Restored by Christ - John 18:25-27; 21:15-22

(Peter)

by David Woods

My family was at the Gates, TN Church of God (Holiness) for the monthly fellowship meeting. A few minutes still remained before starting time.

I was sitting next to my father. And I had an important, personal question to ask him. I couldn’t tell you now what the question was, but it was important then, especially right then.

I tried whispering into my dad’s ear. He couldn’t hear me. My dad is somewhat deaf in one ear. He loudly said, “I can’t hear you; you’ll have to speak louder.”

In a small congregation, of course, it is very easy to overhear conversations, even whispered ones. But when someone says, “Speak louder,” it rivets everyone’s attention that way. And I had an important question that I didn’t want people to overhear.

I whispered again. Still my dad could not hear me. Finally, he told me to get up and move to his other side. Well, by that time, we had become a spectacle, and I no longer wanted to ask the question because everyone would hear.

Such are the trials and tribulations of a timid boy in a tiny church.

Another trial and tribulation one endures in the small church is that news travels fast. If Mr. and Mrs. Jones had a fight and their marriage is on the rocks, it is amazing how soon this knowledge, that might be best left private, becomes public domain information.

Today, with a number of mega churches and mid-sized churches, it is somewhat possible to remain inconspicuous. You may not even know the person who sits next to you in the worship service.

But while you may attend a larger church, it still seems that your failures are well known among your circle of friends. Maybe it is just the scripture that “your sins will find you out” in play.

The central principle I believe our lesson teaches us is:

Big Idea: Jesus is always ready to restore the fallen believer.

Unfortunately, the Church is not always ready to restore the fallen brother or sister.

Discussion: What were some of the times in which Peter stuck his foot in his mouth during Jesus’ ministry?

Discussion: When the other disciples heard that Peter had denied Jesus on the night of Christ’s betrayal, what do you think they thought about Peter?

Discussion: The other disciples had fled when Jesus was arrested. Did they have a right to feel more self-righteous than Peter? Why or why not?

All disciples of Christ were once sinners who were changed by God’s grace into saints. Furthermore, it is very possible for us to slip and fall spiritually.

Discussion: Why do so many Christians quickly disparage a brother or sister that falls to the devil’s wiles?

In verses fifteen and sixteen, Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him with agape (sacrificial) love. Peter responded that he loved Jesus with phileo (brotherly) love.

Discussion: Why do you think Peter responded this way?

In verse seventeen, Jesus changed the word for love. He asked Peter if he loved Him with phileo (brotherly) love. It almost seems as if Jesus is asking, “Peter, do you even love me with brotherly love?”

Discussion: Peter was very hurt by Jesus’ repeated questions. Why did Jesus continue to question Peter this way, even though He knew Peter’s feeling would be hurt?

Discussion: Why did Jesus tell Peter, after Peter reaffirmed his love for Christ, to feed Christ’s sheep? What does Jesus’ command imply?
(That despite his terrible failure, Jesus had a place of ministry for him in the Church and wanted him to serve and would trust him to serve in this place of ministry.)

A concern I have about a fallen brother is that often the local church seems to do little or nothing to restore the fallen believer. Instead, the person is ostracized and never accepted back, at least, he is never fully accepted back.

Discussion: How can our church create a “safe place” for the fallen believer?

Discussion: How should we go about attempting to restore the wayward believer? What are some dangers of abrupt confrontation? What are some dangers of not having any confrontation over the person’s spiritual condition?
(A careless confrontation, for instance, in a church service - pointing out the individual and saying, “You need to repent” - could drive the person farther away. At the same time, it is important that the person does repent of the sin. Also, I think it is important that the church as a whole knows that the fallen believer has been restored and is given the chance to surround the restored believer with love and encouragement and prayers.)

Discussion: Is our church willing to allow the restored believer to occupy a place of ministry? Are there limitations on the office the church allows such a person to hold? Why? Are our reasons biblical or personal?

Discussion: Why did Jesus foretell Peter of the kind of death he would have?

You would think that verse nineteen would be a fitting end to this story of Peter’s restoration. But John continues to tell of a curious exchange in verses twenty through twenty-two.

Peter looked back and saw John following Jesus and him. Peter asked Jesus what would happen to John. Jesus basically said, “It’s none of your business what happens to John.”

Discussion: What lesson should this teach the church, and especially the restored believer?
(Sometimes, it seems that our distraction with other people’s spiritual condition and what they think about us is what allows the devil to blindside us with temptation. We need to focus on following Christ rather than worrying about what other people think about us.)

The local church is a family - and a small subset of the larger family of God. Like flesh-and-blood families, everything that happens tends to become public information quickly, whether it is a timid boy asking his father a personal question in a worship service or the moral failure of an influential church member.

Often, it is hard to forget and even harder to forgive and fully accept the erring believer back into the church. But, as our scripture shows us, Jesus is always ready to restore the fallen believer. Therefore, we too should always be ready to restore the fallen believer with love and grace.