SESSION 4 — FOLLOW ME

SETTING UP THE TEXT

This is our last session.

I don't want to spend much time recapping the weekend.

I want to open Scripture and look at one final encounter with Jesus.

And it's one of my favorite encounters in the Bible.

READ JOHN 21:9–14

Peter has failed Jesus.

Three times Peter denied even knowing Him.

And now Jesus has risen from the dead.

Peter goes fishing.

Then Jesus meets him on the shore.

And John gives us this detail:

“When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there…” John 21:9

Don't miss the charcoal fire.

Because there's only one other charcoal fire mentioned in John's Gospel.

JOHN 18:17–18

Peter is standing around a charcoal fire when someone asks:

“You aren't one of this man's disciples too, are you?”

Peter says:

“I am not.”

This is the place of Peter's failure.

The smell.

The fire.

The memory.

And now in John 21...

Jesus builds another fire.

I don't think that's an accident.

Jesus brings Peter back to something that probably reminds him of his worst moment.

But He doesn't bring Peter there to shame him.

He brings Peter there to restore him.

And I love what happens before Jesus even talks about Peter's failure.

They eat breakfast.

Jesus feeds him.

Peter denied Him...

and Jesus makes him breakfast.

That's Jesus.

READ JOHN 21:15–17

After breakfast:

“Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?’”

Peter says:

“Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Jesus:

“Feed my lambs.”

Then again:

“Do you love me?”

Then a third time:

“Do you love me?”

Three denials.

Three questions.

But notice what Jesus doesn't ask.

Peter, are you going to try harder?

Peter, promise Me you'll never do that again.

Peter, do you feel bad enough?

Jesus goes deeper:

“DO YOU LOVE ME?”

Jesus isn't just correcting Peter's behavior.

He's restoring Peter's heart.

READ JOHN 21:18–19

Then Jesus tells Peter something hard.

Following Him is eventually going to cost Peter everything.

And after telling Peter this, Jesus gives him two words:

“Follow me!”

Think about this.

Those are almost the exact same words Jesus gave Peter when He first called him.

Years earlier:

“Follow Me.”

Peter has walked with Jesus.

Seen miracles.

Walked on water.

Gotten things right.

Gotten things terribly wrong.

Denied Jesus.

Seen the risen Jesus.

And after everything...

the invitation hasn't changed:

FOLLOW ME.

READ JOHN 21:20–22

Then Peter turns around and sees John.

And asks Jesus:

“Lord, what about him?”

That's such a human moment.

Jesus has just spoken personally to Peter about his life...

And Peter immediately looks sideways.

“What about him?”

Jesus responds:

“What is that to you? You must follow me.”

In other words:

PETER, KEEP YOUR EYES ON ME.

Don't worry about John's story.

Don't worry about John's calling.

Don't worry about what I'm doing with him.

You follow Me.

ONE AND ONLY POINT:

THE LIFE THAT CHANGES THE WORLD IS THE LIFE THAT KEEPS SAYING YES TO JESUS.

Not one giant yes at retreat.

A lifetime of small ones.

APPLICATION 1 — COME BACK TO JESUS

Don't let failure have the final word.

Peter failed.

Badly.

But Jesus met him at the fire.

Some of you will leave this retreat and mess up again.

I know that's not the inspirational retreat ending.

But it's true.

You'll get distracted again.

You'll sin.

You'll make a decision you regret.

You'll have a week where you barely think about Jesus.

And when that happens, the enemy will whisper:

See? Nothing changed.

You're a fake.

God is disappointed in you.

You might as well give up.

Don't believe it.

Come back to Jesus.

Peter's failure wasn't the end of his story because Jesus was still writing it.

STICKY LINE:

WHEN YOU FAIL, DON'T RUN FROM JESUS. RUN TO JESUS.

That's maturity.

Not never falling.

Knowing where to go when you do.

Back to His feet.

Back to His grace.

Back to His presence.

Back to Jesus.

APPLICATION 2 — LOVE WHAT JESUS LOVES

“Do you love me?” → “Feed my sheep.”

Jesus connects these two things.

Love Me.

Then:

Love My people.

Because the closer you get to the heart of Jesus...

the more His heart starts becoming yours.

You'll start noticing people you used to overlook.

The lonely person.

The difficult person.

