Class Lesson May 18, 2014

I’ve blown it. Is there hope for me?

We all need hope. We’ve all made mistakes. We feel shame or regret over something in our present or past. We’ve all tried to fix things in our lives and we’ve failed. Even those among us who seem to have it all together have areas of hurt in their lives. If we’re not careful, we can be blinded by an onslaught of mistakes, shame, and regret. Face enough of that and we can lose sight of hope.




Let Hope In is a six-week study that doesn’t let us off the hook – it acknowledges that we’ve blown it and we do need hope – but it also shows us that we are never beyond hope. We can have a sure hope regardless of our past. When we let hope in, we can move beyond the regrets and shame. A hope-filled life is not a problem-free life. But we are no longer bound or hindered by the past.





For the next six weeks, we’ll consider how we can know and experience this kind of hope. We’ll also discover how this kind of hope can transform us on a daily basis.

Let Hope In
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Our fifth lesson in this series is entitled, "Hope Renewed."

What are different ways people respond to failure?


Peter said, "I'm going fishing."

Failure is painful. It’s that moment we fail flat on our faces, we make a fool of ourselves, or we betray our values. Failure can also be the cause when things don’t go quite the way we had hoped.



There are generally two types of failure:

1. You do something you don’t realize is wrong. Perhaps you make a right turn at a stoplight when you didn’t see the “No Right on Red” sign. These failures are also mistakes. You failed to see the sign. (The police officer may extend grace, but he has the right to issue a ticket.)
2. You know what is right, but you don’t do it. You deliberately choose the wrong course, or choose to not travel the right course. This isn’t a mistake, it’s a sin.

We all fall short. We all sin. So then the question isn’t if we’re going to fail, but what are we going to do when we fail. A key moment in the life of Peter gives us the answer.





I. WHEN YOU FAIL! – JOHN 18:15-18, 25-27

15 Meanwhile, Simon Peter was following Jesus, as was another disciple. That disciple was an acquaintance of the high priest; so he went with Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard. 16 But Peter remained standing outside by the door. So the other disciple, the one known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the girl who was the doorkeeper and brought Peter in. 17 Then the slave girl who was the doorkeeper said to Peter, “You aren’t one of this man’s disciples too, are you?” “I am not!” he said. 18 Now the slaves and the temple police had made a charcoal fire, because it was cold. They were standing there warming themselves, and Peter was standing with them, warming himself.



25 Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. They said to him, “You aren’t one of His disciples too, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not!” 26 One of the high priest’s slaves, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, said, “Didn’t I see you with Him in the garden?” 27 Peter then denied it again. Immediately a rooster crowed.

How do you respond to Peter’s fear of being identified with Jesus?

• Even though we may fully intend to be faithful to the Lord at all times, we may face challenges in which we fail to stand for Him.
• When we consider the life and ministry of Peter, we see a common, hard-working man who by God’s grace came to know and follow Jesus. Even so he had difficulties to overcome. Many of us can identify with him. Even close followers of Jesus sometimes fail; but we do not have to give up. The Holy Spirit will lead us to repentance, cleanse us, and empower us to live dedicated Christ like lives. He will not give up on us. He did not give up on Peter.
• Consider what Peter witnessed firsthand: Jesus’ powerful teachings and miracles.The revelation given to Peter when Jesus asked who the disciples said He was and Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” (Matt. 16:16) Peter along with James and John witnessed Jesus’ transfiguration as He talked with Moses and Elijah. They also heard a voice from heaven say, “This is My beloved Son. I take delight in Him. Listen to Him.” (Matt. 17:1-9)

 

John 18 recounts what had to be the worst moments in Peter’s life. Peter had no idea how these events would turn out. Jesus had been arrested. John and Peter followed the arresting party to the residence of the high priest. John, known by the high priest, was able to move in closer. Peter stayed outside the gate until John could send a servant girl to let him in. the young girl who guarded the door quizzed Peter, perhaps even as he entered the courtyard, “You aren’t one of this man’s disciples too, are you?”



How should Peter answer? If he said, “Yes,” she could turn him in. now was Peter’s moment to be brave. Instead, Peter, one of the inner circle of disciples, the one who bravely walked on water, said, “I am not!”



Two more times, people asked Peter if he knew Jesus. The third time, the question came from a man related to the guy whose ear Peter had cut off earlier that night (John 18:10). That scared Peter so badly he even cursed as he swore, “I don’t know this man you’re talking about!” (Mark 14:71) Three denials. Then the rooster crowed.



We tend to see men and women in Scripture as bigger than life. Their encounters with God and their victories seem so far beyond what we experience today. We may view their failures as equally above ours … and more catastrophic. Consequently, we might be tempted to say: “I would never fail Jesus like that.”



