Restoring Grace

Well, thank you Christian and thank you for coming this morning. It's a joy always too and a privilege by the way to stand before you and you take your time to come and listen and pray that the day is filled with hope and inspiration for you. By the way. I'm just going to share a little bit about what we're doing tonight tonight's our last session here. So if you're interested in studying the doctor of the church pacifically we're going to be talking about our future what is next on the agenda for the church and that would be our catching Away, by the way, they caught sometimes the Rapture of the church. And by the way, everybody believes in a Rapture just so you know that premillennialist amillennialists mid-trip what every theological Spectrum believes in a Rapture. The question is the timing When does it happen so that's what we'll be doing tonight and then starting next Sunday. It's amazing how the Lord orchestrates sermon series starting next Sunday. I'm going to do a short mini-series on the Assurance of your salvation. I think a lot of people struggle with this because is it possible that you can lose your salvation know how do you know for sure that you have it? What are some passages in Scripture that seem to argue that you can lose it? How do you deal with those has a Believer? So that's what we'll be doing for the next 2 or 3 weeks and the purpose of that is to teach you what it means to be a believer and a have eternal security by the way. What are you trusting him when you trust Jesus temporary security? I mean as long as he holds his through the deal and you hold yours, everything will be all right. That's not what God wants you to believe because when you're born into a family your father's not we'll send out as long as you behave this certain way. You'll be my son if he is. He's not a very good father, but we have a good good father. And so I think that will help us in our Christian life, but the day we're wrapping up the series on the resurrection changes everything and we're going to be talking about restoring Grace the kind of Grace God gives to people who fail him that lifts us up and puts us back on the road to recovery. The story is told that in the 19 thirties a man by the name of Ivy Lee who was a Management Consultant and aggressive self-confident man a managed to have an interview with Charles Schwab who at that time was the president of Bethlehem Steel and who is no less a self-assured very powerful man in the world. During the conversation mr.lee asserted that if the management of Bethlehem Steel would follow his advice that the company's operations would be improved in their profits would be increased dramatically. Charles Schwab responded to lie and said if you can show us a way to get more things done. I will be glad to listen and if your plan works, I will pay you whatever you ask within reason. Lee hand and Schwab a blank piece of paper and said write down the most important things that you have to do tomorrow.

Schwab did this now. We continued number them in order of importance from 1 to 4 tomorrow morning start at number one and stay with it until you complete it after you completed go to number two and then two number three and number four and so on don't worry if you haven't completed anything by the end of the day, at least you will have completed the most important project that you listed do this every day of your life. And after you have been convinced of the value of this system give it to your people that ride tried as long as you like and then send me your check for whatever you think my idea is worth. This was a very simple idea this man whose writing about it says that he doubted was original to leave at any rate a few weeks later Charles Schwab sent ideally a check for $25,000. By the way. This was in 1930. That was an astronomical amount of money. He said it was the most profitable lesson that he had ever learned in his long business career in the cold hard business World. There are a few lessons more important than learning how to prioritize and live by those priorities the degree of one's expertise in this matter is directly related to the success or the failure of one's future how much higher level how will we Christians recognize and maintain spiritual priorities bears in calculable consequences for our entire lives sadly some Christians have never given a second thought to Life's priorities others have but if chosen the wrong priorities still others have the right priorities in perspective, but do not have the self-control or the wisdom or whatever to live by them. In John chapter 21, our Lord is going to set the matter straight for Peter and all who make up his church. So as the curtain lives and the backdrop is the morning lit Sea of Galilee in the foreground is a rocky beach with a glowing fire in the principal characters in this true life drama or Jesus Christ Peter and six other disciples the key to understanding what is about to transpire is an appreciation of Peters in her feelings for while Peter made the greatest confession in church history by saying you are the Christ the son of the Living God. He also denied this gray Christ three times just after the savior's arrest and then he writes. Oh how the mighty have fallen

