A. I want to begin this morning with a poem by Louisa Fletcher:
“I wish that there were some wonderful place
Called the Land of Beginning Again.
Where all our mistakes and all our heartaches
And all of our poor selfish grief
Could be dropped like a shabby old coat at the door
And never put on again.
For what had been hardest we’d know had been best
And, what had seemed lost would be gain;
For there isn’t a sting that would not take a wing
When we’ve faced it and laughed it away
And I think that the laughter is most what we’re after
In the Land of Beginning Again.”
B. Do you wish there was a “Land of Beginning Again”?
1. Do you wish there was a way that all our mistakes and heartaches could be dropped by the door like an old shabby coat?
2. Do you wish there was a way that the sting could take wing and be laughed away?
C. If any of this sounds really good to you, then have I got some good news for you (I know I sound a bit like a con man, but this is no con.)
1. The wonderful truth of the matter is that with God there is always the opportunity for new beginnings.
a. Every day and every moment is the Land of Beginning Again with God.
2. This was something that Peter so desperately needed, and so graciously received.
3. In last week’s sermon, we talked about the wonderful surprises that Peter experienced on the morning of Jesus’ resurrection.
a. He was surprised to hear that Jesus wanted to meet with all his disciples, even Peter.
b. And then he must have surely been surprised when Jesus made a private and personal resurrection appearance to Peter.
4. We would think that this would surely be enough to make Peter feel like the failures of his denial of Jesus were behind him, that God was over it and so was he, but it appears that wasn’t the case for Peter.
a. It looks like Peter was still struggling to allow himself to begin to serve the Lord again.
5. Let’s turn to John 21 and see how Jesus tried to help Peter experience a new beginning after Peter had failed and needed a clean slate, and that’s what Jesus wanted to give him.
D. Sometime after the Resurrection of Jesus, but before His Ascension back to heaven, Jesus appeared again to some of his disciples.
1. Seven of them had returned to their home area around the Sea of Galilee.
2. Peter, it appears was still grieving over the way he had denied Jesus three times on the night of Jesus’ trial, and so Peter said to the others, “I am going fishing” (vs. 3).
a. The others joined him, and they spent the entire night on the lake without catching a single fish.
b. As night turned into day, a shadowy figure appeared on the shore and asked them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”
c. Not realizing it was Jesus, they shouted back, “No!”
d. The stranger told them to throw their nets on the right-hand side of the boat and they would catch some fish.
e. For whatever reason, they did what the stranger suggested, and they caught a huge catch - 153 fish to be exact.
3. Certainly, this must have caused Peter to remember a similar occasion several years before when Jesus had performed the same miracle in his presence (found in Luke 5:1-11).
4. It is interesting to contemplate that many times we might only be a ship’s width away from success and blessing, with the difference being the simple obedience to the command of God.
E. When they could not pull their nets in the boat, John realized that the stranger on shore was Jesus and said to Peter, “It is the Lord!”
1. Peter, always the impetuous one, quickly put on his outer garment, jumped into the lake, and swam the 100 yards back to shore.
2. When the other disciples arrived with their load of fish, they found that Jesus had fish cooking on a fire, and had bread ready for breakfast.
3. Perhaps it is significant, in light of what happened next, that the only other time the Greek term for “charcoal fire” is used in in the New Testament, is in the same book of John and is used to refer to the charcoal fire in the courtyard where Peter denied the Lord.(18:18).
4. By one charcoal fire he denied Christ and by the other charcoal fire he was restored by Christ.
F. Jesus invited the disciples to come and eat some breakfast, which they did.
1. The food probably went unnoticed, and they may have experienced an uncomfortable silence.
2. So much had happened that they still did not understand.
3. And, what do you say to someone who has been dead but has come back to life?
4. What do you talk about with someone who has again just performed another amazing miracle?
G. As the disciples were finishing their meal, Jesus turned to Peter and asked the question Peter most dreaded but most needed to hear: “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?”
