May 3, 2018 – John 21
Jesus said,
"Simon son of John, do you love me?" ..., "Take care of my
sheep." John 21:16
The way to love God
is to obey Him and love His people.
When people fail, it is disappointing. But when a pastor or leader fails, it is
damaging. That’s why a pastor’s failure becomes so
public. And often, it’s consequences can
become permanent.
Peter had failed Jesus in a very public and personal
way. Denying him three times was bad
enough, but Jesus and all of the other disciples knowing it was another. In his eyes, Peter thought his leadership
role was lost, that Jesus would never trust him again, and he was stuck being a
fisherman for the rest of his life.
Nothing against that occupation – it was quite a respectable and
profitable one – but catching perch is nothing like catching souls.
Jesus shocked both Peter and the other disciples by
reinstating Peter into a leadership role.
Three times Jesus had Peter affirm his love, and three times Jesus gave
Peter the primary assignment of shepherding the Kingdom. Peter was not only forgiven by Jesus, he was
returned into his role of leader for the disciples. If that’s not surprising, then the way Jesus
did it would be. Jesus didn’t ask for a
confession, or review Peter’s failure, or spend time recreating trust in
Peter. Jesus simply asked Peter about
his commitment. “Peter, do you truly
love me?”
Many people show up at church doubt their qualification to
lead. Like most people around them, it
is out of the question to think they deserve to be leading God’s people, let
alone be forgiven. But after hearing
of the cross and Jesus’ offer of
forgiveness, they get involved. Soon
they find themselves leading a ministry or being called on to set the example
for others, and are at the head of a pack.
Much like Peter, they sense the incredible blessing of being in charge
for Jesus. But then a failure happens,
or their family hits problems, or finances are mishandled. Something happens that not only creates a
mess in their life, but becomes something public (or at least perceived
public), and it feels like they no longer can lead. It’s like someone tagged them with a sign
saying: “Disqualified”.
But Jesus has a different plan. Broken people are not disqualified. In many cases, they are now better prepared
for the ministry work ahead. Broken people
appreciate Jesus even more. They tend to
value forgiveness in a deeper way. They
show more mercy & grace to those who end up broken. Where everyone else may think they are
disqualified, Jesus sees them as prepared.
Don’t assume your past disqualifies you from God’s
future. There needs to be repair and
correction, but God wants to restore you as well. It may not be to the same role, but God isn’t
finished yet. Reaffirm your love for
Jesus, and accept whatever assignment He gives you. In loving people and obeying Jesus, you will
re-establish your love for God, and even grow it deeper.
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