God's Roadmap

Now may the Lord Jesus Christ and our Father God, who loved us and in his wonderful grace gave us eternal comfort and a beautiful hope that cannot fail, encourage your hearts and inspire you with strength to always do and speak what is good and beautiful in his eyes (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 TPT).


Saturday, June 8, 2019

Lessons of Leadership and Influence from the Apostle Peter

 by Barbara Latta

Lessons of leadership and influence from the Apostle Peter.

The Apostle Peter gets a bad rap sometimes. We hear Sunday School lessons and sermons depicting his denial of Christ, his impulsive comments and rash behavior. But when those personality traits were placed under the control of the Holy Spirit, a fire for God was started that the firehose of persecution could not put out.

Peter became a leader in the early church. His influence persuaded thousands to follow Christ and the flame that burned within him radiated out to the point that even his shadow falling over people healed them.

What can we learn from this brash fisherman turned preacher about leadership and influence?

  • Lesson: When the boat is sinking get out of it. God is there to hold our hand. When all the apostles were in a sinking boat, Peter is the only one who stepped out in faith to walk on water. Yes, he eventually sank, but at least he got out of the boat. He is the only person other than Jesus who has ever walked on water. The boat was sinking yet the rest of the guys stayed in the boat. That’s amazing. (Matthew 14:24-32)
  • Lesson: Stand up for what we believe. Peter took a stand when all the others could do was repeat what the crowds had said about Jesus. He stood out from the other disciples to declare that he believed Jesus was the Son of God. Jesus said the truth of that statement is what the church would be built upon. (Matthew 16:13-19)
  • Lesson: Allow the Holy Spirit to redirect passions. Peter’s impetuous actions implored Jesus to stay away from Jerusalem to avoid crucifixion and Jesus had to rebuke him (Matthew 16:22-23). He also drew a sword and cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant in the garden of Gethsemane (John 18:10. Peter was probably trying to take off the man’s head and when the man ducked Peter’s sword caught his ear. Peter was impulsive with his words and actions, but his forcefulness was used in a positive way to expand the kingdom of God when under the control of the Holy Spirit.
  • Lesson: Don’t stay in regret; repent and move forward. When Peter failed, he repented. After denying Christ, he was tormented by what he had done and he wept bitter tears. He still loved His Master; that’s why what he did hurt so much. He still wanted to follow Christ. (Luke 22:54-62)
  • Lesson: Don’t fear consequences. Peter denied Christ when the Master was arrested, but this denier was the same one who preached on the day of Pentecost and 3,000 people were saved (Acts 2: 14-41). When he was later arrested he told his accusers he had to obey God and not men (Acts 5:29).
  • Lesson: Submit to God and allow humility to take over. Be willing to admit when we are wrong (Galatians 2:11-12). Peter was willing to take the criticism of Paul and allow correction. Peter didn’t take offense at this.  Peter later quoted Paul and said his words were scripture (2 Peter 3:15-16).
  • Lesson: Put Jesus first. Peter was willing to die for His Lord (John 21:18-19), (Matthew
    16:24).


I can identify with Peter in his failures. I haven’t always been obedient to my Lord. I have denied
Christ when I should have stood up for Him. I have allowed fear to control me instead of stepping out in faith. But I also want to learn from this wise follower of Christ and turn those failures into faith steps to influence the world around me.


What about you? What would you like to remember about Peter or one of the other early church leaders? Share your thoughts.





12 comments:

  1. Wow! Peter was an amazing man! I love his boldness. Right or wrong, he was all in. When all was said and done, he was all in for Jesus.

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    1. Yes he was. I would like to follow in his footsteps in that respect and have that boldnes and dedication. Thank you, Sherry for stopping by. Blessings!

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  2. Great post Ms. Barbara. What I take away from Peter, and many of the of the the other Apostles, is their boldness. Especially how their boldness was used after the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Peter, James & John (the sons of thunder), and Paul. Once the Holy Spirit entered their lives, they relinquished control to Him and He used their boldness for God's glory. Well said ma'am.

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    1. Thanks, J.D. You are right. They were bold to the point of death. We have the same Holy Spirit they had. May we be as dedicated as they were. Blessings!

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  3. Thanks for the reminder to let the Holy Spirit redirect our passions. I have to allow God to use my energy for His kingdom instead of me just getting all pushy with my own agenda.

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    1. I know what you mean, Joanna. It's too easy to fall into that trap of leaning to my own understanding which never leads to good. Thanks for sharing. Blessings!

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  4. Thank you for sharing these pointers about Peter. It's so easy for me to read stories in the Bible and think, "How in the world could they ....." and yet I find myself repeating the same mistakes or disobedience. Thanks for these reminders.

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    1. Yes I do that too. Seeing through the lens of hindsight makes it too easy to judge them. But I am no different in my failures. I only hope to learn from their mistakes. Thank you for your insight, Julie. Blessings!

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  5. I identify with Peter, too, Barbara. Too often I'm impulsive, say things without thinking, or leap into the "water" without considering whether I can "swim" through the storm. But, I hope and pray that I can learn from my mistakes, do better, and become a true servant, as did Peter. Thanks for sharing these important lessons.

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    1. Yes, I can identify with being impulsive, too. I jump into the water, but unlike Peter, I don't have my eyes on Christ, and I sink faster than he did. I hope to learn from my mistakes, also, and listen to God before I leap. Thanks, Katherine. Blessings!

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  6. I've long been a fan of Peter because I identify with many of his traits. His life is proof that God can use us all if we're willing to repent, obey, and submit to Him.

    Great post!

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    1. Thank you, Candyce, for sharing your thoughts. I can identify with Peter’s failures too, and hope to learn from him how to overcome Blessings!

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