God of the Fourth Chance

John 21:1-17

This is the story of a guy who failed his best friend in a big way

-it’s also the story of a guy who figured he'd fallen beyond the reach

of God's grace

This is the story of Peter

-it’s also the story of you and me

Read John 21:1-10

Sights, sounds, smells can trigger some pretty vivid memories

-perhaps odor of a certain food cooking transports you back to

childhood as you remember the smells of grandma's kitchen

-this time of year, smells of certain grasses/weeds bring back fresh

memories of running on the cross country team in high school

-imagine the flashbacks Peter must be experiencing as he swims

*The sound of His voice and the smell of fish

-Peter was fishing the 1st time he met Jesus

--Jesus said, "Follow me"

--Peter thinking, “I did—during the good times...I mean, I tried”

*Then there’s the taste of lake water

-memories of time Jesus walked on water...Peter jumped out of boat

--Jesus said, "Why don't you have more faith"

--Peter thinking, “I did...for a while at least...I mean, I tried”

And these thoughts are making Peter more than uneasy as he swims

-perhaps you're squirming a little

--because you remember when Jesus called you to follow Him

---and you haven't exactly been true to that calling

--or because you remember the times Jesus invited you to step out

in faith and your first steps on the water made you feel like you

were wearing cement shoes

We all live with regrets

-like allowing a relationship to fall apart

-or failing to say, “I’m sorry.” or “I love you.”

So perhaps Peter even slows down the pace...he's not swimming as

enthusiastically now...seeing Jesus again, now, just isn't the same

-but as he gets closer to shore, Peter sees and hears and smells

something he didn't quite expect...a charcoal fire

You may be asking, "OK, so what's the big deal about a charcoal fire?"

-remember, just hours before Jesus was arrested, Peter boldly and

proudly claimed, “I will lay down my life for You!”

--Jesus replied, “Will you lay down your life for Me? I tell you the

truth, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”

Do you think Peter's forgotten all that? Do you think Jesus has?

-hardly...in fact, I think it keeps Peter awake at night

--in fact, I think he’s wishing he weren’t such a strong swimmer

--I think he’s thinking I don't want to see Jesus, at least not right now

...maybe—perhaps probably—Jesus doesn't even want to see me

-I mean, it's one thing to have a few little failures...it's another thing

when we face our moments by the fire

--nobody really blames Peter for sinking when he tried to walk on

the water (how many of us would have faith enough to get out of

the boat to begin with?)

--but turning your back on best friend when He needs you most

---well...that's another issue entirely

---and then to do it just hours after such a valiant promise

----let’s just say that Jesus is familiar with being on the other

end of countless broken promises

I think that's how many of us live—fearful of coming back to God

-we know we've failed Jesus...we know we've hurt Him...surely we

can't go back now

-every week it seems I talk to someone who's been out of church

--“'Been away too long. Can't go back. What would people think?"

---I think their real fear is not "what will people think", but rather

"what will God think"

--and they find it easier to run away and stay away than to return

You see, Satan is excellent at using memories to knock us down

-that’s why Revelation 12:10 calls him the “Accuser"

-"Remember when you ______? How can you even call yourself a

Christian? God can't forgive that! He'll never use you again."

-Satan's purpose is to convince you that you are worthless, useless

--and Satan is a liar

Don't get me wrong

-God hates sin...it breaks His heart—and it should break ours

-but when we fall for Satan's lie that God can't or won't forgive, then

we're calling God a liar

--Read 1 John 1:8-10

I think we struggle with forgiveness because we imagine God is like us

-"I wouldn't forgive me...so I suppose God won't forgive me, either."

--well, trust me: you aren’t God

There comes a time when we must be confronted with our sin

-but that confrontation, that conviction, comes from God, not Satan

Read John 21:15a

Simon, son of John

-did you catch that?

--not Peter—not the nickname Jesus gave him before the charcoal

fire of that early Friday morning

-Jesus isn't presuming this will be a fairy tale ending...He’s not taking

it for granted Peter even wants the same level of intimacy as before

Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?

-not—do you love me more than these guys love me?

--this isn't a contest...plus, Peter doesn't know how much they love

-more than boats, nets...in other words, your old life

--are you just gonna' live as if none of this has happened?

