Palm Springs Drive Church of Christ

Series: N/A

Service: Wed Bible Study

Type: Invitation

Speaker: Luke Hinely

Series: Power Passages

Service: Wed Bible Study

Type: Bible Class

Speaker: Jason Bray

Series: N/A

Service: Praise and Preaching Service

Type: Sermon

Speaker: Brian Messerli

Zephaniah 3:19-20 [This book is all about God’s judgment on the people of Judah for their sin; He will pour out His fiery wrath on them and they will be shamed and disgraced when Babylon comes in to wipe them out.  As a nation, they’ll lose all social credit, respect, and standing in the eyes of the world and of God, they’ll be filled with sadness and despair, but in the end, God makes an incredible promise to them.] - God promises one day He will bring justice down on all those who oppressed and shamed His people, and He will save His people from their shame, welcome them home, and lift them up in honor and glory.  All the social credit, respect, and standing in the world that they lost because of their sin will be regained in honor because of God’s grace.

This is our third and final lesson in a series on shame, and in the first sermon we acknowledged that shame in and of itself is not toxic or inherently evil.  God gave us shame as an emotion meant to bind us together socially.  Shame is the painful feeling that accompanies real or perceived loss of respect, social standing, and connection with God and/or the community we value most.  In short, it’s the pain of being socially discredited.  It’s a good thing to be concerned about rejection by others and God for our moral violations and our violations of social etiquette because it motivates us towards better behavior and to seek forgiveness and reconciliation when we step out of line, so righteous shame actually draws us closer to God and to others in the end.

But in our second lesson we talked about the problem of over-shame, when shame goes too far.  And over-shame actually IS toxic and it’s one of Satan’s favorite weapons against us.  From another angle, righteous shame is the painful feeling that accompanies a threat to our sense of belonging.  When our social standing in the group has decreased, we fear we might be abandoned if we don’t make things right.  And again that’s beneficial in our families, our larger community, and the church because it binds us together.   But over-shame is the painful feeling of believing you don’t belong at all and that you deserve to be abandoned.  And instead of it drawing us closer and motivating better moral behavior and social cohesion, it leads us to hide and isolate from the group because we no longer feel worthy to be a part of it, we no longer feel like forgiveness or reconciliation are possible because we’re just too horrible.  And this comes straight from the Devil, who is called the Accuser in Scripture because over-shame comes from believing Satan’s false accusations against us.  Satan loves to plant over-shame in us when we’re children through false stories about why we don’t belong, and then he loves to find ways to re-tell those same stories to us as adults.  And it’s over-shame that leads to serious problems like self-loathing, perfectionism as we try to prove our worth through our performance, escapism as we hide behind pleasure, extreme judgmentalism because if I can point out how terrible everyone else is, I can feel better about myself, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, addiction, rage, violence, and even suicide like Judas.

So in our final lesson morning, we want to know, “What is the cure for over-shame?”  And I gave 4 answers to this in the previous lesson; vulnerability which is to come out of hiding and bring our weaknesses and shame into the light, to be known and accepted by someone honorable despite our vulnerability, to belong with someone honorable who delights in us, and to not have any fear of abandonment.  And I pointed to one of the most powerful examples we can find for what this looks like in our sin-cursed world: It’s Mom and Dad welcoming us into as newborns.  When we’re born, we’re completely vulnerable, we’re literally naked, we’re not presentable, we’re slimy and splotchy, we’re crying and needy and weak and may even soil ourselves, yet even in our most vulnerable state, we’re fully accepted just as we are, and not only that, but they can’t stop smiling and holding us and kissing us and assuring us that we belong with them because they delight in us, and we have zero fear that they’re going to abandon us.  We are completely safe in their love.

In Curt Thompson’s book, “The Soul of Shame,” he said, “We all are born into the world looking for someone looking for us, and we remain in this mode of searching for the rest of our lives.”

This morning, I want to unpack these 4 things in more detail, but I want to show you how we actually acquire these 4 cures from God in 3 ways:

1. Honor from the Most Honorable

• In our first lesson in the series, we noted the difference between shame and guilt.  Guilt is the feeling about my bad choice, shame is the feeling about my social discrediting because of my bad choice.  Guilt is about what I’ve done, shame is about who I am or perceive myself to be now to others and God because of it.  Guilt is about my actions, shame is about my identity and social standing.

