I have failed big time.
I have failed small time. I have failed often.

I have failed as a husband, as a father, as a son, as a brother.
I have failed as a pastor, as a church member, as a brother in Christ.
I have failed – often.

One reason I started this blog, almost five years ago now, was to share with you some of the things I have learnt – mostly the hard way, from my many failures.
Also, as a pastor for 40 years, and as an elder in a church for 50, I have shared in, and helped (though sometimes failed to help) those struggling with their own failures.

And what have I learnt from my, and others’, failures?
I have learnt not to waste our failures.

“Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.”

These were Peter’s brave words, the night before his Master was crucified. (Luke 22:33)
Yet for all his bravado, Peter failed big time.
“It is clear from this that Simon did not know himself. ‘The heart is deceitful above all things; it is exceedingly corrupt; who can know it?’ ” (William Hendriksen)

He sinned deliberately.
He sinned against the Light. Previously Jesus had said: “Whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.” (Luke 12:8-9)
Peter denied Jesus before men. Not just once – once, he could say he was caught unawares.
But “three times”!
Peter sinned wilfully; he sinned deliberately.

“I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me.”

To make matters worse, Jesus had forewarned Peter of the danger he was in.
This was not a vague or general warning, but pinpointed the specific sin that Peter would commit, within a specific time frame. (Luke 22:34)

Imagine if you were told specifically that you would sin in a particular way in the next few hours. Wouldn’t you be doubly watchful? Would you not pray fervently: “Lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from the evil one.” (Luke 11:4)

Jesus exhorted Peter to pray specifically just this way later that evening: “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” (Luke 22:40)
Later again, rousing Peter from his slumber, Jesus was even more emphatic: “Why do you sleep? Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation.” (Luke 22:46)

Forewarned is forearmed – or at least, it should have been.
But it wasn’t.

You and I have not been forewarned personally and specifically like this.
But we each have been forewarned, not least by Jesus’ specific exhortation to each one of us to pray:

• “Lead me not into temptation”
• “Deliver me from the evil one.”

For, as Peter learned from his own failure, the evil one is ever active:

“Your adversary, the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” And hence, the need to “be sober, be vigilant.” (1 Pet 5:8)

“Simon, Simon! Look out! Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.”

Jesus warned Peter of this specific threat from the evil one.

His words of warning at this time were not meant just for Peter, but for all His disciples: “Satan has asked for you [plural]…”
Satan already had Judas (Joh 13:27), who had abandoned them and fled into the night (v 30). Scary.
But now, Satan has asked – or rather, demanded – to have them all.

But Jesus singled out Peter for special attention.
He couldn’t be more emphatic: “Simon, Simon! Look out!” “Look out!”

Jesus doesn’t address him as Peter, the Rock. But as Simon.
“It may well be that the Master wishes to fix the attention of this leader upon the fact that in himself he is a weak creature, not at all a man of stability, no rock.” (William Hendriksen)
Satan will sift him: the picture is one of repeated, violent shaking.

What hope does he have?

“But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail”

That is Peter’s hope. Jesus will be praying.
He will be praying, not just for all of them as a group, but “for you” [singular], for Peter individually.

That is our hope, our glorious hope – that Jesus prays.
And He prays not just for all of us (cf Joh 17:9,20), but Jesus prays for you, for me, individually!

Jesus is our great High Priest. He not only offers up the only effectual sacrifice for our sins; He now ever lives to intercede for us at God’s right hand.

He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners… (Heb 7:25-26)

Jesus prayed that Peter’s faith might not fail.
Peter did fail. Big time.
His faith failed at the time.
But not in the end.

“And when you have returned to Me…”

Jesus prayed.
And Peter returned.

Peter returned, because Jesus prayed.
But also because Jesus took the initiative and actively intervened in Peter’s life.

Jesus intervened by spelling out to Peter in advance the specific trigger of a rooster crowing to bring home to him his sin.
Later, even in the midst of His own fiery trial, Jesus took a moment to intervene by turning to look at Peter:

Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So Peter went out and wept bitterly. (Luke 22:60-62)

Jesus prayed. Jesus intervened.
Peter “returned”; he “repented” (Gk epistrepho).
And shortly after, the Lord restored Peter to useful service. (Joh 21:15-19) See also here.

There can be no usefulness following sin and failure without repentance and a turning back to God.

“When you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”

What sort of useful service did Peter engage in following his repentance?
“Strengthen your brethren” !

This was not the first of many failures on Peter’s part.

• There was the time Peter cried out to Jesus on the water: “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”  Jesus bid him, “Come.” But when Peter saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” Jesus caught him, but also rebuked him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matt 14:22-33)
• Or there was another time when Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. But Peter would have none of it: “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!”  Again Jesus had to rebuke Peter, this time far more severely: “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” (Matt 16:21-23)
• Even after his gross sin of denying his Lord, and Peter’s subsequent restoration to an honoured position of leadership among the apostles, we read of further failure and and the need for further rebuke (Gal 2:11ff). Learning from one failure doesn’t mean we will never fail again.

Many times his faith was tried.
Too often his faith failed – for the time being.
No two trials of Peter’s faith were the same.
But thankfully each time Jesus prayed, and Peter returned.
And each time Peter learned a little more about himself and about God’s grace.

Were his failures wasted?
They would’ve been if it meant he had learnt nothing.
They would’ve been if he had kept to himself whatever he had learnt.
They would’ve been if it meant he gave up and resigned himself to becoming bitter.

“To be sure, considered in and by itself, Simon’s fall was bad, very bad, tragic. Yet, once it had occurred, Simon must make good use of this bad fall. He must use it to strengthen his fellow disciples.” (William Hendriksen)
And Peter did. He used what he had learnt to help others and strengthen his brethren.
Eg.

• “Though you have been grieved by various trials, the genuineness of your faith, though it is tested by fire, will be found to praise, honour, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (1 Pet 1:6-7)
• “Gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct.” (1 Pet 1:13-15)
• “Proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light – you who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.” (1 Pet 2:9-10)
• “Always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.” (1 Pet 3:15)
• “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings.” (1 Pet 4:12-13)
• “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith…” (1 Pet 5:8-9)
• …etc etc

Don’t waste your failure, by becoming bitter or giving up. Don’t let the past control you.
“Unsaved people have a present that is controlled by their past, but Christians have a present that is controlled by the future.” (Warren Wiersbe)
The past doesn’t control you. And it won’t if you learn from it, return to Christ and use what you have learnt to strengthen your brethren.

The Christian is a child of the future, not the past.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again
– to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
– to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,
…who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Pet 1:3-5)