For those unfamiliar with an Anglican Service there are four Scripture readings before the message. Today’s readings were: Acts:9:1-20; Psalm 30; Revelation 5: 11-14 and John 21:1-19.
Today’s Gospel reading .... points to a person who Jesus had called to be ............a fisher of men.
He was always taking some hasty action that he (Slow) regretted later.
He was always saying things he wished he had not..
But the denial of the Lord ..... must have weighed heavy on his heart.
He said he would never deny Jesus even if the others would. Yet ......he did.... 3 Times!
He probably thought he was permanently disqualified from ever doing the Lord’s work again. (Pause)
At the beginning of this chapter Peter says, "I’m going fishing."
What he was really saying is, "What is there left for me to do but to go back to my previous life. I have totally failed the Lord. I am guilty and I cannot forgive myself."
He goes off with the weight of guilt hanging heavy on his shoulders,.... He returns to his old life.
His Yoke is very heavy.
He probably replayed the tape of his denial of the Lord ......over and over in his mind.
He could not forgive himself and maybe he wasn’t sure if the Lord would even forgive him.
Beloved....Life at times can be very hard. Forgiving Self is not as easy at it may look to others (Pause)
There was a man trying to cross the street.
As he steps off the curb a car comes screaming around the corner and it heads straight for him.
The man walks faster, trying to hurry across the street, but the car changes lanes and is still coming at him.
So the man turns around to go back, but the car changes lanes yet again and is still coming straight toward him.
By now, .....the car is so close ...and the man so scared .... that he just freezes and stops in the middle of the road.
The car swerves at the last possible moment and screeches to a halt right next him.
The driver rolls down the window. The driver is .....a squirrel.
And The squirrel says to the man, ...."See, it’s not as easy as it looks?"
Beloved..... It is not as easy as it looks when you are trying to forgive yourself for something that you have done wrong.
There are certain things that you and I have done in our lives .... that we punish ourselves for .....over and over again.
At times they seem almost impossible to overcome. (Pause)
So ...what can we glean from these Scriptures that will help us get past those things that keep us chained to the past?
That day on the shore Jesus invited Peter and the other disciples to a breakfast of fish that were being cooked on a charcoal fire.
He said, "Come.... Come and have breakfast ..... bring some of the fish you have just caught."
Now there are two times in Scripture that discuss a charcoal fire.
One is in the passage we read today and I am sure that it was a reminder to Peter .....of the charcoal fire .....where he had denied knowing and being a disciple of Jesus.
There was the Charcoal fire of denial and this charcoal fire of fellowship and redemption.
Jesus took the initiative to invite Peter to breakfast around the charcoal fire.
Sadly, too often, and especially when experiencing inward pain, we do not pick up on our Lord’s invitation.
We do not hear Jesus when he says to Us, Come...."Come to me all of ye who are weary and heavy laden, (Slow) and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28)
His Yoke is easy and his burden is light.
Why do we not hear our Lord’s voice or his invitation, .... because too often we make ourselves so busy with what each day has in store for us.
Or we are beating ourselves up over the past and are stuck in our guilt.
Jesus is calling, "Come " Come come to the charcoal fire and Fellowship with me.
We all are included"
Jesus says, "Come, Come. Enjoy each day." But often we feel undeserving.
Jesus is saying, Come "You are invited. ....Come and fellowship with me."
Peter may have thought in his heart he has been disqualified..... That he was beyond forgiveness.
The biggest obstacle to self-forgiveness ..... is often the tendency to wallow in our own self guilt.
We draw those feelings up around us like a blanket and we cover our heads.
We refuse to push the stop button on our suffering.
We at times refuse to forgive ourselves and in a way it becomes a crazy form of penance. We feel we must suffer for what we have done.
Give them all, Give them all to Jesus.
Do not hold back, do not hold on to sorrow or guilt, give them All .... Give them all to Jesus and he will turn your sorrows into joy!
And it is the joy of the Lord that ... is our strength.
Peter could have refused the invitation to breakfast.
He could have said, "I’m going to stay right here. I am not going to risk it. I am not going to risk failure again." But he did risk it. He Came.
I think we need to be more like Peter--We need to be risk takers.
For Faith with out Risk requires no faith at all. (REPEAT)
Jesus said, "Come, Come .... let us eat together." Jesus is calling us to Fellowship.
In the Gospel reading John tells us that 153 large fish had been caught in that single drag of the net.
Whenever a specific number is used in the Scriptures and especially in John’s Gospel ....there is a reason for that number.
It is no accident that there were 153 large Fish in the net.
It was understood by all in those times ... and especially these fishermen that there were 153 different species of Fish in the sea of Galilee.
Jesus was making it clear that his death on the cross offered salvation to all.
He is gathering all ....the whole world to himself.
Fellowship ... Forgiveness is what they all needed that day--not just Peter. (Pause)
Our Lord had something special for Peter to do. Peter had to move on.
We need to deal with our past in order to experience not only the forgiveness that Jesus brought to us on the cross , but to understand that his grace is sufficient.
(Slow) His Grace is sufficient for us to forgive ourselves as well.
Forgiving ourselves is .... part of the Christian package.
Beloved .....his grace is sufficient!
