This morning we are going to be talking about Leadership. As a matter of fact I am going to challenge you this morning toward leadership. But, my definition of church leadership that I am challenging you toward might be a little different from what you think leadership within the body of Christ is all about.
We will be looking at Christ’s challenge to Peter in John 21:15-22—Christ challenges Peter to leadership.
Let me read for you a quote from a book that a few of us are reading currently. Many of you know that we are meeting regularly discussing the formation of small groups within our church. One of the books we are reading is entitled “Leadership Explosion.” It’s written by a C&MA missionary named Joel Comiskey—a top authority on cell group development. Let me read to you what Joel writes in this book under the Heading of “Priesthood of Believers.” He says, “While the church has done a good job of training people to go directly to God, by and large, it has failed to train people to minister to others.”
Let me stop here and just say this is what I am talking about when I say leadership within the church, It is people ministering to others.
Continuing, “The pastor is still considered the priest, the only one fit to minister. This barrier, tied in with lack of mentoring, produces a church of spectators who watch the pastoral performance each Sunday. Long accustomed to sit and soak, the “sermon tasters” in many churches become experts in critiquing the pastor and grumbling when their needs aren’t met. How far we have fallen from New Testament Christianity of Peter’s day when he depicted the church as “…a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God” (1 Peter 2:6).
This morning as we look at Peter’s challenge to be a leader and as we consider our challenge to be leaders within the body of Christ keep in mind it’s this leadership concept of ministering one to the other that I’m speaking about. It is not our typical understanding of leadership that I’m challenging us toward, but a biblical understanding.
So when I say all of us are being challenged to be leaders I’m not saying that all of us are going to be teachers, or elders, or deacons, or deaconesses, or youth workers, or worship leaders, or pastors. I’m talking broader than that—I’m talking involvement. When you become involved within the body of Christ by ministering one to another then you are a leader! You are leading by example.
Next week is Ascension Sunday! We’ve been working our way from the celebration of Resurrection Sunday to the remembrance of the Lord’s Ascension.
Our main text this morning is John 21:15–22. We find here an occurrence of the Lord appearing to His disciples during theperiod of His resurrection and His Ascension.
Peter quickly becomes the main character of Christ’s attention in this passage. The disciples are out fishing in the boat, not having much luck. Christ appears and tells them to fish on the other side and they miraculously catch a boat load of fish. AT this point John recognizes Christ and tells Peter that it is Jesus. Peter, impatient, impetuous Peter can’t wait for the boat to go ashore, so he jumps overboard and swims to the Lord. Peter is eager to be with the Lord.
Follow me as I read verses 15-22 of John 21.
Read the text.
Pray
As I was reading this section in John I realized that this was an account of Peter getting started in ministry. Peter’s role was being redefined. He was no longer going to be that Peter who denied Christ prior to the resurrection, He was becoming the leader of the Church that we know post Ascension. I began to see as I read that Christ was in effect saying to Peter, “Are you ready for this new role? Get set! Go!”
Folks, I believe everyone of us who are committed to following Christ need to transition from spectator to participant. That is we need to go from always viewing and taking it in, to becoming active and giving some back. We are a priesthood of believers. There are times that we should receive (otherwise nobody else would be able minister), but there are also times we need to be the ministers ourselves.
As we work our way through this passage I’m going to use the “Ready, Set, Go!” perspective of understanding what Christ is saying here.
As we study this leadership challenge we will be motivated to be actively involved in ministry within the body of Christ.
Are you ready? That’s our first point this morning:
1. Ready?
I believe that when Christ asked Peter three times, “Do you love me?” He was in effect asking Peter are you ready?
I believe that Christ is challenging Peter to be a leader within the body of Christ by making Him think long and hard about the reason for the challenge to minister .
He does so by questioning his love for Christ. Do you love me, Peter? And more specifically the first time He asks, “Peter do you truly love me more than these?”
Now it’s important to understand what is being asked here. At first glance I thought Christ was asking Peter, “Peter do you love me more than you love the rest of the disciples here. Am I more important to you than these.” But you know, after further study and meditation there is another possible interpretation that I think fits the situation better than that.
