John 21:15-22
"Impetuous To Impregnable" • 10.13.09 • Jesus Christ: The Man Of God
Intro
"Impetuous To Impregnable" • 10.13.09 • Jesus Christ: The Man Of God
Intro
- Certainly Jesus Christ made an indelible impression upon each of His disciples. None however have made as much of an impression upon us than Peter.
- He is the People's disciple. He's the guy that most guys relate to the most, simply because he is most like us!
- He speaks when he should listen. He acts when he should sit. He fights when he should pray! Yeah, that is often our wives' assessment of us!
- Historians tell us that Peter was a tall man, as tall as 6'8. He was the natural leader of the disciples and acted as spokesman on many occasions.
- His mouth is the source of several great and wonderful statements that ring today in the record of the canon of scripture.
- It seems however that with every inspired piece of information, there was an equally uninspiring word of foolishness! Take for example Matthew 16.
- We have examined it before, and remember that Jesus had initiated a conversation about His identity. Peter, after a few seconds of silence answered the question perfectly. "You are the Christ!"
- Jesus turned and congratulated Peter, saying that what He had spoken was a direct revelation from the Father Himself! Jesus proceeded to tell the entire group that His confession would be the basis for God's Kingdom.
- Peter, no doubt puffed up with pride, misunderstood and thought that HE would be the Rock that the church was built on! We pick it up from there.
• Matthew 16:21-23 : "From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, 'Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!' But He turned and said to Peter, 'Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.'"
- Wow! One minute he's Peter the Pope, the next, he's Peter the Dope! Oh, we know the feeling! We are right there: One minute, we're the hero, the next, we're the zero!
- Peter's testimony is one of supreme overconfidence. Never was it more obvious than the night before the crucifixion. Peter stood up in front of the entire class and proclaimed his strength.
- Jesus has told them that they would all scatter that night when He was taken. Peter did not believe it. Sadly, Peter's overconfidence spilled over onto the rest of the disciples.
• Matthew 26:33-35 : "Peter answered and said to Him, 'Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.' Jesus said to him, 'Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.' Peter said to Him, 'Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!' And so said all the disciples."
- It happened just as Jesus said it would. Peter, early in the night had attempted to fight his way through the Roman guard, only to crumble when confronted by a little girl, vehemently denying that he even knew Jesus! Luke tells us a horrible detail.
• Luke 22:60-62 : "But Peter said, 'Man, I do not know what you are saying!' Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, 'Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.' So Peter went out and wept bitterly."
- It's a few weeks, later after the resurrection and the disciples are getting impatient. They have decided to go back to their old profession. Unfortunately, they were rusty!
- Jesus appeared on the shore and asked if they had caught anything. I love His style! Of course He knew of the futility of their efforts.
- Jesus allows them to catch a great many fish and only then do they realize that it's the Lord.
- Peter gets rid of the outer coat and swims to shore. What will await him? What will he say? There's unfinished business between he and Jesus.
- Jesus is about to restore Peter, a skill that is long forgotten in many Christian circles today. He will do so by reminding him of three great truths.
I. Love Is Primary (v.15-17)
II. Death Is The Principle (v.18,19)
III. Focus Is The Priority (v.20-22)
I. Love Is Primary (v.15-17)
- Breakfast has gone by and the tension between them could not have been higher, not because of Jesus, but because of Peter's failure.
- Verse 20 tells us that they were walking and talking. This was a private exchange.
- Jesus is asking directly about the kind of love that He desires. It's a love that comes from God, agape. It's a love that joyfully endures every command. It's the love that governs the emotion and the will. It's the love that chooses to respond.
- Peter can only answer that he loves Jesus as a brother. He thinks greatly about Him. He respects and venerates Him.
- Jesus asks twice for agape love. The third time, He asks Peter for brotherly love. The sense is that Jesus is causing Peter to understand that his strength lies in the level of his love.
- That cannot be understated. Jesus did not ask him, will you be stronger or more devoted from now on? Will you carry through with your promise the next time?
- Men, the issue that Jesus is clearly getting at is where is your love? You will never be looked at for your strength of devotion or your track record of time spent.
- Jesus is looking at and asking you to remember that love for Him is the measuring rod.
- For Peter, that love was to be expressed through His service to shepherd His flock, from the earliest moments of their life, to the final moments. From tender lambs to adult sheep.
- As men, we might object and say, "See! God still wants us to do something!" True. God dictates that love be expressed in service. The issue is that it be motivated strictly by love for Christ.
- Whenever I think of this passage, I can't help but think of two other love passages that stress the importance of this. Turn with me to Deuteronomy 6. The people have been told that their keeping of the law will bring them to the land. What is the foundation of keeping the law?
