Where did I have you turn?
2 Corinthians?
Go to 2 Corinthians chapter 7 because here's something that we often see in life when people
lose sight of the importance of their calling.
When they lose sight of the fact that God still loves them and cares about them and
hasn't given up on them.
We see that sometimes people can get depressed and defeated and quit on God.
And that's what we see happen with Peter, okay?
Peter, because he denied the Lord Jesus Christ, he went out and wept bitterly.
And then after he wept bitterly, it caused him to quit the ministry because Jesus told
him that he was not supposed to fish anymore.
He told him from now on, you're going to be a fisher of men.
He wasn't supposed to go back to fishing.
But in John 21, he went back to fishing.
So after he wept bitterly about his sins, several days went by, even weeks may have
gone by.
And then what do you see him doing?
Just quitting on God, just giving up.
And remember Peter, when he was first called by Jesus, it was while he was fishing.
It was while he was there in the boat.
And if you remember, he told Jesus, he said, "Depart from me, for I'm a sinful man."
You remember that?
He said, "Jesus, just depart from me."
Because Jesus wanted him to be one of his disciples.
He wanted Peter, specifically, he hand-picked him to be his disciple.
And Peter said, "Just depart from me.
I am not worthy.
I'm a sinful man.
You don't want me to be your disciple."
Okay?
And Jesus said, "Fear not, Simon.
From henceforth thou shalt catch man."
He said, "Don't worry about that.
Just follow me."
Okay?
So then we see again after he sins by denying the Lord and goes out and weeps bitterly,
he feels the same way again.
He feels unworthy.
Are you listening?
He feels like he has no value.
He feels like he's too sinful to be used by God, and so he quits serving God and he goes
out fishing.
And you know what?
He took about, I didn't look at the exact number, but I believe he took six or seven
other people with him.
When he quit serving God, he took about six or seven other disciples with him and they
quit.
And they're following Peter's ways.
And Jesus specifically comes to him in John chapter 21 and reaches out to him and tells
him, "Follow me, Peter.
Follow me."
But look, can you see how in 2013 the same thing could happen?
Maybe you have somebody who wants to serve God, they love God, and they start serving
God, and then they commit a sin.
And then that sin might cause them to feel like, you know what, I'm not worthy.
Or to be depressed or sorrowful because of the sin that they've committed.
And to think, "I'm worthless, I don't have any value, God can't use me."
And then what do you see them do?
They quit.
They quit serving God because they don't feel like they're worthy of being an ambassador.
They don't feel...
I mean, can you see maybe an ambassador who goofed up on something?
Can you see him resigning?
Like let's say that...
You know, we're really beating up on Latvia.
But let's say that ambassador from Latvia, let's say he did just get completely drunk
on that plane.
Got a little carried away in first class.
Can you see him maybe tendering his resignation saying, "You know what?
I'm sorry.
I messed up.
I shouldn't even be an ambassador anymore."
But see, we as ambassadors for Christ, the difference is, and you know, he probably should
be let go, but the difference is that Jesus doesn't want to let us go because we're not
just an employee to him, we're his children.
And you know what?
He wants us to just get restored.
And the Bible says, "If a brother be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual restore
such a one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted."