Future Church Brisbane
Join Luke Kennedy and friends at Future Church in Brisbane, Australia.
Talks from our gatherings as well as deeper discussions and Application panels around the practicals of Following Jesus.
Future Church Brisbane
Jesus: Loving me to Wholeness
What if embracing our flaws and imperfections is the key to finding true wholeness? Join us as we explore the transformative power of Jesus’ grace, not just as a savior but as a redeemer who restores us entirely—spiritually, physically, socially, and emotionally. Through the compelling story of Peter, one of Jesus’ closest disciples, we unpack the journey of faith with all its peaks and valleys. Peter's story reminds us of how Jesus recognizes potential within us, even when we feel inadequate, encouraging us to aspire for greatness despite our shortcomings.
Our conversation also delves into the themes of honesty, humility, and forgiveness as illustrated in Peter’s path to redemption. We reflect on the poignant moment when Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved Him, symbolizing forgiveness and offering a path back to wholeness. This episode sheds light on how vulnerability and truthfulness can lead to profound spiritual growth, transforming deniers into bold proclaimers of faith. Inspired by Peter’s journey from denial to boldness and advocacy of deep love, we invite you to consider what you need to leave behind to truly follow Jesus, fostering a deeper, more resilient relationship with God.
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Okay, today I want to talk to you about Jesus and I want to talk to you about how Jesus makes us whole. The concept of salvation in the Bible is not simply a concept of being saved from my sins and going to a faraway place, a disembodied place called heaven. A faraway place, a disembodied place called heaven, that's not really the gospel that Jesus preached so much, as he has come to make us whole right now and restore God's original plan before the fall, restore Eden to the world. This is also what the church is meant to be a place, an example to the world of what life could be like for the whole world. That's what God wants. That's what the church is a place to become whole. We've become whole in community, but it's really a work of the Spirit of God and it's a journey. Tim Keller says it like this Jesus came to bring complete healing spiritual, physical, social, emotional. He's not just a saviour who takes away our sins, he's a redeemer who makes us whole. So if you've come in here feeling a little broken, like there's some parts of your life that are not matching, that are kind of shattered, messed up, jesus would love the opportunity to come into your life, pour out his powerful grace in your life and make you whole, and he is not afraid to walk that journey together with you. Jesus is not afraid of your brokenness and your messed upness and the parts that you try to hide when you're in public because you want to look very proper in an environment like this. It's very white and clean and you don't want to mess that up with your problems, but Jesus is not afraid of them.
Speaker 1:So we're going to have a look at a guy in the Bible. His name is Peter. He's one of my favorite characters in the Bible. I've just used Peter from the Chosen just to give you a little bit of a visual. I love the Peter from the Chosen. He's a bit of a wild man, right, and this story is a story where Jesus comes along. He's a fisherman and Jesus calls him out of the crowd, out of his boat, to come and follow him, and he says I'm going to make you a fisher of men. And so we're going to read this scripture from Luke 5. Oh, luke, again Luke 5. Is there any other books in the Bible?
Speaker 1:When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and he said Go away from me, lord, I'm a sinful man. His first response to Jesus doing a miracle in his life. Where they catch this huge load, jesus comes in, he blesses him, blesses his business. Huge amount of fish came in. His first response to Jesus is go away from me, lord. I am a sinful man. A recognition of like I'm so messed up I don't deserve to be a follower of Jesus. To know you. All of his companions were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken. Then Jesus said to Simon don't be afraid, from now on you will fish for people. So they pulled out their boats from the shore, left everything and they followed him. So they pulled out their boats from the shore, left everything and they followed him.
Speaker 1:So Jesus chooses Peter, even with all of his flaws. Peter's not the top of the class, peter's not the natural pick. He's not the first getting chosen when you're choosing teams for cricket at school. He's not that guy. But Jesus looks at him and he chooses him. He sees something in him that Peter cannot see in his own life. He sees potential, he sees a leader, he sees a man that can become a deep man of love, and we're going to see how Peter's life changes. But he sees that before he does.
