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Looking at Failure Through the Eyes of God  I  Pastor Ric  I  07.05.24

Luke 22:31-71

Courage is going from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm. -Winston Churchill

Our greatest fear should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter. 

-Francis Chan

My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure.       

-Abraham Lincoln

“A failure is a man who has blundered but is not capable of cashing in on the experience.”

31 “Simon, Simon, look out! Satan has asked to sift you like wheat.

32 But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail.

And you, when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

33 “Lord,” he told Him, “I’m ready to go with You both to prison and to death!”

34 “I tell you, Peter,” He said, “the rooster will not crow today until you deny three times that you know Me!”

1.    Looking at Failure – Luke 22:31-71

1.1.  Jesus tells Peter he is going to fail – vss. 31, 32

The word you in Luke 22:31 is plural.

Satan asked to have all the disciples so he might sift them like wheat.

He wanted to shake them violently and cause them to fall. (Job)

Peter’s courage failed, his pride failed, his self-conscious life failed, but not his faith.

God allowed Peter to fail. Even our failures cannot thwart the will of God in our lives.

1.2.  The Self-Inflicted Failure of Peter

Peter’s self-confident boasting is a warning to us that none of us really knows his own heart (Jer. 17:9) and that we often fail in the point of our greatest strength.

      Abraham’s greatest strength was his faith, and yet his faith failed him when he went down to Egypt and lied about Sarah (Gen. 12:10–13:4).

      Moses’ strength was in his meekness (Num. 12:3), yet he lost his temper, spoke rashly with his lips, and was not allowed to enter Canaan (Num. 20).

      Peter was a brave man, but his courage failed him and he

      Adam yielding and accepting the fruit form Eve.

      Noah drunk and naked in his tent.

      David lusting after Bathsheba.

39 He went out and made His way as usual to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed Him.

40 When He reached the place, He told them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.”

41 Then He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and began to pray,

42 “Father, if You are willing, take this cup away from Me—nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done.”

43 [Then an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him.

44 Being in anguish, He prayed more fervently, and His sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground.]

45 When He got up from prayer and came to the disciples, He found them sleeping, exhausted from their grief.

46 “Why are you sleeping?” He asked them. “Get up and pray, so that you won’t enter into temptation.”

47 While He was still speaking, suddenly a mob was there, and one of the Twelve named Judas was leading them. He came near Jesus to kiss Him,

48 but Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”

49 When those around Him saw what was going to happen, they asked, “Lord, should we strike with the sword?”

50 Then one of them struck the high priest’s slave and cut off his right ear.

51 But Jesus responded, “No more of this!” And touching his ear, He healed him.

52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests, temple police, and the elders who had come for Him, “Have you come out with swords and clubs as if I were a criminal?

53 Every day while I was with you in the temple complex, you never laid a hand on Me. But this is your hour —and the dominion of darkness.”

Our Lord’s last miracle before the cross was not a big flashy thing that attracted attention. It is likely that very few of the men who were there that night even knew what Peter and Jesus had done. Instead of performing some spectacular feat, He lovingly healed the ear of an obscure slave and then presented His hands to be bound.

Judas        – Followed the Flesh             – The Kiss

Peter         – Fought the Flesh                - The Sword

Jesus        – Faithful to the Father         - The Cup

54 They seized Him, led Him away, and brought Him into the high priest’s house.

               Meanwhile Peter was following at a distance.

55 They lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, and Peter sat among them.

It was during the second Jewish “trial,” the one before Caiaphas, that Peter in the courtyard denied his Lord three times.

• 1.    Self-deceived – I will not fail in this area!

Mark 14:29    

Peter told Him, “Even if everyone runs away, I will certainly not!”

• 2.    Self-confidence – Don’t worry, I got this

Luke 22:46

“Why are you sleeping?” He asked them. “Get up and pray, so that you won’t enter into temptation.”

• 3.    Self-deluded – I can make this happen

Luke 22:49–50

49 When those around Him saw what was going to happen, they asked,

“Lord, should we strike with the sword?”

