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

The title of the message: The men whom Jesus made.

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

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 that Jesus spent

so much time with -

Let’s start a series of sermons…

TODAY‘S MAN THAT JESUS MADE…

Simon Peter!

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.

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. 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?

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

persevered. 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?

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.

1210 20

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What qualifications did they have? Most were 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 than 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 Latin and Hebrew.

What did Jesus make these men?

He said follow me and I will make you… into what?

Rich, no! Cultured? No! 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.

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. Have you made your mind up. Have you truly made up your

mind? Tell your neighbour- I’ve made up my mind.

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. I’m going fishing he says to the others-

and they immediately reply- we’re going with you.

He had 2 qualities that lay at the root of LeadershipInitiative 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?

THERE IS NONE LIKE YOU

NO ONE ELSE CAN TOUCH MY HEART LIKE YOU DO

I COULD SEARCH FOR ALL ETERNITY LONG, AND FIND

THERE IS NONE LIKE YOU

THERE IS NONE LIKE YOU

NO ONE ELSE CAN TOUCH MY HEART LIKE YOU DO

I COULD SEARCH FOR ALL ETERNITY LONG, AND FIND

THERE IS NONE LIKE YOU

THERE IS NONE LIKE YOU

NO ONE ELSE CAN TOUCH MY HEART LIKE YOU DO

I COULD SEARCH FOR ALL ETERNITY LONG, AND FIND

THERE IS NONE LIKE YOU

I COULD SEARCH FOR ALL ETERNITY LONG, AND FIND

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…

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…and then 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…

Peter was Inconsistent!

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

Peter has a deep sense of sin! If he fell he fell deeply- 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 when he cries out - depart from me – for I am a sinful man o lord.

The sense of sin 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. 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 on

the life of Peter.

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

Have you told Jesus that you love Him today? Are you in love with Jesus?

Peter loved Jesus with an everlasting love…and all of his hope was in Him!

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. They spent 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…

I don’t know what you are talking about. Remember what Jesus told him- before the

rooster crows you will deny me three times. No Peter insisted! Even if I have to die with you! I will never deny you! But he did. 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.....

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.

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. 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!

Peter must have thought…

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

Peter knew that it was the Christ- and knew that Christ was exalted as the Holy One- the one and only King…

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 Bible 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 folks, but never ever can you be separated from the love of God.

Won’t you step to the well of His love and drink… 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!

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!