• Deuteronomy 6:4,5 : "'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength."
- Turn over to Revelation 2. Jesus is writing a letter to the church of Ephesus and has noted their great works in His name. Any church today would love to have Jesus speak verses 1-3 over them! But then there's verse 4 and no church wants to hear this.
• Revelation 2:4 : "Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place--unless you repent."
- Notice the word "repent." Change your thinking! It's not the works that you produce. It's the love that produces work! To heap loveless works onto Christ is to miss the mark and the point!
II. Death Is The Principle (v.18,19)
• John 21:18,19 : "Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.' This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, 'Follow Me.'" : Peter, things are gonna change! There was a time when you followed a path of life that was agreeable to you.
- It was your destiny and you were the master of it! You got up when you wanted, you went where you wished and you accomplished what you desired.
- That will be very different from now on. The road that you are now on will lead you to a very different place.
- Literally, this refers to Peter's death. Historians tell us that Peter was crucified. Legend has it that Peter asked to be crucified upside down.
- The point of Jesus telling him this was not to give him a glimpse of his death. The point was that when Peter learned that love was the primary source of strength, it would lead to faithfulness.
- Peter was not going to fail again. He would endure to the end.
- What an encouragement. Peter wanted to serve Jesus. He wanted to stand strong. When he failed, he had to wonder why he was not strong enough and now, whether he would do it again.
- Where would the next failure come? How bad would he blow it the next time?
- It's funny how our minds are. The failures of our past paralyze us in the present. Jesus wanted to alleviate this fear in Peter.
- This end, this death that Jesus foretold, would not only be the promise of Peter's stand. It would be a death that glorified God!
- There is a principle here that we need to really examine, one that is poignant for this age of self-centered Christianity.
- It's interesting to me that his life of service to God would be a death to himself. He would walk a path that would lead to martyrdom, a literal death.
- Friends, this is the life that Christ calls you too. A life that is martyred. A life that is so lived for Christ, that our own desires and dreams, apart from Christ are a distant second, so as to be dead to us! This type of life adds weight, honor, distinction to God!
- Turn with me to Romans 6. Paul explains that having died for the sins of the world, Jesus now lives a life free from the dominion of death. Paul then applies:
• Romans 6:11-13 : "Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God."
- You want to glorify God? It begins with death...yours! Death to yourself equals life to Christ.
- Dead to your flesh and the selfishness that has enslaved you. This is what brings glory and honor to Christ.
- Does this mean that you are to quit your job and become a monk? Not at all! But view your job in the light of your love for Christ, die to your reputation, and live in such a way that Christ is glorified!
- Die to your ambitions. Love Christ and make what you do, what you are, the living illustration of God's resurrection power through you!
- It was your destiny and you were the master of it! You got up when you wanted, you went where you wished and you accomplished what you desired.
- That will be very different from now on. The road that you are now on will lead you to a very different place.
- Literally, this refers to Peter's death. Historians tell us that Peter was crucified. Legend has it that Peter asked to be crucified upside down.
- The point of Jesus telling him this was not to give him a glimpse of his death. The point was that when Peter learned that love was the primary source of strength, it would lead to faithfulness.
- Peter was not going to fail again. He would endure to the end.
- What an encouragement. Peter wanted to serve Jesus. He wanted to stand strong. When he failed, he had to wonder why he was not strong enough and now, whether he would do it again.
- Where would the next failure come? How bad would he blow it the next time?
- It's funny how our minds are. The failures of our past paralyze us in the present. Jesus wanted to alleviate this fear in Peter.
- This end, this death that Jesus foretold, would not only be the promise of Peter's stand. It would be a death that glorified God!
- There is a principle here that we need to really examine, one that is poignant for this age of self-centered Christianity.
- It's interesting to me that his life of service to God would be a death to himself. He would walk a path that would lead to martyrdom, a literal death.
- Friends, this is the life that Christ calls you too. A life that is martyred. A life that is so lived for Christ, that our own desires and dreams, apart from Christ are a distant second, so as to be dead to us! This type of life adds weight, honor, distinction to God!
- Turn with me to Romans 6. Paul explains that having died for the sins of the world, Jesus now lives a life free from the dominion of death. Paul then applies:
• Romans 6:11-13 : "Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God."
- You want to glorify God? It begins with death...yours! Death to yourself equals life to Christ.
- Dead to your flesh and the selfishness that has enslaved you. This is what brings glory and honor to Christ.
- Does this mean that you are to quit your job and become a monk? Not at all! But view your job in the light of your love for Christ, die to your reputation, and live in such a way that Christ is glorified!