1. With that simple question Jesus exposed the sin of Peter and lanced open the spiritual wound that threatened to destroy Peter’s soul.
2. Had Peter’s sin not been confronted directly, repented of, and forgiven, this great apostle might have spent the rest of his life bitter and broken - just another Galilean fisherman.
3. Jesus loved him too much to let that happen.
H. Isn’t it strange how we try to hide our sin and deny our guilt?
1. People have always done that, yet it has never done anyone any good.
2. Rather than escaping the sin, denial actually ends up giving the sin increased power over us.
I. Walt Disney’s movie The Lion King is a study in the power of guilt and shame.
1. It is the story of a young lion named Simba whose father is killed by a stampede of wildebeests.
2. Simba’s evil uncle, a coward named Scar, wanted to be the next king of the Pride Lands, but he knew that he can only do so if the young Simba disappeared.
3. Knowing the power of hidden sin and guilt, Scar caused Simba to believe that he was responsible for his own father’s death.
4. When Simba asked what he should do, Scar told him to run away and never come back, which Simba immediately did.
5. After years of running away from his guilt, with the help of the wise old baboon, Rafiki, Simba found the courage to return home and face his past.
6. Once there, he was able to rescue his family and restore justice in his father’s kingdom.
7. But as long as Scar was able to keep him running from his guilt, he had control over the young Simba.
8. Only when Simba faced the truth did he find freedom.
J. The power of hidden sin is also the theme of the classic Nathaniel Hawthorne novel The Scarlet Letter.
1. The story was set in Puritan New England, and is the story of a woman named Hester Prynne, who became pregnant in her husband’s absence.
2. A public trial was held in the community to discuss her disgrace and to pronounce her punishment.
3. Although the village elders tried to force Hester to identify the father of the child, she stubbornly refused.
4. Her punishment was to sew the scarlet letter “A” (for “adultery”) on the front of her dress and wear it every time she went out in public.
a. The first time she wore it, she was forced to stand for hours on a public scaffolding in the center of the town.
b. It was a terribly painful sentence for her, but she accepted her punishment and went on with her life.
5. Another figure in the story is a preacher named Dimmesdale.
a. Dimmesdale was loved and respected by everyone, but Dimmesdale had a painful secret to bear: He was the father of Hester’s child.
6. As the story develops, Dimmesdale tried in many ways to escape the guilt of his sin.
a. He studied and prayed constantly and at times even beat himself with a whip to try to atone for his sin.
b. None of these things, however, did any good and his health steadily declined.
7. A great contrast between Hester and Dimmesdale emerged.
a. Hester began as a broken woman but steadily grew stronger.
b. Dimmesdale began as the most respected man in town but slowly grew weaker, as if some spiritual cancer was steadily destroying his soul.
8. A strange character in Hawthorne’s story is Roger Chillingsworth.
a. Although the townspeople didn’t know it, he was Hester’s estranged husband.
b. He made the punishment of Hester’s partner in adultery as his own personal mission.
c. Soon realizing that the preacher was the guilty party, Chillingsworth “befriended” him and encouraged him in many subtle ways to keep his secret hidden.
9. Finally, in the climactic final scene of the book, Dimmesdale preached the most powerful sermon of his life.
a. As those in the congregation left the church building and walked through the streets of the town, they passed by the scaffolding where Hester had stood years earlier with the letter “A” newly sown on her dress.
b. And to the astonishment of everyone, Dimmesdale, the preacher, stopped at that place of shame, summoned all the courage and strength in his failing body, and called Hester and her child to come to him.
c. Chillingsworth begged him to stop, assuring him that his secret could still be protected.
10. But by this time, however, Dimmesdale had realized that Chillingsworth was a servant of the devil, so he pushed him aside.
a. Then Dimmesdale and Hester and their child walked up on the scaffolding, and the preacher finally confessed his sin.
b. The exposure of his sin was what Dimmesdale had feared for so long, and ironically, it was only in confessing his sin that he finally found freedom.
