Follow Me

Before I look to the Scriptures with you, I want to take just a moment and encourage you

! to be in prayer for me this next Sunday, and then the Sunday after that as I will be in Jamaica

! with Caleb and Charity, and while I will not be preaching here, Pastor Shear will be doing

that, I will be preaching there. And so remember to pray for me. It's kind of a pray for two pastors

at the same time. I think you can handle that. And ask that God gives me a productive and fruitful

ministry there. Part of the objective is to go down and visit with Caleb and Charity, get to know the

ministry a little better, and also to be involved in kind of preparing him for the ordination council

that we look forward to next summer. And also an opportunity to visit the churches and ministry

and be involved in ministry there. So I want you to turn in your Bible, if you would, this morning

to John chapter 21. John chapter 21. Let's take a minute and come to the Lord in prayer

John 21 · chapter mention John 21 · chapter mention

before we look to the scriptures. This morning, Father, our hearts are knit together because of

the Lord Jesus Christ, because of the redemption that we have in him, the forgiveness of sins,

and we are knit together in prayer asking that this morning your spirit would work both in the

preaching of your word and in the reception of your word. We're thankful that you have given to us

the scriptures, clear, accurate, convicting. And this morning we ask that this word that you have given

to us would leave an indelible impression upon our lives and hearts and that our behavior and lives

that we live would show the mark of the ministry of the Spirit of God and the ministry of your word.

And we ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. Let me have you look with me just for a moment, beginning there

in John chapter 21, verse 15, and I'll read that portion to you. It says,

John 21:15

When they'd finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of John, do you love me more than

these? He said to him, Yes, Lord, you know that I love you. He said to him, Feed my lambs. He said to him

a second time, Simon, son of John, do you love me? He said to him, Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.

He said to him, He said to him, He said to him,

He said to him a third time, Simon, son of John, do you love me? Peter was grieved because he said to

him a third time, Do you love me? And he said to him, Lord, you know everything. You know that I love

you. Jesus said to him, Feed my sheep. I wonder this morning whether or not you are struck by the

way in which John ends his gospel. It's really different from the way that Matthew, Mark, Luke,

end theirs. It is different from the way in which Acts concludes. It is different from the way in

which the pastoral epistles conclude. And conclusions are important because they tell us important things

against the backdrop of the teaching that we have found in the Word of God.

I want you to stop with me just for a moment and think over the broad scope of the book of John.

Beginning in John chapter 1, we are reminded,

John 1 · chapter mention

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory.

John opens up with the declaration of the supremacy and the significance of Christ,

and draws our hearts to recognize that the one this book is going to focus on is the Lord of glory,

the creator of the universe, and the one who has come to be the Lamb of God.

And we work our way through the book.

John actually taking very little time to explain to us some of the particulars and

the historical events that made up the years of Christ's public ministry,

actually picking up on only seven.

The flow is focused predominantly upon who the Lord Jesus Christ is as the Son of God.

And if you were listening in pastor's prayer,

you heard him reference the fact that these things are written,

that you might know that Jesus is the Christ,

and that knowing these things you might believe and have life.

So you have to ask yourself the question as we look here,

why does God allow or instruct John to write his gospel in such a fashion

and end up with someone as flawed and as frail as Peter in the last chapter?

I hope that sticks, because it has bearing and is significant.

I speak to the majority of you here this morning,

who I am fully persuaded know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior.

And what we find in John chapter 21 has bearing upon the way in which you,

John 21 · chapter mention

who know Christ, are to live.

And so as we take up this portion, let me remind you just for a moment again

and keep your finger there in John chapter 21,

John 21 · chapter mention

but go back just for a second and touch on John chapter 20, verse 31,

John 20:31

and mark what it says,

these things are written so that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ,

the Son of God, and by believing, you may have life in his name.

Question, what does that life involve?

What does that life in Christ involve?

And what we're going to find in the passage, I believe,

is a very clear indication of what life in Christ really comes down to.

Last week, Pastor, as he was preaching in John chapter 21,

John 21 · chapter mention

the first portion of John chapter 21,

John 21 · chapter mention

he kind of reminded us of the reality of the fact that

when we are living in Christ,

we are living a life of productivity

by daily dependence on his instruction and his counsel.

Hey, throw your net on the right side of the boat.

We can spend a lot of energy

in a frustrating and ineffective way of living

when we're relying upon our own wisdom

rather than relying upon the leading and the instruction of Christ.

