Introduction
Today, we’re beginning a new sermon series on the life of the disciple who, of the twelve chosen, Jesus decided to invest the most time with; Simon Peter. Sometimes he’s called Simon. Sometimes he’s called Peter. Sometimes he’s called Simon Peter. And I’m going to use all three names interchangeably.
We know more about him than any other of Jesus’ disciples. In every list of Jesus’ followers, his name always appears first. He is a natural leader.
His personality and character and temperament come through very clearly. I think he’s the most loveable of Jesus’ twelve disciples. He’s like that kid in the class who puts his hand up when the teacher asks a question, even if he doesn’t know the answer. He's so over-eager.
He speaks before he thinks. He tries to persuade Jesus he’s wrong. He swears he will never deny Jesus – then does exactly that. He constantly makes mistakes. He is impetuous and spontaneous. Who cuts off a servant’s ear with a sword when Jesus is arrested? Peter. In many ways, he’s a total liability.
Why have we chosen to devote a 15-week series to the life of this character? Because he’s all-in. He’s always up for a challenge. With Peter it’s all or nothing. He’s the only one who gets out of the boat to walk on water or jump in without asking himself if he can swim. He’s the one who, predictably, gets up and preaches on the Day of Pentecost.
And as an eldership team, we sense a stirring from God to get ready for action. If we are ambitious to see the Lord’s glory, we’ve got to get our boots on and climb the mountain of transfiguration. If we want to see hundreds of people saved, we’ve got to get baptised in the Holy Spirit stand up and proclaim the gospel. And, as John Ortberg says, “if you want to walk on water you’ve got to get out of the boat.”
Peter, of all Jesus’ followers, is action man - the one who grasps the nettle. What do you think? Do you think Jesus chose his disciples randomly or impulsively? Did he just round up a few blokes in the street who looked like they needed a bit of physical exercise? Did he just appeal for volunteers and hope for the best? I don’t think so.
No, in Luke 6 he spends all night in prayer before gathering his followers and selecting the twelve from among them. His choice is very carefully considered. Jesus is a head-hunter.
What do you think Jesus is looking for? Giftedness? Experience? Straight “A”s from Academia? Does he cream off the top dozen students from Capernaum Bible College? None of the twelve Jesus appointed as apostles have any pastoral experience at all as far as we know. They are untrained, unqualified and untested. Complete novices.
But Simon Peter especially, (as we’ll see) has certain qualities that set him apart. The first recorded meeting between Jesus and Simon Peter is in John’s Gospel, chapter 1. Simon has travelled some way south to the lowest point on the earth’s surface, where the Jordan meets the Dead Sea. There is a big noise about a revivalist preacher there called John the Baptizer. And Simon is hungry for more of God. He goes out of his way to be in on the new thing God is doing.
Here’s what it says:
Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas’ (which, when translated, is Peter).
It's a bit unusual isn’t it? Imagine you meet some stranger who takes one look at you and says, ‘Your name is Jenny, but from now on your name is going to be Christine.’ You’d wonder what was going on.
But this change is not because Jesus just likes the new name better. Simon [Shimon] means “reed.” It’s a thin, wispy, fragile and hollow long grass that bends and breaks easily. It’s literally easily swayed. Simon’s parents might just as well have named him ‘Weedy.’ And Jesus says, “No. You’re going to be Peter.” [It means Rock]. “Forget Weedy, I’m renaming you Rocky. By the time I’m finished with you, you're going to be tough and resilient and you’re going to endure.” What a rebrand!
What then are the key qualities that God is looking for in those he will decide to invest in? I’m going to name five and, listen, Simon Peter is not Superman; every one of these five characteristics (or dispositions) are ones you can have. And should cultivate.
But we won’t find them in John 1, we've got to fast forward to the next time Peter and Jesus cross paths, and it’s in Luke 5, back north in Galilee, where Simon is from.
One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding round him and listening to the word of God. He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.
When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.’
Simon answered, ‘Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.’
When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.
So they signalled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, ‘Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!’
For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.
Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.’ So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.
This is where Jesus calls the first three of his twelve disciples and they together will make up his inner circle; Simon Peter, James and John. And I think it’s here that Jesus decides who he’s going to invest the most time with of all the twelve; Simon Peter.
There are five things Jesus is looking for and he finds all of them in this man. The question I want you to consider with me today is this; does Jesus find these qualities when he looks at me?
1) Are you action-oriented?
Here’s the first. Jesus is looking for people who are oriented for action. Jesus is serious about building his church. He is absolutely going to get it done. And he knows he is not going to build anything with passive, indifferent, unresponsive people.
Picture the scene. Jesus is speaking to a gathering crowd on a shore by the lake.
