Before I look to the Scriptures with you, I want to take just a moment and encourage you
! to be in prayer for me this next Sunday, and then the Sunday after that as I will be in Jamaica
! with Caleb and Charity, and while I will not be preaching here, Pastor Shear will be doing
that, I will be preaching there. And so remember to pray for me. It's kind of a pray for two pastors
at the same time. I think you can handle that. And ask that God gives me a productive and fruitful
ministry there. Part of the objective is to go down and visit with Caleb and Charity, get to know the
ministry a little better, and also to be involved in kind of preparing him for the ordination council
that we look forward to next summer. And also an opportunity to visit the churches and ministry
and be involved in ministry there. So I want you to turn in your Bible, if you would, this morning
to John chapter 21. John chapter 21. Let's take a minute and come to the Lord in prayer
before we look to the scriptures. This morning, Father, our hearts are knit together because of
the Lord Jesus Christ, because of the redemption that we have in him, the forgiveness of sins,
and we are knit together in prayer asking that this morning your spirit would work both in the
preaching of your word and in the reception of your word. We're thankful that you have given to us
the scriptures, clear, accurate, convicting. And this morning we ask that this word that you have given
to us would leave an indelible impression upon our lives and hearts and that our behavior and lives
that we live would show the mark of the ministry of the Spirit of God and the ministry of your word.
And we ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. Let me have you look with me just for a moment, beginning there
in John chapter 21, verse 15, and I'll read that portion to you. It says,
When they'd 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, He said to him, He said to him,
He said to him a third time, Simon, son of John, do you love me? Peter was grieved because he said to
him a 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. I wonder this morning whether or not you are struck by the
way in which John ends his gospel. It's really different from the way that Matthew, Mark, Luke,
end theirs. It is different from the way in which Acts concludes. It is different from the way in
which the pastoral epistles conclude. And conclusions are important because they tell us important things
against the backdrop of the teaching that we have found in the Word of God.
I want you to stop with me just for a moment and think over the broad scope of the book of John.
Beginning in John chapter 1, we are reminded,
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory.
John opens up with the declaration of the supremacy and the significance of Christ,
and draws our hearts to recognize that the one this book is going to focus on is the Lord of glory,
the creator of the universe, and the one who has come to be the Lamb of God.
And we work our way through the book.
John actually taking very little time to explain to us some of the particulars and
the historical events that made up the years of Christ's public ministry,
actually picking up on only seven.
The flow is focused predominantly upon who the Lord Jesus Christ is as the Son of God.
And if you were listening in pastor's prayer,
you heard him reference the fact that these things are written,
that you might know that Jesus is the Christ,
and that knowing these things you might believe and have life.
So you have to ask yourself the question as we look here,
why does God allow or instruct John to write his gospel in such a fashion
and end up with someone as flawed and as frail as Peter in the last chapter?
I hope that sticks, because it has bearing and is significant.
I speak to the majority of you here this morning,
who I am fully persuaded know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior.
And what we find in John chapter 21 has bearing upon the way in which you,
who know Christ, are to live.
And so as we take up this portion, let me remind you just for a moment again
and keep your finger there in John chapter 21,
but go back just for a second and touch on John chapter 20, verse 31,
and mark what it says,
these things are written so that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ,
the Son of God, and by believing, you may have life in his name.
Question, what does that life involve?
What does that life in Christ involve?
And what we're going to find in the passage, I believe,
is a very clear indication of what life in Christ really comes down to.
Last week, Pastor, as he was preaching in John chapter 21,
the first portion of John chapter 21,
he kind of reminded us of the reality of the fact that
when we are living in Christ,
we are living a life of productivity
by daily dependence on his instruction and his counsel.
Hey, throw your net on the right side of the boat.
We can spend a lot of energy
in a frustrating and ineffective way of living
when we're relying upon our own wisdom
rather than relying upon the leading and the instruction of Christ.
So last week, hey, when you live your life in Christ,
you live it productively
when you are allowing the Word of God
and the Word of Christ to minister, instruct,
and govern the way in which you live.
This morning, we are going to see that living the life in Christ
will lead us to service,
to sacrifice,
and to submission.
You look there in John chapter 21, verse 15,
and mark the repetition of the things that we find here.
