“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20, NASB).
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Contents:
1) Lessons on Providence from the Case of Simon Peter (Doug Roush)
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Lessons on Providence from the Case of Simon Peter
Doug Roush
The Scriptures contain the promise of God providing for the needs of mankind, and especially the needs of the faithful.
The subject of God’s providence is an important part of God’s revelation to mankind. That aspect of God’s providence is discussed in other articles included in this special issue. The assurance of God’s providence increases when we observe incidents of His providence in the lives of the faithful that are recorded in the Scriptures. The purpose of this article is to explore the incidents of God’s providence in the life of Simon Peter.
Jesus taught, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled” (Matt. 5:6), and, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened” (Matt. 7:7-8). Notice how this promise of providence was carried out in the life of Simon Peter: “One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which is translated, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, ‘You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas’ (which is translated, A Stone)” (John 1:40-42). Notice, John said, “We have found the Messiah!” This infers that John, the other one who was with him, and Peter were “seeking” the Messiah. John (and the other one who was with him) found Jesus through their association with John the Baptist. Peter was introduced to Jesus through his brother, Andrew. Every person who genuinely “hungers and thirsts for righteousness” can point to the means by which he was introduced to the Word of Truth and the relationship with God that developed from it (cf. Rom. 10:14; John 14:15, 21, 23).
In addition to providing for our spiritual necessities, Jesus also taught that God would provide for the physical necessities of those who prioritize the kingdom of God and His righteousness (cf. Matt. 6:25-33). There are at least five incidents of physical providence in the life of Simon Peter recorded in the Gospels. Consider the following:
The Great Catch – Luke 5:1-11. Sometime after Peter had met Jesus, Jesus was teaching on the same shoreline on which Peter was cleaning his fishing nets. Jesus requested to use one of Peter’s boats to teach from because the people were crowding around him so much that it was difficult to speak so that all could hear. After teaching, Jesus instructed Peter to launch out and to let down his nets for a catch. Fishing was Peter’s livelihood. He had fished all night and had caught nothing. Reasoning from his experience, Peter thought it was pointless to attempt making a catch. Nevertheless, he complied with the instructions of Jesus and experienced an astonishing catch. While we often consider this catch to be a miracle, it is possible that it was a matter of “being in the right place at the right time.” Whether Jesus caused the fish to be there, or He knew the fish had naturally moved to this location, the point is that complying with the instructions of Jesus provided this unprecedented catch. Peter’s business was fishing. The income from the sale of this catch would provide for the necessities of Peter’s family for quite a while. If he would continue to follow the instructions of Jesus, Peter’s life would dramatically change. Jesus then told Peter, James, and John to follow Him and He would make them “fishers of men.”
The Healing of Peter’s Mother-in-law – Mark 1:29-31. Not long after Jesus had invited Peter, James, and John to follow Him, He entered the house of Peter. There, Peter’s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever. Immediately, those in the house told Jesus about her, and He healed her. In this case a miracle was enacted to provide for her return to health. Today, God can use the means of medicine and the healing mechanisms He has designed in the human body to provide healing (cf. James 5:14-15).
Physical Provisions for Those Who Were Sent by Jesus – Matt. 10, Mark 6:7, Luke 10:1-7; 22:35. When Jesus sent the twelve apostles, and later the seventy disciples, out to preach, included in His instructions to them was that they were not to take with them any food, money, or extra provisions. Later, He asked them, “When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?” So they said, “Nothing” (Luke 22:35). God had provided for them, just as He had promised (Matt. 6:33). The promise found in Matthew 6:33 is for everyone who will prioritize the kingdom of God and His righteousness.
Provision for the Capernaum Temple Tax – Matt. 17:24-27. To avoid offending the officials, Jesus provided for the payment of the tax without taking money from the benevolent treasury they carried with them (cf. John 12:6). Peter was instructed to “go to the sea, cast a hook and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel. Take and give it to them for me and yourself.” That a person might catch a fish with a shekel in its mouth may not be miraculous (fish are known to eat shiny things that fall through the water, as they may appear to be a dying bait-fish), but the particular instructions given to Peter by Jesus indicate that more than mere chance was in play here. This may, or may not, have been a miracle, but it was certainly an incident of God’s providence.
