The slang term, “epic fail” means a truly spectacular failure—one from which a comeback is virtually impossible.  It is the kind of event that people can’t seem to resist telling others about.  It yields a form of schadenfreude (perverse pleasure) to record it on cell phones and share it on social media.

People who fail publicly and on a grand scale are rarely given a second chance.  Often, they become the butt of jokes.  No one wants to get too close to them, for fear of being associated with the one who flopped in unforgettable fashion for all to see.  The shame leaves an indelible stain.

An epic fail is not a close call, requiring the making of fine judgments.  On the contrary, agreement about it is instinctive, instantaneous and universal.  The one who commits an egregious faux pas or has a hugely embarrassing accident wants to melt into the earth, while others heave a collective sigh of relief that the calamity did not befall them. It makes little difference whether the disaster was the entirely foreseeable result of astonishingly bad judgment or a lightning strike of fate—a genuine ‘bolt from the blue’—the effect on the hapless, helpless victim is the same.

The Bible tells us that a certain boastful and impulsive first century fisherman named Simon, had more than his share of utterly humiliating experiences.  Yet, seeing in Simon something that others could not, Jesus called him Cephas, translated “Peter” (a stone—John 1:42) and made him one of His twelve Apostles.  The ironically nicknamed ‘Mr. Stone’ had one of the all-time crash and burn moments when he was cornered in the courtyard of the Jewish high priest’s house the night that Jesus was arrested, and ended up denying three times that he even knew Jesus.

The Master had warned Peter that this very thing would happen (Luke 22:31-34):

“And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat; But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted [have turned back to Me], strengthen thy brethren.

And he [Peter] said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.

And he [Jesus] said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.”

Oops!  Talk about an epic fail! Yet, in the last chapter of John’s Gospel we learn that Jesus, rather than rejecting Peter and refusing to forgive him, instead lovingly restored him to ministry and to his position as an Apostle. This whole tender scene is well worth reading again (or for the first time).  Jesus’ restoration of His errant disciple was an act that, though compassionate, brought back vivid and painful memories for Peter.  Jesus asked him three times (one for each of the Galilean’s ’s previous denials—ouch!), how much he truly loved his Master.  It chafed to be questioned this way, but a point was being made—love for Jesus is the basis, inspiration and motive for ministry.

With this portion of the meeting agenda behind them, the Lord assigned Peter to feed and care for His flock, from cute and cuddly little lambs to the oldest, most stubborn and wayward sheep.  To some, this role may seem light duty—yet with it came a heavy burden of responsibility, especially, since Jesus pointedly referred to Peter’s charges as “MY” lambs and “My” sheep.  But there was more in store, as they say.  Peter’s rough morning by the lake was just getting started.

Jesus next revealed to Peter that his earthly future would end in martyrdom (John 21:18-19):

“Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdest thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.  This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.”

What a dizzying and heart-stopping turn, from ‘tend My flock’ to, ‘you’re going to bring glory to God by dying a martyr’s death in your old age!’  While Peter was still processing that one, Jesus renewed the command He had first given Peter at or near the same spot, more than three years earlier: “Follow me.”

You can almost hear the gears grinding in Peter’s head as he looks back over his shoulder and sees John, youngest of the Twelve Disciples nearby, perhaps trotting up the beach after them.  Peter must have been thinking, ‘Sure, I’ll do my part’ (swallowing hard), but—[he can’t help asking] “Lord, and what shall this man do?”  This question drew an immediate and sharp retort: “Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry [remain alive] till I come, what is that to thee?  Follow thou me” (John 21:21-22).

‘Got it, Peter?  My call to you is just that—My marching orders for YOU. You needn’t concern yourself with what I am asking of My other servants.  My will for them is none of your concern and my commands to them are quite frankly, none of your business.  Pay attention and focus.  I have just told you My will for YOUR life.  My directive to YOU is clear: Follow Me!’

‘Regardless of what others may do or the respective conditions under which each serves Me, you are accountable for obedience to the commands I give to YOU and you alone.  Those commands grow out of your personal relationship with Me.  My plan for you and my plan for someone else are not interchangeable.  Those plans ensure the greatest glory to God and the highest good for each person who follows Me.  Any more questions?  No? Then do you think you can get started, now?  We’ve got a great deal to do together, much to accomplish, and there isn’t much time to do it in.  For “…the night cometh, when no man can work” ’ (John 9:4).

Jesus says to you what He said to Peter on that shoreline so long ago: “Follow Me.”  He does not conceal the truth of what this means or distort the reality, but lays it out, as He has from the very beginning: “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23).  “And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:27).

Following Christ will be no day at the beach.  In fact, Jesus urges all would-be followers to carefully consider the price of discipleship:

“For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?  Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish” (Luke 14:28-30)—an epic fail, for sure!

The good news is, that we can hardly do worse than Peter did, swearing when the chips were down, that he didn’t know Jesus and wanted nothing to do with Him.  Yet when Peter turned again to Jesus, the Lord took him back.  He forgave Peter for everything.  He restored Peter to ministry and to his office as an Apostle. He entrusted Peter with great responsibility, and He granted Peter the privilege of martyrdom for the sake of the gospel.  Jesus stands ready to forgive you, too, to restore you and to give you another chance—a completely fresh start.

Have you had your share of spectacular failures in trying to lead a good life or become a better person (husband/father, wife/mother, boss/employee…)?  Are you weary of trying to keep others from discovering who you are or what you’ve done? Are you frightened, sickened and saddened by the direction this world is taking?  Are you full of anxiety, wondering where all of this is headed? Then it’s time you knew the Way (to be saved), the Truth (about God) and the Life (found in Christ, alone).  It’s time you knew the gospel.  It’s time you knew Jesus.

He paid the full price for your sins and for the sins of the whole world.  He purchased a pardon for you with His own precious blood.  He holds it out to you now, as a free gift.  Receive it by faith.  Look up, reach out and take it.  Don’t let it go to waste, only to regret it for all eternity.  That would not only be an epic fail, but the ultimate tragedy.

HOW TO BE SAVED:

1. Admit to God that you are a sinner (that you have not kept His moral law to perfection; in your thoughts, words and actions you have done what His law forbids and have failed to do what His love demands).  This is seeing yourself from God’s point of view and agreeing that He is right about you.  Be as specific as you can.
2. Sincerely repent (turn away) from your sins, asking God to forgive you and to use His power to help you resist temptation, no matter how strong the pull of sin may be, at first.
3. Acknowledge Jesus as the Lord and Master of your life.  Invite Him to move into your heart and take up residence there, so that He can change you from the inside out.
4. Believe His promise to save you and give you a new spiritual birth and a new nature (thoughts, desires, priorities, hopes, dreams and character).

SOME KEY TRUTHS

• “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”  (Romans 3:23)
• “As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one.”  (Romans 3:10)
• “For the wages of sin is death: but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  (Romans 6:23)
• “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  (John 3:16)
• “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  (Romans 5:8)
• “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.”  (I Corinthians 15:3,4)
• “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” (John 1:12)
• “Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him…”  (Revelation 3:20)
• “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”  (Romans 10:13)
• “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”  (Romans 10:9)
• “Verily, verily, I say unto you; He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life; and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”  (John 5:24)
• “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing, ye might have life through his name.”  (John 20:31) 
• “These things I have written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”  (I John 5:13)