- Die to your ambitions. Love Christ and make what you do, what you are, the living illustration of God's resurrection power through you!
III. Focus Is The Priority (v.20-22)
• John 21:20-22 : "Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, 'Lord, who is the one who betrays You?' Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, 'But Lord, what about this man?' Jesus said to him, 'If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.'" : It's funny how we can so easily switch our focus. Jesus has just uttered the words that indicated the type of death that Peter would endure.
- What's his first response? Is it a plea to be spared? Is it a request for a lighter sentence?
- I love it: What about Him!? John has been following Jesus and Peter as they talked. If he's anything like any of the rest of us, he was eaves dropping! "I gotta know what they are talking about!"
- Oh, Peter! He's so much like me. What is at the heart of this question? What makes him ask such a question? It goes back to what got him here in the first place.
- Peter had often measured himself against the other disciples. You get a hint of this in several statements. "How many times should I forgive my brother? Up to seven times!?"
- You can almost see him saying that loudly, speaking more to the disciples, than actually posing a question of Jesus.
- Here is the stumbling block. Peter turned around, looked at another guy and took the time to ask about him. That's the picture here.
- Jesus says flatly, "What does that matter to you?" Is that your business? Is another man's service to Christ a matter of importance to your life?
- Let's go further: Is another church's doctrine or practice of any concern to you? If so, at what level do you concern yourself?
- If Jesus wills that he/she/they remain as they are until He returns, what does that matter to you! Notice these poignant words: You follow me!
- You! This reminds me of the words of Joshua in Joshua 24.
• Joshua 24:14,15 : "'Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord! And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.'"
- We need a healthy dose in this society of the "I don't care what so and so is doing/not doing! I'm going to be doing what I'm supposed to be doing!"
- We're supposed to walk forward, looking only at Jesus, praying that other men will do the same, but never making that our concern!
- Don't get me wrong. We are responsible for each other. We must offer a hand and help to restore brothers who are caught up in sin. That is not at issue.
- What is at issue is the comparison of my call with that of another man. In that respect, Jesus says to me, and to you, "What does that matter to you! You follow me."
- Our focus in this world is not another person. It's Jesus. We are to follow Him, to see where He is going, to discern where He is leading us personally to serve Him.
- What's his first response? Is it a plea to be spared? Is it a request for a lighter sentence?
- I love it: What about Him!? John has been following Jesus and Peter as they talked. If he's anything like any of the rest of us, he was eaves dropping! "I gotta know what they are talking about!"
- Oh, Peter! He's so much like me. What is at the heart of this question? What makes him ask such a question? It goes back to what got him here in the first place.
- Peter had often measured himself against the other disciples. You get a hint of this in several statements. "How many times should I forgive my brother? Up to seven times!?"
- You can almost see him saying that loudly, speaking more to the disciples, than actually posing a question of Jesus.
- Here is the stumbling block. Peter turned around, looked at another guy and took the time to ask about him. That's the picture here.
- Jesus says flatly, "What does that matter to you?" Is that your business? Is another man's service to Christ a matter of importance to your life?
- Let's go further: Is another church's doctrine or practice of any concern to you? If so, at what level do you concern yourself?
- If Jesus wills that he/she/they remain as they are until He returns, what does that matter to you! Notice these poignant words: You follow me!
- You! This reminds me of the words of Joshua in Joshua 24.
• Joshua 24:14,15 : "'Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord! And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.'"
- We need a healthy dose in this society of the "I don't care what so and so is doing/not doing! I'm going to be doing what I'm supposed to be doing!"
- We're supposed to walk forward, looking only at Jesus, praying that other men will do the same, but never making that our concern!
- Don't get me wrong. We are responsible for each other. We must offer a hand and help to restore brothers who are caught up in sin. That is not at issue.
- What is at issue is the comparison of my call with that of another man. In that respect, Jesus says to me, and to you, "What does that matter to you! You follow me."
- Our focus in this world is not another person. It's Jesus. We are to follow Him, to see where He is going, to discern where He is leading us personally to serve Him.
Conclusion
- The Lord reminds us that love is primary, death is the principle and focus is the priority.
- God calls you to look at this this morning. Can you say that you love Jesus more today than when you first came to Him?
- What do you need to die to today in order that Jesus is glorified?
- Who is your focus today? Let's make sure that we get these things right today.
- God calls you to look at this this morning. Can you say that you love Jesus more today than when you first came to Him?
- What do you need to die to today in order that Jesus is glorified?
- Who is your focus today? Let's make sure that we get these things right today.
No comments:
Post a Comment