And He said unto them; follow me I will make you

The title of my message: The man whom Jesus made.

Are you man made, are you self made or are you Christ made?

I want to challenge the Church today to go and study each and every one of the 12 disciples the

Jesus spent so much time with- forming them, making them…

Let’s start a series of sermons…

I want to start today with a man Jesus made…Simon Peter!

As they shine out from the gospel thou few in number, they are wide in their variety. They are

typical of the various kinds and classes of men and woman Christ calls to his kingdoms still. And in

their gift and defects we learn valuable lessons, of the gifts Christ can use and of the defects he can

rectify in making men of the noblest kind out of the humblest most unpromising material.

The question I want to ask. Why did Jesus select the men He chose, for His special treatment the

kind of men they were and the success He achieved by His selection.

1. Jesus chose the twelve that they might be with Him. Luke said it, He wanted friends he

wanted fellowship, He was alone in a world of growing hostility. He called them when He

yearned for His sympathy in Gethsemane. We know how weak the disciples were often

times through the word of God, yet Peter could say Master we have left all and followed

thee. It was a hard service as they persevere. Many took counsel to destroy them when they

left all to follow him. These were not ordinary worshipping when they dared to be known as

the friend of the Nazarene Jesus Christ. Christ valued their loyalty, at the close He said, ye

are they who have continued with me in my temptations and I appoint unto you a kingdom.

Have you ever dared to be unpopular for Christ then you can afford the cowardess of the

twelve at the last?

2. The second reason he chose the twelve was to carry on his work when He was gone. Jesus

wrote in the hearts of men and it was His chief reason that they were to be his witness. He

would perish but the word written in their hearts would remain. They were to be his torch

bearers to carry on the fire to others. By far most of his time he spend teaching the twelve

Christ was crucified to crowds melted the disciples alone remained, and the letters and the

words he wrote on the hearts of Peter and John became the imperishable possession of the

human race.

3. Why 12, their number is small but very significant. It was twelve not ten, not twenty not

nine, but twelve. It definitely has a reference to the twelve tribes of Israel. It meant to

indicate that Christ was instituting a new kingdom to take the place of the old that was

about to pass away- the kingdom of God. It was part of Christ’s messianic claim when He

said; go preach the good news saying the kingdom of God is at hand.

4. What qualifications did they have, they were poor and illiterate. Most of them were

fishermen, one was a tax gatherer, the most despised of all Jewish callings. They did not

belong to the intellectual class. Why did Jesus choose the poor? Was it to teach men that

God will use the poor and despised to confound the things that are mighty. Was it to teach

men that God can use the feeblest instrument to affect his purpose so that no flesh should

glory in His presence? It is better to be Gods fool that the worlds wisest man. Though few in

number and poor in outward wealth. These men represented the whole human race it

seemed. There is Peter the impulsive man of action and John the quiet man of thought, and

Andrew the eager home missionary and Thomas the desponding doubter. There is Matthew

the Romans tax gatherer, and Simon the fiery patriot and Judas Iscariot….. What a mixture

they are. Is it not wonderful that we can see the prophecy of the future when Christ said if I

be lifted up I will draw all men unto me? The cultured the ignorant the rich the poor the

sinful the innocent. He is the universal saviour, He has a message for everyone, he speaks

with a language that can be understood by the whole human race for on His cross there was

an inscription in Greek and latter and Hebrew.

5. What did Jesus make these men? He said follow me and I will make you… into what? Rich,

no not that, cultured, no not that, make you to be fishers of men. The truly Christ made man

is a man who is a saviour of his fellow men, the crown of manhood according to Christ is

service, the service of man even as Jesus son of God came not to be ministered unto but to

minister and give His life a ransomed for many.

6. After three years in the college of Jesus they went forth equipped with such power that men

were amazed and took knowledge of them and knew that they had been with Jesus.

Two things to notice, every true apostle must be first a disciple. To do any work for Christ you

must first be a learner at His feet. Some young converts are a fool of enthusiasm but they forget

the training of the twelve, to be a vessel fit for the masters use you must first be a Christ made

man.

Secondly, a true disciple should end in being an apostle Christ chose men to be with him, but

also that he might sent them from Him. As the father has sent me, so have I send you. The

sacrifice these men made seemed great to them when they left all and followed Jesus, but he

has made it up to them a hundred fold and he will do the same for you. There is no man who

has left houses of land for my sake but shall receive in this world a hundred fold and in the world

to come eternal life.

PETER… The man who became a rock.

Of all the men Jesus made – Simon Peter is one we know the best and love the most.

Peter’s feet walked on water, his hands distributed the miracle food to the five thousand. His

eyes saw Moses and Elijah standing next to Jesus on Transfiguration Hill. His lips swore

allegiance.

