John 21:1-19
“He Lifts Me Up”
By: Rev. Ken Sauer, Pastor of East Ridge United Methodist Church, Chattanooga, TN
As you know, we lost a dear saint this past week—Emmett Hart.
About 6 weeks ago or so, and I think it was the last Sunday Emmett was able to make it to church...
…a seemingly healthy Emmett walked into my office before Sunday morning worship.
“I’m going to come forward at the end of the service today,” Emmett informed me, “I feel its time to re-commit my life to Christ.”
I would imagine that Emmett gave his life to Jesus Christ many years ago.
So what was he doing, at 90 years of age, re-committing his life to Christ?
One thing about dedicating our lives to Christ is, it’s not a one-time thing.
Now, I’m not talking about losing one’s salvation here…
…I’m saying that as a part of our on-going life of faith…
…as we come to know more and more of God, we become aware of a whole lot of stuff we need to change in our lives.
It’s kind of like, well, for myself at least…
…when I first gave my life to Jesus I suddenly felt as if I had all the answers to every question in the world!
I also thought that the Mountain Peak of faith and excitement I was enjoying would just stay that way forever.
Little, very little did I know.
As Billy Graham used to say, “The mountain peaks are great, but it is in the valleys that we grow!”
I think that sometimes we think that when we are first born again we have somehow “graduated.”
We’ve made it!
But it is only an early step (not to say that it is not the most important step) in a lifelong journey.
And how couldn’t it be?
We have no idea what the future will hold.
And there will be times when our lives will feel disoriented and we will have to turn to Jesus again.
Just look at the Apostle Peter!
Early on, Peter left his nets and followed Jesus.
And it was a very real and a very expensive commitment!!!
But Peter had to make his commitments over and over again.
He tried to walk on water but lost his faith.
At Caesarea Philippi, he got the answer to the first question right: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
But he failed the second half of the test and wound up being called “Satan.”
And on the last night of Jesus’ life, Peter made an impossible commitment: “I will never run away and leave you.”
But only hours later, Peter shouted, “I told you, I don’t even know him. Leave me alone!”
Peter had to struggle and grow, and make new commitments to Jesus over and over.
In our Scripture lesson for this evening, we come upon a very defeated Peter.
Christ had died, Christ had risen…
…but Peter understood none of this.
He was literally at the end of his rope.
He felt that he was back where he had started, before Jesus had first come to him, and said, “Follow me.”
Had it all been in vain?
What had the last 3 years been about anyway?
Peter was in a haze and Peter was in a funk.
So what does he do?
“I’m going to fish,” he told the other disciples.
Which basically means, “I’m going back to my old way of life.”
But, we see that the great fisherman, Peter, no longer belonged in that world.
Just as we can never really “go back.”
He and the other disciples fish all night, but they don’t catch a thing!
It’s all a wash!
Everything is a wash!!!
But just when rock bottom is about to come crashing down on them completely…
…Jesus shows up!!!
And then they caught so many fish, perhaps more than they ever had…that they were shocked that the net was not torn!
It’s awesome to note that as soon as Peter realized it was Jesus on the shore, he jumped right into the water and swam toward Him as fast as he could!
That’s how excited he was to see Him!
Had Peter let Christ down?
Yes, indeed.
Had Peter faltered in his faith?
You bet.
Had Peter ever stopped loving Jesus?
No way!!!
And I would imagine many of us can relate.
Christian rock band, Audio Adrenaline has a cool song called “Get Down.”
Some of the lyrics go like this:
“I get down and He lifts me up
I get down and He lifts me up
I get down and He lifts me up
I get down
All I need’s another day
Where I can’t seem to get away
From the many things that drag me down,
I’m sure you’ve had a day like me
Where nothing seems to set you free
From the burdens you can’t carry all alone
In your weakness He is stronger
In Your darkness He shines through
When you’re crying He’s your comfort
When your all alone, He’s carrying you
I get down, He lifts me up
This valley is so deep
I can barely see the sun
I cry out for mercy, Lord
You lift me up again”
Let’s all remember this when our faith is faltering, and it feels as if we’ve pasted the point of no return!
Peter had been crushed to the core, by his inability to live up to his own commitments.
But Jesus didn’t give up on him; Jesus didn’t stop loving him…
…and therefore, Peter’s life did not end in tragedy and remorse!
He went on to be one of the most important figures of the Christian Church!!!...
…although he would make many more mistakes…
…and find that he had to re-think some of the things he had once thought…
…and make new commitments as his faith matured and grew!
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus takes Simon Peter away, I would imagine…
…away from the others, for as we see in verse 20, “Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them.”
They are probably walking slowly along the shore.
And Jesus asks the question that goes to the heart of everything: “Do you love me?”
And the question is asked and answered three times.
And what each answer gets in return is not a pat on the back, not a “There, that’s alright then,” but a command.
A fresh new challenge!
A new commission.
It’s time to learn to be a shepherd.
It’s time to feed lambs and sheep, to look after them.
Jesus is trusting Peter big time!!!
For Jesus is sharing His own work, His own ministry, with Peter.
Peter loved Jesus, and in gracious forgiveness, Jesus gave Peter the chance to wipe out the memory of the threefold denial by a threefold declaration of love!!!
And Jesus does the same for us, every moment of every day!!!
It’s interesting, love is the greatest privilege in the world, but it brings with it the greatest responsibility!!!
It brought Peter a cross.
Jesus said to him, “I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.”
And indeed, the day did come when, in Rome, Peter died for his Lord.
He too, went to the cross, and he asked to be nailed to it head down, because he said that he was not worthy to die the way his Lord had died.
Love brought Peter a task, and it brought him a cross.
And here is the secret of all Christian ministry, yours and mine, lay and ordained.
It’s the secret of everything from being a back-row member of a prayer group or Bible study to being a platform speaker at huge rallies and conferences.
If you are going to do a single solitary thing as a follower and servant of Christ, this is what its built on.
Somewhere, deep down inside, there is a deep and genuine love for Jesus!
And although you’ve let Him down a zillion times, Jesus wants to find that love, to give you a chance to express it, to heal the hurts and failures of the past, and give you new work to do!!!
Peter went from strength to strength.
He was still muddled from time to time.
But he became a shepherd.
He loved Jesus and looked after His sheep.
No one could ask for more, and Jesus never asks for less!!!
So, we need to remind ourselves that the Christian life doesn’t end when we first give our lives to Christ.
We will continue to struggle with our faith; and as we grow, we will need to make new commitments over and over again!
“I get down and He lifts me up,
I get down and He lifts me up,
I get down…”
How about you?
