Follow Jesus

John 21:15-22

If we honestly look at the history of Christianity, you will see a people persecuted for following Jesus. Many horrifying things were done to many Christians...........When I think about those, it makes me thankful for the country we live in and this country wouldn’t be possible if not for those men and women that serve our great country and for those that gave their lives that we might live freely! This is what Memorial Day is all about, say what you want about if the wars that we have been were justified or not, I am overwhelmed by the devotion and willingness of all those that gave their lives in defense of this freedom!

I ask forgiveness of our Wed. night folks, because “following Jesus” has been in my heart for quite sometime now.

What is happening in this scene????....Jesus has risen and told the disciples to wait at Galilee for him. This was somewhere between 8 days after the resurrection and the last day (ascension).

Before Jesus died, Peter had denied Jesus, 3 times.......

That was left hanging....so, back to this scene, Jesus told the 11 disciples to wait for Him at Galilee, Peter and 6 other disciples went fishing.

Peter started it..... “I go a fishing” the others followed.

They caught nothing all night, when day broke, Jesus was on the shore telling them to cast their nets on the right side...........

They caught 153 big fish......

This was much like the way it all began with Jesus and these men.......Luke 5......

John said “It is the Lord”, not by facial recognition but by the power of God!

Peter jumped out of the boat and swam to shore.

Jesus was there and already cooking breakfast for these weary men.

Now, to our text Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves Him......the first time Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him more than these......

We discussed this some and their is great discussion as to what or who Jesus meant by “these”.

Possibly Jesus meant the disciples

Some say that “these” refers to fishing or fish....basically Peter’s old way of life.......which seems valid for a reason that I come to a few days after our study....

Peter said “I go a fishing”......then the others said that they will go with him.

Jesus told Peter that if he loves Him more than these then feed His lambs/sheep........Peter was the unofficial leader by his confession in Matthew 16 and these men were looking to him, they did what he did

Jesus is restoring Peter from his previous triple denial, but He is also exposing within Peter and desire to return to the old life......”If you love Jesus more than fishing or fish or place anything there......If you truly love Jesus you will love the will of the Father, as Jesus did, and you will abandon whatever your old man deemed important to nurture the followers of Jesus Christ in His Gospel!

Jesus didn’t rebuke Peter for fishing..........Jesus challenged Peter’s passion, his desire!

If you love Jesus, you will follow Him, no matter what following Him took you away from, no matter the danger that would come because of your faith, no matter what your fleshly side is telling you, you will just follow Jesus!

Facing death the 3 Hebrew children, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abendego, disobeyed the King’s decree to bow down to an image made in his likeness.

Their refusal to do so would mean certain death. Their God meant more to them than their lives!

You know the rest of the story, they refused to bow stating to the King.......Daniel 3:17-18 “If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.”

Following God and His Essence, His Life, was more important to them than living!

The Lord delivered them from the fiery furnace, as well as the Son of man being in the fire with them!

They didn’t even smell like smoke.......The Bible doesn’t point to everyone being delivered in this fashion, there have been some faithful martyrs throughout Christian history.......Peter followed Jesus all the way to his cross.....

Jesus told them in Matthew 16:24 “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”

That Peter did........In our text Jesus tells Peter that, he will die such a death.............

Peter after he heard this from Jesus, he asked what will become of John........

Jesus tells Peter that if John didn’t die until He come back, what was that to Peter.....just follow Jesus! No other directive!

Nothing else for us to do, just to set our desire on following Jesus!

This important to note....that because of men and women that have died to begin this country and those that died in defense of it, we are not persecuted like the followers of old and the followers in different country

Following Jesus will involve someone counting the cost. Jesus tells Peter that concerning ourselves with others or comparing ourselves with others is not the issue, the only issue for us is to follow Jesus.........this will intel counting the cost, because it will there is a denial of self, which will cost the flesh in the earthly sense and it means that there will be some sort of cross to bear when we choose to follow Jesus!

Luke 14:25-35.......Counting the cost.....that means looking within yourself, to see if Jesus is worth your abandoning your desires, your life

The only Heavenly directive we have is to follow Jesus! He has given us the path, just follow Him.....Jesus is the path!

Every soldier that has went to war, has certainly dealt with lasting hardships during and afterwards, some had to deal with death. I believe we can say most were willing, they counted the cost and still put themselves in harm’s way.

The same with following Jesus.......We step back from everything and ask: “Is it worth my life?”...........

Lastly, Jesus asked the rich young ruler, who was seeking eternal life without cost, if kept all the commandments and he said he did......

The next thing Jesus told him to do was to sell all that he had and give to the poor....that he could not do.......

Here is the thing, in a Memorial Day/ Graduation message......in the mission of this life, there is nothing else to be focused on than following Jesus......looking at others and comparing what is going on in their lives, comparing yourself to other churches, Christians, or society, that os not worth anything and living that way you will have truly lost your savor!

Here is the mission as Paul tells Timothy........2 Timothy 2:1-4.........

Be strong in Grace that is in Jesus Christ.............

Jesus is our strength......some people equate that with physical or mystical strength, which would not be a problem for Him, however by using the word “Grace” that means our strength comes from the essence of Jesus, which is the essence of the Father!

Endure the hardness that comes with following Jesus, during that hardness let your strength be the Grace of Jesus!

Do not entangle yourself with any other matters.....the desire of the follower of Jesus is to please Him, we must not look everywhere else and compare.......we only look to Jesus and follow Him, for He is the path!