WEBVTT 00:00:00.239 --> 00:00:01.040 Good morning. 00:00:02.479 --> 00:00:02.879 Welcome. 00:00:03.040 --> 00:00:03.839 Welcome to Freedom. 00:00:04.240 --> 00:00:06.559 I'm so happy to be back with you this morning. 00:00:06.719 --> 00:00:10.000 And uh man, hasn't the has this been has this series been meaningful for you? 00:00:10.080 --> 00:00:13.039 Uh this miracle series that we've been in for the last few weeks. 00:00:13.199 --> 00:00:14.960 I hope it's been encouraging to you. 00:00:15.119 --> 00:00:16.399 Today we're wrapping that up. 00:00:16.480 --> 00:00:18.559 And so, man, I'm excited to be with you here. 00:00:18.640 --> 00:00:28.079 I know the last couple weeks I've kind of been a little bit out, and but uh I heard nothing but great reports and I just heard that uh I heard uh church went well the last couple weeks, and so so that's that's awesome. 00:00:28.160 --> 00:00:30.879 Anyway, I'm glad to be back with you here this morning. 00:00:31.039 --> 00:00:35.439 And um, yeah, this is our this is our last week of our miracle series. 00:00:35.520 --> 00:00:36.799 I've heard lots of great things. 00:00:36.880 --> 00:00:43.280 I know many of you are gathered in groups right now, and so that's kind of winding down right now and then and coming to an end. 00:00:43.359 --> 00:00:47.039 But like I said, I've just heard great stories of uh people just making taking next steps. 00:00:47.119 --> 00:00:50.880 I think I think sometimes we wonder what what's supposed to be the the end goal. 00:00:50.960 --> 00:00:54.799 And honestly, you know, and it's it's one of those things when you're following Jesus. 00:00:55.039 --> 00:00:59.359 Oftentimes the the win in the current season is that you took a step. 00:00:59.520 --> 00:01:11.840 You took a step toward Jesus, or something that there's something that you that you you haven't done, or maybe you've been resistant to, and and now you're in a season where you know I I've heard stories already of people praying out loud in front of other people for the first time. 00:01:11.920 --> 00:01:13.519 And for some of you are like, what's the big deal? 00:01:13.680 --> 00:01:15.840 And then for the rest of you, you're like, that's a really big deal. 00:01:16.000 --> 00:01:17.120 Like praying out loud. 00:01:17.280 --> 00:01:17.840 And guess what? 00:01:17.920 --> 00:01:24.480 That's that's that's that's a next step, and that's a win, and and those are that's growth, and that's that's us moving toward Jesus. 00:01:24.560 --> 00:01:30.400 And so, anyway, I'm super proud of you for going through this and going through this uh this um this series with us. 00:01:30.560 --> 00:01:32.879 Next week, we're starting a new series on family. 00:01:32.959 --> 00:01:39.680 We're talking about a better way to to lead at home, and so anyway, I'm I'm I'm looking forward to doing that and going through that with you for the month of May. 00:01:39.840 --> 00:01:43.040 It's a great uh series to be inviting people to as well. 00:01:43.120 --> 00:01:45.120 And so, anyway, come back next week for that. 00:01:45.359 --> 00:01:57.680 Have you ever um you ever been in one of the uh situations where you've you've messed something up bad, like you've really messed something up, and you instantly become like a professional excuse maker. 00:01:57.840 --> 00:01:58.640 You know what I'm talking about? 00:01:59.040 --> 00:02:03.920 You're like you gotta like, you know, the tools just weren't quite right, you know. 00:02:04.319 --> 00:02:07.519 It was the instructions, they were super just unclear. 00:02:07.760 --> 00:02:09.759 The weather was working against me. 00:02:10.000 --> 00:02:10.800 You know what it is? 00:02:10.960 --> 00:02:12.560 They put dye in our foods. 00:02:12.639 --> 00:02:13.520 It's red 40. 00:02:13.599 --> 00:02:18.879 My mom was feeding me Kool-Aid and Cheetos for all those years, and the red 40 is now in my brain. 00:02:19.039 --> 00:02:20.879 And so it's really not my fault, you know? 00:02:21.039 --> 00:02:22.960 It's really not my fault. 00:02:23.280 --> 00:02:26.240 We we got all kinds of excuses. 00:02:26.400 --> 00:02:29.680 That's what happens oftentimes when we when we fail. 00:02:30.240 --> 00:02:34.159 We instantly move toward managing the story. 00:02:34.639 --> 00:02:47.360 We we we instantly move toward, oh hold on, you need to know, you need to know where I'm coming from, you need to know how I got here, you need to know why I did that, you need to know what they did and what led me to this point. 00:02:47.439 --> 00:02:52.719 We instantly move toward management, story management. 00:02:53.039 --> 00:02:57.120 I'm gonna talk to you this morning about the topic of failure. 00:02:57.599 --> 00:02:59.199 What do you do when you fail? 00:02:59.520 --> 00:03:04.240 In fact, the title of the message is not if I fail, the title of the message is when I fail. 00:03:04.639 --> 00:03:10.319 And I I really believe this is this is a really significant topic. 00:03:10.719 --> 00:03:17.199 Honestly, it's probably worthy of an entire series just around what do we do and how do we respond? 00:03:17.280 --> 00:03:19.919 How does God respond when when we fail? 00:03:20.080 --> 00:03:24.639 I'm gonna do my best to kind of shove it into about a 35-minute window for you this morning. 00:03:24.719 --> 00:03:34.479 But this is a significant topic because for many of us, we've got a lot of just wrong perceptions about what it means to follow Jesus. 00:03:34.719 --> 00:03:35.840 What's it look like? 00:03:36.000 --> 00:03:45.120 Uh, you know, a lot of us are very comfortable going, I know I used to fail, but now I'm in Jesus, I'm in Jesus, so what do I do now when I fail? 00:03:45.439 --> 00:03:47.759 There's a lot of we got a lot of bad theology. 00:03:47.919 --> 00:03:49.840 We don't even know it's theology, it's theology. 00:03:49.919 --> 00:03:57.280 You got some bad ideas about God, some bad ideas about what he thinks about you when you fail. 00:03:57.759 --> 00:04:07.680 And for for many of us, what we think about God and how he sees us when we fail, for a lot of us, it's driving us. 00:04:07.840 --> 00:04:09.680 Some of us, you love Jesus. 00:04:09.919 --> 00:04:14.159 You love Jesus, and I and I can see it all over you because you like you love Jesus. 00:04:14.400 --> 00:04:19.920 You just you want to talk about Jesus, you're you you're just like, I know I messed up, but you know, Jesus has been so gracious to me. 00:04:20.000 --> 00:04:22.800 And there's others of you, you look like you love Jesus too. 00:04:23.279 --> 00:04:24.560 And you'll even say it. 00:04:25.199 --> 00:04:34.079 But beneath the surface is this like striving, and it's this, it's this effort, and it's this, it's this, I gotta do more for Jesus. 00:04:34.160 --> 00:04:41.920 And it's actually not the love of Jesus that's compelling you, it's it's your failure that you feel toward Jesus that's compelling you. 00:04:42.240 --> 00:04:44.639 I want to set some of this straight. 00:04:44.720 --> 00:04:51.360 Hopefully, you can walk out of here today with a little bit more freedom around the idea of failure. 00:04:51.600 --> 00:04:52.560 It's a human thing. 00:04:52.720 --> 00:04:54.399 I don't know if you know that. 00:04:54.639 --> 00:04:58.240 It's not just for the people who don't follow Jesus, it's a human thing. 00:04:58.560 --> 00:04:59.279 Tell you a story. 00:04:59.439 --> 00:05:00.000 I like to ski. 00:05:00.240 --> 00:05:01.279 Anybody like to ski? 00:05:01.839 --> 00:05:02.639 Yeah, a few of you. 00:05:02.720 --> 00:05:04.240 Yeah, I didn't get to go skiing this year. 00:05:04.399 --> 00:05:06.959 I had this whole neck thing going on and just put me out. 00:05:07.439 --> 00:05:10.639 So, you know, I just had to stay indoors for six months straight. 00:05:10.720 --> 00:05:15.199 You know, just six months of just, you know, seasonal depression and no sunlight, long winter. 00:05:15.439 --> 00:05:15.920 It was okay. 00:05:16.000 --> 00:05:16.480 I love it. 00:05:16.560 --> 00:05:18.000 You know, I just I love that. 00:05:18.160 --> 00:05:19.360 Just like the rest of you. 00:05:19.600 --> 00:05:21.120 Just love that indoor stuff. 00:05:21.279 --> 00:05:22.639 I can't wait till spring, right? 00:05:22.879 --> 00:05:26.319 That's it's I thought it was upon us, and then it snowed this week. 00:05:26.480 --> 00:05:27.839 So I'm not bitter. 00:05:28.000 --> 00:05:28.639 I'm really not. 00:05:28.720 --> 00:05:29.920 I'm not bitter at all. 00:05:30.160 --> 00:05:31.519 I like I like to ski. 00:05:31.680 --> 00:05:35.600 Okay, so I didn't, I grew up going to the mountain every now and then, and I would snowboard. 00:05:35.680 --> 00:05:36.639 I grew up snowboarding. 00:05:36.800 --> 00:05:40.879 And and then after I got married, I thought, Beth Bethany's a skier. 00:05:40.959 --> 00:05:44.480 And I would see her, I would snowboard and she would ski, and she's really good. 00:05:44.720 --> 00:05:51.839 And and then I noticed we would get off the the chairlift, and she's just ready to like, you know, just woo, just right down the mountain. 00:05:51.920 --> 00:05:53.839 And I'm like, hold on a second, I gotta sit down. 00:05:53.920 --> 00:05:56.879 And and I was like, I'm getting tired of this sitting down business on my snowboard. 