Sermon Illustration: When a Quote Saves the Day

To begin a sermon from John 21:18-19, I confessed my struggle with the text the previous week…

There are some weeks when I am preparing a sermon where the thought for the sermon and direction I feel the text is going comes easily. Like a hot knife through butter.

There are other weeks when I wrestle and toss and turn and think and process and read and read and read and nothing seems to come. Like a hot knife through stone.

This has been one of those weeks. A hot knife through stone weeks. It’s one thing to know the essence of the text. To know what’s going on in the passage. However, it’s another thing to know how to help those in the pew understand it and apply it.

In this particular passage, Jesus is telling Peter that when he is old, someone will lead him to his own execution. History tells us that that Peter died by being crucified upside down.

I haven’t heard of that happening in Williamson County lately.

Late in the week, however, I happened upon this quote from an author named Jon Bloom. The quote, from his book Things Not Seen, I believe captures the essence of what is going on here.

He writes:

“You are your truest you when your eyes are fixed on Jesus, when you are following him in faith, and when you are serving others in love with the grace-gifts God has assigned to you.”

This is exactly what is going on here. I believe Peter is finally becoming his truest self. I believe Peter is finally coming to terms with what life is all about and what true fulfillment in life must look like moving forward. Let’s take a closer look together…