See Him Restore (2)

Series Review

Come and See - with your own eyes, look at the results.

We close the series with Jesus talking Peter

What do you do when you fail? Kick yourself in frustration? Listen to the voices that remind you of your failure? Avoid risk. Play it safe? Avoid any opportunity that reminds you of that failure? Keep a distance from the one you have failed?

This story is about Peter’s failure.

Jesus chose a simple, uneducated fisherman, to be the rock, the foundation of his church. Peter was on fire, confident, excited about following Jesus. At the last supper Jesus says, one of you will betray me! In fact, he says, all of you will run. Peter boldly says, I will never leave you! Jesus says after the rooster crows you will have denied me 3 times. And Peter failed.

Peter failure was cowardly, lacking integrity, and it was public. He wept bitterly.

Why isn’t God helping me, my family, my church? God is not looking for programs, God looks for people.

2 chronicles 16:9 - The eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.

Not the wisest, most attractive, experienced. Good criteria, but not enough: Those whose hearts are fully committed to him, and Peter, by anyone standard, has failed.

Gods plan has always happened through people. Gods biggest problem has always been ….

So there is a problem here. You can’t gloss over failure, make excuses for it, sweep it under the rug. There must be restoration. Something must happen to bring peter back to his original position.

What that looks like in your life

Eagerness to be with God, Facing your failure and accepting the mission

Things get hard, retreat to the familiar. fishing

New International Version (2011) Chapter 21

I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

1. Eagerness to Be With God.

I want you to imagine what Peter does in verse 7 :

John 21:7 (NIV): 

As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. 

Excited about union with Christ, more important than income. Pushes aside some important work to be with Christ. This is a busy world - how many of you have lots of free time. If your schedule is crammed, something must be pushed aside. A lot of times it’s prayer that is set asidex

Allow God to Search you: by the fire

the awkward, courageous conversation

 peat, cattle dung and wood, press the liquid from fruit, … The charcoal fire

made charcoal - break into small pieces and stack in a dome, delicate process of heating, removing liquid - required a professional

Facing your failures, facing the people you’ve hurt (it’s painful work)

We can do this with God3 times

God’s Answer: Do you love me?

Are you “all in?”

The meaning of commitment

The meaning of fish: leaving safety and stability

The meaning of lambs: the long haul, feeding is continual to the point of self sufficiency, ready to feed others