“RECYCLED SAINTS” (GOD USES FAILURES) By Dr. Paul Fedena
TEXT: John 21:17
THESIS: To show that God can still use those who fail but repent.
INTRO: A. There is nothing sadder than to see a saint slip and fall, get discouraged and defeated. Paul prayed it would never happen to him. He didn’t want his ministry to be discredited and no longer be useful to God.
1 Cor. 9:27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
B. But it does happen! Does God’s forgiveness extend only to sinners or does He also recycle saints? Our text shows how the Lord forgave, cleansed and restored Peter back to a place of usefulness. We can’t excuse sin, but God can forgive sin. We are not going to justify sin among saints, but we want to extend hope for the sinning saint. Sin always carries a price tag, but I would rather wear used clothing than no clothes. I would rather be partially used by God than discarded and never used. God doesn’t throw away sinning saints, he just recycles them!
I. GOD RECYCLED SAMSON: Judges 16
A.Spirit Fullness Was Traded For Sinful Failure:
1. No man had more of the power of God on him than Samson. 2. Samson was raised in a godly home, became a Judge of Israel, was not only strong, but handsome; he was intelligent, courageous, swift and Spirit-filled. 3. But Samson had a weakness for women and his weakness became his ruin!
C.Great Strength Was Traded For Great Sin:
1. Samson thought he could play around with sin and leave unscathed. (v.4-20)
Prov. 31:3 Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings. (This is what Samson should have been thinking! He neglected God’s Word.)
2. Samson played with sin, now he had to pay for his sin!
ILLUS: “Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and make you pay more than you want to pay.” Samson lost his eyes, his freedom, his strength, his Spirit fullness and the ministry God had called him to. He replaced the dumb ox at the grinding mill. He was taunted, mocked, scorned and brought reproach on the Lord and Israel.
C. THEN CAME RESTORATION!
ILLUS: I want to see this movie replayed in heaven’s theater. (All the movies there are rated “G” for godly!) I want a giant tub of popcorn, drizzling with butter and salt (none of that diet stuff - I want the fizz, caffeine, cholesterol, fat, sugar, etc.!) and I want to sit back and cheer as God uses Samson again! The title of the film isn’t “SAMSON RETURNS” or “SAMSON’S VICTORY” it is “GOD RECYCLES SAMSON!” (v.22,28.29 - describe the scene)
II. GOD RECYCLED DAVID: II Sam.11
A.David’s Position Became His Poison: v.1,2
1. God had honored David and placed him as King of Israel. 2. Here was a classic “rags to riches” story; the shepherd boy became the King the apple of God’s eye, the hero of Israel, the sweet singer of Israel, a man after God’s own heart. 3. David was the King who had fellowship with the King of Kings!
ILLUS: The problem with power and position is that the person becomes corrupted by it all. He forgets it’s God’s grace, not his greatness that put him where he is. He thinks he can do whatever he wants and still retain God’s blessings. So David orders Bathsheba's husband killed and has sex with wife! A sad day for David, a sad day for Bathsheba, as sad day for Uriah, a sad day for Israel and a sad day for God!
B.David’s Power Became His Pitfall: v.4
1. David said: “I want her, go get her” to his servants and they said “But she is is another man’s wife - are you questioning my power as King?!” 2. Others are in on the sin (someone always is: either God will blow the whistle on you or the devil will or you will blow it yourself!).
ILLUS: Soon the whole nation knew. David would have to pay, and pay, and pay… *He failed, but God still uses failures. And he will use David. Never as he had used him in the past, but God is not done with David.
C.THEN CAME SOLOMON!
1. God took the first baby as a down-payment on David’s sin. 2. But David married Bathsheba and God overruled and gave them another baby, Israel’s second greatest King - Solomon (who was in Christ’s lineage)!
III. GOD RECYCLED JONAH:
A.God’s Call Became Jonah’s Fall:
B.God’s Commission Became Jonah’s Omission:
1. Jonah ran from God’s call and commission and ended up in the whale’s belly. 2. Jonah went down to Tarshish, down to Joppa, down to the ship, down into the sea, down into the water and down into the whale’s belly: when you run from God you’re going down!
ILLUS: God caused the fish to get nauseated. Backslidden believers do usually cause nausea! Jonah had repented and re-signed and he ended up where he was supposed to be in the first place. (Rebellion is always a rough detour in life!)
C.THEN CAME REVIVAL!
ILLUS: God isn’t as interested in where you have been as much as where you are or where you are going from here! He is interested in what you are going to do with the rest of your life!
IV. GOD RECYCLED PETER: Acts 2
A.Peter’s Courage Turned To Cowardice:
1. The sword-wielder became the sorry-whiner! 2. The “big fisherman” became the “big sissy man”!
B.Peter’s Faith Turned To Fear:
1. The water-walker got cold feet. 2. The leader of the Apostles was trembling before woman.
ILLUS: When fear replaces faith it neutralizes the believer’s witness. Peter was there when Jesus multiplied the loaves and fish and helped pass them out to the crowds. He saw Zaccheus, and the Samaritan woman saved. He saw Jesus raise people from the dead. He walked on water. He had seen the blind open their eyes and saw Jesus open the ears of the deaf. Now he cowers before the ungodly and doubts Jesus’ power.
C.THEN CAME PENTECOST! V.14
1. No doubt the devil whispered into Peter’s ear, “You’re a failure, you had your chance to witness and you blew it! Let somebody else preach!” 2. The devil whispered “You are just an ignorant fisherman, how are you going to communicate with the 17 different nationalities here today?” 3. God doesn’t use Peter because he is a failure, but in grace, in spite of his failure, and 3000 get saved, baptized and added to the church on one day!!!
CONCL: God wants to recycle you too! I don’t care if you were a chain smoker, a practical joker or a player of poker. God can use you! I don’t care if you were a junkie or a flunkie; dumpy or grumpy or lumpy. God can use you! I don’t care if you’ve been used, misused, abused or confused; deflated, divorced, depressed, deprived, despicable or declawed. God will recycle you. It doesn’t matter if you have been molested, rejected, dejected, neglected, infected or uncollected. God can still recycle you! I don’t care if you are dyslexic, your parents are Catholic, your sister is anorexic, you fell dyspeptic and your brother smells like septic. God wants to recycle you. Those who were once spiritual and are now backslidden, God wants to recycle you! Those who have abused their power, misused their position, ran from God’s call or ran from God’s enemies. God wants to recycle you!