SERMON
Our Stories OF Purpose
September 28, 2025
John 21:15-19 (NIV)
Rebroadcasted on January 18, 2026
Remember our 6-word life stories?
Struggling with secrets, weary, still hiding
Coulda, shoulda, woulda; a regretful life
It ain’t over ‘til it’s over (Yogi Berra)
Without direction, until Jesus gave purpose (Pastor Sunil’s)
Each of us is a story, made up of many small(er) stories. These stories don’t just describe our lives; they also reveal what makes us who we are. We began with our “stories of brokenness.” The Samaritan woman at the well was a life that comprised several stories of possible brokenness – of prejudice, religious trauma, and loneliness. But John 4 also showed us that when Jesus stepped in, he “re-purposed” them so that her story became a story of restoration and witness. Pastor Paul last week spoke about our “stories of salvation.” Zacchaeus’ life, as described in Luke 19, was on display. And we saw how his stories of rejection, exclusion, betrayal of his own people, and money-centeredness were transformed when Jesus stepped into his story. It became a story of salvation, where the lost were found. This story of salvation exploded with irrepressible joyous generosity.
Today, we examine a story of a man whose recent choices were propelling him downhill, taking him in a direction he never intended, away from what he had pledged himself to. It seemed that this person had actually ejected Jesus from their story…until Jesus reinserted himself. And when he did, Peter’s story of failure was transformed into a story of purpose.
Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night replaying something that you ruined? Maybe it was an action, perhaps a word…or words. Possibly it was something you tried to cover up – and made it worse! I know that there have been times when I failed someone I loved and trusted. Interestingly, some of the things I ended up being embarrassed and even ashamed about, nobody even noticed – or cared. But I did, and I retreated into myself and vowed never to come out again.
Peter became the self-appointed spokesperson for the disciples who followed Jesus. But he’s also someone who failed him more than once. Here are some of his stories of failure – and ours.
Peter would know what it means to be “re-purposed,” to become a new creation. Later in his life, he would write two letters. In both, we are shown that Jesus continues to want to re-insert himself into our lives and give us his purpose.
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9)
9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy (1 Peter 2:9-10)
Struggling with secrets, weary, still hiding
Coulda, shoulda, woulda; a regretful life
It ain’t over ‘til it’s over (Yogi Berra)
Without direction, until Jesus gave purpose (Pastor Sunil’s)
Each of us is a story, made up of many small(er) stories. These stories don’t just describe our lives; they also reveal what makes us who we are. We began with our “stories of brokenness.” The Samaritan woman at the well was a life that comprised several stories of possible brokenness – of prejudice, religious trauma, and loneliness. But John 4 also showed us that when Jesus stepped in, he “re-purposed” them so that her story became a story of restoration and witness. Pastor Paul last week spoke about our “stories of salvation.” Zacchaeus’ life, as described in Luke 19, was on display. And we saw how his stories of rejection, exclusion, betrayal of his own people, and money-centeredness were transformed when Jesus stepped into his story. It became a story of salvation, where the lost were found. This story of salvation exploded with irrepressible joyous generosity.
Today, we examine a story of a man whose recent choices were propelling him downhill, taking him in a direction he never intended, away from what he had pledged himself to. It seemed that this person had actually ejected Jesus from their story…until Jesus reinserted himself. And when he did, Peter’s story of failure was transformed into a story of purpose.
Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night replaying something that you ruined? Maybe it was an action, perhaps a word…or words. Possibly it was something you tried to cover up – and made it worse! I know that there have been times when I failed someone I loved and trusted. Interestingly, some of the things I ended up being embarrassed and even ashamed about, nobody even noticed – or cared. But I did, and I retreated into myself and vowed never to come out again.
Peter became the self-appointed spokesperson for the disciples who followed Jesus. But he’s also someone who failed him more than once. Here are some of his stories of failure – and ours.
- Stories of Failure
- Unwittingly changing sides – from affirming to hindering (Matthew 16:13-23)
- Jesus was in the region of Caesarea Philippi when he asked the disciples who they thought he was, and then he asked the people who they thought he was. Peter, inspired by God (that’s what Jesus said!), made the remarkable confession of Jesus being the Messiah, and the Son of the living God. Jesus commends him and then goes on to foretell the suffering of this Messiah.
- Peter changes sides from being one affirming Jesus’ person and work to being a hindrance. He scolds Jesus for even mentioning the suffering, so much so that Jesus sees him as a tool of Satan to weaken his resolve.