You ever fallen? If you remember last week, I told you that failure is part of Being Human. We all fail the issue isn't whether we fail or not. It's what do you do after you fail now sometimes in life, we think that when we fail God just kicks us under a rug or kicks ass to the curb and he never uses us that is the furthest thing from the truth that you ever find in scripture. As a matter of fact God uses failure in people's lives to propel them to serve him and that is exactly what this story is going to talk about this morning as God restores Peter to service. So if we think about this, I want to do it under a three-fold challenge. The first is a challenge the second will be an insight and the third will be a distraction because we always have those now, what is the challenge that we Face, I'm in John chapter 21. I put it on the screen for you. And so you can follow along. When they at Finish breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter Simon son of John. Do you love me more than these and something should stand out to you Simon son of John? If you go back in the account, why did Jesus address Peter Simon son of John? He should have called him cephas perhaps he would call him something else has never used this phrase out. He said he used it initially at the beginning of Peters call in the ministry. It's when he began to follow Jesus Jesus renamed him, but now he's going to remind him Simon son of John the name I haven't used for you until you first started following me. Do you Agape? Do you love me more than these? Now that these is the other six disciples. He's asking a question. And by the way Peter would remember because Peter said I don't care who follows you Lord. I love you more than anybody I'll die for you if everybody walks away I want. You ever say that in your Christian Life? He said to him. Yes, Lord, you know that I falletto you know that I love you and then he said to him feed my Lambs. He said to him a second time Simon son of John do you love me? He said to him. Yes, Lord, you know that I love you and I insert here even though I have a big mouth Lord and said I love you, and I'd follow you to death and I never deny you you know, I still love you and he said to him tend my sheep. He said to him a third time Simon son of John. Do you know me do you love me? Peter was grieved. Can you imagine this because he said to him a third time. Do you love me? And he said to him Lord, you know everything you know that I love you and Jesus said to him feed my sheep. Now if we think about this, why did Jesus ask Peter 3 times do you love me? Well, if you remember Peter had denied Jesus three times. Do you know him? Do you know him? Do you know him Peter know? I don't know him know. I don't know him. Accursed I told you I don't know him. What is Jesus do in by asking Peter 3 times do you love me? Jesus is omniscient. He knows all things and Peter admits this Lord, you know all things you are the omniscient Lord, you know my heart. Jesus is not asking Peter for his own sake he's asking Peter for his sake. By the way, let me go a little bit deeper. Sometimes you have to be really quiet in the Peace of your own soul and have time between you and the Lord to really evaluate your love for him and ask the big question. Do you really love him like you should are we really committed to him like we should be that is the challenge that Jesus gives to Peter. Notice what he writes now truly I say to you when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you're old, you will stretch out your hands and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go in other words Peter. I know you love me, but I'm going to tell you something about your life you used to do everything the way you wanted to do it. You got up you decided where you were going to go. You decided your career Pat you thought you had it all planned out. But Peter I have another plan for you. I'm going to do something with you that you're not going to expect and you're going to have to love me and you're going to have to trust me and you're going to have to serve me love and Trust now the concept here of stretching out your hands. John is going to tell us Jesus is basically telling Peter how he's going to die. This would not be a very comforting prophecy. By the way because of the stretching of the hands was an indication of crucifixion of Jesus who denied Jesus Peter who denied Jesus would ultimately be stretched and crucified just like his Lord. So Simon Peter, I'll get to that in just a moment. My second Insight is found in chapter 21 verses 18 and 19, which I think I just skipped over. Let me see if this is the right one yet. Truly I say to you when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you're older, you will stretch out your hands and another will dress and carry you this. He said the show by what kind of death he was going to glorify God and after saying this he said to him follow me. Now you can imagine the Temptation when someone told you that you were going to die by crucifixion and remember Peter watch that it would be like, oh well if this is the path you want from me Lord, I think I'll take the other Road Jesus Falls to that very quickly with Peter. I'm going to give you the grace to do this you follow me. You denied me three times and in your life, but you are going to be faithful to me and the death and this was the message that he shared so we have a challenge. Do you really love me? We have an inside Because You Loved Me you're following me is going to cost you. And by the way, you know, this is the difference between salvation and discipleship salvation is believing on Jesus return a life discipleship is committing your life to follow him here regardless the cost and Jesus constantly told his followers count the cost before you say. Yes. I'm going to follow you. And so here Peter would know it be valuable. And now all of a sudden he's got the restoration. He's got the mission for his life. And now all of a sudden here comes a distraction. Isn't it so like life? We get things prioritize were restored and all of a sudden Here Comes This distraction when Peter saw him he said to Jesus Lord, what about that man? What about him? He was talking about John by the way, the one who wrote This Book. What about him? Notice what Jesus said he said to him if it is my will that he remain until I come what is that to you? You follow me. Now this is very instructive because we as human beings love to look around to see what's happening in someone else's life. And we love to judge. God based upon how he treats other people and how he arranges their circumstances and not our own. And sometimes we have this plan in our life to think that we take the best out of everybody else's world. And if God is really good, then he'll make that happen in mine. If I had a bell this morning, I would bring it and wake up wake everybody up. And simply say this to you. That is not how the Christian Life Works.

