Functional Failure Week 4

3. FAILURE CAN DEVELOP DESPERATION

Peter spends close to a month living in this terrible space of constant awareness of his failure.

It weighs on him to such a degree that he makes an earth shattering statement.

John 21:2–3 (NLT)

2 Several of the disciples were there—Simon Peter, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples. 3 Simon Peter said, “I’m going fishing.”

Why is that statement significant?

because Peter had experienced an identity shift when he followed Jesus.

Jesus had specifically told him no longer will you fish for fish…I will make you fishers of men.

When Peter said I’m going fishing…this was a proclamation of returning to his old identity.

Failure will keep you from seeing the potential of the present while giving you a false perspective of the past.

Peter was tired of feeling like a failure because of his mishandling of being a disciple…so he thought..I’ll just go be a fisherman again.

When you can’t get past the guilt of your failure…it’s tempting to go to old sources for fulfillment. (GO BACK TO ___________ )

THE PROBLEM IS THAT FOLLOWING JESUS RUINS YOU FOR ANYTHING ELSE.

John 21:3 (NLT)

….“We’ll come, too,” they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night.

Peter goes back to a source that he thought would satisfy only to find out that your past cannot produce.

We go to things thinking they will make us feel better…but pull the net up and find out that it’s empty.

Peter and the disciples spend a whole night trying to produce from the product of their past…THEN JESUS SHOWS UP.

John 21:4–5 (NLT)

4 At dawn Jesus was standing on the beach, but the disciples couldn’t see who he was. 5 He called out, “Fellows, have you caught any fish?” “No,” they replied.

AT DAWN

Again…let’s look at the timing.

Peter denies Jesus just before dawn Peter slows his run to the tomb…just before dawn

And Peter is coming to the realization fo his failure as a fisherman…just before dawn.

DAWN HAS BECOME A SIGNIFICANT MOMENT IN PETER’S LIFE REPRESENTING HIS FAILURES.

Dawn has carried a sense of failure for Peter for the last month of his life…but Jesus is about to change the way he looks at dawn forever.

JESUS DOESN’T WAIT FOR YOU TO GET TO A BETTER PLACE…HE MEETS YOU IN THE MIDDLE OF YOUR MESS.

But before he will ever make any moves to mend our broken situation…he requires a certain level of identification on our behalf.

HAVE YOU CAUGHT ANY FISH?

This question was about more than just fish….He was asking are you fulfilled?

Did you find what you are looking for?

THE ANSWER WAS A RESOUNDING NO

The simplicity of the gospel is seen in Jesus response to their lack of productivity and fulfillment.

John 21:6 (NLT)

6 Then he said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get some!” So they did, and they couldn’t haul in the net because there were so many fish in it.

He doesn’t tell them to do something astonishingly extravagant…He simply says…do what you’re doing in another direction.

Repentance doesn’t require you gaining a new skill…it simply requires you to live your life in a different direction.

They oblige Jesus request and find a haul of fish that they couldn’t even handle…this is a picture of life more abundant…

IN THIS MOMENT JOHN SAYS…”IT’S THE LORD.”

Peter realizes…Jesus still loves him

John 21:7 (NKJV)

7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea.

Peter has slowed his pursuit and stood at a distance but in one moment he realizes that his failure didn’t negate Jesus love for Him.

WE CAN ACTUALLY FIND A POSITIVE ASPECT OF FAILURE IN THIS SCENARIO.

FAILURE CREATES DESPERATION

I COULDN’T HELP BUT NOTICE: This whole scenario is reminiscent of another night a couple of years ago when Jesus shows up to the disciples in a boat.

Peter was still confident in his apostleship so he was over-analytical.

IF IT BE YOU BID ME TO COME. HE CONSIDERED THE POSSIBLE OUTCOMES BEFORE DECIDING WHETHER TO COMMIT. Then ended up failing because he made it about himself.

Failure births a desperation that says if I walk on the water cool…if I fall in the mud…cool.

Whether this step leads to a miracle or to a mess…I have to get close to Jesus again.

FAILURE CREATES A DESPERATION THAT NO LONGER TAKES PUBLIC OPINION INTO CONSIDERATION.

Religious people don’t know desperation.

Pharisees don’t know desperation

People who have it all together don’t know desperation.

But when you’ve failed the God you love more than anything and can’t figure out how to make it right…there’s a part of you that says I’ll do anything, anywhere, anyway….I just have to have your presence in my life.

4. FAILURE GIVES YOU A STORY

Peter makes his way to the shore…leaving a boat full of fish only to find that Jesus had already prepared what he had spent an entire night trying to gather.

JESUS ALREADY HAS AN ABUNDANT SUPPLY OF WHAT WE CAN’T GARNER ON OUR OWN.

Then Peter sits down with Jesus and Jesus asks him the question that we’ve heard preached numerous times.

Do you love me? He asks three times…the same amount of times that Peter denied…God’s grace is always sufficient for our failures.

Opportunities for redemption will always outweigh opportunities for condemnation.

Jesus gives Peter the purpose of feeding his sheep.

Peter had a purpose to build the church and develop the system that would ultimately see the gospel turn the world upside down.

In Acts chapter two Peter stands up in front of thousands of people and proclaims the gospel fo Jesus Christ.

I’m sure the maid from the night of the crucifixion was in that crowd. I’m sure the individuals who spoke to him by the fire were there.

Peter couldn’t erase his failure…but he could allow it to function in such a way as to draw him back to Jesus.

Will you allow your failure to slow your pursuit?

WIll you allow your failure to develop a divide

Or will you let it give birth to a desperation and let an encounter with Jesus turn your struggle into your story.