00:05:57.040 --> 00:05:58.160 I was like, I want to learn how to ski. 00:05:58.240 --> 00:06:05.519 So I tell Bethany, we didn't even have kids at the time, we were living in Southern California, and and so I'm like, hey, listen, uh, we're gonna go skiing this weekend, and I and I want to learn. 00:06:05.600 --> 00:06:06.879 I'm gonna learn to ski. 00:06:07.040 --> 00:06:08.079 She's like, that's great. 00:06:08.160 --> 00:06:08.959 She's a good skier. 00:06:09.040 --> 00:06:10.480 She says, I'm gonna teach you how to ski. 00:06:10.560 --> 00:06:12.079 I'm like, that sounds great, you know? 00:06:12.240 --> 00:06:13.199 What could go wrong? 00:06:13.439 --> 00:06:15.759 Newlywed, and your wife wants to teach you how to ski. 00:06:15.839 --> 00:06:16.240 Let's go. 00:06:16.319 --> 00:06:18.000 I mean, this sounds like a deal, right? 00:06:18.319 --> 00:06:18.639 Yeah. 00:06:18.800 --> 00:06:24.079 So then we get to the top, she's like, so I get my skis, and she's like, I'm like, let's what do we do? 00:06:24.160 --> 00:06:25.519 You know, she's like, let's head up. 00:06:25.839 --> 00:06:26.800 We'll pick the easy one. 00:06:27.040 --> 00:06:29.600 We look went for like a blue or a green or something, you know. 00:06:29.680 --> 00:06:31.600 So I'm like, yeah, that sounds, you know, that sounds good. 00:06:31.680 --> 00:06:32.720 I've been snowboarding for a while. 00:06:32.800 --> 00:06:33.439 How hard can this be? 00:06:33.600 --> 00:06:35.279 So we get up there, and I'm a little shaky. 00:06:35.360 --> 00:06:41.120 I get up to the top, I get off, and I instantly get off the chair lift, realizing I have made a horrible mistake. 00:06:41.199 --> 00:06:42.399 And so I'm there. 00:06:42.480 --> 00:06:44.240 And so Bethany's like, just follow me. 00:06:44.319 --> 00:06:46.000 And so she's like, here's what you do. 00:06:46.160 --> 00:06:52.160 You just kind of do this with your ski and you lift it right here and you turn, and then this is that's all you have to do, Jason. 00:06:52.800 --> 00:06:53.439 Bye. 00:06:54.959 --> 00:06:57.360 She was that she's like that small at this point. 00:06:57.519 --> 00:06:59.519 I'm just like, what are we doing? 00:06:59.680 --> 00:07:01.040 I mean, I was coming down that mountain. 00:07:01.199 --> 00:07:05.199 I mean, I was I was falling, I was probably saying things you can't repeat in church. 00:07:05.360 --> 00:07:12.079 I was I was furious, and I and I'm coming down to the mountain, and finally I'm I'm tired of falling. 00:07:12.160 --> 00:07:15.040 At this point, I'm like, I just got to get to the bottom, you know, just get to the bottom. 00:07:15.199 --> 00:07:20.079 And so I'm like, I just point my skis downward and I just start heading down. 00:07:20.160 --> 00:07:23.680 I'm thinking, you know, pizza, you know, I'll be okay. 00:07:24.000 --> 00:07:30.240 And I'm like going, and I start picking up speed like really fast, and I realized the pizza isn't working. 00:07:30.480 --> 00:07:32.480 I was like, this isn't working right now, you know. 00:07:32.560 --> 00:07:35.759 So I'm like, I'm trying, and I'm going, and I'm just like, what are we doing? 00:07:35.839 --> 00:07:37.600 And I'm headed for all the people. 00:07:37.759 --> 00:07:39.600 Okay, I'm headed straight for them. 00:07:39.680 --> 00:07:40.959 I'm like, no, this is not good. 00:07:41.040 --> 00:07:44.480 I'm now I'm sweating, and I and I kid you not, it was like a movie. 00:07:44.639 --> 00:07:48.000 Some guy sees me coming, he's like, Everybody look out. 00:07:49.120 --> 00:07:50.560 I'm like, you gotta be kidding me. 00:07:50.720 --> 00:07:52.560 And I'm like, well, thank God he said that, you know. 00:07:52.639 --> 00:07:53.439 So and I did. 00:07:53.519 --> 00:07:56.639 I the people like part the sea, I like plow through everybody finally. 00:07:56.720 --> 00:07:58.000 I'm just like, I just gotta fall down. 00:07:58.079 --> 00:07:59.759 I just had to so I fall. 00:08:00.000 --> 00:08:03.439 And I look over and you think Bethany's all sweet. 00:08:03.519 --> 00:08:04.560 I yeah, she got you all full. 00:08:04.720 --> 00:08:06.560 She did, you think she's so sweet and so kind. 00:08:06.959 --> 00:08:08.959 She is laughing hysterically. 00:08:13.759 --> 00:08:18.399 People were saying, I think the nicest thing anybody said to me as I was coming out was, who is this idiot? 00:08:18.560 --> 00:08:23.680 That's I think that's the nicest thing somebody said to me as I came crashing down, and they were right. 