  • In Greg Eshoff’s book, “For Shame,” he makes a very interesting point that guilt is often something we can resolve on our own.  If I wrong someone, I can go apologize, ask for forgiveness, and attempt to make reconciliation; once they forgive me my guilt is resolved.  And actually, even if they don’t forgive me, I can still feel like I’m not guilty anymore because I did what I could to try to make it right.  I can feel sadness and remorse that they didn’t forgive me, and regret for what I did to cause the rift, but the guilt is made better by apology.  Shame, on the other hand, is much harder to resolve on our own.  We see this in shameful scandals by public figures like politicians, celebrities, and religious leaders.  Even if they apologize and people say they’ve forgiven them, there’s still a social stigma attached to them.  They’ve been socially discredited and it’s extremely difficult for them to get their social standing back on their own because shame is much more dependent on the acceptance of others, which means it can only be resolved by someone else acting on our behalf.  Someone honorable in the community must be willing to associate themselves with us, thus lifting us back up to a position of honor again by our association with them.  If we tried to increase our social standing and gain social credit back ourselves by doing community service or helping the poor, people might say, “Oh he’s just doing that to make himself look good so we’ll accept him again, but we know it’s just a publicity stunt.”

    • No, the only way back to a position of honor is for someone honorable with a high social standing to be willing to associate themselves with us and accept us in our shameful, vulnerable state.  This is where the first two cures we mentioned are taken care of; vulnerability and acceptance in our vulnerable state by someone honorable.  And that’s exactly what God said He would do for us where we started in Zephaniah 3:19-20 [read again].  Despite our shame and loss of respect and standing and connection with God and the community, He promises to reach out and accept us and bring us in to His family and gather us as His people, and in so doing we will be lifted back up to a position of honor because God is the most honorable of all and He’s willing to say, “You’re mine, you belong with me.”  And one of the most powerful illustrations of this is…

      • Luke 15:11-16 - This son sinned against his father by asking for his inheritance early, which basically means he’s treating his father as if he were dead.  Because of it, he would have incurred guilt for his moral violation.  But more than guilt, he also lost his social standing, respect, and connection with his family, and he squandered his money on “loose living” which was socially discrediting in their society.  He also became poor which was shameful in their culture and things got so bad for him that even as a Jew who believed pigs were unclean, he ended up working with pigs for a living.  He has degraded himself and lost all social credit to the point where no one was willing to help him when he was in need.  He lost all respect, social standing, and connection with people in his family and community.  And remember from our first lesson on shame; shame is contagious and even if you’re not guilty of anything you can lose social credit and be shamed merely by association, which means he not only brought shame upon himself, but upon his father and older brother.  His father and brother, though not guilty of anything, would face shame simply by being related to this shameful son.

        • Luke 15:17-19 - Now, gratefully there’s a part of his shame that’s healthy and righteous.  It’s the part that seeks to make things right, to seek reconciliation and draw close to his father and brother again.  He’s actually wiling to be vulnerable, to present himself before his father emotionally and spiritually naked and exposed in all of his sin, weakness, and poverty.  He’s absolutely on the right track to find healing from shame, but he’s also struggling with over-shame because he feels like forgiveness is impossible and he’ll never truly belong as part of the family again.  Satan has accused him of being far too horrible to ever be welcomed home, and he believes it.  Yet notice the father’s response…

          • Luke 15:20-24 - Since this son brought shame upon his father, the most honorable thing in their culture would be for the father to disavow his son because to accept him back would be shameful.  Yet that’s not what he does.  This father, this man of great honor, is willing to accept his son fully in his shameful, vulnerable state, even if it means bearing some of that shame upon himself in the process.  This father was willing to face the shame of associating with his son and said to him, “You’re mine.  You belong with me.”  And notice, he didn’t just accept his son back, he delighted in his son, he hugged him and kissed him and celebrated his return.  It’s like the birth of a newborn child for him all over again, because this son who was dead has now been born again!  And this son never has to worry that his father would abandon him and disavow him as his son, because if he was willing to accept him back despite his horrendously sinful and shameful behavior, he knows he’s completely safe in his Father’s love.  You see, not only is shame contagious; honor is contagious too and this father had such high social standing that even though he took a hit socially by accepting him back, ultimately his honor won out and instead of this father being permanently shamed for association with his son; his son was permanently honored for his association with his father.

    • And this is exactly what Jesus does for us.  Jesus was the most honorable person to ever walk the earth, yet He associated Himself with US, the most shameful of sinners.  In fact, He got so close to us that the world believed HE was a shameful sinner worthy of death too.  It’s why His enemies mocked him as a “friend of sinners and tax collectors. How can be associated with such shameful disgusting people?”  Yet He was willing to take all that shame of our sin upon Himself so that He could lift us up to a place of honor and full acceptance and delight despite our vulnerability and weakness and sin.

