FOLLOWING CHRIST

When Jesus ascended into Heaven He commanded His disciples to go into all the world and make disciples.

YOU FOLLOW ME John 21:20-25 (KJV) 20  Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee? 21  Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? 22  Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me. 23  Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? 24  This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true. 25  And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.

There is a vast difference between sonship (being saved) and discipleship (following the Lord). Not all Christians are disciples. When Peter sinned, he did not lose his sonship, but he did fall away from his discipleship. For this reason Christ repeated His call, "Follow Me." A disciple is a Learner and Follower of Christ.

Jesus dealt differently  with His disciples than the way He related to the multitudes who followed Him for the fishes and the loaves. Those who were looking for miracles and sensationalism. These followers were fed with milk while His disciples are given the sincere meat of the Word. WE are saved the moment we accept Jesus as our personal Savior discipleship comes later. You don't become a disciple overnight, it requires Christian maturity. Matthew 16:24-26 (MOFF) 24  Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me; 25  for whoever wants to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26  What profit will it be if a man gains the whole world and forfeits his own soul? What will a man offer as an equivalent for his soul?

As a disciple you must be willing to deny yourself for the cause of Christ. When I was a young Christian I used to hear Pastor Gilmore say that he could not allow some Christians to attend certain meetings but would allow others. It was not that he favored those who attended it was because there are some conversations that young Christians would not understand and may be tempted to draw back, while others would appreciate the comradely and understood the humanity of the mature Christians.

In this text we follow the ministry of Peter.' When he met Jesus he was working on his father's ship as a fisherman.  Jesus said "follow me" and Peter had left all to follow Christ. After 3 1/2 years of preaching and teaching Matthew 16:21-22 (MOFF) 21  ...Jesus began to show his disciples that it was time for Him to leave for Jerusalem and endure great suffering at the hands of the elders and high priests and scribes, and be killed and raised on the third day.

22  Peter took him and began to reprove him for it; "God forbid, Lord," he said, "this must not be."

When the soldiers came to arrest Jesus, Peter was the first to come to His defense, Peter took out his sword and cut off the ear of one of the soldiers.  but Jesus told him to put away his sword, because he who live by the sword would did by the sword.

After His arrest Peter followed Jesus at a distance and when he was questioned about being with Jesus Peter denied Him, not once but three times.

This lets us know that there is a danger in just following Jesus at a distance.  Close enough that others think you are with Him, but not close enough to call Him your all and all.

When the news came that the women were at the tomb and Jesus had risen from the dead.  John outran Peter to the tomb, but it was Peter who first went in and saw the empty grave clothes with the napkin folded.

The disciples remained together and  Peter decided that he wanted to go back to his old way of life.  He said " I am going fishing" You see one of the traits of human nature is when confronted, we revert back to that which is familiar and comfortable.

Peter knew fishing, he was the son of a fisherman, so he decided that  since Jesus was gone it was time to go back to fishing. John 21:3-4 (GW) 3  Simon Peter said to the others, “I'm going fishing.” They told him, “We're going with you.” They went out in a boat but didn't catch a thing that night. 4  As the sun was rising, Jesus stood on the shore. The disciples didn't realize that it was Jesus.

There is a danger in flirting with  your old way of life.  There is present danger in just having one for the road entering that chat room one last time before you close it out Leaving that angry post on facebook just one more day When you flirt with the old way of life  It makes it hard for you to recognize Jesus even when He is right before you.

After fishing all night and catching nothing, Jesus called  to the disciples and asked if they had caught any fish.  They said no.  Jesus said cast your net on the right side of the ship and when they obeyed, they caught a multitude of fish. When this happened John said , that is the Lord and Peter threw on his fishers coat and jumped into the water and went ashore. The other disciples came ashore in the boat. John 21:9-15 (NLT2) 9  When they got there, they found breakfast waiting for them—fish cooking over a charcoal fire, and some bread. 10 “Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,” Jesus said. 11  So Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore. There were 153 large fish, and yet the net hadn’t torn. 12 “Now come and have some breakfast!” Jesus said. None of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13  Then Jesus served them the bread and the fish. 14  This was the third time Jesus had appeared to his disciples since he had been raised from the dead.  After breakfast Jesus and Simon Peter  walked along the beach, Jesus said“Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.” “Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him. 1.) Three times Christ asks Peter whether he loves him or no. The first time the question is, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? [1.] How he calls him: Simon, son of Jonas. He speaks to him by name, the more to affect him, as Luke 22:31. Simon, Simon. He does not call him Cephas, nor Peter, the name he had given him but his birth name, Simon. Yet he gives him no hard language,  but as he had called him when he pronounced him blessed, Simon Bar-jona, Matthew 16:17. He calls him son of Jonas to remind him of his extraction,  the honour to which he was advanced. [2.]  Lovest thou me more than these? First, Lovest thou me? If we would examine ourselves as to  whether we are Christ's disciples indeed, this must be the enquiry, Do we love him?  This is not an attack to have our sincerity questioned, after  we ourselves have done that which makes it questionable;  after a shaking fall, we must take heed of settling too soon, lest we settle upon a wrong bottom.

