# What do you see in people

Category: Bible Study & Scripture
Key Passage: John 1:42
Speaker: Paul Chisgar
Date: June 7, 2024

Turn your Bible to John chapter number one. If you would please, John chapter number one. And we’re going to read just one verse to get us started off tonight. Verse number 42, John one. And verse number 42. And in God’s word.

For our PA booth, the title will be, “What Do You See in People?” John 1 and just one verse, verse number 42 right there, John 1:42.

And he brought him—this is Simon Peter, his brother was bringing him to Jesus, and he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, “Thou art Simon, the son of Jonah. Thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, a stone.”

Jesus here was talking to Peter. Now, let’s just talk for a moment or two about Peter. What kind of guy was he? Peter was the one that when Jesus was making it very clear, “Look, I’m going to go to the cross. I’m going to suffer, and I’m going to bleed, I’m going to die, I’m going to lay down my life.” Peter was the one that the Bible actually says he began to rebuke. That’s the Bible word. Peter began to rebuke Jesus. It is what the Bible says.

Now Jesus—Jesus turned to Peter and he said, “Get thee behind me, Satan.” That’s amazing. How would you like for Jesus to look at you and Jesus to say, “Get thee behind me, Satan?” Now, there’s a lesson there. It was Satan that was working through Peter. And Jesus saw through that, but imagine that Jesus—I never recorded Jesus doing that with anyone else, but Peter’s a guy that Jesus said, “Get thee behind me, Satan.”

Peter is the one Jesus was trying to warn him. He’s trying to kind of give him a heads up. He said, “Look, Peter, Satan desires to sift you as wheat.” And he’s trying to warn him a little bit, but the guy was really just so headstrong, so proud, so just ready to just speak. And he said, “Oh, I’m ready to go to prison with you. I’m ready to die with you.”

And Jesus again had to put him in his place and said, “Look, Peter, before that old rooster crows two times, you’re going to deny me thrice.” I mean, Jesus had to get on to this guy. And if he had just listened a little bit and got off his high horse, he could have been warned a little bit, but he didn’t listen, didn’t listen at all.

This is the guy we’re talking about tonight. This is the guy. Jesus, he went to the garden to pray. Let’s read it. If you look over in Matthew 26, Matthew 26, just kind of, who is this guy, Peter? Matthew 26 and verse number 36 is what we’re starting at.

This is a guy that tried to rebuke Jesus. He did, actually, the Bible says, and Jesus had to say, “Get thee behind me, Satan.” And then he says, “I’m ready to die with you.” Jesus said, “No, you’re going to deny me thrice before the rooster crows twice.” And then look at this thing here. Right after that, right after that happens, they go to the garden in Luke. Matthew 26:36. Look there: “Then cometh Jesus with him unto a place called Gethsemane. And saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here while I go and pray yonder. And he took with him Peter, and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.”

Now get it. Jesus is, he had the weight of the world on him, very heavy, very sorrowful. He goes to the garden with his apostles, and then he takes his inner three, we call them, and he says, “Let’s go pray.” And then, this is when Jesus may be, maybe the greatest testing point right here, I don’t know. But he’s trying to, all right, fellas, man, I need somebody to hang with me, if you will. And I’m going to get my three closest, if you will. And let’s look and see what Peter does. Verse number 38: “My soul,” he’s telling them, “my soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death. Tarry ye here and watch with me.”

Fellas, if I ever need you, now’s it. Need you to pray. Need you to watch with me.

And he went to the Father and fell on his face and prayed, saying, “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.” By the way, that’s when Jesus sweat great drops of blood. And they say you can be so intense under pressure or whatnot that the capillaries in your skin will burst and you can actually sweat as if you’re great drops of blood. Makes in with you sweat.

And, boy, this time, and Jesus said, “All right, you three, I want you to help me here. The pressure’s on, this is it.” And let’s see how they did with this thing. Verse number 40: “And he come up unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep.” Say it unto Peter, “What? Could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you enter not into temptation. The spirit and ease will live with the flesh as we.”