      • Hebrews 12:2 - Jesus felt all the shame of social discrediting, loss of respect, social standing, and connection with the community, and yet He despised it, which means He counted it as nothing, and it was totally worth it to Him for the joy set before Him. Jesus not only accepted us in our vulnerable state, but it was a joy to do so because our older brother and our Father delight in us.

        • John 12:26 - If we struggle with over-shame, we may feel like we have zero social standing or respect or connection with God or the community because of our sin.  We may feel that we’ll never belong and we’ll never be welcome with God.  But God knows us fully, He sees us in our shameful nakedness and vulnerability, and is willing and eager to accept us and welcome us home.  And by our association with Him, we no longer have to feel the stigma of isolation and rejection; we can be honored not because WE are honorable ourselves, but because we’ve been accepted into the family of the most honorable of all, and honored by our association with Him.

2.  Value from the Most Valuable

• Since shame is rooted in our sense of identity and belonging, over-shame can make us feel worthless, like we have nothing to offer anyone and no one will ever care about us.  We can feel worthless because of our own sins, but also because of the sins of others against us.  If enough people reject us and mistreat us, we start to feel worthy of rejection and mistreatment.  If enough people abandon us, we start to believe we are unlovable and deserve to be abandoned because we have no value.

  • Luke 8:43-44 [Here we have a powerful story of a woman who would have questioned her worth and value] - She had a hemorrhage or flow of blood for the last 12 years, which had to do with a malfunctioning monthly cycle, and according to the Law of Moses, that made her ceremonially unclean, unable to worship with her brethren at the temple, attend synagogue services, or even share meals with people.  And her uncleanness was contagious; anything she sat on was considered unclean, anyone who touched anything she touched was considered unclean, and if she was married, her husband would have also been in a state of uncleanness because of it too.  Now, someone might wonder, “Why in the world would God call that unclean in the Law?  I mean it’s not like she was sinning, she was just sick.”  It’s because part of the Law’s function in preparing people for Christ was to teach us deep spiritual truths about the shame of sin.  While ceremonial uncleanness didn’t make you guilty of sin, it was treated as if you were bearing the shame of sin and to feel what it was like to be socially discredited because that’s what sin does!

- And because of the painful feeling of her loss of social standing, respect, and connection in the community, her instinct would be to hide from everyone, and if you’ve been isolating from people for 12 years, I imagine you’d start to wonder if you had any worth or value at all.  In fact, her plan was to sneak up behind Jesus, touch his garment, and then sneak away unnoticed because this whole situation was embarrassing and shameful.  But that’s not how her plan turned out.

- Luke 8:45-47 - She wanted so desperately to hide in her shame, but Jesus did not let her.  Instead, He invited her to be vulnerable, to openly share in public with the whole crowd why she came to touch the hem of His garment.  She had to publicly tell everyone about her ceremonial uncleanness from a female problem that would be extremely uncomfortable to talk about.  And Jesus is not doing this to shame her even more.  He’s doing it because the first cure for over-shame is vulnerability, to stop hiding and to let people see us as we really are, weaknesses, warts, and all.  Vulnerability is a sort of emotional nakedness that exposes the fears, failures, and longings of our hearts.  And then — Jesus shows her how valuable she truly is to Him even despite her weakness and shame.

- Luke 8:48 - This is one of the most tender moments in all of Scripture.  It’s the only time in the gospels Jesus calls a woman “daughter.”  It’s an expression of warmth, love and acceptance to a woman who hasn’t been loved and accepted for 12 years.  And what’s more, it’s an expression of her value and worth to Him.  He’s saying, “You’re my family.  You belong with Me.”  It’s so powerful that the gospel writers sandwich this account right in between the accounts of the healing of Jairus’ daughter.

- Luke 8:40-42 - Jairus came to Jesus in utter desperation because he would do anything to save his daughter from dying.  He loved his daughter more than anything, and was even willing to face the shame of social discrediting by his fellow synagogue officials for associating with Jesus.  He didn’t care because nothing was worth more to him than his daughter!  Yet as urgent as this was, Jesus stops along the way to talk to this woman.  You’d think He would have just let her touch His garment and gone on her way, but he stops to have a conversation with her!  Why?  Because like Jairus, Jesus had a daughter who was dying too.  Jairus’ daughter only just started dying at 12 years old, but Jesus’ daughter here had been dying for the last 12 years.  And she wasn’t just dying physically from the bleeding; she was dying socially and emotionally from her over-shame, and because He loved her like she was His own daughter, He stopped everything to help her.

