Breakfast Of Champions

BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS

John 21

Intro: I've talked with many people who have shared about some failure in their life and how they wished they could erase the past start all over again. 2000 years ago, Jesus Christ gave a fisherman by the name of Peter just that opportunity. He had failed Jesus miserably, but our Lord didn't just write him off. He came to Him and restored Him and God used him to do amazing things. God wants to do the same for you today. He wants to help you to leave your old life and failures behind and embrace the victorious future He has for you.

“Wheaties” commercials. Many athletes have been paid to endorse Wheaties Cereal. Supposedly, eating this cereal has transformed normal people into great champions in every area of the the sports world.

Of course, we should all know that this really isn’t the case, but today we’re going to look at one person who was totally transformed by Jesus Christ at breakfast in one fateful morning.

A. PETER THE FAILURE

Throughout the gospels, it seems Peter was always messing up. He always said the wrong things and seemed to mess up everything.

1. Peter was Indecisive

In John 1:37, we learn that Peter was called by Christ during the preaching of John the Baptist.

Later, in Matthew 4:18, while Peter is fishing, we see Jesus calling him again. Jesus tells him to “Come, follow me”.

Then, in Matthew 10, Jesus called the 12 to become his apostles.

2. Peter lacked Faith.

In Matthew 14, we see how Peter is impetuous, but lacked the faith He needed. Jesus is walking on the water that night and Peter asks Jesus to “command me to come to you on the water”. He jumped out of the boat and walked a ways, but his faith vanished looking at the winds and the waves and started sinking.

3. Peter often said the wrong things.

* Matthew 16, Jesus is telling the disciples how He will soon be put to death. Peter rebukes Jesus and says it will never happen. Jesus then said to Peter, “Get behind Me Satan!”

* In Matthew 17, on the Mount of Transfiguration, Peter interrupts the moment and tells Jesus that he wants to build 3 tabernacles there for Jesus, Elijah, and Moses. From Heaven, God shuts him down by informing them that Jesus is HIS Son. Glory of Jesus can’t be shared.

* In John 13, Jesus begins to wash the feet of the disciples. Peter said to Jesus “I will never let you wash my feet.” Jesus rebukes him and explains that, if he doesn’t, he cannot have a relationship with Him.

4. Peter often did the wrong thing.

Peter was a very impetuous man of actions. Sometimes, though, this caused him to do stupid things.

* The night Jesus was arrested in the Garden, Peter goes a little bit crazy and attacks one of the 1000 people coming to take Jesus. He cuts the ear off of the man. This could have lead to all of them being killed, except Jesus puts the man’s ear back on. Jesus was supposed to die by crucifixion, not in a swordfight.

* Later that night, Peter made the greatest blunder of his life. While Jesus was inside being victimized, Peter stood around a fire outside to keep warm. Around that fire, Peter cursed and swore and denied Jesus 3 times. To make matters worse, just a few hours before this, Peter was bragging of his great love for Jesus. Jesus had responded by telling Peter that he would deny him 3 times before the rooster crowed.

Peter’s whole world came crashing down when he heard that rooster.

** I imagine he thought his life and ministry were completely destroyed and God could never or would never have anything to do with him again. But, once again he’d be wrong.

B. JESUS THE TRANSFORMER.

1. Jesus comes to Peter

John 21:1-8 1 After these things Jesus manifested Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and He manifested Himself in this way. 2 Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter *said to them, “I am going fishing.” They *said to him, “We will also come with you.” They went out and got into the boat; and that night they caught nothing. 4 But when the day was now breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 So Jesus *said to them, “Children, you do not have any fish, do you?” They answered Him, “No.” 6 And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat and you will find a catch.” So they cast, and then they were not able to haul it in because of the great number of fish. 7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved *said to Peter, “It is the Lord.” So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put his outer garment on (for he was stripped for work), and threw himself into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the little boat, for they were not far from the land, but about one hundred yards away, dragging the net full of fish.