Listen, Jesus went back two more times. Came back? Same thing. I mean, when Jesus needed him the most, if you will. He told him, he said, “I mean, seated so horrible. Would you watch and pray?” And Peter’s sleeping. Wow. This is the guy we’re talking about. He’s the guy Jesus had to say, “Get thee behind me, Satan.” He’s a guy, he tries to warn him a little bit, and he says, “Oh, I’m ready to go to prison. I’m ready to die with you.” And Jesus said, “No, you’re going to deny me three times before the rooster crows twice.” And now he’s trying to get this guy, the inner three. “Hey, pray, man, this is it.” And he sleeps.

What kind of guy is this, Peter? I mean, pretty disappointing, isn’t he? Peter! The guy that’s sleeping when Jesus said, “Man, this is it, fellas, would you watch and pray?” And he’s sleeping. Peter.

And we go a little bit farther if they leave the garden. Remember that? They leave the garden. And they’re walking outside the garden. And remember that little band of soldiers and Judas comes there. And Judas kisses him on the cheek—the kiss of betrayal there—and Jesus calls him friend. A lot of lesson in that right there. And then Peter, he didn’t listen when Jesus had been done. Look, this is what I came for: to die. Peter never listened.

So Peter gets his sword out, and they’re in a spiritual fight, and Peter’s fighting fleshly. Peter gets the sword out. “Man, I’m going to take care of business in him.” Goes over there, I think, trying to cut his head off, and he ducks, and he got his ear.

Jesus is like, “Don’t you know I could call 12 legions of angels? I mean, come on, Peter.” Jesus has to solve extra problems that Peter created in the middle of all. He reaches down there, picks his ear up, has to put it on, because Peter’s trying to fight a spiritual battle in the flesh. Peter just doesn’t get it.

I mean, Peter, I told you, how many times have I told you? No, you wouldn’t listen. You’re just so proud and hard-headed and trying to do your own thing. I told you, this is what I came to do: to suffer and die.

I think that was just from there it went downhill. I think Peter, man, he had already said, “I’m ready to go to prison and die with you.” And Jesus said, tried to get on to him. He didn’t listen. So now he keeps going down his fleshly path. And Jesus has to get on to him again, pick up the ear and put it back on. Peter, a big, blank head, won’t you get it, you know? And after that, Peter follows afar off. Didn’t turn out quite like Peter thought, like he wanted it to turn out. Aren’t we good at trying to manipulate God and do what we’re going on? “What I’ll do your will, my way.” That’s kind of Peter.

He gets over there, high priest there, judgment hall, and Jesus is in there getting tortured. Peter’s out there warming himself with the fire, you know. Somebody comes up and says, “Hey, you’re one of those. I’ve seen you with him. You’re one of those. You’re one of those. Aren’t you one of those? You’re always around. You’re one of those apostles.” “No, I never seen that man in there. I don’t know. You got the wrong fellow. I don’t know, mister.” “I think I saw you.” “No, not me.”

Somebody comes out and he’s just staying there. Jesus ended up getting tortured. That’s where he got spit upon in there, tortured by the Jewish people that couldn’t kill him, but boy, they could torture. And he’s in there just warming himself by the fire, and Jesus in there. And somebody comes, “Hey, you’re one of those. You weren’t just one of those apostles. You were one of those three that was really close to them.” “No, not, not, not me.”

Peter, what a disappointment. What a disappointment. I mean, Peter, come on, guy, can you just do something right? And it’s over there, sure enough. And the last one comes along, “Hey, you are. I heard you talk to those other fellas. Say you’re not, but you are. In fact, I can tell by the way you talk.” And old Peter starts cussing.

I mean, I mean, an apostle, if you will, a preacher, and one of the early church leaders, and Peter is over there cursing. Blanky, blank, blank, blank. “I don’t know him.” Peter was a fisherman, kind of like a sailor a little bit, if you know, not that all sailors are that way. Brother Bush was looking at me right now, you know. But they’re known for their language, and Peter, he probably knew a couple, you know.

What a disappointment, Peter. Wow. I mean, Peter, so far, he’s not doing too well. Not passing any test. I mean, just doesn’t look like he’s sitting on any woods on fire to me, you know what I’m saying? He’s one of the Jesus, he’s trying to rebuke Jesus. And Jesus had to say, “Hey, buddy, get thee behind me, Satan.”