 The question is affecting; he does not ask, "Dost thou fear me? Dost thou honour me? Dost thou admire me?" but, "Dost thou love me?    the question is not, "Simon, how much hast thou wept? how often hast thou fasted, and how often have you afflicted thy soul?" but, Dost thou love me?  The  thing Christ  is looking for is  their repentance. Much is forgiven her, not because she wept much, but because she loved much. 2.  Before Christ would commit his sheep to his care, he asked him, Lovest thou me? Christ has such a tender regard to his flock that he will not trust it with any but those that love him, and therefore will love all that are his for his sake. Those who do not truly love Christ will never truly love the souls of men, or  care for their welfare as they should; The minister who does not love his work  does not love his Master. Nothing but the love of Christ will constrain ministers to go cheerfully through the difficulties and discouragements they meet with in their work, 2 Corinthians 5:13, 14. But this love will make their work easy, Secondly, Lovest thou me more than these? pleion toutōn. 1. "Lovest thou me more than thou lovest these, " Dost thou love me more than  thy own brother and companion: Or, "more than thou lovest these things, these boats and nets-        more than all the pleasure of fishing, We only love Christ when we love him better than all the delights and  profits of this world.  "Lovest thou me more than thou lovest your job,  more than facebook and messenger?  Do you love me more than your cell phone?  If so, leave them, to employ thyself wholly in feeding my flock." The second and third time that Christ put this question, 1. He did not say more than these, (2.) Three times Peter returns the same answer to Christ: Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee.  Then He appeals to Christ Himself for the proof of it: Thou knowest all things, thou knowest that I love thee. He does not vouch his fellow-disciples to witness for him-they might be deceived in him;  but he calls Christ himself to witness,  Peter was sure that Christ knew all things, and particularly that he knew the heart, and was a discerner of the thoughts and intents of it, ch. 16:30.   Peter was satisfied that Christ, who knew all things, knew the sincerity of his love to him, and would be ready to attest it in his favour. You know church It is a terror to a hypocrite to think that Christ knows all things;   But it is a comfort to a sincere Christian that he has that to appeal to: My witness is in heaven, my record is on high. Christ knows us better than we know ourselves. Though we know not our own uprightness, he knows it. Peter was grieved when Christ asked him the third time, Lovest thou me? v. 17. Because it reminded him that he had denied Christ three times,  and when he thought about it he wept.  Every remembrance of past sins, even pardoned sins, renews the sorrow of a true penitent. . (3.) Three times Christ committed the care of his flock to Peter: Feed my lambs; feed my sheep; feed my sheep. [1.] Those whom Christ committed to Peter's care were his lambs and his sheep.  The church of Christ is his flock, which he hath purchased with his own blood (Acts 20:28), and he is the chief shepherd of it. In this flock some are lambs, young and tender and weak, others are sheep, grown to some strength and maturity.  The Shepherd here takes care of both, . He gathers the lambs in his arms, and carries them in his bosom. Isaiah 40:11. [2.] The charge he gives him concerning them is to feed them. "Feed the lambs with that which is proper for them, and the sheep likewise with food convenient. The lost sheep of the house of Israel, seek and feed them, and the other sheep also which are not of this fold." It is the duty of all Christ's ministers to feed his lambs and sheep. Feed them,  teach them; for the doctrine of the gospel is spiritual food. Feed them,  "Lead them to the green pastures,  ministering all the ordinances to them.  Feed them by personal application not only lay meat before them, but feed those with it that are wilful and will not, or weak and cannot feed themselves." When Christ ascended on high, he gave pastors, left his flock with those that loved him, and would take care of them for his sake. Jesus tell Peter John 21:18-19 (NLT2) 18 “I tell you the truth, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked; you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will dress you and take you where you don’t want to go. 19  Jesus said this to let him know by what kind of death he would glorify God. Then Jesus told him, “Follow me.”  If we are to follow Christ, we must keep our eyes on Him alone (Heb. 12:1-2). It is "none of our business" how Christ leads His other workers; our business is to follow Christ ourselves and obey Him. - Before we can follow Christ, we must take up the cross.  Christ  confronts Peter with the cross (v. 18), indicating that Peter would one day be crucified himself. (See 2 Peter 1:12-14.) Peter now makes a tragic mistake: he again gets his eyes off the Lord and begins to look at others, in this case, John. It is "none of our concern" how Christ leads His other workers; our business is to follow  and obey Him. + Consider with me some distraction that interfere with our walk with Jesus. 1. PAST FAILURES I dont think there is anyone here who have not failed at one time or another.  My mother used to say, the only people who do not fail are those who are not doing anything. It is a certainity that if you are involved in any work whether for self or for the Lord at some point you are going to endure the taste of failure. I thank God that failure is not fatal. Peter was a man who understood failure.  He failed the Lord when he was in the palace by denying Him three times. Now after the crucifixion he told the others that he was going fishing and the other disciples decided to go with him.  