SESSION 5 REDEEMED FROM DEVASTATING FAILURE 108 SESSION 5

SESSION 5 REDEEMED FROM DEVASTATING FAILURE 108 SESSION 5

What's one of your favorite comeback stories? BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 109

THE POINT God can redeem us from even our worst failures. THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE What does a devastating failure look like? Sportscasters might mention the Buffalo Bills. After all, they lost the Super Bowl in 1991 and 1992 and 1993 and 1994. Others would use far more serious examples: The resignation of an American president in 1974. The explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger in 1986. For others, devastating failure is defined by something far more personal: Not getting into the college of your dreams. Not making the team. Losing a friendship. Failure has been very personal for me. My mom died suddenly in 2010. Just 18 months later, my dad also died. He had been sick for years, but when the end was near, he was taken to a hospice home. I stayed with him constantly, but thinking he would live a few more days, I slipped out of his room while he was sleeping to attend a banquet. He died while I was gone. I wanted to be with him when he breathed his last but I wasn t. I regret my decision to leave but there s not a single thing I can do to change it. Peter s life has shown us, however, we are not doomed to live with the regret of our failures. 110 SESSION 5

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY? Luke 22:54-62; Acts 4:8-13 They seized Him, led Him away, and brought Him into the high priest s house. Meanwhile Peter was following at a distance. 55 They lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, and Peter sat among them. 56 When a servant saw him sitting in the firelight, and looked closely at him, she said, This man was with Him too." 57 But he denied it: Woman, I don t know Him! 58 After a little while, someone else saw him and said, You re one of them too! Man, I am not! Peter said. 59 About an hour later, another kept insisting, This man was certainly with Him, since he s also a Galilean. 60 But Peter said, Man, I don t know what you re talking about! Immediately, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. 61 Then the Lord turned and looked at Peter. So Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, Before the rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times. 62 And he went outside and wept bitterly. 54 Then Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and said to them, Rulers of the people and elders: 9 If we are being examined today about a good deed done to a disabled man by what means he was healed 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene whom you crucified and whom God raised from the dead by Him this man is standing here before you healthy. 11 This Jesus is the stone rejected by you builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12 There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people, and we must be saved by it. 13 When they observed the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed and recognized that they had been with Jesus. 8 The Setting Jesus and His disciples had shared the Passover meal (Luke 22:14-38). During the meal, Jesus predicted His betrayal by one of His disciples. Peter had boldly pledged to go with Jesus to both prison and to death, to which Jesus responded by predicting Peter would deny Him three times before the rooster crowed. Later that night in the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus was betrayed and arrested (vv. 39-54). Despite an initial display of boldness in cutting off the ear of the high priest s slave (v. 50; John 18:10), Peter, along with the rest of the disciples, abandoned Jesus and fled. But Peter followed the mob at a distance as they took Jesus to the high priest s house. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 111

THE POINT God can redeem us from even our worst failures. How do you LUKE 22:54-62; ACTS 4:8-13 Peter was a rough-and-tough, blue-collar worker from Galilee, in northern Israel. He worked around boats, nets, and fish. He had a temper and usually made big promises. Peter was rough around the edges, but Jesus saw the leader he would become. Jesus hand picked His ministry team. Peter, known as Simon, quickly took the lead. Over time, he became convinced Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah, the Son of God (Matt. 16:16), but he remained confused over what that really meant. Peter wanted Jesus to exercise power as a military leader to restore Israel. When Jesus spoke of His disciples abandoning Him, Peter quickly spoke up. He brashly declared that even if everyone ran away, He would never leave (Mark 14:27-31). respond when you feel like you ve let someone down? Bold and brash, Peter would soon eat those words. Hours later, Jesus was arrested. The Messiah who had been so brilliant and persuasive when challenged, now stood silent before His accusers. Peter could see his desires of earthly power vaporize like a mist. Everything was happening so fast, and Peter must have been confused and fearful. The man who had quickly drawn a sword earlier in defense of Jesus was cowering in front of a small group. Loyal Peter denied even knowing Jesus. Three times. When the rooster crowed, Peter remembered Jesus words. Immediately, Peter wept bitterly with remorse. Peter felt like a devastating failure. 112 SESSION 5