We want to draw attention
without getting into all the nuanced details
because the overarching issue is the matter of what we do
when we are living in Christ.
But let's take just a second and understand
that here the night had passed of work.
They had finished breakfast,
and after it was all over,
you can kind of imagine that here is Jesus
speaking in a very poignant and personal way to Peter,
and he asks him a question.
He says,
Do you love me more than these?
Bible scholars go back and forth
about what these refers to,
and I think that it refers predominantly
to the issues of things that are around there,
the boat and the life
and other things that Peter had for a moment
really enjoyed.
What Jesus is reminding Peter of
is the reality of this
is that our faith brings us
into a very personal
and relational bond
with the Savior
that is the Lord of our lives.
And when Jesus asked him this question,
I cannot help but imagine
that when Peter heard this question,
it kind of stung a little bit.
Why?
What had Peter done not too long ago?
He denied the Lord how many times?
Three times.
And so here is Jesus
asking Peter,
Do you love me?
I do think it's appropriate for us
to recognize that faith in Christ
brings us,
not just brings Peter
or brought Peter,
but brings us
into a very personal
and loving relationship
with the Lord Jesus.
And so it's a fair question
for you to ask yourselves this morning,
and let me tell you this,
whether you do or not,
whether it resonates
in your heart or not,
if you know Christ,
the operating principle
of your life
is going to be this,
do I love him?
And does my life indicate
the authenticity
of my love for him?
He has a right
to be loved by you
because he is the lover
of your soul.
and you
are obligated
to love him.
So here is Jesus
saying to Peter,
Do you love me?
Now when Peter
heard this question,
as a good Jewish man,
he knew
what the Scriptures
commanded.
Isn't that right?
Thou shalt love
the Lord thy God
with all thy heart,
with all thy might,
with all thy soul,
with all your strength.
Appreciate the song
we sang this morning
or listened to
in relationship to that.
We are to love the Lord,
and here is Jesus
asking Peter
three times.
How do you think
that affected Peter
to have him ask
three times?
We know in the passage
what it says there.
If you look down
just for a moment
in verse 16,
he says,
Yes, Lord,
you know that I love you.
And then in 17,
it says Peter
was grieved.
I don't think
that Jesus
pulled Peter
over to the side
and whispered
in his ear,
Hey,
do you love me?
I would imagine
that what happened
was right there
in the context
because we know
John heard it.
Right in the context
of the breakfast
and all that was going on,
Jesus speaks to Peter
and says,
Hey,
do you love me?
Do you love me?
And so here,
as Peter responds
in each instance,
we find that
there is a ratcheted up
attention to this issue
in Peter's conscience.
And so you ask yourself
the question,
Why did Jesus ask Peter
three times,
Do you love me?
Why?
We do know
in the Scripture
that using something
threefold times
is a way of emphasizing
of amplifying,
of drawing attention
to it.
And if you remember
back from when
you were in school
or now that you are
in school,
either way,
when the teacher
repeats something
three times in a row,
what's the significance
of that?
This will be on the test.
Jesus says to him,
Do you love me?
And as you read here
in the Gospel,
you recognize
that what Jesus
is making very,
very clear
is that there is
a significance
and a sobriety
to this issue
of loving Christ
that should not be missed
by any of us today.
Mark what Jesus
has to say
as Peter responds
and says,
Yes, I love you.
He says there,
first of all,
he says in 15,
Feed my lambs.
He asks them again,
Tend my sheep.
Verse 17,
Feed my sheep.
And so I want you
to kind of recognize
that in this relationship
that you have
with the Lord Jesus Christ
who is the lover
of your soul,
your response to him
in loving him
and the life
that you live
in relationship
to that love
is one that will
draw you
into serving
other people.
How contrary
to the world
we live in.
Remember when
the disciples
were having
their little tiffs
on more than one occasion
about who was going
to be the most significant
and Jesus' response
and his instruction
was this,
is that those
who are most significant
in the body of Christ
are those that are
actually engaged
in serving.
And here,
at the very end
of this book,
as John lays out
for us
what life in Christ is,
he drives this point home.
If you love me,
you will serve
my sheep.
I want you to recognize
that Jesus put it
first of all
as loving me
will bring you
to feed my lambs.
And he was calling Peter
as well as everyone
who is here
and says,
you know what,
I love Jesus
to care for those
who are struggling
and a little uncertain
and a little unstable
and not always
as mature
as we would like
them to be.
