Inspiring and Active

One Sunday Morning in a Midwest City a young child was acting up during the morning worship hour. So the parents did their best, trying everything to maintain a sense of order. But they were losing the battle. And finally the father picked the little fellow up and walked sternly up the aisle on their way out. Just before they got to the safety of the foyer, the little fellow cried out to the congregation, “Pray for me, pray for me.”

A preacher was talking to a precocious six year old boy and he said, “so, your mother says your prayers for you each night, is that right.” He said, “that’s right.” The preacher said, “well, what does she say?” The little boy responded, “she says, ‘thank God he’s in bed.’”

A little girl was asked in Sunday School what she had learned about marriage by observing mom and dad. The little girl said, “what I have learned is this, when your mom is mad at your dad don’t let her brush your hair!”

A couple had a son who was a sophomore in college, who had given them quite a bit of trouble during his adolescent years. Mom and Dad took a trip to Europe, and while they were there they sent him a postcard.

The note said, “we are now standing high on a cliff from which the Ancient Greek women used to hurl their defective children to the rocks below. Wish you were here.”

During the minister’s prayer one Sunday there was this loud whistle from the back pew. Gary’s mother was horrified as she realized it was him, and she pinched him into silence. After the service Gary’s mother said, “Gary, what possessed you to whistle right there during the prayer.” Gary said, “I asked God to teach me to whistle and he just then did.”

A little boy’s prayer was overheard, “Dear God please take care of my daddy and my mommy and my sister and my brother and my doggy and me- and please God take care of yourself because without you we sure would be in a big mess.”

Isn’t that the truth? Without God we’d be in a big mess!

Last week we started on a four week series of Biblical reflections on personality types.

Four Basic Personality Types:

Driven to Achieve Like Paul

Inspiring and Active Like Peter

Steady and Loyal Like Abraham

Cautious and Detail Oriented Like Moses

Exposition

V. 13-15 The question everyone in the world must answer

Caesarea Philippi Video

Who do men say that I am?

It seems everyone had an opinion about who Jesus is- and they still do

But here’s the more important question-

Who do you say that I am?

What you do with Jesus Christ will determine your eternal destiny. Whether you remain in your sin and continue on your way to Hell. Or whether you acknowledge that he is God, and that He died as your sin substitute, and receive him as your Savior and Lord.

“if you do not believe that I Am, you will die in your sins.” -John 8:24

Jesus claimed to be God. He did not present Himself as one option among many options to get eternal life. He claimed to be the sole source of eternal life.

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except by Me.” -John 14:6

There are those that teach Jesus was a good man, or a prophet but not God.

Folks, C.S. Lewis was right when he said Jesus didn’t give us that option.

He is either a Liar, Lunatic, or truly the Lord.

Jesus was a Liar if he said he was God but really wasn’t.

Jesus was a Lunatic if he believed he was God but really wasn’t.

Or Jesus is the Lord because He said he was God and really was!

V. 16-18 Peter answers well and Jesus encourages him

Peter was known to blurt out! That’s what primary I’s do!

Whether they are right or wrong, they blurt out!

Like Horseshack on Welcome Back Kotter:

OOOOOH, MR. KOTTER, I KNOW THE ANSWER!

This time Peter was right!

And Jesus encourages Peter with public recognition-

That is like oxygen to a man with Peter’s personality!

Now others often resent “I’s” and accuse them of craving attention- but for this personality it’s more than that- it’s the way God made them

If you have a child like this and don’t praise them, they will always feel insecure

Other disciples must have spit out their water-

That’s a good one Jesus! Oh, He’s not kidding!

Peter was so inspiring and active- even though he was somewhat spazzy and unpredictable, Jesus called him a Rock

In the book of Acts chapter 2 it was Peter that preached, and 3,000 were saved. They had only been 120, and now they were 3,120.

A chapter later Peter preached again, and 2,000 more were saved.

It was God the Holy Spirit who did it, but He chose to do it through Peter, the Rock!

At his or her best, the Primary I like Peter is inspiring to multitudes!

But now let’s turn to the downside of being an I!

V. 21-22 Peter rebukes Jesus

Saying that is enough to know Peter was skating on thin ice!