Can I be brutally honest with you this morning? Some of you God may have called for you to suffer for him. It may be physical suffering. God may allow some type of sickness or something in your life. That will just absolutely be the hardest thing that you will ever face and you will have to be driven to your knees and completely dependent upon his grace to successfully and Faithfully live through it. But where God gives you this trial he also gives you Grace but enables you to successfully live in a way that honors him and don't tell me God hasn't caused you to suffer because Peter the one who was restored here wrote in his epistle that God calls us to suffering.

Does some people God may give her Carefree life no waves that crash on the beach. That does not mean that they have done something right and you have done something wrong that simply means that God is trusting you with an issue or something in your life by which you can bring glory to him and he will reward you if you Faithfully endure.

Listen folks stop listening to the prosperity message. It is not biblical. The message for a Christian is you be faithful irregardless the cost and you trust me even when you don't understand what's going on in your life. I will never leave you I will never forsake you you hang in and follow me. Now as we think about this can't use right this interesting summary. He said Peters denials happen before a fire. Can I add a charcoal fire and now Peters confessions were before a charcoal fire there were three denials and now three confessions as well as three gracious commissions feed my sheep feed my Lambs tend my sheep. I am not finished with you Peter. Yes you blew it, but I have a plan for you and I want you to follow this plan. That when you stop and look at this account and you start asking yourself a question what in the world is this has to do with my life? Well, I want to share Five Lessons that I think we learn from this passage is the deal directly with your life and here is lesson. Number one and please hear me. Failure is the best teacher in your life. I mentioned this briefly last week. This is more summarized. You do not learn from successes in your life. You learn from your failures. You learn truths about yourself that are painful, but sometimes you don't want to know but God will allow failure in our life to teach us. And if we are willing to be good students and listen, we learn very quickly that we are not the fourth member of the trinity. You do not have it all together. I do not have it all together and when we fail, we understand that we are human and that we need help outside of ourselves to enable us to learn from the failure and to be able to get through the failure and let me say something whenever we both and say well I'll tell you what I'll never do that. I've heard some Christians be very confident that I'll tell you what I cannot believe that such and such as I never do that. My children would never do that. You better watch.

You better watch. Listen to what scripture counsels us about failure. You remember Peter, this is what he said before Jesus died, though. They all fall away because of you. I will never fall away. And then Peter rights afterward likewise you who are younger be subject to the elders clothe yourselves all of you. That would be younger and older with humility toward one another because God opposes the proud but he gives grace to the humble. What is a humble person humble person is one Who Says by the grace of God, I will try my best not to do that by the grace of God. I will be faithful. But a humble person is not someone who could tell you what it'll never happen to me because I'm just too spiritual. I could never thought of that that yes, you can. We all need God's grace.

