Supernatural Restoration

Scripture Reading: John 21:1-9

A preacher stood up at a pastor’s conference to testify to his faith. His testimony was a bit of a shock to everyone when he said, “I am a lay pastor of a small, not-growing church. I am not ordained. I am not seminary trained. I was asked to leave both colleges I attended. I am divorced and remarried. I am capable of being a jerk with my wife and family.

I am terminally insecure, which causes me to compensate with bouts of arrogance. At times people irritate me, and I hide fro them. I am impulsive, which causes me to say things I shouldn’t and make promises I cannot keep. I am inconsistent.

My walk with Christ is a stuttering, stumbling, bumbling attempt to follow Him. At times His presence is so real I can’t stop the tears, and then, without warning, I can’t find him.

Some days my faith is strong, impenetrable, and immovable – and some days my faith is weak, pathetic, helpless, knocked about like a paper cup…”

I have been a Christian for 45 years. I am familiar with the vocabulary of faith, and I am often asked to give advice about matters of faith. But I am still a miss. I am light-years away from being able to say with Paul, “Copy me”.

I am fifty years old and still struggling –a flawed, clumsy, unstable follower of Jesus. “A bona fide failure…”

Perhaps you can identify with this story. Perhaps your life is marked with mistakes.

Perhaps you can put yourself in Peter’s place this morning. Like Peter, you have sinned and went from God and now you wonder can God still love me after all that I’ve done. Is there still a place and purpose for me in His Kingdom?

Peter’s life was also one of ups and downs. After boasting that he would never leave Jesus, Peter watched from a distance as Jesus is led away…to be tried in the court of the high priest and eventually to be crucified. Peter could have taken a stand on the night of Jesus betrayal but he stood outside and chose to warm himself by the fire, and three times Peter was recognized, three chances he had to make a bold stand for the Lord, and three times he blew it. And when the rooster crowed, scriptures say, that Peter wept bitterly. He too was a bona fide failure.

Fred Astaire was without dispute one of the top singers, dancers and actors of all time. In Top hat, Swing Time, Holiday Inn, and other famous movies, he danced and crooned his way into people’s hearts worldwide.

But in 1932, when Astaire was starting out, a Hollywood talent judge wrote on his screen test: “Can’t act. Can’t sing. Can dance a little.” As Christians, we may fail badly. What kind of a Christian would do that? We think. How can I ever serve Christ again?

But we develop in the Christian life when we leave those failures behind and daily use our God-given gifts for Him. In time those failures will be forgotten footnotes.

My friends let us visit with Jesus and his disciples where Jesus appears to the disciples for the third time after His resurrection and confronts Peter with a fireside chat. The account is found in John 21:1-18.

Notice the similarities between Peter’s first calling to follow Jesus and this account. Both occurred on the Sea of Galilee, both times Peter couldn’t catch a thing, both times Jesus told him to throw his nets into the water and both times there is a miraculous catch.

Here Jesus is going to offer Peter another starting point, a second chance to make things right. The impression is that Peter and John is living with no sense of purpose, no sense of mission…they are without a plan and with no settled aim.

They were fishing for the sake of making a living. Maybe there wasn’t anything else to do. So after a meal together, Jesus turns to Peter and in front of all the other disciples, and confronts Peter.

I suspect he feared the day when Christ might say something like, “Peter, why did you deny me? Why Peter? Why did you turn your back on me? I am glad Jesus is not like that. No, that is not like Him. His mission was to take away Peter’s guilt.

Look at Jesus’ approach with Peter. It is filled with grace and mercy. In verse 15 we read, “When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you truly love me more then these? Do you love me more than the fish…more than this way of life? Perhaps Jesus is thinking about Peter’s boast in the upper room (“I will lay down my life for you.”) and He was asking, “Simon, are you still willing to make that claim? And Peter wasn’t willing to make this claim, at least, not at first.

He response by saying “Yes, Lord…why are you asking me this?’ ‘You know I love you” Many of us make the claim that we would never find ourselves in the sins that others commit. But we never know. That is why we should always be vigilant, always on guard.

David never thought he would commit adultery. Solomon never thought he would worship idols. Peter never thought he would deny knowing Jesus. That is why 1 Corinthians 10: 12 says “If you think you are strong, you should be careful not to fall.”

Peter was overconfident but he soon learned that he wasn’t as strong as he thought.

Peter did respond in an honest fashion. He knew that his actions didn’t match that kind of devotion, and that he wasn’t quite there. To paraphrase this text “Peter, do you love me 100% MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE?” Peter says “Lord, you know I like you.”

Peter was simply being honest here. He wasn’t at that level of love yet. Don’t pretend your relationship with Christ is fine when it is not. And let me tell you, It’s OK to admit to that.

The first step to recovery is to admit the weakness and be totally transparent about it.

It was possible for Peter to be a successful fisherman without having to love his source of employment. He could despise his work; express contempt towards the hard work, low wages and the heat of the day. He could even hate the social stigma associated with the life style of unlearned fisherman but it could not be so being a fisher-of-men, a servant of Jesus Christ.

“Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?’ ‘Yes Lord, he said, you know that I love you.” Jesus said,“Feed my lambs.” Take care of my sheep. Take care of my church. Get involved in ministry. Get connected…know your place and serve.

The success of Peter’s new mission depended completely upon his love for Christ. The results and success of this new commission would depend deeply upon the emotional and spiritual bond between Peter and Jesus – unless there is a strong bond, Peter would eventually abandon his mission. Love is the adhesive that holds the church together.

There may be many imperfections in the heart and mind; there is one prime quality that must show – love for Jesus and for His church.

It is not intellect…it is not eloquence…it is not gifting, talent or charisma or any other self-centered quality but love to Christ pouring over in love for people.

Paul says in the scripture “And now I will show you the most excellent way. It is not speaking in tonque, prophesy, knowledge or faith. The most excellent way is love for Christ! It is love for His church. It is love for one another.

As far as success goes in biblical language“success is failure turned inside out.” Time, location, seasons, technology, experience are not always relevant with God. Jesus said, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find fish.”

Peter’s renewed calling comes with an external focus. Success in ministry comes when it is no longer about me but about others. Love for others…love for people.

To recap:

First, no matter how missed up your pass maybe, Jesus stands ready not only to forgive but to restore. He will restore and use you for His glory. Even if you are a bona fide failure, Jesus stands ready to turn your life around and reposition you in His body.

Second, if you are going to be restored then you must be completely transparent about your spiritual condition. Some are not doing that great. You lack devotion. You lack commitment. You lack in support. You lack in zeal. The first thing you need to do is to admit that. Admit that your walk with our Lord is not what it should be and then allow Christ and the Church, take you to the level where you need to be.

Third, recognize that when you are honest with God; be prepared for God to be forthwith with you. And if you come to God saying, “I just don’t feel close to you.” Be prepared to hear, “well, I haven’t heard from you in a while, where have you been?”

The Lord will put His finger at the root of the problem and that is not always an easy thing for us to take.