Forged in Failure
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OSL Students - Series Title - None - Calling it Easter 2018
Message Title - Forged in Failure
We are taking time to look at things that happened to Jesus as he headed to the Cross.
Jesus was 100 percent human at this time (also 100 percent God)
Jesus was surrounded by humanity at this time
Some amazing things that we can learn by seeing and taking notice to what happened
Even though he was about to die, Jesus never stopped being the teacher.
Importance - The Cross leads to the Resurrection
Jesus spoke about his death and resurrection
Jesus’ actions pointed to his death and resurrection - and the victory it would bring.
WE cannot celebrate the resurrection without looking at the cross
Last week - the Last Supper
Jesus used the passover meal to bring a clearer understanding of what it really pointed to. - HIM
Jesus was the passover lamb
Jesus brings his disciples to the passover table to teach them what He was about
Jesus left us a victory table to live in what He was all about
Communion - New Forgiveness
New Escape from sin
New power in our lives
Today I want to go a bit further into the story
We Live in a World of Perfection
We Live in a World of Perfection
A world where you are forced to measure up
Records stand for those who do remarkable almost super human things
We are presented with a mold to fit in to
lines are drawn
standards are set
bars are raised
We read about it, talk about it, lie about it, and try to hit the target.
But it doesn’t take long to figure out that only a small percentage ever make it
And I guess my question is Do THEY?
And then the other thing is what is the price of making it and is it worth it?
So we live in a world of perfection, but
We are Imperfect People
We are Imperfect People
Does anyone see the problem here?
We may laugh at the failures and misfortune of someone else, but when it’s our failures being laughed at, we see that failure isn’t funny
For the truth is that failure is often tragic and sad.
We are surrounded daily by people who fail us
And they can say the same things, for we all fail one another.
Just look how unsurprised we are when a politician fails to keep their promises
or one ends up in some kind of scandal whether it be immoral or financial.
It’s a real shame that we actually get cynical in life because we expect failure all around us.
Here in the midst of Jesus’ suffering and death, we see that he was surrounded by human failure - that of his own disciple
And not only just a disciple but one of the inner circle - Peter.
Now this probably didn’t surprise us because as we look at Peter, he was prone to do some crazy things. But this is bad.
So bad, in fact, that all four gospel writers felt the need to record it.
Or was it not as bad as it was important that they all record it? Because that’s where we are headed this morning.
Here we have Peter’s treachery
Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came to him, saying, “You also were with Jesus of Galilee.”
But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are saying.”
And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
But again he denied with an oath, “I do not know the Man!”
And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, “Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you.”
Then he began to curse and swear, saying, “I do not know the Man!”
Immediately a rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So he went out and wept bitterly.
We are going to look at three different accounts of this story today, because each writer has a different viewpoint
Matthew’s account lends to the irony of the whole thing.
Jesus is being threatened to death by the High Priest. He will be taken before the Romans. So Jesus is taking a stand before the highest powers of the land.
Here is Peter, embarrassed and maybe facing a beating and he crumbles in front of mere servant girls.
Jesus is put on the stand. He is sworn to tell the truth about himself and he does.
Here is Peter swearing and lying, not only about himself, but about his friend and master Jesus.
Jesus is falsely accused of blasphemy
Here is Peter guilty of blaspheming , swearing that he didn’t know him
So we see Peter’s weaknesses
WE see his failures.
But what we all see here, praise God for each of us, is that the man Peter was forged in Failure.
You and I are forged in Failure - If that failure is touched by Jesus Christ.
So let’s not be too hard on ourselves, because
Failure is a Fact!
Failure is a Fact!
Think of the whole Bible - Failure is all throughout
Adam and Eve
Abraham
Moses
The people of Israel
And US!
We look at Peter, but all the disciples had fled
In fact, the reason why none of the others denied him was because they weren’t there - they weren’t brave enough to be there
They were scared for their lives
Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
This problem is inherent in all of mankind.
“The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?
Because of sin, it’s seated deep down inside of us. The heart, the inner man, is affected and marked by sin and brokenness.
We cannot say that I’m not like them, or I’m better than them.
The old bumper sticker is so true - Christians aren’t perfect, just forgiven
This deceitful and wicked heart is something that each of us deals with all day long
This is why the Cross is so important.
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
This is the problem before the cross
This is the problem rectified by the cross
Though we may not like to admit it, there isn’t much we can do about it in ourselves.
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
So keep telling yourself that you’ve never failed
Keep trying to live in a way to convince others that you don’t fail
Keep lying to yourself and others, because the Bible tells us a different story
And so think about it, all of these people who fail, all of these people who are still pulled by sin, where are we? In the church.
But we are too embarrassed to admit that we are flawed - and so we go on being just that - flawed.
In fact, let me put it this way this morning - if you are here and you are perfect, would you please stand up.
Hmmmm, I know I’m not there today in person, but I’ll bet the result is still the same as it was on Thursday night as I recorded this - there’s nobody standing.
Now of course, there is nobody here, but you get the point.
Here is one thing that the cross did for us church.
We can drop the religious pretense today that w are all alright.
