When Does Easter Matter?

When You Fail

Intro

(ill) I have been doing some upgrades on the projection computer upstairs, and have had some difficulty getting a new video platform to work correctly, so over the past two or three weeks, I've been on the phone with the support several times. They are generally quite friendly and helpful, although this week when I called the voice on the other end of the phone told me I had a PICNIC situation. "Picnic, picnic. Picnic," I muttered, because I was completely at a loss to what he was talking about. "What's a PICNIC?" I finally asked. Problem In Chair, Not In Computer.

T/S: I didn't believe him. I also blamed the refs for the Cardinals' loss yesterday.

Try as I might to find someone else to blame for things that go wrong, the truth is, most of the mistakes and failures in my life ? I am to blame for. And as I read Peter's subplot in the story of Jesus' passion, I see myself in him. I love Peter, because I can be impetuous. I love Peter because I can put my mouth in motion before my brain is in gear. I love Peter because, like him, I live in a world fraught with the dangers of my own mistakes. And I love Peter, because few parts of the resurrection story highlight for me the significance of Easter more, than Peter's grand failure, and the Risen Christ's response. This morning, let's unpack the story and see what Word God has for each of us.

Peter was a fisherman from the small village of Capernaum, on the Sea of Galilee. We know from John's gospel that it was his brother Andrew that introduced Peter to Jesus of Nazareth, and from Luke's gospel we discover that Peter's first encounter with Jesus was a miraculous fishing expedition that concluded with Peter's pronouncement, quite prophetically:

When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!" For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men." Luke 5:8-10 (NKJV)

Peter's story is very much about sin, and his recognition that he was a sinful man. In truth, if you and I are to grow spiritually this season, and make strides in our transformation of faith, we too, must be honest and transparent about our sinfulness. We must be honest with ourselves by stopping the game of blaming others nad rationalizing that we are at best, better than, and at the least, no worse than others.

We must be honest with God, for it is only in our humble and transparent dealings with Him that we become open and moldable to His work of redemption is us. And we must be honest with each other. There is not one of us who is a sinner of higher rank than any other in this room. Our consequences may be different, but our need for a Savior is just as pronounced as Peter's ? which is why this story is so compelling.

Peter was prone to making rash statements, in attempts to bolster his appearance as passionate and faithful. There is much we can learn from Peter about how our words are used to manipulate our appearance, but that is not really the focus of this message. I assure you that time spent meditating on these passages, asking God to reveal to you how your words are misused, will be productive time. Nonetheless, let's notice these three passages: Peter's rash statement, Jesus' prophetic reply, the betrayal that follows and finally ? the restoration that occurs.

Then Jesus said to them, "All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: 'I will strike the Shepherd, And the sheep of the flock will be scattered.' But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee." Peter answered and said to Him, "Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble." Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times." Peter said to Him, "Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!" And so said all the disciples. Matthew 26:31-35 (NKJV)

Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came to him, saying, "You also were with Jesus of Galilee." But he denied it before them all, saying, "I do not know what you are saying." And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, "This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth." But again he denied with an oath, "I do not know the Man!" And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, "Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you." Then he began to curse and swear, saying, "I do not know the Man!" Immediately a rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times." So he went out and wept bitterly. Matthew 26:69-75 (NKJV)

So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of Jonah, 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." He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Tend My sheep." He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonah, 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 all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Feed My sheep. Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish." This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me." John 21:15-19 (NKJV)

This particular story is told in three acts, and while there are probably many applications, I'd like to narrow the scope of our discussion to three, as well.

Failure is mandatory, redemption is optional. Be redeemed.

One of the truths that emerge from this story is that failure is universal. All of the disciples spoke of their willingness to die for Jesus. None of them followed through. Likewise, every one of us has failed ? let's just get that out of the way. If you say that you have no sin, God says you are a liar. And I say you are a liar also. And everyone else here will know you are a liar, because we have lived, and one of the things we have learned is that despite our efforts to be "good" and our intentions to be perfect ? we mess up.

