John 21

            {Prayer}

            Once I start a project, it needs to be completed. I don’t like leaving things half done. Now granted, even though I may go through all the planning steps and think I have considered every option, something unexpected happens and throws my timetable off. But it’s just a slight delay. If I let it disrupt everything and I abandon it, I look back and wonder why I wasted my time and even started.

            This morning we’re going to look at the last of the letters of our SCARS acronym. It’s a fancy church word called Sanctification.

            Here’s a simple way to understand it this morning. Sanctification is the work of the Holy Spirit in us, setting us free from sin, shaping us, and leading us to live as God’s holy people.

            Freedom is the ultimate goal that we’re after. Free from sin. Purified. Made holy.

            Freedom is yours in Christ … but sanctification is learning to live in that freedom more and more to the end.

The point of this Forgiving Challenge is to help you not stop short anywhere in the process. There are so many exit points, but, if you take one of those early off ramps, you won’t be living in the freedom God wants you to have.

            Let’s walk through these off ramps for a moment.

            We started this series by talking about sin. We defined sin as missing the mark, right? Every one of us misses the mark. If we deny our sin, or we try to overcome our sin by ourselves, without Jesus … we’ll never be free.

            But if you bring your sin to God, confess to Him, then God can bring His forgiveness.

            The first part of forgiveness is absolution. Absolution we said is the fact that your debt has been paid in full by Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. Many people stop right there. They say, “My sins are forgiven! I’m good.” That’s true… but don’t stop there.

            Because not only did God pay the price of your sin, He’s interested in fully restoring you, as His child. As His coworker for His kingdom.

            Others go one step further. They say, “I’m forgiven! I’m restored! God loves me! Great!”. Again, true, but even then, many never step into the life God is calling them into.

            It’d be like if someone bought you a birthday gift, wrapped it, gave it to you, and you never opened it. It sounds absurd, I know, who does that? But it happens. Even though it’s been paid for, even though it’s yours, you don’t experience the beauty of that gift till you rip it open.

            True freedom comes when you step into the invitation and walk hand-in-hand with God into your future. This is what sanctification is all about.

            And if you want to see what this looks like in real life … look at Peter.

Throughout this series we’ve been looking at Peter. Peter sinned. He denied knowing Jesus three times when Jesus could have used someone to stand up for Him. Filled with guilt, Peter went back to what he knew, fishing.

But rather than letting him live with this guilt, after a night of unsuccessful fishing, Jesus shows up on the shore and is making breakfast.

            Jesus invites the disciples to bring some of the fish they miraculously caught, even though He doesn’t need it. I made the point last week that God doesn’t actually need you or me … but He wants us. He invites us in. He invites us to bring whatever gifts, talents, or resources we have to the table.

            The hard conversation happens between Jesus and Peter. Jesus tells Peter to go and feed His lambs, take care of His sheep, and to feed His sheep. Jesus isn’t just restoring Peter to a role … He’s restoring him to who he was called to be.

After Peter has failed who knows how many times, Jesus still invites him into a life of purpose. But Jesus also makes something clear … following Him won’t be easy.

            “I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”” (John 21:18-19)

            Jesus is telling Peter that following Him will cost something … his life.

            You see, Jesus is giving Peter another chance. Not just to serve, but to be the man he was called to be. The rock. Faithful. Even to the end.

            If Peter never stepped into what Jesus invited him into … Peter never would have experienced the freedom Jesus wanted for him.

            And here’s the key … this didn’t happen because Peter tried harder. It happened because the Holy Spirit filled him and gave him the courage he didn’t have before.

            Turn the page to Acts. Fifty days after the resurrection, we see Peter stand up and preach. And from there, Peter doesn’t stop. He leads. He preaches. He suffers. The church grows. The man who once denied Jesus become a bold witness for Him.

            Tradition tells us that Peter was eventually crucified upside-down for his faith under Emperor Nero. And yet, even there, Peter remained faithful.

            Peter went from a total coward to being totally courageous. That is what freedom looks like.

            And here’s the amazing thing … the very thing the enemy meant to destroy you … God now uses to free others.

It was with his mouth that Peter denied Jesus. His mouth got him in trouble. But it was also his mouth that God used to build the church.

            God can use you. He can use your past and turn it into a platform. God can take your weakness and turn it into your witness. He can turn your message into a power message.

            Jesus gave Peter a calling, a project … to take up his cross and follow Him, to take the Gospel message of God’s saving grace and spread it to the ends of the earth. Sure, Peter had some distractions along the way, but he completed that project.

            And Peter didn’t do it alone. Through his witness, through the way he lived his life, others were raised up and continued on.

There is only so much Pastor Ethan and I can do. This calling belongs to all of you. To the ones who are called a “chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God.” The Holy Spirit has been given to you so “that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness and into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9).

            By the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit … you are sanctified. You are set free from your sin. You are purified. You are holy!

            Don’t stop at forgiveness. Don’t stop at knowing you’re restored. Step into the life Jesus is calling you to.

            Because in Christ … you are already free. Amen.

            Let us pray … Lord Jesus, You have forgiven us. You have restored us. And by Your Holy Spirit, You have set us free.

Keep us from stopping short of the life You have called us to live. Lead us beyond comfort and into faithfulness. Give us courage when following You is costly, and humility when serving others goes unseen.

Take the places in our lives marked by sin and failure, and use them for Your glory. Use even our weakness to bring strength to others, and our past to point people to Your grace.

Send us out as Your people— to love, to serve, to speak, and to live as those who are truly free in You. In Your holy name we pray, and all God’s people said … Amen.