INTRO. For the past few weeks we have been looking at mainly one of the disciples of Jesus Christ and have been encouraged, challenged and convicted by his obedience and disobedience to the Lord’s commands. We like Rock are many times motivated to do things strictly that will benefit us as individuals, our families or even our church family. Much of our motivation is indeed selfish and less than perfect.
ILLUSTRATION: “MAKE A FROG NOISE GRANDPA”
A sister and brother are talking to each other when the little boy gets up and walks over to his Grandpa and says, "Grandpa, please make a frog noise."
The Grandpa says, "No."
The little boy goes on, "Please...please make a frog noise."
The Grandpa says, "No, now go play."
The little boy then says to his sister, "Go tell Grandpa to make a frog noise."
So the little girl goes to her Grandpa and says, "Please make a frog noise."
The Grandpa says, "I just told your brother ’no’ and I’m telling you ’no’."
The little girl says, "Please...please Grandpa Make a frog noise."
The Grandpa says, "Why do you want me to make a frog noise?"
The little girl replied, "Because mommy said when you croak we can go to Disney World!"
This morning what motivates us in our day by day living? Hopefully this morning we are motivated and drawn to Rock in a good way because we find ourselves in today’s society in some of the same situations or predicaments as Rock found himself in. There is so much we can learn from Rock, what to do and what not to do as well.
This morning you may have a hard time being motivated to do God’s work and will because of things that have happen in your distant or more recent past. You are finding it next to impossible to put offenses, mistakes, sins, and hurts behind you. Realize that we are not the only ones that have a past that we would like to put behind us. We can look all through Scripture and see many of God’s chosen people that had a past that they had to get by. Just about all the difficulties of these individuals were brought on by their own self-centerness. We see especially Rock experience all kinds of trouble, many, like us were brought on by him sown self-centered attitudes. Even with all the hang-ups Rock had Jesus still had a deep and abiding love for him. It is obvious that Jesus was very close to him for he was the only person Jesus ever nicknamed. Through the Apostle Peter, Jesus reminds us that He does business with individuals, not groups, when you and I face Him on Judgment day we will not stand as a Fork Baptist church member or a member of a certain family; we will stand as one who did or did not do the will of our Lord.
With this in mind, what can we as individuals, saved by the grace of our Lord, learn form the motivation he gave Rock and the other disciples before He returned to His Heavenly Father.? Keep in mind that Jesus was about to ascend to His Heavenly Father , He made one last attempt to Motivate and show Rock and the disciples as well as you and me how to be so
I. WE SEE OUR SAVIOR ALWAYS CALLS FOR SERVICE.
A. Up to this point Jesus had never asked the multitudes, the disciples or even the sick that sought Him for healing to love Him, or to declare or prove their love for Him.
1. Though Jesus consistently taught people to love their enemies(Matt 5:44) their neighbor (Matt 19:19) and one another (John 13:34), He never asked , questioned or commanded their love until they had seen His death and understood the meaning of his resurrection.
2. Jesus was not interested in love without knowledge, experience, or understanding.
3. Jesus modeled God’s selfless, steadfast,overcoming, undying and redeeming love.
B. Notice that Jesus asks Rock not once but three times if he loved Him.
1. In John 21:15-18a we read “When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs." Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?" He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep." The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep.
2. Though the thrust of the comparison is debated by Bible commentators today, note that Jesus stripped Peter of all conveniences, crutches, and considerations.
3. Jesus’ questions to Rock were direct, deliberate and of course distressing to Rock.
4. The repetition was to jolt Rocks memory, to remind him of the cost, the dangers, and the difficulties of Following Jesus.
C. Notice that Jesus did not even command, force or require Rock’s love, though He asked him three questions, none of His responses was to Love Him.
1. Jesus begins by telling him to “tend to my lambs” which I feel means to work on the small, but important aspects of Jesus’ ministry.
2. Secondly, Jesus instructs Rock to “shepherd my sheep” which is a step up form tending lambs.
3. Thirdly, Jesus instructs Rock to “tend my sheep” which is a challenge to care, guide and protect the children and prospective children of God.
D. It is probable that Jesus proposed the question, “Do you love me” to Rock three times because Peter had denied Him three times.
1. Jesus wasn’t concerned with what Rock felt, thought, or the type of theology he possessed.
2. Jesus’ main concern as he prepared to leave him and the other disciples was what He and the other disciples DID.
E. We must understand that Love for Jesus is the mark of a disciple.
1. Our love for Jesus is not a method, but a motivation.
2. If we are motivated by love; our work for God is true, and not a tainted; effective not exhausting; and lasting, not limp.