This day with Jesus at the shore was far more than a breakfast of fish: (Pause)
After they ate Jesus called Peter over and asked him a question. "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?"
What did Jesus mean by "these".
Well.....Jesus was probably referring to the other disciples; In light of Peter’s proud statement that he would never forsake Christ ....even if all the others might.
Beloved... Jesus is meeting Peter at the very core of his soul. Allowing forgiveness to flow.
See how our Lord moves: Jesus calls him by the name he used the first time he met him some three years earlier:
Jesus says "Simon, son of John do you love me more then theses?"
He does not call him Cephas, Peter, the name he had given him during his ministry.
Jesus is bring him back to their first encounter. He was bringing Peter back to the beginning.
Was Peter’s commitment shallow or was it rock solid?
Was he willing to be the Rock on which the Church would move forward.
Jesus was about to question Peter: And Peter’s answers would portray the depth of that commitment. (Pause)
Jesus asks, "Peter do you love me?"
Peter answers, "Yes, Lord you know that I love you" Jesus presses Peter further in the second question ..... and the third..
After each of Peter’s responses, Jesus gave him an assignment.
After the first he said. Feed my lambs --that is feed the young in the faith.
After the second question he said: Take care of my sheep--.....be a shepherd to my sheep. Look after them. Keep them safe from harm.
The third time Jesus said Feed my sheep. .... Take the sheep to pasture where they are fed.
Jesus is seeking a total renewal of Peter’s commitment and a reaffirmation of his calling.
Jesus in essence was saying: ....... Follow me ......(Slow) and keep on following me.
Peter must move away from his guilt over the past; so he would again become ....what his name symbolized ...... the Rock.
Jesus is in essence telling him "I have work for you to do. If you really love me feed my lambs and tend to my sheep. You are going to be the Rock .
Why did Jesus continue to ask him these questions?
I am convinced that, Jesus wanted Peter to really look at himself .... To really look at his commitment.
Jesus asks Simon son of John three times do you love me?
Was this to remind Peter of his three denials?
Probably but I am convinced there may be more to understanding this passage.
When Jesus asked Simon Peter if he loved Him, He was using a specific word denoting a specific type of love.
The word Christ uses in the Greek text is "agapao" also known as agape.
Agape represents a sacrificial love a love of total commitment. A love with no strings attached.
In essence, Jesus "may" have been asking Peter if he would sacrifice all and give himself completely for Him.
However, notice Peter’s response. Peter replies, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you."
Now at first this sounds like a positive response.
When describing his love, Peter uses a different word then Jesus.
The Greek text states this word as "phileo."
This word for love means fondness; to have affection for; a personal attachment; a friendship.
Yet even with this response the Lord says to Peter "Feed my Lambs"
Jesus asks him a second time Peter do you agape me. Peter responds you know that I phileo you. Jesus says "Tend my sheep".
The third time Jesus changes the word and he asks: Peter do you phileo, me and Peter responds "Lord you know everything, you know that I phileo you."
Beloved .... How gracious is our Lord.
Jesus is graciously meeting Peter at his level of ability to respond.
The seriousness of Christ charge to Peter did not change; No matter the level of Love Peter was to care for the flock.
In fact, Jesus goes on to tell Peter that he would mature in the faith.
He would experience a self-sacrificing love and would one day give his life for the faith (21:18).
And Christian history tells us that indeed Peter died for the faith and was crucified head down in Rome.
Jesus last command to Peter was the same as the very first command he had given three years earlier: ..... Jesus simply said "Follow me" (Matt. 4:19).
Jesus knows how we love him; it may be Phileo, it may be Agape.
Or it may be transforming to Agape as we are being transformed into the image of Christ.
In either case our Lord’s response to Simon Peter and to us .... is to bring Grace to those God places in our lives.
To take care of his lambs .... To care for the sheep.
Jesus wanted Peter to receive ....to experience total forgiveness. (Pause)
True forgiveness ... true joy .... is found only when we allow Jesus to work in our lives. When we allow him to be Lord of every aspect of our lives.
Hit the stop button. Get of the guilt merry-go-round.
Stop replaying the past ....over and over again.
Peter could not go back and undo the statements he made.
Peter could not go back and change his impulsive actions.
Peter could not undo his three denials.
In a way Jesus was saying, "Peter, you have been ..... re-commissioned.
Put the past to bed. There is work to be done!
Jesus has re-commissioned each of you to be his disciples; to show his grace ...... to share his joy to those he places in your life.
Beloved.....Receive the fullness of his Agape love.
(Slow) And be transformed into the image of his Christ.
Amen & Amen!
I received much insight from Marilyn Murphree’s Sermon titled "Help! I Can Not Forgive Myself". I commend it to you.
Help: I retired in November 2017 and am attempting to supplement my income by sharing on Sermoncentral. If this Message has been helpful to you, please consider a nominal gift: Send to The Rev. Jeff Smead 11725 Regent Park Drive Chardon Ohio 44024. Blessed To Be A Blessing.
Dear Reader: So I can better help you, if this Message was not helpful and you rated it low, Please let me know what it lacked or why it was not helpful. You can search by contributor Smead" (Constructive Criticism is very helpful) and contact me there. Blessings Jeff.
