How Young Converts Are To Be Treated By The Church Series

“How Young Converts are to be Treated by the Church”

“Feed my Lambs”

By

District Elder M.L. Maughmer, Jr.

SCRIPTURE: - John 21:15-17 “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. 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. 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”.

BACKGROUND - We must understand here that Jesus is talking to Peter, the disciple that denied him thrice. Jesus is questioning Peter about his love for Jesus. No doubt that this questioning of Peter was done in the presence of the other disciples so they would understand even after Peter publicly professed that he loved Jesus so much that he would die for him, yet denied him three times before the crucifixion, and Jesus wanted to remind Peter of what he had done as well as show the other disciples how forgiving God is and how they (as we) must be forgiving of others. Not only did Jesus ask Peter did he love him three times He also gave Peter three commands on how to express his love for Jesus. It is safe to say that Jesus was letting Peter know in no uncertain terms, that actions speak louder than words. Peter don’t just tell me that you love me, but show me by your actions and “Feed my Lambs” “Feed my Sheep” and “Feed my Sheep”. We understand that by the terms “Feed my Lambs” “Feed my Sheep” “Feed my Sheep” that Jesus was undoubtedly talking about members of the church, the body of Christ.

We understand that when He said “Feed my Lambs” that He was in fact talking about the young converts and babes in Christ, those that have recently been converted and are in fact on the milk of the Word of God.

When He said “Feed my Sheep” these are those that are more spiritually matured and spiritually seasoned. These have progressed from the sincere milk to the meat of the Word of God. These are more able to stand the wiles of the adversary yet must be fed.

Well today those words are still true if we love the Lord Jesus we must “Feed the Lambs” and the “Sheep”. This lesson will deal with the feeding of the “Lambs”, which are the young converts.

OPENING – We pray so many times Lord grow this church, send people in, give us increase in our membership. However, we don’t know how to properly treat them once they get here. So many times we have people come and do well for a little while and then all of the sudden they are not around anymore. Sadly we are so quick to say that “IF they had a mind to be saved then they would still be here”. However, if we knew how to treat them once they got here they would probably still be here. We must first understand that if they come to the church and are say 25 years old then for 25 years they have been taught the worldly system and their eyes have been blinded by the god of this world. 2nd Corinthians 4:4 says “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them”. Therefore, all they know and all they have is a carnal mind and the Bible says in Romans 8:5-7 “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded [is] death; but to be spiritually minded [is] life and peace. Because the carnal mind [is] enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be”. Therefore it is not necessarily that they don’t have a mind to be or stay saved, but they only know the carnal mind, which is not subject to the law of God and they only know how to operate in the flesh because that’s what they have been doing all this time, and as well they are spiritually blinded from seeing the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ and this way of Holiness.