Jesus truly transformed the unstable nature of Peter into the consistency of a rock and on this

rock He built the Church- the New Kingdom. The words with which Jesus greeted him at His first

meeting with the Apostle are prophetic of the noble development which was to take place in

Peter and under the training of the Master- Thou art Simon the son of Jonah – thou shall be

called Cephas which is by interpretation a stone.

The word Jonah means literally a dove – and perhaps there is a reference in Christ’s mentioned

of it to the weakness and softness which lay beneath Peter’s apparent strength. Thou art the

son of a dove, but in My Hands thou shall become the man of rock. At all events that is what

Peter became in the Hands of Christ and what He did with Him He can do with you. He can

transform the weakest of us all into the consistency of a rock.

Peter’s Natural Gifts…

He was a born leader of men. He was the obvious leader of the band from the beginning of the

gospel and he holds it to the end. I’m going fishing he says to the others= and they immediately

reply- we’re going with you. Peter was the leader- and with Jesus being gone…Peter was the

rock of the New Testament Church. He had 2 qualities that lay at the root of Leadership=-

initiative and courage.

Peter was a great initiator. While others were still thinking what must be done, Peter was ready

with his word or action. The words sprang to his lips as quick as the flash upon the water. When

Jesus said to the disciples- will you also go away? Peter answered Lord- to who shall we go- you

have the words of eternal life. And when Jesus said- Who do you say I am – Peter answered You

are the Christ- the son of the living God.

Peter knew that Jesus was the only One- there was none like Jesus! Is there someone else in

your life? Who do you trust in? What will you answer? Is Jesus really the only one? Can you

say today- there is none like you Jesus?

SING – THERE IS NONE LIKE YOU!

Courage was even a greater quality of Peter. All through his life – from the day when it took a

lot of courage and faith when at the shore of Galilee Peter left all to follow Christ. We see it in

the storm on the lake where he adventures his life on the water to come to Jesus- we see it

when he drew his sword in the garden and smote off the ear of the guard- but most of all we see

it after the resurrection when he faced the fanatical fury of Jerusalem and he preached a

crucified and risen Christ.

DEFECTS IN THE PERSONALITY OF PETER

One of the great examples of Peter’s impulsiveness was the walking on the water…j

At first he see’s a ghost coming on the water…he is filled with fear!

Then he realises that it is His Master- He is then filled with courage and he cries out in his heart…

soon he finds himself on the waves and his courage oozes out as he cries out- Lord save me- I

perish!

Another example is the foot washing – first he cries out in reverence- thou shall never wash my

feet! When another extreme- not my feet only – but also my hands and my head.

On the night he betrayed Jesus- Lord, I will never deny you…

2- Peter was Inconsistent!

Peter was courageous on occasions, but this courage of his could not be relied on. It tended to

break down when the first flow of feeling which gave it expression.

Peter has a deep sense of sin! If he fell he fell deeply…so deeply that at one time it seemed as if

there were to be two Juases in the band- yet he always followed that by a repentance deeper

still, washing away the mire of his soul in a fountain of tears. This tenderness of conscience is

seen in him at the very first. And its source is manifest the same moment- depart from e – he

cries – for I am a sinful man o lord. The sense of sin may be induced from two sources. It may

come from a vision of sin- when you show a man’s conscience what is sin, but there is much

deeper way of inducing the sense of sin- the vision of Christ.

If you spend time with a man of God – you experience a deep sense of your own sin.

It was that Peter felt in the presence of Jesus. As he looked at the pure beauty of that life of love

– his whole soul was pierced with self contempt- and yet Peter did not depart from Christ. He

followed Him wheresoever’s He led. Why?

Because Peter had a deep love for Christ. When Jesus asks Peter – do you love me…and Peter

answered Lord You know all things- you know that I love you…Peter was not boasting then- all

his earthly life he had been in love with Christ. His sense of sin at the first, his refusal to let Jesus

wash his feet, his sword thrust in the garden of betrayal, his tears of penitence in that dark night,

his race to the grave on the morning of the resurrection, they are all chords in that great strong

anthem which finds it outburst on the lake shore.

John is the disciple whom Jesus loved, but Peter is the disciple who loved Jesus.

SING TAKE ALL OF ME…

It was this love that made Peter the man he afterwards became. On the morning of the

resurrection Jesus told the woman at the tomb to go and tell my disciples and Peter that I have

risen. We can almost hear the excitement in Peter’s heart when he heard the message of Jesus-

did Jesus say and Peter? That means Jesus still loves me…even after I denied Him 3 times!

I want to draw your attention to one of the main events in Peter’s life – the last supper. All of

the twelve thought that it would be a great party- good food, good company and uninterrupted

time spent with Christ. But in the middle of the meal Jesus had dropped a bombshell: Tonight

all of you will desert me.

