Todd Hunter (00:02.69)
I'm sure you remember the scene. It unfolded in a courtyard. You remember, Jesus predicts that as the trepidations of the night unfold, before the rooster crows three times, Jesus will deny him three, shoot. Okay, here we go once again.

Todd Hunter (00:29.73)
You remember the scene, I'm sure.

Jesus had predicted that as the trepidations of the night unfolded, before the rooster crowed three times, Peter, Jesus said, would deny him three times. But you know the story. Peter object saying that, well, maybe others will stumble and deny you, Lord, but not me. But Jesus can see the true inward bent of Peter's heart. He saw that the enemy, as Luke said, was going to sift him.

Jesus knows that Peter's not capable of keeping his vows and so Jesus assures him I have prayed for you Peter indeed denies Jesus three times and the rooster crows and Man, I don't know if there's a more evocative moment Human to human in the whole New Testament than the eyes of I'm sorry. I don't want to say that

And what comes next is one of the most emotionally gripped scenes of the New Testament. When the eyes of Jesus and Peter lock across the courtyard. Can you imagine Peter's pain? The deflating sense of letting himself down, of losing, of caving in. As they turn to walk away, Jesus heads off to trial and death. Peter, with his sagging head,

slouching shoulders and lifeless eyes. He wanders around to who knows where. But they both end up on the beach at the Sea of Galilee. And Jesus restores their relationship, reinstates Peter to good standing, and recommissions him for his all time, now world famous ministry. This is the transformation available to us.

Todd Hunter (02:30.976)
and to our spiritually hungry, but perplexed, pessimistic, and even distrustful of the church neighbors. Now, in contrast, again, if you know the story, Judas in remorse quits. Peter repented and kept following, becoming a courageous and key leader in the birth of the church. So for all of us,

And maybe especially those who find themselves unsure about church. Somewhere deep within us is a spiritual hunger, probably even an admiration for Jesus. But so many people full of guilt, knowing that they've let God down in their life, seeing the same thing and fallen church leaders, they and we often just don't know what to do when we've let God down.

So what do we do when we feel we've let God down, relating with Him stops making sense, and we've either wandered away or are considering doing so? Here's the first thing I think we do. And that is we trust His questioning of us. Because you know that beach scene that I referenced, you know, that beach scene has a bit of a kind of an interrogation in it where Jesus asked Peter three times,

Do you love me?

And I want you to see that when Jesus, when the Spirit, when God probes us like that, it's a sign of what Jesus had for Peter and that was he still loved him and he didn't cast him out. And it's so important that wherever our wandering might be, whether it's a momentary wandering thought or weeks of despair over something or months of confusion or darkness, whatever someone might be going through,

Todd Hunter (04:33.504)
It's happening in the context of this, that the nature of all reality is a trinity of persons who are totally competent love. Now, I just want you to think about those three words for a minute. Totally competent love. Meaning God isn't just loving as a feeling, but he loves us competently. That is to say, he interacts with us according to his

eternal creative purposes. And we're invited to trust that even when the spirit is niggling us. Hey, what's really going on? What are you really thinking or feeling here? Why? The first thing is trust, trust that God sees potential in you and a preferable future for you, not the questioning or darkness you might be stuck in. You're not stuck in a past that condemns you.

or can find you where you are forever. I mean, just think of the lovely stories in the Bible of Zacchaeus and Levi and the woman at the well and the woman caught in adultery and the great men and women leaders of the Bible who came from, you know, not the greatest spaces. So the first thing is just simply see if you can trust just little by little.

It's as if God comes racing towards the smallest step of trust. Second, I think it's really important that we're real about what's in our heart and that even when sin is forgiven, there can still be remaining memories of failures and wounds attached to them. And I want you to see how in this scene on the beach, Jesus compassionately goes right where the pain is in Jesus. Excuse me, say again.

