Summary: <p> Easter 2012</p> <p> <a href="http://vimeo.com/41428828" target="_blank">View the full Easter service (including worship)</a></p> <p> April 8, 2012</p> <p> Every person has experienced failure at some point in their lives—personally, professionally, morally. Some people’s failures are bigger even more public than other people’s. Professional athletes experience failure all the time. They must learn how to move on and play the next game. So the question is how do we recover from our failures? How are we restored after blowing it?</p> <p> In this week’s sermon, we considered the failure of Peter. According to the gospel accounts, Peter turned his back on his Best Friend in His time of greatest need. Peter didn’t offer a word of protest as Jesus was hauled away, beaten, abused and eventually crucified. Peter denied even knowing Him! (Refer to Mark 14) Peter’s failure was huge, but Peter was restored. What can we learn from his experience?</p> <p> The fact of Peter’s huge failure should give us confidence to believe the biblical record, because the bible doesn’t “air-brush” its heroes! It doesn’t cover over their mistakes! The bible tells us the story of real people (warts and all) and their encounters with a real God. This is one of many reasons why we can believe the bible.</p> <p> Step one in Peter’s restoration process was to recognize that he had a problem. After a night of unsuccessful fishing, the resurrected Christ approached the disciples on the beach and asked them how it was going (v.4-6). Peter admitted that things were not going well—they had worked all night but hadn’t caught anything. When God asks us, in the midst of our failures, how life is working for us, we must face reality, be honest and admit things are not going well!</p> <p> Step two for Peter was to recognize that God can do what no one else can do. He brings success out of total failure. We believe things are hopeless yet God has a plan. Jesus instructed Peter to throw the nets out again on the other side and lo and behold, they land a huge catch of fish! Peter had to trust Jesus’ instructions. We also need to trust that God can turn things around for us in the midst of our failures.</p> <p> Step three for Peter was to retrace his steps. How did he get to this place of devastation? How did Peter, “the Rock,” one of Jesus’ inner circle, turn from a courageous follower to a cowardly traitor? So three times, Jesus walked Peter through each of the denials (v.15-17). Before we can be healed, we need to cover the ground that led us into failure and away from God in the first place.</p> <p> Fourth, Peter needed to release his shame. Guilt is what we feel when we have failed in the eyes of God but shame is what we feel when we have failed in the eyes of others. Jesus chose to walk Peter through this restoration on the beach with the other disciples present so that Peter was restored not only in the eyes of God, but also in the eyes of his brothers. We must be willing to release our feelings of shame before others in order to experience complete restoration. This often needs to happen in the context of community—God using other Christians to bring restoration in the midst of a failure.</p> <p> Finally, Peter needed to receive the forgiveness Jesus was offering. Jesus understood public humiliation and shame because He was publicly shamed. He died for the guilt of sin AND the shame of sin. The Christian life must be personally apprehended—we must personally take for ourselves the gifts of forgiveness, healing and restoration that Jesus offers in order to experience them. </p> <p> <a href="/_media/uploads/files/watch_and_listen/Follow-upBibleStudies/2012/40DaysofExperiencingtheSpirit/20120408%20fully%20restored.pdf" target="_blank">Follow-up Bible Study</a></p> <p> <a href="/_media/uploads/files/watch_and_listen/SmallGroupDiscussionGuides/2012/40DaysofExperiencingtheSpirit/April_08_2012.pdf" target="_blank">Sermon Discussion Guide</a></p>