00:08:23.759 --> 00:08:26.720 And I got down, I was like, I was so mad, I got the skis off. 00:08:26.800 --> 00:08:28.959 I just, I'm like, I'm going to get a snowboard, you know. 00:08:29.040 --> 00:08:31.600 So and I did, and I enjoyed the rest of my day. 00:08:31.839 --> 00:08:42.000 And you know, and now that I see this was gonna be a story about my failure to ski, but now that I'm telling it, it's really a story about Bethany's failure to teach me. 00:08:46.080 --> 00:08:47.279 I didn't actually value. 00:08:47.360 --> 00:08:52.480 G foul, you found oh my goodness. 00:08:52.720 --> 00:08:53.279 Failure. 00:08:53.440 --> 00:08:59.360 You know, it's it's funny when it's a near-death experience skiing down the mountain with your with your new wife, right? 00:08:59.440 --> 00:09:00.639 That's that's a funny story. 00:09:00.799 --> 00:09:08.960 It's a little, it's a little less, it's a little less funny when we start talking about moments of like significant failure in our life. 00:09:09.360 --> 00:09:16.080 Failure that failure that that feels like you live in a glass house and everybody can see you. 00:09:16.320 --> 00:09:17.679 You know, you know what I'm talking about? 00:09:18.240 --> 00:09:32.000 It it's a it's a little bit different when we're when we're talking about a failure that that gets at uh what you've maybe at the core of your identity, and and you and you feel like you've you've let not just maybe others down, but maybe yourself, maybe God. 00:09:32.320 --> 00:09:40.159 We're gonna go to a story in John chapter 21, and this is a story of if you're familiar with your Bible, I'm sure many of you have heard this story. 00:09:40.240 --> 00:09:41.519 It's a story about Peter. 00:09:41.679 --> 00:09:50.720 Peter's Peter's in this moment, Jesus has died, he's been, he's he's resurrected even at this point, and this is where the story picks up in John 21. 00:09:50.799 --> 00:09:58.639 But but the the backstory is that just a few chapters before in John, Peter is there with with Jesus, and he hasn't gone to the cross yet. 00:09:58.720 --> 00:10:04.879 He's about to go to the cross, and and he's Jesus basically tells all his disciples, he says, You're all gonna, you're all gonna leave me. 00:10:05.120 --> 00:10:07.519 Peter, in that moment, because he's he's a leader. 00:10:07.679 --> 00:10:08.480 I really like Peter. 00:10:08.559 --> 00:10:11.279 I mean, people dog on him in the Bible all the time and try to make fun of him. 00:10:11.440 --> 00:10:20.399 I don't think that I think I think he was the guy that was just brave enough to ask all the questions we were afraid to ask and to do the things that we thought we were gonna like that's that's what I think about it. 00:10:20.480 --> 00:10:22.480 And so in that moment, he goes, Oh, not me, Jesus. 00:10:22.559 --> 00:10:23.519 I'm never gonna leave you. 00:10:23.679 --> 00:10:25.600 I'm never gonna, I'm never gonna deny you. 00:10:25.759 --> 00:10:27.039 I'm never gonna leave leave you. 00:10:27.200 --> 00:10:28.960 And and Jesus says, Oh, yeah, you will. 00:10:29.039 --> 00:10:32.080 And he says, No, no, no, I will die before I do that. 00:10:32.320 --> 00:10:34.080 I will die before I do that. 00:10:34.320 --> 00:10:35.519 I take guys to the mountains. 00:10:35.600 --> 00:10:39.679 I try to do that most most years and been doing that for almost 10 years, taking guys to the mountains. 00:10:39.759 --> 00:10:44.080 And it's amazing to me how many times I'll I'll have a guy and and it'll be like, I'm going to the top of the mountain. 00:10:44.159 --> 00:10:47.200 And I'll be like, Yeah, yeah, but we gotta we gotta prep and we gotta make sure this is right. 00:10:47.279 --> 00:10:48.639 And they're like, No, no, no, you don't understand. 00:10:48.720 --> 00:10:53.440 I'm going, I will die before I get to the top of the mountain, even before I quit going to the top of the mountain. 00:10:53.519 --> 00:10:56.240 It's amazing how many of those guys will just be like, I think I'm out. 00:10:56.399 --> 00:10:58.480 We're like, we got 2,000 more feet, though. 00:10:58.720 --> 00:10:59.279 You know? 00:10:59.519 --> 00:11:03.600 It's amazing what we think we'll do in our self-will. 00:11:03.919 --> 00:11:04.879 And here's Peter. 00:11:05.039 --> 00:11:07.440 Jesus, I will die before I deny you. 00:11:07.519 --> 00:11:08.639 And he says, Oh, no, no, no. 00:11:08.720 --> 00:11:14.559 The rooster's gonna crow three times, and then before, and then right after you you deny me. 00:11:14.639 --> 00:11:18.879 He's like, It's gonna cry after your third denial, the rooster's gonna crow, and then that's this is what's gonna happen. 