Reborn for Greatness - Session 2 - Crash and Burn

Moments of failure

What have been some of your moments when you would have said - “I blew it!”?

Crash and Burn

Earlier this evening, we talked about Peter’s decision to walk away from his life of fishing and towards a life with Christ.

We talked about this idea that a life reborn to greatness

Lets Jesus use your life for His platform - like Peter let Jesus use his boat

Peter allowed Jesus to use His boat so that more people could hear and experience God’s Word.

That it acknowledges sinfulness - confessing our inability to make ourselves pure

That it lets Jesus change your plans - making your life about His mission rather than your own.

and That it is usually costly - requiring that we follow HIM and renounce our own desires.

The tension

Even after we have stepped into this type of life, we are still going to be faced with failure and disappointment.

We will still struggle with doubt and fear

We will still cling to our shame and regret.

We will say things that we don’t mean and make promises that we can’t keep

We will continue to sin...

The question is, what will we do with that sin?

Peter wrestled with over confidence and self-sufficiency...

There is this little passage in , that illustrates this…

Matthew 26:30–35 ESV

30 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. 31 Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ 32 But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” 33 Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” 34 Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” 35 Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” And all the disciples said the same.

Luke 22:31–34 ESV

31 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, 32 but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” 33 Peter said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.” 34 Jesus said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.”

Jesus rolls out the plan to His disciples..

You are all going to fall away from me… strike the shepherd, and the sheep will scatter

Stinks - but Jesus doesn't say no to Satan… He prays for Peter that his faith would not fail.

And almost as if Peter didn’t even hear what Jesus was saying, makes this bold proclamation...

"These jokers might fall away - especially Thomas - I feel like that dude has had doubts from the beginning… but NOT ME, Jesus!! I will never fall away!”

Jesus then reiterates - No, Peter, I am telling you - you’re going to deny me. Like tonight. Not just once, but three times.

Peter is like - no way… I am ready! Even if I have to die with you, I will NEVER deny you!!

and all the other disciples are like “Me too!!!!!”

But Peter wasn’t ready… Far from it.

He still had so much learning left to do - and Jesus knew exactly where he was at.

He needed to learn that he could not rely on himself or his own strength, but that he needed to rest in Jesus and His strength.

1. The Lord knows your mistakes before you ever make them

1. The Lord knows your mistakes before you ever make them

Think about that for a moment…

Think back to the last few failures that you have walked through.

Jesus knew in detail, what you were going to do, how you were going to mess it up, and every effect from that failure.

It didn’t take Him by surprise and He isn’t wringing His hands wondering what to do…

In fact, His plan is so big and powerful, that no matter how big your mistake, you cannot thwart His plan.

Dare I say, that your failure has been incorporated into His plan.

Not that He desires that you sin, or anything like that...

But He looked through time, saw your sin, and His plan was crafted in such a way that your sin would not only NOT derail His plan, but that He would work around it, and even use it to sharpen you and draw you into deeper relationship with Him.

But let’s fast forward a few hours…

Jesus has been betrayed by Judas

The guards showed up to arrest Jesus,

Peter pulls a sword and goes to defend Jesus - and ends up cutting a dude’s ear off - which is miraculously put back on by Jesus.

Then, the guards hauled Jesus away to be falsely accused in a mock trial before the high priest.

Peter has been slinking along in the shadows watching from afar.

And somewhere, a dude is running around naked because it was ripped off him when the guards seized Jesus - no joke. .

We will pick the story up in …

Denial

John 18:15–18 ESV

15 Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he entered with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, 16 but Peter stood outside at the door. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the servant girl who kept watch at the door, and brought Peter in. 17 The servant girl at the door said to Peter, “You also are not one of this man’s disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.” 18 Now the servants and officers had made a charcoal fire, because it was cold, and they were standing and warming themselves. Peter also was with them, standing and warming himself.