Peter’s the one that Jesus tried to warn him. “Hey, Satan’s after you.” “Oh, die for you.” And Jesus said, “No, no, three times you’ll deny me before the rooster crows twice.” Then he’s falling asleep in the garden when he’s supposed to be praying. Then the next thing comes up. He’s trying to fight the battle in the flesh when Jesus had said, “This is what I’m going to do.” And now he’s denying, he’s cussing and denying that he knows Jesus.

And then Jesus looks over there at him. And Peter starts weeping. I mean, just weeping. The Bible says he wept bitterly. And he was just sobbing. He takes off and leaves. Just, just, just, just weeping. I’m not trying to be mean, but Peter, you’re a sorry excuse of an apostle. Sorry excuse of the inner three. Peter!

You’d think maybe after he wept bitterly, he got everything right in his heart. But can I be honest with you? A little while later, after the crucifixion, a little while later, you find Peter out there fishing. He quit the ministry, if you will. Jesus says, “Son, hey, leave that thing behind. I’m going to make you fishers of men.” And Peter’s back over there fishing for fish.

Not only that, but Peter led others astray. He’s got about half of the apostles, and he’s out there fishing in the sea, if I remember right. And he got clothes on. The Bible talks about the thigh being naked. I think he had something. But, I mean, he’s out there fishing, naked out there. I mean, he’s vaccinated. He’s led all the other apostles, you know, not all of them, but half of them to—they’re not following the ministry. They’re not doing what Jesus told them to do. And Peter’s led him that way. What a disappointment. Wow. A flop, if you will. A disaster. I mean, a mistake waiting to happen, Peter. I mean, just failure after failure after failure after failure.

Don’t you think Jesus knew all that was going to happen? You think Jesus knew all that was going to happen? We just read the first time Jesus met Peter as far as here on Earth, we just read it. Would you go back and look at it? I mean, Jesus knew what Peter was going to do, all these things. And let’s look and see what Jesus says to Peter. Would you look at it? John 1:42. This is our first meeting, earthly meeting. I know Jesus always was, but you understand what I’m saying. John 1:42. Here it is: “And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him…” I mean, I think Jesus knew this fellow is going to flop a whole lot. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, “Thou art Simon, son of Jonah.”

Not a whole lot of meaning there. Simon has to do with hearing. Jonah. We really don’t—sometimes it’s called Bar-Jonah, or the son. It’s kind of like his last name. But we really don’t know anything about his dad. And nothing significant about Simon, son of Jonah. But Jesus says, “Thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, Stone.”

That’s some meaning to it. You’re going to be a stone. You’re going to be a rock. You’re part of mine—my kingdom. Jesus is the rock, the boulder. Peter, you’re going to be part of this saying. I mean, the first time Jesus saw him, he knew all the times he would fall over his own feet and trip over his own shoelaces and be proud and hot and not listen. Jesus knew all that. The first time Jesus sees him, he doesn’t mention all that. He says, “Peter, you’re going to be called a stone, a rock, if you build—something solid, something people can build on top of. You’re going to be called a stone.”

Here’s what I’m getting at a little bit tonight: What are we seeing in people? What do I see in people?

Jesus looks at Peter. He knew Peter was going to fall over. I mean, he’s going to fall flat on his face. He knew all that, but he didn’t bring all that up. First time he meets him, he says, “You’re going to be called Cephas.” That’s what you’re talking about. Did you notice that? This is amazing to me. First time Jesus sees him, verse 42: “And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him…” Now, if Jesus was looking for bad, there’s a whole lot there. You understand what I’m saying?

But apparently when Jesus—he didn’t just casually meet Jesus; I think he looked deep in his heart. And he wasn’t looking for all the bad, friend, because he didn’t point out all the bad. He said, “Look, you’re going to be a stone.” When I look at people, do I look for the potential in them? When I look at those people that I—by the way, a fault is the easiest thing in the world to find. You got a flaw, maybe in your looks. Take my finger as an example, and I don’t mind it, but children point it out. Mentally handicapped people often—it bothers them, you know, it throws them off when I shake their hands sometime. And I’ll go ahead and talk to them about it because I don’t want to bother them. But I’m just saying, children can find faults. They’ll find it very quickly.

