Restored to Serve
When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”
Again, Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.”
John 21:15–17
We often assume that failure disqualifies us from serving God. If we’ve messed up too badly, we think we’re no longer useful for His work. Even worse, we can often give up before we’ve even tried. But that’s not how Jesus works.
In John 21, after Peter’s three-time denial of Jesus, we find a powerful moment of restoration. Jesus doesn’t reject Peter; instead, He asks him three times, “Do you love me?” and commissions him to feed His sheep. This exchange isn’t just for Peter; it’s for us, too. Jesus restores us, calls us to follow Him closely, and sends us out to serve His people.
Jesus offers us the same grace and call He gave to Peter—through restoration, a personal call to follow, and a commission to serve. As we reflect on these truths, let’s also consider how they apply to the work of ministry and mission here at St Martin’s, especially as we move into our AGM and look forward to the year ahead.
1. The Power of Restoration
We all have moments we wish we could erase. Times when we’ve failed—whether through big mistakes or small lapses in faithfulness—and thought, “That’s it. I’ve messed up too badly. I’ve lost my chance to serve.”
Before he became a Christian, John Newton was involved in the transatlantic slave trade. His job was to transport enslaved Africans across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas, where they would be sold into slavery. After coming to faith in Jesus years later, he couldn’t help but think, “How could God ever use someone like me?” The weight of his past mistakes almost convinced him that God had no place for him in ministry.
But God had other plans. Not only did Newton experience personal restoration through Jesus’ grace, but he was called into ministry. He became an Anglican pastor and spent the rest of his life advocating for the abolition of slavery, using his influence to bring about change. He even wrote a hymn that has resonated with countless people for centuries, proclaiming the very truth that Jesus’ grace is greater than our failures. That hymn, of course, is Amazing Grace.
Newton could have let his past define him, but he didn’t. He learned that failure doesn’t disqualify us from God’s work—in fact, it is often the very place where Jesus meets us with grace and re-commissions us for service.
The apostle Peter had denied Jesus three times, and yet Jesus didn’t walk away from him. He didn’t disqualify him. Instead, Jesus restored him. He affirmed Peter’s worth and calling by asking His question, “Do you love me?” three times, one for each denial.
So, is it too far a stretch to think that Jesus does the same for us? When we mess up, we think we’ve blown it, that our failures make us useless for God’s work in the world. But Jesus’ restoration of Peter, His breakthrough to Saul on the road, and His transformation in John Newton shows us that failure doesn’t disqualify us from ministry; it can become the place where Jesus meets us with grace and gives us a new beginning.
If God ran a family business, and Jesus was the heir, it would be the business of restoration. His grace doesn’t run out, and His calling depend on our skillset. Ministry doesn’t come to those who are perfect—it comes to those who have been restored by Jesus.
2. The Call to Follow
Jesus doesn’t just restore Peter; He calls him to follow. After each affirmation of love, Jesus commands Peter, “Follow me.” This is more than a simple invitation—it’s a directive. Following Jesus means aligning our lives with His and actively pursuing His will, day in and day out. To follow Jesus is not a one-off decision, but a commitment to live in Him and for Him.
It’s easy to think of ministry as a task we do, a responsibility we carry, or a job for the Pastor or our aptly named Ministry Team, but ministry is first about restoration, and second about discipleship. In both cases, God is the agent, not us. He does the restoring and the calling.
We can fall into the trap of thinking that discipleship is about how well we follow Jesus, but we forget that we are followers in the first place. To be a disciple is not to pioneer or trailblaze, invent or create. It is to follow Jesus and listen to Him.
When we follow Jesus closely and daily, we begin to see the world through His eyes. We understand His heart for the lost, the hurting, the broken. This is why Jesus calls us to follow before He commissions us to serve. Only when we follow Him closely are we truly equipped to care for His people.
For our church, this means that as we come to our AGM this afternoon, we need to ask: Are we following Jesus in everything we do? Are we listening to His voice as we seek to serve, or are we getting caught up in our own plans and agendas? Our decisions need to be based first on the call to follow—not just for the sake of planning or deciding how to spend our money, but to make sure that our mission reflects the heart of Christ. Jesus calls us to follow first. Only then are we ready to serve.
3. The Commission to Serve
Jesus’ interaction with Peter isn’t just about restoration and discipleship; it’s ultimately about mission. After restoring Peter and calling him to follow, Jesus commissions him: “Feed my sheep.” This is the task He gives Peter, a task He gives to all who follow Him. We are called to serve others, to care for the flock, and to be active participants in God’s mission.
Jesus doesn’t just say, “Follow me” and leave it at that. He points Peter to the work that must be done: feeding and tending to those who are part of His people. For Peter, this meant caring for the early church, strengthening believers in the faith, and spreading the message of Christ’s salvation. He was called to do that in an incredibly difficult context: a mixture of Jews and Gentiles trying to share the same Lord and Saviour with dramatically different lifestyles and values, an oppressive government that saw all this as a threat to order, and a million unknowns about how to structure themselves, what to do when they gathered, which parts of Scripture to even use, and even how to access God’s Word.
For us, it’s different, but it’s no different. We are called to serve the church and the world, to bring the hope of the gospel to those around us.
This is an essential question for us as a community of God’s people: Are we embracing the commission Jesus gave us?Are we actively serving each other in our congregation, caring for those who are struggling, and connecting to people outside these walls? Jesus’ call to Peter is a call to all of us—to serve with love, to tend to His people, and to bring others into the fold of His grace.
As we look ahead, let’s remember that our ministry isn’t just about maintaining programs, doing what’s always been done, or even about getting more people to come to church. It’s about serving with purpose—feeding, caring, and bringing others to the life found in Jesus Christ. Yes, that life is lived in the flock called the church, but it’s also in you wherever you go. The church, and God’s mission, is portable, adaptable, and it changes lives.
Jesus restored Peter, called him to follow, and sent him out to serve. The same call is for us.
Conclusion
We can tend to think that failure disqualifies us from serving God. But as we’ve seen today, Jesus instead restores us, calls us to follow, and commissions us to serve.
Like Peter, we all have moments of failure, but Jesus meets us with grace. He calls us to follow Him, not just in our own lives but in the work of His ministry. He commissions us to serve people, caring for His flock and sharing His hope with the world.
At St Martin’s, we are a people of restoration, we are called to follow, and we are sent to serve. This is the foundation for everything we do, whether in ministry, in your everyday work, or life as a member of this community.
May we follow Jesus faithfully, serve His people with love, and be faithful stewards of the mission He has given us. And may the peace that surpasses all understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
