NEXT - The Charcoal Fire
April 27, 2025 | Pacific Point Church | Pastor Blue
Series: Next Scripture: John 21:15–18 | John 18:18 | John 21:9
Opening
Pastor Blue opened by reading from Psalm 106 and 107, setting the tone for the morning:
"Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He rescued them from their distress." — Psalm 107 (repeated four times)
The pattern of Scripture is consistent: humanity wanders, rebels, and falls — yet when they cry out, God relents because of His covenant love. That same covenant made first with Abraham, sealed through Jesus, holds true for us today.
Series Context: What Happened Next?
This series, Next, focuses on the 50 days between the Resurrection and Pentecost — specifically, five things Jesus did in that window that are often overlooked:
He gave the mandate — Matthew 28, the Great Commission
He addressed doubt — Thomas's story (last week)
He restored the broken — Peter's story (this week)
Main Text: John 21:15–18
"When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, 'Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?' He said to him, 'Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.' He said to him, 'Feed my lambs.'
He said to him a second time, 'Simon, son of John, do you love me?' He said to him, 'Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.' He said to him, 'Tend my sheep.'
He said to him the third time, 'Simon, son of John, do you love me?' Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, 'Do you love me?' and he said to him, 'Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.' Jesus said to him, 'Feed my sheep.'"
The Charcoal Fire — Why It Matters
The Greek word for charcoal fire appears only twice in the entire New Testament:
John 18:18 — The first charcoal fire. This is where Peter denied Jesus three times, warming himself among the soldiers as Jesus stood on trial.
John 21:9 — The second charcoal fire. This is where Jesus restored Peter, calling to him from the shore.
This was not accidental. Jesus deliberately recreated the atmosphere of the worst night of Peter's life.
"He reestablished that smell. The same smell that was in Peter's nostrils when he denied Jesus is the same smell he met Jesus in when Jesus restored him."
God orchestrated a full sensory redemption — the same smell, the same warmth of the fire, the same witnesses (the disciples), and a new set of words spoken over Peter in place of the old ones.
The Gap Between Who We Say We Are and What We Do
Peter had made a bold declaration just months earlier:
"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." — Matthew 16:16
And yet, months later, he said three times: "I don't know him."
That gap — between our proclamation and our failure — is where many of us live. We get baptized, we declare Jesus as Lord, and then we fall. Shame and condemnation move in, and we don't know what to do next.
So we go back to fishing.
Peter defaulted to his old life — not because he stopped believing, but because shame doesn't push you toward people. It pushes you toward the familiar.
"Shame does not make you run toward people. Condemnation doesn't push you toward godly men and women. It makes you run toward the familiar."
Peter vs. Judas — Same Sin, Different Outcomes
Both Peter and Judas betrayed Jesus. Both felt the weight of it. But:
Peter Judas Response Wept bitterly Hung himself Driving force Conviction & brokenness Guilt & condemnation Outcome Restoration Destruction
"When conviction and brokenness drive your life, it produces restoration. When guilt and condemnation rule your life, it drives you away and produces destruction."
The difference wasn't the sin — it was the relationship. Peter looked Jesus in the eyes and was broken. Judas never pressed into the heart of Jesus the same way.
Jesus Doesn't Just Forgive — He Restores
Jesus didn't pull Peter aside and quietly say, "We're good, you're forgiven." He knew that wasn't enough. Deep healing required more than private relief.
He restored Peter publicly — in front of the same disciples who witnessed the denial — and then commissioned him with purpose:
Feed my lambs.
Tend my sheep.
Feed my sheep.
"Restoration without witness is just private relief. What God wants is to forgive, restore, and then send."
Peter — the fisherman who denied Jesus three times — went on to preach the gospel that helped birth a church of over two billion believers.
What This Means for You
The enemy's playbook is always the same: shame, condemnation, and isolation. He tells you the gap is too wide, the sin is too deep, and God won't forgive that.
But Jesus knows your sea of Tiberias. He knows your nets. He knows exactly where you go when you fall — and He comes after you there.
"He doesn't want to just forgive you. He wants to restore you."
And He doesn't restore you just for your sake. He restores you to restore others.
"Restored people restore people."
Closing Application
Is there a "charcoal fire moment" in your past — a sin or failure so vivid you can still smell it?
Have you been going back to fishing — returning to old habits, old relationships, or old ways of coping?
The same Jesus who met Peter at the fire is meeting you today. His question is the same: Do you love me?
Communion
The service closed with communion — a remembrance of the covenant Jesus made with us. As Pastor Blue said:
"I don't care what you've done the last week, month, year, or 10 years. You come to the cross today and you repent — and Jesus will restore you."
Pacific Point Church meets in Costa Mesa, CA. For more information on upcoming events, life groups, and how to connect, visit our website.