Gibson, Glenn A.

English

Wilfrid Laurier University

ConsensusVolume 22Issue 2 Essays Ecumenical and Historical Article 611-1-1996Comeback from FailureGlenn A. GibsonFollow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensusThis Sermons is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by anauthorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.Recommended CitationGibson, Glenn A. (1996) "Comeback from Failure," Consensus: Vol. 22 : Iss. 2 , Article 6.Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol22/iss2/6Comeback from FailureGlenn A. GibsonManager- Church Missions and Administration,Evangelical Missionary Church, Canada East District,Kitchener, OntarioText: John 21:1-23Failing is Different Than Being VictimizedSometimes life seems to do it to us. I mean, it isn’t ourfault. We’re victims, innocent bystanders, the people dealtwith in a book like. When Bad Things Happen To Good Peo-ple.^ Someone else is responsible. They did something and wesuffer. It isn’t fair because we played by the rules, but nowwe’re in the penalty box. We’re victims. We see Jesus on thecross, suffering for the sins of others, and we say, “I know alittle of what that’s like.” We’re like Mary Magdalene stand-ing outside the garden tomb, the victim of her circumstances.We’re victims too. Sometimes life does it to us. Sometimes...Then there are the times when we’ve got nobody to blamebut ourselves. We blew it. ‘We screwed up big time” as theyouth would say. “You’ve made our own bed and now you haveto lie in it” is an older expression that means the same thing.What I’m talking about is “failure” . Old fashioned “you reapwhat you sow”, red-faced and embarrassed failure. We wishwe could say, “It’s their fault!” but we know it would be alie. We’re guilty and we’re ashamed. We blew it and we havenobody to blame but ourselves.Nobody Plans To FailNobody plans to fail. In fact, for most of us failure comes asan incredible surprise. It’s because we’re so sure of ourselves—;• like Peter sitting in the meeting when Jesus announces that not118 Consensusonly is he going to be arrested, and abandoned by his followers,but executed by the authorities too. “How can that be?-’ saysPeter to himself. “Me? Abandon Jesus? No way, I signed onfor the whole stint. Jesus, you can count on me even if theothers bail out.” We can be so sure of ourselves. We’re goingto succeed even if others don’t. We can’t imagine that thingscould turn out any other way.Jerald H. Maxwell started a high-tech business as a youngentrepreneur that earned him the reputation of being a man-agerial and financial genius. But then he was fired and hisworld blew apart. His family found him weeping in his room,his exuberant self-confidence shattered, his world tumblingdown, depression pitching a tent upon his doorstep. For thefirst time in his life he was a failure, and it shattered him. 2But failure in Christian discipleship is the most devastat-ing failure of all. Choosing to take up our cross and followJesus, but then committing an act of spiritual treason. Wedidn’t mean to, but the realization comes like the “crowing ofa rooster” . We had our reasons for our act of betrayal againstChrist, but they suddenly seem foolish and empty. Our cheeks iflush hot with shame and we’d like to dig a hole, jump in, andpull the dirt in on top of ourselves. It didn’t turn out the waywe’d hoped. We have failed and it hurts. We hadn’t plannedit to be like this.What Now?jWhere is Peter when we catch up with him in John 21? He’s|back beginning to do what he used to do before he met Jesus— |fishing at the Sea of Galilee. It’s almost an unconscious thing. !We’re so devastated by our failure that we begin to “no-brain”jit as the youth say and before you know it we start slipping!back toward old habits and old ways. Old boats and old nets.