Do You Love Me More than These? - Study 10/31/13
Do you Love Me More than These?
Each of us has some form of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). When it is sever and mostly in children, then you can add the H – Hyper In-attentive or Active (ADHD). No wonder the most popular drug for American school children is Ritalin (more than 2 million prescriptions per year). Like children, like adults. I am not a doctor but you can check the facts and life stories around us.
Jesus was the great physician to make the diagnosis in Peter, the apostle. First he was very hyper active (walked on water, cut off someone’s ear, etc.). Eventually, Peter manifested the deficit to attention. In his last encounter with Jesus, the Risen Lord and Savior, Peter is told the truth – you have lost focus. Read with me as Apostle John records this encounter. Have you lost focus and attention to God’s calls?
John 21
21 Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee.[a] It happened this way: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus[b]), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. 3 “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
4 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. 5 He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?” “No,” they answered.
6 He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.
7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. 8 The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards.[c] 9 When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread….
15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” 16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” 17 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. 18 Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” 19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”
How quickly we lose focus from the very and most important things Jesus calls us to do.
Let’s do some re-calling. When Jesus met Peter and the other disciples, he told them why he was calling them and what they will do for him. He told them, “I will make you fishers of men”. Most of them were already fishers of regular fish.
Now Jesus has risen from the dead. He has met the disciples twice after rising, and in one instance breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit”. He further told them that he is sending them out just as His Father sent him to the earth to make disciples. We do not know if Peter was doing recreational fishing on this very day or whether he was re-lunching his previous fishing career. 3 “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you. We can lose focus and lead others astray. The Lord saw and knew their hearts and where this could lead to so He intervened.
We are all like Peter. The Lord calls us to a specific thing and we abandon our post to pursue the immediate, most rewarding event or activity for now. Some have in error changed careers because of how much money they will earn in another field when they really did not hear from God. No wonder they are miserable in the new job with higher pay. Many things can cause us to lose focus. Peter may have been depressed from his denial of Jesus and not seeing a bright future. We all have all kinds of reasons why we lose focus.
What has God called you and me to? I knew one thing for sure – to be fishers of men/women wherever we go and in whatever field. So the questions is “Do you love Me more than these”? What are “these” for you and me? I wholeheartedly believe that there is nothing on earth we can accomplish more than and higher than helping usher people into the presence of Jesus. Once anyone encounters Jesus, He has the power to save him/her through His Holy Spirit’s conviction.
I am often reminded of the scripture, “What shall it profit a man (or woman) to gain the whole world and lose his own soul”? What shall it profit you if you labored and offered your children the best Ivy League education and they miss heaven? There is nothing wrong with good education if accompanied with knowing Jesus as Lord and savior. Or if you earn the most money in a wonderful job and never told anyone about the saving grace of Jesus?
Do you love me more than these? Peter and co did not catch regular fishes until Jesus said so. “ Apart from Me you can do nothing”. Even after we lose focus, it is not the end for God’s love and provision. He will always provide but He will not just leave us to continue to make the non-priorities the priority. Is it possible that the drought you are experiencing now is because you may have lost focus of the BIG picture of what God has you to and why He has called you to it? It is worth examining. He chastens those He loves. Joy comes in doing His will.
Listen to Jesus. “Feed my lamb”; “Take care of my sheep” “Feed my sheep”; and finally, “Follow Me”. Do you hear Jesus? The people we meet are His “my sheep”. They need to be brought into the fold. Can you and I allow Jesus to do His work through us? He said, “Follow Me”. It is very costly to follow Jesus because it requires denying our own selfish ambition to accomplish God’s. Guess what? It is a daily following – ouch. Who are you following in your marriage, parenting, job, school or neighborhood? We are either following Jesus leading or we are following ourselves – wants and desires.
Jesus is saying, “Do you love Me more than you yourself”? Lord, honestly I have been. Forgive me and help me refocus.
Yes, we believe Jesus, then let’s follow Him as He leads us to people He wants to save from the damnation to come. No Jesus, no life. No Jesus, no forgiveness of sin in a life. No Jesus, just a mere existence and ultimately perish. Can we see people in this fashion and have compassion to share the Gospel salvation (true treasure) we have freely received?
We end our study of the Gospel of John here. I ask only one question. Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God; who died and rose again and guarantees salvation from sin and from eternal separation from God for the penalty of sin? If you believe then like Thomas, cry out to him, “My Lord and My God”. May He fill you with His Holy Spirit to live a new life in Christ. Amen. Thank you friends for studying with me. Let’s follow Jesus forever.