-do you love me more than you love your friends?

--am I just a part of your life...or am I your life?

--c'mon Simon, I gotta' know...you gotta know...now's the time

Jesus asks, Do you love me?

-He doesn’t ask, “Are you really, really sorry?

-or “Do you promise never to do it again?”

-or “Do you promise to try harder next time?”

Jesus isn’t interested in empty promises

-Peter's already been there, done that, heard the rooster

--Jesus wants us to tell Him the truth about our heart

---He already knows our heart, but we need to know for certain

where we stand when it comes to Jesus

So Jesus asks, Do you love me?

-Peter responds, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love you."

--he's so shaken, he's blown it so many times...perhaps Peter's not

even sure himself anymore

Jesus asks again, Simon, son of John, do you love Me?

-Peter doesn't really like the way this is going

--he's already told Jesus once, what more does He want from him?

--he thinking, "I knew it, Jesus doesn't trust me anymore."

Jesus asks a third time, Simon, son of John, do you love me?

-v. 17 tells us Peter was hurt because Jesus asked 3 times

--he remembers all too well that he has denied his Lord 3 times

-the NIV’s translation of “hurt” is weak...the KJV uses “grieved” which

is better...but the original word means to suffer physical or mental

anguish (I can’t help but wonder if, in this case, it’s also spiritual)

--perhaps Peter felt like Jesus was stabbing him in the heart

--perhaps Peter knew that he had stabbed Jesus in the back

I'm sure Peter was ready just to throw in the towel...to resign

-“Here, Jesus...take my disciple I.D. card...I quit.”

Years ago, a young executive working for IBM made a critical error

-his mistake cost the company $10 million

--this was at a time when $10 million was a lot of money to IBM

-when he found out about it, founder and CEO, Tom Watson, Sr.

reportedly called this young man into his office

--before his boss could speak, the executive decided to try to

avoid the humiliation of being fired, boldly stated, "I resign."

-the chief executive officer of IBM looked him in the eye and said,

"You must be joking. I just spent $10 million educating you. I

can't afford your resignation."

Three times Peter denied knowing Jesus

Three times Jesus asked, Do you love me?

Three times Peter replied, Yes, Lord, You know I love You.

Three times Jesus responded with a challenge to get back in there

Get back in the game, Peter...I still have more for you to do

But, Lord, I can't. I've just blown it big time

-this wasn't just an accident...this was a Major League mistake...a

sin that I just can't seem to shake...I quit...find someone else

You've got to be joking, Peter. I just went to the cross for you and

your sin. I can't afford your resignation.

But, Lord, I don't deserve a second chance and a third chance...

No kidding, Peter, which is exactly why I went to the cross

You see, the cross is for people who don't deserve it

-there comes a time when we all are confronted with the harsh reality

of God's justice...and with the astonishing nature of God's grace

-grace: God giving us what we do not and cannot earn or deserve

--if we deserved a 2nd and 3rd chance then we wouldn't need the

cross and then Jesus would have died for nothing

Is that to say that sin doesn’t matter...that it has no effect on our

relationship with God? —of course not!

-listen to how Paul expresses it in Romans 6:1-7 [READ]

Keep that in mind, let me read one of Jesus’ parables—Luke 15:4-7

-now imagine for a moment that that sheep—that same, dumb, lost

sheep—wanders off again

--do you think the shepherd go look for it again?

---what about again? and again?

-is the shepherd happy about the behavior of this particular sheep?

--again, of course not!

-so why does the shepherd do it? why does he repeatedly go out?

--because regardless of the stupidity of the sheep, that sheep still

belongs to Him...nothing will or can change that relationship

This was the story of a guy who failed his best friend in a big way

-his actions were sin-full

This was the story of a guy who was convinced he'd fallen beyond the

reach of God's grace

-and he was wrong

This was the story of Peter

-he was forgiven

This continues to be our story—yours and mine

-what will you do?

-Jesus has already done it all—there’s nothing more we have to add

or can add

--now He's waiting...inviting us to come sit by the fire, to face up to

our failures, to tell Him we love Him from our hearts, and then to

do what he says

Do you need a second chance? Third? Fourth?

-I know the God who offers you just that