Watch “The Man Who Meant Well” Jentezen Franklin, host of Kingdom Connection & Pastor of Free Chapel. www.jentezenfranklin.org

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we all have our favorites in the Bible

but for me Simon Peter would be my

favorite and I love the fact that he was

a man who was not perfect but he always

meant to do right I’m preaching today on

the man who meant well I didn’t say he

always did well but he meant well he

testifies to the fact that mistakes

don’t have to be fatal

that Peter is someone who was always

failing forward that when he failed he

didn’t he didn’t let his mistakes push

him further away from God but he was

forever falling and failing forward

anytime the devil tells you you’re a

nobody from nowhere headed to no place I

want to remind you of the man who meant

well

there’s something about Simon Peter that

he always had a comeback spirit after

Jesus was crucified and he he knew he

had failed and done all of these things

that he lost all hope of God ever using

him in ministry and he went back to his

fishing business and he went out on a

fishing boat and he was fishing and

while he was fishing the Bible said he

saw the silhouette of a tall lean

Galilean and even though it was the long

ways off he knew that man he had lived

with that man for three and a half years

and followed him and when he saw that

silhouette he instantly with all of his

flaws and failures threw his coat off

and dove into the water and swam over a

hundred yards to get to Jesus because he

was always trying to get to him get near

him get close to him he went back to his

cussing habits his denying habits his

forsaking habits he might as well go

back to his old job he had fished and

caught nothing but when he saw Jesus

there was something in him that I loved

him I still loved him I loved him and

and and he couldn’t hold himself back

and dove into the water trying to get to

Jesus on another occasion he plunged

into not only the water but when all the

other disciples said on the boat in the

storm there was something in Simon Peter

his his impulse when Jesus was around is

I’ve got to get near him I’ve got to get

to him and when everybody else was

content to set on the boat it was Simon

Peter who said he’s out there and even

if I have to walk and try to do the

supernatural I’ve got to be near him he

was always trying to get nearer Jesus it

was his impulse and he won’t own the

water and now he’s looking on the shore

when he comes up out of that water he’s

looking in the face of Jesus the one who

had been crucified and laid in a tomb

and rose from the dead and Jesus was

cooking him a meal of restoration of

fish the Bible said and bread and it’s

it’s Jesus and he’s looking in that face

and he’s got such guilt and he’s got

such condemnation the one that he denied

jesus said to him one question and one

question only do you still love me he

did not say why did you run he did not

say why did you cuss he did not say why

did you deny me when I needed you the

most

he did not say why did you not love me

like you promised you would do three

times he asked one question all I care

about

is do you still love me I’m not holding

what you did wrong all I care about is

there still an impulse in you to want to

be with me you lied you denied but Jesus

didn’t ask him about any of that he

never brought up his past Jesus said all

I want to know is do you still love me

and I don’t know how many times you’ve

run and I don’t know how many times you

failed

but through it all Jesus has a question

for you who are listening to me in this

room and by television and at our

campuses I don’t care what you’ve done

he is not asking about what you have

done he’s asking one question do you

still love me because if you still love

me

he’s not here to condemn you Peter

failed forward it’s better to fail with

a high than just to succeed with a low

aim I didn’t really think Simon Peter

meant well even when he cut the man in

the garden and cut the guy’s ear off he

meant well he was just trying to defend

Jesus his motive was good even when he

cussed he didn’t mean to he was warming

his hand by the fire what was he doing

there all the rest of them had fled he

came back to get near Jesus he knew

Jesus was in Caiaphas house and he she

he was endangering himself to be there

he knew it and somebody recognized him

and old the old guy came back in and he

started cussing and and said some words

but but he meant well I guess what I’m

trying to tell you is God can tell the

difference between somebody who sinned

and messed up but if your heart still

loves them I’m not glorifying sin but

I’m telling you that when the devil

whispers to you you’re not worthy you

know what I say who is when the devil

says you don’t measure up I say who does

but I tell you one thing I love Jesus

and if I failed I’m gonna get up and

fail forward even in your failure you

meant well you might have got caught up

in a somebody’s gonna say he’s loose on

sin this is greasy grace preaching no

it’s not it’s Bible preaching and even

in his weak moment of temptation the

said you’re finished because you failed

but he was a man who meant well now let

me contrast him with Judas Judas is the

opposite they both failed

they both wept Peter wept and he was

restored but Judas wept and was never

restored why the intentions the

sincerity was different one truly well

out of repentance and brokenness over

what he had done the other well not for

the same motive not for the same reason

Judas well because he was mad at himself

Judas wept because he was mad at God

Judas was well because he he was mad of

how things turned out that it didn’t go

the way he thought it would go

Judas planned his sin he calculated he

plotted it he day after day after day

premeditated he set around and and he he

went but he went because he got cold he

got paid to do what he was doing he

negotiated a deal for his sin Peter well