The question becomes, what do you do with the fact that you are a mess up?

(ill) A cop was rushed into the Operating Room for an emergency appendectomy. The surgery went well, but afterwards he felt a weird pulling sensation on his chest. Worried that something else might be wrong, he lifted his hospital gown to take a look. Attached firmly to his chest hairs was a wide strip of tape. ?Get well soon." Was written on it, and it was signed "The nurse you gave a ticket to this morning."

T/S: The question is not, Did you make a mistake? The question is, What did you do about the FACT that you made a mistake? Failures in life are standard operating procedure ? sin is universal. Redemption is not.

Peter is the antithesis to Judas, whose story we looked at last week. Judas betrayed Christ, but the realization of his sin drove him to suicide. Peter betrayed Christ and the realization of his sin drove him to Jesus' grace. So many people are hindered in their faith-life by the memory of their mistakes. Believing themselves to be :not good enough" or "unworthy" they keep plugging along with the futile thinking that "one of these days, I'll get it together and ten I'll deal with Christianity seriously."

That day never comes. You cannot drink enough to forget all the pain. You cannot work enough to erase all the failures. You cannot hold the world .. and other people ? at arms length long enough to avoid ever getting hurt again. You have failed ? you are a sinner. Join the club! Now what? Live in misery and frustration, trying to make up for your mistakes or forget them. That's option #1. Or choose Christ. Choose redemption. He died on the cross KNOWING THAT WE WERE SINNERS. He knew we weren't worthy, and yet He still  went through with the plan.

Do you know why? The resurrection.

Jesus knew that after three days, He was going to raise from the dead and sin was going to be defeated. He did His part, leaving only that we would do ours ? namely, believe in Him and accept what He did. Because then that very same resurrection power would be available to us so that we could finally defeat sin in our own lives, and begin the transformation to holiness and sinlessness that will be completed when we enter heaven, or Jesus comes back ? whichever comes first.

No mistake, no failure, no sin that you have ever committed is to great for Jesus' resurrection to overcome. He has proven His willingness to forgive your sin. He has offered His power to defeat your sin. But you must decide that you want to be among the redeemed, the kingdom of God.

Fear is commonplace, courage is rare. Be courageous.

I see Peter's story portraying fear and courage intermittently, and therefore it becomes a very teachable moment for us as we read it. Peter is a fascinating mix of bold words and action, on the one hand, and fearful moments of doubt and anxiety on the other. Think about the whole walking on water episode - at one moment courageous and faithful enough to step out of the boat, and the very next moment fearful enough to sink into the waves. We have a similar kind of story unfolding here. Peter is bold and brash, "I'll die before I abandon You, Lord." And then, in the Garden, he draws his sword and whacks off someone's ear (although I've always found it interesting that he took on a slave and not one of the soldiers or guards, but that's a different matter). Point is, Peter is front row material. Until the fear sets in. And doesn't that describe most of us? We do OK ? until the fear sets in.

(ill) I read an interesting story in Reader's Digest this month about a woman named Taryn Rose. She is an orthopedic surgeon who went through med school at USC, then residency ? but along the way realized that she loved learning new things, living adventurously. SO she combined her knowledge and skill with her passion for shoes, and began Taryn Rose International, a shoe company specializing in stylish footwear for women that hold up under a day's work without killing a lady's feet.

What made me notice the story was Taryn Rose's attitude. When she realized that wanted to step away from medicine and start a new a new company, she recognized that there were considerable risks. Loss of income, rejection of her product, and the fear of failure were all very real possibilities. Quite a different life than that of a surgeon. But Taryn Rose decided that her fear of regret was greater than her fear of failure, so she started down a new path.

T/S: That's my new definition of courage: when the fear of regret is greater than the fear of failure. Because the fear of regret will compel us to try something we might never have tried. The fear of failure will paralyze us. And I am convinced that spiritually speaking, the greatest threat to resurrection living is paralysis.