So last week, hey, when you live your life in Christ,

you live it productively

when you are allowing the Word of God

and the Word of Christ to minister, instruct,

and govern the way in which you live.

This morning, we are going to see that living the life in Christ

will lead us to service,

to sacrifice,

and to submission.

You look there in John chapter 21, verse 15,

John 21:15

and mark the repetition of the things that we find here.

We want to draw attention

without getting into all the nuanced details

because the overarching issue is the matter of what we do

when we are living in Christ.

But let's take just a second and understand

that here the night had passed of work.

They had finished breakfast,

and after it was all over,

you can kind of imagine that here is Jesus

speaking in a very poignant and personal way to Peter,

and he asks him a question.

He says,

Do you love me more than these?

Bible scholars go back and forth

about what these refers to,

and I think that it refers predominantly

to the issues of things that are around there,

the boat and the life

and other things that Peter had for a moment

really enjoyed.

What Jesus is reminding Peter of

is the reality of this

is that our faith brings us

into a very personal

and relational bond

with the Savior

that is the Lord of our lives.

And when Jesus asked him this question,

I cannot help but imagine

that when Peter heard this question,

it kind of stung a little bit.

Why?

What had Peter done not too long ago?

He denied the Lord how many times?

Three times.

And so here is Jesus

asking Peter,

Do you love me?

I do think it's appropriate for us

to recognize that faith in Christ

brings us,

not just brings Peter

or brought Peter,

but brings us

into a very personal

and loving relationship

with the Lord Jesus.

And so it's a fair question

for you to ask yourselves this morning,

and let me tell you this,

whether you do or not,

whether it resonates

in your heart or not,

if you know Christ,

the operating principle

of your life

is going to be this,

do I love him?

And does my life indicate

the authenticity

of my love for him?

He has a right

to be loved by you

because he is the lover

of your soul.

and you

are obligated

to love him.

So here is Jesus

saying to Peter,

Do you love me?

Now when Peter

heard this question,

as a good Jewish man,

he knew

what the Scriptures

commanded.

Isn't that right?

Thou shalt love

the Lord thy God

with all thy heart,

with all thy might,

with all thy soul,

with all your strength.

Appreciate the song

we sang this morning

or listened to

in relationship to that.

We are to love the Lord,

and here is Jesus

asking Peter

three times.

How do you think

that affected Peter

to have him ask

three times?

We know in the passage

what it says there.

If you look down

just for a moment

in verse 16,

he says,

Yes, Lord,

you know that I love you.

And then in 17,

it says Peter

was grieved.

I don't think

that Jesus

pulled Peter

over to the side

and whispered

in his ear,

Hey,

do you love me?

I would imagine

that what happened

was right there

in the context

because we know

John heard it.

Right in the context

of the breakfast

and all that was going on,

Jesus speaks to Peter

and says,

Hey,

do you love me?

Do you love me?

Do you love me?

And so here,

as Peter responds

in each instance,

we find that

there is a ratcheted up

attention to this issue

in Peter's conscience.

And so you ask yourself

the question,

Why did Jesus ask Peter

three times,

Do you love me?

Why?

We do know

in the Scripture

that using something

threefold times

is a way of emphasizing

of amplifying,

of drawing attention

to it.

And if you remember

back from when

you were in school

or now that you are

in school,

either way,

when the teacher

repeats something

three times in a row,

what's the significance

of that?

This will be on the test.

Jesus says to him,

Do you love me?

Do you love me?

Do you love me?

Do you love me?

Do you love me?

Do you love me?

Do you love me?

And as you read here

in the Gospel,

you recognize

that what Jesus

is making very,

very clear

is that there is

a significance

and a sobriety

to this issue

of loving Christ

that should not be missed

by any of us today.

Mark what Jesus

has to say

as Peter responds

and says,

Yes, I love you.

He says there,

first of all,

he says in 15,

Feed my lambs.

He asks them again,

Tend my sheep.

Verse 17,

Feed my sheep.

And so I want you

to kind of recognize

that in this relationship

that you have

with the Lord Jesus Christ

who is the lover

of your soul,

your response to him

in loving him

and the life

that you live

in relationship

to that love

is one that will

draw you

into serving

other people.

How contrary

to the world

we live in.

Remember when

the disciples

were having

their little tiffs

on more than one occasion

about who was going

to be the most significant

and Jesus' response

and his instruction

was this,

is that those

who are most significant

in the body of Christ

are those that are

actually engaged

in serving.

