Rev. Ronald C. Purkey,
Pastor
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The following Bible study outline was
prepared by Rev. Ronald C. Purkey for
the Adult Bible Class at Paul’s Chapel where Rev. Purkey is the teacher.
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THE JOY OF
FORGIVENESS
SCRIPTURE:
INTRODUCTION: The preceding chapters of John’s Gospel
reveal many things that no doubt greatly troubled the disciples. Jesus told
them He was going away (John
Just prior to Christ’s
crucifixion, Peter boldly asserted that he was ready to lay down his life for
the Lord (see Matt. 26:33, 35;
But Peter would not be
alone, for Jesus told the disciples that on the night of His betrayal, they
would “all fall away” (Matt. 26:31). They would all fail Him. As this Bible study
shows, however, the failure of Christ’s followers is not without remedy.
Repentance always activates God’s forgiveness and restores the fallen to
fellowship with Him.
I. JESUS
RESTORES PETER (John
A. The Invitation. (21:12-14)
1. Come And Dine. (
The invitation to breakfast is heard, and the disciples gather around the fire of
coals to partake of the good things the Lord had provided. Peter must have had
his own thoughts as he saw the fire of coals. Was he reminded of the fire at which
he warmed himself when he denied the Lord? The disciples felt a strange sense
of awe and seriousness in the presence of the Lord. There Jesus stood in His
resurrection body. There were many questions they would like to have asked Him.
But they did not dare. They knew it was
the Lord -- even if they felt a certain sense of mystery shrouded His
Person.
2.
Breakfast Is Served. (
Jesus now served breakfast to
them. And they were probably reminded of a similar occasion when He fed the five
thousand with a few loaves and fishes.
3.
Jesus Is Present. (
This was the third time mentioned by John that
Jesus appeared to His disciples.
That there were other times is clear from the other Gospels. In this Gospel, He
appeared to the disciples (1) on the evening of the day of the resurrection,
(2) then one week later, and (3) now by the shore of blue
B. The Restoration. (21:15–17)
1.
The Lord Asked Peter A Question. (
When they were warm and had eaten, Jesus turned to Peter and dealt with spiritual
matters. Peter had publicly denied the Lord three times. Since then, he had
repented and had been restored to fellowship with the Lord. In these verses,
Peter’s restoration is publicly acknowledged by the Lord.
It has often been pointed out that two different
words for love are used in these
verses. We might paraphrase verse 15 as follows: “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these other
disciples love Me?” He said to Him,
“Yes, Lord, you know that I am
fond of You.” Peter
would no longer boast that he would never forsake the Lord, even if all the
other disciples did. He had learned his lesson.
“Feed My lambs,” Jesus said. A very practical way of demonstrating love for
Christ is by feeding the young ones in His flock. It is interesting to note
that the conversation had changed from fishing to shepherding. The former
speaks of the works of evangelism; while the latter suggests teaching and
pastoral care.
2.
The Lord Asked Peter A Second Question. (
For the second
time, the Lord asked Peter if he loved Him. Peter replied the second
time, with genuine distrust of himself, “You know that I am fond of You.” This time The Lord said to him, “Tend My sheep.” There
are lambs and sheep in Christ’s flock, and they need the loving care of one who
loves the Shepherd.
3.
The Lord Asked Peter A Third Question. (
Just as Peter had denied the Lord thrice, so he was
given three opportunities to confess Him.
This time, Peter appealed to the fact that Jesus
was God and therefore knew all things.
He said the third time, “You know that I am
fond of You.” And for
the last time, he was told that he could demonstrate this by feeding Christ’s sheep. In this passage, the underlying
lesson is that love for Christ is the only acceptable motive for serving Him.
God Wants to
Forgive
General James Oglethorpe
(1696--1785) founded the British colony of
Wesley met Oglethorpe, and
during one conversation with him the general is reported to have said to
Wesley, “I never forgive and I never forget.”
Wesley replied, “Then, Sir,
I hope you never sin.”
We all need forgiveness and
restoration, the kind Peter received in this week’s Scripture story, but
sometimes we do not think we are worthy of such forgiveness.
