I Found Resurrection Life
(7 minutes)
Peter told them, "I'm going fishing." And they all replied, "We'll go with you." So they went out and fished through the night but caught nothing. Then at dawn, Jesus was standing there on the shore, but the disciples didn't realize that it was him! He called out to them saying, "Hey guys! Did you catch any fish?"
"Not a thing," they replied. Jesus shouted to them, "Throw your net over the starboard side, and you'll catch some!" And so they did as he said, and they caught so many fish they couldn't even pull in the net! Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It's the Lord!" When Peter heard him say that, he quickly wrapped his outer garment around him, and because he was athletic, he dove right into the lake to go to Jesus! (John 21:3-7)
Peter goes right back to the thing he was doing before he followed Jesus, fishing. And because he was a leader, the others followed him even though it was in the wrong direction. Peter returns to the thing he abandoned before he gave his life to Jesus. After we experience a failure like Peter did, we resort to the life we lived before we knew Him. We return to the things we were good at before, because we feel like we failed at being who God called us to be. Peter went right back to fishing, but he couldn't catch anything.
"You catching nothing is the goodness of God. You going back to what you were before the call, and being unsuccessful, is the goodness of God." (Pastor Tim)
Jesus shows up on the shore at dawn, ushering in the new mercies of Yahweh, but the disciples couldn't recognize him.
"Jesus was standing on the shore, but His disciples didn't recognize that it was Him. Because when hopelessness is still there, you don't expect anything to happen. When hopelessness is there you can't see Jesus, because don't expect to. This is why we go to work day in and day out and never expect to hear His voice or to experience Him in a radical way. And we just go through the routine, with no expectation, because I don't measure up...I failed." (Pastor Tim)
The first one who realizes that it was Jesus was the disciple with beloved identity, the disciple whom Jesus loved, John. "Beloved identity is the only one who can see Jesus for who He is." (Pastor Tim)
When Peter hears John's words, the one who was once weeping bitterly and running away is now diving into the water, unwilling to wait for the boat and the other disciples to get to the shore. Peter is running to Jesus after making the biggest mistake of his entire life.
Once they are on the shore, Jesus pulls Peter aside. Peter finds himself by another fire, just like the one he was around days before when he denied knowing Jesus. And Jesus begins to ask him three questions, the same number of times that Peter denied Jesus. Jesus is pulling Peter back into intimacy with Him, back into union. The hopelessness that came from Peter's biggest failure, Jesus is about to restore. Jesus is taking Peter back to the moment those tears started - the moment that discouragement and disappointment set in.
"Don't think that your mistake disqualifies you from face-to-face with Jesus. Don't think that your decision disqualifies you from the love affair of Jesus. Don't think that you missed your appointed time and everything is ruined." (Pastor Tim)
Jesus still chooses you.
Even after your biggest failure.
And He will make you into everything you always dreamed to be.
This is resurrection life.
"He comes back with resurrection life and restores every area that you fell, that you were weak, that you made a mistake, that you couldn't hold up under the pressure...He restores everything." (Pastor Tim)
Beloved One, there's no such thing as "too late" or "too far gone" with Abba. Resurrection life is coming to restore everything - every area, every failure, every misstep, down to the last detail. Nothing will be wasted. Resurrection life is restoring everything and making your heart whole again. As you walk with Abba today, let Him bring you back to those moments of failure and restore you and your heart, so He can make you into the beloved son and daughter that you were originally designed to be - one that is fully alive.
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Worship: "I Can't Get Away & Downpour" by Melissa Helser & Naomi Raine
Honor: Give Online to The Wilderness Place
Share With Us: We would love to hear how you're encountering Abba in your daily walks. Don't hesitate to share what you're hearing, seeing, or sensing in His presence. Email us here!
