“The Love Check”
Text: John 21:1-19
Intro:
Illustration: The story of Narcissus in Greek mythology.
You see the great mystery of life is not whether God loves man; the evidence is too overwhelming for a sensible person to deny it? But the great mystery is can man ever love God above all things that man deems important to him. You see as a man, “I am important! I matter! I have feelings you know! I have an opinion! I have likes and dislikes! I have desires! I have wants and needs!” And really to a great degree, many of these things are of value to God, but what is truly of more value to God is not whether I’m making sure everyone else understands about the great me, but am I at all considerate of the GREAT HIM. Have we as creations of God started to figure out that so much of life is about this love check? It doesn’t matter where you start in your Bible; you find this love check in almost every life. Eve’s love was tested in the garden. Would she love God enough to believe that He was not selfishly keeping “one” tree from her but had given her so much and was really protecting her. Adam was placed in a difficult situation, would he choose to love God above his wife? Their children were later faced with the same test, the same dilemma. Cain, would you love God’s way above your own way? The Bible says, “There is a way that seemeth right unto man but the end thereof are the ways of death.” Job could you continue to love God, even at the loss of everything you hold dear and everything that you had your “blessed” tags and stickers on? Abraham could you love God enough to leave home, the familiarity and comfort of the Ur of the Chaldees, and follow God to a “promised land” that had yet to be seen. Abraham could you love God above the life of your only son, the promised seed? Hey we could spend all morning here? Samson can you love God more than the appetites of your flesh. Children of Israel can you love God more than your king? Nehemiah can you love God more than your job as the king’s cup bearer?
Today’s its Peter’s turn? The gospels account for so many unique experiences in the life of Peter. He had been rebuked by the Lord, challenged by the Lord, had stepped out in faith with the Lord, and fought for the Lord. Yet, even as the loudest and proudest of Jesus’ disciples, he also denied and forsook the Lord. It is now in John 21, that we see another great truth about the Lord, and that is He is always seeking after His creation. He longs to be with us, to have a good and healthy relationship with us. And his timing is absolutely amazing. Peter has returned to a life that is just easier in his mind to manage. The fisherman’s life was what Peter had always done; he was talented enough to make a living and to do fairly well. Besides, this walking with Christ, and living for God stuff, was too perplexing, too confusing, and too unpredictable. Too many paradoxes: the way up is down, the way to get is to give, and the way to live is to die. In Peter’s life, “when I’m loud for God, he tells me to hush, when I fight for God, he tells me to put away my sword, and the one time I act out of character and deny him, He fastens his eyes upon me…” No sir, it’s too much. Turn the other cheek, serve one another, love one another, forgive one another, suffer with Christ…It’s too much to ask! Someone said, “In the life of everything that is created by God, there is a challenge to give back or to give up something for God. It’s personal, it’s private, and it’s powerful.” I want to look a few moments at the Lord’s dialogue with Peter, and see why Peter was challenged with this final love check by the Lord.
-Notice vs. 15, “So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter…”
-Now see I had a hard time with this one, because this thought goes against my human logic. See I would like to believe that everyone has a future, and that everyone will live a long life, but folks that’s a delusion. There is not one guarantee you have that you will make it to your next birthday. So as I began to think about this, it makes practical sense to me.
1. Peter Had a Future-Jesus told Him so, Luke 22:31, 32, “And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: 32But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.”
-With this passage, we need a whole Sunday School hour because I can see how some of you are looking, and if you’re like me, you’re like wait a minute, “when thou art converted…” was Peter not saved? I’ll just say briefly the Greek word used here is epistrepho which means to “return back” to love and obedience to God. So it was not Peter’s salvation the Lord was predicting, it was his return from backsliding. See the Lord knew Peter had a Future not just in the sweet by and by, but Peter had a future with God here on earth, and he would respond to a challenge from God. Peter could and would get right with the Lord, when the opportunity came to do so. Now hang on, think with me, was Peter the only disciple sitting at the table? Do you think Peter was the only disciple who was spiritually troubled? So Lord, why did you call me out? Why am I under conviction? Why can’t I sleep at night? Why is my heart so heavy? Why am I so burdened? God why me? Well let’s think about it? Why would God in His infinite wisdom, seek after someone who does not desire to know Him, Who will not be drawn to Him no matter what he does, nor will they serve Him no matter what the offer? God seeks those who have a future… You say yes sir, “I have big dreams, I’m smart, I’m personable, and I’m head of my class.” That’s not what I’m talking about. You say, “Man, I’m reaching retirement age or man I’m too old, let some of you young bucks, get with it?” You understand that living for God, and being right with the Lord doesn’t have an age limit or a time limit? Peter could see short term, but God sees long term. Why Peter out of all the fisherman along the coast of Galilee? Why Abraham out of all the people in the Ur of the Chaldees. Why Gideon out of all the Midianites? Why Samson? Why David out of all his brothers? Why you? Why has God selected to give you the great truths of his Word, and not someone else? Could it possibly be that God sees that you have a future? And someone said, “My future is as bright as the promises of God.”
