Rock: Perfect Motivation

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.