- And keep in mind at this point in Jesus’ ministry, He had very high social credit.  He was held in high esteem as a Jewish rabbi, and like it said in v. 40 people welcomed Him when He returned and were waiting on Him.  Which means this woman was lifted out of her shame by being honored by the most honorable.

- But what’s more, she was also assigned the value of a daughter from the most valuable.  She was vulnerable, she was known and accepted in her vulnerable state by someone honorable, which restored her honor in the community.  And Jesus assured her she belonged by calling her daughter and saying, “You’re part of my family.” and she had no fear that Jesus would abandon her.  If He was going to do that, He would have done it after He found out she touched Him.  He could have run away screaming, “Unclean! Unclean!” and left her all alone, but He instead He welcomed her home.

For us, this means even if other people think we’re worthless and treat us as worthless to the point where we start to believe them.  Jesus sees us as precious sons and daughters in God’s family.

Illustration:  I hold in my hands a clean, crisp $100 bill.

• If I were to offer this to you for free, would you take it?

• Okay, what if I were to look at this bill and say, “You know what?  You’re worthless and you’ll never amount to anything!”  Would you still take it?

• What if I were to punch and beat this bill repeatedly?  Would you still take it?

• What if I were to crumple it up in a little ball, and throw it away from me, completely abandoning it?  Would you still take it?

  • Yes!  And in fact those on the front row are fighting the urge to run up on this stage and grab it!  Why?

  • Because it doesn’t matter if I SAY this bill is worthless, or if I THINK this bill is worthless, or even if I abuse this bill and treat it as if were worthless, it does nothing to take away it’s actual worth.  My subjective opinion about its value does nothing to change it’s objective value.  And that’s because even after all my mistreatment of this $100 bill, it still bears the image of Benjamin Franklin and is worth $100.

    • Now, if that’s true of this bill, how much more true is it that no matter what anyone SAYS or THINKS about our worth, no matter how many people have treated us as if we WERE worthless, even if we’ve been verbally or physically or sexually abused, even if we’ve been crumpled up and abandoned by everyone in our lives, it doesn’t change the fact that we still bear the image of God, and we are worth FAR more than $100.  We are sons and daughters of the King, and we have the same worth and value to our Heavenly Father that Jesus does.

      • 1 Peter 1:18-19 - Another word for “redeemed” is “ransomed,” and a pretty good indicator of our worth is what someone would be willing to pay as a ransom for us if we got kidnapped.  If you got kidnapped and the kidnapper said to your parents, “Look we’ll give him back for a million dollars,” if your parents said, “A million dollars?  You can just keep him.”  That wouldn’t feel too good, and if the kidnapper said, “Okay, well what would you give me for him?” and our parents said, “I don’t know, maybe 1,000” we’d be feeling pretty worthless.  But when we were kidnapped by Satan, God didn’t pay 1,000, 1 million, or even a billion to get us back; He paid an even higher price to secure our release; the precious, priceless blood of His Son Jesus.  By allowing Jesus to go to the cross for us, God was treating us in that moment as even more valuable than His own Son.  So if our parents or siblings or classmates or neighbors treat us as if we’re worthless and we start to believe we’re worthless, just remember Jesus would never have come to die on the cross for someone who had no value.  He shed his priceless blood because WE are priceless to Him.  You hold immense value to the most valuable of all.

3.  Truth from the Most Honest

• Over-shame comes from the lies of Satan who constantly tries to confine us, even from childhood, “You don’t belong with God or with anyone.”

  • John 8:44 - And just a view verses earlier, Jesus gives us the solution to combating the lies of Satan and it’s the truth from God who cannot lie.

    • John 8:31-32

      • When we sin, Satan’s going to accuse of not belonging with God.  But the truth of God’s word reminds us, “If we confess our sins He is faithful and righteous to forgive us.”

      • When we make a mistake, Satan is going to accuse us of being a failure and we won’t truly belong until we get it all right.  But the truth of God’s word reminds us He’s our Father who is patient and knows growth is a process and He expects progress yes, but not perfection.

      • When someone breaks up with us or worse, divorces us, Satan is going to accuse of being unworthy of love, but the truth of God’s word reminds us nothing can separate us from His love and He will never leave or forsake us.

      • When someone abuses us, Satan is going to accuse us of being worthless junk and damaged goods, but the truth of God’s word reminds us Jesus would have never given His life for worthless junk, and God is the master at taking things that have been hurt and damaged by others and restoring them and making them like new.

We need to fill our hearts and minds with the truth of God’s word every day to fight the lies of Satan that keep us stuck in over-shame by reminding us we belong in God’s family, He delights in us, and His perfect love casts out all fear of abandonment.

