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Apples of Gold
Radio Script for February 12, 2010
“Before You Read First and Second Peter”
Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.
If you just sit down and start reading First and Second Peter in the Bible, you won’t get the full effect.
It helps to know all about the author before you begin, so let’s take just a moment and learn more about the extraordinary life of Simon Peter.
Simon was the brother of Andrew, and they were both fishermen from the city of Bethsaida in Galilee. Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist, and he was there when John the Baptist looked at Jesus and said, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”
So Andrew became a follower of Christ, and the first thing he did was go tell his brother Simon, “We have found the Messiah.”
Andrew brought his brother to Jesus, and Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon, the son of John. You shall be called Cephas.” Cephas means Peter which means a rock or a stone. So it was Jesus who gave Simon the name Peter.
One day Jesus told Peter to go out in his fishing boat and let down the nets. Peter was reluctant because they had just fished all night and caught nothing, but he did it and they caught more fish than their nets could handle.
Peter was deeply moved by this miracle and he fell at Jesus’ feet and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” But Jesus said to him, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men.”
At that point Jesus and his brother Andrew left everything and followed Jesus.
Shortly thereafter Jesus did another miracle in Peter’s life – He healed his mother-in-law.
One interesting note: Matthew, Mark and Luke all list Jesus’ 12 disciples, and every time, Peter is listed first.
When Jesus went to raise Jairus’ daughter from the dead, He only allowed three disciples to join Him, and one was Peter.
Peter saw Jesus walking on water, then tried it himself. It worked at first, but then he sank. Jesus caught him and said, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
It wasn’t the last time Jesus chastised Peter. Once Peter said, “Explain the parable to us,” and Jesus said, “Are you still so dull?”
When Jesus predicted that He would suffer and die, Peter said, “Never, Lord! This shall never happen to you!” And Jesus said, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”
But Peter was committed. When Jesus’ teaching grew difficult, and many turned away, Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” And Peter said, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”
Another time Jesus asked them, “Who do you say that I am?” And Peter said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Then Jesus said that that was revealed to Peter by His Father in heaven, then added, “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven…”
Peter was present at the transfiguration, when Moses and Elijah showed up to talk to Jesus. And Peter was enveloped by that cloud from which the voice said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased. Listen to Him!”
It was Peter who Jesus told to go catch a fish and in its mouth he would find money to pay the temple tax.
It was Peter who asked Jesus how many times he needed to forgive his brother.
It was Peter who said, “We’ve left everything to follow You. What will there be for us?”
It was Peter, with John, who went to prepare for the Last Supper, and found things just as Jesus told them.
It was Peter that Jesus rebuked when he fell asleep while praying in the Garden of Gethsemane.
It was Peter who leapt to Jesus’ defense, cutting off a man’s ear during the arrest.
It was Peter who said he would lay down his life for Jesus, then Jesus told him that, actually, Peter would deny Him . . . three times. And it was Peter who, after denying Him, “went outside and wept bitterly.”
On resurrection day, the young man in white inside the empty tomb told the women to “…go, tell His disciples and Peter…”
Peter ran to the tomb with John, went inside and found only the burial cloths. And the risen Savior appeared specifically to Peter.
Then Peter witnessed another miracle catch of fish as the risen Jesus instructed them from the shore. And corresponding to the number of times Peter denied Him, Jesus asked him three times, “Simon, do you love me?” And each time Peter said, “You know that I love You.”
After Jesus’ ascension, Peter became a lead spokesman for the church. On the Day of Pentecost, it was Peter who spoke to the crowd and 3,000 were saved. He preached of Jesus in Samaria as well as to the Gentiles. He is the one who dealt with Ananias and Sapphira and Simon the Sorcerer.
The Lord healed many people through Peter, and raised the dead, and people clamored even to be in his shadow when he walked past. In Jesus’ name Peter raised such a ruckus that he was arrested more than once. He was even flogged, but his attitude was, “We will obey God rather than men.” Once he was imprisoned and scheduled for execution, but an angel came and set him free.
In one exciting 15 day period, a relatively new Christian named Paul came to Jerusalem and stayed with Peter. And Paul later had to rebuke Peter for letting some his old Jewish ways sneak into his Christianity.
After all this, all the ups and downs, all the excitement of seeing the Lord work in astounding ways; after the low point of denying Jesus, and the high point of being filled with His Spirit and leading thousands to Christ – after all this, Peter sat down to write.
And now you are ready to read what he wrote.
Now you can dig into those two powerful books, First and Second Peter.
Comments?
E-mail me: dougapple@wave94.com.
May God bless you today! With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
© 2010 The Arrow’s Tip
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(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)
Why “The Arrow’s Tip”? Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold. Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.” I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.
Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL 32315
(850) 926-8000
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