"The Truth About Failure"

Places bring back memories. Memories remind us of stories. Going to the beach - DAD…Negative places/memories/stories — EXAMPLES

Peter’s failure - SET UP TEXT

John 21:1–19 ESV

After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off. When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”

How do WE respond when we fail? When we’ve blown it? Sin? When our lives say, “I don’t know the man!” When we live/make decisions as if Jesus is not Lord/King of our life?

Jesus seeks me out to FORGIVE and RESTORE me even when I fail him.

Jesus takes the INITIATIVE.

Flowers, candy, cards - if you’re at the store and you see a guy holding all of this, what do you typically think? Special occasion OR he’s tired of sleeping on the couch, right? I don’t know how many flowers I’ve bought over the years…cd’s… “special dinners” - all to get out of the doghouse because of something I said or did out of anger or just stupidity.

The offender usually tries to make it right with the offendee, right? But what happens here? Jesus does the exact opposite! HE provides the fish. HE cooks the breakfast. HE INVITED THEM - SPECIFICALLY PETER!!!

So often, we believe that we’ve got to work ourselves back into good graces with God. That’s a lie! Nothing we could do will ever amount to saving us and nothing we can ever do will ever get us back on good terms with God.

Galatians 3:2–3 ESV

Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?

It’s all about God’s grace!!! The cross is proof that God takes the initiative.

Run TO grace. Not AWAY from it.

It is ingrained in human nature to run and hide when we’ve blown it. Our first parents, Adam & Eve, did it. We want to avoid the person we’ve hurt…it’s usually awkward. Whether it be embarrassment, shame, whatever…we run and hide.

I’ve been around long enough to have pretty much heard it all. “I’ve had to just take some time off from church to ‘figure some things out.’” No…you’re hiding! When we blow it, we should surround ourselves with God’s people!

What does Peter do? Look at verse 7! We tend to try and hide from God like he’s an angry old man!

Prodigal son - - the Father ran!

Grace is what we don’t deserve but what we need most. Grace is God’s undeserved and unearned kindness to us…his favor on us. Think about that! God’s favor on me! I don’t deserve it. Maybe that’s why we run…there’s a catch? My dad used to tell me, “If it’s too good to be true, it probably is.” Unless we’re talking about grace.

Why is it that we run from the very thing we need most?

God’s LOVE is never in question.

So much of human love has been touched/wrecked by sin. It’s conditional. “I’ll love you as long as you love me back…or don’t hurt me.”

I have just been so overwhelmed by this passage all week because, what would WE expect to read here? Peter has blown it. He’s hurt Jesus. Again, after Peter came out of hiding, he would try to work himself back into good graces, then, he’d question, “Jesus, do YOU still love me?”

This is NOT THE CASE! Jesus’s love for Peter is never in question, here!!!

Agape - not performance based…I love you even if you never love me back!

The cross settles it!

I must FACE MY FAILURE.

See what Jesus does: Dawn, Fire, 3 Questions…Jesus brought him back…not for shame/condemnation - that’s what Satan does.

Jesus brought him back to forgive. To remind Peter of his constant need of grace for weakness. This was big talking Peter!

The Message of John a. A Barrier to Be Removed (21:15–17)

Note that Jesus does not address him as Peter, the rock, for he had failed to live up to that name. Jesus is facing Peter with his own limitations so that he might entrust himself in a new way to Christ’s leadership. Simon on his own will always be Simon. He has no capacity to rise beyond that. But Simon trusting in Jesus is Peter-the-rock, from whose witness and leadership the church will receive its earliest foundation.

We like to make “blanket confessions.” REPENTANCE - we sin individually.

Jesus RESTORES

This is always God’s purpose - his end game!

MY PURPOSE:

God is not done with you! 3 times, Jesus restores. He’s telling Peter, “You’re not too far gone! You’re not unusable! I restore! I make whole! Peter, I trust you!”

The Message of John a. A Barrier to Be Removed (21:15–17)

‘You ask me what forgiveness means; it is the wonder of being trusted again by God in the place where I disgraced him’ (Rita Snowden).

MY FELLOWSHIP:

Sin hurts fellowship…Jesus’s meal with the disciples - an act of communion/fellowship.

“Follow me” - the call that started everything!

FAILURE is never God’s FINAL WORD!