Sermon Tone Analysis

· Chip Green - Thankful for your ministry to our church - years of lives changed and blessed through Celebrate Recovery and Counseling.

Chip knows God’s calling - to help hurting people.

He’s done that through counseling and CR.

Chip knows God’s calling -

Why ordination:

We affirm that God has a unique calling on Chip’s life.

We send Chip out to serve as God leads with our blessing.

Want to look at a passage of Scripture that demonstrates

Want to look at an interesting passage for a service like this - when Jesus reinstates Peter to ministry after his denial of Jesus.

This passage reminds us that

· Resurrection of Jesus is the greatest comeback story in all human history – on Friday he’s dead.

On Sunday He’s alive.

Ladies come to tomb and cannot find His body.

Jesus uses us in spite of who we are.

Jesus uses us in spite of who we are.

Peter greatly affected by death and resurrection.

: Peter saw with his own eyes the empty tomb.

What would his relationship be like with Jesus after he had denied him three times?

· All of disciples greatly affected by resurrection – Peter in particular.

: Peter saw with his own eyes the empty tomb.

What would his relationship be like with Jesus after he had denied him three times?

Jesus appeared several times over the course of a few days in he finds the disciples fishing.

“Do you have any fish?”

“No!” “Cast your nets on the right side of the boat.”

They pulled up 153 fish and had breakfast on the shore with Jesus.

During that breakfast Jesus pulls Peter aside for a conversation.

· Jesus appeared several times over the course of a few days in he finds the disciples fishing.

“Do you have any fish?”

“No!” “Cast your nets on the right side of the boat.”

They pulled up 153 fish and had breakfast on the shore with Jesus.

During that breakfast Jesus pulls Peter aside for a conversation.

· Jesus came back from the dead to give Peter what he did not deserve – complete forgiveness and eternal life.

Peter’s sin did not change Jesus’ love for him.

Jesus came back from the dead to give Peter what he did not deserve – complete forgiveness and eternal life.

Peter’s sin did not change Jesus’ love for him.

The resurrection proves Jesus loves you.

· Jesus came back from the dead to give Peter what he did not deserve – complete forgiveness and eternal life.

Peter’s sin did not change Jesus’ love for him.

Jesus words cut to Peter’s heart.

“Simon, do you love me more than these?”

He doesn’t call Peter Peter.

Why?

Because Peter lived those last hours as if he did not know Jesus.

More than these – “You said you would stay with me until the end.

You said you would die with me.

You didn’t.

Do you really love me more than these?”

· Jesus words cut to Peter’s heart.

“Simon, do you love me more than these?”

He doesn’t call Peter Peter.

Why?

Because Peter lived those last hours as if he did not know Jesus.

More than these – “You said you would stay with me until the end.

You said you would die with me.

You didn’t.

Do you really love me more than these?”

Peter, do you love me? “Yes.”

Then feed my lambs.

Then a second time.

Then a third time.

Imagine Peter’s confusion.

The words pierce his heart.

Yet, each time Jesus gives him a command to serve.

Why does Jesus do this?

· Peter, do you love me? “Yes.”

Then feed my lambs.

Then a second time.

Then a third time.

Imagine Peter’s confusion.

The words pierce his heart.

Yet, each time Jesus gives him a command to serve.

Why does Jesus do this?

Jesus is revealing something to Peter that He reveals to each of us through His resurrection.

Peter’s love is fickle and insufficient, but the love of Christ is more than sufficient and it is never fickle.

· Jesus is revealing something to Peter that He reveals to each of us through His resurrection.

Peter’s love is fickle and insufficient, but the love of Christ is more than sufficient and it is never fickle.

We’re all Peter.

We all make promises to God we cannot keep.

However, Jesus’ love for us is not based on our ability to love Him.

It’s solely based on His gracious commitment to us.

He says committed to us even when we are inconsistent.

· We’re all Peter.

We all make promises to God we cannot keep.

However, Jesus’ love for us is not based on our ability to love Him.

It’s solely based on His gracious commitment to us.

He says committed to us even when we are inconsistent.

Even for those of us in ministry are like Peter - we don’t follow through on commitments to people.

We don’t follow through on commitments to God.

We get lazy in our devotional time.

We make mistakes.

Everyone of us has been Peter.

A call to ministry is not a call to perfection.

It’s a call to realize how much you need the grace of God and how much you need to give the grace of God.

A call to ministry is a call to recognize that Jesus uses you in spite of who you are.

You are a sinner, a rebel who’s been forgiven.

You may be talented, gifted, excellent communicator, etc. Chip, you may be the most talented counselor in the area, but that does change who you are inside - someone who daily needs a dose of grace to do anything of Kingdom worth.

Best advice for anyone set aside for ministry: Depend on Him, not yourself.

Daily preach the Gospel to yourself - a Gospel you need, and a Gospel you need to share.

Peter is still loved, and Jesus is not done with Peter.

The question: can Jesus still use me after what I’ve done?