|All night on the lake with old friends. A slow backslidingjtoward the old lifestyle and behaviour. It’s a gradual turningjof our backs on our new life with Jesus. An inner longing stilljburns in our hearts to succeed in the Christian life, but it’s|dying down and we’re pessimistic about ever bouncing back |;spiritually. Is it possible for a Christian to bounce back? Is ifailure final? Can we be restored after “wiping out” (to use a(surfing term)?jComeback 119Jesus the RestorerThe answer is found at the beach barbecue after a hardnight of fishing that ends with an empty stringer. The boys areheading to shore as the sun is peeking over the eastern horizon.A stranger too early for the seaside morning market is standingon the beach looking out to the fishermen who are stripped tothe waist from the exertion of rowing. It’s risen Jesus, thinkingabout Peter’s restoration while Peter is thinking about nothingmore than his empty market stand and going home for a goodday’s sleep.It’s a bit of a surprise, frankly. We recycle cans, bottles, andnewsprint, but not Christians. We tend to write people off. Wesay things like, “Well, he’ll never serve as a pastor again.” “Shewas just a one-term missionary.” “I’d never vote him in as adeacon again.” “She’s destroyed her testimony in this town.”But Jesus comes to restore Peter fully and unconditionally.Jesus wants Peter to serve him again and he won’t take “no”for an answer.The Restoration ProcessThe restoration process is simply enacted in a little dramaplayed out on the beach that day. It begins with what I wouldcall, going hack to the beginning^ and is seen in the conversationbetween the man on the beach and the men in the boat. “Anyfish?” asks the man on the beach. “No,” they grouse from theboat. “Throw to the right,” says the man. They throw the netand then, as the fishermen in the congregation will tell you,things get interesting. But it’s not just the fish, but what itmeans. John himself is the first to clue in. “It’s the Lord,” hesays. But it’s Peter who is struck the most. “It’s ‘deja vu’:the same place, the same way of the day that I first left thenets to follow Jesus. The bulging net, the swamped boat. Itis all the same.” When Jesus restores a failed Christian, healways takes us back to our spiritual beginnings. It’s as Johntold the Ephesian church many years later. “Repent and dothe things you did at first.” Restoration begins by going backto the beginning.Act two of the restoration drama is not unimportant. It’sstanding on the beach staring into an open bonfire, a reminder,of where the failure took place. Breakfast with the disciples120 Consensuswhispering amongst themselves and Jesus quietly feeding themafter a hard night of work. Time with Jesus is a part of anyprocess of spiritual restoration. Being nourished by him andbecoming accustomed to his presence again. He warms us withhis fire and his company. We need to be with him again.But the central act is the conversation after breakfast whenJesus talks directly to Peter about his failure. The question isdirect, but not hurtful. It goes back to Peter’s earlier promiseto be faithful, but it’s not designed to shame, but to restore.“Peter, do you really love me more than these?” Jesus wantsPeter to renew his commitment to Jesus and the response thatPeter gives draws from Jesus a request that will be the visibleproof that the new commitment has been made. “Feed mysheep, feed my lambs” is the assignment that is made andPeter receives it, never to give it up. But, just a moment,why three times? Commitment to Christ is not a shallow,superficial thing. We must mean it and Jesus wants to knowhow serious we are when we speak. Don’t fool around withJesus when he comes to restore. It is serious business.Not unimportant is the final act of restoration: dealing withour fatal flaw (what it is that made us fall in the first place).For Peter, it was his fear of premature death. To paraphraseJesus, “Here’s how you’re going to die... as an old man. Nowstop worrying about it and follow me.” If we’re going to berestored, we must face the cracks in our character and let Jesusdeal with them- -our worries, our fears, our confusion, ourloneliness, or we are bound to fail again.Comeback from FailureIt doesn’t matter what you’ve done or how you’ve failed.Jesus is standing on the beach of your heart this morning.Sure, you blew it. But Jesus the restorer beckons with wordsof love. Let’s go back to the beginning. Let’s start over. Spendsome time with me. Let me nourish you. You’re tired and needto be warmed by my fire. Let me restore you. We need to talkabout what happened and we need to renew your commitmentto me. Let me talk with you about what I want you to do forme. And it won’t be easy, but allow me to deal with that partof you that is flawed in a way that led to your fall in the firstplace.Comeback 121Let’s sing together our closing hymn and then we’ll talktogether to Jesus about it before we go home.Notes^ Harold S. Kushner, When Bad Things Happen To Good People (NewYork: Schocken Books, 1981).^ Gordon MacDonald, Ordering Your Private World (Nashville: OliverNelson, 1984) 23-24.

