Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Core of Service John 21:15-17

Sermon nuggets Tues Jan 13

Theme- Called to Service

Verses- John 21:15-17 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.”

The Core of Service
Yesterday we looked at the criteria to service was love. Some will note, as I have preached, that in the Greek there are four types of love- self satisfying love, family love, friendship love, and self sacrificing love. The Bible uses these last two words. Why is it that Jesus used the stronger term the first two times, Agapao, and Peter’s love response was Phileo? The third time Jesus asks the question using Phileo. It is possible Jesus is asking for the self sacrificing love since the context then explains later Peter will die for his faith. It may have been to point on the need for self sacrificing type of love, the deepest type for our love to the Lord. But in many places in the book of John both terms are used for Jesus love for man and His love for his Father in heaven. Was this ways to use the same idea with two different words? Are they used interchangeably or not? Many think so.

In each way Peter answers yes to Jesus questioning. And asks why he is asking the same commitment three times.

In addition to the criteria of love He gives him the cause and core for his service- feed my sheep. In Luke 10:27 Jesus summed up the laws of Moses with "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" If you love Christ love must be demonstrated toward others. We are to think of the needs of others. Jesus brought value to the place of women and children, but also the poor, the sinner, the rejected, the disadvantaged. All are capable of receiving saving grace.

The sheep and the lambs belong to Jesus, not to Peter. Many pastors forget that as the under-shepherds. We have a pastoral responsibility to take care of God’s sheep by giving them food. I have shared my testimony how God used this passage of Scripture to call me into full time ministry and the core of my call to service. If love is the mission, the strategy is feeding on the Word of God. It is telling people the truth.

There are many demands on the life of the pastor. I enjoy visiting, and seeing people grow in the Lord. I enjoy evangelism, and the fellowship of the believers. We are able to help those in need and be with the sick and dying. But that is the call to all believers as we carry out the gifts together. We are ministers one to another.

But the primary call on my life, the core of the call is to feed sheep by preaching and teaching the word of God. I can’t be everything to everyone just like the apostles needed others to carry on the care of the body of Christ. Deacons were established. That is God’s plan. Women were involved in compassion and ministering as well. Truth is shared from one to another in an effect way by the power of the Holy Spirit.

My objection to accepting my first pastorate was I was young and many of the believers were Christians before I was born. What could I teach them they didn’t already know? How could I minister in my immaturity to mature believers for the most part? I could see working with youth, baby Christians and the unsaved, but how could I be a pastor to those who experienced a walk with Jesus for decades and knew the Bible?

My answer came from these words, ”Feed my lambs” “Tend my sheep” “Feed my sheep”. The message the Lord spoke was, it doesn’t make any difference how old sheep are they still need food. It doesn’t matter why type of delicious food they received, they still need food. The core of my call was simply serve the Lord by taking the word of God and telling people what it says and God will do the rest. Would I be willing to do that? My answer was “Lord use me.” Sometimes that word is instruction. Sometimes it is correction or rebuke. Sometimes it is training in righteousness. But it is what gives us growth and maturity. Keep feeding on the truth of God.

Pastor Dale.