The kid everybody thinks is weird.

The friend who's struggling.

The person who doesn't know Jesus.

This is what revival should produce.

If revival makes us louder worshipers but doesn't make us more loving people...

we've missed something.

If we leave retreat passionate about Jesus but still gossip about people...

we've missed something.

If we raise our hands in worship but walk past the lonely student at school...

we've missed something.

Because:

YOU CANNOT GET CLOSE TO THE HEART OF JESUS WITHOUT GETTING CLOSE TO THE PEOPLE HE LOVES.

So ask differently this year.

Not only:

“Jesus, how can You use me?”

Ask:

“JESUS, WHO ARE YOU ASKING ME TO LOVE?”

Who needs to be noticed?

Who needs encouragement?

Who needs an invitation?

Who needs someone to sit with them?

Who needs someone to listen?

Who needs someone to pray?

You don't have to save them.

That's Jesus' job.

Just love the person He's put in front of you.

APPLICATION 3 — KEEP YOUR EYES ON JESUS

“What about him?” → “You follow Me.”

This one might be the most important.

Peter gets his calling...

and immediately looks sideways.

What about him?

We do the same thing constantly.

What about their life?

Their relationship?

Their body?

Their gifts?

Their popularity?

Their success?

Their calling?

Their followers?

Their future?

We live in a world designed to keep you looking sideways.

And Jesus says:

“WHAT IS THAT TO YOU? YOU FOLLOW ME.”

STICKY LINE:

YOU CAN'T FOLLOW JESUS WHILE CONSTANTLY LOOKING SIDEWAYS.

God's story for you won't look exactly like God's story for them.

And that's okay.

You don't need their calling.

Their gifts.

Their platform.

Their story.

You need Jesus.

WHAT DOES FOLLOWING LOOK LIKE?

Most of following Jesus isn't one huge dramatic decision.

It's a thousand small yeses.

Jesus says:

Forgive.

Yes.

Invite them.

Yes.

Put the phone down and be with Me.

Yes.

Walk away from that relationship.

Yes.

Go apologize.

Yes.

Pray for them.

Yes.

Serve.

Yes.

Wait.

Yes.

Trust Me.

Yes.

That's following Jesus.

BRING IT HOME

So I'm not sending you home today telling you:

“Go change the world!”

That's too much pressure.

You're not the Savior.

Jesus is.

I'm asking you to do something much simpler:

FOLLOW JESUS.

Because if you follow Jesus long enough...

you'll eventually find yourself where Jesus is.

Near broken people.

Near lonely people.

Near people who need hope.

Near people who don't know Him.

And your life will make a difference—

not because you woke up trying to be a world changer...

but because you stayed close to Jesus.

MAIN POINT AGAIN

THE LIFE THAT CHANGES THE WORLD IS THE LIFE THAT KEEPS SAYING YES TO JESUS.

So take these three things home:

1. COME BACK TO JESUS.

When you fail, run toward Him.

2. LOVE WHAT JESUS LOVES.

Let His heart for people become yours.

3. KEEP YOUR EYES ON JESUS.

Stop looking sideways and follow Him.

CLOSING RESPONSE

I would keep the response very simple.

Worship starts quietly.

Then say:

“I don't want you to promise Jesus that you're going to be perfect after this weekend.

Peter tried that.

Instead, I want you to give Jesus your next yes.”

Then three questions:

Jesus, is there anything I need to bring back to You?

Pause.

Jesus, who are You asking me to love differently?

Pause.

Jesus, what is my next yes?

Long pause.

Then:

“Maybe you don't know what God wants to do with your whole life.

That's okay.

You don't need to know the next ten years.

You just need to know the One you're following.”

Have them open their hands.

Jesus, when we fail, bring us back to You.

Give us Your heart for people.

Keep our eyes fixed on You.

And whatever the next yes is...

give us courage to say it.

We don't know everywhere You're going to lead.

But we've seen Your heart.

And we trust You.

So Jesus...

we will follow You.

Amen.

Then go into your final worship.

And when everything is over, I would leave them with just this:

YOU DON'T HAVE TO LEAVE HERE AND CHANGE THE WORLD.

JUST KEEP FOLLOWING JESUS.

Come back. Love people. Keep your eyes on Him. And keep saying yes.