LAUNCHING OUT
Session 6: A Place to Begin Again - Part
3
Have you ever
failed or felt like a failure? I am sure
many of us here today have felt the sting of not measuring up to expectations,
others or our own. For the last few
weeks we have looked at the life of Peter.
Peter certainly felt the full effects of the big “F” – failure! How did he respond to failure? How do we respond to failure? More importantly, how does Jesus respond to
our failures!
Luke 5:4–11
(NKJV) When He
had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out
into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 But
Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught
nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” 6 And
when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was
breaking. 7 So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to
come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began
to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees,
saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”
Peter already knew he had issues that needed to be dealt with…
9 For he and all who were with him were
astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; 10 and so also
were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And
Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you
will catch men.” 11 So when they had brought their boats to
land, they forsook all and followed Him.
Luke 22:31–34 (NKJV)
And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has
asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you,
that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen
your brethren (when you are converted).” 33 But he said to Him, “Lord, I
am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.” 34 Then He said, “I tell
you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three
times that you know Me.”
Pride, arrogance, and self will speaking…
Luke 22:54–62 (NKJV) Having arrested Him, they led Him and
brought Him into the high priest’s house. But Peter followed at a distance.
55 Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat
down together, Peter sat among them. 56 And a certain servant girl,
seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, “This man
was also with Him.” 57 But he denied Him, saying, “Woman, I do not know
Him.” 58 And after a little while another saw him and said, “You also are
of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not!” 59 Then after about an hour
had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, “Surely this fellow also was
with Him, for he is a Galilean.” 60 But Peter said, “Man, I do not know
what you are saying!” Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster
crowed. 61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered
the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you
will deny Me three times.” 62 So Peter went out
and wept bitterly.
Peter was in the
throes of failure. His pride and arrogance had set him up and he took the
bait! Now he felt the sorrow of crushing
consequences but repentance would come later.
Tears are not
repentance. Godly sorrow works repentance… Esau could not find a place of
repentance though he sought for it with tears...
How did Peter respond? He quits!
John 21:1–19 (NKJV) After
these things Jesus showed
Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and in this way
He showed Himself: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in
Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They
said to him, “We are going with you also.” They
went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught
nothing.
Peter felt all
was gone. He would never again be intimate with the Master, much less usable in
the Kingdom! He went back to what he
knew. That is our standard response, to
go back to what is familiar. So he went
back to that same boat, that same lake, that same beach where their journey
with Jesus began. The result is useless
waste: no fruit, no harvest, no joy. We are left with ‘what might have been’,
‘woulda, coulda, shoulda’. The pain of
regret cuts deep!
How did Jesus respond to their
failure? He shows up!
4 But when the
morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did
not know that it was Jesus. 5 Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any
food?” They answered Him, “No.” 6 And He said to them, “Cast the net on the
right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they
were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish. 7 Therefore that
disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!”
Jesus did the
same miracle He did in Luke 5, the huge boatload of fish! He showed up in the same way!
Now when Simon Peter heard that it was
the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into
the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not
far from land, but about two hundred cubits), dragging the net with fish. 9
Then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and
fish laid on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish
which you have just caught.” 11 Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to
land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and although there were
so many, the net was not broken.
12 Jesus said to them, “Come and eat breakfast.” Yet none of the disciples
dared ask Him, “Who are You?”—knowing that it was the Lord. 13 Jesus then came
and took the bread and gave it to them, and likewise the fish. 14 This is now
the third time Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after He was raised from
the dead.
Jesus fed them,
encouraged them, and had some personal words for Peter. The Lord sees in our failures and begs us, “Come
and dine…”
15 So when they had eaten breakfast,
Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than
these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him,
“Feed My lambs.” 16 He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah,
do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He
said to him, “Tend My sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of
Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third
time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You
know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep. 18 Most assuredly,
I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you
wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will
gird you and carry you where you do not wish.” 19 This He spoke, signifying by
what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow
Me.”
On the
same beach where Jesus called Peter, Jesus called him back! There is a place of
beginning again!
Our greatest
victories often come after our greatest defeats. During times of sifting we may
feel unworthy, but Jesus sees the end from the beginning! He sees the finished
product! The gifts and callings of God
are without repentance. God does not change His mind about you! He loves you
and is for you! Peter goes on to become
the most influential preacher in the early days of the church! He caught
thousands of men!
When you’ve failed and want to quit...
1.
Run
to Jesus. Most run away.
2.
Go
back to your original call. Keep doing what God called you to do.
3.
Move
on to the future. You can't do anything about the past!
Isaiah 43:18-19 (NKJV) Do
not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. 19 Behold, I
will do a new thing…
Philippians 3:13-14 (NKJV) Brethren,
I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those
things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,
14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in
Christ Jesus.
Revelations 21:4-5 (NKJV) And
God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death,
nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have
passed away.” 5 Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all
things new.”…
The context here
is heaven, but it can be real today! Let Him make all things new for you today. Find a place of beginning again. In the
beginning, God…!
II Corinthians 6:2( NKJV)
“For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, And
in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the accepted time;
behold, now is the day of salvation.”
2 Corinthians 6:2 (NLT)
“For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the
day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of
salvation.”
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