They all scoffed at the idea- Peter declared- even if everyone else desert you- I never will… and

all the other disciples vowed the same. Abandon Jesus? Impossible.

Before the dark became dawn- all his disciples ran away… when the Romans appeared, the 12

disappeared in a blur of running knees and elbows. Those mighty men who are today stained-

glassed in a thousand cathedrals spend the night crawling beneath donkeys and hiding in

haystacks. They abandoned him and ran away.

But, even more amazing, when Jesus rose from the dead – He never mentioned it once? He

never brought it up – He could have said- Hey thanks guys…great friends you are! Or when they

entered the Upper Room he could have reminded them of their betrayal… but He didn’t.

One night the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the

Jewish leaders and suddenly Jesus was standing there among them! Peace be with you- He said.

Why peace… because He knew the turmoil in all of their hearts because they deserted him…

Jesus is saying tonight- Peace be with you…

They outran the guards but they could never outrun the love of Christ. Will be you be still

tonight and receive His peace…

Sing…be still my soul be still!

Desert Jesus and He’ll still love you. Deny Jesus if you ask Peter and He will still love you!

While Christ faced a trial- Peter faced his own. As he warmed by a fire a servant girl came to

Peter and said- You were one of those with Jesus- but Peter denied it in front of everyone. I

don’t know what you are talking about.

Remember what Jesus told him- before the rooster crows you will deny my three times. No

Peter insisted! Even if I have to die with you! I will never deny you! But he did. Here times. He

even cursed the name of his dearest friend – and then the rooster crowed. At that moment the

Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then peter remembered that the Lord had said…

Peter left the courtyard crying bitterly…

Jesus will never look at me again- he must have thought. Days after the resurrection Peter and

some of the disciples decided to go back to Galilee and fish. Why? Why would a witness of the

resurrection go fishing? He may have been hungry? He may have been unconvinced. Christ can

defeat death but he can never love a betrayer…

And then whilst fishing they heard the voice – when Jesus called to his friends, urging them to

cast their net on the right side of the boat. The fact that they did not recognise Jesus didn’t keep

them from trying. After they pull in a large haul of fish- John recognised the Master- it is Jesus!

Peter jumped out of the boat and swam – is this not another sign of the water as a baptism

before he could to Jesus?

Before long the two were standing of all places next to a fire – Peter had denied Christ at the

first fire, but he couldn’t deny the love of Christ at this fire…

Maybe Peter told this to Paul- and maybe Paul was brushing away a tear as he said- I am

convinced- nothing can ever separate us from the Love of Christ.

Deny Jesus and he’ll still love you

Doubt Jesus and he’ll still love you!

Thomas- needed to see for himself that the Christ was risen- where we see in John 11:16 that

Thomas was ready to go and die with Jesus!

The other rejoiced- Thomas was silent… The others celebrated…Thomas was silent! He needed

firsthand experience and Christ gave exactly that! Jesus appeared and said- put your finger here

and see my hands- put your hand in my pierced side… And Thomas did!

Only a God could come back from the dead… And only a God of love would come back for a

doubter…

Thomas knew that it was the Christ- and knew that Christ was exalted as the Holy One- the one

and only King…

Sing Exalted…

Paul was convinced… Are you?

Are you convinced that you have not lived one loveless day!!! When you deserted Christ- He

loved you. you hid from him – He came looking for you…

His unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the

earth. The big news of the Bile is not that you love God but that God loves you! Not that you

know God but that God already knows you!

He tattooed your name on the palm of His hand- His thoughts of you outnumber the sand on the

shore… You never leave his mind- escape his sight – flee his thoughts@! He sees the worst of

you and loves you still. Your sins of tomorrow and failings of the future will not surprise him –

he sees them now…

You may be separated from your spouse, you kids, your folds, but never ever can you be

separated from the love of God.

Won’t you step to the well of His love and drunk… it may take some time to feel the difference,

occasional drinks won’t satisfy a thirsty heart- but ceaseless swallow will… once filled up by his

love- you’ll never be the same!

SING ALL WHO ARE THIRSTY!

Peter was never the same! He traded his boat for a pulpit and he never looked back!

All of the disciples were changed forever! The same 12 that ran and fled – travelled the world of

faith as they shared the good news of Jesus Christ.

They were changed…

May you be changed today as you experience His Love!

WHEN I LOOK AT THE BLOOD…

You denied Him He loved you!!!

Realise- Peter denies Christ 3 times…in public- a sign of divorce – when afterwards Jesus asks

Peter 3 times- Peter- do you love me… 3 times Peter tells Jesus that He loves them- as Jesus

marries Peter once again.