00:11:18.960 --> 00:11:20.159 And so here's how the story goes. 00:11:20.320 --> 00:11:29.360 Luke actually says he's around a fire, and it says that a series of people, including a little girl, come and he denies emphatically. 00:11:29.600 --> 00:11:31.360 Like I'm talking like cussing. 00:11:31.440 --> 00:11:34.240 Like, I know I do not know this man. 00:11:34.399 --> 00:11:42.559 It says the rooster crows, and Luke actually says that Jesus turns and looks at him in the eye, right as the rooster's crowing. 00:11:44.799 --> 00:11:48.960 You talk about failure that you're not hiding from. 00:11:49.200 --> 00:11:55.840 And it says he went out and he was weeping bitterly, and he just used failure. 00:11:56.159 --> 00:11:58.720 It's recorded across every gospel. 00:12:00.399 --> 00:12:04.799 They were all talking about it, they all knew failure. 00:12:05.440 --> 00:12:06.320 So here's Peter. 00:12:06.399 --> 00:12:08.639 This is John chapter 21. 00:12:09.919 --> 00:12:10.879 Jesus is dead. 00:12:11.039 --> 00:12:12.720 I mean, maybe he's resurrected at this point. 00:12:13.279 --> 00:12:18.000 Peter's just kind of like I would imagine it's a pretty depressing scene. 00:12:18.240 --> 00:12:21.840 And look how he says he says, I he looks at the other, there's seven disciples around each other. 00:12:21.919 --> 00:12:24.000 And he looks at you and he says, Hey guys, I'm going out fishing. 00:12:24.399 --> 00:12:25.759 I'm going fishing. 00:12:26.080 --> 00:12:29.440 The other disciples, they actually, there's like I said, the rest of them there, there's seven of them. 00:12:29.519 --> 00:12:30.960 They're like, Yeah, we'll come with you. 00:12:31.279 --> 00:12:34.639 Because see, they all denied it, but Peter did it on like an epic level. 00:12:35.519 --> 00:12:36.480 No, I will die. 00:12:36.639 --> 00:12:38.159 No, you you're gonna deny me. 00:12:38.320 --> 00:12:42.399 He's he's not going out, he's not he's not going fishing because he needs money. 00:12:42.639 --> 00:12:45.360 He's going fishing because he he knows how to fish. 00:12:45.600 --> 00:12:46.399 It's retreat. 00:12:46.559 --> 00:12:48.720 He's going back to what he's familiar with. 00:12:48.960 --> 00:12:50.639 Well, we've all been that we've all we've all do this. 00:12:50.799 --> 00:12:53.840 A lot of us have this tendency, a lot of us, addiction is our thing. 00:12:53.919 --> 00:12:56.480 This is this is one of the driving factors for addiction. 00:12:56.559 --> 00:13:02.559 We we we've we find ourselves failing, so we just kind of go back to what we're used to. 00:13:02.879 --> 00:13:05.679 We find ourselves in a in a moment where you're just kind of like, well, what's the point? 00:13:05.759 --> 00:13:12.720 I've already you know, I've already come this far, I've already failed, and so we just sort of go back to what we're familiar with, and that's what Peter is doing here. 00:13:12.799 --> 00:13:18.080 He's going right back to what he's familiar with. 00:13:18.240 --> 00:13:20.799 He goes back to his old life. 00:13:20.960 --> 00:13:23.120 Honestly, he's going back to what he can control. 00:13:24.399 --> 00:13:25.200 This is what happens. 00:13:25.279 --> 00:13:26.639 This is this is a natural response. 00:13:27.039 --> 00:13:28.080 We don't even have to think about this. 00:13:28.240 --> 00:13:30.720 Is a this is almost a at a subconscious level. 00:13:30.960 --> 00:13:36.960 We fail and we instantly try to try to control all the pieces. 00:13:37.120 --> 00:13:50.080 How can I order my life in a way that I can ensure that I minimize the damage or I can move forward in a way where I, you know, I can salvage maybe some of my reputation in this failure. 00:13:50.240 --> 00:13:51.360 See, this is what we tend to do. 00:13:51.440 --> 00:13:57.840 When we fail, we tend to do, we tend to hide, we tend to hustle, we tend to harden ourselves. 00:13:58.879 --> 00:14:03.519 This is this is this is this isn't just unbelief, this is all of us. 00:14:04.240 --> 00:14:09.279 Find ourselves in a moment of of failure, hiding. 00:14:09.440 --> 00:14:10.080 What's that look like? 00:14:10.159 --> 00:14:12.080 You know, some of us were like, well, I'm here, I'm not hiding. 00:14:12.159 --> 00:14:15.919 Yeah, yeah, but it's been like months since you've been willing to just pray. 00:14:16.559 --> 00:14:17.679 It's been months. 00:14:17.840 --> 00:14:23.600 You you're actually avoiding your Bible because you just feel so guilt-ridden every time you look at it. 00:14:23.679 --> 00:14:26.159 You're just like, well, I showed up to church, so that's got to count for something. 00:14:26.320 --> 00:14:31.600 And and it actually what it is, is is nobody can tell you're hiding, but you're hiding. 