That’s just what Peter had said earlier that night. When Jesus shared one last meal with the disciples, Jesus predicted Judas’ betrayal. Peter declared that he would lay down his life for Jesus. Jesus explained that Peter would betray him. Peter’s betrayal would come in the form of denial (John 13:37-38). This must have come as a shock to Peter. He was the first disciple to confess, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matt. 16:16). Peter responded like many of us would: “I will never deny You” (Matt. 26:35)!




What do you think was the reason behind Peter's denial of Jesus?

• The story of Peter’s threefold denial of Christ is found in all four Gospel accounts: Matthew 26:69-74, Mark 14:66-72, Luke 22:55-62, and John 18:15-18, 25-27. But why would the chief of the disciples, the one closest to Jesus, deny even knowing Him?
• There were two main reasons why Peter denied Jesus: weakness and fear. Peter’s denial was based partially on weakness, the weakness born of human frailty. After the Last Supper, Jesus took His disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane to await His arrest. He told them to stay awake and pray while He went off to pray alone. When He returned to them, He found them sleeping. He warned Peter to stay awake and pray because although his spirit might be willing, his flesh was weak. But he fell asleep again and by the time the soldiers had come to arrest Jesus, it was too late to pray for the strength to endure the ordeal to come. No doubt his failure to appropriate the only means to shore up his own weakness—prayer— occurred to him as he was weeping bitterly after his denials. But Peter learned his lesson about being watchful, and he exhorts us in 1 Peter 5:8, “Be on the alert, because your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” Peter’s weakness had caused him to be “devoured” momentarily as he denied his Lord because he hadn’t been prepared through prayer and he underestimated his own weakness. A second reason for Peter’s failure was fear. To his credit, although all the others had fled (Mark 14:50), Peter still followed Jesus after His arrest, but he kept his distance so as not to be identified with Him (Mark 14:54). There’s no question that fear gripped him. From the courtyard, he watched Jesus being falsely accused, beaten and insulted (Mark 14:57-66). Peter was afraid Jesus would die, and he was fearful for his own life as well. The world hated Jesus and Peter found that he was not prepared to face the ridicule and persecution that Jesus was suffering. Earlier Jesus had warned His disciples as well as us today: “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first” (John 16:18; Matthew 24:9). Peter quickly found he wasn’t nearly as bold and courageous as he had proclaimed and in fear he denied the One who had loved him.

Why would Jesus allow Peter to fail so miserably?

• We might well wonder why Jesus allowed Peter to fail so miserably and deny his Lord three times that night. Jesus revealed to Peter that Satan had asked for permission to sift Peter like wheat (Luke 22:31). Jesus could have easily protected Peter and not allowed Satan to sift him, but Jesus had a higher goal. He was equipping Peter to strengthen his brothers (Luke 22:32). Not only did Peter strengthen the other disciples. He became the pillar of the early church in Jerusalem, exhorting and training others to follow the Lord Jesus (Acts 2). And he continues to this day to strengthen us through his epistles, 1 and 2 Peter. As with all our failures, God used Peter’s many failures, including his three denials of Christ, to turn him from Simon, a common man with a common name, into Peter, the Rock.

How do we deal with the shame of repeated failure?

• The path to failure may begin by being in the wrong place, with the wrong people.
• Disciples of Jesus can be expected to be questioned, challenged, or even taunted for their relationship with Him.
• From experience, many (including myself) will testify to a powerful healing concept of simply admitting to another believer what your faults have been. It seems to lift a heavy load when a person brings something that's kept them bound for years, out into the open. There's a tremendous release that many feel when they simply confess their struggle or failure to another!

These John 18 moments had to be some of the lowest moments in Peter’s life – what would he do now that he had failed and failed repeatedly?  

How do we deal with the shame of repeated failure?

II. WHEN YOU FAIL, HOW WILL YOU RESPOND? – JOHN 21:3

3 “I’m going fishing,” Simon Peter said to them. “We’re coming with you,” they told him. They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.




Why did Peter go fishing?

• Sadly this is the mindset of the typical Baptist Church. It is so difficult these days to find a good body of believers, because the Church in general has "dropped the ball" so to speak. We are so caught up in programs, and compromise these days that we seem to forget the purpose for the Church. Our purpose as a Church is to represent Jesus Christ. We are His spokesmen, His mouthpiece. We are supposed to be salt in the earth, not pillars of salt. We are supposed to shine the light of the glorious gospel of Christ to a dark and dying world. We are not supposed to just exist in that dark and dying world until Jesus comes back. More and more people are becoming discouraged and defeated, both the saved and the lost. If the saved people are as discouraged and defeated as the lost people, what do we have to offer them? Are we going to win the lost, or should we simply throw our hands in the air and give up? Perhaps we should just go fishing! This message is to all of those who have decided to do just that. I am here to tell you: "Come back to the Saviors feet".

Why was this so bad?

