Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20051016.htm

JESUS CHRIST'S DISCIPLING OF SIMON PETER: A STUDY IN MAKING DISCIPLES
Part III: Getting Peter To Forsake Himself To Follow Jesus At The Same Time
A. A Healing Preparation For Renewal
(Luke 24:9-12; John 20:2-10; Luke 24:34; John 21:1-13)
  1. Introduction
    1. When God begins to work with a believer regarding his false pride, allowing that pride to be crushed, He seeks only to consume the dross and refine the gold, not to destroy the person himself.
    2. However, this process for the disciple involved seems to be very painful, not joyful, Hebrews 12:11 NIV.
    3. Jesus worked to introduce Peter to the concept of forsaking himself to follow Jesus all at the same time, a step that painfully drove a deep wedge between Peter and his pride, cf. Mtt. 26:75. However, after Peter had seen his personal pride crushed in denying the Lord, Christ carefully allowed him opportunity to heal.
  2. Getting Peter To Forsake Self To Follow Jesus Simultaneously: A Healing Preparation For Renewal.
    1. Step One - Jesus demonstrated to the defeated Peter His resurrection power over Peter's sin:
      1. Luke 24:9-10 with John 20:2-10 record Peter's introduction to Christ's great resurrection. In fact, Luke 24:34 (with 1 Cor. 15:5) report that Jesus appeared to Peter personally , a move that would have shown the Lord's acceptance of him and would have greatly encouraged him after his denial of Jesus!
      2. The lesson is clear: the "Timothy" we disciple needs to be informed that the God of resurrection power is always capable of restoring even the defeated believer after his own personal sinful failure! If death is the worst result of sin, and if Jesus arose from the dead, there is victory in the Christian life regardless what sinful failure one experiences, cf. 1 Corinthians 15:50-58.
    2. Step Two - Jesus demonstrated God's interest in the defeated Peter and of his unconditional love for him in spite of his miserable denial of the Lord:
      1. When Jesus appeared by the Sea of Galilee and produced a drought of fishes like He had when He had initially called Peter and the other fishermen to follow Him (cf. John 21:1-6 with Luke 5:1-9), not only did Peter recognize it was Jesus Who had directed them to cast the net on the right side of the boat, but by this action of Christ, he was again convinced of the Lord's acceptance of him as though his threefold denial had not affected the Lord's acceptance of Him at all!
      2. Accordingly, when John saw the draught of fishes and explained, "It is the Lord," Peter immediately put on his fisher's cloak and plunged into the water to swim to the Lord, John 21:7! He was in a hurry to meet with His Lord, and knew from the draught of fishes the Lord was reaching out to him again!
      3. When Peter and the rest reached shore, Jesus invited them to eat of the fish He had already cooked on the fire there and to cook up some of their own recently caught fish, John 21:9-10. In light of John 14:23, such mutual sharing of the fish signaled full fellowship and acceptance with Christ, a fact that would have caused Peter to feel even more loved and accepted in spite of his recent denial of the Lord!
      4. The lesson is again clear: our defeated "Timothy" needs to be shown that our great Lord never abandons him even if he miserably fails in sin; our position in Jesus Christ is solid, and His acceptance of us is based on His work on the cross for us alone and not on any evil we have done as believers to let Him down! Such a realization can only encourage and heal those who know they have failed the Lord!
Lesson: WHEN those we disciple MISERABLY FAIL the Lord, it is important that we use the opportunity of this failure turn their attention to God's POSITIONAL TRUTHS that we all have in Christ that provide hope for restoration. We thus instruct the disciple on God's GRACE, His UNMERITED favor, and we motivate him to forsake himself and follow Christ at the same time!

Application: When either we or one we disciple has miserably failed the Lord, we must not give up all hope of growth or ministry success! Such times of failure open the door for some of the greatest lessons on God's grace, lessons invaluable in the discipling process! Thus, (1) may we focus on the resurrection power of Christ over all the defeat that sin creates and so give hope to the fallen. (2) May we also begin to unveil the incredibly wealthy position we each have in Christ that is based not on the quality of our walk with God, but on His grace to us in Christ Jesus. In this position, the believer who has sinned can begin to forsake himself and follow Jesus simultaneously for blessing!