And failure is sometimes the best teacher always tell students when they take an exam. They get all hot under the collar because they miss a question. I say stop arguing over your answer. You got it wrong. Learn from this wrong answer what is right and never forget it and often times students will come back after they have their temper tantrum and they'll say you know what that was good advice. I'm glad you shared that with me. I'll never forget that. I'll never forget it. Listen to what Paul writes about humility for by the grace given to me. I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think but to think with sober judgment each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. What's the concept here. Do not think more highly of yourself than you ought to think but think of ourselves the way God thinks about us very good counsel James writes about those who have fallen by the way. I just throw this in here because all of us know of people who have failed and somehow or another they think God's finished with them. Listen to what the last two verses in the Book of James say my brother's If anyone among you wonders from the truth. They have fallen they fail and someone brings him back. Let him the one who brings this following back know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. Fallen people are worth restoration. Calling people need to be pursued not forgotten calling people need to be given lots of Grace so that they can push through an indoor not kick to the side. God is not a God who kicks people to decide because they failed he is a God who relentlessly and continually pursues them until they are restored because that's what a good father does put it in familial terms. If one of your children Falls away from the family as a parent, is it possible for you just to say well, I'll tell you what, I'll never remember this child. Forget the damn. I'm done. As a good parent, we would pray for them more earnestly. I'm not saying enable them. Please understand me here. If they have issues. We do not enable them. We have good boundaries, but our love for them never stops. And we pray for them and we earnestly desire restoration. There's a second lesson we learn and it's this but just because we fail doesn't mean you are a failure. Sometimes when people fail in their life, they automatically identify themselves with that greatest failure. You know when somebody ask Peter Peter, who are you he could have said I'm the guy that denied Jesus three times. Instead Peter is the one I like to remember that preach the first Christian sermon on the day of Pentecost when 3,000 people came to believe in Jesus.

God was not finished with him. I found it interesting, you know Peter denied him three times. And then when he appreciates first sermon. 1000 not 2000, but three thousand on the first day came to Faith in Jesus. I think he was letting him know. You know what Peter I can do a lot more through your failure and make you stronger and more bold than I can in your strength. Because God uses our weakness he gives strength to the weak and just because we fail doesn't mean that we are a failure. Listen to what James Jesus said the Peter even before he died on the cross. Listen carefully here Simon Simon behold. I'm going to read it with West Virginia English. Satan has demanded to have y'all. That's plural by the way that he might see if you you all like wheat, but I have prayed for y'all. All of you disciples that your faith may not fail noticed this very interesting and when you have turned again,

Prophecy that Peter would fail Jesus when you have turned again strengthen your brothers. In other words when you fail don't let that become your identity Peter, I have a task for you. And what is that task strengthen your brothers? You take your failure and you don't let it Define you you serve me. And you can use that failure as a springboard into the life of other people. When you blow it folks when we blow it take that failure and use it not as an identity for you. But as a learning lesson to be able to help you help other people and this is exactly what Jesus was saying to him. Jesus said I tell you Peter rooster won't grow until you deny me three times that you know me and he did by the way a third life lesson. Is this that Jesus I should adhere graciously forgives and restores graciously. Jesus could have just left Peter out to the Wayside. He could have just thrown him out and had nothing else to do with him, but he did not do that. He pursued him. He followed him. He told him go to Galilee Jesus met him in Galilee. He singled him out of the other six disciples pulled him to the side and he says to him Peter. Do you love me feed my sheep Peter. Do you love me? 10 Mile and feed my flock Peter. I'm not done with you. He restored him. And he graciously did that now Peter had an option. He could have said well, you know, my failure was so great. Are you sure you forgave me Lord? I mean if you forgave me why is it still in my memory you ever struggle with that by the way? Ever wonder why God when you confess a sin doesn't let you forget that sin. I've done some things in my life that if I wanted to sit down and Ponder on them. I can I can convince myself. I wasn't even a believer. How could a Believer do something? Like how could a Believer think something like that? Why does God allow those memories to stay in your life. Are you ready? Because failure is a good teacher.