Let’s stop with the service that makes us all look perfect and get to the place where we can come in this place, and bow before the God who knows our failures and weaknesses and still loves us
Let’s worship the King who understands our deceitful hearts and still died for us
Let’s love on one another and not bear judgement because, but for the grace of God, there go I.
Yes, I love our songs of triumph
Yes I want to speak about the God who makes each of us successful
yes I want to hear the testimonies of victory
But I also want to hear the prayer requests of this is where I am this week and I need you to pray for me, to enter the battle with me and to hold me accountable and walk me through this with Jesus.
Christopher Wright says “It seems that in order to become a Christian, the first thing you have to do is to admit that you’ve failed. But somehow, once you have become a Christian, the last think you’re ever expected to do is to admit that you fail.
It seems that in order to enter the church, you must accept that you’re a sinner, but the only way of staying credible within the church is by pretending to be a success.
Something is wrong.
This has to be one reason why Peter’s denial is captured in all four gospels. This was one of the three closest disciples of Jesus and he failed
It opens our eyes to the fact that we fail - I fail and you fail
The church is full of failures today and what a weight that removes from our shoulders
And that brings us to the second point today
Failure is Foreseen
Failure is Foreseen
Look back at
Now as they were eating, He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.”
Now down ten verses to
Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written:
‘I will strike the Shepherd,
And the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’
Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”
Did Judas’ betrayal or Peters denial take Jesus by surprise? Not at all
Jesus knew who he had. Jesus knew their hearts and Jesus knew their weaknesses
And he knows ours as well.
Might that not have been the saving grace for Peter?
We see that t
Wow, Jesus knew that. He knew that I would fail. He knew that I would turn on him
I couldn’t see it, I didn’t want to see it, but he knew.
It kind of speaks to the fact, that even though this isn’t a good thing, and it definitely points to a weakness in Peter’s life, Jesus still had things in control
He could still use this. He could still do something with it.
Turn with me to
Just look at the headings in your Bible with me
Jesus washes the disciples feet
Jesus identifies his betrayer
Jesus predicts Peter’s Denial - Let’s read that one
Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, where are You going?”
Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me afterward.”
Peter said to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my life for Your sake.”
Jesus answered him, “Will you lay down your life for My sake? Most assuredly, I say to you, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three times.
Now let’s keep in mind here that when John wrote this there are not headings, there are no breaks. No chapters, and no verses.
So when we read chapter 13 and chapter 14 without those man made breaks, this is what we get.
Watch it, you might get blessed here.
Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, where are You going?”
Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me afterward.”
Peter said to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my life for Your sake.”
Jesus answered him, “Will you lay down your life for My sake? Most assuredly, I say to you, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three times.
“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.
Wow - Jesus says, Judas, you are going to betray me
Peter, you say that you would die for me, within the next few hours, before the sun rises, you are going to even deny that you know me
But Fear not.
Fear not Peter - believe in what God is doing in your life
and believe in what I am about to do for you
It will be alright.
Brothers and sisters, what does that do for your heart right now.
Failure is Forseen and Jesus is right in the middle of it to do something great
If you trust him
Strong Christian lives are forged in Failure
Strong Christian lives are forged at the cross
And Peter found out something that each of us need to discover and acknowledge -
Failure is Forgiven
Failure is Forgiven
Come on give a shout today
Let’s applaud our savior today
Yes we fail, yes we fall
but our failure is forgiven.
This is where the gospel of Luke is so important
And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”
Peter failed - Peter’s strength failed. Peter fell to fear
But Peter’s faith never failed.
Jesus had prayed for him. And somewhere deep inside of Peter with all that he was going through, his faith in Christ was still there.
In , Jesus meets Peter on the beach after a night of fishing.
He already has breakfast cooking for him, but it all means nothing, because Peter is still dealing with the failure.
And then Jesus asks Peter three questions, or one question 3 times.
Why three times?
There is a lot there to go with that, but for the sake of this message once for each failure.
I don’t know him - Peter do you love me? Lord you know I love you - then feed my sheep
I tell you I don’t know the man, I never hung out with him, I never saw him before - Peter do you love me? Lord you know I love you - then feed my sheep
I tell you, (beep beepity beep) I don’t know him - curse the man - Peter do you love me? Lord you know that I love you - then feed my sheep.
What’s Jesus doing here?
Peter you have failed. You fell to the moment, you fell to the scrutiny and pressure of this world
Peter I still love you. Do you love me?
Lord, Of course I love you, I always have. I’m just hurting right now
Then Peter, I called you three years ago to fish for men
That calling is still real, it’s still for you
Go feed the sheep - take care of the church - I entrust it to your leadership and your strength
How do you think Peter felt?
That’s for you today brother and sister. Yes you have failed
Yes you have fallen and it seems like that’s all that you keep doing
But Jesus says I still love you - in fact, I went to the cross for you
But get up, clean yourself off. I still love you
I still have a plan for you
I still have a purpose for you
Because of the cross, your weakness does not disqualify you because my love qualifies you.
Let’s do this together.
The old hymn says it well:
Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
In my place condemned he stood;
Sealed my pardon with his blood,
Hallelujah. What a Savior!
Stand with me and let’s praise this savior
PRAY