When you fail remember

God loves you more than you can imagine, even when you fail

Forgiving yourself may be the most difficult thing

The best days of your life may be after the failure…not before…if you allow God to shape the rest of your story

“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.” Peter said, “Lord, I am ready to go to prison with you, and even to die with you.” But Jesus said, “Peter, let me tell you something. Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.” Luke 22:31-34 NLT

1. Failure is an event that should cause remorse but does not have to be a destiny

• Peter failed at Caesarea Philippi (Matthew 16:13-28)
• Peter failed at the last supper (John 13:6-11)
• Peter failed at Jesus’ arrest (John 18:10-11)
• Peter failed in the courtyard (Luke 22:47-62)
• Peter was restored by Jesus (Mark 16:7, John 21)
• Peter was re-commissioned by Jesus and brought thousands to Him (Acts 2:14-41)

• Failure is remedied by repentance

“Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.” 2 Corinthians 7:10 NIV

• Condemnation

• Conviction

• Consequences

• Failure is Jesus’ platform to display the glory of restoration

“When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.” John 21:15-17 NIV

• Failure is God’s opportunity to redeem the bad for good

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 NIV

“…when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.” Luke 22:32

“Let me now remind you, dear brothers and sisters, of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then, and you still stand firm in it. It is this Good News that saves you if you continue to believe the message I told you—unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place. I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles. Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw him. For I am the least of all the apostles. In fact, I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God’s church.” 1 Corinthians 15:1-9 NLT

1. Three days means we have a Living Savior.

“And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless.”  1 Corinthians 15:14 NLT

The Claims of Jesus

• He claimed to be God

“They replied, “We’re stoning you not for any good work, but for blasphemy! You, a mere man, claim to be God.” John 10:33 NLT

• He claimed He would rise from the dead

“For as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.” Matthew 12:40 NLT

“Jesus replied. “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” John 2:19 NLT

“Then Jesus began to tell them that the Son of Man must suffer many terrible things and be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but three days later he would rise from the dead.” Mark 8:31 NLT

The Evidence

• The legal evidence

• The historical evidence

• The experiential evidence

2. Three days means we have a living hope

“Unless Christ was raised to life, your faith is useless, and you are still living in your sins. And those people who died after putting their faith in him are completely lost. If our hope in Christ is good only for this life, we are worse off than anyone else. But Christ has been raised to life! And he makes us certain that others will also be raised to life. Just as we will die because of Adam, we will be raised to life because of Christ. Adam brought death to all of us, and Christ will bring life to all of us. But we must each wait our turn. Christ was the first to be raised to life, and his people will be raised to life when he returns.” 1 Corinthians 15:17-23 CEV

3. Three days means we have a full life to live now

“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:58 NIV

“The best is yet to come, so give Him your best now.” Warren Wiersbe

“For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority. When you came to Christ, you were “circumcised,” but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature. For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead. You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.” Colossians 2:9-15 NLT

• Nail #1 The Power of DEATH was defeated and was nailed to the cross.

“For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.” VS 12

“He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.”  2 Timothy 1:9-10 NIV

“Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” Hebrews 2:14-15 NIV 

• Nail #2 The power of GUILT and SHAME was defeated and nailed to the cross.

“You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.” VS 13-14

“God went for the jugular when he sent his own Son. He didn’t deal with the problem as something remote and unimportant. In his Son, Jesus, he personally took on the human condition, entered the disordered mess of struggling humanity in order to set it right once and for all. The law code, weakened as it always was by fractured human nature, could never have done that.” Romans 8:3 MSG

• Nail #3 The power of THE EVIL ONE was defeated and nailed to the cross.

“In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.” VS 15

“The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.” 1 John 3:8 NASB 95

Fact: John 17 is the longest recorded prayer of Jesus

Two parts in John 17

1. Jesus prays for himself
2. Jesus prays for the disciples and for future believers

• Where does the miracle working power and sinless self-control that Jesus incarnate possessed come from?
• Do you accept Jesus’ teachings?

Jesus asks God for these things on our behalf

• For God’s PROTECTION by the power of the name of Jesus

“Holy Father, protect them by the power ofyour name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe bythat name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.” – John 17:11-12 NIV

• For the full measure of Jesus’ JOY to be in us

“I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.” – John 17:13 NIV

“The world hated them… for they are not of the world” – John 17:14 NIV

QUESTION: Should we always be liked?

• That God not take His disciples out of the world. But that He protect us from evil

“My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.” – John 17:15 NIV

NOTE: He affirms that we are to be SET APART – John 17:16 NIV

• That God SANCTIFY us by the truth (the word)

“Sanctify them bythe truth; your word is truth.” – John 17:17 NIV

• That we would be UNITED

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” – John 17:20-23 NIV

• That we would BE IN HEAVEN

“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.” – John 17:24 NIV

(John 16)

How did Jesus walk his disciples through severe difficulties and what did He say to them?

He says

Hang In There

“These things I have spoken to you so that you may be kept from stumbling. They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God. These things they will do because they have not known the Father or Me.But these things I have spoken to you, so that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told you of them. These things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you.

Help is on the way

“But now I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’  But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.  But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me;and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me;  and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.”

“I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.”