Comeback from Failure

Scholars Commons

Consensus
Volume 22
Issue 2 Essays Ecumenical and Historical Article 6
11-1-1996
Comeback from Failure
Glenn A. Gibson
Follow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus
This Sermons is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by an
authorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.
Recommended Citation
Gibson, Glenn A. (1996) "Comeback from Failure," Consensus: Vol. 22 : Iss. 2 , Article 6.
Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol22/iss2/6
Comeback from Failure
Glenn A. Gibson
Manager- Church Missions and Administration,
Evangelical Missionary Church, Canada East District,
Kitchener, Ontario
Text: John 21:1-23
Failing is Different Than Being Victimized
Sometimes life seems to do it to us. I mean, it isn’t our
fault. We’re victims, innocent bystanders, the people dealt
with in a book like. When Bad Things Happen To Good Peo-
ple.^ Someone else is responsible. They did something and we
suffer. It isn’t fair because we played by the rules, but now
we’re in the penalty box. We’re victims. We see Jesus on the
cross, suffering for the sins of others, and we say, “I know a
little of what that’s like.” We’re like Mary Magdalene stand-
ing outside the garden tomb, the victim of her circumstances.
We’re victims too. Sometimes life does it to us. Sometimes...
Then there are the times when we’ve got nobody to blame
but ourselves. We blew it. ‘We screwed up big time” as the
youth would say. “You’ve made our own bed and now you have
to lie in it” is an older expression that means the same thing.
What I’m talking about is “failure” . Old fashioned “you reap
what you sow”, red-faced and embarrassed failure. We wish
we could say, “It’s their fault!” but we know it would be a
lie. We’re guilty and we’re ashamed. We blew it and we have
nobody to blame but ourselves.
Nobody Plans To Fail
Nobody plans to fail. In fact, for most of us failure comes as
an incredible surprise. It’s because we’re so sure of ourselves—
;• like Peter sitting in the meeting when Jesus announces that not
118 Consensus
only is he going to be arrested, and abandoned by his followers,
but executed by the authorities too. “How can that be?-’ says
Peter to himself. “Me? Abandon Jesus? No way, I signed on
for the whole stint. Jesus, you can count on me even if the
others bail out.” We can be so sure of ourselves. We’re going
to succeed even if others don’t. We can’t imagine that things
could turn out any other way.
Jerald H. Maxwell started a high-tech business as a young
entrepreneur that earned him the reputation of being a man-
agerial and financial genius. But then he was fired and his
world blew apart. His family found him weeping in his room,
his exuberant self-confidence shattered, his world tumbling
down, depression pitching a tent upon his doorstep. For the
first time in his life he was a failure, and it shattered him. 2
But failure in Christian discipleship is the most devastat-
ing failure of all. Choosing to take up our cross and follow
Jesus, but then committing an act of spiritual treason. We
didn’t mean to, but the realization comes like the “crowing of
a rooster” . We had our reasons for our act of betrayal against
Christ, but they suddenly seem foolish and empty. Our cheeks i
flush hot with shame and we’d like to dig a hole, jump in, and
pull the dirt in on top of ourselves. It didn’t turn out the way
we’d hoped. We have failed and it hurts. We hadn’t planned
it to be like this.
What Now?
j
Where is Peter when we catch up with him in John 21? He’s
|
back beginning to do what he used to do before he met Jesus
— |
fishing at the Sea of Galilee. It’s almost an unconscious thing. !
We’re so devastated by our failure that we begin to “no-brain”
j
it as the youth say and before you know it we start slipping
!
back toward old habits and old ways. Old boats and old nets.
|
All night on the lake with old friends. A slow backsliding
j
toward the old lifestyle and behaviour. It’s a gradual turning
j
of our backs on our new life with Jesus. An inner longing still
j
burns in our hearts to succeed in the Christian life, but it’s
|
dying down and we’re pessimistic about ever bouncing back |;
spiritually. Is it possible for a Christian to bounce back? Is i
failure final? Can we be restored after “wiping out” (to use a
(
surfing term)?
j
Comeback 119
Jesus the Restorer
The answer is found at the beach barbecue after a hard
night of fishing that ends with an empty stringer. The boys are
heading to shore as the sun is peeking over the eastern horizon.