• Peter Says "I go a fishing." Just as they would with any other man of faith, the others followed. Remember that when you decide to step out of the will of God, somewhere there are others who look up to you and will follow you in your fall. Whether it be your brother, sister, son, daughter, friend, or even in some cases your own parent. Perhaps you don't even know the person, but they are there. These guys followed Peter, after all he demonstrated great faith that day that he stepped out of the boat and walked on the water to meet the Lord (Matthew 14:29), he must know when it is time to give up. And give up is what he did. In verse 7 we see "he was naked" It is safe to arrive at the conclusion that Peter, the man of great faith, was either completely or mostly nude in his boat. He went back to fishing, which was what he had done before he met the Lord. Does this sound familiar? How many of us changed when we met the Lord, but are now finding ourselves discouraged, and picking up those things, or those bad habits that we used to do before we met Him? Some of us used to smoke, drink, cuss, take drugs, listen to the wrong kinds of music, and hang out in the wrong types of places, with the wrong types of people. Then one day we met the Lord, and through our growing process in the Word, we put all those things behind us, and became new creatures. But now, we are becoming, or some of us may even have already become discouraged. Those bad habits are becoming appealing again. We get angry and those little cuss words are slipping out. Perhaps we are looking back and simply desiring those things that we had left behind. We even begin to wonder if we ever really were saved. Satan has attacked us, and we were unaware of his attack. We just gave up. They were so far from Jesus, that v.4 says, "Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus." They didn't even recognize their Lord and Savior. How many times does Jesus stand there before us, but we do not even realize that it is Him. This is not the portrait of the Church that we would like to paint. Sadly though, it is so.

What was missing in Peter’s life at this moment?

• The relationship was still there, it was just the fellowship that was missing. This takes us to John 15:5-6 "I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abides in me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned." Note in the passage above, "He that abides in me". This represents our walking in fellowship with Jesus. "and I in him". This represents Christ abiding in us, which happens at the point of salvation. It is a onetime work, never needing to be redone. That is why the very next verse says "If a man abide not in me", but says absolutely nothing about Christ not abiding in him. This is because it has already been established that Christ abides in them. Hebrews 13:5 says "...for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." If Jesus ever came in, He will never leave, He said so and He cannot lie! 2 Timothy 2:13 says "If we believe not, yet He abides faithful: he cannot deny himself" Even when we lose faith, if you ever were saved, He abides faithful! The second part of John 21:5 that we need to look at is that Christ asked them, "have ye any meat?", and all they could say was "No." Notice the last part also of John 15:5 "...for without me ye can do nothing." They couldn't prosper in that old lifestyle, because they were not abiding in Him! They had become "Withered". Their lives were cast forth as a branch, ready to be burned up before their very eyes.

In John 21:6-7 "And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea." Jesus revealed who He was simply by repeating the same miracle He had done earlier on in Luke 5:4-6 "Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. And when they had this done, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake." When Peter heard that it was Jesus, the Bible says he covered his body and jumped into the sea to swim to Jesus. Remember they didn't have the luxury of motor boats, their boats were slow. Peter apparently didn't desire to wait. He no doubt realized his condition, and knew that he needed to get to Jesus right then and there. Church! We need to have that same desire! When we realize that we are out of fellowship with Jesus, don't wait until Sunday or some day to get to Jesus feet, get there right away, and be as willing as Peter was in John 21:11 to jump right to whatever Jesus tells you to do next. You will hear like they did "Come and dine," The Master calls, "Come and dine!" You too will realize that it is the Lord! Church, wake up! Come back to Jesus! Have you left your first love??? Jesus is calling "Come and dine."
 









III. WHEN YOU FAIL, JESUS RESTORES! – JOHN 21:15-19

15 When they had eaten breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said to Him, “You know that I love You.” “Feed My lambs,” He told him. 16 A second time He asked him, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” “Yes, Lord,” he said to Him, “You know that I love You.” “Shepherd My sheep,” He told him. 17 He asked him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved that He asked him the third time, “Do you love Me?” He said, “Lord, You know everything! You know that I love You.” “Feed My sheep,” Jesus said. 18 “I assure you: When you were young, you would tie your belt and walk wherever you wanted. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will tie you and carry you where you don’t want to go.” 19 He said this to signify by what kind of death he would glorify God. After saying this, He told him, “Follow Me!”




What is your emotional reaction to the events in this passage? Why?




In the early verses of John 21 we discover that Peter and six others went fishing. They had encountered the resurrected Jesus, but what were they to do now? Peter returned to what he knew: fishing.



A man appeared on the shore and called out to them, asking if they had caught any fish. They hadn’t. The man encouraged them to cast their net on the other side of the boat.



When the men followed those instructions, the net became so full of fish they couldn’t haul it in. this event was similar to what Jesus had done for Peter in one of His earliest encounters with him (Luke 5:4-7). The connection became clear to John, who shouted, “It is the Lord!”