I’s have a hard time with the concept of hardship and suffering

They are active and they are up- and when they are not that way they feel as if something is wrong in the universe

Because they are naïve in understanding that suffering happens to all, they often don’t react well to suffering

And here is the paradox of an inspiring and active person-As great as they seemed in doing things for the Lord one day, you often hear of them then doing something incredibly sinful and stupid another day

Remember the movie “those magnificent men in their flying machines, they go upptity up, they go downtyty down.” That’s too often the person like Peter, a roller coaster of emotions!

How do you approach a person like that?

V. 23 Jesus speaks directly and firmly to Peter

Get behind me Satan!

You are not mindful of the things of God but the things of man.

Now with most people calling them Satan to their face would not be the thing to do.

But with a person like Peter, being direct and firm will be the only way they hear it; Talking to a third party about him won’t do it; Beating around the bush with him won’t do it

You are used to hear a Peter say embarrassingly direct things- you need to say direct things to him

I am convinced Jesus would not use this same approach with some of the other disciples with other personalities, but with Peter it was a must

Jesus does it again later in Luke 22:31-34, speaking direct words Peter could later take hope in

And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”

But he said to Him, “Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.” Then He said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me.” -Luke 22:31-34

When you know an inspiring and active person like Peter, it is unthinkable to you that they could fall- but just like everyone else they can

But if a Primary I knows you love him or her, he will usually hear what you have to say

Now note this: He will argue with it, and you will wonder if he heard, but let me assure you that he heard

Now if you think all of this is poppycock, let me offer another example

I believe that Paul figured out Peter was like this- Galatians 2:11-16

Primary I’s like Peter often make the mistake of trying too hard to be liked by the crowd they are with, and sometimes compromise the truth they know to be accepted- It’s not just teenage Christians in their schools that struggle with that!

Before his Jewish friends arrived, Peter was eating Gentile food as he fellowshipped with Gentile Christians

These would have been things previously forbidden for Peter to eat but now God had commanded him to eat to fellowship with even more people

When Peter’s Jewish friends arrived, to fit in with them he went to eat with them- even Barnabas was swayed

So Paul got there, and he saw Jewish Christians at one table and Gentile Christians at another

The walls of division that Christ had torn down had been put back up because Peter was worried what his Sunday School class would think if he hung out with new people who didn’t do things the way his judgmental friends thought they should

So when Paul got there, he looked at Peter, and said, come over here- and firmly and directly he looked Peter in the eyes and told him what Peter already knew to be true but had lacked the courage to act on

Former President Clinton did this all the time- wanting to be liked by the crowd he was speaking to, he would say things directly in contrast to the last group he spoke with- mostly because he needed the charge of being liked by the crowd he was before

When a Primary I doesn’t act to control the desire to please people, it becomes a sinful character flaw

Primary I’s are also the most creative excuse makers!

Aaron’s sin and creative excuse! Exodus 32:1-6 vs. Exodus 32:21-25

Here’s what the Primary “I” need to learn:

First and foremost seek the praise of God, not man

Inspiring and Active people often desperately want to make people happy- and they often will be tempted to compromise to please people

They need to remember that pleasing God is more important than pleasing people

“His lord said to him, ‘well done thou good and faithful servant.” -Matthew 25:21

“Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.”

-Galatians 1:10

Surround yourself with godly advisors who care enough about you to confront you! And listen to them!

Beating around the bush won’t work with an I- they will never get what you are trying to say

“Danny, you can run now- but when are you going to stop running.” -Craig Williford

“Danny, you don’t need a woman who will simply be your cheerleader- you need a woman who will stand up to you and tell you you’re wrong.”

-John Pierce

“Danny, you have a presence and smile- be careful to only use it for God’s purposes.” -Bob Reccord

Remember the power of your choices

There is a poignant moment at the end of Harry Potter The Chamber of Secrets. Harry has discovered that his blood is tainted with Slytherin blood. He is questioning the Principal of Hogwarts, Dumbledore, about why the Sorting Hat had placed him not with the evil Slytherins, but instead in the house of Griffendore.

Dumbledore’s reply is so poignant: “Harry, it is not our abilities that show who we really are- it is our choices.”

Genetics is important but it can’t overcome environment.

Environment is important but it can’t overcome circumstances.

Circumstances are important but it can’t overcome our choices.

You don’t have to live a sinful script- you can choose life in Jesus!

“To him who overcomes… I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.” Revelation 2:17

Peter: Rock Carl Pitts: Soul Feeder Scotti Troxell: Encourager

Don’t you want a new name? Let’s Pray! Gospel!