The Christians Hour

Aaron Brockett: Welcome to this week's episode of The Christians Hour, a ministry of Gospel Broadcasting Mission, where we use radio and media to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth until all have heard. I'm so glad you're joining us today. We have an incredible message for you, and I'm excited to jump right in.

Well, let me ask you a question. Have you ever failed at something? Now, it almost seems unnecessary to ask because most of us would nod with an overwhelming yes. But let me ask it a little differently. Have you ever failed at something that really mattered? Have you ever failed in a way that let someone you deeply respect down or someone who you truly love and care for? A failure that impacted people closest to you so deeply that you wondered if things could ever be the same again, if they could ever forgive you?

Friend, if that's you, you are not alone. In today's message, Rick Atchley, lead pastor of The Hills Church in Fort Worth, Texas, unpacks Peter's encounter with Jesus after he denied him, an act that left him carrying deep regret and shame. In fact, it impacted him so deeply that he went back to a boat, back to where he was when Jesus first called him. Does Jesus just let him walk away? Was he too far gone to still be used by God? Well, listen closely to how Jesus responds to Peter's failure and what that response means for us today. Here's Rick.

Rick Atchley: This sermon is about failure. And when failure appears, the good news is Jesus does too. John chapter 21. Later, Jesus appeared again to the disciples beside the Sea of Galilee. This is how it happened. Several of the disciples were there: Simon Peter, Thomas, Nathanael from Cana, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples. And Simon Peter said, "I'm going fishing." "We'll come too," they said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night.

At dawn, Jesus was standing on the beach, but the disciples couldn't see who it was. He called out, "Fellows, have you caught any fish?" "No," they replied. And then he said, "Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you'll get some." So they did, and they couldn't haul in the net because there were so many fish in it. Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, "It's the Lord." When Simon Peter heard it was the Lord, he put on his tunic, for he'd stripped for work, he jumped into the water, headed to the shore. The others stayed in the boat and pulled the loaded net to the shore, for they were only about a hundred yards from the shore. And when they got there, they found breakfast waiting for them: fish cooking over a charcoal fire and some bread.

"Bring some of the fish you've just caught," Jesus said. So Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore. There were 153 large fish, and yet the net hadn't torn. "Now come and have some breakfast," Jesus said. None of the disciples dared to ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord. Now, I have many favorite sayings of Jesus, but one of mine is this: "Come and have some breakfast." I'm a breakfast guy, okay? If you're not eating breakfast and you're not making breakfast, you're not being like Jesus and doing what Jesus did.

He said, "Come and have some breakfast." But what makes the breakfast special is not just who prepared it, but who it was prepared for. This meal may have been unexpected, but it wasn't unplanned. This meal was Jesus' response to Peter's response, "I'm going fishing." He's not talking about an afternoon leisure. He's not talking about recreation. He's talking about going back to his former vocation. He's returning to the career he had before he received a calling. He's not rejecting Christ. He's not rejecting the claim of resurrection. What he's believing is that Jesus has probably rejected him, and for good reason.

Peter figured his calling was over because of that one moment he could never do over. It was the night before Jesus was crucified. Jesus said, "One of you is going to betray me," and Peter piped up like he often did and said, "Not me. I don't know who you're talking about. It's not me. I could never do that." And Jesus said, "Peter, before this cock crows, you will do it three times." And sure enough, they arrest Jesus, Peter follows, he's by a fire, and three different times: "Do you know him?" "I don't know him. I have nothing to do with that man. Do not connect me to that dude."

Matthew says immediately a rooster crowed. And then Peter remembered the words Jesus had spoken: "Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times." And he went outside and he wept bitterly. You ever wept bitterly? I mean, we've all cried, but there's those cries when you can't get back what you did. You give your life a look over and you visit your biggest do-over. That time when you did what you thought you would never do, what you said you would never do, what you promised you would never do again. And that's where Peter is.

And there has not been a single day since that betrayal night that Peter hadn't replayed that moment in his mind. And so he decides, what's best is for me to go back to what I do best. I don't do being a disciple very well. I know how to catch fish. I need to go back to that. And isn't it interesting, his first full night back in fishing ended in total failure. He didn't catch anything. By the way, we know there's at least two occasions where Jesus filled a net with fish, and we call that a miracle. It's also a miracle that you don't catch a fish if Jesus doesn't want you to. That that whole night not one fish swam into that net.