When have you ever feared letting God down? ACTS 4:8-12 In Acts 4, we see a completely different Peter. What changed? YY Restored. After Jesus' resurrection, He spent 40 days with His followers (Acts 1:3). During that time, Jesus talked with Peter along the shore of the Sea of Tiberias and called Peter to express his love for Him by feeding His sheep (John 21:1-19). Peter had failed three times, and three times Jesus called him right back to serve Him. YY Empowered. Jesus didn t leave Peter alone. The very Spirit of God was now living in Peter, empowering him to feed the sheep and proclaim Christ. Peter s transformation from failure is clear in Acts. He was filled with the Holy Spirit and he now spoke boldly about Jesus with those who had sought Jesus death. When asked how he and John had healed a lame man, Peter wanted them to know exactly how God did it, and he held nothing back (Acts 4:7). Peter now proclaimed Jesus boldly. If Jesus can take a broken man like Peter and empower him for ministry as a witness of the gospel, then He can do the same thing with you. Repenting and receiving God s grace will transform your worst moments into your greatest testimony. If someone came to Peter and said, I don t think God would forgive me because of what I ve done, he surely would have said, You think that s bad? Let me tell you what I did. No failure is greater than the grace and purpose of God. YY List two ways we can we move from denying Jesus in our daily lives to living for Him in those situations? BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 113

THE POINT God can redeem us from even our worst failures. Action Point Some of the most successful people have had some of the most epic failures. Walt Disney was turned down for financing for Disney World 302 times. After founding Apple, Steve Jobs was fired before coming back to revolutionize the company. Failure is not a definition; it s an event. YY How is God s view of success and failure different than our view? ACTS 4:13 Peter and John healed a man lame from birth. When Peter proclaimed Jesus, the religious leaders had nothing to say in response. They did notice three things about Peter and John: How does understanding that God is not holding your past mistakes over your head change your perspective of Him? 1. They were bold. 2. They were untrained and uneducated. 3. They had been with Jesus. It was clear to the Jewish leaders that Peter knew Jesus. The leaders knew about Jesus, but Peter knew Him. His words, his actions, his boldness all reflected Jesus Himself. Imagine Peter telling his story. He denied his Savior, and just days later Jesus lovingly restored him on the shore of Galilee, calling him to a life of ministry, mission, and witness. But this really isn t a story about Peter at all; it is a story about Jesus His forgiveness, His grace, and His power. You also have a story of your own encounter with Jesus Christ. Your life is unique to you, and it contains unexpected turns, failures, defeats, and regrets. God will use the specific elements of your story to touch people s hearts and point to the grace and power of Christ in your life. Your failures can lead you to greater faith when you experience the forgiveness of Jesus. Tell your story all of it and let the Holy Spirit use your witness to bring others into the kingdom of God. 114 SESSION 5

"By a carpenter mankind was made, and only by a carpenter can mankind be remade." 2 E R A S M US APPLY IT Our past shame and failures do not keep us from Christ. They no longer determine who we are. Christ has the authority and ability to define us, and he desires to do great things through us. Make sure you take what God's Word has taught you today and apply it in your world this week. YY Repent. Is there failure in your life? Don t hide from it. Face it and be honest about it. Then repent and turn to Christ for forgiveness. YY Encourage. If members in your group are still Fun Facts NASA's space shuttles have racked up an amazing set of accomplishments over the last 30 years, not to mention the miles and statistics. In three decades, NASA performed 135 flights.1 struggling with past failures or with forgiving themselves, encourage them. Discuss how God forgives completely and desires to use us. You may identify specific ways God can use them in spite of their failures. YY Share. Write down your story, including both your failures and your salvation in Christ. Tell your story in a way that does not glorify your failure but lifts up Jesus. Share your story with others. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 115

LIVE IT OUT FIGHTING FAILURE Romans 5:6-11 Failure can be devastating to experience. People often feel haunted, weighed down, and even hopeless because of it. It s amazing that so many Christians feel this way when we have the biggest reason to never be weighed down by our failures. The Apostle Paul had the worst failures imaginable. He killed, imprisoned, and attacked Christians wherever he could find them, and yet God used him to spread the gospel all over the world. When Paul wrote this passage in Romans, God was inspiring him to write from personal experience. God doesn t wait to save us until we were successful or good enough. Jesus saved us from all the sin and failure we would ever commit, and He did it because God loves you. When we feel the weight of sin and failure, we are called to give our worries and fears to Christ, because He has already paid the penalty for our failures on the cross. When people, circumstances, and Satan remind you of your failures, you can agree with them. Then, remind them that Christ has taken your failures from you so that you don t have to live in them anymore. YY After reading this passage, make three lists. First, be honest about the failures you struggle to overcome. Second, write down what God says about your failures and why they no longer control you. Third, write down how you will live differently as a result. 116 SESSION 5