And here is Jesus
saying,
I want you to feed
my lambs.
One of the things
that I remember
from my grandfather,
he was a sheep farmer
of sorts,
and one of the things
I learned very quickly
is that sheep
are a very labor-intensive
responsibility.
They're close
to brain dead.
If there's anything
that you wish
that sheep did not do,
they will do it
and they will complicate
your life
in any way conceivable.
If sheep are bad,
lambs are worse.
And here is Jesus
saying that you,
Peter,
because you love me,
are to care for those
that are going
to be a challenge
to you.
I love what we read
about the Lord Jesus
in Isaiah chapter 40,
verse 11.
It says this about
our great shepherd.
It says,
he will lead his flock
like a shepherd.
He will gather the lambs
in his arms.
He will carry them
in his bosom
and gently lead those
that are with young.
And I got to tell you,
if you're here this morning
and you are called
by him in his grace
and given salvation,
you who have
that responsibility
of loving him
in response
to what he's done
for you,
you are to be engaged
in meeting the needs
of others.
That's what you're about.
I think about the passage
over in Philippians chapter 2,
verse 20 and 21,
and you don't need
to look at it this morning,
but here is Paul
talking about Timothy,
and he says this,
I have no man
who is like-minded
who will naturally
care for your estate,
for all seek their own.
Everybody's interested
in what they're getting
out of it.
Not Timothy.
Timothy.
He naturally cares
for the things
that belong to Jesus Christ.
There's something else
that needs to be said here.
Loving him
and life with him
is a life that engages you
with the body of Christ.
I think one of the things
that is a gross deficiency
today in professing believers
is that as a general rule,
there are a lot of people
that don't mind
showing up occasionally,
but when it comes
to really investing deeply
in the bride of Christ,
in the body of Christ,
in those who belong to him,
there's a level of hesitancy.
And Jesus uses a phraseology
that in Scripture
is undeniably connected
to the relationship
that he has
with those that are his own,
namely the church
of the living God.
Who are his sheep?
I'm reminded just for a moment
of what it says
over in Galatians.
It says that we are
to do good to all.
How many remember that passage?
You are to do good to all,
but what's the remainder of it?
Especially those
who are of the household of faith.
And here's Jesus
speaking to Peter.
He says,
Peter,
I want you to invest your life
in taking care of those
who belong to me.
Does that mean
that we are to have
nothing to do
with those outside
the body of Christ?
Yes,
categorically not.
But if I'm going
to be responsible
for feeding and caring
and encouraging
and nurturing
and serving,
the first place
it should be seen
is in the family of God.
I want to make
that point clear.
And I don't make that point
on the basis
of my preference,
but I make it
on the basis
of the Scriptures.
Let me have you think
with me of a couple
different passages
in relationship to this.
Turn over in your Bible
to Acts chapter 20,
verse 28.
Here is Paul
wrapping up his ministry
to the elders
of Ephesus
and in his last statements
to them,
he says this,
pay careful attention
to yourselves
and to all the flock
in which the Holy Spirit
has made you overseers
to care for the church
of God
which he obtained
with his own blood.
1 Peter chapter 5,
verse 2 and 3.
Peter, as he writes
to the elders,
he says,
shepherd the flock
of God
that is among you
exercising oversight
not under compulsion
but willingly
as God would have you
not for shameful game
but eagerly
not domineering
over those
in your charge
but being examples
to the flock.
I got to tell you something.
Listen carefully.
The Scriptures
make it undeniably clear
that loving Christ
will put you
into ongoing
and lasting relationship
with the bride of Christ.
That's Bible truth.
No substitute.
Interestingly,
this week
as I was thinking
about the application
of this passage,
one of the logical questions
that came to mind
is, okay,
so Jesus makes it clear
that if I love him,
I'm going to be engaged
in serving the body
of Christ
and I ask myself,
do we here
see illustrations
of this?
I began to make a list
and it got long enough
that I had to stop
and scratch it out
and say,
you know what,
there's probably,
I'm going to miss somebody.
But I want to tell you,
it's encouraging to me
when I think about
how servanthood
in this fellowship
is modeled to the point
that it encourages me
to see the way
in which the bride
of Christ
is served.