And if you're a fisherman, you know this. You know the only thing worse than not catching a fish is somebody asking you, "Did you catch any fish?" And what I think Jesus is doing deliberately is he is wanting the disciples to experience the emptiness of trying to do your life with no calling on it. Life without or outside of your calling. So when that miraculous catch does come, you know their minds immediately go back—they've seen this before. They go back to that day when this happened and they heard for the very first time Jesus say, "Follow me."

Jesus has set this up: unexpected but not unplanned. And I think he has appeared specifically to shift Peter's memory from his fail to his original call. Because when the angels spoke to the women that came to the tomb, it says in Mark, the angel said, "Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You'll see him there, just as he told you before he died." In other words, the angel said, "We got word from Jesus. You make sure Peter's there." Jesus wants to see Peter.

Every chapter, every life story, has places that just don't read very well. But your worst chapter doesn't have to be your last chapter. See, the big idea today is simply this: that Jesus never fails to pursue those who failed. People, this is the theme of the entire Bible, starting with the very first story. The first couple failed, and God shows up and says, "Where are you?" He is pursuing them. This is who God is: the God that chases failures.

I love the little poem: "Isn't it odd that a being like God, who sees the facade, could still love the clod he made out of sod? Now, isn't that odd?" God is never surprised by your fail. He's never confused by your fail. Your fail has never caused God to rethink his purposes for you. Jesus did not appear to fire Peter. But he knew that Peter's own healing would require going back to that night by the fire. Did you notice that it said Jesus fixed breakfast on a charcoal fire? Now, that's only used one other time in the Bible, two chapters earlier. It says that Peter warmed himself by a charcoal fire.

Science tells us of all of our senses, the one that takes us back in memory is smell. You know what I mean. You can sometimes just smell a smell and it takes you back somewhere. Jesus is doing this on purpose. He is going to take Peter back to that night to help Peter come back to his calling. And he's going to do it by again asking Peter a question three straight times, just like by that first fire. Look with me at verse 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. And he 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. A third time he asked him, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" And Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, "Lord, you know everything. You know I love you." And Jesus said, "Then feed my sheep. I tell you the truth, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked. You dressed yourself, you went wherever you wanted to go. But when you're old, you'll stretch out your hands and others will dress and take you where you don't want to go." And Jesus said this to let him know the kind of death by which he would glorify God. And then Jesus told him, "Follow me."

Jesus knew that Peter loved him. He did not have to ask to find that out. What Jesus knew is that Peter needed to know that he really did love Jesus. And he needed to know that his call was greater than his fail. And here's why. Because what's true of Peter is true of us. We're better at believing he came back than believing we can come back. Now, hear what I just said. The average Christian can believe in resurrection quicker than they can believe in reclamation.

We can affirm that Jesus came back from the dead, but we're slower to believe that people that really screw up can come back and be restored. We're better at remembering our worst than we are at remembering God's best. There's two reasons for this. One, we live in a culture of condemnation. If you don't know that, you haven't been online lately. We live in a cancel culture. We live in a time when people promote their name by who they shame. In our culture, you show off your virtue by who you've hated on lately.

But there's another reason. We have an accuser. And our memories are susceptible to his shaming assaults because he gets inside our head and his voice sounds like our voice. Because Satan wants your iniquity to become your identity. I remember some years ago, I bought a shirt that I really liked, and I was wearing it for the first time. I was with my family at a Mexican restaurant and a glob of salsa got on it. I don't know how; probably the kids' fault.

Jamie said, "That's okay. I can clean that." And she did an amazing job. I mean, you would have to take a magnifying glass two inches from that shirt to see the faint outline. I promise you couldn't see where the stain was. But I could. I could see it. I was convinced every time I wore that shirt, all you would see when you saw me was stain, stain, stain. And I never wore that shirt again. And that's what the enemy wants to do.

The amazing thing is that like Peter, we can grasp the reality of resurrection easier than the enormity of grace. And so Peter shows up thinking, "This is my exit interview." And I bet you've been like Peter. There are memories that take you back to the fire and you recall that moment you failed. And it doesn't cause you to lose your faith in God. It causes you to think God has lost his faith in you. And you still believe God can do anything. You're just not sure God wants anything to do with you.

And the appearance of Jesus is God's response to this lie. Most of us know or have heard John 3:16, "God so loved the world that he sent his only son." The next verse is just as good: "For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." Condemnation is not God's mission. Restoration is. And so when we start to think we should let go of Jesus, he appears to remind us he's still holding on to us.

