(Read John 1, John 12 and Luke 5)
This morning we continue our series, “Grace that is Simply Amazing” by continuing our mini-series entitled, “Grace Based Success (Prosperity)”. Yesterday I introduced you to Simon Peter. Today we begin our journey studying his life.
Peter was born Simon, son of Jonah, in the Galilean town of Bethsaida. He was raised there with his brother Andrew. Peter later married and moved his family, along with his mother in-law, to Capernaum. Capernaum is only about four miles away from Bethsaida. It is a coastal town on the banks of the Sea of Galilee. Capernaum ‘just so happened’ to be the place where Jesus established His ministry headquarters.
Simon Peter and his brother were followers of John the Baptist. One day Andrew was with John the Baptist when John’s cousin, Jesus, approached. When John saw Jesus coming he said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! He is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘A man is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’ I did not recognize him as the Messiah, but I have been baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel.” Andrew was so taken by what John said that he started following Jesus. Later Andrew went to find Simon Peter and he told him, “We have found the Messiah”.
So what does this mean to you today? Two things.
1. Nothing happens by chance.
a) Jesus was born in Bethlehem to fulfill prophecy (Micah 5:2). As a newborn, Jesus was taken to Egypt because Herod wanted him dead, but this was also done to fulfill prophecy (Hosea 11:1). After Herod’s death Jesus’ family moved to Nazareth, because it was prophesied that he would be called a Nazarene (Matthew 2:23). Jesus later established His ministry headquarters in Capernaum. Do you know why? Yes, you guessed it. Another prophesy. It was prophesied that he would humble the the land of Zebulun and Naphtali (Isaiah 9:1). If you look up the land of Zebulun and Naphtali you will find that it was a region on the Galilean coast, later named Capernaum.
b) Simon Peter was born and raised in Bethsaida, but he later moved his family to Capernaum. It was in Capernaum that Simon and his brother Andrew would have a chance encounter with Jesus. This encounter changed their lives forever and it also changed the course of history. A young fisherman focused on raising a young family left everything to follow Jesus in order to become a fisher of men.
c) On the surface Simon Peter’s story seems like a story of chance. It seems like it ‘just so happened’ that Simon and Jesus’ paths crossed. But nothing ‘just so happens’ in life. There is no such thing as luck. The phrases “as luck would have it” or “as chance would have it” are dismissive of God’s providence. Everything that happened in Jesus’ life was carefully calculated. The Father had a plan for Jesus, He had a plan for Peter, and He most certainly has a plan for you!
2. God is Sovereign and He has a plan for you.
a) Your book may not be called the Bible and the prophecies declared over your life may not be available for everyone to read, but you can rest assured that God has spoken over you. God made a plan for you before the world began, He made the plan by His unearned grace, and He then deposited His grace IN you to fulfill the plan. Everything you need to succeed in life is IN you and every ‘chance’ encounter you need to experience will happen!
b) I know it sometimes seems like God does not have a plan for your life. The devil will want you to feel like somehow God left you out of His planning process. Or that you have disqualified yourself along the way. But don’t listen to satan. God has a plan tailor-made for you and His plan is not performance-based. You don’t have to earn it or work for it. You simply have to believe, die to self, accept His plan, and walk in His best, by your faith and His amazing grace.
c) I know it sometimes feels like things are going haywire in your life. Don’t fret. You are destined and God’s plan is still in place. When you feel like you have been tossed to and fro, from pillar to post, from place to place, you’re simply following the zig-zag road that Jesus did. Jesus went here and there, and it was all part of God’s plan. So fear not, God is still God, He is still on the throne, He still has a plan for you, and if you cooperate with Him, it SHALL COME TO PASS! Not because you are so good, but because God is so good – only because of His grace!
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for teaching me about Your grace and my requirement to live by faith. You made plans for me before the world began, You made those plans by Your unearned grace, and You then gave me the grace to do my part to see them come to pass. Just thinking about the awesomeness of Your power and goodness makes me want to praise You. You alone are worthy. You alone are the Most High God. You alone sit on the circle of the earth. You alone have all things in and under control. There is no God BUT YOU! You are the only God I acknowledge. You are the only deity there is. I worship You this morning. You are completely sovereign. You know all things. You have all power. You are in all places and all times at the same time. There is no such thing as luck or chance. The only chance encounters I have are the chance encounters of the God kind! I experience all You need me to experience in order to become the person I was born to be. Every episode of my life is taking me incrementally closer to Your overall expected end for me. I shall arrive at Your desired destination for my life. Not because I am so good, but because You are! Only because of Your unearned and amazing grace. I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
