Further Study: Read Ellen G. White, "A Night on the Lake," pp. 377-382, in The Desire of Ages.
"In his early discipleship Peter thought himself strong. Like the Pharisee, in his own estimation he was 'not as other men are.' When Christ on the eve of His betrayal forewarned His disciples, 'All ye shall be offended because of Me this night,' Peter confidently declared, 'Although all shall be offended, yet will not I.' Mark 14:27, 29. Peter did not know his own danger. Self-confidence misled him. He thought himself able to withstand temptation; but in a few short hours the test came, and with cursing and swearing he denied his Lord.
"When the crowing of the cock reminded him of the words of Christ, surprised and shocked at what he had just done he turned and looked at his Master. At that moment Christ looked at Peter, and beneath that grieved look, in which compassion and love for him were blended, Peter understood himself. He went out and wept bitterly. That look of Christ's broke his heart. Peter had come to the turning point, and bitterly did he repent his sin. He was like the publican in his contrition and repentance, and like the publican he found mercy. The look of Christ assured him of pardon."—Ellen G. White, Christ's Object Lessons, pp. 152-154.
Discussion Questions: 
Go through Peter's Epistles and look for things in there that specifically show how different a person he was from the Peter of the Gospels. What encouragement can you draw from what you find?
It is easy to criticize Peter's lack of faith as he sank into the water. But Peter was the only disciple who had the courage to get out of the boat. What are some of the ways you need to "get out of the boat" in your Christian life? What about your own church? Does it need to do the same?
Ellen G. White writes, "Every true disciple is born into the kingdom of God as a missionary."—The Desire of Ages, p. 195. Many followers of Christ lose their early enthusiasm to share what they have learned with others. How can church members recapture that passion for sharing the good news? How can you help each other regain this desire for witnessing?
Summary: The story of Peter is a tribute to what God can do through even the weakest disciple. Jesus harnessed Peter's passion and good intentions and strengthened him in the faith to be a mighty pillar of the early Christian church.
| I N S I D E Story | ||
| God Hater Becomes a God Lover by ROSELLE MONTEBON Pangilinan, a lay evangelist, and his team of volunteers, held evangelistic meetings in a rural area in the northern Philippines. Toward the end of the meetings a number of people asked to prepare for baptism. Pangilinan asked his team for a volunteer to stay behind and care for the new believers, and Roselle agreed to stay. She lived in a room provided by the village and spent her days visiting the people, holding evening worships, and teaching a literacy class twice a week. Two young women from the village stayed with her to protect her. In this village lived a man, Totoy, who hated Adventists and didn't want them in the village. When the team left the area, he showed his anger toward them by sprinkling blood outside the door of Roselle's room while she slept. Most of the villagers suspected that Totoy had done this to frighten Roselle into leaving the village, but they had no proof. Roselle wasn't frightened by the demonstration of hatred, and she continued her work in the village. Several months later Totoy became ill and was hospitalized with tuberculosis. After being released, he asked his physician for the medicine he needed to continue his recovery. But to his surprise, the doctor refused to give it to him. "You must go see Pangilinan," the doctor said. "He will give you the medicine." The doctor chose to distribute medicines to tribal people through trusted local workers, and in Totoy's area that trusted person was the Adventist lay evangelist. Totoy didn't want to visit Pangilinan, but he needed the medicine. Finally he gave in and went to Pangilinan to ask for the medicine. Pangilinan gave him the medicine and vitamins he needed. Then Totoy went to live with relatives in another village, away from Adventists, he thought. But in his new village lived Mar, another lay evangelist. Mar didn't know about Totoy's hatred for Adventists, and when he met Totoy, he invited him to church. Totoy agreed to go and began attending church regularly. He even brought his family with him. In time this man who hated God and His people surrendered his life to the Savior and asked to be baptized. He testified, "I hated God, and I hated Adventists. But God did not give up on me. His great love has saved me." Your mission offerings help support lay evangelists such as Pangilinan, Roselle, and Mar, who work to bring people to the Savior in difficult and isolated areas of the world. Thank you.
ROSELLE MONTEBON is a graduate of Adventist University of the Philippines. | ||
| Produced by the General Conference Office of Mission Awareness. email: info@adventistmission.org website: www.adventistmission.org |
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