Chambersburg Bible Church

Text: John 21:15-19John 21:15-19
15 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. ¹⁶ He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. ¹⁷ He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. ¹⁸ Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. ¹⁹ This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.  

Topic: Demonstrating how failure does not disqualify the believer from future service

Consider the following men, and more specifically what they have in common:

• Ludwig van Beethoven – was told by a music teacher “as a composer he is hopeless.”
• Enrico Caruso – was told that “he couldn’t sing at all!”
• Walt Disney – was fired from a newspaper because he “lacked imagination and had no original ideas”
• Thomas Edison – was told by a teacher he was “too stupid to learn anything.”
• Winston Churchill – failed the sixth grade
• Albert Einstein – was unable to speak until he was almost 4 years old and his teachers said he would “never amount to much.”

Have you ever experienced failure or been told you will never amount to anything. Have you experienced feelings of guilt, frustration, anger, or despondency? That feeling is probably something close to what Peter must have felt when he denied knowing the Lord. As the 3^rd denial passed over his lips and the rooster crowed, Peter must have realized that he had failed the Lord. Luke 22:62Luke 22:62
62 And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.  
tells us that after Peter denied the Lord looked at Peter, causing him to weep bitterly… Peter had sinned; he had failed his Lord. John 21:1-3John 21:1-3
21 ¹ After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself. ² There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples. ³ Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.  
indicates that Peter experienced the same guilt, frustration, anger, and despondency that we feel when we fail the Lord.

Thank God that the words of John 21:15-19John 21:15-19
15 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. ¹⁶ He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. ¹⁷ He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. ¹⁸ Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. ¹⁹ This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.  
are in the scriptures! They give hope because we, like Peter, fail the Lord. When we fail the Lord, is He through with us? Can we be restored? Is it possible to experience success after failure?

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• Check your heart
  • Do you really love God?
    • Jesus asked Peter to do some self-examination
    • Peter do you love me?
    • Do you love me with the kind of love that causes you to forsake everything for my sake?
    • Is it the kind of love that is willing to do whatever it takes to see my will accomplished?
  • Agape love in referred to in John 21:15-16John 21:15-16
    15 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. ¹⁶ He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.  
    
  • Peter was grieved that the Lord asked him 3 times concerning his love (John 21:17John 21:17
    17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.  
    )

• Are you willing to serve Him?
  • Notice what Jesus says to Peter at the end of verses 15, 16es 15, 16
     
    , and 17
    • “If you love me, feed my sheep!”
    • “Serve me!”
  • “Peter do you love me more than these?” (John 21:15John 21:15
    15 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.  
    )
    • What are the “these”? Other disciples? The catch of Fish?
    • Restoration comes when are willing to forsake everything and serve Christ.
  • Take up the task He has called us to do!
  • Rededicate ourselves to doing His will

• Check your focus
  • Are your eyes on Christ?
    • Peter was not content knowing God’s will for him (John 21:20-21John 21:20-21
      20 Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee? ²¹ Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do?  
      )
      • What about John? “What is your will for that man?”
      • “Why did Peter ask about John?”
  • Notice the Lord’s answer to Peter (John 21:22John 21:22
    22 Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.  
    )
    • What’s that to you?
    • Peter, that is none of your business!
    • Don’t look at John!  Look at me!
  • Our walk with the Lord is not dependent upon what He does with other believers (Hebrews 12:2Hebrews 12:2
    2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. author: or, beginner  
    )

• Are you willing to follow Him?
  • Having set our focus on Jesus, don’t look away
  • Follow Him

Peter was used mightily by the Lord from this point on.

• Peter preached at Pentecost and 3,000 were saved
• God used Peter to take the gospel to the gentiles
• Peter was used of God to write two NT letters

Yet Peter had to be restored first… Has the Spirit of God brought past failures to your mind? Seek the forgiveness in Christ (1 John 1:81 John 1:8
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  
) and allow Jesus to restore you, then keep His commandments and serve him!

Supporting Texts

• Matthew 22:37-38Matthew 22:37-38
  37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. ³⁸ This is the first and great commandment.  
  

Text: Matthew 16:24-28Matthew 16:24-28
24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. ²⁵ For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. ²⁶ For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? ²⁷ For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. ²⁸ Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.  