DAILY READING YY Day 1: Luke 22:1-23 YY Day 2: Luke 22:24-38 YY Day 3: Luke 22:39-53 YY Day 4: Luke 22:54-62 YY Day 5: Luke 24:13-35 YY Day 6: John: 21:1-14 YY Day 7: John: 21:15-25 BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 117

REFERENCES UNIT 2, SESSION 1 1. Trusting God Quotes, Goodreads [online], [accessed 17 July 2015]. Available from the Internet: ww. goodreads.com/work/ quotes/123695-trusting-god-even-when-life-hurts 2. Jake Rossen, 14 Facts About Netflix, Recommended For You, Mental_Floss [online], [cited 6 October 2015]. Available from the Internet: ttp://mentalfloss.com/article/64325/14-facts-about-netflixrecommended-you 3. 90 Percent Of People Say They Have A Major Regret. Here s How To Move Past It, Huffington Post [online], 26 June 2014 [cited 6 October 2015]. Available from the Internet: ttp://ww.huffingtonpost. com/2014/06/26/regret-infographic_n_5529641.html UNIT 2, SESSION 2 1. Quotes About Humility, Goodreads [online], [accessed 17 July 2015]. Available from the Internet: www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/humility 2. Heather Fishel, 7 Surprising College Dating Statistics, Campus Explorer [online], [accessed 17 July 2015]. Available from the Internet: ww.campusexplorer.com/college-advice-tips/e6f6928c/7-surprising- College-Dating-Statistics/ UNIT 2, SESSION 5 1. Quotes About Restoration, Christian Quotes [online], [accessed 17 July 2015]. Available from the Internet: www.christianquotes.info/ quotes-by-topic/quotes-about-restoration/ 2. Tariq Malik, Space.com [online], 21 July 2011 [accessed 17 July 2015]. Available from the Internet: ww.space.com/12376-nasa-space-shuttleprogram-facts-statistics.html UNIT 2, SESSION 6 1. Quotes About Repentance, Goodreads [online], [accessed 17 July 2015]. Available from the Internet: www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/repentance 2. Greatest Rivalries in Sports, Fox Sports [online], 7 July 2013 [accessed 17 July 2015]. Available from the Internet: ww.foxsports. com/collegebasketball/lists/greatest-rivalries-in-sports#photo-title=nfl%25 3A+Packers+vs.+Bears&photo=29718132 3. Americans Believe in Heaven, Hell, and a Little Bit of Heresy, LifeWay Research [online], 28 October 2014 [accessed 17 July 2015]. Available from the Internet: ttp://ww.lifewayresearch.com/2014/10/28/ americans-believe-in-heaven-hell-and-a-little-bit-of-heresy/ UNIT 2, SESSION 3 1. Tony Dungy, Brainy Quote [online], [accessed 17 July 2015]. Available from the Internet: www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/t/tony_dungy.html 2. Cyber Bullying Statistics, NoBullying.com [online], [accessed 17 July 2015]. Available from the Internet: http://nobullying.com/cyber-bullying-statistics-2014/ BONUS UNIT 1. Radical Quotes, Goodreads [online], [accessed 17 July 2015]. Available from the Internet: ww. goodreads.com/work/quotes/9657002- radical-taking-back-your-faith-from-the-american-dream 2. 5 Fun Facts You Didn t Know About Windshields, Buzzfeed [online], 27 February 2014 [accessed 17 July 2015]. Available from the Internet: ww.buzzfeed.com/marlenas3/5-fun-facts-you-didnt-know-aboutwindshields-j977#.woky5zeoe NIT 2, SESSION 4 1. John Piper > Quotes > Quotable Quote, Goodreads [online], [accessed 17 July 2015]. Available from the Internet: ww.goodreads. com/quotes/701102-faith-is-born-and-sustained-by-the-word-of-god 2. Trust in Government, Gallup [online], [accessed 17 July 2015]. Available from the Internet: www.gallup.com/poll/5392/trust-government.aspx