it in my own life and I bet it is a struggle in your life.

Instead of spending so much time trying to figure out your calling or the special focus you should or should not have, consider just getting to know Jesus and let him transform you right where you are at.

Peter, in our passage today, would discover a deeper secondary calling. It is in this moment Jesus calls Peter to a deeper commitment. This secondary calling is strongly interconnected to the first and so you cannot have the second without the first.

It is as we understand who Jesus is and what he has done that we understand who we are and what we are to do. Peter’s calling to leadership is built off of the first calling to know Jesus.

Os Guinnes in his book “The Call” shares:

“Do you want to know the secret of the mystery of your very being and rise to become what you were born to be? Listen to Jesus of Nazareth.”

We are not Peter but the principle still applies. First, get to know Jesus, second, let him do the calling.

Generous with time, but Focused

Posted on April 1, 2016April 7, 2016 by Matthew Laker

In Mark 1:32-39 Peter learns the need to focus on his time. At this point, Simon, who later would be called Peter, does not know much about Jesus. After some time in the synagogue, they go to Peter’s house. After the sunset people begin to show up at Peter’s house and Jesus spends time that night healing people.

The next day, early in the morning, Jesus gets up and leaves to find a solitary place and prays. Peter is searching for Jesus and seems a little frustrated that he has left. Peter tells Jesus that everyone is looking for him. Let me summarize what is behind that statement: What are you doing here Jesus? All these people are at my house and you need to be there healing those people. There is some implication that Peter sees the Lord’s absence as unproductive and perhaps having the wrong priorities.

Jesus simply does not seem impressed by the large crowd and all the people wanting. Notice his statement in verse 38 “Let us go somewhere else….” The reason was to preach the gospel to other villages. You see Jesus was generous with is time but also focused. He knew what God the Father sent him to do and so prioritizes his life. Jesus that day did not heal everyone or do everything.

Peter would learn the need to prioritize his time. Peter would begin to learn to look at the needs through the eyes of the Father’s will. There are a lot of good things they could be doing.

There are a lot of good things you could be doing.

Jesus knew what God the Father called him to do. Sometimes we get so caught up in trying to be good Christians and helping everyone and doing all kinds of good work that in the process, we miss Jesus and the opportunity to produce better fruit. Sometimes, like Peter, we have expectations, or listen to the expectations of others, and miss out on being and doing what God has called us to be or do.

What about you?

Are you just running through life with no direction; running from one urgent thing to the next? Have you filled your schedule so much that you look busy and are busy but have no margin and time to just be still and know God.

God is not in a rush.

In this season of your life, what is the Holy Spirit asking you to focus on? Where do you need to stop living for the urgent and live for the significant? Are you busy in work, or a location or circumstance, but God is calling you to be somewhere else?

This week ask yourself this question, how does Jesus want you to use your time?

There is no way Peter got this right away and he would have taken baby steps. What steps do you need to take to focus on what you should be doing?

In my life I do still live in the tensions and the only way I can align correctly is to have paused moments of reflection. Perhaps this is what Jesus was doing out there alone praying. He was being reminded of where he should be and who he was.

Series: Walking with Peter and Jesus

Serving others changes us

Posted on December 18, 2015December 13, 2015 by Matthew Laker

Peter has been journeying with Jesus and has seen people who have faith that Jesus is their only hope. Peter has been witnessing the power of the kingdom of God on others. He has been learning about what the kingdom of God is. He has been learning who Jesus is and what it will take to follow Jesus. Now Jesus gives Peter an opportunity to trust in him and his word. Jesus creates an environment for Peter to experience Jesus in a deeper and new way.

Jesus calls a little huddle among the 12 apostles in Luke 8:40-9:6. Jesus gives Peter and the other disciples power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure disease. Jesus then sends the apostles out to preach the kingdom of God and heal the sick.

Jesus sends Peter out and tells him to take nothing. We know this is to bring about a lesson because later he would tell them they can take things with them as they proclaim the kingdom. The purpose of this sending was more than just proclaiming the kingdom.

On this trip, Peter would go from knowledge of Jesus to experience of Jesus. In this moment, Peter would learn about his need for Jesus as well as the faithfulness of Jesus.

What we really believe about Jesus come out in how we live our life? Do you believe Jesus is good enough?

What we really believe about ourselves will be seen in how we speak of ourselves and live out our life. Peter now has to live out his trust in Jesus as he goes out and trust in who Jesus says he is. Peter’s theology (belief) and faith are put to practical tests. Jesus sends Peter into a lived experience so that he would know Jesus in a new and deeper way.

David Benner shares “true knowing of our self-demands that we know our self as known by God, and true knowing of God demands that we know God not just as an abstraction or as objective data but in and through our lived experience.”

