The Book Of Acts | PT. 7 - Why Simon Peter? | Pastor Jackson Lahmeyer

Acts 2:14
Huge crowd and 120 have received the HS
Out of the 120 Who steps up? Peter
I find this interesting because just 50 days prior Peter was a TOTAL coward; he denied Jesus 3 times
Why Peter?
Peter is complicated
Strange pick for Jesus
If you were picking disciples I promise you wouldn’t pick Peter
Why Peter?
Did you know that Peter was not his first name? Jesus changed his name from Simon to Peter
To answer why Peter? We first have to ask why Simon?

Luke 5
Luke 5:1-11
What did God see in Simon Peter?
What does God see in me? What does see in you?
Realize: People see whats on you - hairstyle, tattoos, career, past - make a judgement about you
Difference: God sees what's in you
In fact, He is the only one who really knows what is in you because He is the one who put it there
We have to be careful how we judge people; we see patterns not potential
You should be very cautious how you treat other people
You have no idea what they are carrying within them
We do not have the ability to see potential; we see patterns
Samuel went to the house of Jesse to anoint a King
God said, "You're looking at height not heart, patterns not potential."
He saw a shepherd boy; God saw a King
We see a murderer in Moses; God saw the 10 commandments in Moses
I’m thankful I serve a God who doesn’t cancel my potential based on my past
I wonder what God sees in here?
What does God see in you?
What did God see in Simon? I’ll tell you = He saw Peter
People saw the outside of Simon - rough around the edges fisherman
Jesus saw the inside of Simon - an anointed Preacher of the Gospel called Peter who would give birth to the church and nurture it
Luke 5:2-3
2 boats
Jesus had options; Jesus knew everything about Simon both past and future
Jesus knew Peter would sink when walking deny Him, cut off the ear of a Roman solider
Jesus knew all this about Simon and yet still chose to get in His boat
Jesus knew all the crazy things I would do in my life and yet still decided to get in my boat and have me Pastor what I believe to the best church in Oklahoma
Although I am Pastor Jackson; Jackson, that other guy, is still here and Jesus got in my boat anyways
Watch this: Jesus didn't ask to get in the boat and then with permission He got in
He got in the boat and then asked Peter to push Him out
Go try that with someone's car
That tells me the boat didn't belong to Peter
The boat belonged to god
Your boat is not your own
Your boat is borrowed
Your breath is not your own
Every breath is from the Lord
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord
Here's a question for you: how is it that you have the potential to be Peter yet you keep acting like Simon?
It's complicated
There is a Simon and Peter in each of us
Peter is most complicated person in the NT
Through Peter, God would give birth to the Church on the Day of Pentecost
There is an Old Testament person who is just like Peter that would get a name change and give birth to something beautiful

Simon Peter
God knows how to pull the Peter out of Simon
Deeper purpose in each of us
When God chose your boat He didn't take a vote; he didn't consult your ex, or former employer; He got in
Luke 22:31-34
Notice Jesus prayed for Simon not just Peter
Here is what I want you to see: before Jesus pulled out Peter, He first chose Simon
We think when we get it all together that's when God can use us
Before you ever loved Him, He loved you
While we were still sinners, Christ died for us
While we were still Simon, Christy died for us
Inside each of us is this battle between Simon and Peter
There is Jackson and that other guy
Sometimes that other guy comes out and I'm like what? I can't think that I'm a Pastor, but I'm still Jackson
God knows what is beneath everything that I am on the surface
God knows the good about me
God knows what I don't want anyone to know about me
People see the Instagram me but God sees the real me and still likes me
God knows everything about you and yet He still pursues you
While we were still sinners Christ died for us
God is omniscient; all knowing
He knows everything about us even the really bad stuff
Knowing what He knows He still intentionally chooses to knows by having a relationship with us
Most people would want nothing to do with you fo they knew
God relentlessly pursues you
The grace, mercy, love and goodness of God is beyond comprehension
I am going to speak a Word into someone right now because God spoke it into me
Often I feel like I am constantly disappointing God and letting God down
Kendra sent me a clip of a sermon about this of how we don't let God down because we are not the one's holding God up
You do not have the ability to let God down