2022 H2O Series: Living Water
Sermon 7: Drink
John 18:15-18, 25-27; 21:15-19
Victory Fellowship
February 27, 2022 – Rev. Roderick Grabski
Healing Service
H2O SERIES: Living Water. Invitation. Polluted. Source. Pure. Drowning. Mirage. Drink.
Did you ever experience when the worst thing turned out to be the best thing?
In our lesson today, Jesus takes Peter at his worst and restores him to the best purposes for the kingdom of God.
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6. Drink
One of Jesus’ closest friends betrayed Him. When it had a cost, Peter lied about knowing Jesus. When it mattered more than any other time yet, Peter lied about being a Christian. Peter failed. Even someone who was with Jesus for three years failed Him, and failed Him badly. It might seem at first like Peter blew his chance to do something important for the cause of Christ, but the Bible tells a different story.
Jesus Will Take You Back
-Even though Peter failed, Jesus took him back.
-John 18 tells the story of Peter letting Jesus down when it mattered most, but John 21 tells the story of Jesus giving Peter another chance.
-Jesus accepts Peter, loves Peter, and welcomes him as a disciple even though it seems like Peter has hit rock bottom.
-No matter how far away you’ve gotten, Jesus is ready to take you back.
Jesus Has a Plan for You
-Even better than taking Peter back, Jesus makes it clear in John 21 that Peter will be one of the leaders of the first Christians once Jesus leaves the earth. Saying, “Feed my sheep,” implies that Peter would be a pastor, and it is obvious in the Book of Acts and by the fact that Peter wrote a part of the New Testament that God did use him for this purpose.
-Jesus will not just take you back, He has a plan for you.
-When you think you’ve gone too far away, He will always take you back—but not as a second-class citizen. Jesus wants to use you to tell an amazing story, just like He did with Peter.
-Matt Proctor says it this way, “The place of your great fall can be the place of God’s great call.” Peter’s fall was denying Jesus in the face of persecution, and in Acts we see Peter stand up boldly to persecution.
1 & 2 Peter are written to Christians facing persecution for their faith, and Peter offers them encouragement as someone who has been through it before.
-Just like Peter, God can use your past to create a glorious new future.
PRAYER and ANOINTING
SONG: He Is
John 18:15-18, 25-27; 21:15-19 NLT
15 Simon Peter followed Jesus, as did another of the disciples. That other disciple was acquainted with the high priest, so he was allowed to enter the high priest’s courtyard with Jesus. 16 Peter had to stay outside the gate. Then the disciple who knew the high priest spoke to the woman watching at the gate, and she let Peter in. 17 The woman asked Peter, “You’re not one of that man’s disciples, are you?”
“No,” he said, “I am not.” 18 Because it was cold, the household servants and the guards had made a charcoal fire. They stood around it, warming themselves, and Peter stood with them, warming himself.
25 Meanwhile, as Simon Peter was standing by the fire warming himself, they asked him again, “You’re not one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it, saying, “No, I am not.” 26 But one of the household slaves of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Didn’t I see you out there in the olive grove with Jesus?” 27 Again Peter denied it. And immediately a rooster crowed.
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[f] 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.”