So many people paralyzed from making a decision to become a Christian.

So many people paralyzed to recklessly living a life of faith.

So many people paralyzed from committing themselves wholeheartedly to Jesus Christ, preferring to dabble in church and hope that God grades on a curve.

Here's the question from which your particular application will flow: what needs to happen for you have courage? Because spiritually speaking, courage is a by-product of faith. We counteract fear with faith. We battle anxiety and doubt with trust. Every single one of us needs to pay attention to this - whether you are not a Christian, and battling with fear and doubt over whether to take the plunge with Jesus .. or whether you are  a Christian, battling with fear and doubt and how to live like Jesus. The next step demands courage. Courage flows from faith.

Peter acted in fear on the night Jesus was arrested. He denied knowing Jesus because he was afraid. What changed enough that he could meet with Jesus face to face, as John describes in his Gospel? Have you ever let someone down? I mean, really wounded them, injured them, hurt them? Is it easy to face them? No, it takes courage ? a fear of regret that is stronger than a fear of failure. What gives Peter the courage to face Jesus?

The resurrection. Peter's faith gets a shot in the arm, because Jesus is alive. So many people are so afraid because their faith is in something other than a Living Savior. If you are battling anxiety and doubt, be honest enough and courageous enough to examine your faith. In what are you trusting? Do you see church as something you join, something you come to and something that makes you respectable ? membership that qualifies you for heaven someday .. hopefully? Or is your faith a living relationship with the Living God? Because the resurrection, when we stop and examine it, study it, reflect o it, meditate over it,. Praise Him for it, and live in it ? the resurrection opens the door to a new way of living. A way of courage. Of adventure. Of faith.

Do you think Peter's life is filled with regret from this point on?  His final words available to us are in his 2^nd letter, where he begins by saying:

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 2 Peter 1:3-4 (NIV)

Jesus rose from the dead, so that you and I don't have to live lives enslaved to sin. We can escape the mentality of mistakes and have the abundance of life that we were created and designed to enjoy.

Restoration is nice, being missional is essential. Be missional.

To be missional means that what purpose your were created for defines your identity and your actions. You choose who you are and what you will do according to what your purpose and goal is. Most people ? in fact, most Christians get into trouble because they are not firm in their mission. We have a very mistaken notion that the Christian faith is like a car wash ? we choose different levels according to what it is we want to pay for.

Basic Christianity is the cheapest, least committed variety. You come forward, repeat a confession of faith, get baptized?.  bingo, you're saved from hell. You're a basic Christian.

Deluxe Christianity is when you get involved with something more than Sunday morning, and you actually begin to think and act according to what you hear at church. This is good, because this helps you to manage your sin and bad habits.

Premium level Christianity is when you really invest your life. You take on study and worship and prayer as things that you are individually responsible for. You start to realize the importance of missions, of outreach, of benevolence. You take on roles at your church. You are a premium Christian.

T/S: The problem with this model is that it is wrong! It's not Biblical. It's not God's design or plan. The only element of truth in the car wash model of Christianity is that you will be transformed according to the commitment you make. You will ive out your faith to the level of involvement with Jesus that you choose.

But Jesus invites you to FULL INVOLVMENT.  And there is no other option. God's plan is that you be a premium Christian .. and there is no mention of a deluxe or basic Christian in all of the Scriptures. (That's not true .. Paul mentions them ? and warns that to be like them is to miss the point. Jesus mentions them ? and says that not everyone who calls on my name knows me .. that pretenders of the faith will miss out on the glory of salvation.) To become a Christian - a follower of Jesus - is to be given a mission.

(ill) The people's State Bank in Bloomer, Wisconsin has a proud history of helping the local citizenry. But the bank probably didn't appreciate the recent misprint of their ad in the local paper, the Bloomer Advance, which boasted that farmers depend on them "when it comes to ruining the family business."