I believe that Christ is asking Peter, “Peter is your love for me greater than the love that Thomas, Nathanael, the sons of Zebedee, and these other two disciples have for me? Do you love me more than they love me?” I think Christ was probably asking that of Peter because Christ knew the high regard that Peter had for Peter in his own mind. And I think Christ was directing Peter’s answers in order to get Peter to really think and learn something from their conversation.
“Do you love me Peter more than these?”
Oh, Yes Lord… I love you.
Now it’s interesting to see that Christ asks him again, Peter do you love me?
It’s almost as if Jesus was saying, “Peter, I’m not interested in your quick answer. I want you to think about this.” Now Christ didn’t say this, but I think that is the effect here.
“Peter, Do you love me?”
Oh, Yes Lord… I most assuredly do love you.
And again, a third time Jesus asks Peter, “Do you love me?”
“Don’t be so quick to answer me Peter. I’m looking for the truth here. There’s no taking it back.”
“Peter, Do you love me?”
I think this third time did something to Peter. I think it made him think of the three times he denied the Lord at Christ’s arrest. I think Peter finally understood where the source of our strength comes from in ministry. It comes from our love for the Lord.
Peter replied to the Lord the third time and it says he was hurt. “Oh, Lord, I’m broken and I’m sorry for my past. I most assuredly do love you… please believe me and don’t ask again. You know my heart Lord. You know what I’m saying is true.”
What enables us to take on the challenge of leadership? What is the pre-requisite for leadership within the body of Chirst?
And the answer is a Love for Christ.
This conversation between Christ and Peter reminds me of some conversations I would have as a child with my mother after having been caught doing something I shouldn’t have done.
Mom: J Jeffrey what do you have to say for yourself?
Me: I’m sorry mom, I promise I won’t do it again.
Mom: Are you truly sorry or are you just sorry you got caught?
Me: I’m sorry mom.
Mom: Are you sorry because you realize what you did was wrong and you will not do it again?
Me: Mom! I said I was sorry. What more do you want from me?!
What my mom wanted was a change in my behavior.
My mom wanted a changed life.
Jesus wanted Peter to experience the changed life. He wasn’t looking for an easy answer from Peter,
“Yes, Lord I love you.” He didn’t want a superficial response. Christ was challenging Peter to do something very important and was forcing Peter to realize that he couldn’t do the work of the Lord as the old Peter… the Peter who denied Christ three times. He would do the work as the new Peter who affirmed the Lordship of Christ three times.
“Peter if you are to feed my lambs… if you are to take care of my sheep… if you are to feed my sheep your life had better be changed because of the love you have for me.”
I’ll put the question we need to ask ourselves this morning: “Child of God do you truly love Jesus?”
Don’t answer me too quickly. Think about the question. Think about the sinful condition you were in prior to coming to Christ. Think about the struggles you’ve had since then. Let that feeling come over you… the feeling of being broken without Christ… the understanding of how fragile you are today if you were to ever do anything in your own strength…
Don’t worry I’m not going to leave you there feeling worthless… but without Christ that’s what we are… we are without worth. I want you to understand that and feel that this morning.
Now, you and I understand what Jesus has done for us while we were in this state and He did what He did even though He recognized our inability to be perfect. Let that understanding wash over you now… let it replace the worthless feeling we should have without Christ and understand the value that Christ has put upon you as He sacrificed Himself for you.
You are a changed life because of Jesus Christ. It’s not you that makes you worthy, but it is Jesus Christ. Do you understand that this morning? O.K. now let me ask you the question. Do you love Jesus? I trust that you do.
You hopefully love Him with a love that desires to respond to Him because of what He has done for you.
If so, “Feed His lambs… Take care of His sheep… Feed His sheep.”
Do you love me Peter? Do you understand what I’ve done for you in spite of what you’ve done to me?
Do you love me J? Do you understand what I’ve done for you in spite of what I’ve done to me?
Do you love Jesus Christ people? Do you understand what he’s done for you in spite of what you’ve done to Him?
The Bible says, “For all have sinned!” But He still gives the gift of eternal life.