Topic: Emphasizing the value of man’s soul for eternity

We have grown so accustomed to the principle of exchange in our society that we scarcely think about it. Even though we do not think in terms of an exchange being made, we exchange things every day. An exchange takes place when we are willing to give one thing for another. Common daily exchanges could include time, money, and products. Examples of these exchanges can be seen in:

• Employment – exchanging the employee’s time for the employer’s money
• Shopping – exchanging money for a products
• Currency Exchange – exchanging one country’s currency for another

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Matthew 16:26Matthew 16:26
26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?  
speaks of a spiritual exchange, and it is in this context that Jesus speaks of the value of a man’s soul

• Jesus speaks to His disciples about that which would soon take place in final days of Christ’s life on earth (Matthew 16:21-22Matthew 16:21-22
  21 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. ²² Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. Be...: Gr. Pity thyself  
  )
  • Make His way to Jerusalem
  • He would suffer at the hands of the religious leaders
  • He would be killed
  • He would be raised to life again on the 3^rd day
  • He was going to provide for salvation
  • He was going to pay for our sins
  • Peter stumbled over the paradox of who Jesus is and what He was about to do (Matthew 16:16Matthew 16:16
    16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.  
    )
    • “Thou art the Christ the Son of the living God!”
    • His thoughts must have been… “It cannot be God’s will for His Son to die!”
    • Jesus rebuked Peter for thinking with a terrestrial perspective (Matthew 16:23Matthew 16:23
      23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.  
      )
      • Peter had failed to consider the bigger picture
      • Peter made human interest his chief goal
      • The two (2) concepts of Messiah and suffering were wholly incompatible

• The value of man’s soul
  • It is exceedingly precious
    • What is the soul?
      • Prior to God breathing into man the breath of life he was simply dust (Genesis 2:7Genesis 2:7
        7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. of the dust...: Heb. dust of the ground  
        )
      • He became a living soul.
      • We are our souls!
        • Consequently, man does not have a soul, he is a soul.
        • We are not bodies that have a soul, rather we are souls that have a body!
        • Our soul is exceedingly precious (Matthew 16:26Matthew 16:26
          26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?  
          )
          • “Would we be better off (profited) if we should have the whole world at the expense of our soul?”
          • “For what thing would you be willing to exchange your soul?”
• It is everlasting
  • Not the same as the eternality of God, as God has always been and will always be
  • The soul of man had a beginning – it was created by God and will last for eternity
    • We are all going to live somewhere forever
      • There is life after death
      • If and when my body dies, the soul lives on
      • The soul is precious because it is eternal and because I am my soul

• The exchange of man’s soul
  • The possibility of exchange
    • Implied in these verses is the fact that we are all going to exchange our soul for something
      • We can exchange it for the things of this world (Matthew 16:25Matthew 16:25
        25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.  
        )
        • Those who seek to keep their souls for themselves will lose it
        • At first glance, it appears that this world has much to offer with its fame, fortune, and prominence (Matthew 10:39Matthew 10:39
          39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.  
          )
        • Satan would have us believe that the things of this world are a worth our souls
        • We can exchange it for the things of Christ and eternal life (Matthew 16:24-25Matthew 16:24-25
          24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. ²⁵ For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.  
          )
• The process of exchange
  • Accept Jesus as Savior
    • Christ’s death will be of value only to those who are willing to die to sin and self
    • Give up all reliance on self and depend on Christ alone for salvation
    • Embrace Jesus as Savior
    • Deny self
      • Willing to once and for all say farewell to self
      • Willing to decisively accept pain, shame, and persecution for Jesus’ sake
      • Follow Him

Are you concerned for your soul this morning?

Are you living your life for self?

Have you trusted Jesus to save you?

Christ’s disciples often approached him with various questions regarding their relationship with Him and with questions regarding spiritual living. In this passage, we see them asking Christ about increasing their faith. Often we call out to God, looking for his movement in our hearts to increase our faith in His Word. Christ did not directly answer that question in this passage, but rather provided an illustration to teach that once redeemed by the Master, we are to be in the business of serving Him. This is the exercise of our faith, and our growth comes out of our service.

We are saved through faith (by grace alone) and therfore walk in faith (through grace) in our daily lives. Colossians 1 admonishes us to serve the Master who redeemed us from the slavery of sin. We must not be satisfied with giving God a prominent place in our lives, we must give him the preeminent place in our life.

Luke 17:5-10Luke 17:5-10
5 And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith. ⁶ And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you. ⁷ But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat? ⁸ And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink? ⁹ Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not. ¹⁰ So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.  

Mid-week Minutes is a weekly summary of Pastor’s Bible Study from the mid-week Prayer Service.