Jesus compassionately goes right to where the pain is in Peter. I mean, again, just imagine Peter's pain. He believed with all his heart that he would never let Jesus down, and then he did it. And you know, he shows up on that beach thinking to himself, I've messed up so badly that things can never be restored. Well, the two scenes added up are formational. It's if in the, sorry, I'm gonna start that again.

Todd Hunter (07:00.75)
The two scenes added up, the one in the garden and the one now on the beach, they go together formationally because in asking Peter three times, do you love me? What Jesus is really getting at is Peter. Do you have something in you that controls you more than your affection for me? You see, Jesus is not doubting Peter's affection. He just knows that Peter can't see that there's other stuff going on in him besides the affection.

And so Jesus wants Peter to come to terms with him in the alignment of not just his heart or his feelings, but soul, mind, will, body and his relational and social self. So the second thing, be real. Third, receive forgiveness and know that what God's up to on the earth today is new creation and making new people out of all of us sinful fallen people. And as he commissioned Jesus, he's commissioning us.

to be ambassadors of the kingdom. And this is why it's so important that on that beach scene, it's not just a there, there pat on the back, but Jesus expresses trust in Peter. When he says, feed my sheep, he's given Peter a fresh challenge, a new command and a new commission. Jesus is actually sharing his own work with Peter. And that's a big part of receiving forgiveness.

is the sort of scent, it's okay, go do it again, I trust you. As Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come, the old is gone, the new is here, all this is from God. Now listen to this, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. That's what's happening to Peter on the beach. He's being forgiven and reconciled.

and recommissioned, Paul goes on to say, God has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors. And then lastly, so first trust, second be real, third receive forgiveness. Lastly, just follow Jesus. I guess if it's right to picture Jesus and Peter sitting on the sand, I mean, I don't think they were sitting on lounge chairs.

Todd Hunter (09:22.168)
So if it's right to see them just sitting on the sand, mean, Peter had to get up and he had to do something. And what he was asked to do was to recommit his life as both an apprentice and as an ambassador. And that, of course, is the invitation to us. When Jesus says, Mark eight, if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

That's the greatest invitation any human will ever hear. Denying self denial and taking up the cross doesn't mean make yourself a nobody and nothing a doormat just for everybody to walk on. What it means is you've been living an inferior life. Like think of Peter's life that was whatever it was dominated by fear, anxiety, whatever was going on in his heart that wouldn't allow him to kind of fully live out or execute on his affection.

Jesus is saying, if you're gonna come after me, then coming after me involves taking up your cross and learning to put to death little by little, as Paul says later in one of his letters, the old self and the flesh and to take on this new life. It is truly the greatest invitation any human being will ever hear.

Well, to conclude, Philip Yancey wrote in one of his books, most powerful message of Jesus was his unquenchable love, even for, especially for, people who betrayed him. This is what I so love and tightly embrace as a source of safety and security and peace in my own life. It's this. What if Peter's story is the model for all human history? What if all the denials

sins, injustices, unrighteousness, conflicts and anxieties. What if they all have a beach scene awaiting them? Even as I hear Jesus saying to himself, Don't worry, Peter, I know you can't fathom this, but I'll see on the beach. I wonder if we can hear. I know you can't imagine the world ever being healed and whole, but I'll see you in the new heavens and the new earth.

Todd Hunter (11:41.654)
And in this difficult time in which we live, while we hope expectantly and wait, can we hear Jesus say to us, first John four, peace be with you. Receive the true and fresh perspective that in the midst of our waiting, greater is he that is in you than he that is in the

This is the reality. Jesus is willing to cook you breakfast if you're ready. And God knows that He'll see us on a cosmic beach. Peace and love will be there. The healing of the nations will be there. Reconciliation of all warring parties will be there. Full human flourishing will be there. The ability to keep our vows of fidelity to God will be there.

We will no longer fight ourselves, our desires versus our will, our thoughts versus our emotions. We'll take deep breaths and we will be home and He will wipe every tear from our eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain. For the old order of things will have passed away. Amen.