Two questions of reflection:

a)Looking at the circumstance you currently find yourself in, what is God revealing about himself to you? What do you need to accept about him?

b)Looking at the circumstance you currently find yourself in, what are you learning about yourself? How does God see you?

This sending out of the 12 was to proclaim the kingdom of God. However, I think the first priority was the training of the 12. It was a season for them to put into practise what Jesus had revealed to them. It was a season for their life to be transformed.

Transformed lives have a natural way of proclaiming the kingdom that goes beyond oneself.

The Apostle Peter, us and fear

Posted on November 20, 2015November 16, 2015 by Matthew Laker

Series Walking with Peter part 4

In Matthew 8:14-17;23-27 we find Peter, and the rest of the apostles, in a boat and full of fear.

The disciples have been listening to Jesus share about faith and trusting him. Peter and the disciples watched as Jesus healed Peter’s mother in law. Now they are in a boat and a great storm comes. In this moment they will learn more of who Jesus is and who they are.

The storm is fearful and scary and Jesus looks at them and says “Why are you so afraid?”

It is a question we really need to ask ourselves.

Why are you so afraid to follow Jesus?

Do we believe that Jesus is powerful enough?

If we do believe that, how does that change how we view ourselves and how we live? In the boat the disciples were afraid and doubted. I can be just like them at times. I know that God is leading my life and yet I get into situations and wonder and struggle with fear. Yet like the disciples I have seen God at work.

Where have you seen God at work in your life?

When we are in our storms what do you think the characteristic of Jesus will be? Will God hold back his grace and mercy? Will he leave you alone? Will Jesus use the storm for his glory and to shape you?

Peter learns about Jesus’ sovereignty, grace and mercy.

Many followers of Jesus are inclined to look to the uncertainty of the storm and not the certainty of Jesus.

To follow Jesus is to put our trust in him; that he is good enough and great enough. So when we fear, we assess it in light of who Jesus is. We respect what our fear tells us, but we see it through the lens of Christ.

When Jesus asked Peter and the disciples his question, he was revealing the unbelief that was still in their hearts. He was revealing to them and to us that fear does not have to become a driving force in our life. He was revealing that death is not our end as followers of Jesus.

As psalm 27:1 shares, “Whom shall we fear.”

I am not there yet. But Jesus is revealing a radical way of living that he is slowly calling Peter to.

The truth, however, is it is not just Peter he is calling to this life, but us as well.

The Apostle Peter’s faith goes deeper

Posted on November 6, 2015November 2, 2015 by Matthew Laker

(Series: Walking with the Apostle Peter and Jesus)

Jesus will transform your life, just as you are part of the journey in transforming someone else’s life.

In Luke 8:40-9:6, Jesus calls a little huddle among the 12. Among this group is Peter. Jesus gives the apostles power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure disease. Then Jesus sends them out to preach about the kingdom of God and heal the sick.

Previously, Peter has been watching people who have faith that Jesus is their only hope. Peter has been witnessing the power of the kingdom of God in others and has been learning how God views him and who he is. Now Jesus creates an environment for Peter to experience him in a deeper and new way. This is an opportunity to trust in him and his word.

I remember when my triplets were born. During those early months we were experiencing much stress and I remember one important conversation. A good friend said to me, “now you have a choice to live out your theology or not.” At the core of that comment was this question:

Do you believe who Jesus says he is and who he says you are?

Jesus sends Peter out on a training mission and tells him to take nothing. We know this is to bring about a lesson, because later he would tell them they can take things with them as they proclaim the Kingdom.

Peter would go from knowledge of Jesus to experience of Jesus. But the question is, for both Peter and ourselves, will what we really believe about Jesus come out in how we live our life?

Peter now has to live out his trust in Jesus as he goes out on his own and trust in who Jesus says he is. Peter’s theology (belief) and faith is put to practical tests.

David Benner shares “true knowing of our self, demands that we know our self as known by God, and true knowing of God demands that we know God not just as an abstraction or as objective data but in and through our lived experience”(The gift of knowing yourself).

Jesus sends Peter into a lived experience so that he would know Jesus in a new and deeper way.

Three questions of reflection:

a) Looking at the circumstance you currently find yourself in, what is God revealing about himself to you? What do you need to accept about him?

b) Looking at the circumstance you currently find yourself in, what are you learning about yourself? How does that align with God’s view of you?

The sending out of the 12 was to proclaim the kingdom of God. However, the first priority was the training of the 12. It was a season for them to put into practise what Jesus had revealed to them; a season for their life to be transformed. Transformed lives have a natural way of proclaiming the kingdom that goes beyond one self.

As you serve others and as you proclaim the kingdom, be aware that Jesus is wanting to teach you something in this process. Be aware that Jesus is wanting your life to be transformed as you are part of the journey of transformation in someone else.