because he really didn’t plan to do it

each time he messed up he he got angry

and did something he shouldn’t have he

somebody sent something to him any

custom out but he didn’t he didn’t mean

he didn’t sit around playing and saying

when I see that person I’m gonna cuss

him out and I’m gonna cut that one

you see the difference do you see that

one had a different spirit the Bible

said this is the most touching part of

this text to me that while Peter was

warm in his hands by the fire they

brought Jesus across the courtyard in

Chains after he had been beaten and

scourge dand he was bleeding wounded no

doubt the crown of thorns already shoved

on his head and your Bible said without

a word being spoken and

when Jesus looked at him across the

courtyard Peter who denied and custom

all the things he called his eye he

caught the eyes of Jesus in the eyes of

Jesus connected with Simon Peter their

eyes apparently he was close enough to

make eye contact and the Bible said when

he saw the eyes of Jesus without a word

being spoken that Peter turned and went

off and wept bitterly because there’s a

difference between being overtaken in a

fall and overtaken in a sin when when

you’re overtaken in a sin is part of

your walk it’s part of who you are you

have not confessed it you have not

really rejected it and turned away from

it it’s part of who you are that’s

overtaken by a sin but when you fall the

Bible said a righteous man if he loves

Jesus a righteous man falls seven times

a day but rises again and if I fall I

fall forward I fall toward him I there’s

something in me that I mean Jesus I want

to get back to him quick and that’s how

you know if you’re saved or not I’ve

used this illustration many times

through the years but I can take a pig

and if he’s got a real pig and I can put

a bowtie on him or and put a choir robe

on him I can put him up here and put him

on a onna on a table and let him stand

up here and preach beside me and as soon

as the service is over bow tie choir

robe and everything as soon as he goes

outside if there’s a mud hole because he

has the nature of a pig he’s gonna

forget all about how holy he is and run

straight for that mud hole cause

something in his nature loves it he says

I belong here I love this filth I love

this slop I love this mud this is where

I want to be now if a sheep falls in mud

he may fall in it

but instantly he’s getting up because

it’s not in the nature of a sheep to

enjoy field anything get me out of here

I don’t like it and the way you know if

you’re a sheep or a hog come on the way

you know if you’re a child of God a

sheep or a goat is what kind of nature

do you have not that you don’t fall but

when you fall is there something in you

that says oh Jesus I’m so sorry wash me

cleanse me get it off of me and God by

your grace I’ll never go back to it

again that’s how you anybody know you’ve

been saved by that can you shout that

there was a time when you wanted it but

you don’t want it no more a time when

you had to have it but you don’t even

want to be around it anymore that’s the

power of the Cross and I’ve come today

to tell somebody Jesus is calling you by

name he wants to meet you again do you

love me I love that Jesus didn’t call

him on the carpet Jesus didn’t put him

down Jesus didn’t rehearse well let’s

talk about the line let’s talk about

this let’s talk about that no all I want

to know is after all this stumbling and

all this foolishness and all this

cussing and all this cutting and all

this line and all this this temper

tantrums do you still love me you see

Peter despised himself and it’s a

dangerous thing when you do when you

reach a low in the life you’re living

that you begin to despise yourself it’s

dangerous mark Rutherford said in his

book if I could write one more beatitude

it would be blessed are those who heal

us from self despising of all the

services that can be done to man I know

of none more precious than to be healed

of self despising it was true of Simon

Peter he had wounded the one that he

loved the most and he couldn’t forgive

himself for it

he couldn’t get over he couldn’t live

with it and when I think of people who

are turning to drugs and turning to

alcohol and prescriptions and there they

failed they’ve just messed up if the dad

should have been there but he left the

family did something crazy or are a

child that hurt the parents or whatever

it is and and they begin to despise

themselves and the enemy whispers just

take your life you’re you’re good for

nothing what a failure of a father what

a failure of a mother what a piece of

trash you are and you begin to despise

yourself it’s one thing to heal a man of

despising others but it’s another thing

to heal a man or a woman who despises

themselves but hears the word of the

Lord to you if it’s not on God’s books

it ought not to be on your books three

times in this book three times in this

book he said I even I am he that blots

out your transgressions to remember them

no more says those words three times I

will remember your sins no more I will

remember your sins no more

I will remember I do not remember your

sins anymore stop despising your cell

stop I know you if you could go back and

take that moment back but God saw your

heart God’s you you know you’re the man

or woman that meant well you you

shouldn’t have done it it was stupid my

god what a dumb decision but you meant

well anybody thankful for Grace’s this

sermon make any sense anybody thankful

for grace that that can see beyond a

dumb action still love you still love

you the Lord told me to tell you listen

to me now feel this big in my soul

somebody’s listening to me and you need

to hear this because you’ve messed up

and you despise yourself for what you’ve

done the Lord told me to tell you you

are not a Judas

you are a simon peter what you did was

not malicious you didn’t plan to fail

you kind of got dragged into it by sin

you’ve been sorry ever since have you

