Rebounding From Failure
Fallen, Not Forsaken
We all want someone hovering over us after we have been knocked down, defeated, failed.
Psalm 37
23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD,
And He delights in his way.
24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down;
For the LORD upholds him with His hand.
John 18:17-18; 25-27
17 Then the servant girl who kept the door said to Peter, “You are not also one of this Man’s disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.” 18 Now the servants and officers who had made a fire of coals stood there, for it was cold, and they warmed themselves. And Peter stood with them and warmed himself.
25 Now Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. Therefore they said to him, “You are not also one of His disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not!” 26 One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of him whose ear Peter cut off, said, “Did I not see you in the garden with Him?” 27 Peter then denied again; and immediately a rooster crowed.
The reality is that in this life you’re going to fall, but I want you to understand that God hasn’t forsaken you.
Before we deal with how Peter was restored we have to deal with how he fell in the first place.
Understand something we are either moving towards God or moving away. There is not neutral ground. No coasting or we start to drift.
Hebrews 2:1 Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.
He started drifting before he ever denied Jesus. How do people drift?
1. Overconfidence/Pride
Luke 22:31 And the Lord said,“Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” 33 But he said to Him, “Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.” 34 Then He said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me.”
Prov.16:18 Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall
EGO-Edging God Out caused Peter’s Pride!
Another way Peter started drifting was
2. Sleeping or Being Lazy
Last week we discovered that David fell when he should have been at war.
Matthew 26:36 Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.” 37 And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. 38 Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.”
39 He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” 40 Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? 41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42 Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless[e] I drink it, Your will be done.” 43 And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy. 44 So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. 45 Then He came to His disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.”
You see the recipe for failure, pride, prayerlessness and…
3. Following Jesus at a Distance
Mark 14:54 But Peter followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest.
A pastor can see the pattern develop of people who backslide or follow Jesus at Distance.
• Stop giving-money leaves before their feet ever do, that is why giving is always a Spiritual issue.
• Stop Praying or Worshipping-after the money leaves, the spirit leaves.
• Stop attending-after the money and spiritual affection leaves, the body is last to leave.
And when people are fully drifting they start
4. Hanging with the wrong crowd
Luke 22:55 Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them.
Who were these people, these were the crowd wanting to kill Jesus. Peter wasn’t there to win them to Jesus; they weren’t ready to hear about Jesus.
He was there because he was drifting, and when your drifting towards failure you hang out with the wrong crowd.
Friends, Music, TV programs, Hangouts, etc.
1 Cor. 15:33 Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.”
You hang out in the barbershop, eventually your going to get a haircut.
That is why you should be careful whom you allow to speak into your life. Your either being an influence or being influenced!
Psalm 1 Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.
These are the reasons that Peter failed I dare say that most people fail because of one of these reasons.
But this isn’t the end of the story!
If you fall or have fallen, God wants you back.
Psalm 103:8 The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
9 He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever.
10 He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.
11 For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.
12 He has removed our sins as far from us
as the east is from the west.
13 The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him.
14 For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust.
Jer. 15:19 This is how the Lord responds:” If you return to me, I will restore you so you can continue to serve me.
Peter’s Restoration
John 21:15 After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these “Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “You know I love you. “Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him.16 Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love me?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love you.” “Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus said.17 A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me? ”Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you. Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep.18 “I tell you the truth, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked; you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will dress you and take you where you don’t want to go.” 19 Jesus said this to let him know by what kind of death he would glorify God. Then Jesus told him, “Follow me.”20 Peter turned around and saw behind them the disciple Jesus loved—the one who had leaned over to Jesus during supper and asked, “Lord, who will betray you?” 21 Peter asked Jesus, “What about him, Lord?”22 Jesus replied, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? As for you, follow me.”
JJesus restores Peter in 3 areas; note he returns Peter to the charcoal fire, and the fishing Hole, the place where he left Jesus and the place where he would find him again.
Peter lost his confidence in following Jesus and being a lover of God. But are faith must be more in God’s confidence in us, that confidence in our affection for him.
Feeling that way, like most of us, might as well quit and go fishing.
Jesus wants to know, Peter do you love me more than this (Fishing-safety zone)
Peter will you give yourself to me in the midst of your failure?
Note when God asks a question, he does so not because He doesn’t know the answer. The question is for us.
Adam-Where are you? Relational question. Do you know where you stand with me?
Love-sometimes it helps to know the language that the Bible was written in, twice Peter uses the Greek word for affection, strong bond to answer Jesus questions about if Peter loved him or not. He is no longer the boastful man; he is a man full of humility/brokenness.
The third time, after being frustrated, he finally Jesus, you know that I love you. 3 Denials, 3 Expressions of Love!
God was breaking Shame off of Peter’s Life.
One of the symptoms of failure is nagging questions, Can God ever use me again.
Labor-Then Jesus commissions Peter to feed his People, a call to ministry again.
Just because you fail doesn’t mean that you can’t be restored to greatness again. Peter would go to many years of fruitful ministry.
It was this same Peter that preached the salvation message and had the keys to the Kingdom, opening the door of the Gospel to the Jews, Samaritans, and Gentiles. (
Acts 2,8,10)
Life-Then Jesus began to prophesy to Peter about his life. That when he is old that someone would have to lead him around and help him get dressed. He also began to tell Peter how he would die. But spend your life following me.
What about the other guy? Stop worrying about other Christians, what they are doing or not doing, worry about following me. Jesus targeted an area that causes many believers to fall away, when they start observing other believers. We should only keep our eyes on Jesus and Follow Him.
This is the remedy and the antidote to falling away and drifting in the faith.
If you want to have a passion for Jesus, if you want to live as a new man in Christ, you must relate to God with the confidence that He enjoys you.
Religion wants us to stand before God with a guarantee that we will not fail.
But God wants us to stand before Him with the guarantee that He will never let us go.
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