Because here's the thing I want you to remember most of all. Jesus is better at calling than we are at falling. So let's go back to the first time they caught more fish than they could bring in with a net. Remember that? They hadn't fished—they hadn't caught anything all night long. But they went out again because Jesus said. And do you remember what happened? That net is so full of fish they can't bring it in. And here's how Peter responded: Luke 5, verse 8. When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and he said, "Oh, Lord, please leave me. I'm such a sinful man." Jesus replied to Simon, "Don't be afraid. From now on, you'll be fishing for people."

You see that? There was fail in Peter's life when he was called the first time. Jesus knew this. He knew there were bad chapters in Peter's story. He knew there would be more. If Jesus doesn't call sinners, who is he going to call? He called Peter not because Peter was so good. He called Peter because Jesus is so good. Every person Jesus calls has failure on their resume. But Jesus offers liberation from condemnation.

And so they finish breakfast, and Jesus says, "Peter, a word." And Peter thinks, "Here it comes. I deserve it. Exit interview." Notice how Jesus leads. He does not say, "Peter, what were you thinking?" He doesn't even say, "Peter, do you promise you will never mess up like that again? Because I'm just about through with you." Instead, he says, "Peter, do you love me? Take care of my sheep." And I think in the original he really said, "Get back in the game."

"Peter, I'm the good shepherd. I have got a lot of sheep, and I am about to have a whole lot more. I need you on the team." Nothing Peter had done had changed what Jesus wanted to do through him. Famous English preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon was walking through the countryside with a friend, and they saw a barn and a weather vane, and the weather vane said, "God is love." It bothered Spurgeon. He said, "I don't like that. God's love is constant, but weather vanes are constantly changing." And the friend said, "Charles, you've misunderstood. The point is no matter which way the wind blows, God is still love."

The thing that you cannot do over is covered over by the blood of Jesus. And when God buries a sin, he does not resurrect it. And so, stop doing to yourself what Jesus will never do to you. I need to say that again. In a culture that constantly condemns and an accuser that constantly assaults, you don't have to cooperate. Stop doing to yourself what Jesus will never do to you.

Jesus does not want you removed. He wants your failure redeemed. And that's why he's praying for you. Did you know that? We forget that. He's not retired. He's at the right hand of God interceding. Not just after we fail, but before. Look with me at Luke 22. "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to test all of you as a farmer sifts his wheat. But I've prayed that you will not lose your faith. Help your brothers be stronger when you come back to me."

Jesus is praying for you before you fail so that you'll come back after. So how big must someone's fail be before Jesus' grace cannot reach them? No one knows because it's never happened. Jesus wants to help you get over what you cannot do over. And so if you've really messed up, ask Jesus to show up. He appears to people who failed. He has to me many, many times. As I was writing this sermon, a memory came back of a time many years ago. I was out of town, and I was in a moment where I responded to a situation with less than full honesty.

And if I told you what it was, most of you would say, "Pastor, that's no big deal. Do it all the time." It is a big deal. Because if I lose my integrity, I lose everything. And all the way home, I confessed my sin, but Satan was in that car with me, and he was beating me up. And I knew my sin was forgiven, I knew I was saved, but I had lost the joy of my salvation. That was my prayer that whole way back. I kept praying Psalm 51:12, "God, restore the joy of my salvation." I don't feel it. I don't feel it. I don't feel like you want me on the team right now.

And on the way home, I drove past a church that I have driven past a thousand times. They have a marquee. Not one time in all these years have they ever put a scripture on that marquee. This day they did. Psalm 51:12: "Lord, restore to me the joy of my salvation." And in that moment, I knew that Jesus had shown up. That he had appeared. And he was saying, "I know you love me, so feed my sheep. Stay on the team."

And here's what I learned. Jesus will meet you where you are to remind you who you are. You're not what you've done. You are who Jesus calls you to be. And so no matter what you've done, remember this: you're not done. Jesus is now appearing. And his final words are always, "Follow me."

Aaron Brockett: So, how about you? Is failure something you've wrestled with in your life? Maybe you even feel like you've personally let Jesus down, that you've done something so egregious that you can't come back from it. But as we just heard, Jesus never fails to pursue those who have failed. You, my friend, are not too far from him to be used. The call Jesus has on your life is greater than your failure. So lift up your head today. Rest assured that he will meet you right where you are and remind you of whose you are.

Well, our thanks to Rick for this powerful reminder that we are not defined by what we've done; we are defined by who Jesus calls us to be. And our thanks as well to Acappella Ministries for providing the worship music. If today's message impacted you and you'd like to help share messages like this one, we invite you to consider and pray about partnering with us. We're a listener-supported ministry. You can give by visiting our website at thechristianshour.org.

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