Well, I invite you to turn this morning to John's gospel, the gospel of John chapter 21. I was at prayer group the other day, and I always wrestled this time of year which particular text to preach. You only have so many of them, and Dr. Godford tonight will be covering Mark 16, so that took away one gospel. So I have a few that I could look at, and then I thought, last year we did Luke 24 and I wanted to come back to and I thought well good I will just preach my favorite text that's what I'll do so that's what they said at the prayer meeting just preach the story pastor just preach the story you don't have to do anything revolutionary and I appreciate that kind of advice so we're going to look at John chapter 21 that's found on page 1078 in your bibles and um this well-known restoration of peter beginning at verse 15 when they had finished breakfast jesus said to simon peter simon son of john do you love me more than these he said to him yes lord you know that i love you he said to him feed my lambs said to him a second time simon son of john do you love me he said to him yes lord you know that i love you he said to him tend my sheep said to him the third time simon son of john do you love me peter was grieved because he said to him the third time do you love me and he said to him lord you know everything you know that i love you jesus said to him feed my sheep truly truly i say to you When you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go. This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God. And after saying this, he said to him, follow me. And there will end the reading of God's word this morning. Well, the heart of the Christian gospel, the good news that God has given to us that we celebrate is that Christ overcame sin in his death for us and in the resurrection he conquered death and its dominion over us. So this is wonderful truth that we get to think about today and to celebrate as around the world Christians are celebrating and thinking about the resurrection. What a wonderful truth. What we find after the resurrection, though, is that this was not so easy for the disciples to comprehend or even accept. All the records show confusion. They show fear. They show unbelief. It's really remarkable to think about the different sort of responses after the resurrection. Even though this truth had been preached. Even though Jesus had been telling them that this would happen. It was obviously a great struggle for the disciples to accept this and to believe this. And I don't think that that's any different today. I think there are many struggles for Christians to even understand why this is so important. Why is the resurrection so important? What has Christ done? Well, we've preached many sermons on this. I've talked many times about the resurrection in the course of my ministry in life. About how Christ has overcome death. And that Christ has forgiven our sins. And that Christ has triumphed in conquering death. That means we have a guarantee of our sure resurrection in Christ. But I think it's the continued presence of sin that confuses us most. If I were a prosperity preacher today, I'd be able to give certain news to you like this. It's all going to be great. You're going to make lots of money. You're going to be successful. You're going to beat all the sin in your life. And if you're a pastor, you can get a jet. That wasn't in my notes, so. It's sin's presence that's still confusing for us. Why, if Christ is risen from the dead, am I still so defeated? Where is this great victory that you keep talking about in the resurrection? Why is it more down than it is up? Well, I think that's what we're dealing with today in this particular passage. And this is why this last Friday I quoted something from William Bridge that I've been reading and it just struck me that I'd never thought about before in this way where he said, we often sin against the law. I read the Ten Commandments and we sin against no idolatry in our lives and taking the Lord's name in vain and breaking the Sabbath and murdering in the heart and committing adultery. We often sin against the law and we need to repent of that. But William Bridge said something that I just don't think I gave enough thought to, that we don't often think about how much we sin against the gospel. Gospel is good news. and gospel's good news that Christ has forgiven and conquered death. But when I go on discouraged thinking that my sins are that great, that God could not forgive me, I think this is a bigger problem than we give credit to. That God could not forgive me because I'm so rotten and because I've done so many bad things. When we go on thinking like that, that is a sin against the gospel. I have not given that a lot of thought the way that I should. I thought he was really helpful in that work. Well, I think Peter captures this struggle here in John chapter 21. And that's why I went back to it today. What is so refreshing here is what we see in the resurrection. A real disposition of Jesus. That when he was under the cross and under the weight of the state of that humiliation. You get the real sense of the gravity and the heaviness of everything he had to accomplish. But now you get a sense of release from him. And that release and that freedom is the way that he treats his disciples. It's really beautiful when you consider it this way. That he's not angry at his children. That he's not an angry God. The penalty's been paid. The sacrifice has been made. The judgment has been made against him and he has endured it and the payment has been accomplished. It is finished, was the message. It is finished. What is finished? Everything needed to pay for sins. The resurrection now is the receipt of it all, if you will. It's the receipt. Here, here's the proof that it happened. But he takes very seriously that we now live in the joy of this forgiveness you know that do you know he takes serious that you live in the joy of forgiveness because if you don't you're going to be an unuseful disciple that he would give a calling that he placed on our lives is quite a remarkable thing and that our sins do not annul that calling the continued presence of sin the continued struggle of sin and so i