12-26-2021 - Sermon - Reset

INTRODUCTION

I used to enjoy playing video games. The earliest video game system I remember was Pong. Does anyone remember Pong? It was a tennis like game with black screen, a white square for a ball, and two rectangular white lines on each side that you had to use to keep the ball from getting past you. But the first game system I remember having as a child is an Atari 2600. I had games like Pitfall, Laser Blaster, Asteroids, Pac-Man, and Pole Position. At some point I graduated to the original Nintendo with games like Super Mario Bros., Duck Hunt, Donkey Kong, Tecmo Bowl, and Contra. Dad and I used to sit for hours and play 2-player on Contra. I still remember the code to get unlimited lives: up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, Select, Start.

But sometimes with those old systems, the games just wouldn’t work right. We would take out the game cartridges and try to blow the dust out of them. Or sometimes you had to get the position just right before you pushed it down. But sometimes in the middle of the game, it would just glitch out on you. Or you would get yourself in trouble and you knew there was no chance of passing the next level. So on the game console there were two main buttons: Power and Reset. You could either turn it off, or you could hit the reset button.

Even our modern electronic devices, like our computers and cell phones, have these same basic functions. Sometimes we get too many things running on them at the same time and they run out of RAM (memory), which can cause them to freeze up or glitch out. We might download something that contains a virus that causes it not to run correctly. When something like this happens on our computers, we have three options: We can log out, we can shut down, or we can reset.

Just like our electronic devices, we can find ourselves in Crisis Moments in our everyday lives. So many times we get overwhelmed. There is no whitespace on our calendars because they are full. We are trying to do too many things at one time. Our brains run out of RAM and our heads feel like that spinning circle on the computer screen. We can also download the wrong type of information into our lives by the things we watch, by the things we listen to, by the environment we choose to put ourselves in, and spiritually we infect ourselves with the virus of discouragement, depression, anxiety, and fear. And as a result, our spiritual condition begins to suffer. We begin to pull away from God. We begin to pull away from church. We begin to pull away from others.

When we find ourselves in this condition, just like our computers or our game consoles, we have three choices on how we respond: we can Log Out, we can Shut Down, or we can Reset.

People who choose to Log Out try to distance themselves from the problem. They just check out. They don't want to admit they have a problem in their life or they don’t want to face their problems. They just want to find some way to mask it or to justify it. They think if they focus on someone else's problems, they'll feel better about themselves. They may still come to church, but they are not engaged. Their prayer life is not what it once was. Their Bible study is almost non-existent anymore. There are a few glowing embers of a former spiritual fire, but no flames. There is no spiritual hunger. No desire for the things of God. They have a form of godliness, but there is no substance, no power. They look to everything else in the world to fill the sense of emptiness in their soul except the one thing they need: Jesus!

People who Shut Down completely disconnect from others and from God. They destroy relationships. They become bitter and cynical. They completely lose their joy. They lose their peace. They quit coming to church, or when they are at church they might as well be 100 miles away. Their hearts are far from the church and far from God. They blame everyone else and everything else except the one thing they need to blame: themselves!

But God has given us another option. When we hit a crisis moment in our lives we don't have to Log Out. We don't have to Shut Down. I don’t care what you’ve been through. I don’t care how difficult it has been. I don’t care how far you’ve fallen or how dark your present and your future seem to be. You don’t have to Log Out. You don’t have to Shut Down. God is offering you the opportunity to hit the Reset button. You can start over. You can begin again. You can have a fresh start. Maybe today you just need a Reset.

Let’s look together at John 21.

SCRIPTURE

John 21:1–3 KJV 1900

1 After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself. 2 There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples. 3 Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.

MESSAGE

Peter had reached a crisis moment in his life

Peter had Logged Out and he was starting to Shut Down. He had followed Jesus for nearly 3.5 years. He had heard the powerful sermons. He had witnessed the miracles. He had proclaimed boldly that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. But now he had watched Jesus be arrested. As Jesus was being questioned and flogged by the Roman authorities, Peter had denied that he even knew Jesus. He had seen Jesus crucified. To Peter, it felt like it was “the end.” Game over. So Peter said, I’m going to go back to what I know: fishing. He said, I’m going to go back to my former life before I met Jesus. He was starting to Shut Down. He must have felt like the call of God on his life was over.

