Following The Master Series

John 21:15-25 [15] When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, 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 a second time, "Simon, son of John, 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 John, 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 everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep. [18]Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go." [19] (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, "Follow me." [20] Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who had been reclining at table close to him and had said, "Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?" [21] When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, "Lord, what about this man?" [22] Jesus said to him, "If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!" [23]So the saying spread abroad among the brothers that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, "If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?" [24] This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true. [25] Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. (ESV)

Recently some very high profile authors and teachers have stepped down from positions of authority and abandoned their ministries. A few years ago, well-known evangelical preacher John Piper announced that he was taking his first-ever break from ministry to reexamine his soul. "I see several species of pride," Piper told Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis. "They may not rise to the level of disqualifying me for ministry. Nevertheless, while I don't think they do, I grieve over them." Upon return, he shared that he "experienced afresh" his love for God while worshipping with church members of Sovereign Grace Fellowship in Bloomington, Minn., and that his marriage of 42 years is in "a good place now." (https://www.christianpost.com/news/john-piper-returns-to-pulpit-after-8-month-leave.html)

When we sin, it is a tactic of the devil to argue that, having sinned, we have forfeited our chance for a successful and happy Christian life and that we might as well go on sinning. Like most of the devil’s statements this is untrue. Though we sin, upon repentance, we have nevertheless not forfeited our chances for a full Christian life, nor dare we go on sinning. Instead, ("Following the Master") is that of repentance and restoration. This is the point of the story of Peter’s restoration by Jesus in John 21. Peter had failed the Lord in his hour of apparent need. He had abandoned him and had compounded his cowardice by a threefold denial that he had ever known him. Yet Jesus loved Peter, and Peter knew that he loved Jesus (Boice, J. M. (2005). The Gospel of John : An expositional commentary (Pbk. ed.) (1635–1636). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books.). The true significance of the incident lies in Peter’s being confronted with his denials of Christ (Jn. 18:18), and being called to undo his denials with these three public reaffirmations of his love and loyalty to Jesus. Until that has been done Peter is not ready to be a follower of Jesus; the barrier of failure and sin has not been removed.( Milne, B. (1993). The message of John: here is your king!: with study guide (p. 317). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)

The church of Jesus Christ is a fellowship of repentant, forgiven failures. And in Peter, Jesus shows us how he can transform a failure into a rock of strength for His church. Empowered by the Spirit of his beloved Lord, Peter became a humble, encouraging, suffering, and persevering disciple of Jesus. And he became a bold ambassador of the gospel of forgiveness to the most miserable failures. (https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/jesus-chooses-and-uses-failures)