i think that's what we want to wrestle a bit a little bit with today in light of the resurrection uh this confusion for us in the christian life a roman 7 kind of confusion that continues to go on that i think is captured here and that's what we're going to look at briefly this morning from this this really remarkable little text remember what jesus said in john 15 in this very book he said you did not choose me i chose you and we fight against that but it's true every one of you as a child of god you did not choose him first he chose you and he chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that fruit that would be enduring fruit that would last he said it's a remarkable statement it's what i've done that's what i've done the fulfillment of what he has for us in our callings rests upon him and when it came to failures after the resurrection jesus was constantly pointing them back to his wounds wasn't he he was saying to them look to my side look look look at my hands look at my feet do not be unbelieving but believing well that's not quite as easy as you as you think is it in the passage before us jesus now focuses on peter peter had failed awfully you remember um the failures of of peter and he had said openly you know whatever these other guys do in the midst of the heart of your afflictions i want you to know lord i will never deny you and then soon right after he's cold he got cold he got a chill and so he goes out and he warms himself over coals of fire with the very ones who would strike and beat and crucify jesus let me put it this way it was a failure of this kind pastor you've been preaching the gospel many years you've told everyone else to believe you've called people to repent in their lives and so on and so on and so on. You said many things. But before the courts now, I want you to say something. You are called in on the pain of imprisonment and death. You deny Christ and these claims that you have made. And with jail in front of me, I cower. and I deny him. And I'm released back to the Escondido URC. I would never want to look at you again. Understand that? I'd never want to look at you again. I don't think I could walk through the door. It's a pretty bad failure. How would you feel? Hypocrite? What a hypocrite. Well, it's resurrection day. Jesus meets him on the shore. He has revealed himself to them, but he was beginning now in John chapter one to help them in their calling. Fishers of men. peter here it must have overwhelmed him because he had said forget this i'm going back to fishing i'm going back to be a fisher of fish which is what i'd want to do too it's what i'd want to do and jesus creates this coals of fire scene here in john chapter 21 it's the same scene same words though of when peter had warmed himself with the betrayers over the coals, the fire, Jesus recreates the scene. So we have the scene that must have been all the more agonizing for a minute. In the heart of your afflictions, Peter, you deny him of his afflictions. Is there any way this flailing saint could go on? What if Satan raised our sins. Think about this truth today. You know, I was thinking about this. Here Jesus feeds Peter, but imagine if you had a moment of the council that we didn't have access to and Satan had come up to the council and he had come up to the throne of grace, right? And he had said, that's one of yours? Are you serious? I mean, he accused Joshua the high priest just of bad clothes, dirty clothes. Do you know what he's done, Jesus? He's one of yours? In the heart of your afflictions, he denied you. He's filthy. There's no way this saint could belong to you or do your work. What if Satan raised your sins before the throne of grace and he saw all of them all the private sins wouldn't that be awful remember what had happened before jesus said i'm going to give you some insight peter into what's happening behind the scenes with forces of darkness satan has come to me you know what he's asked me he's asked to sift you as wheat but i've prayed for you that your faith should not fail well that's going on behind the scenes here's one of the beautiful truths about the resurrection throughout the old testament satan had this accusatory avenue but the resurrection means that that accusation is over and this is what revelation 12 celebrates in the song now salvation has come um and the power and the kingdom of our god and the authority of his messiah for the accuser of our brothers and sisters who accuses them before our god day and night has been hurled down down they triumphed over him by the blood of the lamb he's not doing that anymore he can't do it there's no more accusation because Christ says wait, whoa, whoa wait a minute don't answer that I've covered him I've covered him I have forgiven his sins and now he lives in the power of my resurrection and forgiveness get out of here satan you're done what's the problem well the problem's not with god problem's not with his son problem's no longer with satan the problem is with who us almost across the board the responses to the gospel and the resurrection we're not good a slow and hard to believe uh disciples on the road to Emmaus how I've been preaching this to your whole life and you still don't believe it you're that slow Mary couldn't see him because she was so full of sorrow it's more of a legitimate reason and it's what sorrow does to people. Thomas wasn't just doubting Thomas. Thomas was unbelieving Thomas. I will not believe unless. Peter's interesting to me because he's the biggest failure in the mix. He's the most fallen. He would be considered the greatest of hypocrites in this. And consider the compassions of our Lord. Jesus knows the weight of the failures and the discouragement that so many, even of you right now, in a world that seems to be unraveling and falling apart, you feel like giving up. You feel like there's no purpose. You feel like how could you be useful in the kingdom with the sin that's still so easily ensnares? Well, what do you do with somebody like this? What does Jesus do? He begins to work on him. It's interesting, Jesus didn't start with him as Peter. I've gone back and forth on this, or as Cephas, but as Simon. You'll remember back to the beginning when he first called Peter. He said, you shall no longer be called Simon, but Cephas, which is translated as stone. And Jesus uses the name Simon that he had before he was called Cephas. You'll remember even in the very confession of Peter, when Peter said, you are the Christ, the son of the living God. Jesus first used the name Simon, but then he said, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church. That was set in stone. It's as if Jesus was saying here, do you remember the moment I called you? Who are you? Are you Simon? Or are you my stone? Do you know what the resurrection means for you? Have you considered it? It means that you're my new creation. Your failures don't annul my work. Your failures don't cancel out my work. It would be a horrible thing if that were true. