Sermon Tone Analysis

Series Review

Peter; Clay in the Potter’s Hand

Sermon Introduction

I read a book on Christian leadership, and the author didn’t like the word “failure.”

He replaced that word with t word “experiment.”

Experiment -= trying something, not knowing how it will turn out; testing the waters; believing God is leading, but still discerning -a method of discernment; pray, dwell in the Word, but at some point our discernment must take concrete action.

Failure does happen, in ministry (make bad decision without hearing from God), in relationships, work and family.

Peter has failed (public denial).

He has encountered the risen Jesus, but he has not been reconciled to Jesus.

When we hurt someone, we can’t just pretend that things are okay.

Wait until things subside - have a polite conversation and things are okay.

Things are not okay between Peter and Jesus.

Peter is back to where Jesus first found him: fishing.

Some say this was Peter’s way to cope with his bitter disappointment and personal failure.

Others say that he was simply doing what Jesus said:

I think there was a little of both here.

He was going to Galilee where Jesus instructed them to go, but he is also resuming the only life he knew.

Plus he has to eat.

The sermon is about Peter’s regret, and how he moved on from that regret and was restored to right relationship with God.

We hear the term “personal failures,” but personal failures almost always hurt other people.

(addiction, anger, dishonesty, poor priorities, physical health).

We cannot move on from our failures without reconciliation.

Regret: God’s Favor to Failures

God shows favor - he blesses, even when we fail; hard to see when we carry guilt, when our sin seperates us from God;

God shows Peter favor - he gives him a successful catch.

Remember the purpose of fish - could be perceived as a miracle to be observed, but remember when Peter was first called - “...cast your nets on the other side.”

The miraculous catch, the huge pile of fish pointed to something greater than good fortune = pointed to calling; success in ministry that only comes from God.

“Sell those fish, make some money and take care of your family.

Expand your business.

Upgrade your way of living.

God’s blessings are a beginning, not a means to an end.

Every week I get bombarded with advertisements for Christian organizations promising to improve the church.

How to market your church.

How to reach new people.

How to preach better.

How to grow programs.

There are so many resources for churches that it’s easy to get lost in them.

And yet churches still struggle.

I get tired of them; waste of paper too.

I have a friend who was a pastor, but became a missionary to China.

(tired of business side of church, the politics; he described his work in China as ‘raw Gospel.’

Teaching the Word, making disciples.

He left he business behind.

He left the church growth brochures behind.

He said, “If you have dreams of being a successful pastor and growing a large church, stay out of missionary work.

You will never fulfill that dream.

You will lead people to Christ, you will disciple people, but they wiill go and start their own churches.”

Churches in China Third World countries have no clue when it comes to these ‘success’ driven methodologies.

In their poverty and they have to rely on prayer for the power of God and the simple sharing of the gospel.

Christianity in some Third World areas appears to be growing almost out of control.

My point: God’s favor is not for our own benefit - it is for the kingdom of God.

The miracle of the fish is not an extra source of income - it symbolizes how Peter will lead countless numbers of people to Christ.

Interestingly, by contrast, the churches of the Third World are, by and large, uninformed concerning these new discoveries and ‘success’ methodologies.

In their poverty and weakness they have to rely on prayer for the power of God and the simple direct sharing of the gospel.

The results are often remarkable.

Christianity in some Third World areas appears to be growing almost out of control.

Obviously there are massive generalizations involved in these observations (though they are made from first-hand experience on several continents).

The trouble with the ‘know-how’ of the western churches is not the knowledge in itself, in most cases, but the insidious temptation to trust in it.

It is there that the breakdown occurs, and where this story speaks so relevantly.

There was nothing wrong with the disciples’ fishing ‘know-how’; it simply did not bring them any fish when they relied upon it.

When they followed Jesus and relied on him, to some extent in defiance of the instincts of their experience, the harvest was overwhelming.

Regret: God’s Fellowship with Failures

When the resurrected Jesus appeared to people, there was always food invoved.

Jesus made his post-resurrection appearances to failures: people who did not understand he was going to die, ran when he was arrested, and even had trouble believing even when seeing him.

Jesus did not avoid poeple who had hurt him.

Who do you avoid?

People that are different (race, economic status, religion [muslim attire], personality that doesn’t mesh with yours; when we know we’ve hurt someone we might avoid them; or people who have hurt us;

eating - intimate fellowship (ex.

dr.s private room in cafe; friend working for trucking company, not allowed to eat with managers; eat with stranger at school?)

Jesus has an infinite capacity to forgive - he is carrying visible wounds that have resulted from his abandonment; it’s hard to forigive when we’re still carrying the wounds; Jesus forgives, it’s one thing to say “I forgive you,” it’s another to offer intimate fellowship; that’s a sign of true forgiveness and a desire to reconcile;

Jesus’ fellowship is a form of confrontation - we also avoid poeple whom we’ve hurt; the goal of confronting the offender - reconciliation; ex.

follow the directions of Jesus solves so many conflicts - “Do we have to do that?”

it’s hard to forgive when the woulds still exist; the good news for us: Jesus has an infinite ability to forgive - he fellowships with sinners, with failures, with the best and the worst of us;

Restoration: Confronting our Failures

John 21:

charcoal fire? - anthrakia, specific type of fire; Question asked 3x; coincidence?

I talked a minute ago about avoiding poeple who have hurt us - what people we have hurt?

Peter, face your sin; face your victim (AA - not just internal healing, recognizing the damage to others; not just about your healing, but the healing of others you have hurt; AA gets it right, we struggle with it)

Acknowledge specifically your sin to the victim, ask for their forgiveness - freedom for you, freedom for the victim if they are ready to receive it; THAT’S FREEDOM!

Acknowledge specifically your sin to the victim, ask for their forgiveness - freedom for you, freedom for the victim if they are ready to receive it; FREEDOM!

anthrakia

I talked a minute ago about avoiding poeple who have hurt us - what people we have hurt?

Peter, face your sin; face your victim (AA - not just internal healing, recognizing the damage to others; not just about your healing, but the healing of others you have hurt; AA gets it right, we struggle with it)

Acknowledge specifically your sin to the victim, ask for their forgiveness - freedom for you, freedom for the victim if they are ready to receive it; THAT’S FREEDOM!

Freedom from sin and gulit - forgiveness isn’t just between me and God - it also involves the person I’ve offended.

Facing your sin means facing your victims - which is harder - asking forgiveness from God or from the person you’ve hurt?

(ex.

mistake in ministry, hard to preach)

rebuild marriage without rebuilding trust?

i like this example because it represents harsh betrayal, deep wounding, struggle to forgive, struggle to make the relationship whole; test the commitment (do you love me? prove it: accountability, transparency).

test is for the spouse and for ourselves.

Peter, do you love me?

Prove it.

Love my sheep.

Don’t give me words on Sunday morning, show me your love on the other 6 days.

Restoration: Reinstatement for Mission

Great news!

??? Believe it or not, this is restoration.

Restoration means forgiven, wholeness, right relationship with God, but it also means God putting us back on the mission field.

(Farming 4 Hunger - inmates experienced forgiveness, but they also have a sense of mission)