What can I do for you Lord… feed His sheep!
Christ is laying out that challenge for you this morning. This challenge was not meant only for Peter. It was written down in God’s inspired word because He meant it for you as well. Feed His Sheep.
Peter knew that this challenge was not only meant for Him as he went on to instruct us in his own epistle, “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care.” (1st Peter 5:2).
Do you love the Lord this morning? Feed His Sheep.
As we study this leadership challenge that Christ gave we will be motivated to be actively involved in ministry within the body of Christ.
If you are ready, let me ask you are you set?
2. Set?
What do I mean, “Are you set?” What I mean is are you prepared?
Well, I’ve taken classes… I’ve been discipled… I’ve had countless hours in personal and group Bible study… yeah I think I’m prepared.
That’s not what I mean by “Are you prepared.”
Let me set something straight here, “If you love the Lord and are willing to follow Him and you want to feed His sheep”… you don’t need a degree, you don’t even need a sour face to be a leader. You just need to have a desire to love the Lord and follow Him.
But the preparedness that I’m talking about is the preparedness that Christ was questioning Peter about.
Peter do you realize what the outcome of your leadership will be?
Are you prepared for the final result?
What Christ tells Peter in verse 18 is, in effect, “Peter it is imperative that you understand something. Your love for me, which you will display in your service to me as you feed my sheep, will end up your earthly demise.”
“Peter, when you serve me you will be paid back for your service with death.”
“Peter you will lose your life because of your love for me.”
“You started out this life able to fend for yourself but you will leave this life unable to defend yourself.”
I have to laugh a little when I hear people say that if you are following Christ, if you are being totally obedient to Him you will be blessed in every way. Health and Wealth… prosperity. I laugh because that doesn’t line up with what the Lord tells me…
Peter, if you love me you will feed my sheep and you will be killed because of it.
Peter was hated because of Christ. He was persecuted because of Christ. He was crucified because of his love for Christ.
Where is the health and wealth prosperity gospel in all of that?
I find that in the church we have extreme teachings on many subjects. Wealth and health prosperity gospel is one such teaching.
But how come an an opposite Poor and Sore deprevation gospel isn’t prevalent in the church?
That is, if your really living your life for the Lord you’re gonna be poor and your going to be sore and if you are not, well then you are out of God’s will. I don’t think that’s prevalent in the church because that doesn’t tickle my ear like the wealth and health does.
We need to stay in the center of Biblical tension. That was a major fundamental teaching at Columbia International University that wove it’s way through most of the classes.
Keep in the center of biblical tension.
It’s not wealth and health prosperity gospel that is truth, neither is it poor and sore depravity gospel that rings true. It’s in the center of that where we recognize that yes, God is going to supply our every need so that we can fight the good fight in a world that is fighting just as hard against our message of truth.
So, child of God when you tell me that you Love the Lord this morning and you mean it… let me tell you that that belief does not make our fight any less brutal as we do battle against the enemy. The world will hate you and in the end you will die. But as you expend your life for Christ it’s not the end of your life that should be the focus but it is the Gaining of Christ!
What is the objective of our leadership challenge? Gaining Christ.
Peter if you love me feed my sheep. And as you do you will eventually be killed by a world that is against you. But it is O.K., Peter—follow me! Gain me.
Christ is challenging us all to be prepared leaders.
Respond to His love this morning by feeding His sheep even though you know that means taking a rougher road that the majority of the world is not taking, because ultimately that road ends at Jesus Christ.
Paul had a perspective that was prepared. He understood what lie ahead of him after this earthly existence was over. “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better far.” Philippians 1:21–24.
Are you prepared this morning for an active role that flows from a source of you love for Christ and understands that the challenge is not all sunshine and daisies, but ultimately ends in your gaining Christ?
Are you ready for active participation?
Are you set, are you prepared for ultimate prize?
Then Go!
3. Go!
I think there are a lot of people that are ready. And many that are prepared. But for some reason or another there aren’t as many that are actively involved in ministry today within the body of Christ. And I don’t think that is a new dilemma with the Church.
Let’s look at Peter.