The “Breakfast Catch” – John 21:1-6. Some time after the resurrection of Jesus, Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, James, John, and two other disciples went fishing one night. Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore and called out to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” When they answered, “No,” Jesus told them to “cast your net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” They did so, and the catch was so great that they could not lift it into the boat, but had to drag it on to the shore. Again, this may or may not have been a miracle. (Fish are known to form into tight schools from time to time. The men were probably right-handed and therefore would be inclined to throw the net from the bow to the left side of the boat.) What is certain is that Jesus knew where the fish were; whether they were naturally there, or He supernaturally caused them to be there. Acting upon His knowledge, provided a great catch. Similarly, when we act upon the knowledge God has revealed in His word, we are provided the answers to life’s most important and profound questions. God has not left us to grope in the darkness of intuition, acting on what may feel or seem right to us, but has, in His word, revealed to us all things that pertain to life and godliness (2 Pet. 1:3).
On the same occasion (John 21:15-17), Jesus provided Peter with the opportunity to reconfirm his love for Him. Previously, on the night of the betrayal of Jesus, Peter had three times denied that he knew Jesus. On this occasion, three times Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love me?” Each time Peter answered in the affirmative, possibly with more conviction than he ever had previously.
The length of this article is not sufficient to include the incidences of providence in the life of Peter as they are recorded in the book of Acts. However, to my knowledge, all of the occasions of providence in the life of Peter that are recorded in the book of Acts are provided through the work of the Holy Spirit and miracles. The apostles were promised by Jesus that they would be led into all truth through the work of the Holy Spirit, and indeed they were. In providing them with “all truth” through the Holy Spirit, we are provided with “all truth.” Jesus instructed the apostles to teach the disciples to “observe all things… And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Peter and the apostles were confident of Christ’s presence and providence as they continued in His word. We can be confident of the same. We do not experience it through miracles, but the apostles did not always experience God’s providence through miracles either. Every time we see a prayer answered, or one of God’s promises kept, through the eye of faith we see the hand of God at work in our lives, providing those things we have need of to live to the praise of His glory.
— Via Truth Magazine, Volume 58, Number 3, March 2014
https://www.truthmagazine.com/archives/volume58/2014_03_Mar_Truth_Magazine.pdf
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The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation
1) Hear the gospel — for that is how faith comes (Rom. 10:17; John 20:30-31).
2) Believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, the Son of God (John 8:24; John 3:18).
3) Repent of sins. For every accountable person has sinned (Romans 3:23; Romans 3:10), which causes one to be spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1) and separated from God (Isaiah 59:1-2; Romans 6:23). Therefore, repentance of sin is necessary (Luke 13:5; Acts 17:30). For whether the sin seems great or small, there will still be the same penalty for either (Matt. 12:36-37; 2 Cor. 5:10) — and even for a lie (Rev. 21:8).
4) Confess faith in Christ (Rom. 10:9-10; Acts 8:36-38).
5) Be baptized in water for the remission of sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; 1 Pet. 3:21). This is the final step that puts one into Christ (Gal. 3:26-27). For from that baptism, one is then raised as a new creature (2 Cor. 5:17), having all sins forgiven and beginning a new life as a Christian (Rom. 6:3-4). For the one being baptized does so “through faith in the working of God” (Col. 2:12). In other words, believing that God will keep His word and forgive after one submits to these necessary steps. And now as a Christian, we then need to…
6) Continue in the faith by living for the Lord; for, if not, salvation can be lost (Matt. 24:13; Heb. 10:36-39; Rev. 2:10; 2 Pet. 2:20-22).
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Tebeau Street
CHURCH OF CHRIST
1402 Tebeau Street, Waycross, GA 31501
Sunday: 9 a.m. Bible Classes and 10 a.m. Worship Service
Wednesday (all but the first): 7 p.m. Bible Classes
First Wednesday of the month: 7 p.m. Congregational Song Service (about 45 minutes of singing, followed by a short talk)
evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (912) 281-9917
Tom@ThomasTEdwards.com
https://thomastedwards.com/go/all.htm (This is a link to the older version of the Gospel Observer website, but with bulletins going back to March 4, 1990.)