Speaker 1:Has anyone else ever felt like that, where maybe someone's come into your life and they've saw potential in you before you even saw it in yourself? That's so the role of the gospel to see in you a work of art that has not even yet begun, or early days. That's what I saw when I had a youth leader come and say to me when I was 14 years old, I think you could lead a small group, and I thought my family's dysfunctional. We can't even get through a day together without having a punch on. How am I ever going to lead a small group? When my senior pastor came to me, 19 years old, and said I think that you could plan a church. Would you like to go and plan a church? I'm 19 years old and I'm still so young and so many rough edges, even more than now and he saw a potential. That's really the heart of God and I pray that today that you would let Jesus look into your heart and your eyes and call out of you. There is more inside of you than what you could imagine.
Speaker 1:Then we get to Peter's long list of failures. Okay, so he's finally, he's called into following Jesus, but this is where it starts getting rough for Peter. He has these amazing highs and lows, right Like some of us. He has this huge high of. He's on a mountaintop with Jesus and he says to Jesus you are the Messiah. He has this revelation of who God is in Matthew 16, where he says you are the Son of God. He's the first one to really realise Jesus is God. And yet just a couple of verses later, he's trying to tell Jesus how to run his life and tell Jesus what he should and shouldn't be doing, so much so that Jesus bukes him in front of everyone. Obviously, jesus didn't go to leadership school because you're meant to encourage in public and challenge in private. Jesus didn't miss that lesson and he just said get behind me, satan. Can you imagine? In front of everyone he's just had this huge high. Peter, you are amazing because you just realized that I'm God. And then, a few sentences later, peter, you're like the devil. You are stopping the work of God.
Speaker 1:Highs and lows, but Jesus doesn't pull punches, especially when it comes to pride. Whenever Jesus sees pride, he goes at it. He's so strong with pride. That's challenging for some of us and let me read it for you in chapter 16, verse 21. From that time on, he began to explain to the disciples that he must go up to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders and the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed. And on the third day he raised back to life.
Speaker 1:But Peter took him aside and began to rebuke Jesus. Can you imagine the arrogance of rebuking Jesus like? The guy you just worked out is God? Okay, now he needs to learn from you. This shall never happen to you. But Jesus turned and said get behind me, satan. You are a stumbling block to me. Get behind me. You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns. He's the oldest of the group, he's probably seen as the leader of the group and he gets rebuked in front of everyone. Notice, when he puts his thoughts higher than God's thoughts, jesus gets pretty direct with him. Pride gets challenged pretty roughly. Okay, but Luke 22, verse 60, because it's going to get worse.
Speaker 1:Peter then goes on to deny that he even knows Jesus. This is like can you imagine your best friend, the guy that you now know as God, the guy who's been with you for three years, training you, helping you spending every moment with you and then you get to the moment where this guy, jesus God, is about to be crucified by other people and suddenly you are going to pretend that you don't know him to save your own butt. This is what Peter does. This is the level of betrayal that Peter is going to do. Peter replied man, I don't know what you're talking about. Just as Jesus was speaking, the rooster crow the Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Can you imagine those eyes looking straight at you? He knows. Welcome back to the front. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord spoken to him before the rooster crows. Today you will disown me three times. And he went outside and he wept bitterly, bitterly wept Like have you ever had like a real cry?
Speaker 1:I'm sure none of the guys here, but you know you've had a real cry, like a real like, you know, like one that's loud and a little messy, a little embarrassing, that kind of level cry. That's Peter, because he's just betrayed the only person who ever believed in him. He's just betrayed the only one who ever called him into anything or cared anything about him. He's betrayed him. He's an undercover Christian. Have you ever felt like that? I'm an undercover Christian. Like you ever felt like that? I'm an undercover Christian, like we're in here, hallelujah, and then we get to work and pretend Christian. I'm not sure what that is. Is that a thing? Oh church? Oh yeah, it's more like a club. It's not really my thing. But hey, if it's good for you, it's good for you. I'm an undercover Christian. I'm an example kind of Christian. I bet I don't talk about it. You know that one.
Speaker 1:Eugene Peterson, in his book Leap Over the Wall, said God is not looking for perfect people, but for people who are honest about their need for him. It is in our brokenness that God does his best work. I love that. So what's Peter going to do? You've hit rock bottom. He was meant to be the rock. Now he's at rock bottom. He's at his worst moment. The question is not will Jesus receive him? I don't think that's ever in doubt. The question is will Peter be honest? Is Peter going to be honest enough to allow Jesus to love him back to wholeness? Honesty is the first step towards wholeness.
Speaker 1:Jesus gets crucified, rises from the dead. Peter's gone back fishing, gone back to his old job so disheartened, and then he sees Jesus. Can you imagine seeing Jesus for the first time after you've just betrayed him. I don't know if anyone here has ever turned their back on Jesus before. That feeling of coming back, maybe even coming back to church after you've had a time away where you've been kind of like really turning your back on God, and then you're coming back, that awkward moment of walking in and realizing Jesus is real, what have I been doing? And that moment is an important moment because it can be a shame-filled moment or it can be the moment where you fully open your heart and become honest and receive all of the grace of God for him to make you whole. I love this story. It's a beautiful story.
Speaker 1:Jesus starts cooking sushi on the bank of the river. When they'd finished, jesus said to Simon Peter, do you love me more than these? Yes, lord. He said this is getting awkward. You know that I love you. And Jesus said feed my lambs. He asked him a second time and then a third time he said to him Simon, son of John, do you love me? Wow, this is in front of the group again. Everyone knows what's going on here.
Speaker 1:Peter was hurt because he asked him the third time do you love me? And he said Lord, you know all these things, you know that I love you. And Jesus said to him feed my sheep. Three denials of Jesus, and you can see Jesus looking into his eyes. Three questions Do you love me? Not because Jesus needed to know he loves him, because Jesus is insecure. Okay, it wasn't for Jesus, it was for Peter. He was giving him an opportunity to affirm his love for him three times, the same way that he just denied him three times. It was his way of restoring him back to relationship. Beautiful forgiveness. He was looking at him, knowing Jesus knows and Jesus forgives.
Speaker 1:Peter had a chance to be honest at that moment, because he could have covered it up. Right? Oh, jesus, I was there, man, I was with you. You didn't see it. I was talking to that girl and I was telling them the gospel. When you looked at me, I wasn't denying you, I was with you. Someone called me from work so I had to bounce, but I was there. He could have lied, he could have covered up his betrayal, but he didn't. He looked it in the face with Jesus. Have you ever been in a moment where you've been really honest with God? God, here I am. This is my failure. This is where it's really at my failure. This is where it's really at. I need you. I can't change, I can't do it myself. Will you help me? And at that moment, the grace of God is so strong to meet you right where you're at, at the place of honesty. God is there.
Speaker 1:Humility is really important. I think humility has been something that we've really tried to emphasise in our church. It's important to Jesus. Humility. I just would encourage you be careful listening to arrogant leaders. Be careful doing that. Be careful being on Instagram. Listening to people who are always right. Everyone else is always wrong. They're very arrogant, putting everyone else down. I'm the man I would say be careful. The gospel is humble, jesus is humble and he's God. Be careful about listening to that. We need to be people of humility, but humility we're going to see pretty soon. Humility doesn't end up in cowardice. It ends up in boldness.
Speaker 1:Tim Keller said it like this the gospel says that you are more sinful and more flawed than you ever dared believe. Jesus says that you are more sinful and more flawed than you ever dared believe, but you are more accepted and more loved than you ever dared hope for. At the very same time, the paradox is what heals the heart and makes us whole. I am both more flawed than I imagined and more loved than I could ever dream. This is the gospel. Will you receive it? I love Henry Nguyen. He's beautiful and he's way of the heart.
Speaker 1:I read this while I was going through radiation. It was so life-giving to me. He said define yourself radically as one beloved by God. This is your true self. Every other identity is an illusion. Only when we surrender our failures to God can we experience his healing love. I love this. He says to him feed my lambs. When Jesus said feed my lambs, he was really not just forgiving him, he was calling him back into ministry. It's amazing, though, how quickly Jesus was willing to forgive him, wasn't it, and willing to restore him back to his life.
Speaker 1:Honesty is very powerful. If you are honest, you can get through almost anything. Anything you can get through it. If you're honest with God. It is a superpower. If you will be honest, god will get you through anything. Pretending is where the healing process stops. Performing is where it stops. Honesty is where it's at. So I wonder what it is today that you need to be honest with God about, because he will meet you there and here's the last part that I really love. We're going to come to his. We've been through the valley and now we're coming up in Peter's story. This is the beautiful part, peter.
Speaker 1:On the day of Pentecost, when the church is born, who's the one who gets up and preaches? It's Peter, probably in front of the same crowd that he denied Jesus before. Can you imagine, I wonder, if that little girl who called him out was in the crowd that day? Maybe she was. Maybe he caught eye contact with her in one of those moments. And now, suddenly, he's full of the Holy Spirit. He's bold. He's humble and he's bold. Those two things go together.
Speaker 1:Arrogance is not the same as bold. Humility and boldness. That is the heart of God for us. Peter replied repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins. That is a bold statement and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, for all whom the Lord, our God, will call those who accepted the whole.
Speaker 1:Person can be bold without being arrogant. Person can be bold without being arrogant. This is the image of someone who's formed as a follower of Jesus. We see this later on in Peter's writing. He becomes an amazingly loving person. He goes from wild man rebuking Jesus to become listen to what Jesus.
Speaker 1:Listen to what Peter says to the church in his letter, in 1 Peter, 1 Peter, 4. It says, above all this is like a life summary of all of my experiences with God love each other deeply. Is this the same guy? Love each other deeply, guys, because love covers a multitude of sins. I wonder if we're remembering the day on the beach when Jesus' love covers over a multitude of his sins. And now suddenly he's got something to give.
Speaker 1:Dallas Willard in the Divine Conspiracy says the ultimate goal of the disciple is not just to follow his commands but to embody the heart of Christ. Suddenly, peter is now embodying what he received for others. This experience marks him, it changes him, and it's the same for all of us. He will meet you where you're most vulnerable, all of us. He will meet you where you're most vulnerable, in your failure. He will meet you. He will love you towards wholeness until you embody the love of God that you can give to other people. I am on this journey. You are as well. I pray that we would surrender to it Last verse and I'm going to pray and finish. Pray that we would surrender to it Last verse and I'm going to pray and finish. 1 John, 1, 7 to 9. This is a memory verse for me as a teenager.
Speaker 1:But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, meaning if we're honest, we have fellowship with one another, that's one good thing. Meaning you're going to have good relationships. If you're just, honest and the blood of Jesus, his son, purifies us from all sin, we have good relationships. We get forgiveness. But if we claim to be without sin, we're deceiving ourselves and the truth's not in us. If we confess our sins though that word confess means to say the same thing as the truth Just tell the truth, then he is faithful and just and he will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. Not only do you get forgiveness, but there's a purity that comes with that. There's a washing away of the junk and the residue of living a life of lies and sin. It's beautiful. So I want to pray for us.
Speaker 1:Let me ask you just a couple of questions to finish. What's Jesus calling you to leave behind, to come follow him. I've said it many times Jesus is not an add-on to our life, it's a reordering of our life, with him at number one. Secondly, how has he met you in your times of failure, those moments of failure and hitting the ground? Have you had those moments? What steps can you take to reflect his love? How can we start embodying that kind of love to other people? Some things to reflect on for us.
Speaker 1:Let me pray for us. Can we just have a little honest moment right now, maybe even today, have a little honest moment, yeah, honest moment with God. I'm not going to call you out like Jesus did in the crowd, right, but he might. He might call you out, call you to himself. So, god, we just present ourselves here again. Here we are. You know every failure, every disappointment, every arrogant thought and deed in our hearts and we surrender them to you. God, I pray that you would come and love people to wholeness in this church. That it would come and love people to wholeness in this church, that it would be marked by people becoming whole and strong, humble and bold. I pray this year in our church there would be a boldness like we haven't seen before, a boldness that comes from a humble and deep place with God that is not up and down and shaken by the world, but is formed by your love in us. Help us, god. We're trusting our lives into your care. We invite you to come and reorder our lives with you at the center.