If you look up Capernaum on Google Earth, you’ll see a crescent-shaped harbour just north of the town. It’s ideal for anchoring boats and drying fishing nets. It’s also a natural amphitheatre and this, I think, is the exact spot where this event happened.
Jesus is interesting to listen to, he is engaging, he is profound, and he talks like no one else. He is speaking with authority. The more he speaks, the more people press in to listen.
A little group quickly becomes a big crowd and then, because Jesus is by the lakeside and people are edging closer and closer to hear him, Jesus ends up with water lapping around his ankles, then his calves, then his knees…
So he gets into a boat and says to Simon (v3) “Could you just push me out a bit away from the shore?” Why does he do that? It’s probably much easier for Jesus to just ease the boat out himself and climb in because Simon is at this time busy sorting out his nets on the shore; repairing holes, getting all the seaweed off and scrubbing them clean. He has been up all night and wants to get home to bed. He is hard at work.I would have left him be, but not Jesus!
No, Jesus doesn’t hesitate to disturb him. Why is that? Because he wants to know if Simon is inclined to action or to idleness. Does he have a “can-do” attitude that will literally push the boat out? Or will Simon tut and roll his eyes and grumble that it’s “not my job”?
Seeing the situation, Simon puts his net down, jumps to his feet and gets stuck in. He might have said, “Listen, can’t you see I’ve got my hands full?” He could have said, “Your crowd control logistics are not my problem!” He might even have said, “Why don’t you just cut your sermon short, so they go away.”
But no. Simon is a man of action, of initiative. He’s a hands-on guy. As soon as he sees a difficulty everything inside him wants to jump up and help out. If Simon Peter just carries on picking seaweed off his nets that day and says to Jesus, “Get lost, I’m tired, I'm fed up and I’m busy!” I honestly wonder if we ever hear about him again.
Do you pass test number one like Peter does? Are you action-oriented? Do you have a willing heart? Are you get-up-and-go? Or more slump down and doss? Are you inclined to get up on your feet and say, “Come on, let’s get this job done?” Or do you incline to being a passive spectator?
2) Are you able to follow a leader?
The second quality Jesus is looking for comes in v4-5. “When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.’
After Jesus finishes preaching, he asks Simon and his two companions to jump back in the boat, row out into deeper water and put down their nets that they have just finished cleaning.
In v5 it says that they have just spent a completely unproductive night trying in vain to catch fish. “Simon says, ‘Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything…”
As experienced fishermen they know that the best time to fish is at night because it is quieter then and the fish are unable to see the nets in the dark. They have known this since day one in that job. And now, this carpenter-turned-preacher, who probably has no personal experience of fishing, has the temerity to suggest that they lower the nets again in broad daylight.
We would understand Simon if he had said, “Why don’t you just stick to your job, and I’ll stick to mine?” Ready for bed after a discouraging night shift, I would frankly have found Jesus’ suggestion very irritating. But what does Simon Peter say in v5? “Because you say so, alright, I will let down the nets.” This is a reply of huge significance.
Listen! I am 100% sure that Simon doesn’t want to do this. What is going through his mind as he starts wearily rowing away from the shore? “Why did I agree to do this? I should be home in bed now. I’m exhausted and discouraged. I’m going to be a laughing stock. This is insane. What am I doing?”
Now here’s the thing: many people are oriented for action; high energy people who get things done. But when it comes to following instructions, they are impossible. Jesus knows what he is doing, and he wants big egos with their own agendas who just do their own thing out of his inner circle.
Jesus is looking for people who can follow orders, who are teachable and accept coming under authority. And Peter passes the second test. “Because you say so, I will let do it.”
You will never reach your full potential in God if you cannot follow a leader. Everyone here, me included, needs to learn to say, “This sounds a bit mad, but if it’s God’s word, that settles it, OK, let’s go.” Are you teachable? Do you have an obedient heart?
3) Do you see yourself right?
The third quality that Jesus looks for - and finds - in Simon is a right and true evaluation of self. Verse 6: “When they had [let down the nets], they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signalled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.”
Given the fact there are still people on the shore, it will have been understandable if Simon milked the situation a bit. “Look at me! Ladies and gentlemen, feast your eyes on a record catch from the most prolific fishermen Galilee has ever seen!”
But Simon does not talk like that, and he doesn’t take any credit for the huge catch because he has a true assessment of himself. In v8 he throws himself at Jesus’ feet and says, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” Not “Look at me Lord, I am an awesome man.”
Did you know that one million selfies are taken and uploaded to Instagram and Facebook every day. 36% of people surveyed admit that they edit their picture before uploading it, enhancing and airbrushing it. Projecting a false and preferable version of themselves. I want you to see me, but I don’t want you to see who I really am.
