Monday
Oct102005
The Peter Principle
Monday, October 10, 2005 at 12:24AM
Part of my year two project at Gordon-Conwell is preaching a first-person narrative sermon. Today was the day. I had fun preparing. The passage was Luke 5, where Jesus helps Peter catch fish at the wrong time and place and calls him as his disciple. I had to think through a lot of issues to try to get into Peter's head. What was he thinking? How many previous encounters did he have with Jesus? What did he tell his wife when he quit the fishing business and left a boatload of fish on the shore? I suspect Peter might have been pretty skeptical of Jesus at first. Hard to picture a life-changing moment taking place on a little boat about to sink, surrounded by scads of fish. Kind of fun to try to put a bit of flesh on the story. When it was time this morning, I felt like chickening out, but I had already committed. I had a bit of fun. Peter reported that he was being courted by a major Christian publisher to write a best-selling book on why he was so successful. Here's the cover: 
Peter was pushing for Third Peter, but the publisher didn't like it. Yes, even Peter has to sell out these days to get a book published. I forgot some of my better lines (Peter was thinking of writing The Peter Driven Life and Blue Like Peter's Language) but it turned out okay I guess. But I was glad to get back into my own clothes - even though preaching in sandals wasn't half bad. The sermon is here. Thankfully there was no video.
Peter was pushing for Third Peter, but the publisher didn't like it. Yes, even Peter has to sell out these days to get a book published. I forgot some of my better lines (Peter was thinking of writing The Peter Driven Life and Blue Like Peter's Language) but it turned out okay I guess. But I was glad to get back into my own clothes - even though preaching in sandals wasn't half bad. The sermon is here. Thankfully there was no video.
Reader Comments (4)
Good stuff Darryl. I heard a great messagee from Joe Stowell when I was at the Brooklyn Tabernacle about Peter after Christ rose from the dead. Stowell preached on John 21. He asked the question "why do you think John mentioned the fact it was a charcoal fire"? He then went on to explain that when Peter denied Jesus three times John also noted that it was while while he was standing around a charcoal fire. So when John came out of the water and smelled a charcoal fire it would have reminded him of the time he denied Jesus. You ever heard it explained that way before? That's deep eh?
That should read when Peter came out of the water John 18 "17The woman asked Peter, "Aren't you one of Jesus' disciples?" "No," he said, "I am not." 18The guards and the household servants were standing around a charcoal fire they had made because it was cold. And Peter stood there with them, warming himself. John 21 " 7Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic (for he had stripped for work), jumped into the water, and swam ashore. 8The others stayed with the boat and pulled the loaded net to the shore, for they were only out about three hundred feet.[c] 9When they got there, they saw that a charcoal fire was burning and fish were frying over it, and there was bread."
George: That is good. I love picking up on details like that. It gives the story more texture, makes it more real to the senses.
You forgot the classic Christian book Growing Kids Peter's Way! :lol: