Every Christ-follower has a part to play.
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SERMON NOTES:
John 21:15-25
Jesus restores Peter to a place of value and significance. (15-17)
Life Lesson: God uses imperfect people with imperfect lives.
Jesus challenges Peter to follow regardless of the cost. (18-19)
Life Lesson: Following Jesus includes personal cost.
Jesus instructs Peter to stay focused on God’s Plan. (20-24)
Life Lesson: Every Christ-follower has a part to play.
study questions:
Warming-Up. Share about a time in your life when someone in authority or older than you (coach, teacher, parent, mentor, etc.) confronted or challenged you about something. How did it go and what benefit did it have in your life?
Read verses 15-17. What was the setting of this conversation between Jesus and Simon Peter (see also John 21:1-14)? What did Jesus ask Peter, and how many times did He ask it? How did Peter respond each time? Recognizing that Peter denied Jesus three times (John 15-18, 25-27), what was Jesus’ purpose in this exchange with Peter? Based on your understanding of Peter and how God intends to use him, who is qualified for ministry in the body of Christ and why? What does this tell you about your qualifications for serving Christ?
Read verses 18-19. What does Peter learn about his future? What do we learn about following Jesus? Does following Jesus result in being healthy and wealthy, or does it involve sacrifice? Explain your answer.
Read verses 20-23. What did Peter ask Jesus, and how did Jesus respond? What lesson can we learn from this exchange? What was the rumor circulated by the disciples? What warning do we need to recognize in this misunderstanding? (See also the contrasting example of the Bereans in Acts 17:11)
Read verses 24-25. What is the point of these two verses? What do you think it would have been like to personally experience all that Jesus did on earth rather than just read about some of it in the Gospels?
So What. In this brief conversation between Jesus and Peter there are several spiritual lessons we can learn. What is one point you are taking away from this study? How will this spiritual lesson apply directly to your life?