*Notice vs. 15 again, “So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas lovest thou me…”
2. Peter’s Life Actions Had Produced Some Doubts-Turn with me to John 18:12-17; 25-27
*This question was not asked to “call Peter out” in front of his peers. The question was asked because there was reasonable evidence that there were some doubts? Why else do you ask a question? It’s because you are unsure or doubtful about something or someone. This is where it gets personal for me. See when the Lord found me, I was reared in nightclubs, and pool halls, my family owned them. See when the Lord found me, Drugs, pimps, prostitutes, con artist, cutthroats, drunks, hypocrites, voodoo priestesses, and lowlifes were the norm in my neck of the woods. The only hope of escaping the nightclubs, back alleys, a life of crime, and thuggery for me was to pursue education. But then my grandma got saved, and started force feeding us about God. But for me, I was pretty sure that it was highly unlikely that I would be used as a mouthpiece for God. I had flunked an oral book report because I just couldn’t stand in front of people. Besides, I had plans anyway! But see God knew something that I didn’t know, out of all my cousins, uncles, and friends growing up in that town, I had a Future for God! I remember when God first gave me this periodical love check. I had been attending a good Bible preaching church for about a year, and decided to go off to college. Didn’t pray about it, didn’t seek God, or ask the advice of any godly counselors. I was in pursuit of education. God wasn’t moving fast enough for me. This God thing was nice, and made for a great supplement to what I was already doing which was ME 90% of the time. Even though Christ had saved me and found me, this surrendered life stuff was too unpredictable for me. I spent a school term in secular college, dead spiritually, did not attend church at all, wasn’t a good testimony, and as backslidden as the devil. I came back home that summer, spiritual beat up and in bad shape. I was riding with a friend, and he asked me about going to a camp? I was 19 intrigued by this, I had never been to camping or to a camp, but he assured me, it was like no camp, I had ever been too, and boy was he right. The camp had a banner hanging when I first walked in; it said “I’d rather Have Jesus Than Anything…” See I had been mistaken, we weren’t gonna be hunting squirrels, and fishing for bass, we were on the lookout for the souls of men. We were hunting sinners. This was a week long training on how to go out to neighborhoods and set up youth Bible clubs.
I learned how to use the wordless book to win a soul to Christ, and it was there that I won my first soul to Christ. It was Great, it was like the Lord had been resurrected in my heart and life. I was so happy to see him again, just like Peter, and then as we sat each night for the challenges and services. I saw young 19 year olds get up and sing for the Lord, and give testimony that they had surrendered their life to be missionaries, preachers, and full-time Christian servants. I listened as they wept and talked about reaching a people with the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit of God just snuggled up beside me, and whispered, Damion are you right with the Lord? Damion, are you right with the Lord? That’s all He said! Why would he ask me? I was good kid; I had avoided most of the pitfalls of my family. I was bothering anybody, so why was the Holy Spirit bothering me? It was because my actions had produced some reasonable doubts about my love for God…Are you right with the Lord? Look at your bank account, how you spend your time, what you talk about most, what you meditate on, what all your energy is put into? Are you right with the Lord?
Notice vs. 15 one more time, “So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas lovest thou me more than these?
3. What You Love…Will Be Questioned By the Lord
* As I was preparing this message, I’m thinking of a conversation I had with my daughter. Because of the storms a few nights ago, we made little pallets in our room for her and her brother, so just like she does in her room, she kicks her shoes off for the night, which for her happen to be a pair of silver tipped pink cowgirl boots. Anyway, she comes in and I’m working on this point, so I say “Rand, do you love the Lord?” Classic Miranda, she breathes heavy like you are bothering her by talking, and then says yessssss. I say how do you know, she says literally, “ummmm Dad, I’m trying to concentrate and put on my boots cause I’m gonna be a superhero right now, ummm so I can’t talk.” I thought wow, there is a lesson here. The Lord says, Peter, lovest thou me more than these? And Peter could have answered like Miranda answered me and like we answer God sometimes with our lives, and actions. Some have speculated that the “these” in this passage is speaking of the other disciples simply because Peter was expected to lead them. I won’t argue the point but I think the context of the passage suggest that the “these” were simply those items found in verse 11. Yes Peter, do you love me more than these fish! This is what you went back too! This is where you would die if you could! But Peter do you love ME-the Lord, more than these! It’s a valid question from one, who gave ALL to love you? What do you love? God is asking each of us this morning? What do you love, more than you love me? See so much of Christianity today is smokescreens, favoritism, and politics. We are so superficial and wrapped up in spiritual jargon that we don’t want the Spirit of God to get down deep into our souls, and challenge our very being. I mean people can talk religious and say some amazing things, but the Bible shows us that these can be simply great swelling words. The Lord knows our hearts, and if he is taking the time to pursue after you, it is because YOU have a Future…If God appears to be questioning your love, and you don’t feel as close to Him as you should be, it could be that you are giving him reason to doubt your sincerity and commitment…and If God were to ask, lovest thou me more than these, do you already know what “the these” are in your life?
Conclusion: Elizabeth Eliot was challenged with that question in the death of her husband Jim Eliot. It was Jim who said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” Give story of them reaching the Auca Indians.
ARE YOU RIGHT WITH THE LORD?
(Personal note: this message was created from a graduation challenge I heard from a local pastor in Arkansas. Just wanted to give him rightful credit for some of the thoughts)