Zephaniah 3:19-20 - Are you ready to have your shame turned to honor this morning?  If so, come to Jesus so that your Heavenly Father, the most honorable and most valuable, can lift you up out of your sin and shame and seat you with Him in honor at His table.

Series: N/A

Service: Adult Class

Type: Bible Class

Speaker: Herb Hinely

Series: N/A

Service: Lord’s Supper Service

Type: Lord's Supper Talk

Speaker: Dwayne Gandy

Peter had been here before.

There was the water. There were the boats. There were the nets. And there had been an astonishing catch of fish.

Years earlier, near the beginning of Peter’s relationship with Jesus, a miraculous catch of fish had helped introduce him to a life he could never have imagined. Jesus had called him away from his nets with a simple invitation: “Follow Me.”

Now, in John 21, Peter’s journey with Jesus had nearly come full circle.

Jesus had been crucified and raised from the dead. Peter and several other disciples had returned to Galilee and gone fishing. After catching nothing all night, they heard a man on shore tell them to cast their net on the other side of the boat. Suddenly, the net was filled with 153 large fish.

John recognized Him first: “It is the Lord!”

Peter jumped into the water and made his way to shore.

When the disciples arrived, Jesus already had breakfast waiting for them. There was bread. There were fish.

And there was a charcoal fire.

That detail is easy to overlook, but John specifically tells us that it was a charcoal fire.

The Greek term John uses for that fire occurs only twice in the New Testament. Both times are connected to Peter.

The other charcoal fire appears in John 18.

On the night Jesus was arrested, Peter stood warming himself beside a charcoal fire while Jesus was being questioned. It was there that Peter was asked whether he was one of Jesus’ disciples.

Peter denied it.

Three times.

We cannot know exactly what went through Peter’s mind as he sat beside another charcoal fire on the shore of Galilee. But smells have a remarkable ability to bring memories rushing back. Perhaps the smell of that fire took Peter back to the courtyard—to the questions, the denials, the rooster, and the terrible realization that he had done exactly what Jesus said he would do.

But this time Jesus was sitting beside the fire.

And Jesus had not brought Peter there merely to remind him of his failure.

He was there to restore him.

After breakfast, Jesus turned His attention to Peter.

“Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?”

Exactly what Jesus meant by “these” has been debated. Was He asking whether Peter loved Him more than the fish, the boats, and his former way of life? That is certainly possible.

But there is another possibility that fits remarkably well with Peter’s story.

Before Jesus’ arrest, Jesus told His disciples that they would all stumble because of Him. Peter immediately objected:

“Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.”

When Jesus told Peter that he would deny Him three times, Peter insisted, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You.”

In effect, Peter had claimed that his devotion to Jesus was greater than that of the other disciples. Even if everyone else failed, Peter was certain that he would remain.

Then came the courtyard.

Now, beside the charcoal fire, Jesus asks, “Do you love Me more than these?”

Notice Peter’s answer.

“Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”

Peter does not compare himself with anyone anymore.

He does not say, “I love You more than they do.”

Something has changed.

The Peter sitting beside this fire knows something about himself that the Peter on the way to Gethsemane did not yet fully understand. He knows he is capable of failing. He knows his own weakness.

There is humility in his answer.

“Lord, You know that I love You.”

Jesus asks Peter three times.

“Do you love Me?”

Three questions beside a charcoal fire after three denials beside another charcoal fire.

By the third question, Peter is grieved.

“Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.”

That statement is especially meaningful coming from Peter.

Jesus did know all things.

He knew Peter would deny Him before Peter denied Him.

He knew Peter would return before Peter returned.

He knew Peter’s weakness, but He also knew Peter’s heart.

Jesus had told Peter before the crucifixion, “Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”

Jesus knew Peter would fall.

Jesus also knew Peter would get back up.

Now Peter had returned, and Jesus was ready to give him exactly what he needed.

Each time Peter affirmed his love, Jesus gave him an assignment.

“Feed My lambs.”

“Tend My sheep.”

“Feed My sheep.”

Peter had failed terribly, but Jesus had not discarded him.

Before Peter’s failure, Jesus had told him, “When you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” Now, on the other side of the failure, Jesus gives that commission in fuller form.

Take care of My people.

Feed My sheep.

Strengthen your brothers.

Peter’s failure did not erase the work Jesus had prepared for him.

Think about how encouraging that must have been.

Peter knew what he had done. Everyone around that fire knew what he had done. Yet Jesus was entrusting His people to Peter’s care.

Jesus was telling him, in effect, I am not finished with you.

