Peter and the Two Fires
When I think of the disciple, Peter, a few words and phrases come to mind. Denier. Hothead. Liked to stick his foot in his mouth. Outspoken. Dedicated. Yes, the thought of Peter evokes many other ideas and images, but today, I would like to give you a new way to remember Peter. It sounds like a story you could read in a book of myths and legends, but I assure you, this story is true. It is the tale of Peter and the two fires.
The first fire is easy to remember, for it is the setting of Peter’s greatest failure. After Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter followed in the shadows. Close enough to see what was happening but far enough away so as not to be caught up by the angry mob. During the mock trial of the Savior, we find Peter warming himself by the fire of the enemy, and it is there, he is first recognized. Just as Jesus predicted, in the moments to follow, Peter denied three times that he knew Jesus. The last denial took place just as Jesus was ushered into the morning light. Peter’s eyes met those of the One he had denied, and the disciple ran off and wept bitterly, ashamed of his betrayal.
“And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And Peter went out, and wept bitterly. ”
So consumed are we with Peter’s first fire, we often fail to remember his second one. This one occurred after the ascension of Christ. Between the resurrection and the time Jesus was caught up to Heaven, Jesus and Peter had a heart to heart. I believe it was during this brief conversation that Peter became a new man. No longer worried about his wellbeing, the disciple became a faithful servant of God, and we see the evidence of that in the book of Acts.
Instead of running, Peter stands tall before the people. Instead of fighting, he becomes an encourager. And instead of allowing his mouth to spout off whatever he thought, he let the words coming out of his mouth be those of the Holy Spirit. He was on fire for God, and his enthusiasm spread like wildfire.
“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. And all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. ”
That, my friends, is a revival! The fire of one man led to the explosion of thousands. And this was not a numbers game either. How do I know? Because the passage says, “they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship.” This wasn’t about feelings. It wasn’t a case of getting caught up in the emotion of a good camp meeting. No, this fire was real, and it was consuming. And it all began with Peter, the one who denied Christ.
We’ve all done stupid things in our lives. Each of us has things in our past we’re not proud of, but if we’ve learned anything from Peter, it’s this—God can still use us! Who would imagine a God-denier would become a soul-winner? God did. It doesn’t matter what we’ve done or where we’ve been. God can change hearts and lives. He can set us on a new path and create something beautiful out of the mess we were. But like Peter, we have to be willing. Willing to accept difficult lessons. Ready to learn from our mistakes. And willing to allow God to change us from the inside out.
God is willing today. Are you?