00:14:32.799 --> 00:14:35.919 It's like it's the it's the conversations that we're avoiding. 00:14:36.159 --> 00:14:39.679 Well, you know, you know, if you're married, you've had one of those conversations. 00:14:39.759 --> 00:14:50.000 You're like, I know I did that thing that last week, and I said that, and I responded that way, and so we're maybe we can just avoid ever talking about that ever again. 00:14:52.159 --> 00:14:57.120 Hide, hiding, hustle, hustle. 00:14:57.360 --> 00:14:58.559 What's that look like? 00:14:58.799 --> 00:15:02.000 I mean, some of us we're just like boom, we just pour ourselves into work. 00:15:02.080 --> 00:15:03.360 It's really just more like hiding. 00:15:03.519 --> 00:15:05.840 Some of us we hustle because we're just convinced. 00:15:06.080 --> 00:15:15.440 We'll say things like, Oh, I love God and I just love what He's done for me and He saved me, and I'm so grateful for Him, and then we put all of our effort into going, I just feel like I gotta do something to pay him back. 00:15:15.679 --> 00:15:19.200 And maybe we don't say that part out loud, but that's what we're doing. 00:15:19.279 --> 00:15:21.519 We're just no, I I gotta I gotta do this. 00:15:21.600 --> 00:15:23.679 We don't have any margin in our life. 00:15:24.000 --> 00:15:25.120 We're just hustling. 00:15:25.440 --> 00:15:26.879 If I'm busy enough, go on. 00:15:27.039 --> 00:15:29.919 If I'm just busy enough, I don't have to think about this anymore. 00:15:31.200 --> 00:15:32.799 We hide, we hustle. 00:15:33.759 --> 00:15:37.120 Some of us we we you got that like you got that inner rebel in you. 00:15:37.200 --> 00:15:38.159 You're just like, you know what? 00:15:38.240 --> 00:15:39.039 How about I'm just done? 00:15:39.120 --> 00:15:40.000 How about that? 00:15:40.320 --> 00:15:41.840 How about I just stop playing around? 00:15:42.000 --> 00:15:45.600 I'm done, I failed, I'm just moving on with my life. 00:15:46.320 --> 00:15:47.600 Try something different. 00:15:47.840 --> 00:15:49.519 Hide, we hustle, we hard. 00:15:49.759 --> 00:15:50.960 You know what, you know what I find? 00:15:51.200 --> 00:15:53.840 The hardest part is not admitting that we have failed. 00:15:53.919 --> 00:15:58.559 In fact, I find that most people don't have any problem actually saying, Yeah, I'm I'm screwed up. 00:15:58.879 --> 00:16:00.960 Yeah, I I should have done better. 00:16:01.120 --> 00:16:03.679 I I don't find that that's the hardest part for most people. 00:16:03.919 --> 00:16:11.600 I find for the most people it's it's when you've failed, it's actually walking back into the room with your spouse, with your kids. 00:16:12.080 --> 00:16:18.480 It's it's when you fail and you feel like you live in a glass house, it's actually being willing to go back to your small group. 00:16:18.879 --> 00:16:26.960 It's being it's being willing to come back to church in a place where people where other people might be aware that you've kind of failed. 00:16:27.360 --> 00:16:28.799 See, that that's the hardest part. 00:16:28.879 --> 00:16:32.960 How do I re-engage with the people who know that I have failed? 00:16:33.120 --> 00:16:36.559 I find that that tends to be the hardest part. 00:16:38.480 --> 00:16:45.840 I want you to see this because how Jesus responds here, because this is not passive. 00:16:46.559 --> 00:16:50.879 Like Jesus' response to our failure is not a is not a passive response. 00:16:50.960 --> 00:16:55.519 He's not just sort of like just waiting on the sidelines, seeing how what we're gonna do next. 00:16:55.679 --> 00:16:57.679 Will you make the right move? 00:16:58.240 --> 00:16:58.879 No, no, no. 00:16:58.960 --> 00:16:59.600 He looks at Peter. 00:16:59.919 --> 00:17:00.799 Look what happens. 00:17:01.039 --> 00:17:02.639 This is verse 4, 21, verse 4. 00:17:02.799 --> 00:17:05.839 It says, early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore. 00:17:06.000 --> 00:17:09.920 Remember, they're out fishing, but the disciples didn't realize that it was Jesus. 00:17:10.000 --> 00:17:11.599 This is a really familiar scene, by the way. 00:17:11.680 --> 00:17:19.200 They're kind of they're re this is a reenactment of when Peter was actually called to follow Jesus at the very beginning. 00:17:19.359 --> 00:17:22.240 So it's a total reenactment of that of that whole scenario. 00:17:22.480 --> 00:17:23.839 He says they didn't recognize him. 00:17:24.079 --> 00:17:27.039 He called out to them, friends, haven't you any fish? 00:17:27.599 --> 00:17:28.720 No, they answered. 