Jesus gave Peter a second chance

John 21:4–17 KJV 1900

4 But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. 5 Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No. 6 And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. 7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher’s coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea. 8 And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes. 9 As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread. 10 Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught. 11 Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken. 12 Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord. 13 Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise. 14 This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead. 15 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. 16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. 17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

Jesus asks Peter a series of three questions. The first question in Verse 15 is "Simon, son of Jonas, Lovest thou Me more than these?" Who or what are the "these" that Jesus refers to here? Perhaps He is referring to Peter's previous claim to love Jesus more than the other disciples (Matthew 26:33). In other words, Jesus was asking, "Do you love me more than these other disciples?" It is also possible that Jesus was referring to the fish from the meal they just ate. Perhaps Jesus was getting at Peter's decision to stop being a fisher for men and going back to being a fisher of fish. The question Jesus asked was really getting at the heart of what was most important in Peter's life.

Jesus repeats the question two more times, "Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?" What is interesting here is the words that Jesus uses for love as He asks these three questions and how Peter responds. In the Greek, there is more than one word for love. The one we are all probably most familiar with and have heard before is the word Agape. Agape love is the highest form of love. It is the type of love that God has for us. It is unselfish and pure in its motive. This is the word that Jesus uses in the first two questions, "Lovest thou Me?" What is interesting is that when Peter responds, he uses the word philio, not agape. Philio means friendly affection. It is from where the word Philadelphia comes from which means "The City of Brotherly Love" Peter could not respond that he loved Jesus with an agape love. Perhaps he now recognized that his love for Jesus was imperfect. The third time Jesus asked Peter this question, He used the word philio. It is as if Jesus is saying, "I know your love for me is imperfect Peter. It's time for a Reset."

Jesus' response each time was: "Feed my lambs" or "Feed my sheep." Jesus was trying to bring Peter's focus back to his purpose and the calling that was placed upon his life. Jesus had called Peter to be a fisher of men. To preach the gospel. To continue the ministry Jesus had started. But in order for Peter to be in the position where he could fulfill his God-given destiny, he had to be willing to hit the Reset button on his life. Not only did Jesus help Peter hit the Reset button, but he fully restored him as well to the calling and anointing placed on his life.

Jesus is still offering second chances

Perhaps some of us feel the same way Peter did. You’ve faced a crisis moment in your life. You have had to face things that you never thought you would have to face. Perhaps you’ve made some mistakes. Perhaps you’ve allowed those things to come between you and your relationship with God. Maybe you feel like you’ve reached the end. Maybe you feel like it is “game over.” So you’ve Logged Out and you feel like you have no choice but to Shut Down. If that is you today, then let me give you the best news you will ever hear. It is not the end. It is not game over. Where there is Jesus, there’s a way. Because He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Where there is Jesus, there is hope! Jesus loves you! Jesus wants to lift you back up! Jesus wants to restore you! Jesus wants to bring hope and meaning and purpose back into your life. And all you have to do is be willing to hit the reset button by coming to Jesus and laying your burdens down at His feet!

Jesus is asking you today, “Do you love me more than these?” In other words, do you love me more than what’s holding you back? Do you love me more than the things of this world? Do you love me enough to come and surrender your life to me? Do you love me enough to hit the reset button on your life? Jesus is saying, I can restore what you think you’ve lost. I can fix what you think is too broken to repair. I can make a way where you don’t think there is any way. Jesus is saying, just try Me! Go ahead, make my day! I want to change your life! Just hit the reset button and I’ll prove to you what I can do!

CLOSING

Are you Logged Out? Are you feeling overwhelmed? Have you started pulling away from God and from others? Are you allowing your circumstances to steal your spiritual hunger and thirst for the things of God? Are you looking for the answer to your problems in everything else and everyone else except God?

Are you Shutting Down? Are you becoming bitter, angry, and cynical? Do you feel like things are hopeless and you’ve run out of options? Are you blaming everything else and everyone else for your problems, including God?

Hit the Reset Button! Jesus can help you overcome whatever it is you’re facing: discouragement, depression, anger, fear, worry, doubt, stress, sin, backsliding, or spiritual lukewarmness. It doesn’t matter what it is, Jesus has the answer. But you’ve got to be willing to give it to Him. He asking you, “Do you love me? Do you philio Me? Do you agape Me?” Come let Jesus hit the reset button on your life. If you’re willing, He is able!