And here,

at the very end

of this book,

as John lays out

for us

what life in Christ is,

he drives this point home.

If you love me,

you will serve

my sheep.

I want you to recognize

that Jesus put it

first of all

as loving me

will bring you

to feed my lambs.

And he was calling Peter

as well as everyone

who is here

and says,

you know what,

I love Jesus

to care for those

who are struggling

and a little uncertain

and a little unstable

and not always

as mature

as we would like

them to be.

And here is Jesus

saying,

I want you to feed

my lambs.

One of the things

that I remember

from my grandfather,

he was a sheep farmer

of sorts,

and one of the things

I learned very quickly

is that sheep

are a very labor-intensive

responsibility.

They're close

to brain dead.

If there's anything

that you wish

that sheep did not do,

they will do it

and they will complicate

your life

in any way conceivable.

If sheep are bad,

lambs are worse.

And here is Jesus

saying that you,

Peter,

because you love me,

are to care for those

that are going

to be a challenge

to you.

I love what we read

about the Lord Jesus

in Isaiah chapter 40,

Isaiah 40:11

verse 11.

It says this about

our great shepherd.

It says,

he will lead his flock

like a shepherd.

He will gather the lambs

in his arms.

He will carry them

in his bosom

and gently lead those

that are with young.

And I got to tell you,

if you're here this morning

and you are called

by him in his grace

and given salvation,

you who have

that responsibility

of loving him

in response

to what he's done

for you,

you are to be engaged

in meeting the needs

of others.

That's what you're about.

That's what you're about.

I think about the passage

over in Philippians chapter 2,

Philippians 2:20

verse 20 and 21,

and you don't need

to look at it this morning,

but here is Paul

talking about Timothy,

and he says this,

I have no man

who is like-minded

who will naturally

care for your estate,

for all seek their own.

Everybody's interested

in what they're getting

out of it.

Not Timothy.

Timothy.

He naturally cares

for the things

that belong to Jesus Christ.

There's something else

that needs to be said here.

Loving him

and life with him

is a life that engages you

with the body of Christ.

I think one of the things

that is a gross deficiency

today in professing believers

is that as a general rule,

there are a lot of people

that don't mind

showing up occasionally,

but when it comes

to really investing deeply

in the bride of Christ,

in the body of Christ,

in those who belong to him,

there's a level of hesitancy.

And Jesus uses a phraseology

that in Scripture

is undeniably connected

to the relationship

that he has

with those that are his own,

namely the church

of the living God.

Who are his sheep?

I'm reminded just for a moment

of what it says

over in Galatians.

It says that we are

to do good to all.

How many remember that passage?

You are to do good to all,

but what's the remainder of it?

Especially those

who are of the household of faith.

And here's Jesus

speaking to Peter.

He says,

Peter,

I want you to invest your life

in taking care of those

who belong to me.

Does that mean

that we are to have

nothing to do

with those outside

the body of Christ?

Yes,

categorically not.

But if I'm going

to be responsible

for feeding and caring

and encouraging

and nurturing

and serving,

the first place

it should be seen

is in the family of God.

I want to make

that point clear.

And I don't make that point

on the basis

of my preference,

but I make it

on the basis

of the Scriptures.

Let me have you think

with me of a couple

different passages

in relationship to this.

Turn over in your Bible

to Acts chapter 20,

Acts 20:28

verse 28.

Here is Paul

wrapping up his ministry

to the elders

of Ephesus

and in his last statements

to them,

he says this,

pay careful attention

to yourselves

and to all the flock

in which the Holy Spirit

has made you overseers

to care for the church

of God

which he obtained

with his own blood.

1 Peter chapter 5,

1 Peter 5:2

verse 2 and 3.

Peter, as he writes

to the elders,

he says,

shepherd the flock

of God

that is among you

exercising oversight

not under compulsion

but willingly

as God would have you

not for shameful game

but eagerly

not domineering

over those

in your charge

but being examples

to the flock.

I got to tell you something.

Listen carefully.

The Scriptures

make it undeniably clear

that loving Christ

will put you

into ongoing

and lasting relationship

with the bride of Christ.

That's Bible truth.

No substitute.

Interestingly,

this week

as I was thinking

about the application

of this passage,

one of the logical questions

that came to mind

is, okay,

so Jesus makes it clear

that if I love him,

I'm going to be engaged

in serving the body

of Christ

and I ask myself,

do we here

see illustrations

of this?

I began to make a list

and it got long enough

that I had to stop

and scratch it out

and say,

you know what,

there's probably,

I'm going to miss somebody.