F. Many time Jesus has to tell us as well to do something more than once.
1. That’s why much of the scripture is repetitive.
2. ILLUSTRATION: “How many of you have or had to tell your children more than once to do something?” husbands?
2. How many times will Jesus have to tell you and me to do feed his lambs, to shepherd his flock, to feed His sheep?
3. We must realize that oportunities will not always be there for us, we must take advantage of the blessings and opportunities that God has given us today and not wait.
G. If you profess to be a child of God and you know anything about the scriptures, you know our Lord calls us to actions.
1. All through the scripture, Jesus calls People to action.
2. We must not just talk about doing God’s will in our families, our schools and yes in God’ s church we must go out and do His will.
H. What is God calling you to do in not ten years from now but NOW?
II. WE SEE A SINNER REGAINING HIS SECURITY
A. To fully understand the importance of Peter’s encounter with Jesus, we must see it in light of Mark’s account of Rock’s denial.
1. Mark 14:66-71 tells of Rocks three times denial of even knowing Jesus.
2. Then in verse 17 of our passage Rock humbly says “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you."
B. It is vital that we note that Jesus didn’t ridicule Rock for his failure.
1. Jesus’ first encounter with Rock after His denial of him was a very simple question, “Do you love me?”
2. Here Jesus restored Rock’s confidence and security.
3. Because Jesus restored Rock, He became one of the greatest men of God.
C. Most Christians have a problem with insecurity especially in regards to our faith and the will of God.
1. We are insecure because we are trying to find security in the wrong place.
a. Jobs
b. Relationship with the right “cool” people.
c. Alcohol
d. Accomplishments.
2. As God people we must stop seeking security in the temporal and begin to seek permanent security.
D. This morning do you want to know where you can find true and lasting security?
1. The apostle Paul gives us the solution to our security problem.
2. Romans 8:35, 38-39 says “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
3. Some of you need to come this morning and find true security by placing you faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
E. We, like Rock need to realize that he only way we can regain security in our lives in the crazy world we live in is to find it in Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.
III. WE SEE A SUMMONS TO QUIT WORRYING ABOUT EVERYONE ELSE AND JUST FOLLOW JESUS.
A. The first thing Rock does, after being restored to a relationship with Christ and regaining his security, was to start point his finger.
1. Verse 21-22 says When Peter saw him, he asked, "Lord, what about him?" Jesus answered, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me."
2. Rock began bringing up another’s faults.
3. Jesus simply tells Rock “it is none of your business.”
4. Rock tries to take the easy way out by putting Jesus’ attention on another person’s weaknesses rather than on what the need to be doing.
5. Jesus simply tells Rock to not worry about people around him, but to Follow Him.
B. Many times instead of us doing what we know we are supposed to do, we like Rock start pointing our finger.
1. We plead with Christ about what others are doing or not doing.
2. We try to get the attention of the Lord away form us an on others who we feel are doing wrong to him or to especially us.
C. Our motivation that enables us to live up to the challenge given by Christ is our Focus on Christ.
1. 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.
2. Our focus, our motivation must be on Christ not on what others are doing or not doing.
D. Let me ask you a question. If you were to make a comparison of how much time you spend concerned about how others are acting compared to how you are acting, what would the comparison look like?
1. How much time do you spend evaluating the lives of others compared to the time you spend evaluating your own life?
2. So often we spend our time thinking or talking about how so-and-so needs to change.
ILLUSTRATION “CALL YOUR COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF”
There is an interesting story about a man in civilian clothes who during American Revolution rode past a group of soldiers repairing a small defensive barrier. Their leader was shouting instructions, but making no attempt to help them. Asked why by the rider, he retorted with great dignity, “Sir, I am a corporal!”
The stranger apologized, dismounted, and proceeded to help the exhausted soldiers. The job done, he turned to the corporal and said, “Mr. Corporal, next time you have a job like this and not enough men to do it, go to your commander-in-chief, and I will come and help you again.”
It was none other than George Washington.
E. Rather than complaining - It just might be in your Christ focused serving, that others will learn from your example.
CONCLUSION
There are challenges before you as a Christian, a father, mother, son or daughter. The question God confronts us with today is will you take up the challenge that is before you because in the challenge there will be many blessings and rewards just beyond those challenges and heartaches.
ILLUSTRATION: “THE COST OF DODGIN DUTY”
I have read of a king who placed a heavy stone in the road and hid to see who would remove it. Men of various classes came and worked their way around it, some loudly blaming the king for not keeping the highways clear, but all dodging the duty of getting it out of the way. At last a poor peasant, on his way to town with his burden of vegetables for sale, came and contemplating the stone, laid down his load, and rolled it into the gutter. Then turning around he spied a purse which had lain right under the stone. He opened it and found it full of god pieces with a note form the king, saying it was for the one how should remove the stone.
Under every cross our king has hidden a blessing. We can turn back from a cross, or go around it, but we are eternal losers if we do. We cannot dodge the cross without dodging God’s blessings, and we cannot refuse it without endangering our crown He is watching.
