I'm Responsible For Me
John 21:20-25
It has been said that we are the sum of the choices in our life. Certainly there are things that happen to us outside of our control , but we still choose how we will respond.
Jesus' last message in the gospel of John to Peter is one of personal responsibility. This has been a struggle for mankind since the beginning of time. When God came to Adam and Eve in the garden after they sinned Adam told God, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree and ate.” Eve said, “The serpent deceived me and I ate.” The very first humans struggled with personal responsibility for their actions
and here we are thousands of years later with people who say the credit card companies sent me the card and now I'm in debt and its the cruel banks fault. Nothing new under the Sun
Here in this passage Jesus has just told Peter to go and feed his sheep and he also told him the type of death he was going to die, and when Peter sees John sitting there he ask Jesus a question
“Lord what about this man?”
Peter has just been given this great task from the Lord and told by Jesus “follow me” and even told how he was going to die and Peter wants to know about John
Is John going to have to die for the gospel also? But look how Jesus answers the question in verse 22, “If it is my will that he remains until I come what is that to you? You follow me!”
It couldn't be any clearer what Jesus is saying, to put it simply he tells Peter to mind his own business because Gods will for John is between God and John and Gods will for Peter is between Peter and God
wouldn't the world be a better place if everyone put this very simple principle into action
Paul said,
Rom 14:12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
Rom 14:13 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.
Throughout scripture the message of personal responsibility is taught and yet here in this passage we see Peter worrying more about John than he is himself which is why Jesus re-directs him
When we spend our time more concerned about what everyone else is doing we neglect the things that we should be doing. When Jesus was teaching his disciples during the sermon on the mount he said
Mat 7:2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.
Mat 7:3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
There are three points of application that I would like to draw from this passage this morning that I believe will help all of us in our walk with Christ
I'm responsible for my actions
Everyone of us here today are responsible for our own actions . Two times in his short response Jesus uses the word “You:” to Peter. He says “What is that to you and you follow me!”
Its not the banks fault if we are in debt,
Its not our parents fault for our situation in life, its not the governments fault its not even the devils fault What was it that Paul wrote in the book of Romans that we read earilier
Rom 14:12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
We are not going to give an account for our parents, for our friends, for our children we are each going to individually stand before God and give an account of what we have done with this life that God has so graciously given to each of us.
When David sinned with Bathsheba and committed adultery before he could be forgiven and get on with his life he had to come to that point where he said “I have sinned”
2Sa 12:13 And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.
When the Prodigal son came back to the Father he said
Luk 15:21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.
Notice the word “I” in these two different occasions
Jam 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
Jam 1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
We are all responsible for our actions because God will not allow our eternal soul to rest in the hand of someone else. No one else has power over you. You have been given liberty and freedom in Christ to choose to do right or do wrong, the power to choose to be saved or be lost.
Judgment Day is not going to be a time of debate and argument before God. We are not going to be able to say I didn't know or no one told me or it was by parents fault, it will just be you and God and every since will have to start with “I” I have sinned
It's real difficult to see our own shortcomings and so much easier to see everyone else's too often we act just like Peter and we want to know and see what everyone else is up to rather than taking a good hard look into the mirror. And even when we do look into the mirror a lot of times we have excuses
“I tired” “It was my parents fault” “I didn't have a choice” “My friends made me” “I didn't know what I was doing”
The Bible says that God has made himself so clear in his creation that ever person stands without an excuse for not believing in him
Rom 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, [even] his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
If we put personal accountability for our actions into practice we would be so busy keeping ourselves in line that we wouldn't have time to worry about what everyone else was up to who knows we could probably put At&T out of business
I'm responsible for my God given talent
You know something else I notice in this passage Jesus has just had this great and powerful conversation with Peter where he told him to go and feed my sheep. Peter knows that Jesus loves him and that he loves Jesus and that God has given him the ability to feed the sheep, the ability to communicate the Gospel the message and
as they are walking along he says wait a minute Lord one more thing, what about John?
-Where does that come from, it has nothing at all to do with Peter and the calling that God has just given him
God had given Peter the command to take that talent and follow him in verse 19 and then reminds him again in verse 22 follow me.
We know that God had given Peter a powerful ability to preach the gospel because on the day of Pentecost he stands up before a large crowd and after he preaches 3,000 people get saved
Act 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and bRom 14:4 Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. e baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Act 2:41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added [unto them] about three thousand souls.
And God has called and equipped everyone of us who are here today with a talent, an ability that can be used to build up the body of Christ
Rom 12:4 For as in one body we have many members, [fn] and the members do not all have the same function,
Rom 12:5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.
Rom 12:6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith;
Rom 12:7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching;
Rom 12:8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, [fn] with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
Rom 12:9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.
Rom 12:10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.
1Cr 12:4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit;
1Cr 12:5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord;
God called Peter to be a great spokesman for the gospel and lead thousands to Christ, and even be put to death for his faith, that was his calling. John had been called take Mary into his house and take care of her and John was the only disciple not put to death for his faith
two different people and two different callings, and they had no need to worry about what the other person was going to do with their calling because we are each responsible with our own talents that God has given to us
and if we don't use them that's between us and God.. I don't have to worry if your not using yours because I'm not going to be held responsible for your talents
Luke 12:48 says where much is given much shall be required
In Matthew 25 Jesus taught the parable of the talents
don't be fretting about someone else having a talent and not using it for God, instead look at yourself and ask yourself what has God given to me that I can use to build up his kingdom and reach people for Christ
I'm responsible for my relationship with God
The reality of all of this is that Peter was not responsible for John's relationship with God and John was not responsible for Peter
which is why Jesus says what is that to you?
We are told in the book of 1 Corinthians when we come to the Lord's table to take communion that we are to examine ourselves
Paul says, “Let a person examine himself, then and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.”
no one else can stand in judgment of your soul because only God and you know the truth about where you stand
Rom 14:4 Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.
It should be a full time job for us to examine ourselves which leaves no time for us to examine and judge everyone else.
Your children, your grandchildren, your neighbors, your spouse, you can tell them about Christ but you can't force them to get right with God that is between them and God
I am responsible for me because I will stand accountable for my actions.
What will you do today