But I want to tell you,

it's encouraging to me

when I think about

how servanthood

in this fellowship

is modeled to the point

that it encourages me

to see the way

in which the bride

of Christ

is served.

I was walking around

this morning

peeking in

on Sunday school classes.

How many of you

know that I get emotional?

Did you know that?

And I was tearing up

looking in the windows.

What a blessing.

But the truth of the matter

is there are some of you

sitting out here

that I know you know Christ

and you've chosen

to live on the edges

without much investment

in the people

that Jesus loves

and has called you

to bless and serve.

And if you love him,

you'll serve him.

There's a second thing

that you find there

in the passage.

Mark it clearly.

Verse 18 says,

Truly, truly,

I say to you,

when you were young,

you used to dress yourself

and walk wherever you wanted.

But when you are old,

you will stretch out your hands

and another will dress you

and carry you

where you do not want to go.

Life in Christ

is going to lead you

to suffering and to sacrifice.

Life in Christ

is going to give you

opportunities to suffer

and to sacrifice.

In Peter's case,

it meant that he died

a martyr's death

and at least according

to church history

or rumor,

when it came time

for him to be martyred

and to be executed,

he chose to be crucified

upside down

because he would prefer

not to be hung

in the manner

in which his Savior was.

But Jesus made it clear

that, Peter,

you're going to suffer

for your faith.

And if you were to read

1 Peter and 2 Peter,

you can see in both

of those books

that he wrote

that he understood

what was coming

and it wasn't least

bit off-putting for him.

And I want to make

it clear to you

that loving Christ

and living the life

that he calls

a believer to

will be one

that involves

your suffering

and your sacrifice.

One of the things

I appreciate

about the Word of God

is that it is so up front

about the cost of faith.

Isn't that right?

It tells you,

if you're going

to follow me,

there's going to be

some hardship

and some heartache

and there are going

to be some disappointments,

there's going to be

difficulty,

and you might as well

face it going into it.

When Jesus wrote

what he did,

it's clear that Peter

understood that.

And he accepted it.

Do I love you?

Yes.

Serve.

Do you love me?

Yes.

Then be prepared

to endure the hardship

and heartaches

that come with serving me

and being a representative

in the world

that he's placed us in.

You know,

we live in America,

in a country

that for the present time

is enjoying

a relative amount

of freedom

in our faith.

Isn't that right?

I don't think

it's going to last.

But you know what?

When hardship

and difficulty

come,

we have to realize

that it comes

because of his purposes

and his grace

and it will give us

opportunity

to represent him

faithfully

in the world

in which he's placed us.

So how should we respond

when hardship

and difficulties come?

Let me have you reference

two different passages

in relationship to that.

Turn over in your Bible

to Romans chapter 5

Romans 5 · chapter mention

and let me just read

for you

verse 3 through 5.

Then,

more than that,

we rejoice

in our sufferings

knowing that suffering

produces endurance.

What do you think

about that?

Let me read it again.

More than that,

we rejoice

in our sufferings

knowing that suffering

produces endurance.

endurance.

And endurance

produces character

and character

produces hope.

And hope does not

put us to shame

because God's love

has been poured

into our hearts

through the Holy Spirit

who has been given

to us.

Let me have you look

at another passage

over in James chapter 1.

James 1 · chapter mention

James chapter 1.

James 1 · chapter mention

Verse 2,

Count it all joy,

my brothers,

when you meet

various trials,

for you know

that the testing

of your faith

produces steadfastness

and let steadfastness

have its full effect

that you may be perfect

and complete,

lacking in nothing.

You're not going

to grow

apart from challenge.

You're not going

to mature

in the absence

of difficulty.

And when we think

about the reality

of what our relationship

with Christ

calls us to,

it is an undeniable

fact that we are

going to continue

on an upward journey

that is going to be

marked by hardship

and difficulty.

And in the midst

of all of that,

we need to remember

the promise

that Jesus made to us.

I will never,

what?

I'll never leave you

or forsake you.

Lo, I am with you

always.

But if we are going

to live life in Christ,

we are going

to face hardship.

I got to tell you,

we sometimes get

so wrapped up

with things

that we're anxious about

because they reflect

our lack of confidence

that He is in control

of the moment

and He knows

what He's doing

and it's good for us.

So I want you

to understand

that faith,

the life that you live

in Christ,

is going to be marked

by hardship.

Be real about it.