Hold on to your questions for later (they will be answered)

 “A little while, and you will no longer see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me.”  Some of His disciples then said to one another, “What is this thing He is telling us, ‘A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me’; and, ‘because I go to the Father’?” So they were saying, “What is this that He says, ‘A little while’? We do not know what He is talking about.”

Jesus knew that they wished to question Him, and He said to them, “Are you deliberating together about this, that I said, ‘A little while, and you will not see Me, and again a little while, and you will see Me’?  Truly, truly, I say to you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy. Whenever a woman is in labor she has pain, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born into the world. Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.

Hope in Me and My promises

 “In that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you.Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.”

“These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; an hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but will tell you plainly of the Father.  In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I will request of the Father on your behalf;  for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came forth from the Father.  I came forth from the Father and have come into the world; I am leaving the world again and going to the Father.”

His disciples *said, “Lo, now You are speaking plainly and are not using a figure of speech. Now we know that You know all things, and have no need for anyone to question You; by this we believe that You came from God.”  Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.  These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.” John 15:1-10 ESV

The Vine is Jesus

The Vinedresser (Grape farmer) is the Father

The Branch is us

The fruit represents the Holy Spirit’s activity in our lives both in forming our character and in doing what Jesus wants us to do.

What does it mean to “Abide” in Jesus?

• To abide in Him means to stay connected to Jesus by maintaining a living active relationship with Him

• To stay connected means living moment by moment, trusting Him to meet all your needs and be your deepest treasure.

How do we stay connected to Jesus?

• Focus the best of your attention and affections on Him

“Abide in me, and I in you” Vs. 4

• Forget trying to do life without Him

“…for apart from me you can do nothing.” Vs 5

• Flame your heart with His word

“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” Vs. 7

• Find your identity in His love for you

“…Abide in my love.” Vs. 9

• Follow His instructions

“If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.” Vs. 10

“Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.” Ephesians 5:1-2 NLT

Lessons from the Upper Room on imitating Jesus

•     The Servant Principle (John 13:5-15)

“You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.” John 13:13-15 NLT

•     The Love Principle

“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” John 13:34-35 NLT

•     The Trust Principle

“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.” John 14:1 NASB 95

•     The Prayer Principle

“You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!” John 14:13-14 NLT

•     The Obedience Principle

“If you love me, obey my commandments.” John 14:15 NLT

“Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”  John 14:21 NLT

•     The Helper Principle

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” John 14:26 NASB 95

•     The Peace Principle

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” John 14:27 NASB 95

“He began to teach again by the sea. And such a very large crowd gathered to Him that He got into a boat in the sea and sat down; and the whole crowd was by the sea on the land. And He was teaching them many things in parables, and was saying to them in His teaching, “Listen to this! Behold, the sower went out to sow; as he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil. And after the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. Other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.” And He was saying, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear… And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How will you understand all the parables? The sower sows the word. These are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them.  In a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy;and they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away. And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. And those are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.” Mark 4:1-9, 13-20 NASB 95

Jesus is the sower

His words are the seed

Our hearts are the soil

Soil Preparation

• We need to understand the types of soil and what they represent for our hearts in this parable. Additionally, how we can help others become good soil.

Soil #1 The Path

The Problem: Misplaced purpose

The Solution: Soil preparation

Soil #2 The Rocky Places

The Problem: Misplaced faith

The Solution: Rock removal

Soil #3 The thorny places

The Problem: Misplaced hope

The Solution: Weed pulling

Soil #4

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.” Matthew 7:24 NASB95

Hears the word

Accepts the word

Embraces the word

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.” John 15:1-4 NASB 95 

“Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them!”… Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons. “A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living.  About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs.  The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything. “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger!18 I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’ “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’  “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet.  And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began. “Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, and he asked one of the servants what was going on. ‘Your brother is back,’ he was told, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.’ “The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’ “His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’” Luke 15:1-2, 11-32 NLT

What does Jesus want us to learn from this parable?

1. He wants to change my concept of God

• Our concept of God has been shaped by our own experiences and the influences of others

• Jesus is describing God in a way that was new to His audience

2. He wants to change how I relate to God

Two sons: The younger and the older

Two perspectives: Self-centered and Self righteous

Two approaches: Reckless and Religious

One mistake: Neither of them wanted their father, they both wanted something from Him.

3. He wants to change my understanding of grace

• Mercy is treating someone better than they deserve. Grace is giving somebody something they do not deserve.

• Is God’s grace amazing to me?

“Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people—cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Luke 18:9-14 NLT

What Jesus knows about all of us

• All of us are looking to find a sense of approval and self-worth

• All of us are looking to find something to remove our guilt and shame

• All of us are looking for a sense of righteousness

• Jesus wants us to find all of these by learning how to live from the inside out rather than outside in

Two Men

• A Pharisee: Literally “Separate ones”. Religious elite

• A Tax Collector: Jews who collected taxes from the Jews on behalf of the Romans and extorted more than required to get rich.

Two kinds of people

• The Proud

• The Humble

“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” James 4:6 NLT

Two prayers

“The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself…” Vs. 11

“But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ Vs. 14

Two Paths

• Performance

“Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else…” Vs. 9

• Grace

“I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God.” Vs. 14

Two Choices

• Will I choose to live from the outside in like the Pharisee?

• Will I choose to live from the inside out like the humble tax collector?