50 Then one of them struck the high priest’s slave and cut off his right ear.

1.    He was self-deceived instead of self-denying

2.    Was sleeping when he should have been praying

3.    Fighting and trusting the flesh when he should have been yielding and trusting God.

(Jesus said he could call 12 legions (6000) of angels. Mt. 26:53

• 4.    Self-contained – I can do this on my own and sat down with the wrong crowd

Luke 22:55

They lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, and Peter sat among them.

• 5.    Self-govern – I’m in panic mode!

Mark 14:71

Then he started to curse and to swear with an oath, “I don’t know this man you’re talking about!”

He made bold and strong pronouncements of his ignorance of Jesus. He called down curses on

himself and placed himself under an oath and curse from God if he was lying.

• 6.    Self-destruct – I’m in crisis!

56 When a servant saw him sitting in the firelight, and looked closely at him, she said, “This man was with Him too.”

57 But he denied it: “Woman, I don’t know Him!”

58 After a little while, someone else saw him and said, “You’re one of them too!”

“Man, I am not!” Peter said.

59 About an hour later, another kept insisting, “This man was certainly with Him, since he’s also a Galilean.”

60 But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Immediately, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed.

•       Servant Girl at the door – John 18:15-17

Asked because of association   People

•       Second Servant Girl – John 18:26,27

Asked because of area               Place

•       Guards around the fire                     

Asked because of speech          Pattern of Speech

Galileans spoke an Aramaic dialect with noticeable differences in pronunciation

63 The men who were holding Jesus started mocking and beating Him.

64 After blindfolding Him, they kept asking, “Prophesy! Who hit You?”



Before the rooster crows is a Roman term for the start of the third watch – about 3 AM.

The rooster crowed.

61        Then the Lord turned and looked at Peter.

So, Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him,

“Before the rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times.”

62 And he went outside and wept bitterly.

Turned

 “to twist, turn, bend

Looked

to look at something directly and therefore intently, look at, gaze on

Deny

to refuse to recognize or acknowledge association

Bitterly

Sharp, pointed and pungent taste or smell

Failed

2.    Through the eyes of Jesus – John 21:15-19

The disciples were told to meet Jesus in Galilee. The disciples went up and waited.

What an incredible past month for them. Lazarus was raised from the dead, the crowd praising Jesus and shouting Hosanna to their king, one of their own betrays, the threating arrest, the denial of Jesus by their leader Peter, the crucifixion of Jesus, the resurrection and the Jesus appearing and walking through walls.

Talk about physically stressed, emotional exhausted and spiritually confused!

Then Peter, cannot wait any longer and goes back to what he was once successful at – fishing. He takes 6 other disciples with him.

And he even fails at that….

Early in the morning, this guy on the bank calls out and tells them to cast their net on the other side of the boat.

They do.

And they catch more than a boat load.

John realizes it is Jesus.

Jesus has a fire going and served them breakfast.

Remember the last time Peter and Jesus were around a fire?

This is the third time it is recorded that Jesus met with the disciples. You don’t hear about Peter the first 2 times. Some think that Jesus already had a one on one with Peter.

Peter’s restorative surgery begins….

Note how Jesus addressed Peter.

“Simon, son of John.”

He reverted back to his former name.

Do you think that got his and the other 6 attentions?

(When your mother wanted to get your attention, what did she call you?)

Do you think, he thought, this is it – I have fallen so far, He is even taking my name away.

Jesus met him where he was…. not where he thought he was.

Jesus asks him the same question 3 times.

Once for each time Peter denied the Lord.

2.1.  “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?”

         “Yes, Lord,” he said to Him, “You know that I love You.”

         “Feed My lambs,” He told him.

•       Jesus’ Question: Do you agapao me?

Do you love me?

Isn’t that the question to ask when we as believer’s sin?

When we sin, we declare that there is something or someone that we love other than Jesus.

•       Peter’s Answer: I phileo you. You know that.

Agapao           – A deliberate choice to sacrificially and unconditionally give with total commitment.

Phileo             – Great affection and passion for another.

Note the phrase – “more than these?”

