Jesus Restores, but we need to re-up

God loves us so much

We’ve all heard the different types of love in the Bible…we’re going to be talking about two types tonight.

Agape—I love you so much…i’d do anything for you

Phileo—we’re pretty good friends

In this passage we’er going over tonight we see these two words in a seemingly awkward conversation .

Let’s read this passage together John 21:15-19

English Standard Version Chapter 21

15 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.” 16 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.” 17 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. 18 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.” 19 (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”

Christ always meets our needs

Have you ever just been in the right place at the right time and gotten something?

My dad loves technology---finding old headphones in his office and giving them to me.

This isn’t what happens here

Only true satisfaction happens when we find/follow Jesus (Step up)

This passage happens right after Jesus told them to cast their nets on the other side.

Although they traveled with Jesus for 3 years, they were not looking for Him

Christ came to them and told them to cast their nets on the other side…and they did it and miracles happen

Only then did they realize who He was ()

They were not stepping out for Jesus, they were just going back to their regular lives.

Are we like that sometimes?

I think Jesus did this to show them that only in His presence can we find true satisfaction.

2. Jesus meets our needs when we don’t expect it

He had already made them breakfast

He was waiting to give it to them

We see Jesus’ supreme love even when we aren’t doing what we need to be doing

They knew this was Jesus and they were ashamed to let Him know they knew because of what He was doing in spite of what they were doing (v.14)

3.

Christ always loves us

A hard question

We see here in our passage tonight that Christ starts off by asking Peter a super important question that He’s asking all of us tonight

Do you love me

Notice some things about this question

He calls him Simon son of John NOT Simon Peter…the name Jesus gave him.

The Love Jesus uses is the the “agape” form of love

The Love that Peter uses is the Phileo form of love

A cowardly response

God is saying If you love me, are you willing to step out and do somethign?

Peter messes up by not totally committing to God

God expects total dedicaiton to Himself

Peter was not giving him total dedication

A pleading Savior

We see on Jesus’ last attempt that he uses the word “phileo” instead of agape

This is Jesus pleading with Peter (Do you even like me, Peter)

Jesus does this with us.

He pleads for us to get right

A Radical command

Our purpose is to follow God wholeheartedly

Peter was a coward

God expects us to step up

And if we mess up we need to Re-up

Jesus told us to Follow Him

Conclusion

Where are you livign right now?

Are you following Jesus

Are you wholeheartedly devoted to Him

We need to be presenting our bodies a living sacrifice

Wholly His