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he's a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come. But I failed. Simon, do you love me more than these? Each question is carefully crafted. Do you love me? It's what follows and what not. You have to study this carefully. Peter had said in the previous section, I'm done, I'm off, I'm fishing. There was no little departure. There was sinning against the gospel now. There was sinning against the gospel now. As if his sin and failure had annulled the calling upon him and now he was denying resurrection power. So notice what Jesus does. Do you love me more than these? Jesus is going to do this three times, so we can't miss what the biblical writers here and what John was particularly taken with. This is a direct response to Peter's denial. Now, we've looked at this before. Each of the questions takes us back to the denials. But why in the world would Jesus begin by raising Peter's love for him and not Jesus' love for Peter? See, that seems counterintuitive. One would think Jesus would say, Peter, I love you. Don't worry about this. He doesn't. The word is not a careless choice here. Do you agape me? It's the very powerful word for love in the New Testament. Do you agape me? Do you love me? Do you sacrificially love me? Do you cherish me? Do you value me in that love? And is your love more for me, as you said, than their love? Do you love me more than these, as you said? Remember what Peter said? Even if all, all these, all these disciples, my fellow companions, are made to stumble because of you, I will never be made to stumble. I love you so much, I will not stumble. you see that's a moment to consider it gets to the heart of a changed desire but the problem that i'm trying to raise today if christ is raised why are we still dealing with sin and weakness and failure at times and there's something to this that makes for a disciple when we understand this it's going to be much more useful in His calling than somebody else. Why does the Lord let us fall? Why does the Lord let us at times drift? Why doesn't He just say not happening? Why does He let us take tumbles? Why do we have besetting sins? I was reflecting on our canons of Dort, and they're really pastoral. Listen to what it says. There are times when our sins interrupt our exercise of faith. And they very grievously wound our consciences. And sometimes we lose a sense of God's favor. I'm sure you've had this and wondered, where is he? Where's the power to this? Where's the help in this? Where's the strength in this? Shouldn't resurrection power mean more victory in this life? Why does God let us fall at times? Here's what the cans go on to say. Even though he's delivered us from the dominion and the slavery of sin in this life, He has not delivered us, though, altogether from the body of sin and from the infirmities of the flesh. Why? Why do you continue to struggle if there's resurrection power? Here's what it says. The daily sins that we struggle against. In this struggle, it furnishes us with a constant way of humiliation before God. That we would constantly fly for refuge to Christ crucified. For mortifying, putting to death sin more and more by the spirit of prayer. And by holy exercises of piety and for pressing forward. Now, that's really important. Peter's arrogant. I'm arrogant. It's built into us. Sometimes he doesn't deliver us all together from the body of sin in this life. The dominion, yes. Even from particular struggles. That we would continue to get on our knees. And that we continue to come back to Him. This, beloved, is precisely where He wants us. Because the most useful servants in the kingdom are humble ones. Who constantly turn to Him for help. Who don't give up, but constantly come back to the throne of grace. He loves this. who'd live in reliance and dependency upon Jesus because he meant it when he said, apart from me, you can do nothing. So Jesus is drawing out a confession here. He's working on Peter's heart. He had learned that he had no strength in himself and even of himself with the desire there. The desire was sincere. The desire was really sincere. I will not deny you. I love you. but he failed. And I think he's crushed with this reality. And I think there are many of you crushed daily with this reality. It's a hard go of things, isn't it? To want to love the Lord and find time so little strength. He cannot say he doesn't love the Lord. But his denial seemed to prove it. But he does love the Lord. And so what we see coming out from him is a lesson in humility. Humility is coming out from a man who had little. That's why we study him and we say, bumbling, fumbling, foolish Peter. It was pride. He can't use the same word. That's evident here in the original. Jesus says to him again a second time, Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me? He leaves off more than these. Jesus goes deeper. He's getting into the heart deeper. He's pressing him. He uses the same word for love again. He uses the same word. But this time he leaves off more than these and he singles out, do you really love me? In Peter's second denial, you remember what happened. He came to the servant. The servant girl came to him. a little girl came up to him and said, look, this fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth. You were with him, weren't you? No. And then he swore an oath. I don't know the man. It's like