00:17:28.960 --> 00:17:32.720 He said, Throw your net on the right side of the boat, and you'll find some. 00:17:32.960 --> 00:17:37.759 And when they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. 00:17:37.920 --> 00:17:38.400 I love this. 00:17:38.559 --> 00:17:43.200 Jesus shows up on the shore, they don't recognize him, they don't see him, they don't know who he is. 00:17:43.359 --> 00:17:49.599 He is he is intentionally reenacting an entire scene that they've already lived. 00:17:49.680 --> 00:17:54.720 And it actually goes on to say Peter actually, in that moment, he right he realizes, oh, I know who this is. 00:17:54.880 --> 00:17:56.079 It's all coming back to him. 00:17:56.160 --> 00:17:58.079 He's like, Oh man, I know, I know this. 00:17:58.160 --> 00:18:01.920 I imagine the little bit of the joy of his salvation. 00:18:02.240 --> 00:18:06.640 The joy of that moment when he first initially found Jesus and Jesus found him, and he actually started falling. 00:18:06.720 --> 00:18:08.640 I mean, I had a feeling he said, Cast your name. 00:18:08.799 --> 00:18:11.200 He said, Oh my goodness, I know exactly what's about to happen. 00:18:12.319 --> 00:18:13.839 Jesus is coming through for us. 00:18:14.000 --> 00:18:22.160 He actually says he gets out of the boat and he actually starts moving toward Jesus, but he's only moving toward Jesus because Jesus has moved toward him. 00:18:23.440 --> 00:18:27.279 In fact, in fact, you want to know what God does when we fail? 00:18:27.759 --> 00:18:28.799 He moves toward us. 00:18:32.160 --> 00:18:38.400 Don't let this just be words that you hear me say and then walk out of here and just be like, great message, Pastor. 00:18:38.480 --> 00:18:39.279 No, no, no, no. 00:18:39.440 --> 00:18:41.119 You need to let that sink in. 00:18:41.359 --> 00:18:45.119 Because some of us we've grown up in this bad theology that says, oh no, no, no. 00:18:45.200 --> 00:18:47.519 When you sin, God can't be in the presence of sin. 00:18:47.680 --> 00:18:53.039 So somehow, sin failure in your life is a moment where you are not shunned. 00:18:53.359 --> 00:18:55.359 I'm just telling you, this bad theology. 00:18:56.319 --> 00:18:59.359 From the very beginning of the Bible, the very beginning. 00:18:59.519 --> 00:19:01.119 Go back to Genesis chapter 3. 00:19:01.359 --> 00:19:02.240 The very beginning. 00:19:02.400 --> 00:19:03.200 People fail. 00:19:03.440 --> 00:19:04.960 God moves toward his people. 00:19:05.839 --> 00:19:10.000 God moves toward us in our failure. 00:19:10.400 --> 00:19:10.960 It's amazing. 00:19:11.119 --> 00:19:12.720 Honestly, this is a miracle story. 00:19:12.960 --> 00:19:14.400 I mean, cast your net on the other side. 00:19:14.480 --> 00:19:14.720 They can't. 00:19:14.880 --> 00:19:15.680 It's an amazing story. 00:19:15.839 --> 00:19:17.920 It is a message in and of itself. 00:19:18.079 --> 00:19:28.079 Because here they are in their failure, trying to manage the story, trying to make sense of their life, going back to something they can control. 00:19:28.240 --> 00:19:28.960 And it's amazing. 00:19:29.039 --> 00:19:30.400 They can't catch a thing. 00:19:30.640 --> 00:19:33.359 It's like they can't, they can't, they can't do it. 00:19:33.599 --> 00:19:46.000 And then Jesus comes along and he says, What you the purpose of your life and the things that you're going to accomplish in your life, you can't do it without me. 00:19:46.160 --> 00:19:47.440 That's really what he's saying in that moment. 00:19:47.519 --> 00:19:48.880 You can't do it without me. 00:19:49.279 --> 00:19:51.519 He moves toward them. 00:19:52.319 --> 00:19:57.599 Too many of us, we we look at failure as something that disqualifies us from our faith. 00:19:58.079 --> 00:20:00.240 We think in terms of like, am I qualified? 00:20:00.480 --> 00:20:03.279 Does it, does this, I'm I'm not, I'm no longer qualified. 00:20:03.359 --> 00:20:05.759 I mean, maybe the little stuff, but you don't understand, Pastor. 00:20:05.839 --> 00:20:07.039 I messed up big. 00:20:07.200 --> 00:20:08.720 I like really big. 00:20:08.960 --> 00:20:13.680 And we we have this idea that that disqualifies us from Jesus. 00:20:13.920 --> 00:20:19.039 Here later today, we're gonna do, we have a bunch of people getting baptized later this after the after the second service. 00:20:19.119 --> 00:20:21.519 You should come and hang out with us and celebrate them. 00:20:21.759 --> 00:20:24.160 We'll be out in the lobby, we're gonna, we have several people getting baptized. 00:20:24.240 --> 00:20:26.880 Isn't that awesome to be a part of a church where you got people making decisions? 