Peter makes a mistake here. It says, “Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them.” Peter’s mistake here is that he “turned.”
Our motivation that enables us to live up to the challenge given by Christ is our Focus on Christ. You want to Love Christ by feeding His Sheep, expending your life so that you might gain Christ, then you better keep Focused on Christ.
Peter said, “Well what about John? Is he going to die as well?” Jesus replies in effect, “Don’t you worry about John… you worry about Peter. And the way you worry about Peter is keeping your eyes focused on me. You follow me”
Let me ask you a question. If you were to make a percentage representation of how much time you spend concerned about how others are acting compared to how you are acting, what would it look like? How much time do you spend evaluating the lives of others compared to the time you spend evaluating your own life?
So often we spend our time thinking or talking about how so-and-so needs to change. Or how a group of so-and-so’s need to somehow be impacted by the gospel so that they will behave in such and such a way.
Listen to this, this is an exaggeration, but I’ve put it together from true dialog and experience that I’ve encountered.
“Oh brother and sisters pray for my mother and father, and pray for my sister and brother, and pray for my sons and daughters, and pray for my nieces and nephews, and pray for my uncles and aunts, and pray for my friends and neighbors, and pray for my second cousin once removed and that reprobate of a thing she calls a boyfriend, and pray for my dog… and oh my fellow Christians pray for the president and the vice president, and his cabinet members, and their significant others… and pray…
Wait a minute. How can we pray for you? Oh, I’m alright. Nothing I need prayer for.”
These are the people we need to be praying for most of all. People that are focused on everyone but themselves, because that is indicative of someone that’s not focused on Christ.
Now I don’t mean to make light of anyone’s prayer requests. Because I’m happy to pray for all of them. But when we are so concerned with everyone else except for ourselves. Well, I’m saying something needs to change.
Focus on Christ brother and sister and when you do you will be driven to Him. His love for you will challenge you to respond. His perfection will challenge you to respond by striving for that transformation that will end in the total conforming likeness of Jesus Christ.
Let’s be a people who are concerned about following Christ. As we do, as we lift Jesus up… the other things will fall into place. People will be drawn to Christ because of our example. But if you are standing still and not progressing with the real Savior and you desire others to come to Him. My question is WHY? He doesn’t make a bit of difference in your life, why should any one want some of that?
You see, when you are focused on Christ. Looking to Him and His word and His teaching you will be motivated to lead within the body of Christ… a leadership that will take place through example.
“Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” James 5:14–16.
Why are so many people afraid of these verses? Why are we so afraid of confessing one to another? I think it has to do a lot with trust and focus.
I can’t trust so and so, how will they use my confession against me?
Focus on Christ and follow Him.
I’m not for a minute saying we should go out and confess all things to everyone.
But I’ll tell you I’m not overly concerned about what so and so will do if they find out my faults. Because my focus is on Christ and I’m following Him.
It’s true I don’t, nor would I advise you, to go out and tell everyone everything about yourself. You need to develop relationships within the body of Christ… people who you can trust and you should confess your sins one to another and pray from one another so that you may be healed… so that you may become like Jesus.
Conclusion:
Child of God are you ready to accept the leadership Challenge?
Are you Ready? Is your readiness manifested in your love for Jesus Christ. A love that comes from a life that has been dramatically changed by salvation. Do you love Him?
Child of God are you set to accept the leadership Challenge?
That is are you prepared for its outcome? It might not be presently, all-the-time easy. But to live is Christ and to die is to Gain an eternal audience with Christ.
Child of God are you going to say yes to the leadership Challenge this morning?
That is are you going to GO? Are you going to be an example of a ministering servant? Are you going to focus on Jesus Christ and allow His impact on your life drive you to His image. Will you be like Christ?
How do I accept this challenge pastor?
I’ll give you a real practical response. If the Lord is using this message to speak to you, you call on me and the elders of this church to come out and pray with and for you. I’m being genuinely serious about this. You begin by calling me and saying pastor I would like to be a model of ministry to the body of Christ. Would you and your elders come out and pray with and for me. But it’s got to be your initiative… not mine.
I’m looking for many good men and women, but I need you to act.
Let’s pray.
