Our Service

John 21:15-22 “Our Service”

Intro: During the American Revolution a man in civilian clothes rode past a group of soldiers repairing a small defensive barrier, their leader was shouting instructions, but making no attempt to help them. Asked why by the rider, he retorted with great dignity, “Sir, I am a corporal!” The stranger apologized, dismounted, and proceeded to help the exhausted soldiers. The job done, he turned to the corporal and said, “Mr. Corporal, next time you have a job like this and not enough men to do it, go to your commander-in-chief, and I will come and help you again.” It was none other than George Washington

If the king of kings and Lord of lords came to earth to serve then we who belong to Him by grace through faith ought to serve as well! Jesus came to serve, His life a ransom for the many who believe, likewise we give our life in service to The Lord who saved us! ARE YOU SERVING THE LORD????

Context:

I. The Motivation For Our Service (15-17)

Motivation – reason or reasons for doing things!

ILL: A ten-year-old boy was failing math. His parents tried everything, but to no avail. Finally, at the insistence of a family friend, they decided to enroll their son in a private Catholic school. After the first day, the boy’s parents were surprised when he walked in after school with a stern, focused and very determined expression on his face, and went right past them straight to his room, where he quietly closed the door. For nearly two hours he toiled away in his room - with math books strewn about his desk and the surrounding floor. He emerged long enough to eat, and after quickly cleaning his plate, went straight back to his room, closed the door, and worked feverishly at his studies until bedtime. This pattern continued ceaselessly until it was time for the first quarter report card. The boy walked in with his report card—unopened—laid it on the dinner table and went straight to his room. Cautiously, his mother opened it, and to her amazement, she saw a bright red “A” under the subject of MATH. Overjoyed, she and her husband rushed into their son’s room, thrilled at his remarkable progress. “Was it the nuns that did it?”, the father asked. The boy only shook his head and said, “No.” “Was it the one-on-one tutoring? The peer-mentoring?” “No.” “The textbooks? The teachers? The curriculum?” “Nope,” said the son. “On that first day, when I walked in the front door and saw that guy they nailed to the ‘plus sign,’ I just knew they meant business!

Jesus’ motivation for serving was His love for us, our motivation is our love for Him!

We each have different responsibilities and gifts that we are to put to use, but we each must have the same motivation, Love!

II. The Cost Of Our Service (18-19a)

Cost- The effort or loss necessary to achieve something

A. What it cost Peter

B. What it has cost others

ILL:Martin Luther/95 thesis @ Wittenberg because of indulgences (Rom. 1:17) was given

C. What it costs us

Regardless of the costs the eternal reward is far greater!

III. The Focus of Our Service (19b-22)

We must have focus in our service, are we focused on the main thing? Focus means to have great concentration for the center of interest or activity. Friend we must not lose the focus of our service!!!!

ILL: Arnold Palmer tells a story of losing focus during a golf game. It was the final hole of the 1961 Masters tournament, He had a 1 stroke lead and just hit a dandy tee shot. He felt that he was in good shape as he approached his ball, but then he saw an old friend standing at the end of the gallery. He motioned Palmer over, stuck out his hand and said “congratulations.” He took his hand and shook it, but as soon as he did, knew he lost his focus. His next 2 shots landed in the sand trap, then he put it over the edge of the green. He then missed a putt and lost the Masters.

The focus of our service is Jesus! Following Jesus! When you follow Jesus your eyes are set/focused on Jesus. Three times we see Peter take his eye off of Jesus. 1) Luke 5:8, 2) Matt. 14:30, 3) John 21:20 (*YOU FOLLOW ME*)

What’s that to thee, thou followest Me!

Con: We all have different gifts given to us to serve Him, to some the gift of preaching, others, teaching, praying, giving, mercy, but each of has a call to use those gifts to reach the lost (evangelize) and make disciples…. Are you usinf your gifts to the fullest in service to Jesus? There is an old saying “Use it or lose it.”

ILL: Unamuno, the Spanish philosopher, tells about the Roman aqueduct at Segovia, in his native Spain. It was built in 109 A.D. For eighteen hundred years, it carried cool water from the mountains to the hot and thirsty city. Nearly sixty generations of men drank from its flow. Then came another generation, a recent one, who said, “This aqueduct is so great a marvel that it ought to be preserved for our children, as a museum piece. We shall relieve it of its centuries-long labor.” They did; they laid modern iron pipes. They gave the ancient bricks and mortar a reverent rest. And the aqueduct began to fall apart. The sun beating on the dry mortar caused it to crumble. The bricks and stone sagged and threatened to fall. What ages of service could not destroy idleness disintegrated…… There is no hope for restoration of this old aqueduct. But there is hope of restoration for you!

As Jesus restored Peter by getting to the heart of the issue, asking him by the charcoal fire, 3 times, “do you love me?” followed by tend/sheperherd/feed my sheep He too can restore you to service.