No chance, is your last chance with God!

Luke 22: 54 NIV
Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance…

He followed Jesus at a distance.

Luke 22: 55 NIV
And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them…

He underestimated his own weakness.

Luke 22: 56-62 NIV
A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.” But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said.

A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” “Man, I am not!” Peter replied.

About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.” Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.

Luke 22:32 NCV
I have prayed that you will not lose your faith! Help your brothers be stronger when you come back to me.

No chance, is your last chance with God!

John 21:3 NIV
“I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

Success is fleeting!

Failure isn’t fatal!

Re-read Luke 22:54-62

We see Peter on the periphery, on the edges of the light, within eyesight but out of reach

I can sit here with these people, it’ll be okay, I’m strong enough, I can handle it.

But we read, he underestimated his weaknesses.

Peter was absolutely crushed. I bet he even doubted his calling from God and more than likely he believed it was all over. This was the end of his story, he was done, it was over! Period.

Never put a period, where God’s already put a comma!

No chance, is your last chance with God!

We read what Peter and friends are doing days after Jesus’ death.

John 21:3

A man hollers from shore, “Did ya get anything?”
“Nope.”
“Well try the other side of the boat.”

Over 150 huge fish!

John, sitting next to Peter finally recognizes who it is and hollers out,” It’s Jesus!”

Peter immediately jumps out of the boat and starts swimming towards Jesus.

Peter’s whole life revolved around the sea of Galilee
He grew up there, took over the family fishing business
Same sea where Jesus stepped into his boat to preach
Same sea that a little while later Jesus said, Follow me and I’ll make you fisher of men
Same sea that they cried out in the storm, Master save us…peace be still
Same sea that Peter had walked on, but took his eyes off Jesus and Jesus reached down and saved him

Now, Peter is swimming as hard as he can in that same water towards the one he betrayed just a little over a week ago! Jesus meets him there with breakfast, and once they are all done, Jesus looks at Peter and says, “Do you love me more than this?”

You see here’s the thing, Jesus knew what God could do through Peter, but Peter had to believe for it to become reality. If Peter kept seeing himself as a mouthy, hot tempered, unreliable fishermen then he would never become the steady, humble, Shepherd of the church.

Couple of really important things that Peter learned that morning on the shore of Galilee:

Success is fleeting!

Failure isn’t fatal!

The world may have given up on you but Jesus never has.
Others may have criticized you but Jesus never will.
You may have given up on Jesus, but Jesus hasn’t given up on you!
Because, No chance is your last chance with God!

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