But Simon is absolutely authentic; I'm a sinner, needing a Saviour and I'm only able to be anything at all - by grace. And that is precisely what Jesus is looking for.
Verse 9 records the fishermen’s astonishment at what happened. In other versions it says they were “awestruck,” or “overwhelmed.” Or that “amazement seized them.” This is the moment when Jesus changes Simon’s life forever.
This miracle gives Simon not only a true evaluation of himself, it gives him a true evaluation of Jesus. In v5 Simon calls Jesus “Master.” The Greek word is epistatēs. It’s quite a bland word and just means one to whom you pay some respect. But by v8 he’s calling Jesus “Lord” (kyrios in Greek, meaning someone of higher status, a sovereign, to whom obedience is due).
Does your level of obedience to Jesus need to go up a notch this morning? Do you pass test number three?
4) Can you see God's greater plan?
What about the fourth test? Here it is: Jesus wants to see if Simon can see bigger, see further. Can he catch a vision of God’s greater purposes?
Yes, it is good to catch fish, and it’s even better if the catch is impressive. If you’re a fisherman size does matter! There are so many fish (v7 says) that not one but two boats are in danger of sinking under the weight.
For these men, this catch is not just a trophy to boast about – it is the mother of all pay days! This haul of fish must be worth serious money. But Simon Peter has just seen something infinitely more valuable.
What is Jesus really saying here when he talks about fishing for people in v10? There’s Peter, James and John with two boats almost submerged by a bulging net of slippery, shiny, wriggling fish flapping about in the morning sun.
I think Jesus is saying here, “Look Peter! There’s more if you really want it. I have bigger fish to fry than these. 5 and 6 footers! I’m thinking about people Peter! Do you want to spend your life catching tiddlers? Or can you see, by faith, hundreds of human destinies, transformed by the gospel? Peter! If you think this is good, you haven’t seen anything yet.”
Look up from what you see around you and catch a vision of bigger things. God wants to raise up evangelists amongst us, people who are fruitful in leading people to Christ. God is leading us to plant churches. Prepare the nets! Do you have the ambition to be at the heart of something grander scale for God, where you head out into the zone of the unknown? Or are you happy enough with small fry?
Simon Peter, in this moment, sees further. As soon as he catches the higher vision of a great harvest of human lives changed forever by the power of Christ, fish hold no more interest for him.
Verse 10; “Don't be afraid” says Jesus, “from now on you will fish for people.’” Is the harvest of thousands of souls in our land a passion Jesus can see in you? You’ll know if it is – because if it is, you’ll say an unhesitating, “Yes” to the final test in v11.
5) Can you leave it all behind?
Here it is: Peter is ready and willing to leave it all behind. Mark’s account of this event records Jesus saying, “Come, follow me.”
Verse 11 is one of the most radical, extreme and revolutionary in all the New Testament. “So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.” They leave their boats, their nets, their fish… (did they tip them all back into the sea? It doesn’t say). But they leave everything to follow Jesus. They leave their work, their livelihood, their homes, and their security.
John Wimber used to say, “Remember, the economy of the Kingdom is simple. Every time we come to cross a new threshold, it costs us everything we now have. Every new step may cost us all the reputation and security we've accumulated up to that point. It costs us our life.”
Is there anything that’s stopping you from following Jesus where he’s leading you? If so, whatever it is, leave it behind today.
Ending
As I end, I think the Lord is saying to some of us here today, “Are you ready to let go? When are you going to give me the best?”
For some of us, the problem might be a lifestyle that has become too sedentary. Jesus is looking for men and women who are inclined to action, who say without hesitation, “As it’s you who is asking Lord, OK, I’ll do it. Let’s go.”
Some of us here might be seeing less blessing in our lives than we should because we have not yet fully learned to give God all the credit, all the glory.
Jesus is looking for men and women who aren’t obsessed by projecting the perfect image of themselves, but identify simply as forgiven sinners, who can humble themselves, and who understand that they have no need to impress anyone because they are chosen and loved for who they are.
Some of us here might find ourselves stuck in a rut because our vision is too small. Jesus is looking for men and women who are not content with going through the motions, because they know by faith that there’s a harvest that God is preparing. Don’t waste your life. Don’t waste your retirement.
Finally, some of us here know that the time has come to leave it all behind: doubts, hesitations, all-consuming but trivial pursuits, excuses, compromises – whatever the obstacle is that stops you from following Jesus all-in.
Leave it all behind today. “Come,” says Jesus, “Follow me.” So let’s go.
Sermon preached at King’s Church Darlington, 31 August 2025
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