I was walking around
this morning
peeking in
on Sunday school classes.
How many of you
know that I get emotional?
Did you know that?
And I was tearing up
looking in the windows.
What a blessing.
But the truth of the matter
is there are some of you
sitting out here
that I know you know Christ
and you've chosen
to live on the edges
without much investment
in the people
that Jesus loves
and has called you
to bless and serve.
And if you love him,
you'll serve him.
There's a second thing
that you find there
in the passage.
Mark it clearly.
Verse 18 says,
Truly, truly,
I say to you,
when you were young,
you used to dress yourself
and walk wherever you wanted.
But when you are old,
you will stretch out your hands
and another will dress you
and carry you
where you do not want to go.
Life in Christ
is going to lead you
to suffering and to sacrifice.
Life in Christ
is going to give you
opportunities to suffer
and to sacrifice.
In Peter's case,
it meant that he died
a martyr's death
and at least according
to church history
or rumor,
when it came time
for him to be martyred
and to be executed,
he chose to be crucified
upside down
because he would prefer
not to be hung
in the manner
in which his Savior was.
But Jesus made it clear
that, Peter,
you're going to suffer
for your faith.
And if you were to read
1 Peter and 2 Peter,
you can see in both
of those books
that he wrote
that he understood
what was coming
and it wasn't least
bit off-putting for him.
And I want to make
it clear to you
that loving Christ
and living the life
that he calls
a believer to
will be one
that involves
your suffering
and your sacrifice.
One of the things
I appreciate
about the Word of God
is that it is so up front
about the cost of faith.
Isn't that right?
It tells you,
if you're going
to follow me,
there's going to be
some hardship
and some heartache
and there are going
to be some disappointments,
there's going to be
difficulty,
and you might as well
face it going into it.
When Jesus wrote
what he did,
it's clear that Peter
understood that.
And he accepted it.
Do I love you?
Yes.
Serve.
Do you love me?
Yes.
Then be prepared
to endure the hardship
and heartaches
that come with serving me
and being a representative
in the world
that he's placed us in.
You know,
we live in America,
in a country
that for the present time
is enjoying
a relative amount
of freedom
in our faith.
Isn't that right?
I don't think
it's going to last.
But you know what?
When hardship
and difficulty
come,
we have to realize
that it comes
because of his purposes
and his grace
and it will give us
opportunity
to represent him
faithfully
in the world
in which he's placed us.
So how should we respond
when hardship
and difficulties come?
Let me have you reference
two different passages
in relationship to that.
Turn over in your Bible
to Romans chapter 5
and let me just read
for you
verse 3 through 5.
Then,
more than that,
we rejoice
in our sufferings
knowing that suffering
produces endurance.
What do you think
about that?
Let me read it again.
More than that,
we rejoice
in our sufferings
knowing that suffering
produces endurance.
endurance.
And endurance
produces character
and character
produces hope.
And hope does not
put us to shame
because God's love
has been poured
into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit
who has been given
to us.
Let me have you look
at another passage
over in James chapter 1.
James chapter 1.
Verse 2,
Count it all joy,
my brothers,
when you meet
various trials,
for you know
that the testing
of your faith
produces steadfastness
and let steadfastness
have its full effect
that you may be perfect
and complete,
lacking in nothing.
You're not going
to grow
apart from challenge.
You're not going
to mature
in the absence
of difficulty.
And when we think
about the reality
of what our relationship
with Christ
calls us to,
it is an undeniable
fact that we are
going to continue
on an upward journey
that is going to be
marked by hardship
and difficulty.
And in the midst
of all of that,
we need to remember
the promise
that Jesus made to us.
I will never,
what?
I'll never leave you
or forsake you.
Lo, I am with you
always.
But if we are going
to live life in Christ,
we are going
to face hardship.
I got to tell you,
we sometimes get
so wrapped up
with things
that we're anxious about
because they reflect
our lack of confidence
that He is in control
of the moment
and He knows
what He's doing
and it's good for us.
So I want you
to understand
that faith,
the life that you live
in Christ,
is going to be marked
by hardship.
Be real about it.
Understand it's not
an accident,
but it's something
that He is allowing
and it's there
for a purpose.
It is there
to encourage
and strengthen us
and help us
grow in grace.
