Sermon Tone Analysis

Banana Beer Together

In 1994, the world was horrified at the stories coming out of Rwanda.

Civil War turned to genocide.

When it was over more than 3/4 of a million people had been brutally murdered, all because they came from the wrong ethnic group.

Father André Sibomana was a Catholic priest whose views about unity and peace were forced out of the country during the genocide.

When it was safe to return, the priest worked to bring the Hutus and Tutsis together.

It was hard work.

Everything had to be rebuilt: schools, houses, gardens, villages, towns, cities. Father Sibomana pulled Hutus and Tutsis to work side by side in the rebuilding of Rwanda.

At one point, during a work break, Sibomana caught a glimpse of reconciliation.

To his amazement, Hutus and Tutsis working on the same project were now drinking banana beer from the same cup.

That doesn’t happen in Rwanda.

But that picture, that moment, showed Sibomana the hope of restoration and forgiveness.

Restoration.

Reconciliation.

It’s what we all want.

It may not be historically ethnic nemeses drinking banana beer from the same cup.

But we desire reconciliation.

We desire restoration.

SCARS

SCARS.

This is our forgiving challenge acrostic.

S-C-A-R-S.

Sin

Confession

Absolution

Restoration

What is forgiveness?

What is restoration?

We are on the letter “R” today.

Restoration.

Last week we talked about forgiveness.

Forgiveness cancels a debt.

Forgiveness is freedom from sin.

Restoration is freedom to live on mission.

Restoration is freedom to live in relationship.

Here’s a question: what does God think of you when you or me when we are an absolute failure?

God wants relationship with us.

It’s why he forgives.

One of the most tragic stories in the Bible happens in the garden.

God has created his creatures.

He has perfect relationship with them.

He walks with them.

He talks with Adam and Eve.

Adam and Eve sin.

The relationship is broken.

God kicks them out of the garden.

But before he does, he covers them with animal skins.

Those animal skins are the death of an animal provided by God so that relationship can be restored.

The entire Bible is about God restoring his relationship with you and me.

When they were absolute failures.

God had them covered.

The Conversation

Peter finds himself on the bad side of a broken relationship.

And today, we’re again going to follow Peter and find out just what happens in his forgiveness.

Today we’re going to take a closer look at one of the most remarkable conversations in all of the Bible.

There’s nothing like this conversation.

Pages and pages and pages have been written about this conversation.

This conversation has been dissected and discussed for the past two-thousand years.

If the topic is forgiveness, at some point you’re going to find yourself on the shoreline listening in to this conversation between Peter and Jesus.

Again, the background for the story is all that had taken place in the space of two or three weeks.

One of Jesus’ best friends, John is writing to a community much like ours.

They want to know if Jesus is the real deal.

John spends an entire letter giving them details and stories of Jesus’ life and death.

And he finally says, yes, I’ve been writing all of this so that you would continue to believe and be encouraged in your belief that Jesus is the Messiah, the Promised One of the Old Testament, the Son of God himself, and by believing, have life in his name.

Peter and His Claims

And one of the running storylines in the stuff John is writing down is the story of Peter.

Peter, who makes the claim that he will not desert Jesus, does just that on the night that Jesus went on trial.

Peter promises to remain faithful to Jesus even when death is on the line, but there’s Peter, next to a charcoal fire, totally failing Jesus.

Not once.

Not twice.

Three times he completely folded, denying he knew the man who was inside the house on trial for his life.

Peter and His Failure

Peter totally blows it.

Jesus dies.

Jesus rises from the dead.

Peter sees the empty tomb.

Peter has hope.

Peter sees Jesus alive with the others.

And then Peter goes fishing.

That’s where John 21 begins.

Peter and the others are back to their original vocation.

They are fishing.

And again, Jesus shows up.

Jesus is waiting for them on the beach with a charcoal fire and on that charcoal fire are fish and bread.

It’s a meal of forgiveness.

For Peter.

Peter’s Restoration

As we look at Peter’s restoration, we need to keep this in mind.

The freedom that Jesus is giving isn’t just freedom from sin, but freedom to live life on mission.

Forgiveness restores relationship.

Forgiveness is moving toward mission.

John 21:15 “When they had eaten breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said to him, “you know that I love you.”

“Feed my lambs,” he told him.”

Peter and Jesus can still feel and smell that charcoal fire.

We have no idea where the other disciples are at this point.

Perhaps Jesus and Peter begin to walk on the beach.

Whatever happens in this conversation, John, as he is telling the story, zeroes in on Peter and Jesus.

It’s as if the other disciples have disappeared.

The rest of the canvas is dark and the camera is only on Jesus and Peter.

And Jesus starts the whole thing with “Simon, son of John”.