A stranger too early for the seaside morning market is standing
on the beach looking out to the fishermen who are stripped to
the waist from the exertion of rowing. It’s risen Jesus, thinking
about Peter’s restoration while Peter is thinking about nothing
more than his empty market stand and going home for a good
day’s sleep.
It’s a bit of a surprise, frankly. We recycle cans, bottles, and
newsprint, but not Christians. We tend to write people off. We
say things like, “Well, he’ll never serve as a pastor again.” “She
was just a one-term missionary.” “I’d never vote him in as a
deacon again.” “She’s destroyed her testimony in this town.”
But Jesus comes to restore Peter fully and unconditionally.
Jesus wants Peter to serve him again and he won’t take “no”
for an answer.
The Restoration Process
The restoration process is simply enacted in a little drama
played out on the beach that day. It begins with what I would
call, going hack to the beginning^ and is seen in the conversation
between the man on the beach and the men in the boat. “Any
fish?” asks the man on the beach. “No,” they grouse from the
boat. “Throw to the right,” says the man. They throw the net
and then, as the fishermen in the congregation will tell you,
things get interesting. But it’s not just the fish, but what it
means. John himself is the first to clue in. “It’s the Lord,” he
says. But it’s Peter who is struck the most. “It’s ‘deja vu’:
the same place, the same way of the day that I first left the
nets to follow Jesus. The bulging net, the swamped boat. It
is all the same.” When Jesus restores a failed Christian, he
always takes us back to our spiritual beginnings. It’s as John
told the Ephesian church many years later. “Repent and do
the things you did at first.” Restoration begins by going back
to the beginning.
Act two of the restoration drama is not unimportant. It’s
standing on the beach staring into an open bonfire, a reminder
,
of where the failure took place. Breakfast with the disciples
120 Consensus
whispering amongst themselves and Jesus quietly feeding them
after a hard night of work. Time with Jesus is a part of any
process of spiritual restoration. Being nourished by him and
becoming accustomed to his presence again. He warms us with
his fire and his company. We need to be with him again.
But the central act is the conversation after breakfast when
Jesus talks directly to Peter about his failure. The question is
direct, but not hurtful. It goes back to Peter’s earlier promise
to be faithful, but it’s not designed to shame, but to restore.
“Peter, do you really love me more than these?” Jesus wants
Peter to renew his commitment to Jesus and the response that
Peter gives draws from Jesus a request that will be the visible
proof that the new commitment has been made. “Feed my
sheep, feed my lambs” is the assignment that is made and
Peter receives it, never to give it up. But, just a moment,
why three times? Commitment to Christ is not a shallow,
superficial thing. We must mean it and Jesus wants to know
how serious we are when we speak. Don’t fool around with
Jesus when he comes to restore. It is serious business.
Not unimportant is the final act of restoration: dealing with
our fatal flaw (what it is that made us fall in the first place)
.
For Peter, it was his fear of premature death. To paraphrase
Jesus, “Here’s how you’re going to die... as an old man. Now
stop worrying about it and follow me.” If we’re going to be
restored, we must face the cracks in our character and let Jesus
deal with them- -our worries, our fears, our confusion, our
loneliness, or we are bound to fail again.
Comeback from Failure
It doesn’t matter what you’ve done or how you’ve failed.
Jesus is standing on the beach of your heart this morning.
Sure, you blew it. But Jesus the restorer beckons with words
of love. Let’s go back to the beginning. Let’s start over. Spend
some time with me. Let me nourish you. You’re tired and need
to be warmed by my fire. Let me restore you. We need to talk
about what happened and we need to renew your commitment
to me. Let me talk with you about what I want you to do for
me. And it won’t be easy, but allow me to deal with that part
of you that is flawed in a way that led to your fall in the first
place.
Comeback 121
Let’s sing together our closing hymn and then we’ll talk
together to Jesus about it before we go home.
Notes
^ Harold S. Kushner, When Bad Things Happen To Good People (New
York: Schocken Books, 1981).
^ Gordon MacDonald, Ordering Your Private World (Nashville: Oliver
Nelson, 1984) 23-24.


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