T/S: I doubt if the bankers in Bloomer Wisconsin see their mission as ruining the local farm economy. But I also bet that if the farmers and the bank are on a different page, have a different set of goals ? that's exactly what would happen! The shared mission has to be prosperity for both, r else there will be prosperity for neither.

What makes Peter's reconciliation at the Sea of Galilee noteworthy to you and me is not eh fact that he and Jesus made up. Is that nice? Absolutely, and that's an important fact. Jesus extends forgiveness, Peter receives forgiveness. A relationship is mended and life can now continue. Except for one thing: Jesus wants to be sure that Peter gets it. Feed my sheep, Peter. Restoration is nice, but don't miss what is essential here - Peter, feed my sheep.

Friends, hear me well: You were saved for a mission. Advancing the kingdom of God, which is to say, participating in the redemption of Creation, bought and paid for by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, is each and every one of our purpose for being here. If you see your faith in any other way, you will miss the fullness of Christ, plain and simple. You will not rise above your mistakes, because you wil not be where you are supposed to be.

(ill) How many of you have ever heard, "Idle hands are the devil's toolbox." ? Too much free time leads to temptation and temptation leads to sin. Same principle here - when you aren't doing what you are supposed to be doing, you'll do what you aren't supposed to do. If you think that you can claim Christ, join the church, attend on Sunday and that's all there is to it ? you have missed entirely what it means to be redeemed.

Every instruction of the New Testament intended for you and me. When we are joined with Christ, we are joined with a royal priesthood of believers, Peter says, and we share the mission of building the house of God. We are the instruments of God being available and useful to Him as He extends His kingdom.

Conclusion

I have 3 distinct purposes for this message this morning. First, I want you to know that no matter what you have done, or what crime or sin you have committed, God's grace and mercy and love are plentiful enough to cover you. He wants you redeemed no matter what you have done.

Second, if you have professed Jesus Christ as your Savior but are living stagnantly, battling fear and anxiety, I'd like you to know the power of His resurrection to deliver faith to you. God does not want you to live in fear. God does not want you to live in sin. He intends to deliver you through the resurrection of Jesus from both.

Finally, I want you re-think what your faith is all about. It's not really about you. God's purpose is to overcome your sin and overcome your fears ? so that you achieve true significance and understand the real meaning of life .. namely, by taking your intended place as  an agent of the kingdom of God. That's your mission.

One of the issues that I place before you as a congregation is that you be fervently praying about who we are and what we are about as a church family. God is obviously at work here ? His movement among us has been quite apparent. I believe it is because He wants to use us. He wants us to raise our level of awareness about the mission we are assigned to. If you're a part of this congregation, you a a part of this conversation - what's God calling us to do? How many missionaries can we support? How many friends can we invite to hear the Good News? How many families can we minister to? What kind of impact can we have on our community?

I believe with al my heart that just like Peter, God is redeeming us here at Community Christian, one by one ? so that we can feed His sheep. The world is changing before our eyes, but the world still needs, now more than ever, the Good News of Jesus' rescue mission. The rescue mission that we are a part of.

(ill) I was reading a interview with country artist Gretchen Wilson, as she described her audition before John Grady of Sony Records Nashville. She said halfway thropugh her song, she sa him write the leters n" and "o." Even as she sang, she got discouraged thinking that he was going to reject her. But when she finished, he handed her the paper and told her read it. On the paper where the letter N - O -W.

T/S: Now. Her career began at that moment. Your career, if you'll allow me that use of the word, your career with Christ can begin this moment as well. By declaring your faith and being baptized into Him, you can become a Christian right now.

By renouncing your basic, uncommitted, uninvolved brand of faith as wrong, and recommitting yourself today to His full purpose for your life, you can become reconciled to Him.

Hat I really hope is that you will take seriously the challenge to become a missional Christian. To no longer see the work of Christ as anything other than what the people of Christ are supposed to be and do. The possibilities are endless .. the choice is yours.