I’m 50 years old. Every once in a while, I get those things on your face. You call them acne, zits, pimples, whatever you want to call them, you know. I’m thinking one day I’m going to outlive these things, you know. Every once in a while, they still come. Nobody will say anything around about them if you get around a little kid. They’ll point, “Oh, what’s on your face there?” You know, “Shut up, kid,” you know. For the most part, people know their flaws. They probably know them 100 times better than you know them. But if we’re not careful, I’ll look at somebody, and I’m not looking at what God can make them into. I’m looking at all their flaws. Jesus beheld Peter, and he doesn’t mention all the times he’d flop and a failure and a zero. He said, “Hey, one day you’re going to be called Cephas.”

Hey, when’s the last time you looked at the good of your spouse? When’s the last time you looked at them and you didn’t look for all their flaws, all their failures, all their shortcomings that they know very well they have? When’s the last time you beheld your wife, your husband, and you are looking for the potential, the good that God has put in them? I understand in your flesh there is no good thing in your flesh. I understand that, but God Almighty, if he lives inside of it, he brought some good things in there and likes to make you into something for him. And when’s the last time you saw the good in your spouse?

When’s the last time you looked at your kids? And parents, we see all their flaws. When’s the last time you looked at your children and you’ve seen what God would like to make out of them? Hey, young people, young people, when’s the last time you looked at your mom and your dad? And instead of seeing all their flaws, you beheld them and you looked at what God would like to do in their life? The potential God’s put in… What Jesus did to Peter. Why, I think about these children that ride our buses to church. Praise the Lord, they’re coming to church. For the most part, for the most part, and I’m not saying they don’t need discipline, but for the most part, you know what they need? They need somebody to say, “Hey, God could do something in your life.”

I thank God for the people in my life in the past. Look at me, I think of that lady, Ms. Steele, that said, “Hey, you’d make a good preacher one day.” I never dreamed of that, but God used that in my life in a great way. When’s the last time you saw—I look at some of you who teach these young people, and all of us minister to them as a church family. By the way, they need the church family. And when’s the last time you looked at them and you beheld them and you say, “Hey, God could do something with you, and God can make something out of you, and God could use you to help somebody and love somebody when they make it a difference in somebody.” That’s what Jesus did with Peter. He beheld him. I said, “Hey, you can be called Cephas one day, a stone.”

Hey, I understand everybody at work looks for the bad in your boss, but maybe it’s encouraging to help your boss for there to be a godly man, a godly lady at work to look at your boss and see some potential God’s put in them.

When’s the last time you looked at your neighbor? And yes, they got problems. I understand. Every neighbor in the world has problems. They don’t put their trash out when you think they ought and where they ought and all the rest of that. But when’s the last time you just looked at your neighbor and you look for what God could do in their lives? So Jesus did with Peter. He beheld him.

Now here’s the problem. Here’s the problem of this thing. Man, it sounds good. Here’s the problem: those people we get close to, we know them, and we know their flaws. We know our mates, our spouses, humanly probably better than anyone else in the world. We know their strengths and we know their weaknesses. And sometimes we, in part of marriage, we get hurt by our spouse’s weaknesses.

And so our flesh—notice our flesh—and the devil will do his best when we behold them to see all the bad in them, all the problems in them. But somebody’s going to have to be a little bit more spiritual than that and be like Jesus and say, “Hey, I’m going to look for the good in those people that I know better than anybody else.”

It’s amazing when we’re dating, all we see is good in them. Man, we’re bragging on them and encouraging them and loving on them. We don’t see the flaws. But wait five or ten years. If we’re not careful, things flip, and then we wonder why we have a cold marriage. You wonder why we don’t have a loving relationship. We wonder why we’re not in love anymore. We’re not enjoying marriage because all we’re doing is looking at the problems instead of the potential that God’s put in them. Man, take a look at them and say, “Lord, help me to see, help me to see what you would like to do in my spouse, the potential you put in there when they got saved.”

Someone said, someone said, “Every child needs at least one person that believes in them.” Pretty interesting.