Jesus singles out the oath here. Do you love me? You took an oath, didn't you? You don't even know me. Do you really love me? on all accounts that's hypocrisy peter broken humbled ashamed lord you know that i have affection for you you can't use the same word and jesus says a third time he moves to peter's level do you love me it's the same word peter's been using in response any questions the very word peter uses do you have affection for me do you really have affection for me well third denial what do you think in the third denial someone came up and said to peter surely you are also one of them for your speech betrays then he began to curse and swear i mean that's a breaking of the third commandment i don't know the man immediately the rooster crowed cursing and swearing do you have affection for me peter's in despair at this point he's frustrated he's in despair because deep in his heart he does love him listen he does but he didn't show it the way he wanted to you see where jesus has brought him who are the most useful servants in the kingdom john was sitting there listening to the whole thing john would write in his little book we love him we certainly love him but it's because he first loved us this is vital for the christian life I really never loved him to begin with. The reason that I stand here today is because he was steadfast in loving me and all my failures and restoring me and drawing out repentance. Isn't that what Peter realized? You see, the basis for the calling on your lives is the same. It's all been grace from the beginning. Jesus just went through the horrors of the cross and said it is finished and died the terrible death facing the wrath of God to pay for sin that had to be justly satisfied. And because he did that because of the fact that he loved Peter and he loves you and he's forgiven you. This is the good news of the gospel. This is what we're celebrating. And that love begins to compel us, said Paul. What the resurrection means is just what was said in the New Testament. If Christ is not raised, you're still in your sins, you see. But he's risen indeed, therefore your sins are put away. As far as the east is from the west, so far have I cast them from you. And the new creation, his resurrection means that his calling is irrevocable on us. and jesus is saying that to us today my calling for you is not changed i know the struggle with sin is real i know you're discouraged by it but you come look at my hands on my side believe trust me they're atoned for but i want you continuing to come to me can you imagine today if everyone ran around and said i'm doing great i don't see any sin i'm living the dream i got a perfect life i've got this and this and this and this what kind of person would that would that be somebody you wouldn't want to be around i'll tell you that because it's not true jesus wants humble servants who come to him and know what they need to come to him constantly for forgiveness and help and mercy and strength and grace and so jesus says to close this today do you love me feed my sheep feed my lambs feed my flock it's just like our lord isn't it of course the commandment is love the lord your god with all your heart soul mind and strength isn't it just like our resurrected lord to say you want to show that you love me love my people who i died for pastors feed them give yourself to feed them you love these that's how you can show you love me in renewed life that's not what we do by nature we do everything we can to get away from the church love my flock tend to my people care for them in their needs when you do that you'll be loving me so jesus was saying you were the wandering sheep you were the immature lamb you departed from the fold look what i've done for you i've come after you i've restored you this way now you got a whole bunch like you out there who are mine go care for them the way I've cared for you love them the greatest witness to Christ are those who know what they are and what Christ did for them because they become the most sincere witnesses And Jesus says this, Peter, you used to go doing whatever you want to do. Now, you're going to go and you're even going to die for me. You're even going to go and your life is going to be laid down for this truth. So that you would love my sheep. That's the path I have for you and that's not changed. Your life will become less and less about you when you begin to love the Lord and His people. Become less and less, and this is a lifelong battle of your desires. And you will begin to care that other people have the forgiveness that you've had. This is what the resurrection is saying to us today, beloved. You're free. I've loved you. My calling on your life has not changed. so follow me and live in the peace that I've achieved for you and love my flock and don't sin anymore against the gospel thinking that my death is not enough to forgive you from all of your sins now go tell others the wonderful things that the Lord has done for you that's what we live now in the power of the resurrection. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for such a comforting truth, a wonderful truth, and thank you for restoring us the way that you do and for inspiring in us this kind of response. It is by your love that we are here today. It is that this great love rescued us and gave everything for us. Lord, we confess our own pride. We confess that we try to go through this life on our own. We confess that our sins often humble us and our failures so that we would continue to come to the throne of grace and that we, Lord, would rest upon your promises. Thank you for restoring us. I pray that you'd comfort any afflicted heart here today who is confused about the Christian life that this sermon would have given them great clarity. I pray if there's any here today who don't believe that they would turn this day and come to Christ, repent and believe the gospel. I pray that all of us together would see how marvelous this sacrifice, death and resurrection is for us to live in joy and in comfort and in love and in peace. Bless this word to our hearts today and thank you for the resurrection of our beloved Savior. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.