He lets us have those memories and retain them to remember what we are capable of doing and he also does that so that we understand? What kind of a gracious God we serve he is the god that even though we failed him desperately he forgives and restores US abundantly. And so when he tells us I have cleansed you I have forgiven you do we understand what cleansing means cleansing doesn't mean erasing from memory. cleansing names for forgiveness and washing per se cleaning you up for service and restoration that is what it means to be cleansed not forgetfulness, but cleansing and ability and Readiness to serve he forgives and restores listen to what John the same one who was sitting there with Peter when this conversation took place. Listen what he wrote. But if we walk in the light we Christians walk in the light as he God is in the light. We have Fellowship one with another walking in the light God who is light means that we are together notice what he says and the blood of Jesus his son cleanses us from all sin. I think I need to do a whole sermon on cleansing. Because there is a difference by the way between confession and forgiveness and cleansing. Let me just explain it real quick. And then maybe I'll preach a sermon on this one day confession is when we say the same thing about seeing as God does for example Peter would say Lord, you know, I denied you 3 times I should not have been I am. So sorry for doing that. Please forgive me. What does God do he cleanse and he forgives that sin now that's forgiveness. Okay. You got me thinking fashion forgiveness cleansing is when we understand what just happened. What just happened over here that sin was forgiven and it was removed and taken away. And when that dirt as an example is taking away. It's Twins and one of the reasons that we struggle with cleansing is because as Christians, we don't understand what forgiveness really is. Post-conversion We Believe on Jesus free eternal life God justifies and declares his righteous. We walk down here in this world. We get dirty. We send we don't walk in the light. We as Christians have to confess for Fellowship reasons and when we confess God cleanses us. When we understand what he's done, then we have cleanest. We can walk and renewed strength and this is the difference by the way, and sometimes we don't understand what forgiveness really is. Listen to this post. God when we confess our Christian seeing removes it and never brings it up again. never

You understand that never?

So if he forgives in and takes it away, why do you keep hanging on to it?

never forget but don't hang on do with it what he does get rid of it. If we say that we have no sin as a Christian we deceive ourselves and the truth is not a living in US. Notice what he says but if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. This is the Believers bath verse. This is what we do as Christians when we get dirty when we send as a Believer we can fast he forgives and he cleanses he offers cleansing and we need to wrap ourselves in this the fourth lesson that we learn is this when we love Jesus we will naturally serve others. I find it interesting that three times. Do you love me feed my sheep? Do you love me feed my Lambs? Do you love me pin my sheep? Can I get real personal for a minute? There are Christians out here and maybe you're listening to me and maybe you've blown it at some time of your life. And this is what you think. God can never use me. If you know what I've done and you know, how how bad I feel him. God can never use me. Can I tell you something we have a term for that out in the country? And this is what we say bologna.

That is the furthest thing from the truth. That is when you need to serve him the most is when you are restored from failure.

Sometimes people will say well this happened in my life. You know, this is a common occurrence. I've had a failed marriage because I've had a failed marriage I can never serve who said that. Who said that?

Well, I've had this tragedy my family someone someone in my family did this and I can never serve.