There are few things more encouraging after failure than discovering that someone still believes you can be useful. Jesus did not pretend Peter’s failure had never happened. He brought Peter back to it.

But He did not leave Peter there.

Grace did not merely forgive Peter’s past. Grace gave Peter a future.

Then Jesus told Peter something startling.

When Peter was old, Jesus said, he would stretch out his hands and another would take him where he did not wish to go. John explains that Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God.

Before Jesus died, Peter had boldly declared that he was willing to die for Him.

Then, when the moment came, Peter failed.

But Jesus knew Peter better than Peter knew himself.

Peter had failed once, but failure was not going to be the final chapter of his story.

A day would come when Peter really would give his life for Jesus.

What an extraordinary thing for Peter to hear.

There was frightening news in Jesus’ words. Peter would suffer. He would die because of his faithfulness to Christ.

But there was also tremendous reassurance.

Peter would be faithful.

The man who had once denied knowing Jesus would one day glorify God through his death.

The commitment Peter had made so confidently before the cross would ultimately become the commitment he lived.

Jesus knew where Peter was going.

And Jesus knew how to get him there.

After telling Peter what his future held, Jesus said two simple words:

“Follow Me.”

That is where Peter’s journey had begun.

And after everything Peter had experienced—the miracles, the teaching, the walking on water, the confession that Jesus was the Christ, the arguments about greatness, the Last Supper, the garden, the denial, the cross, the empty tomb, and the resurrection—Jesus’ call had not changed.

Follow Me.

Peter had matured. Peter had failed. Peter had been humbled. Peter had been forgiven. Peter had been given enormous responsibilities.

But the fundamental calling remained exactly the same.

Follow Jesus.

Peter immediately demonstrated how difficult that can be. He looked around, saw John following them, and asked Jesus, essentially, “What about him?”

Jesus’ response was simple. Whatever happened to John was Jesus’ concern.

“You follow Me.”

Peter needed to keep his eyes on Jesus.

He had learned that lesson before. When Peter walked on water, he was fine as long as his attention was fixed on Jesus. When he became distracted by the wind and the waves, he began to sink.

Now Jesus tells him again: Do not worry about John.

Follow Me.

Throughout Jesus’ resurrection appearances, He demonstrated an amazing ability to give people exactly what they needed.

Mary needed to hear her name.

Thomas needed evidence.

The disciples on the road to Emmaus needed the Scriptures opened to them.

Peter needed restoration.

He needed grace.

He needed an assignment.

He needed reassurance about his future.

And then he needed to hear the call again:

Follow Me.

Jesus gave Peter exactly what he needed.

The Lord’s Supper reminds us that Jesus has also given us exactly what we need.

Each first day of the week, different people come to the table carrying different burdens. One may come grieving. Another may be discouraged. Someone may be struggling with guilt. Someone else may be frightened about the future. Another may simply be tired.

Our individual needs may be different.

But beneath all of them is one need every person shares.

We need Jesus.

We needed Him to go to the cross.

We needed Him to offer His body.

We needed Him to shed His blood.

We needed Him to do for us what we could never do for ourselves.

And we still need Him.

When we eat the bread and drink the cup, we remember the One who knows us completely—the good and the bad, the faith and the failure—and loves us anyway.

The same Jesus who knew Peter would fail also knew what Peter could become.

The same Jesus who restored Peter continues to offer grace to people who have fallen.

And the same Jesus who stood beside the Sea of Galilee and called Peter back to his purpose still calls us.

The Lord’s Supper turns our eyes back toward Him.

We remember His body.

We remember His blood.

We remember His love.

We remember His grace.

And then we leave the table and enter another week with the same calling Peter heard beside the Sea of Galilee:

“Follow Me.”

Keep your eyes on Jesus.

And follow Him.

Series: N/A

Service: Wednesday Night

Type: Invitation

Speaker: Daniel Fritz

Series: Power Passages

Service: Wed Bible Study

Type: Bible Class

Speaker: Daniel Fritz

Series: N/A

Service: Praise and Preaching Service

Type: Sermon

Speaker: Dwayne Gandy

Overcoming the Fear of Change

Change is one of life's few guarantees.

Some people thrive on it. They enjoy trying something new, exploring new places, or starting fresh. But for most of us, change brings at least a little hesitation. Sometimes it brings genuine fear. We like what is familiar. Even if our current situation isn't perfect, we often prefer the known over the unknown.

The founders of the United States recognized this tendency long before modern psychologists gave it a name. In the Declaration of Independence they observed that people are "more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed." In other words, people often choose familiar problems over unfamiliar possibilities.