- How many times have we actually thought we were doing good, even affirming God’s plan, to discover that we were actually a hindrance? Even worse – not discovering we were a hindrance!
- Denying Jesus at his trial (Luke 22:54-62)
- Peter did not doubt his loyalty to Jesus, even to death. He made it a point of saying he would be better than the rest, even when Jesus told him of his 3-time denial that would happen (Matthew 26:33-35)
- Sure enough, after Jesus was betrayed by Judas Iscariot in the garden of Gethsemane and led off to the clandestine trial at the high priest’s house, Peter followed. As he waited outside in the company of others, he did precisely what Jesus had predicted – he denied him three times.
- It says that as he remembered Jesus’ words, “he wept bitterly.” This vocal fisherman knew that he had done exactly what he was contemptuous of. How can a person recover from such a failure? How could he ever look Jesus in the eye again?
- Only I know the number of times I have denied Jesus by doing precisely what I condemned others for doing, doing what I was so righteously contemptuous about. Can you imagine a life that had to continue to live in such a hell?
- Going back to fishing (Mark 1:16-17; John 21:2-3)
- Remember when Jesus called Peter to follow him – and he did? He immediately left his vocation (fishing) and its tools (nets) and followed Jesus
- Now, after Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples had already met the risen Jesus at least twice (if not more). And guess what Peter ended up doing? Went back to his fishing, something he was supposed to have left behind him
- My stories of failure and disappointment have spiraled into going back to things that I thought I’d left behind. I’m talking about stress-eating, binge watching, things other than the Jesus who never really ever left me!
- Infusing our Story with Purpose
- The super-catch. With Jesus, you will be fruitful (John 21:4-6; Luke 5:1-11)
- When Jesus called him the first time, Peter had spent a fruitless night fishing. And then Jesus advised him to go fishing (again), and Peter had a fantastic catch. John 21 has a repeat performance – a whole night of fish-less fishing. Then Jesus comes along and advises them on how to fish, and sure enough, a huge catch
- It is as if Jesus doesn’t abandon us to his devices. He often rewards our stress responses with fruit! We actually see something good come about with our (temporarily) going back to our previously abandoned activity
- Two things need to be noted here: First, just because God gives us (temporary) success in the fishing he had called us out of does not mean that he wants us to go back. Second, with Jesus in the picture, there will always be some fruit – even if it's not the kind you were looking for, or cannot see.
- We need to see this as Jesus’ way of re-inserting himself into our story of failure in a non-judgmental way
- Our life has meaning (and purpose) only when it is based on love and devotion (John 21:15-17)
- Jesus later addresses Peter, looking him in the eye, and asks him (Peter) if he loved him (Jesus). He does this three times. Twice, he uses the Greek word that is commonly understood as “divine love,” agape. All three times, Peter responds that he did indeed love him, but uses the Greek word that is understood as friendship love – phileo. Perhaps that is why the last time Jesus asks, “Do you love me?” he too uses phileo.
- It is as if all Jesus is interested in, as he reinserts himself into our stories of failure, is not how much we hate ourselves, nor how much we are sorry. He wants to know, though all the wreckage of our lives, “Do we love him?” Even when we know that we can do absolutely nothing to redeem ourselves. Can we still love him and not let our failures stand in the way? Of course, it does not mean that we continue in our failure. But can we turn away from those failures, look into those eyes of love, and surrender to his love?
- Trusting us with HIS purpose (John 21:15-19)
- Jesus’ way of forgiveness is unlike what we are used to. It's not a word of absolution, “I forgive you.” Instead, it’s a reiteration of Peter’s original calling to “fish for people,” except there’s even more responsibility and trust shared. Jesus entrusts this terrible failure with the responsibility of being a shepherd and caring for Jesus’ most vulnerable dependents, his lambs and sheep
- Peter, in his most significant failure, is given a purpose. The acceptance of the purpose would be the proof of his acceptance of Jesus’ forgiveness and trust, which he does
- Jesus once again, as in his initial call, simply asks him to follow him. Ultimately, our stories of failure become stories of purpose when, in love and devotion, we surrender ourselves to his purpose through our lives
Peter would know what it means to be “re-purposed,” to become a new creation. Later in his life, he would write two letters. In both, we are shown that Jesus continues to want to re-insert himself into our lives and give us his purpose.
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9)
9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy (1 Peter 2:9-10)