Paul felt that way. Read
what he said in
II. JESUS
REVEALS PETER’S FUTURE (John 18-22)
A. Jesus’ Statement. (21:18-19)
1. Peter’s Life Was Revealed By Jesus. (
When Peter was younger, he had great freedom of
movement. He went where he wished. But the Lord here told him
that at the end of his life, he would be arrested, bound, and carried off to
execution.
2.
Peter’s Death Was Revealed By Jesus. (
Jesus is telling Peter that
he is to become a martyr. Peter had said he would lay down his life for the
Lord Jesus, and that is exactly what he will do.
This explains verse 18. Peter would glorify God by dying as a
martyr. He who had denied the Lord would be given courage to lay down his life
for Him. This verse reminds us that we can glorify God in death as well as in
life. Then Jesus exclaimed, “Follow thou Me!” As He said it, Jesus
must have started to leave.
B. Peters’
Question. (21:20-21)
1.
Peter Began to Follow The Lord. (
It seems that Peter began to go along with the Lord, and then turning around, saw John following too. Here John paused to
identify himself as the one who also
had leaned on Jesus’ breast at
the Passover Supper, and
had asked the name of the betrayer.
2.
Peter Asked A Question About John. (
As Peter
saw John, the thought probably crossed his mind, “What about John? Is he
going to die as a martyr too? Or will he still be alive when the Lord comes
back again?” He asked the Lord concerning John’s future.
Isn’t this just like Simon Peter? He says, “Now you have told me what I am going to do;
tell me what John is going to do.”
C. Christ’s
Response. (
Jesus is saying, “Look, Simon Peter, you are going to die for me. What John does is none
of your business. Even if he lives until I return, that does not affect what
you are to do. You follow Me!”
The Lord’s answer was that Simon Peter should not
be concerned about John’s last days. Even if he were to survive until the
Second Coming of Christ, this should not make any difference to Peter. Many
failures in Christian service arise from disciples’ being more occupied with
one another than with the Lord Himself.
The Fallacy Of Full-time Christian Work
Here is Os Hillman’s
testimony: ”I didn’t know you were in full-time Christian work,” said my close
friend as we were driving. “I didn’t
realize that,” she went on. I responded,
“Every person who has followed the will of God in their life is in full-time
Christian work.” God calls some to the
mission field, others to be accountants, and others to be advertising
executives, and still others to be construction workers. God never made a distinction between sacred
and secular. In fact, the Hebrew word
“avodah” is the root word having the same meaning of “work” and “worship.” God sees our work as worship.
We have
incorrectly elevated the roll of the Christian worker to be more holy and
committed than the person who is serving in a more secular environment. Yet the call to the secular workplace is as
important as any other calling. God has
to have His people in every sphere of life.
Otherwise, many would never come to know the Lord because they would be
separated from society.
I learned
this lesson personally when I sought to go into “full-time” service as a pastor
in my late twenties, only to have God thrust me back into the business world
unwillingly. This turned out to be the best
thing He could have done for me, because it was never His will for me to be a
pastor. He knew I was more suited for
the workplace.
We are all in
missions. Some are called to foreign
lands. Some are called to the jungles of
the workplace. Wherever you are called,
serve the Lord in that place. Let Him
demonstrate His power through your life so that others might experience Him
through you today and see your vocation as worship to His glory. -- Os Hillman
CONCLUSION: Even though Simon Peter
sinned, he did not leave the fellowship of the disciples. Because Peter
remained in a place where Jesus could restore him, he experienced more than he
could ever have hoped.
As Christians we, also, must remain where we can
experience Jesus’ restoring presence. We must have receptive spirits, humble
hearts, truthful minds, and yielded strength. We must wait for the Lord, seek
Him, and trust that He will restore us in God’s way, in God’s time.
THOUGHT TO
REMEMBER: “Sin invites judgment; confession ensures
forgiveness.”
PASTOR RONALD PURKEY’S OFFICE
e-Mail: Pastor Ronald Purkey
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