and I’m talking to you Jesus didn’t say

to him oh well I’m glad you love me

you’re not worthy to touch my food but

he put him back into the ministry after

all that mess and he said feed my sheep

I’ll give you back your ministry I’ll

give you back your calling I’ll give you

back your dignity I give you hold your

head up high because I’m gonna use you

mightily and it’s always gonna break you

and humble you that you failed me in the

way that you fail me you’ll never forget

the stare that when our eyes connected

and the blood was dripping off of my

eyebrows from the crown of thorn you’ll

never forget that in bout time you want

to get proud you remember where I

brought you from the apostle of weakness

and denial will become the apostle of

boldness and faith and so in closing

Peter wrote two books of the Bible he

had more to say about humility than any

other New Testament writer he gave us

two of the most profound scriptures on

humility in the Bible he said humble

yourself before the mighty hand of God

and in due season he will exalt you he

gives grace to the humble listen to him

he dipped his pen in the ink of his

failure and he wrote he gives grace to

anyone who falls forward in humility but

he holds at arms-length he he pushes

away the proud he wrote things that

still help us today

there’s no friend like that lowly Jesus

he’s the man who meant well

everybody say these words I am NOT a

Judas I may have had thoughts but not

intentions I may have fallen and

struggled but Jesus I still love you

lift your hands and worship Him just a

moment lift your hands and praise in

just a moment

lift your hands in honor to him come on

open your mouth and thank him for his

amazing grace and mercy and forgiveness

and he sees beyond the bad he sees the

heart he sees the man a woman who meant

well who didn’t intend to get trapped

and messed up and he says I’m I am

willing not only to restore you but I’ll

use you again do you still love me is

the only issue not have have you lost

this or you lost that or you went out

and did something you lost this you lost

that because of sin the question is do

you still love him stand to your feet

please all over this room stay with me

on a hill far away stood an old rugged

cross

the emblem our suffering and chain

and I love that old cross where the

dearest and best for a world of lost

sinner’s

I would slay

it sure

I cherish feel

to my trophies gonna lay him down at his

feet

oh I’m gonna clean I can’t give up let

go turn back for nothing this world has

to offer that already closed still the

message and exchange

did Sunday for crime

hallelujah

Jesus is calling backsliders home

Jesus is calling people who’ve missed

their life uh you even despise yourself

he’s calling you home to his loving arms

families are going to be healed this

morning marriages are going to be healed

this morning lives are going to be

restored dreams are going to hope is

going to come back and be sparked again

I want active obedience the only issue

the only question Jesus has for you is

do you still love me not why did you do

it do you still love me if we had bound

every unclosed

and I make no apologies for getting

emotional over a message about the cross

it still moves me after all of these

years that Jesus would bleed and die

take my sins and nail him to a cross so

unworthy I feel the love of God in this

room so strong flowing into that room

wherever you’re watching this do you

still love him pastor I’m not right with

God I’m a teenager I’m a college student

I’m a husband wife business person I’m

Baxley and I know I’m not right I know

that I’m not living right and I would

love I would love to feel what Simon

Peter must have felt when Jesus gave him

back his calling his purpose and his

plan for his life I would love to start

all over again with Jesus I want to get

right with him and I can because of the

cross and I want to acknowledge the need

that I have for Jesus all over again in

my life today if that’s you and you’re

listening to me wherever you are as bold

as you can I’m not

humiliates you embarrass you but I’m

gonna tell you something he will not

come if you don’t invite him and this is

your chance to invite him he knocked and

he says it’s up to you to open what

you’re feeling right now is the spirit

of the Living God and he’s not asking –

have you got a drug problem have you got

an alcohol do you love me there was a

man in the Bible who had 2,000 demons

and those demons couldn’t stop him from

getting to Jesus because he loved Jesus

and the demons were broken

all you got to do is say yes pastor pray

for me I would love to get right with

God today affects you right where you

are raise your hand as high as you can

if you say I know I’m not right and I

want to get right with God today raise

it high on a shame you’re in this room

up in the balcony all over this main

room wherever you are and the overflow

if the Lord is speaking to you right now

get out of your seat and come stand

right down here right now right now

right now right now right now right now

right now the cross the cross the cross

it’s my only hope and that’s all you

need that’s all you need pray this

prayer right where you are

wherever you are watching by television

or at another campus right here in this

room in this altar lujah say Lord Jesus

I give you my life I believe in a man

named Jesus and a place called Calvary

where he shed his blood that my sins

could be washed away and today I invite

you Lord Jesus to come into my heart I

thank you you have not given up on me

and I still love you I know I failed you

but hear my cry I still love you

and I know you won’t turn me away I

receive you as my savior

thank you Jesus I’m saved I’m born again

I’m a new creation

lift up the biggest shout of the praise

that you can

come on in thinking that the angels are

rejoicing in heaven today over one soul

being safe

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