Modern research has reached much the same conclusion. We naturally prefer the status quo. We often fear losing what we already have more than we enjoy gaining something better. We avoid decisions because we're afraid of making the wrong one. Sometimes our identity becomes so wrapped up in a job, a role, or a stage of life that any change feels like losing part of ourselves.

But followers of God have a different foundation.

The Bible never promises a life without change. In fact, some of the greatest moments of faith in Scripture began with dramatic change. What God does promise is something far better than stable circumstances.

He promises His presence.

That changes everything.

The Greatest Security in Life

If there is one truth worth remembering whenever life changes, it is this:

The greatest security in life is not unchanging circumstances, but the unchanging presence of an unchanging God.

Our greatest confidence has never been found in keeping life exactly as it is.

Our confidence is found in walking with the God who never changes.

That truth runs throughout Scripture, and few stories illustrate it better than Israel standing on the edge of the Promised Land.

When Fear Chose Slavery

After generations of bitter bondage in Egypt, God miraculously delivered Israel through the ten plagues. He parted the Red Sea. He fed them with manna. He brought water from the rock. At Mount Sinai He entered into covenant with them.

Finally they arrived at the border of the land God had promised Abraham centuries earlier.

Everything had led to this moment.

Moses sent twelve spies into Canaan. Forty days later they returned carrying enormous clusters of grapes and confirming exactly what God had said.

"The land truly flows with milk and honey."

But then came the fear.

Ten spies focused on the giants.

The fortified cities.

The military strength.

"We were like grasshoppers in our own sight."

The entire nation panicked.

Numbers 14 records their astonishing response:

"If only we had died in Egypt!... Why has the Lord brought us to this land to fall by the sword?... Let us select a leader and return to Egypt."

Think about that for a moment.

They wanted to exchange freedom for slavery.

They wanted to return to bitter bondage because it felt familiar.

From our perspective, their decision seems irrational.

Why would anyone willingly choose slavery over freedom?

Yet fear often causes us to do the same thing.

We remain in unhealthy situations because they're familiar.

We refuse opportunities because they require faith.

We cling to the past because the future feels uncertain.

But was Israel's future actually uncertain?

Not at all.

God's Promise Had Never Changed

Long before Israel reached Canaan, God had already told them exactly what He intended to do.

"I send an Angel before you... I will be an enemy to your enemies... I will send My fear before you... I will drive out the inhabitants of the land."

Notice what God did not say.

He never promised Israel they would conquer Canaan by their own strength.

He promised His strength.

Their future wasn't uncertain.

Their faith was.

The problem wasn't a lack of promises.

The problem was a lack of trust in the God who made those promises.

How often is that true in our own lives?

Sometimes we become overwhelmed by what might happen tomorrow while forgetting everything God has already done yesterday.

Fear grows whenever we remember our problems more clearly than we remember God's faithfulness.

Moses Understood What Really Mattered

One of the most revealing moments in Israel's history comes after the incident with the golden calf.

God told Moses He would still give Israel the Promised Land. His angel would go before them and drive out their enemies.

But then God said something startling.

"I will not go up in your midst."

Think about that offer.

The people could still have the land.

They could still have victory.

They could still enjoy prosperity.

But they would not have God's presence.

Moses immediately recognized that something essential was missing.

"If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here." (Exodus 33:15)

Moses valued God's presence more than God's blessings.

He understood that the Promised Land was never the greatest promise.

God's presence was the promise.

The land was holy because God dwelled there.

Without Him, it was simply another piece of real estate.

That principle remains true today.

The greatest blessing in life is never a new job, a new house, better health, financial security, or even answered prayers.

The greatest blessing is that God Himself walks with His people.

If He goes with us, we have everything we need.

Joseph's Unexpected Journey

Few people experienced more unwanted change than Joseph.

At seventeen years old, life looked promising. He was his father's favorite son. God had given him dreams that hinted at an incredible future.

Then everything changed.

His brothers threw him into a pit.

They sold him into slavery.

He was carried away to Egypt.

None of that was Joseph's choice.

Looking back later, Joseph's brothers even admitted they remembered his desperate cries as he begged them not to send him away.

Yet Genesis repeatedly reminds us of one simple truth:

"The Lord was with Joseph."

God was with Joseph in his father's house.

He was with him in the pit.

He was with him in Potiphar's house.

He was with him in prison.

He was with him in Pharaoh's palace.

Eventually Joseph reached an even deeper understanding.

God had not simply accompanied him through the changes.

God had been working through the changes.

What his brothers intended for evil, God used for good.

That realization transforms the way we view change.

Sometimes God protects us through change.

Sometimes He prepares us through change.