Each of us has some form of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). When it is sever and mostly in children, then you can add the H – Hyper In-attentive or Active (ADHD). No wonder the most popular drug for American school children is Ritalin (more than 2 million prescriptions per year). Like children, like adults. I am not a doctor but you can check the facts and life stories around us.
Jesus was the great physician to make the diagnosis in Peter, the apostle. First he was very hyper active (walked on water, cut off someone’s ear, etc.). Eventually, Peter manifested the deficit to attention. In his last encounter with Jesus, the Risen Lord and Savior, Peter is told the truth – you have lost focus. Read with me as Apostle John records this encounter. Have you lost focus and attention to God’s calls?
John 21
21 Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee.[a] It happened this way: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus[b]), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. 3 “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
4 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. 5 He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?” “No,” they answered.
6 He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.
7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. 8 The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards.[c] 9 When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread….
15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” 16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” 17 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. 18 Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” 19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”
How quickly we lose focus from the very and most important things Jesus calls us to do.
Let’s do some re-calling. When Jesus met Peter and the other disciples, he told them why he was calling them and what they will do for him. He told them, “I will make you fishers of men”. Most of them were already fishers of regular fish.
Now Jesus has risen from the dead. He has met the disciples twice after rising, and in one instance breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit”. He further told them that he is sending them out just as His Father sent him to the earth to make disciples. We do not know if Peter was doing recreational fishing on this very day or whether he was re-lunching his previous fishing career. 3 “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you. We can lose focus and lead others astray. The Lord saw and knew their hearts and where this could lead to so He intervened.
We are all like Peter. The Lord calls us to a specific thing and we abandon our post to pursue the immediate, most rewarding event or activity for now. Some have in error changed careers because of how much money they will earn in another field when they really did not hear from God. No wonder they are miserable in the new job with higher pay. Many things can cause us to lose focus. Peter may have been depressed from his denial of Jesus and not seeing a bright future. We all have all kinds of reasons why we lose focus.
What has God called you and me to? I knew one thing for sure – to be fishers of men/women wherever we go and in whatever field. So the questions is “Do you love Me more than these”? What are “these” for you and me? I wholeheartedly believe that there is nothing on earth we can accomplish more than and higher than helping usher people into the presence of Jesus. Once anyone encounters Jesus, He has the power to save him/her through His Holy Spirit’s conviction.
I am often reminded of the scripture, “What shall it profit a man (or woman) to gain the whole world and lose his own soul”? What shall it profit you if you labored and offered your children the best Ivy League education and they miss heaven? There is nothing wrong with good education if accompanied with knowing Jesus as Lord and savior. Or if you earn the most money in a wonderful job and never told anyone about the saving grace of Jesus?
Do you love me more than these? Peter and co did not catch regular fishes until Jesus said so. “ Apart from Me you can do nothing”. Even after we lose focus, it is not the end for God’s love and provision. He will always provide but He will not just leave us to continue to make the non-priorities the priority. Is it possible that the drought you are experiencing now is because you may have lost focus of the BIG picture of what God has you to and why He has called you to it? It is worth examining. He chastens those He loves. Joy comes in doing His will.
Listen to Jesus. “Feed my lamb”; “Take care of my sheep” “Feed my sheep”; and finally, “Follow Me”. Do you hear Jesus? The people we meet are His “my sheep”. They need to be brought into the fold. Can you and I allow Jesus to do His work through us? He said, “Follow Me”. It is very costly to follow Jesus because it requires denying our own selfish ambition to accomplish God’s. Guess what? It is a daily following – ouch. Who are you following in your marriage, parenting, job, school or neighborhood? We are either following Jesus leading or we are following ourselves – wants and desires.
Jesus is saying, “Do you love Me more than you yourself”? Lord, honestly I have been. Forgive me and help me refocus.
Yes, we believe Jesus, then let’s follow Him as He leads us to people He wants to save from the damnation to come. No Jesus, no life. No Jesus, no forgiveness of sin in a life. No Jesus, just a mere existence and ultimately perish. Can we see people in this fashion and have compassion to share the Gospel salvation (true treasure) we have freely received?
We end our study of the Gospel of John here. I ask only one question. Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God; who died and rose again and guarantees salvation from sin and from eternal separation from God for the penalty of sin? If you believe then like Thomas, cry out to him, “My Lord and My God”. May He fill you with His Holy Spirit to live a new life in Christ. Amen. Thank you friends for studying with me. Let’s follow Jesus forever.
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