Who's speaking back to you? Can I tell you who's speaking it to you the enemy? And it might be coming from a mouth of somebody else. But he's the source of it. You want to know why because he doesn't want you serving because the greatest service in scripture are the greatest failures. Do a search on I challenge you. You want to go down the list Noah Abraham Isaac Jacob. I mean you want to go David. The man who was a murderer and an adulterer and a wife robber. God used greatly. And here is Simon Peter a man who denied Jesus three times at the most crucial time of his life. betrayed his friend and he is fully restored and what happens when he fails he is given a task to do feed my sheep strengthen your brothers. When we love Jesus. Naturally. We are going to serve him. By the way. This is how you know, even in a local church who really love Jesus. Can I be truthful here for a moment? It's people that cannot sit still because they realize what they have been given and they want to give that to someone else they want to serve and that is such a beautiful beautiful picture. And then the fifth lesson God's plan for your life may not be his plan for someone else's life. But the important thing is is for you to follow him. No matter where he puts you. There's a story in the book of Acts where the Apostle Paul has traveled around and he's done a great ministry. And a profit by the way by the name of agabus and this is how it work back in that day. They had no New Testament scriptures. All they had was the Old Testament Scrolls and it's Paul was traveling around they would be in a congregation and with no New Testament scripture a prophet would stand up and speak and they would save us says the Lord and by the way, God had measures on how to tell whether that profit was speaking truth or not. This is why in 1st Thessalonians, he said abstain from what is evil in Prophecy and hold fast to what is good. And the prophet will be known by his life. By the way if he's a heathen in the drunk don't listen to him. But if he's if he's got character and he says something is true. Listen. One particular time agabus stood up and took a belt unfolded it from his pants and bounded around his hands and he said the man they're talkin about Paul. I will be bound hand and foot and taken to Rome. And you would have thought for a moment that Paul would have went. Oh my goodness me. They're going to take me as a prisoner. What did Paul say people started weeping by the way, they were crying. Please don't go if you knew that you were going to be taken prisoner. Don't go. Please stay please and pause and stop your crying. Stop your crying for me. The moment I got saved Jesus said I'm going to show that man what great things he must suffer for me. And I'm going to teach him that my plan for his life is different than my plan for your life. You follow me. This is why the Apostle Paul at the end of his life could stand with confidence in Rome. the last writing that he gave knowing that he was going to be beheaded by vicious Roman emperor in Paul can say I have finished my course. I have kept the faith and there is now laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the righteous judge will give to me and not only me, but all those who love his appearing. God's plan for my life may be different than his plan for your life. But irregardless you follow me.

If it is my will that he remains until I come what is that to you? What is that to you? You don't remember anything else the next time you look over somebody or maybe you're scrolling through your phone on Facebook and all these could things be happening this person with all this going on in my life. Be ready for this don't ever forget this John 21:22. What is that to you?

What is that to you? God why did you give me a kid with such a stubborn heart that I filled him? Yes, and they say no I say black they say white. Why is this child's heart like that? Well, why can't my kid be like such and such what is that to you? I gave you that child for you to shape and mold and their heart is mine their life is mine. They belong to me. I'm just putting them in your quiver for a short while you teach some character you teach them truth. You tell them about me. I'll take care of her heart. You be faithful you follow me. Well, how come I get this job and I have this stubborn boss and such and such get the job and they have a wonderful employee and a wonderful day. What is that to you?

You follow me. Go to Haley's and I can leave for you and serve you and not smoke drink or two or date girls that do and all the sudden I get this sickness that comes up on me. And now I have this terrible illness and I have two beer and such and such over. There is Smoke 4 packs a day and nothing is ever wrong with him by just having it is at the hue.

You follow me.

You follow me.

And you know, Jesus gets an interesting statement in John chapter 10, and this is what he says about following him. my sheep hear my voice and I follow me. Hear his voice this morning. What's the struggle in your life? That is so unbearable that you think you have done that you can never be restored from? Okay, you're maybe your listing in your life. I want to tell you something. There's forgiveness and cleansing for that. And there is gracious Restoration in Jesus offers that to you. Maybe you're here this morning and you have never believed on Jesus for eternal life. What does he say to you come unto me believe on me for God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. What is the One requirement for everlasting life? You have to believe on the sun and the heat offers you that free gift of Salvation And if you're willing to receive that free gift, he will give you eternal life.

And if we're his shape, we follow his voice. Now in a moment of silence with your heads about in your eyes closed. I used to talk to God this morning. My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me. What is it that his voice is saying to you this morning that you need to do? You talked to him.

And so father I pray that you will hear all the prayers of your people and answer them as only you can. Save those who have never believed on Jesus for eternal life. Give them the courage to believe restore those who may have fallen or are in a state of failure. Help him to understand what forgiveness is and help him to sense your cleansing in their life. restore them and I pray that you will give each one of us a place of service where we might serve you because we know that one of the truest test of loving you is serving you so give us a place and give us purpose and meaning in our life and when we get distracted because what you're doing in someone else's life. Help us. Remember the question. What is that to you? You follow me? We had this in Jesus name. Amen.