Jesus’ first thing, he said, “Hey, you can be called Cephas.” And here’s something else about this thing. First of all, he beheld him. And apparently he wasn’t looking for all the bad because he didn’t mention that. He knew it. He understood it. But doesn’t mention it. He looks at him and he sees the potential. He said, “One day he’s going to be called Cephas.” But not only did he behold him and see it—one other thing: what will be done? He didn’t just see it and behold it. He told him about it. He spoke it to him. It wasn’t, he just didn’t make a mental note, “Well, I can say what this person…” He said something to him. You get that?

Let’s get back to that verse. Let’s get back to that verse. Verse 42: “And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, ‘Thou…’” Did you know he said it? He said, he spoke, he said, “Thou art Simon, son of Jonah. Thou shalt be called Cephas.” But by interpretation, the stone. Peter, you’re going to have a new name one day. But here’s what he told him. Don’t say, “Well, I have loving thoughts towards my spouse.” Okay, well, tell them to your spouse. “Well, I can see a lot of potential in my mom or dad. I see what God could do in their life.” Tell them. Jesus did. Did he not talk to Peter about this thing? Yeah.

It’s amazing to me. We had such warm relationships when we’re dating and sweet and affectionate and just in love. And then, by the way, back then we said, we saw all the good. We bragged on them all the time. We spoke it to them. And we haven’t did that in months or years. And you say, “Well, I don’t know why we just don’t enjoy being around each other.” Remember old Curtis Such that used to say, he said, “Do what you did to get married, and you never get unmarried.”

Jesus spoke it. He told Peter. He went ahead and just said something about it. Now think about this. Think about it. I wonder how many times Peter, when he fell flat on his face, thought about his first meeting with Jesus. I wonder how many times when he said, “Man, he tried to warn me, I didn’t pay attention,” and he’s out there weeping, and he said, “I should have been praying instead of sleeping.” I wonder how many times Peter thought, “Man, the first time Jesus saw me, he said, ‘I’ll be Cephas.’” I wonder if that wasn’t the thing that kept Peter going. I wonder if that wasn’t the thing that said, “I think I’m a flop, I know I’m a flop, I’m a zero with the ring from that, and not much to me, anything to me, but Jesus saw something in me. He told me that at the very beginning.” I wonder if that wasn’t the thing just kept Peter getting up. You know, the Bible says, “For a just man falleth seven times and riseth up again.” That seven’s a number of completion. Maybe it was such statement Jesus made to Peter the very beginning that kept Peter getting up seven times.

I think about a man years and years ago was in our church about a year, a young man in his later 20s, maybe it was, and he had had a rough background and drugs and alcohol, all that. And he told me a story one time—that was a distant relative, but if I remember the story right—but he said, “I ended up in jail 12 times, 12 times.” And this preacher kept coming, getting me out, 12 times. Last time I talked to him, he moved away. Last time I talked to him, he was married and had kids and in church. I mean, Jesus… Someone said the best way to help someone reach their potential is by catching them doing right.

When’s the last time you told the potential you see in those around you? When’s the last time you gave your spouse a compliment? When’s the last time you bragged on your child? It’s interesting. That verse over there in Proverbs says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” I wonder, I wonder those people around me, especially those of them close to me, I wonder, am I speaking life or death to them? Am I bringing life or am I bringing death? Am I slowly killing them? Am I bringing life to them?

First time Jesus met him, he said, “Hey, Simon, son of Jonah, you’re going to be called, thou shalt be called Cephas, by interpretation, the stone.”

Pretty awesome. I like this and noticed a couple of years ago, and it spoke to me. But Solomon, anybody help me out. What Solomon was, he’s known for, he was what? The—yeah, yeah, he’s known for his wisdom. Why is this man by Jesus Christ? Look if you will, look if you will, in First Kings chapter number two. First Kings chapter two. And it’s so interesting. That’s what he’s known for. First Kings chapter two. Now when we go over here, First Kings two. Let’s look at this verse number one, try to kind of get the scenario of what’s going on here. First Kings chapter number two. Would you look in verse number one there? Y’all with me tonight? First Kings two, look in verse number one: “Now the days of David—David, what was David? What was David’s relationship with Solomon? David was his dad, right?—drew nigh that he should die, and he charged Solomon, his son, saying…” Now, we won’t read it all, but so this is some of David’s last words to his son, Solomon, all right? Those important times.

