BE A SERVANT LIKE PETER
When Jesus went back to heaven, Peter found himself as the new leader of the disciples. He saw a need and was willing to fulfill it. He said they should choose someone to replace Judas (Acts 1:16-26). He preached on Pentecost (Acts 2). He allowed God to heal the lame man through him (Acts 3). He courageously defied the Sanhedrin (Acts 4) and dealt with the hypocrisy of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5). Confronting sin among believers is always hard to do, but it is something we, like Peter, have to do to keep the church pure.
Wherever he was needed, Peter served. He traveled to Samaria to preach and deal with Simon the magician (Acts 8). He was a leader at the Jerusalem Council, which decided Gentiles didn’t have to become Jews before they could become Christians (Acts 15). He traveled to wherever his help and encouragement was needed. He visited Lydda (Acts 9:32), he allowed God to heal Aeneas and bring Dorcas back to life through his ministry (Acts 9:40).
Peter was even willing to take the gospel to a Gentile, Cornelius, even though entering a Gentile home was something he had been strictly forbidden to do as a Jew (Acts 10). We must be willing to go wherever God wants and do whatever He asks. He may send us to talk to someone we may think is below us, like Peter felt about Cornelius. But we must obey Him anyway. No one is too rich or too poor for God’s love. Others may not think we should minister to those who seem to be beneath us, but if God leads, we must take his Word wherever He wants.
Peter took Mark with him as he traveled and ministered. His purpose was to train Mark so he could minister on his own. Mark wrote a gospel, the Gospel of Mark, based on what he heard Peter say about his time with Jesus. So, when you read Mark, you are really reading Peter’s words. Make sure you always take someone with you to train when you do ministry. An important part of being a leader is training other leaders!
Peter served in many different ways and places. He did whatever was needed, and he went wherever God sent him. He didn’t tell God what he wanted to do or where he wanted to go; he let God decide and then followed His guidance. After all, a good leader first of all must be a good follower!
As leaders, we must be sensitive to where God wants us to minister and what He wants us to do. We can’t look at other ministries and want to be like them. We can’t think bigger is better and be concerned about how our ministry looks to others. We are not trying to impress anyone. God is the only one whose opinion we should be concerned about. We are here to ser Him, not expect Him to serve us. God will say, “Well done, good and faithful servant” when we do what He wants, not just what we want. We must be like Peter and do what God wants, not what we want to do.
Does God know He can assign you anything and send you any place He wants? Are you, willing to serve anywhere? Is there anything you don’t want to do to serve God? Is there any place you wouldn’t go if He sent you? Is there any person or group you wouldn’t serve if asked? Is anything too large or hard to trust God to do through you? Does anything seem too unimportant or menial for Him to have you do it? Think of the various places and ways God has used you in the past. Thank Him for each one of them.
cto Rev. Dr. JERRY SCHMOYER
Christian Training Organization
Jerry@ChristianTrainingOrganization.org
(India Outreach, Spiritual Warfare, Family Ministries, Counseling, World View)
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