V3  They toiled all night and caught nothing. Once again Peter had failed. But I thank God failure does not mean fatal nor does it mean final. So many times the children of God allow the pain of PAST FAILURES to keep them from following Christ. Many of you have tried and tried and nothing seem to happen.  You have fasted and prayed and still you just can't seem to get a breakthrough.  And now you just don't seem to have that enthusaism for God anymore. You are still following Jesus but you seem to be falling further and further behind. You don't have the joy you used to have You don't want to stand up and testify to the good of the Lord anymore It is harder and harder for you to muster the strength to come to church. Your get up and go have got up and gone. But just when they were about to give up, Just when you think you cant make it. When God charged Moses to go tell Pharoah to "Let My people go" Moses gave God his excuses as to why he could not do it. God asked Moses, What do you have in your hand. Moses said a staff,  God said use it. Jesus asked His disciples " do you have any meat" John 21:5-6 (MOFF) 5  "Lads," said Jesus, "have you got anything?" "No," they answered. 6  So he told them, "Throw your net on the right of the boat, and you will have a take." At this they threw the net, and now they could not haul it in for the mass of fish. Peter did not let his past failures keep him from obeying Jesus.  When they threw the net out, they caught more fish than they could handle.  The men from the other boat had to help them bring the fish to shore. You may have failed in the past but keep your eyes on Jesus.   Keep the Lord in focus and one day, your failure will become feasts. When they got to the shore they saw a charcoal fire burning with fish cookin on it and some bread. Jesus said bring some fo the fish you have just caught. Give me what you have Dont worry about what did not work in the past Dont worry about who is not here Dont worry about who is not working Dont worry about what folk are saying Give Jesus what you have. Give me what you have and leave the increase to me let go of the past, Let go of what did not happen and reach for the stars. Don't let PAST FAILURES  keep you from following Christ. 2. PAST HURTS We cannot allow past hurts to keep us from following Jesus Peter understood mistakes and the hurt that follows them. I admit that some Christians can be cruel and self righteous. There are many today who used to serve the Lord fervently, but some well meaning Christian caused them to be hurt and now bitterness have replaced thier blessing. It does not matter where you go, there will always be someone there who thrive on confusion. Someone who ever live to carry gossip and bad news. But you cannot allow this person to take your focus off Jesus, He said follow Me. John 21:15-17 (KJV) 15  So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. 16  He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. 17  He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. Peter knew he had denied Jesus and the thought of what he done cause him pain. It is so easy to get caught up in distractions, and idle windstorms, but Jesus said follow Me. Follow me in spite of Past failures and past hurts. Follow me in the face of your pain and in the face of .. 3. -PRESENT INDIGNATION So many times we look at the walk of other Christians and are distracted by their hyprocracy. How can that person say they are a Christian and do the things he does. Remember you are not accountable for the sins of others. Everyone of us has to give an account for ourselves.  My mother used to say, every tub has to sit on it's own bottom.    If we want to judge, then we should judge ourselves.. Romans 14:12-13 (KJV) 12  So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. 13  Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way. There will be no excuses when we stand before God. As sad as it may be sometimes those closest to us may keep us from serving Christ. So we have to look past their failures and keep our eyes on Christ. If you keep your focus on what others are doing you will lose sight of what He has told you to do, and find yourself walking in disobedience. No we dont want them to fail, but we cannot allow them to take us down the wrong path.  Jesus said " follow Me" not your friends and family. When Jesus told Peter what manner of death he would glorify God Peter looked back and saw John and wanted to compare his work with that of John   I'm going to feed the sheep, what will John do I'm going to die  as a martyr, what will John do V22  Jesus said " If I will that he tarry until I come, what is that to you?  You follow me"  From this Have you missed out on the blessing God have for you because you are envious of someone else's success? Another's talent, Another's finances Another's beauty Another's success What is that to you, you follow Jesus  It is "none of our business" how Christ leads His other workers; our business is to follow Christ  and obey Him. John 21:22-23 (KJV) 22  Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me. 23  Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? It is not Christ's desire that we concern ourselves with how He works in and through someone else. Our Charge is to follow Him. We must follow Him. I love you all but I cannot allow malice, and hate, jelousy and envy to interfere with my relationship with God I have decided to follow Jesus I have decided to follow Jesus No turning back, no turning back because I am too close to my journey's end to turn back now. 'm trading my sorrows I'm trading my shame I'm laying them down for the joy of the Lord Yeah - spoken I'm trading my sickness I'm trading my pain I'm laying them down for the joy of the Lord

We say Yes Lord yes Lord yes yes Lord Yes Lord yes Lord yes yes Lord Yes Lord yes Lord yes yes Lord Amen