I think about Miss Debbie. She got to spend the last time with her mom that last week. She just kind of—that’s a good thing if you can with those that are passing. It’s a good thing. Special moments. Moments you’ll treasure them. And so this is what’s going on with David and his son Solomon. Look down in verse number six, verse number six. He’s talking to Solomon and his son: “Do therefore according to thy…” What’s the next word? “Wisdom.” “…Let not his hoary head go down to the grave in peace.” Look down in verse number nine. Verse number nine: “Now therefore, hold him not guiltless. For thou art a…” What’s the next two words? “Wise man.” “…Knowest not, knowest what thou oughtest to do unto him, but his hoary head bring thou down to the grave with blood.” So David slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David.

The last words, Dad’s talking to his son, he said, “Boy, you’re a wise man, according to thy wisdom.” Just a little while later on, Solomon and the Lord, they have a special meeting. And the Lord says, “Solomon, tell me what you want. You just go ahead and ask. I’ll give you what you want.” What did Solomon ask for? Same thing as Dad had been bragging on him about. Don’t you think that stuck with Solomon? Yeah. And when the time comes, God Almighty, Solomon, just go ahead and ask. The thing he asked for is the thing his Dad said he had: “You’re a wise man.” Don’t you think it matters what we say to people?

By the way, God was so pleased, it says, “Solomon, I tell you what, since you haven’t asked for riches and all that, you’re wanting a wise and understanding heart to know how to come in and out with the people of Israel, and you’re asking for the right thing. I’ll tell you what, I’ll give you the other also.” I think Solomon had a little bit of a head start because of his dad. Let’s go back to Peter.

Peter. Flop after flop after flop after flop, after flop, after flop. But a little while later, who was it when they had those 3,000 people saved and baptized on the day of Pentecost? Who was it that was up there preaching? Peter. Yeah.

Who was it when God really was instilling fear in the church—the world also? But I think maybe the church more than anybody over there in Acts chapter 5. And Ananias and Sapphira, they had lied about how much, you know, of the property had sold for, and they were putting that money in the offering and all that. And then who was it? Who was it that—they said, “Hey, oh, Ananias, somebody about to bury you.” Sapphira comes in a little bit later on. “The fellas that buried your husband are about to bury you.” Who was that man? Who was that man that spoke those words? Peter.

When God wanted to kind of change his major focus from the Jewish people over here to the Gentile people. And he had a man go over there to Joppa, and the fellow was staying at the house of Simon the Tanner, and he was up there on the top floor, taking a nap before lunchtime. And he’d seen this sheet come down with all these animals, and he said, “Oh, Lord, I can’t eat of that. That’s bad. That’s unclean.” And the Lord said, “What I call clean, don’t you call unclean.” And he said, “By the way, some fellas are down there to meet you. You go with them.” And that fellow went over there and began to preach to the Gentiles. And the Gentiles began to get saved in a great way. And God changed the focus from the Jewish people to the Gentile, and the church age was coming there. And who was the man that God used to open that door in a great way? Peter. Yeah.

Who was the man that Rome—that tough city? And this is not in the Bible, but history tells us that just a tough city to reach, Rome, and such luxury and gluttony going on there. I’m talking about every way going on there. And yet a great church was established here. People were saved and lives were changed there. And the man, he ended up going to a cross there in Rome. But he said, “I’m not worthy to die like my Savior died. If he’s going to put me on a cross, put me on a cross upside down and let me die for my Savior.” That was Peter. That did that way before when Jesus first met him. Peter, you’re going to be solid. I know Simon, son of Jonah. I understand all that. Well, you’re going to be called Cephas.

I like to be like that. I like to look and see what God can do, behold people, and kind of see that and pray about that and try to behold them like God beholds them. I like to kind of tell them maybe God to use that a little bit in their lives. Oh, Peter. In fact, Jesus had said over there, Matthew 16, we talked about here recently. He said, “I’ll give you the keys to the kingdom.” Hey, what are we seeing in people? What do I see in people? What am I looking for?

Original File: What Do You See in People - Pastor Paul Chisgar 11920 pm