Don’t Let Shame Steal Your Story

Join Ben Stuart as he explores what it means to come back to Jesus after falling short, even after committing your life to Him. Through the life of Peter, we see how Jesus responds to our failures with love and restoration.

Do you think God is for the perfect shiny people but not for you? What do you think God thinks of you?

When we take a look at Peter, we see a man that’s all heart and half mind. He was the one with the courage to confess who Jesus really is but rebuked Him minutes later for saying He would go to the Cross. He fell asleep when Jesus asked him to pray, yet was the first to defend Jesus when He was arrested. When Peter’s entire social circle mocked his King, he chose to deny Jesus. At that moment, the rooster crowed, and Jesus looked straight at him. Peter ran, wept, and carried so much shame.

After Jesus was crucified and rose, an angel appeared to the women and told them to tell the “disciples and Peter” to meet Jesus in Galilee. Likely, Peter was named because he may not have gone otherwise. When they got there, Peter decided to go fishing. The last time Peter went fishing was when Jesus intercepted his life. After betraying Jesus, Peter went back to what he knew. Because he was a leader and influenced people, other disciples went with him. We do the same thing. Be careful of what you influence people to do. You never succeed alone, and you never sin alone.

They fished all night and caught nothing. That’s God’s doing. Often the way God begins to bring you back to Himself is by complicating things. Jesus was standing on the shore, but they did not recognize him until He said, “Little boys, you don’t have any fish, do you?” In other words, “Your life isn’t working out, is it?” Jesus told them to cast their net on the other side of the boat, just as He had done before. They could barely haul in the abundant amount of fish that God gave them, just as He had done before. Peter remembers this moment from the first time. This was when he fell to his knees and confessed he wasn’t worthy, yet Jesus called him to follow him. In the moment of Peter’s greatest shame, Jesus recreates the moment of connection.

How does Jesus treat you when you do the thing you swore you’d never do again? He comes for you. He recreates the moment of connection and reminds you His door is still open. The relationship is not over.

How did Peter respond? He moved toward Jesus even in his shame. He jumped into the water fully clothed to get to Jesus, which doesn’t make sense, but it doesn’t have to be a perfect response to be an honest response.

What is the first thing Jesus did with the men who failed again? Did he berate and beat them? No, He cooked them breakfast with fish he already had. He doesn’t need anything from them that He can’t provide. You eat with those you love and He wanted to fellowship with them. He’s gentle and playful. He doesn’t take your sin lightly; He hates your sin, but He hates your sin because He loves you and knows it’s a barrier between you and who you are meant to be and with.

Jesus doesn’t settle for just recreating the moment of the connection. The only 2 times “charcoal fire” is mentioned is when Peter denied Jesus and when Jesus made one on the shore at breakfast. Jesus also recreated the moment of dislocation. Even though He still loves Peter, they have to talk about what happened. Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him 'more than these.”Jesus asks him the same question two more times. Why is Jesus doing this? He’s not grinding Peter’s shame into him. Jesus is giving him direction to move forward, not look back. If Jesus didn’t do this, every morning, Peter would wake up, hear the rooster, and relive his shame all over again.

Jesus has to put His hand on the wound not to hurt you but to heal you. He doesn’t want shame to steal from you the future God has for you. He still has a mission, so move forward. Jesus tells Peter to feed His sheep. There are sheep that are lost and defenseless ,waiting for you to go feed them.

Next, Jesus tells Peter that his hands will be bound and he will be led where he does not want to go. He’s telling Peter how he is going to die, but how it will also bring Him glory. We are meant to live our lives for the glory of God. Jesus gives him the chance, by his life and by his death, to glorify Him.

Jesus repeats His original call to follow Him, but Peter asks what will happen to John. Jesus basically says, “Don’t worry about him. I’m talking to you about you.” He loves Peter. He’s calling him to walk with Him. He’s telling him that the suffering will be worth it. He’s telling him, “You follow me.” It’s the same for you. Jesus is talking to you about you. Follow Him.

You may think you’ve sinned beyond Peter.

Jesus didn’t dismiss Peter’s sin. He paid for it. He went all the way to the grave with his sin, so Peter didn’t have to pay for it anymore. This means Jesus can rise and, in His kindness, lead Peter to repentance. He moves him onto a different path.

Do you know what Jesus has done? Don’t glorify your sin to the Savior. Glorify the Savior as you look at your sin. Don’t insult His sacrifice by saying your sin is so powerful that it’s beyond the reach of His love. Look at your sin and weep over it, but don’t let it form your identity. You belong to your King, the Good Shepherd, and you walk with Him.