A New Beginning!

Reading: John chapter 21 verses 15-25.

SERMON OUTLINE:

• A Challenge (vs 15-18).

• An Insight (vs 19a)

• A Distraction (red herring) (vs 21-24)

• A Boast (vs 25)

SERMON BODY:

Ill:

• Mel Blanc is a voice you will all know,

• But a name you will probably not.

• He has been called, “The man of 1,000 voices”

• Some of them you will instantly recognise.

• ‘Woody Woodpecker, Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, Daffy Duck, Sylvester & Tweety Pie’

• On the Warner Brothers cartoons, it is Mel Blanc who does the voice at the very end.

• Of the cartoon; “That’s all folks!”

• On his gravestone, just under the Star of David (he was Jewish),

• Is the inscription, “That’s all folks!”

• TRANSITION: Many people view life that way,

• When you are dead, you are dead - “That’s all folks!”

• The Easter period is a reminder that ‘death is not the end”

• There is more to follow!

• The disciples (and especially Peter) needed reminding,

• “That’s NOT all folks!”

• With Jesus there is a new beginning.

Note: Everything that happens in this passage for Peter is meant to be ‘Déjà vu!’

• Déjà vu is a French loanword,

• It is used for when a person has done something,

• Or feels like they have experienced the same feelings or event before.

• (a): In verse 6: Peter and the disciples have an amazing catch of fish – miracle.

• Was meant to remind Peter of his first encounter with Jesus (Luke chapter 5).

• When almost the exact same thing happened.

• (b): In verse 9 the fire of burning coals, BBQ on the beach:

• Was to remind Peter of his denial around another fire in High Priest’s court

• (John chapter 18 verse 18)

• (c): The location – the sea of Galilee was to remind him of so many past experiences,

• It was a place of miracles.

• e.g., Feeding the crowd of over 5,000 people.

• e.g., Jesus standing up and stilling a raging storm with just a simple command

• TRANSITION:

• Everything that happens in this passage for Peter is meant to be ‘Déjà vu!’

• It is meant to trigger memories and experiences in the mind and heart of Peter,

• From his past.

• The idea is not to bring guilt and depression but rather forgiveness and a new beginning.

(1). A Challenge (vs 15-18).

Ill:

• Four types of questions.

• Trivial questions – who won the FA cup in 1987 (answer: Coventry City).

• Important questions – e.g., are you allergic to anything

• Opinion based questions – what is your favourite colour? – Many answers.

• Factual questions e.g. How many seconds in a minute? (Answer: 60)

• TRANSITION: Jesus is going to ask Simon Peter three questions,

• The answer he gives to these questions are going to shape the rest of his life.

Note:

• Jesus will restore Simon Peter from a story of failure to a story of success,

• He does that by way of three simple but heart-piercing question:

• Remember when Jesus was arrested in the gospels,

• 3 times Peter had denied Jesus publicly,

• And now Jesus gives him 3 opportunities to confess him publicly.

Note

• When Jesus called Simon Peter to be his disciple he changed his name,

• His old name, ‘Simon’ and Jesus gave him a new name ‘Peter’.

• Question: How would you feel if someone did that to you?

• e.g., Andrew……no, more like a Charles.

• e.g., Richard……no, more like an Edward.

• e.g., Jamie……no, more like a Boris!

• Jesus met Simon and said, “No! From now on Simon’

• And for the next three years that is what everybody called him.

• Until now! When Jesus quite deliberately uses his old name “Simon, son of John”.

• With the old name Simon, Jesus takes Simon Peter way back

• To the very start of their relationship.

• When they were strangers and Simon did not know Jesus.

Ill:

• We go to see a doctor when we need healing, when something is wrong,

• But a doctor cannot diagnose and help us until he/she has discovered the problem.

• Once the doctor knows what is wrong,

• He/she will share that with the patient, and they can then take the next course of actions.

• TRANSITION: That is what Jesus does here for Simon Peter,

• The issue in question is Peter’s love for Jesus.

• Three times he denied and failed Jesus and therefore he has broken that relationship.

• So, Jesus takes him back to the beginning and asks him three questions,

• Three questions that will change his attitude and his future.