K. What was true for Simba and Dimmesdale, and Peter the apostle, is certainly true for us.
1. We will never find freedom from the guilt of our sin, until we accept responsibility for our sin, confess it and repent.
2. Not all sin must be confessed publicly, but all sin must be confessed before God, and in many cases it helps to have another trustworthy Christian involved in such confession.
3. In Psalm 32, King David speaks of this same relationship between facing sin and finding freedom from sin’s soul-crippling power:
a. “When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord’; and you forgave the guilt of my sin.” (Ps 32:3-5)
L. When Jesus asked Peter if he loved him more than these, Jesus was bringing up the painful subject of Peter’s boasting in that upper room.
1. Peter had said that even if all the others fall away, he would not. (Mk 14:29)
2. Avoiding this difficult topic would have been easier, but it would not have been in Peter’s best interest to do so.
3. Unconfessed sin, and unresolved guilt is always destructive, so Jesus gave Peter the opportunity to face it and resolve it.
4. I want to encourage all of us to ask ourselves this very personal, and perhaps painful question: Is there hidden sin and unresolved guilt that continues to burden my soul?
5. God wants us to find forgiveness of sin and freedom from guilt, and so do we, right?
6. Please allow us to help you assume responsibility, express confession, and receive reconciliation, if that is what you are in need of today.
7. That’s what Jesus did with Peter, and what Nathan the prophet did with King David.
M. And so let’s turn our attention back to the encounter in John 21: 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.” (John 21:15-17)
1. Perhaps Jesus did this to give Peter an opportunity to confess his love for Jesus the same number of times he had earlier denied the Lord.
2. Many people have tried to make something of the interplay of two different words used for love by Jesus and Peter (agape and phileo) that are hidden by our English translation.
3. But because these two words are used interchangeably in the Gospel of John, I don’t think we should make too much of an issue over them.
N. As we seek to understand the road to restoration from sin, we should note the question that Jesus asked Peter: he asked him, “Do you love me?”
1. When we have fallen into sin, we are tempted by many other questions which are only distractions from the real question.
2. We might ask ourselves, “How could I have gotten involved in this sin?” “What made me do this?” “Was it my fault?” “Is my sin any worse than that of others?” “What damage has my sin done?” “Will others accept me back if I repent?”
3. The questions can go on and on.
4. But in leading Peter to restoration, Jesus demonstrated that the most important issue in returning to God is the question: “Do you love me?”
5. In spite of Peter’s faults and failures, he did indeed love the Lord.
6. The other men there that day were certainly listening “over Peter’s shoulder” and were benefiting from this conversation, for they too had failed the Lord after boasting of their devotion.
7. When Jesus asked the question the third time, Peter’s heart was grieved and he blurted out, “Lord, you know all things.”
a. With those words Peter renounced all his self-confidence.
b. On that fateful night in the Upper Room, he thought he knew himself but he didn’t.
c. Now he was not so sure.
d. He didn’t even trust his own heart; instead he trusted in the Lord who knows all things.
e. This was a mighty step forward in Peter’s growth.
f. It is a great advance to come to the place where you can say with conviction, “My trust is in the Lord alone.”
g. Sometimes we have to hit bottom and hit it hard before we can say those words.
8. Each time Peter answered Jesus’ question, Jesus gave him a missional command.
a. He said, “Feed my lambs. Take care of my sheep. Feed my sheep.”
9. Peter was not only forgiven, he was restored to his apostleship and leadership.
a. The forgiveness Peter received was not partial - it was total and complete.
10. Jesus intended for Peter to move beyond his sin and once again take his place as an apostle.
a. When we are restored and return from our sins, Jesus wants us to do the same.
11. Why is it that we often make it so hard for people to repent and return?
a. Why is it that we sometimes forgive, but then do not restore people to the place of acceptance and service they once enjoyed?
b. I think there is a lot that we need to learn about repentance, confession and restoration.