This must have really cut to the core in Peter.

Mark 14:29       

Peter told Him, “Even if everyone runs away, I will certainly not!”

Peter was pretty bold before the denial…he doesn’t answer this part of the question now.

Which really was an answer, Jesus was looking to see in a broken man…not one able to boast in the

flesh.

In a broken spirit, he refuses to acknowledge the love at the level our Lord put it. But he says, I have a great affection for You. It’s not what it should be, but it’s honest.

I was stupid to boast myself beyond my brothers.

•       Jesus’ Response: take care of - boskō

“lambs” – arnion - a young sheep, considered for sacrificial purposes.

Amazing!

Wait! With an imperfect love, a defective personality, and major public failure and Jesus says –

Take care of my lambs.

The most vulnerable, weak and prone to wander of my flock. They are ones who will be precious and used for my glory. I turn them over to you.

2.2.  A second time He asked him, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?”

• “Yes, Lord,” he said to Him, “You know that I love You.”
• “Shepherd My sheep,” He told him.
•  
• Note that Jesus left off – “more than these”.
• Point made and received.
•  

      Jesus’ Question: Do you agapao me?

• Do you deliberately choose to sacrificially and unconditionally give with total commitment?
•  

      Peter’s Answer: I phileo you.

I have great affection and passion for another. You know that.

      Jesus’ Response: guide, lead and protect - poimainō my sheep.

     I want you to be the example and mature all my sheep.

2.3.  He asked him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?”

•    Peter was grieved that He asked him the third time, “Do you love Me?”

         He said, “Lord, You know everything! You know that I love You.”

               “Feed My sheep,” Jesus said.

      Jesus’ Question: Do you phileo me?

Jesus comes down and uses Peter’s word for love.

Jesus probes deep into Peter.

This is corrective surgery. It cuts deep, it’s painful, but needed for healing.

The word grieved means sorrow that leads to repentance.

• 1.    Peter is getting what is going on and why three times.
• 2.    Peter declared deep affectionate love to Jesus.
• Jesus is saying – are you sure you have even that?

      Peter’s Answer:  You know everything. I yield to you, Lord. You know my heart.

      Jesus’ Response: take care of – boskō - of my sheep.

I am placing this ministry of eternal souls into the hands of humanity.

God did not require Peter to get to agapao in order to give him ministry.

He required humble selflessness. (humility)

1.2.  A Word of “Encouragement”?

18 “I assure you: When you were young, you would tie your belt and walk wherever you wanted. But

      when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will tie you and carry you where

      you don’t want to go.”

19 He said this to signify by what kind of death he would glorify God. After saying this, He told him,

      “Follow Me!”

According to Christian tradition, Peter was crucified in Rome under Emperor Nero Augustus Caesar.

It is traditionally held that he was crucified upside down at his own request, since he saw himself unworthy to be crucified in the same way as Jesus.

For Peter, this was encouragement. He was going to get another chance and this time; he would not fail.

Application:

You have failed.

You are a failure.

You will fail.

Satan will tell us that we are finished, that our future has been destroyed, and that there is not hope.

But that is not God’s message to us. It wasn’t the end for Peter!

Jesus shows us how he can transform a failure into a rock of strength for His glory.

The church of Jesus Christ is a fellowship of forgiven failures.

So, how do you want to look at it?

Through your eyes or through the eyes of our Savior?

How to get through failure:

• 1.    When I fail, find someone to speak truth into my life.
• 2.    Stop living the self-hyphenated words.
• 3.    Repent                  – change my thinking            – I hate my sin
• 4.    Humble myself     – change my heart                – I desire to worship God
• 5.    Believe                - God’s plan and value of you are not based upon your success or failure but on His grace.

Peter’s failure did not define him.

He allowed our Savior to do painful surgery in his life and found healing.

When Jesus died on the cross, he completely paid for the sin of Peter’s denial.

He was not Peter “The Failure” but Peter “The Forgiven.”

(Put your name here) ___________ was once “the _____________” but now Jesus made me (your name) __________ “the forgiven.”

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