Peter apparently made the same connection, for Peter jumped into the water and swam to shore to meet Jesus. Peter appeared delighted to see Jesus again, but I wonder if there were moments of awkwardness. After all the boastful Peter had humiliated himself by his denial. Jesus had returned to Peter and spoken with him with no mention of his failures. But Peter likely recalled those failures. Even if Peter felt forgiven, he may not have felt restored.



After the meal Jesus and Peter had a conversation during which Jesus asked Peter three times if Peter loved Him. Each time Peter gave an emphatic yes. Jesus responded by telling the apostles to take care of His sheep.

“Time doesn’t heal all wounds, God heals wounds.” – Pete Wilson

Jesus asked His question three times. Peter had denied the Lord three times. Jesus invited Peter three times to return to his calling. Jesus’ point was not on Peter’s shortcomings, Jesus’ emphasis was on forgiveness and restoration.



Restoration has two parts.



1. Your past is forgiven. The beginning of forgiveness is the decision to not seek vengeance. Jesus could have been angry with Peter, could have held a grudge, or worse. Yet Jesus did none of these things. Jesus chose to forgive Peter, and He chooses to forgive us. “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8).



Jesus knows every betrayal we’ve ever made and ever will make; yet He still loves us. It’s in Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross that we find hope for forgiveness.



2. Your future is radically changed. Jesus called Peter into a future of serving and loving people. Peter, a man others considered “uneducated and untrained” (Acts 4:13), went on to become one of the most influential spiritual leaders in history. Through the life, leadership, and writings of Peter, God did a great work in spreading the message of Christ.




How can we help each other when we stumble or fail?

• The conversation between Jesus and Peter was a reaffirmation of the fact that the Apostle's business was no longer to be about fish, but about pastoral work. This was a gracious restoration which was both gentle and firm. The question remains: do we love the Lord more than the trappings of our secular employment (15)?
• In the end Peter is commanded to get right back to basics, and to follow Jesus at whatever cost to himself (18-19). We cannot minister to others if we are not following the Lord ourselves. After three years on the road with Jesus, the time has come for the fishermen to shepherd the flock of Christ. It would appear that Simon Peter forsook the fishing business and followed Jesus to become a fisher of men. Forsaking their nets does not mean that they should never fish again. But, to follow the Lord Jesus Christ and catch men required Peter to change what was most important in his life and heart. Instead of LIVING to catch fish, LIVE to catch men. Put God and His Word first.

In the first two times of asking Jesus inquired whether Peter (who he called Simon, son of Jonas) had agape love, that same kind of love which God has displayed towards us (John 3:16), which is attainable only by the grace of God. This is the kind of love that loves God with heart, soul, strength and mind, and loves our neighbor as ourselves (Luke 10:27). Both of these questions was answered with a different word for love: Peter would only admit that he had attained the duty of filial piety (15-16).


So Jesus brought the question down to Peter's level, and we can almost sense the Apostle's frustration. Are you sure you even have at least duty-love, because God has great things yet for you to do (17-19)? All along the Lord is reiterating: feed my lambs, feed my sheep, feed my sheep (15-17) – no more fishing, Peter, but shepherding the flock of Christ.







What do we learn from these verses?

• Even when we fail Him, the Lord reaches out to us in love with grace that restores.
• Our love for the Lord is to be evident in the confession of our hearts, the profession from our lips, and the service we render.
• The call to follow Christ is a call to make a lifetime investment.

Closing:

Peter failed miserably in the courtyard. Despite that, the Lord was willing to forgive him and reinstate him to service. This story encourages most of us, for we have been like Peter. Even though we love the Lord, times will come when we fail Him. We may rejoice that no one default – not even a glaring one – disqualifies us from service. In His amazing love and grace He reaches out to us, gives us strength for living, and offers us the opportunity to represent Him again.



Is there an area of your life where you know you are failing the Lord?



How does knowing Jesus as He is portrayed in this lesson increase in you the feeling of hope that comes from Him?
 

Live it Out

How does Jesus’ promise of restoration and renewed hope affect you?

1. Be honest. Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal your sins and failures. Turn from them and receive God’s forgiveness.
2. Seek reconciliation. If your sin has hurt other people, humbly ask for their forgiveness. Follow God’s leadership to repair any damage you’ve caused.
3. Foster reconciliation in someone. Listen as someone tells you about a failure. Pray together for God’s reconciliation. Implement that restoration together.

Failure is painful, but it doesn’t have to be fatal. With Christ, failures can lead to the beginning of something new. It’s time to let Jesus restore you and replace your failures with hope.

When you fail, Jesus will restore you.

Prayer of Commitment

Dear Lord, I don’t set out to fail You, but I still do. Thank You for not giving up on me. Amen.

Hope to see you this Sunday!

In His Love,

David & Susan