John 21 Bevhaving Sheepishly
Secular:
Ever make a mistake…
Ever make a big mistake?
When you make a large enough mistake in this society you gain a criminal record for yourself….
It is a testimony to those around you…
1 you made a mistake
2 it was grievous enough to involve the law
3 there are to be lasting consequences
So we come to Chapter 21… the end of our Sunday Series… on The Gospel According to John…
Remember Peter… the intense disciple…
John 18:10 Simon Peter then, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's slave, and cut off his right ear; and the slave's name was Malchus.
Well he made a mistake… a big one!!
Luke 22:34 And He said, "I say to you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me."
Luke 22:61 The Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had told him, "Before a rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times."
Peter was zealous for the Lord… failed him… he made a big mistake…
But on the beach… the Lord gave Peter a chance…
Biblical:
John 21:15 So 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, "Tend My lambs." 16 He said to him again 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, "Shepherd 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 all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Tend My sheep. 18 "Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go." 19 Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me!" … 25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written.
Personal:
Embarrassment… can be debilitating
- Friends love to remind you
Ever felt completely embarrassed…
Show up surprised
Publicly humiliated
Failure… can be debilitating
Ever failed in grand fashion
Didn’t meet expectation
Slinked away
Peter was embarrassed… Peter Failed!!
Bridge:
I have heard Jesus described as the God of second chances…
The truth is Jesus doesn’t just call on us, give us 2nd chances to make us feel better…
Jesus calls us… to glorify his Father…
Jesus call us… to grow his Kingdom
Jesus calls us to new life…
Jesus calls us to “Feed his Sheep”
The Christian faith isn’t just a passive… personal… private… self-gratifying relationship with God.
Christian Faith… Life in Christ is an active… public… god-honouring life dedicated to the Kingdom of God.
Body:
3 Times Peter denied Christ…
Luke 22:54 Having arrested Him, they led Him away and brought Him to the house of the high priest; but Peter was following at a distance. 55 After they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter was sitting among them. 56 And a servant-girl, seeing him as he sat in the firelight and looking intently at him, said, "This man was with Him too." 57 But he denied it, saying, "Woman, I do not know Him." 58 A little later, another saw him and said, "You are one of them too!" But Peter said, "Man, I am not!" 59 After about an hour had passed, another man began to insist, saying, "Certainly this man also was with Him, for he is a Galilean too." 60 But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are talking about." Immediately, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed.
Have you ever made a really big mistake…
62 And (Peter) went out and wept bitterly.
Denied Christ… Failed to live up to the faith you have declared…
Struggled when you should have been strong…
Not stood for Christ when he was being mocked?
Those are tough moments…
- Wouldn’t it be nice…
- If at every challenge we rose… and were steadfast
- If at every challenge our knees didn’t get weak…
- Our throat dry
- Wouldn’t it be nice if we could put Christ first?
Christian Faith… Life in Christ is an active… public… god-honouring life dedicated to the Kingdom of God.
3 Times Peter acknowledges Christ
Remember Christ… has been
- Tried
- Crucified
- Died
- Buried
- Risen
- And Appeared
- "Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?"…. "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." "Tend My lambs."
- "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?"… "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You."… "Shepherd My sheep."
- "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?"… "Do you love Me?" "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You."… "Tend My sheep.
- Jesus whom Peter denied three times… is asked three times… “Do you love me”.
- To you love me… unconditionally… do you love me intimately… DO YOU LOVE ME!!
- Have you ever been dating or courting… unfortunately even in Marriage… Have you ever been asked… DO YOU LOVE ME…
- At this point we are not looking for “Sure… ok I love you”
- Normally… there is something we have done… or continue to do that caused them question the genuine nature of your stated love…
- Peter’s response is more than Yes…
- Yes, Lord; You know that I love You
- Yes, Lord; You know that I love You
- Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You
- Lord by the very fact you are God… by the fact you know my heart… by the fact you were before time… and will be when time passes away… by the very fact that You know all things…. You know that I love You…
- From Peter’s clear vision of Christ… he declares his love!!
- Christian Faith… Life in Christ is an active… public… god-honouring life dedicated to the Kingdom of God.
3 Times Christ calls Peter to Action
- "Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?"…. "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." "Tend My lambs."
- "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?"… "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You."… "Shepherd My sheep."
- "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?"… "Do you love Me?" "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You."… "Tend My sheep.
This ministry is described in verbs, not nouns: Tend, feed, not positional…
- From a Wedding Sermon…
Love is not an emotion; love is not fleeting… love is not an airy-fairy disorienting breeze in our lives… what love is… it is a decision. A decision borne out of your genuine concern for one another, out of trust, out self-sacrifice, out of a desire for genuine caring companionship. The world would have you believe that passion, romantic love, is the real thing… and is the place that you anchor your marriage. Passion like other emotions are a roller coaster ride of highs and lows… and while passion is a worthy and exciting by-product of true love it is only the spark or catalyst that adds to the relationship that you have come here today, with your friends and family, to solemnize. The apostle Paul tells us what real love looks like let’s
unpack 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 at little –
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails…. Love is ACTIVE… rejoicing truth… caring… putting others first… trusting… hoping… persevering!!
- Jesus asked… "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?"… "Do you love Me?" "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You."… "Tend My sheep.
- Jesus never answered… “Oh good… or thanks….”
- Jesus answered with a call to action…
- Tend my Sheep…
- Love those I love…
- Watch over… guide…. Care for
- Just saying I love you is not enough….
- Love is a decision…
- A decision to surrender…
- A decision to commit
- A decision to be whole-hearted
- A decision to honour… and serve
Christ has given us commands in Scripture… commands that tell us what tending sheep looks like…
Repent, believe, and receive the Holy Spirit (conversion, regeneration), Mark 1:15; John 3:16; 20:22
Be baptized and live the new life it initiates, initiating ongoing transformation, Matthew 28:18-20; Romans 6:1-14
Love God, neighbor, fellow disciples, the needy in a practical way and enemies (forgive), Matthew 22:36-40; John 13:34-35, Luke 10:25-37; Matthew 5:43-48
Break bread (Communion, related to all that we do to worship), Matthew 26:26-28; John 4:24
Pray (private and family devotions, intercession and spiritual warfare), John 16:24
Give (stewardship of our time, treasure and talents), Luke 6:38
Make disciples (witness for Christ, shepherd, apply the Word, train leaders, send missionaries), Matthew 28:18-20
James 1:21 Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. 22 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves
This is what it is to know Christ and make him know…
Dou you love the Lord Jesus Christ… WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.'
- Christian Faith… Life in Christ is an active… public… god-honouring life dedicated to the Kingdom of God.
Tend his Sheep!!