The call to love
2-10-02 AM
John 21: 15 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.
16 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.
17 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.
Pray
How do we define love?
A feeling of affection? A sense of extreme like?
Webster’s Love- 1. Profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person, especially when based on sexual attraction. 2. a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection. 3. Affectionate concern for the well-being of others: Love of one’s neighbor. 4. The benevolent affection of God for His creatures, or the reverent affection due from them to God.
The best way we can define love is by our actions.
Our greatest challenge is to have, live, and show the love of Christ. To do that, we must be like Christ.
*from Max Lucado’s book “Just Like Jesus”
“What if, for one day, Jesus were to become you?
What if, for twenty-four hours, Jesus wakes up in your bed, walks in your shoes, lives in your house, assumes your schedule? Your boss becomes his boss, your mother becomes his mother, your pains become his pains? With one exception, nothing about your life changes. Your health doesn’t change. Your circumstances don’t change. Your schedule isn’t altered. Your problems aren’t solved. Only one change occurs.
What if, for one day and one night, Jesus lives your life with his heart? Your heart gets the day off, and your life is led by the heart of Christ. His priorities govern your actions. His passions drive your decisions. His love directs your behavior.
What would you be like? Would people notice a change? Your family – would they see something new? Your coworkers – would they sense a difference? What about the less fortunate? Would you treat them the same? And your friends? Would they detect more joy? How about your enemies? Would they receive more mercy from Christ’s heart than from yours?
And you? How would you feel? What alterations would this transplant have on your stress level? Your mood swings? Your temper? Would you sleep better? Would you see sunsets differently? Death differently? Taxes differently? Any chance you’d need fewer aspirin or sedatives? How about your reaction to traffic delays?…Would you still dread what you are dreading? Better yet, would you still do what you are doing?
Would you still do what you had planned to do for the next twenty-four hours? Pause and think about your schedule. Obligations. Engagements. Outings. Appointments. With Jesus taking over you heart, would anything change?
Keep working on this for a moment. Adjust the lens of your imagination until you have a clear picture of Jesus leading your life, then snap the shutter and frame the image. What you see is what God wants. He wants you to ‘think and act like Christ Jesus’ (Phil. 2:5)…God loves you just the way you are, but He refuses to leave you that way. He wants you to be just like Jesus.”*
Christ’s love
I. History of Peter
a. Claims of standing with Christ though others fall John 13:36 Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards. 37 Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake. 38 Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice.
b. Denial
i. 18:17 Then saith the damsel that kept the door unto Peter, Art not thou also one of this man’s disciples? He saith, I am not.
ii. 18:25 And Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. They said therefore unto him, Art not thou also one of his disciples? He denied it, and said, I am not.
iii. 18: 26 One of the servants of the high priest, being his kinsman whose ear Peter cut off, saith, Did not I see thee in the garden with him? 27 Peter then denied again: and immediately the cock crew.
c. Went back to fishing
II. The coming of Jesus
a. 21:3 Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing. 4 But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. 5 Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No. 6 And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. 7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher’s coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.
f. Dinner with the Lord
III. Peter is questioned
a. 15 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.
i. More than these
1. possibly more than others around
2. or than worldly treasures, job, friends, etc.
ii. 2 different words used here for love
1. lovest thou me- agapao – Agape Godly love-charity
2. I love thee – phileo – affectionate-friendship
iii. Jesus asks the right question, Peter doesn’t understand.
iv. Feed my lambs (direction)
b. 16 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.
i. Again, same 2 words in the same place.
ii. More than these omitted.
iii. Feed my sheep (direction)
c. 17 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.
i. Jesus now asks of Phileo love-affection, friendship
ii. Peter grieves,
1. 3rd time to ask, probably a reminder of the 3 times Peter denied.
2. upset that the Lord would ask 3 times.
iii. Peter responds, probably with some understanding now of the 2 different kinds of love, but still with phileo love.
iv. Feed my sheep
IV. Significance of the question.
a. Jesus probed Peter right to the deepest meaning of love when He asked using the term agape.
b. 3 stages of love for other people
i. love them enough to pray for them
1. sounds easy, but it isn’t
2. Jesus wept for Jerusalem (Luke 19:41) and then prayed for the city. (John 17 for world and disciples)
3. will we weep for the lost city?
ii. Love them enough to serve them
1. John 13: 12 So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? 13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
2. willing to work for to witness to
iii. Love them enough to die for them
1. The Lord by His question to Peter, called into question the denial. Not to condemn Peter, but so that Peter would understand the fullness of the love of Christ or Agape love.
2. John 15: 12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
c. To truly have the heart of Christ is to be like Him. To truly be like Him, we must love like Him.
V. Closing
a. The truth of John 15:12,13 Christ laid down his life for us because He loves us.
b. Agape love. Not just Phileo
c. Altar call
i. Lost
ii. For a deeper love.
15 love-charity-agape Peter used friendship Phileo
16 agape Peter friendship Phileo
17 friendship Peter Phileo
