Brave Enough to Follow
BRAVE ENOUGH TO FOLLOW
Stuart Briscoe
No doubt these powerful men were taken aback that Peter and John completely flouted traditional Sanhedrin protocol, which demanded that persons brought before them should be dressed in mourning and appear humble in attitude. (p.12)
Notice how Jesus phrased his declaration: “You are Simon… you will be Cephas.” Present tense, future tense. What is Jesus seeing in this man Simon? Potential. You are one thing now, by you will be something else in the future. (p. 22)
We need to be brought into the position where we’re exposed to the divine perspective. (p. 22)
Peter knew that if Jesus left, he would be desolate, but if He stayed. Peter would live with constant reminders of his own failures and shortcomings. (p.31)
Perhaps Charles Spurgeon said it best: “Beware of no one more than yourself. We carry our worst enemies within us.” (p. 33)
The rule of thumb for Jesus’ disciples is: we’re not expected to speak authoritatively about matters of which we are ignorant, and we’re not expected to stay silent on issues about which we have been enlightened. (p. 64)
We abhor halfhearted, second-best efforts. But Jesus knew the difference between inferior and simply not-yet-polished. He had drafted average men, sent them to represent him in less-than-perfect ministries, and blessed their efforts. Why? He knew they would only develop by starting badly and getting better. He knew that, in the end, it’s not the perfection of the instrument but the skill of the artist that produces the finest music. Peter allowed himself to be the instrument upon which Jesus performed. And tht is all He asks of each of us. (p. 66)
They were in danger of being eager for ministry because of the way it reflected positively on themselves, rather than being thrilled that people were being blessed and God was being glorified. (p. 71)
Human resources, however limited, when willingly offered and divinely empowered, are more than adequate to achieve divine ends. (p. 76)
So what happened when they saw someone walking on water? They “saw” a ghost. Their preconceived ideas precluded them from seeing reality, and allowed them to see only what they found acceptable. What they believed determined what they perceived. From them, believing was seeing. We’re no different today. (p. 77)
Contrary to what we may believe, the effectiveness of prayer is not determined by volume, eloquence, or duration, but by its earnest sincerity and the ability of the Receiver of prayers to hear and answer. (p. 79)
Jesus wanted his disciples to recognize that spiritual possibilities are not determined by human abilities, but by divine power. (p. 79)
We need unlikely pillars, unmovable anchors. Steadfast people. People who, like Peter, know their faults and failings, but also know where truth is found. (p. 85)
Far too many people think of church as somewhere they go – or don’t go – whereas Jesus showed that church is something we are. (p. 93)
Our human tendency is to desire blessing without cost, solutions to problems without delay, and the fulfillment of desires without inconvenience. In our culture, desires have in many cases developed into rights, and when these “rights” are not met, resentment sets in. This resentment is directed at God, who in some strange human equation is required to bless as demanded and retire gracefully into irrelevance once He has delivered. Should He fail to do so, He is dismissed into oblivion or treated with disdain. (p. 102)
Someone has said that the difference between the people of the West and the East is that the former say, “Get this pain off my back,” while the latter say “Strengthen my back to bear this pain.” (p. 103)
In this particular case, it appears that the disciples, having been commissioned and equipped to deal with demons, had become casual and self-sufficient rather than earnest and dependent. (p. 116)
Like Jesus’ team members, we look back to our previous successes and become careless about the source of power, confident in our skills and experience, and eventually as ineffective as the disciples were. (p. 117)
The heavenly Father has forgiven his children so much that they, of all people, should be the most forgiving people (see Matthew 18: 23-35). (p. 124)
To forgive means our pride is left unsatisfied. It takes a humble person to accept wounded pride. (p. 124)
They would serve to teach him that if he amounted to anything, if he achieved anything of significance it was directly attributable to Jesus. (p. 124)
Power delegated from the Master is not for personal gain or for settling scores, but for advancing the concerns of the kingdom. (p. 131)
He began a long speech denouncing the rampant hypocrisy of the religious leaders of the nation. His choice of language was the harshest Peter had ever heard him use. He called the Pharisees hypocrites, blind fools, sons of hell, snakes, and a brood of vipers. He accused them of being so committed to legalistic niceties while ignoring massive spiritual principles, that they were like men who gag on a gnat but swallow a camel. (p. 154)