A. PETER’S BACKSLIDING
1. Cause boasting. "I will lay down my life for thy sake" (John 13:37).
2. Jesus’ response warning. "Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily Verily, I say unto thee, the cock shall not crow till thou hast denied me thrice" (John 13:32).
3. Effort flesh. "Smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear" (Luke 22:50).
4. Motivation. "The backsliders in heart shall be filled with all his own ways" (Prov. 14:14).
B. JESUS ENCOUNTERS PETER
An encounter occurs when (1) God intentionally meets with you, (2) in a time of great personal need, (3) through unexpected circumstances, (4) telling you something about Himself, (5) you learn something about yourself, (6) preparing you for a specific task, (7) even though you don’t fully understand all the mysterious elements of the encounter.
C. WATCH YOUR WORDS
1. "Lovest thou me more than these (what)?" (John 21:15).
a. Disciples - Friends
b. Fish - Provision
c. Nets - Job
d. Other’s love me - Compassion
2. Jesus
Simon
Jesus
1. Do you love Me (agapao)? I am fond of You (phileo). Feed My little Lambs.
2. Do you love Me (agapao)? I am fond of You (phileo). Shepherd My Sheep.
3. Are you fond of Me (phileo)? I am fond of You (phileo). Feed My Sheep.
D. TEN LESSONS LEARNED ENCOUNTERING CHRIST
1. Good intentions are not enough to keep us faithful to Christ. "Therefore, let him who thinks he stands, take heed lest he fall" (I Cor. 10:12 NKJV).
2. Being sorry does not automatically restore us to service. "And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, ’Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.’ And Peter went out and wept bitterly" (Luke 22:61, 62).
3. Some return to their old ways in backsliding. "I go a fishing"(John 21:3). "My people are bent to backsliding from me" (Hosea 11:7).
4. Sometimes we don’t realize when Christ is calling us. "Behold I stand at the door and knock: if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him and dine with him, and he with me" (Rev. 3:20).
5. Christ asks questions to get us thinking about our future? "I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing" (John 15:5).
6. We do impetuous things when we encounter Christ. "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water. So He said, ’Come.’ And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus" (Matt. 14:28,29 NKJV).
7. We do extraordinary things when we are excited about Christ. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Phil. 4:13 NKJV).
8. We must serve Christ with our talents, even though He could perform our task without us. "We then are workers together with Him" (II Cor. 6:1).
9. We must honestly express our love to Christ. While Peter could not say he loved Christ (agapao), he nevertheless was honest. He didn’t brag this time. "I (Jesus) am He that searches the innermost heart to give to everyone a reward according to what I find" (Rev. 2:23 ELT).
10. We can be restored to service after honestly submitting to Jesus Christ. "I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely; for mine anger is turned away from him" (Hosea 14:4).
If you have never really accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, would you do it right now? Do not delay or put it off. If you would like to receive Christ by faith, pray this simple prayer in your heart:
Dear Lord, I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I believe Jesus died for my sins on the cross, and rose again the third day. I repent of my sins. By faith I receive the Lord Jesus as my Savior. You promised to save me, and I believe You, because You are God and cannot lie. I believe right now that the Lord Jesus is my personal Savior, and that all my sins are forgiven through His precious blood. I thank You, dear Lord, for saving me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
If you prayed that prayer, God heard you and saved you. I personally want to welcome you to the family of God. Please contact me at eltowns@liberty.edu and tell us about your salvation experience so that we can rejoice with you.
To get Dr. Towns home page for books, www.elmertowns.com.