Sometimes He positions us through change.

Sometimes He tests us through change.

But He is never absent from it.

Faith Almost Always Requires Change

One surprising pattern appears again and again throughout Scripture.

Nearly every great act of faith either required significant change or produced significant change.

Abraham left his homeland without knowing exactly where he was going.

Moses left Midian to return to Egypt.

David's life changed dramatically from shepherd to fugitive to king.

The apostles left their fishing nets to become fishers of men.

Saul of Tarsus abandoned everything to become Paul the apostle.

The prodigal son changed directions and returned home.

Jesus' first message was simple:

"Repent."

Repentance is change.

It is changing the way we think.

Changing the direction of our lives.

Changing whom we trust.

The gospel itself calls people to embrace the greatest change they will ever make.

Faith has never been about preserving the status quo.

Faith follows wherever God leads.

David's Response to Crisis

David also teaches us how to respond when change is forced upon us.

While David and his men were away, the Amalekites attacked Ziklag, burned the city, and carried away every woman and child.

When David returned, everything had changed in a single day.

His home was gone.

His family was gone.

His men's families were gone.

The soldiers wept until they had no strength left.

Then they turned their anger toward David and talked about stoning him.

It was one of the darkest moments of his life.

How did David respond?

"But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God."

Notice where David found stability.

Not in circumstances.

Not in his own abilities.

Not in public opinion.

He found strength in God's presence.

Later David wrote,

"I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved."

The circumstances around David were constantly changing.

The God beside David never changed.

Joshua and Caleb Remembered Differently

When the twelve spies returned from Canaan, all twelve saw exactly the same land.

All twelve saw the same giants.

All twelve saw the same cities.

So why did Joshua and Caleb respond differently?

It wasn't because they had better information.

It was because they had better memories.

They remembered the Red Sea.

They remembered the plagues.

They remembered the manna.

They remembered God's promises.

The other ten remembered only the obstacles.

Fear often comes from selective memory.

We remember our disappointments while forgetting God's faithfulness.

We remember yesterday's problems while overlooking yesterday's deliverances.

Before facing your next major change, spend some time remembering how faithfully God has carried you through every previous one.

The God who sustained you then has not changed.

When Change Comes

Some changes arrive without warning.

A company closes.

A diagnosis comes.

A relationship ends.

Children grow up and move away.

A loved one dies.

Those changes are beyond our control.

Other changes require decisions.

Should I change careers?

Should I move?

Should I begin this ministry?

Should I end this relationship?

Should I pursue this opportunity?

In both situations, the same principle applies.

Seek God's presence before seeking your own solution.

David strengthened himself in the Lord before asking what to do next.

Moses refused to move without God's presence.

Abraham obeyed because he trusted the One who called him.

God has never promised to reveal every detail of the road ahead.

He has promised to walk the road with us.

God's Promises Remove Our Fear

Throughout Scripture God repeatedly assures His people of His presence.

"I will be with you."

"I will never leave you nor forsake you."

"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God."

Those promises matter because they replace uncertainty with confidence.

Not confidence in ourselves.

Confidence in Him.

When our identity is rooted in Christ rather than our career, our possessions, our relationships, or our accomplishments, change loses much of its power to frighten us.

A teacher may retire.

A business owner may sell the company.

Children may leave home.

Health may decline.

But none of those things change who we are in Christ.

Our identity remains secure because it rests in Someone who never changes.

Even the Greatest Change

There is one change every person eventually faces.

Death.

For the world, death often appears to be the ultimate uncertainty.

For the Christian, it is simply a different experience of God's presence.

The One who promised, "I will never leave you nor forsake you," does not withdraw that promise at the grave.

Death does not separate God's people from His presence.

It brings them into His presence in a fuller way.

That is why Christians can face even life's greatest transition with hope rather than fear.

Trust the Presence More Than the Circumstances

Change is inevitable.

Some of it will surprise us.

Some of it will hurt.

Some of it will become one of God's greatest blessings.

We rarely know which is which at the beginning.

But we do know this:

God has never asked His people to place their confidence in predictable circumstances.

He asks us to trust His faithful presence.

When change comes, remember His promises.

Remember His faithfulness.

Remember how He has carried His people throughout history.

Remember how He has carried you.

And above all, remember this truth:

The greatest security in life is not unchanging circumstances, but the unchanging presence of an unchanging God.

That is the kind of security no change can ever take away.

Series: N/A

Service: Adult Class

Type: Bible Class

Speaker: Jason Bray

Series: N/A

Service: Lord’s Supper Service

Type: Lord's Supper Talk

Speaker: Larry Ven Cleef