We'll come to
one more part
there in verse 20
through 23
and here is
Jesus speaking again
and as He's clarified,
you find Peter
a little concerned.
Peter turned
and saw the disciple
whom Jesus loved
following them,
the one who'd been
reclining at the table
close to Him
and had said,
Lord, who is it
that is going
to betray You?
When Peter saw Him,
he said to Jesus,
Lord, what about
this man?
Faith leads
to humility.
It leads
to submission.
If you ever
find yourself
a little frustrated
with your journey
of faith,
remind yourself
that Peter
was out in front
of you.
Here is the
close of the book.
Here is Jesus
with His last words
to Peter
and He's at the,
Do you love me?
Will you serve me?
Will you follow?
Will you die for me?
And when it's all
the smoke and dust
is cleared,
Peter says,
Yeah, but what about him?
I was like,
What?
How many of you
ever had kids
that did that to you?
You know,
it's like,
Peter.
What a gift.
There he is.
Yeah?
What about him?
We get caught up
in that,
don't we?
Thinking that,
you know,
Lord,
is it really fair?
I mean,
honestly,
is it really fair
that I haven't done
better musically?
I mean,
you know,
I watch these
instrumentalists up here
and it's like,
Oh,
well,
Jesus really loved me.
He'd give me
a better voice.
I had a friend
who was obsessed
by the fact
that he couldn't sing well.
Just,
I mean,
if you ever ask him
about his disappointments
in life,
he would tell you
he couldn't sing well.
It was just,
it was,
it worked him up.
And here is Peter.
Jesus is giving him
this great commission.
Love me.
Serve.
Suffer.
Yeah.
You know that,
John,
you really do like him.
I think you like him
more than me.
Yeah,
you play favorites.
there's a passage that my children
heard so often.
I can give it to you
in the King James
because that's the way
I learned it
and then had them memorize it.
It was,
what is that to thee?
Follow thou me.
My kids,
there's two of them here
this morning
and on more than one occasion
they would come to me
to lament,
complain,
whine.
That's the generic.
They would let me know
just how unreasonable
it was
that I was expecting
one of them
to carry out the garbage
instead of all four.
You know,
or,
my kids were,
I seriously thought
at one point
they were going to all
become attorneys.
Every point was contested.
And so eventually
as I began to dive
into the scriptures
a little bit more
I realized there was
a perfect Bible verse.
It was this one.
What is that to thee?
Follow thou me.
Suck it up.
Do what I ask.
Do you know what life
in Christ is going
to mean for you?
It means doing
what he's put in front of you
and that's the end
of the story.
I respect,
I respect
people who stay at it
and keep on serving
year after year
after year
quietly
because they are submitting
to the call of God
and nothing else.
I respect
the way in which
those who are
actively engaged
in ministry here
can be counted on
to do what needs
to be done
without fanfare,
without coddling
because they understand
that is God's call
in their lives.
And so this morning
as we think about
how John ends,
we see the glory of Christ,
the Savior of the world
who came
to save you
and to connect
into your life
in a very personal
and real way.
And he says
three pointed truths.
you
who love me
be engaged
in serving.
You who love me
endure hardship
and don't spend
the majority
of your time
whining about
how hard it is.
the finish line
is not that far
in front.
You who love me
accept
the call
and the responsibilities
that I've given
to you
and serve
with faithfulness.
So how do we close
the book of John?
It is by understanding
that he
who is your Savior
has a high
call
in your life
and I challenge you
to fix your eyes
on Jesus.
Let's close.
Father God,
this morning
we rejoice
in the Lord Jesus
Christ
who is our Savior.
We who know you
as our God
and Savior
thank you
for salvation.
We thank you
that you lifted us
out of death
and darkness
and you have made us
to be servants
of the living God.
I pray this morning
that those who are here
that do not know Christ
would be drawn
to the cross
and those
that are here
this morning
that have been
kind of drifting around
uncertain
would have it
clearly etched
into their mind
that following Jesus
and knowing him
involves a life
that is undeniably
clear in the scriptures.
and Lord,
I recognize
that for some
this may be
a day
of rededication
it may be
a day
of recommitting
themselves
to being
what you've
called them to be
as your children
and as your disciples.
Help what we do
to reflect
what we know.
We ask this in Jesus' name.
Amen.
Thank you.