Understand it's not

an accident,

but it's something

that He is allowing

and it's there

for a purpose.

It is there

to encourage

and strengthen us

and help us

grow in grace.

We'll come to

one more part

there in verse 20

through 23

and here is

Jesus speaking again

and as He's clarified,

you find Peter

a little concerned.

Peter turned

and saw the disciple

whom Jesus loved

following them,

the one who'd been

reclining at the table

close to Him

and had said,

Lord, who is it

that is going

to betray You?

When Peter saw Him,

he said to Jesus,

Lord, what about

this man?

Faith leads

to humility.

It leads

to submission.

If you ever

find yourself

a little frustrated

with your journey

of faith,

remind yourself

that Peter

was out in front

of you.

Here is the

close of the book.

Here is Jesus

with His last words

to Peter

and He's at the,

Do you love me?

Do you love me?

Do you love me?

Will you serve me?

Will you serve me?

Will you follow?

Will you die for me?

And when it's all

the smoke and dust

is cleared,

Peter says,

Yeah, but what about him?

I was like,

What?

How many of you

ever had kids

that did that to you?

You know,

it's like,

Peter.

What a gift.

There he is.

Yeah?

What about him?

What about him?

We get caught up

in that,

don't we?

Thinking that,

you know,

Lord,

is it really fair?

I mean,

honestly,

is it really fair

that I haven't done

better musically?

I mean,

you know,

I watch these

instrumentalists up here

and it's like,

Oh,

well,

Jesus really loved me.

He'd give me

a better voice.

I had a friend

who was obsessed

by the fact

that he couldn't sing well.

Just,

I mean,

if you ever ask him

about his disappointments

in life,

he would tell you

he couldn't sing well.

It was just,

it was,

it worked him up.

And here is Peter.

Jesus is giving him

this great commission.

Love me.

Serve.

Suffer.

Yeah.

You know that,

John,

you really do like him.

I think you like him

more than me.

Yeah,

you play favorites.

there's a passage that my children

heard so often.

I can give it to you

in the King James

because that's the way

I learned it

and then had them memorize it.

It was,

what is that to thee?

Follow thou me.

My kids,

there's two of them here

this morning

and on more than one occasion

they would come to me

to lament,

complain,

whine.

That's the generic.

They would let me know

just how unreasonable

it was

that I was expecting

one of them

to carry out the garbage

instead of all four.

You know,

or,

my kids were,

I seriously thought

at one point

they were going to all

become attorneys.

Every point was contested.

And so eventually

as I began to dive

into the scriptures

a little bit more

I realized there was

a perfect Bible verse.

It was this one.

What is that to thee?

Follow thou me.

Suck it up.

Do what I ask.

Do you know what life

in Christ is going

to mean for you?

It means doing

what he's put in front of you

and that's the end

of the story.

I respect,

I respect

people who stay at it

and keep on serving

year after year

after year

quietly

because they are submitting

to the call of God

and nothing else.

I respect

the way in which

those who are

actively engaged

in ministry here

can be counted on

to do what needs

to be done

without fanfare,

without coddling

because they understand

that is God's call

in their lives.

And so this morning

as we think about

how John ends,

we see the glory of Christ,

the Savior of the world

who came

to save you

and to connect

into your life

in a very personal

and real way.

And he says

three pointed truths.

you

who love me

be engaged

in serving.

You who love me

endure hardship

and don't spend

the majority

of your time

whining about

how hard it is.

the finish line

is not that far

in front.

You who love me

accept

the call

and the responsibilities

that I've given

to you

and serve

with faithfulness.

So how do we close

the book of John?

It is by understanding

that he

who is your Savior

has a high

call

in your life

and I challenge you

to fix your eyes

on Jesus.

Let's close.

Father God,

this morning

we rejoice

in the Lord Jesus

Christ

who is our Savior.

We who know you

as our God

and Savior

thank you

for salvation.

We thank you

that you lifted us

out of death

and darkness

and you have made us

to be servants

of the living God.

I pray this morning

that those who are here

that do not know Christ

would be drawn

to the cross

and those

that are here

this morning

that have been

kind of drifting around

uncertain

would have it

clearly etched

into their mind

that following Jesus

and knowing him

involves a life

that is undeniably

clear in the scriptures.

and Lord,

I recognize

that for some

this may be

a day

of rededication

it may be

a day

of recommitting

themselves

to being

what you've

called them to be

as your children

and as your disciples.

Help what we do

to reflect

what we know.

We ask this in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Amen.

Thank you.