JOHN 21:4
Pastor Rick Jackson
A lost person, the natural man, the unbeliever – does not
have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He may know of Him, but he does
not know Him. He was created by Him, but he knows Him not. Not in the Bible
sense of a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.
The saved person, the Christian, the believer – does have a
personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He knows of Him and he knows Him. He
was created by Him, and by receiving Him he became a son of God. He is a saint,
a sanctified one, saved by the grace and mercy of Almighty God. He has a saving
relationship which neither he, nor Satan, nor sin can break. His fellowship
with Christ can be broken but his relationship with Christ cannot.
Let’s see what we mean with an example of a sinning saint
from the Word of God.
I. THE OBVIOUS SINS OF SIMON
1. Lying [John 18:17-18, 25-27]
Then saith the damsel that kept the door unto Peter, Art not
thou also one of this man's disciples? He saith, I am not. And the servants and
officers stood there, who had made a fire of coals; for it was cold: and they
warmed themselves: and Peter stood with them, and warmed himself.
And Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. They said
therefore unto him, Art not thou also one of his disciples? He denied it, and
said, I am not. One of the servants of the high priest, being his kinsman whose
ear Peter cut off, saith, Did not I see thee in the garden with him? Peter then
denied again: and immediately the cock crew.
2. Cursing [Mark 14: 70-71]
And he denied it again. And a little after, they that stood
by said again to Peter, Surely thou art one of them: for thou art a Galilaean,
and thy speech agreeth thereto. But he began to curse and to swear, saying, I
know not this man of whom ye speak.
3. Denying the Lord [Matthew 26:34]
Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this
night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.
II. THE AWKWARD SINS OF SIMON
1. Simon Peter Went Back to His Old Life [21:1-3a]
This is not the way a Christian is supposed to live but it
is a way many a Christian lives.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is
a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Rm. 6:4-7 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into
death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the
Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been
planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness
of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that
the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
For he that is dead is freed from sin.
2. Simon Peter Influenced Others for the Bad [21:3, Gal.
2:11ff.] Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We
also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and
that night they caught nothing.
1 Timothy 4:12 …be thou an example of the believers, in
word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
3. Simon Peter Got His Eyes on Others [21:20-22]
III. THE SWEET SAVIOUR OF SIMON
1. The Saviour Maintains the Relationship [21:4-8]
2. The Saviour Meets Needs [21:9-14]
3. The Saviour Motivates Ministry [21:15-19]
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