00:20:26.960 --> 00:20:28.799 And yeah, isn't that neat? 00:20:29.119 --> 00:20:31.119 Super proud of all of them being baptized today. 00:20:31.200 --> 00:20:32.160 Let me just say this though. 00:20:32.319 --> 00:20:39.920 You know, it's one of them, it's one, it's been one of the greatest joys of my life these last five plus years now here at Freedom Church with you. 00:20:40.079 --> 00:20:41.359 And there's many of you in the room. 00:20:41.440 --> 00:20:42.319 I've baptized you. 00:20:42.400 --> 00:20:44.240 I've um there's many of you in the room. 00:20:44.480 --> 00:20:51.200 You you have you have your your relationship with Jesus started here, and I I can see some of you in the room right now. 00:20:51.279 --> 00:20:52.319 It's it's an amazing thing. 00:20:52.400 --> 00:20:53.039 I I love that. 00:20:53.119 --> 00:20:59.359 I love that this was the place that you that you went into the water and and you went public with your faith. 00:20:59.440 --> 00:20:59.920 I love that. 00:21:00.000 --> 00:21:01.680 But but I'll be really honest with you. 00:21:01.920 --> 00:21:02.960 Here's the other side of it. 00:21:03.039 --> 00:21:10.559 There's also a lot of people that we've that we've baptized, and I don't just mean here, I mean all the years I've been in ministry, and I don't know where they're at anymore. 00:21:11.680 --> 00:21:17.920 And it's not because we don't try, it's not because we don't call them, it's not because we don't have people that are connecting with them, it's not it's not for that. 00:21:18.480 --> 00:21:33.359 It's amazing to me what how how people how people find they they they get this enthusiasm about Jesus, and then they find themselves in this in this place, and they and they don't know where they know how to respond because because they're they find out they're not perfect. 00:21:33.680 --> 00:21:45.920 And they and they have this idea that following Jesus meant that they were going to be moving forward, and then they've get the harsh reality that they're far from perfect and they don't know how to respond to failure, and so it it's an unfortunate story. 00:21:46.000 --> 00:21:50.720 And and I and I try to get ahead of this and I try to tell it, and there's some of you in the room, I've told this to you point blank. 00:21:50.880 --> 00:21:58.079 You're gonna you're gonna get baptized and you're gonna begin to follow Jesus, and you're gonna be all excited, and then you're gonna fall flat on your face, and you're gonna feel like, what do I do now? 00:21:58.240 --> 00:21:59.759 And I tell you, don't run. 00:22:00.559 --> 00:22:01.119 Away. 00:22:02.960 --> 00:22:04.960 Don't run away. 00:22:05.119 --> 00:22:08.880 We think failure disqualifies us from Jesus. 00:22:09.039 --> 00:22:17.440 And in fact, it actually can be the very place you have an encounter with Jesus. 00:22:18.559 --> 00:22:20.880 So you gotta you gotta rethink. 00:22:23.119 --> 00:22:27.839 How you are thinking about failure. 00:22:28.640 --> 00:22:32.160 This next part of the story, honestly, this is a painful part of the story. 00:22:32.240 --> 00:22:33.599 This is a bit painful. 00:22:34.400 --> 00:22:42.640 Truthfully, this next part of the story with Peter, this is probably what most of us are avoiding. 00:22:43.119 --> 00:22:46.240 At least we're trying to avoid this next part of the story. 00:22:46.480 --> 00:22:52.640 It's like we it's okay to read about it as long as it's him, but the moment it's us, it's like, ooh, this stings a little bit. 00:22:52.799 --> 00:22:55.839 This is 21 verse 17. 00:22:57.759 --> 00:22:59.119 Jesus goes through this series. 00:22:59.200 --> 00:23:00.559 Remember, I told you, what did Peter do? 00:23:00.640 --> 00:23:02.079 He denies him three times, right? 00:23:02.720 --> 00:23:04.640 He's already been reenacting the first scene, right? 00:23:04.799 --> 00:23:06.640 We reenacted when he first calls Peter. 00:23:06.799 --> 00:23:14.640 So now he he he invites him, says, Hey, come on, Jesus is cooking some food on the shore, and he says, Hey, did you it actually says it's a charcoal fire? 00:23:14.720 --> 00:23:15.519 It's kind of wild. 00:23:15.599 --> 00:23:17.039 It's only two places in the whole Bible. 00:23:17.119 --> 00:23:18.400 It says there's a charcoal fire. 00:23:18.559 --> 00:23:24.160 One when Peter denies Jesus, and now here when Jesus is about to reinstate him. 00:23:25.039 --> 00:23:25.759 It's amazing. 00:23:26.400 --> 00:23:28.160 So it matters. 00:23:28.559 --> 00:23:29.440 So here he is. 00:23:30.000 --> 00:23:30.720 He knows a story. 00:23:30.799 --> 00:23:31.359 I can only imagine. 00:23:31.440 --> 00:23:36.079