I'm Not Who I Once Was" - Rev. Dawson Whitaker

Luke 5 sets Simon down on the shoreline as a tired fisherman with empty nets, fish smell, and a life that looked already settled. Jesus steps into that boat, asks for one more cast, and fills the nets so heavy that the boat starts taking on water. Simon falls at Jesus’ knees because the miracle does not just happen near him, it happens to him, and it exposes the sinful man under the fisherman clothes. Christ does not argue with Simon’s past, and Christ does not leave him named by it. Jesus says, “Fear not,” and calls him from catching fish to catching men.

Peter’s story becomes a BC and AD kind of life, before Christ and after dominion is taken. Simon had a name tied to Capernaum, boats, business, temper, mistakes, and the stench of what he used to be. Jesus gives him a new name and a new place in the kingdom. Matthew 16 shows Simon identifying Jesus as the Son of God, and Christ names him Peter, not because Peter himself is the rock, but because the revelation of Jesus Christ is the rock the church is built on.

Acts 2 shows that old fisherman standing up on the day of Pentecost with power and authority. Peter does not hand the moment to somebody else. Peter declares repentance, baptism in Jesus’ name, and the gift of the Holy Ghost, and thousands receive what Joel had prophesied. The man who once smelled like fish now carries the gospel that changes souls.

Acts 3 brings Peter and John to the gate called Beautiful, where a lame man expects silver and gold. Peter has none of what the world offers, but he has something better. “Such as I have, I give thee,” means the old fisherman now carries the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth with authority. The lame man rises immediately because Peter is no longer living under the chains of who he once was.

The blood of Jesus does not make a person flawless, but it does give power and authority. Baptism in Jesus’ name and the infilling of the Holy Ghost give a believer a new identity, not a cleaned up version of the old one. The past may still try to throw up the old smell, but what is under the blood has no right to rule. The church, the young generation, the job site, and the school campus are all places where redeemed people are called to take dominion and reach for somebody else.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Jesus sees past the fish smell Simon looked like a fisherman, smelled like a fisherman, and had every reason to believe that was all he would ever be. Jesus saw a soul-catcher inside a tired man with empty nets and a guilty conscience. The call of God does not begin with human polish, it begins with Christ seeing what nobody else has the right eyes to see. [34:16]
• 2. New identity carries real authority Peter’s new name was not just a label, it was a break from the old life that kept trying to define him. Christ gave him authority by bringing him into revelation, obedience, and the power of the Holy Ghost. A redeemed person does not fight the past with self-confidence, but with the name, blood, and Spirit of Jesus. [42:40]
• 3. Silver and gold are not enough Acts 3 shows a man asking for survival, while Peter carries resurrection power into his need. The world can hand out temporary help, but the church carries the name that can make ankle bones receive strength. True compassion is not content to leave a person at the gate with enough change to stay stuck. [51:00]
• 4. The blood breaks old chains The blood does not make a believer perfect, and the text does not pretend redeemed people never mess up again. The blood gives authority to repent, rise, and refuse the old chains that keep trying to anchor the soul. What has been put under the blood must not be dragged back out and treated like it still owns the future. [55:20]
• 5. A generation is rising now The enemy tries to convince the church that what once was is dead and gone. The Spirit is still filling young people, calling ministers, giving visions, and confirming the Word with signs following. Revival is not locked in somebody else’s memory when God is raising up sons and daughters to prophesy now. [66:28]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [25:40] - Luke 5 and Acts 3 Readings
• [27:22] - “I’m Not Who I Once Was”
• [28:14] - History, Backstories, and Simon’s Beginning
• [32:52] - Simon’s Flaws and Unlikely Calling
• [35:20] - Empty Nets and a Life Stuck
• [38:03] - Jesus Calls Simon Beyond His Past
• [40:08] - Peter Gets a Front Row Seat
• [41:52] - Upon This Rock
• [43:22] - Go Preach to Every Creature
• [45:29] - Peter Preaches Pentecost
• [48:10] - The Gate Called Beautiful
• [51:00] - Silver, Gold, and Jesus’ Name
• [55:20] - Taking Dominion Over the Past
• [66:28] - A Generation Rising in Revival
• [71:33] - Altar Call for New Dominion

Bible Reading

Luke 5:8-11
“When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.’ For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.’ And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.” [25:40]

Acts 3:2-7
“And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple. Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, ‘Look at us.’ And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, ‘I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!’ And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong.” [26:29]

Matthew 16:16-18
“Simon Peter replied, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.’”

Acts 2:38
“And Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’”

Observation questions

1. In Luke 5, what did Simon say and do when he saw the miraculous catch, and what did Jesus say back to him?
2. What details in Acts 3 show the difference between what the lame man expected and what Peter actually gave him? [50:52]
3. What new things happened in Peter’s life after Jesus called him—what was he doing in Luke 5, Matthew 16, Acts 2, and Acts 3? [45:29]
4. What repeated ideas show up in Peter’s story about name, identity, and authority? [42:40]

Interpretation questions

1. Simon fell at Jesus’ knees and called himself a sinful man after the miracle. Why does a blessing from God sometimes expose a person’s need for change instead of just making that person feel happy? [38:16]
2. Jesus changed Simon’s direction before the world would have expected it. What does that suggest about how Jesus sees people who look stuck in one role, one failure, or one reputation? [34:01]
3. Peter said, “Such as I have, I give thee.” What does that reveal about the connection between personal experience with Jesus and ministry to other people? [52:03]
4. Acts 2:38 and Acts 3 together show Peter preaching salvation and ministering healing. What does that say about the kind of authority tied to the name of Jesus and the gift of the Holy Spirit? [01:00:15]

Application questions

1. What old label still tries to stick to a person’s mind—failure, shame, anger, addiction, fear, insecurity, or something else? How has that label tried to speak louder than what Jesus says? [55:00]
2. Everyone has some version of the “fish smell” of the past. What situations, places, or memories tend to bring that old smell back up, and how can a believer respond without going back under it? [54:15]
3. Jesus called Simon while he was tired, empty, and frustrated. What area of life right now feels like empty nets, and what might it look like to obey Jesus there one more time? [36:37]
4. Peter did not have silver and gold, but he did have the name of Jesus. In everyday life, where is there a temptation to offer only surface help instead of bringing prayer, truth, and real spiritual care? [51:00]
5. The blood of Jesus does not make a person flawless, but it does break chains and give authority to repent and rise again. When a person has stumbled recently, what does it look like to repent honestly without letting failure define the future? [01:12:44]
6. School, work, and daily routines are places to take dominion and reach for somebody else. Who is one real person that could be reached this week, and what might be a simple first step toward them? [01:08:58]
7. A rising generation is being filled, called, and used by God right now. How can this group make room for faith, prayer, and expectation instead of quietly assuming the best days are behind the church? [01:06:28]