O. Jesus, after having just spoken about Peters life and ministry, now explained to Peter something about his death: 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.” (Jn. 21:18-19)
1. Peter must have been shocked that Jesus would discuss his death in such an open matter.
2. No doubt Peter was rejoicing that he had been restored to fellowship and apostleship, why bring up his martyrdom now?
3. Peter might have been thinking that he had already faced his greatest battles, but here Jesus was preparing him for what was ahead.
4. Ultimately, when a person has settled the matter of death, then he is really ready to live and to serve.
5. Peter would be required to not only live and serve the Lord, but to die for the Lord.
P. At this point Peter did a foolish thing, he asked Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” pointing to John.
1. I suppose it is abnormal to wonder about the lives of others, especially after you have just been told you will face an untimely, horrible death.
2. The Bible records Jesus’ response: 22 Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” (John 21:22)
a. By those words, Jesus gently rebuked Peter saying “What about him?” and Jesus reminded Peter that his job was to follow the Lord. Period!
3. God has a plan for us and God has a plan for others.
a. How the Lord works in their lives is God’s business.
b. Our business is to follow God however and wherever He leads us.
c. We must simply, “Follow him.”
Q. The invitation, “Follow Me” is at the core of what Jesus calls all of his disciples to do.
1. “Follow Me” does not describe a level of growth; it points out a direction.
2. It has nothing to do with our past or with comparison to other disciples.
3. It calls everyone to begin where he or she is at the time and walk in the direction of Jesus.
4. Peter had come a long way, but he had fallen a great distance.
5. “Follow Me” calls us forward from wherever we are at this moment.
6. “Follow Me” leaves us with a challenge, a gracious invitation and a clear sense of direction.
7. “Follow Me” reminds us that Jesus is not nearly as interested in where we are or where we have been as He is in where we are headed now.
8. “Follow Me” reveals that there is the opportunity for us at this very moment to start again.
9. With the rising of every new day, and with the passing of every new moment, in Christ we can begin again.
R. Peter remains a figure of surpassing interest to us - we can’t get enough of him.
1. We know him well because we see him every morning when we look in the mirror.
2. We love Peter because we can see ourselves in his story - in fact, his story is our story.
3. For all of us the process of Christian growth is long and painful, with many ups and downs.
4. Peter the rock often seemed very un-rocklike.
5. It took repeated failure to produce rock-solid character in him, but Jesus never gave up on this man.
S. The real hero of Peter’s story isn’t Peter.
1. The real hero is Jesus.
2. That’s why John 21 is in the Bible, so that all of us Peter-types would know that though we fall again and again, by God’s grace we can keep on getting back up.
3. What mercy! What grace! What a God we have and serve!
4. If Jesus did it for Peter, He can do it for me and for you.
T. Perhaps you’ve heard it said that over the gate of heaven there is a sign that reads “For Sinners Only.”
1. That’s a legend, of course, because the Bible says nothing about such a sign, but it would be entirely appropriate.
2. And we might imagine another sign, on the inside of the gate, one that reads “By Grace Alone.”
3. Those two statements tell us who goes to heaven: For Sinners Only. By Grace Alone.
4. And, finally, there is the longstanding legend that Peter will meet us at the gates of heaven.
5. While there is no biblical proof of that, it would be appropriate for Peter to be there because he understood more than the others what those words really mean – “For sinners only and by grace alone.”
U. It is time for us to sing our invitation song. I pray that all of us will allow God to give us a new beginning.
1. So, let’s do what the invitation song says, “Bring Christ your broken life, so marred by sin, he will create anew, make whole again.”
2. What a wonderful promise, what a marvelous possibility.
3. If you need some salvation or restoration won’t you come and receive it, as we stand and sing...
Resources:
“New Beginnings,” Sermon by David Owens, from the Gospel of John Sermon Series.
“What Christ Does With Failure,” Sermon by Ray Pritchard, Keepbelieving.com.
