The Crossing
In this series we’ll explore a place to meet Jesus; a place like the sea of Galilee where Peter walked with Him on water, a place where He heals.
A quick look on your favorite search engine will show you that some of the most successful people have oftentimes failed the most. This group of people will talk about Failing Forward. Failure can be a great teacher.
However, there is a big difference between experiencing failure and feeling like one. This is especially true when it comes to our faith.
Satan loves to pounce on people when they slip up, fail or make a mistake. He even does this with those who were trying to follow God but somehow got it wrong.
We may be thinking that others need to hear this or that this sermon doesn’t affect us.
1 Corinthians 10:12 NIV
Proverbs 16:18 NIV
Paul warns us that this can happen. He tells us that failure spiritually can happen to all of us. His heart breaks as he speaks to the Galatians.
Galatians 5:7-9 NIV
Satan can take just a little bit of failure, just a little bit of time off or time away and he can cut you off from running a great race. He can whisper just a few lies and use it to not just slow you down, but take you out of the race completely.
The story today starts on the night that Jesus is betrayed. Jesus tells His disciples that they will all desert Him.
Mark 14:29-31 NIV
Then Jesus is arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane. Peter takes out a sword and cuts off the ear of the High Priest’s servant. The name of the servant was Malchus. Jesus says no more of this. And then he touches the man’s ear and heals him.
John 18:15-18 NLT
John 18:25-27 NLT
Peter is hitting rock bottom. He is overwhelmed by USED TO BE.
John 21:1 NLT
Galilee is 70 miles from Jerusalem. It is a multi day walk.
John 21:3-9 NLT
There are only two times this shows up in all of scripture. At the place where Peter denied Jesus and this place where Jesus restores Peter. One is a fire of failure and the other a fire of grace.
John 21:15-19 NIV
Peter didn’t visit those nets again. He went on to preach the very first sermon and 3,000 were baptized that day. He went on to heal people, endure hardship, suffer imprisonment and beatings. He went on to proclaim the good news of Jesus to the Gentiles.
Peter’s failure was in the intro to his testimony. I was a denier but now I am a proclaimer. There has to be a place that says IT’S NOT OVER! God can still use you, redeem you, restore you, repurpose you! Jesus goes 70 miles out of his way to build a fire on a beach and make breakfast for a man who betrayed Him. There has to be a place, and I say it’s here and I say it is with us and I say it's now!