John 18:15–27 ESV

15 Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he entered with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, 16 but Peter stood outside at the door. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the servant girl who kept watch at the door, and brought Peter in. 17 The servant girl at the door said to Peter, “You also are not one of this man’s disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.” 18 Now the servants and officers had made a charcoal fire, because it was cold, and they were standing and warming themselves. Peter also was with them, standing and warming himself. 19 The high priest then questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. 20 Jesus answered him, “I have spoken openly to the world. I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret. 21 Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me what I said to them; they know what I said.” 22 When he had said these things, one of the officers standing by struck Jesus with his hand, saying, “Is that how you answer the high priest?” 23 Jesus answered him, “If what I said is wrong, bear witness about the wrong; but if what I said is right, why do you strike me?” 24 Annas then sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest. 25 Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, “You also are not one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not.” 26 One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Did I not see you in the garden with him?” 27 Peter again denied it, and at once a rooster crowed.

John 18:25–27 ESV

25 Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, “You also are not one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not.” 26 One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Did I not see you in the garden with him?” 27 Peter again denied it, and at once a rooster crowed.

John 18:25

In , it says that “Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, “before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” and he went out and wept bitterly.”

Points to make:

Isn’t it remarkable to see the difference here between Jesus and Peter.

Jesus stands up to His accusers and denies nothing

Peter cowers before his accusers and denies everything

Do you know what these passages tell me about Jesus?

1. The Lord knows your mistakes before you ever make them

Think about that for a moment…

Think back to the last few failures that you have walked through.

Jesus knew in detail, what you were going to do, how you were going to mess it up, and every effect from that failure.

It didn’t take Him by surprise and He isn’t wringing His hands wondering what to do…

In fact, His plan is so big and powerful, that no matter how big your mistake, you cannot thwart His plan.

Dare I say, that your failure has been incorporated into His plan.

Not that He desires that you sin, or anything like that...

But He looked through time, saw your sin, and His plan was crafted in such a way that your sin would not only NOT derail His plan, but that He would work around it, and even use it to sharpen you and draw you into deeper relationship with Him.

It was also to display His unbelievable grace towards us - especially when we are racked with sin.

Peter openly denied Jesus three times, and He still used Peter…

No matter what it is that you have done, the Lord can still use you

But we have to give those failures up to Him - otherwise we will hang onto them and begin to be defined by those failures.

Points to make:

They will begin to define us and we will live the rest of our lives completely hamstrung by these failures.

2. The Lord wants us to be broken over our sin

Jesus knows our failures before we fail -

If we are not broken over our sin, we will see no need of being rescued from it.

We will see our sin as something that we need to work on perhaps, but nothing to be alarmed about.

Psalm 51:

This mentality keeps us bound up by sin and hinders us from truly walking with the Lord.

The Lord wants us to have the same heart and mind as King David in , where he wrote these words:

Psalm 51:3 ESV

3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.

Peter outwardly disagreed with what Jesus said… “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!”

Psalm 51:1–4 ESV

1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! 3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. 4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.

David knew that his sin was a deadly poison that deserved God’s wrath.

He knew that this was only something that the Lord could “blot out” and cleanse him from.

Peter felt unbelievable shame when he came to his senses…

He knew that he had done the exact thing that he said he would not do just hours before.

He was so broken that He went out and wept bitterly.

Picture someone doubled over in shame, shaking because they are crying so hard.

This is a broken man

But this is EXACTLY where the Lord wants Peter - and where He wants us…

Why?

2 Corinthians 7:10 ESV

10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.

2 Cor

Godly grief

bitter weeping

anguish of soul over our sin produces something in us…

Namely - repentance.

Repentance that leads to salvation

Most, perhaps all of you have already been saved.

But do you know that even as a Christian, you still need saving.

Yes, we have been saved from the penalty of sin - through Jesus’ death on the cross, but we are still needing to be saved from the power of sin.

That is, we need the Lord to give us the power to say no to sin when we are tempted.

But again, this starts with a Godly sorrow over our sin.

In this world, people will say that to be great, you must be without faults.

In God’s Kingdom, being reborn for greatness means acknowledging your faults and letting them be exposed before your heavenly Father.

Cultivating sorrow

Tonight, we are going to spend some time reflecting on those areas in our life where we have blown it… those areas where we have failed to be broken over our sin.

Perhaps it is something super obvious - outright disobedience to God’s Word

Or perhaps it is something more subtle - lurking below the surface that you have not acknowledged.

We are going to spend some time in prayer, and I want you to write these things down on the notecards that pastor Jimmy has

Be specific…