Restore | Sustaining
Restore – Sustaining: Following Jesus for the Long Haul
This message is for anyone who loves Jesus—but feels tired, unfinished, or discouraged by how slow growth can feel. Restore – Sustaining reminds us that God doesn’t just rescue us from failure; He patiently forms us for lifelong faithfulness. Walking with Peter after his failure and restoration, we see that grace is personal, growth is not linear, and perseverance matters more than perfection. This is an invitation to stay in the work God has started—to keep coming back to Jesus, to community, and to hope—even when following Him is costly, uncomfortable, or slow. Not a moment. Not a season. A lifetime of becoming.
Restore – Sustaining: Following Jesus for the Long Haul
At Olathe Wesleyan, we often say things like “Nobody’s perfect, everybody’s welcome, anything’s possible.”
This message is where that vision gets tested.
Not when life is going well.
Not when faith feels easy.
But when the work God is doing in you feels slow, uncomfortable, repetitive, or unfinished.
Because God doesn’t just restore us from failure—He forms us for faithfulness.
What He begins in us is not a moment. It’s a lifetime of becoming.
“He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” — Philippians 1:6
This final message in the Restore series is about staying in that work—showing up, remaining faithful, and continuing to follow Jesus even when it’s costly, slow, or ordinary.
And our guide is Peter—not because he figured it out quickly, but because Jesus refused to give up on him.
1. Restoration Is Personal Before It Is Public
After Peter’s public failure—denying Jesus three times—you might expect a dramatic public moment of correction or reinstatement.
Instead, Jesus cooks breakfast.
No stage.
No crowd.
No sermon.
Just a fire, a meal, and a question.
“Simon, son of John, do you love me?” (John 21:15–17)
Jesus doesn’t ask Peter to explain himself.
He doesn’t demand promises.
He doesn’t shame him for failing.
He asks about love.
This is grace-driven formation, not shame-driven behavior change. Jesus is not rebuilding Peter’s confidence—He is re-centering Peter’s affection.
The Christian life doesn’t endure on willpower.
It endures on love.
Each time Peter affirms his love, Jesus entrusts him with responsibility:
Feed my lambs
Tend my sheep
Feed my sheep
Love leads to calling.
Calling leads to responsibility.
Responsibility leads to formation.
Jesus restores Peter not so he can feel better—but so he can care for others.
Bring It Home
Some of us are tired from serving.
Some of us are frustrated by slow progress.
Some of us barely made it into the room.
Hear this clearly: Jesus isn’t asking, “How strong are you?”
He’s asking, “Do you still love Me?”
Persistence doesn’t come from trying harder.
It comes from loving deeper.
2. Restoration Does Not Remove the Struggle
We like to think restoration means the struggle ends.
But Scripture tells a more honest story.
Years after the breakfast on the beach, Peter—now a leader in the church—still stumbles. In Galatians 2, Paul confronts him for pulling back out of fear and people-pleasing.
Peter is restored.
Peter is called.
Peter is still human.
Spiritual maturity does not mean spiritual immunity.
God’s work in us is not a straight line—it’s a long obedience in the same direction.
Notice what doesn’t happen:
God doesn’t discard Peter
The church doesn’t collapse
The gospel doesn’t fail
God even uses confrontation as part of Peter’s formation.
Be Honest
You can love Jesus and still have a rough week.
You can be growing and still get it wrong.
You can be called and still need correction.
If Peter needed a Paul, you probably do too.
Falling again doesn’t mean you were never restored.
Struggling again doesn’t mean God is done with you.
God is not surprised by how long transformation takes. You shouldn’t be either.
3. Restoration Is Proven Through Perseverance
Jesus ends His conversation with Peter by telling him the cost.
“When you are old… someone else will lead you where you do not want to go.” (John 21:18–19)
John tells us this pointed to Peter’s eventual death—a faithful death.
This is the deeper miracle:
The man who once said, “I don’t know Him,” will one day die saying, “He is worth it.”
God’s goal is not just forgiven people.
God’s goal is faithful people.
The arc of grace looks like this:
Failure → Restoration → Formation → Faithfulness
That’s Philippians 1:6 lived out.
Faithfulness is built in:
Small daily obedience
Quiet repentance
Consistent prayer
Showing up when it isn’t exciting
4. The Long Work of a Patient God
Scripture is full of long stories:
Abraham waited decades for a promise
Moses wandered 40 years
David was anointed long before he was crowned
Peter was restored long before he was ready to die faithfully
God is never in a hurry—but He is always at work.
“The Lord is not slow… He is patient with you.” — 2 Peter 3:9
Sanctification is not a sprint.
It’s a pilgrimage.
God isn’t just preparing a place for you—He’s preparing you for that place.
5. Living the Restored Life
We don’t want to be a church that only celebrates how God used to move.
We want to be a church full of people quietly walking with Jesus right now.
Three Anchors for the Long Haul
1. Stay Close to Jesus
Peter endured because he kept returning to Christ—not trusting himself.
“Apart from Me you can do nothing.” — John 15:5
2. Stay in Community
Peter needed Paul. You need people who will encourage you and confront you.
“Spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” — Hebrews 10:24
3. Stay Focused on the End
Peter could face the cost because he trusted the outcome.
“After you have suffered a little while, God will restore you and make you strong.” — 1 Peter 5:10
An Invitation for the Long Haul
This isn’t just a series.
It’s a way of life.
Jesus’ words to Peter are simple—and still spoken to us today: “Follow Me.”
Not just when it’s easy.
Not just when you feel strong.
Not just for a moment.
Follow Me for the long haul.
If you’re tired, struggling, or wondering if you still have what it takes, hear this clearly:
Jesus is not disappointed that you need His grace again.
He’s inviting you back to the fire.
Not a “I’m strong” moment.
An “I’m still here, Jesus” moment.
And that is exactly where sustaining grace begins.
