Loving and Comforting Arms of a Father.
When you think of revival what do you picture in your mind? Or what does it mean to you?
When I picture revival, I picture a child who has wandered off/from their Father. I’m talking about when a child has disobeyed their father and brought a separation between them.
Before my earthly father passed away, I didn’t always do the right things or things that my father approved of. There were times that my actions would cause me to put some space between me and my father because I knew he was disappointed in me and that he couldn’t love me because of my actions. there were times that I would goes days, weeks, and even months without talking with my dad. When I would begin realizing my fault and man-up I would reach out to my father to apologize for my actions. My father would always be there with loving arms to offer forgiveness and reconcile me back into a right relationship with him. He would never refuse me to come to him and would always be excited to reconnect the broken relationship. Some of the final words my father spoke to me was, “you haven’t always done things I approve of but I’m proud to call you my son”.
In preparing this message it reminded me of the story of the Prodigal son found in Luke 15. while I’m not going to read the whole story, I want to summarize it for you here today. There was this young man who went to his father and asked him to divide out his portion of his estate and give it to him so he could go and live the life he wanted. The father, knowing that it was not the best decision the son had made, did as the young man asked and divided his estate. the young man took his portion and left to go live his best life (he thought). as the story goes the young man blew all his money, became broke and homeless, and found himself in the worst possible position he could have been in. When the young man realized his fault and decided to man-up he went back to his father to ask forgiveness. Then in my opinion the best part of the story happens.
Luke 15:20 “And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion and ran and embraced him and kissed him.”
He started back to his father and as he was returning the father saw him and ran to him. Before the young man could speak a word, the father wrapped his arms around, kissed him, and reconcile the relationship between them.
You see like my earthly father and the father found in this story, God our Heavenly Father feels the same about you and me. It grieves Him when we do wrong and things He doesn’t approve of, but He is always there with loving arms to reconcile back into His good graces.
Loving and Comforting Arms of the Son.
There is also another picture I see. This second picture is of Christ coming to a believer and calling them to return to Him. The best story to explain this thought is that of Peter after he had denied Christ three times. Peter was one of the chosen few that had the opportunity to have a close intimate relationship with Christ. While Christ had many followers and twelve to be disciples / apostles, he held just three in his intimate circle, Peter, James, and John.
Peter, like many of us, walked with the Lord but didn’t always understand or obey the teachings of Christ. This to the point that he denied Christ three times even after Christ had forewarned him, he would do it. John 13:38 “Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times.” Sure, enough the time came, and Peter fell into his sin. John 18:16–27
John 18:16–27 ESV
but Peter stood outside at the door. So, the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the servant girl who kept watch at the door, and brought Peter in. The servant girl at the door said to Peter, “You also are not one of this man’s disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.” Now the servants and officers had made a charcoal fire, because it was cold, and they were standing and warming themselves. Peter also was with them, standing and warming himself.
The high priest then questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. Jesus answered him, “I have spoken openly to the world. I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret. Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me what I said to them; they know what I said.” When he had said these things, one of the officers standing by struck Jesus with his hand, saying, “Is that how you answer the high priest?” Jesus answered him, “If what I said is wrong, bear witness about the wrong; but if what I said is right, why do you strike me?” Annas then sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.
Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So, they said to him, “You also are not one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not.” One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Did I not see you in the garden with him?” Peter again denied it, and at once a rooster crowed.
The act of Peter denying Christ is recorded in all for Gospels. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all record that when the cock crowed that Peter remembered what Christ had said and wept bitterly. Peter realized he had let down the Lord and ran from the place and wept. His feeling of guilt causes a separation that Peter wasn’t there for the crucifixion or the burial.
After the crucifixion of Peter returned to the world, he was comfortable in {a life of fishing). The bible doesn’t specifically say that Peter asked for forgiveness or that he didn’t.
What I read is that Jesus lovingly came looking for Peter. John 21:4-17
John 21:4–17 ESV
Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So, they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off.
When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” So, Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.
Jesus came to where they were and waited on the seashore for the disciples to recognize Him and come back to Him.
He Didn’t remind them/ Peter of the denial or the sin he had committed. He just lovingly reminded Peter that he loved him and wanted to have a relationship with him.
In fact, He only asked one question, “Peter, do you love me?” He asked this question three separate time. Peter answered Him three time, “Lord, you know I love thee.” Jesus’ response was basically keep my commandment to feed His sheep.
Revival is all about allowing our hearts to return to the Lord. The way we know our hearts have returned to the Lord is to keep His commandments. Jesus says “if you love me, you will keep my commandments. John 14:15 ““If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”
What are His commandments?
1.) Love the Lord your God. Matthew 22:36–40 ““Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.””
2.) Love your neighbor Luke 10:27 “And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.””
3.) Go make disciples Matthew 28:19–20 “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.””
4.) Be His witness. Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.””
You see revival isn’t something you do occasionally, or even once a year. Revival is a practice that should be continuously happening in our lives. Every time we feel separated from God and wanting to return to our old ways of living, we should be looking toward the shore to see Jesus lovingly calling us back to Himself.
Revival is returning to your father (like my personal story and that of the Prodigal Son) and being embraced in the loving and comfortable arms of God the Father and Christ the Son, being reconciled into a right relationship to the Family.
