Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Clifford Baptist Church, 635 Fletcher's Level Road in Amherst, welcomes you to the Aug. 4 revival message with Rev. Kurt Skelly, senior pastor of Faith Baptist Church in Fredericksburg.
The Book of John is perhaps my favorite book of the Bible. I just preached through the Book of John at our church. It took a year and went through it verse by verse.
The Book of John is written for an evangelistic purpose. That's the purpose of the writing of the book. That's why the gospel is so different than the. What we call the Synoptic Gospels. Because the Book of John was written primarily that people might know that Jesus is the Son of God, that he is the Christ the Messiah, and that knowing that we would believe on him. So in one sense, the Book of John has an apologetic purpose, that we might know some things, but then it has an evangelistic purpose for that we.
[00:00:52] Speaker B: Might believe some things.
[00:00:53] Speaker A: And really, the Book of John as you look at it as a unit is chapters one through 20.
But it's chapter 21 that is a little bit of an epilogue.
John 21, it doesn't fit in the book. It's really just an afterthought on the book, kind of an afterword. And in this chapter we find a little bit of a depressing thought.
Because Jesus has risen from the dead. Jesus now has appeared to his disciples on numbers of occasions. And Jesus has told his disciples, I want you to go up to Galilee and I want you to wait for me there. Now, understand that most of Jesus public ministry was in Galilee. You know that, right? So Jesus was 33 when he died, about that. And he spent about three years in public ministry, having started his ministry at age 30.
We know that about two of those years he was up in Galilee. That was his home area. And most of the time that he was in Galilee, he was out of the city of Capernaum. So Jesus said to his disciples, hey, guys, I want you to go back up to our familiar place. I want you to go back up to the place where we preached and taught so often together. And there, meet me there. And of course, we know in Matthew 28 that Jesus gives them at least one iteration of the Great Commission there in that place. And so Jesus says, go, I'll meet you.
But have you ever gone to meet somebody somewhere and then got a little bit antsy, maybe wondered, are they gonna show up? Well, I think that's what happened here. Because Peter and some others decide while they're supposed to be waiting for Jesus for kingdom purpose, they decide, I'm gonna go fishing. Now, listen, not fishing in a recreational sense. I know some of you love to go fishing, and maybe that's a recreational activity for you and a way to kind of just kind of get away from it all. Maybe. But that's not what Peter was saying. Peter was not saying let's go fishing recreationally. What Peter was saying is, Peter was saying, listen, let's go back to the industry of fishing. Because they're going at night. They're going fishing at night. So Peter and some seven altogether go out fishing all night long. And of course, a fish all night. Now, what do they catch?
Nothing. You know why? Because your old life is fruitless. After you've trusted Christ as saved, you have new purposes, you have kingdom purposes. And what used to be satisfying, what used to be productive for you is no longer that way. And so they come out nothing. The morning light has come. It's no longer fishing time. They're coming to wash their nets, and they see this random man on the shore and he's cooking.
That random man on the shore had no trouble catching his fish that night, right?
And that random man on the shore shouts out to them, children, have you any meat? To put it in today's vernacular, hey, guys, have you caught anything? Have you caught anything? That's what fishermen ask fishermen. Have you caught anything? And no, nothing. Have you tried the other side of the boat? Now, that should be strangely reminiscent, shouldn't it, for Peter? Because that's the exact way by which Jesus called Peter, remember in Luke chapter five, the exact way.
This is the call on repeat, try the other side. Well, they do. And of course, 153 fish later, they know it's the Lord. In fact, Peter said it's the Lord. It's the Lord. And in standard Peter fashion, he jumps into the boat, let the other guys haul the fish in, right? And he swims to shore. And what a grand reunion that must have been. What a wonderful time that must have been. And the Bible says when they had died, just think about it, they spent some time fellowshipping, they spent some time eating that fish. They spend that time catching up. But that must have been a wonderful time together. But the kind of. The unsaid thing was, what were you guys doing?
What were you guys doing? What were you guys thinking?
Why were you guys going in the opposite direction?
Did you not understand the command?
And so they knew at some point the hammer's gonna come down on why were we fishing when we should have been waiting for kingdom directions?
And so when they had Died.
Now Jesus looks at the ringleader himself.
[00:05:20] Speaker B: It says, peter Simon. Peter, do you love me more than these?
Let me ask you a question tonight. Ready for this?
What if the person in your life that loves you the most and knows you the best.
So who is that person?
Just think about that in your own mind.
[00:05:44] Speaker A: Who's the person in your life that loves you the most and knows you the best?
[00:05:48] Speaker B: Who's that person? For me, it would be my wife, I hope, right?
[00:05:52] Speaker A: It'd be my wife for sure. No doubt about it.
Maybe it's your best friend.
[00:05:56] Speaker B: Maybe it's your spouse. Maybe it's your mom or dad. Maybe it's a child.
[00:06:00] Speaker A: Who's the person in your life that knows you the best, loves you the most? Who's that person? Okay. What if that person came up to.
[00:06:06] Speaker B: You and said, do you love me? My wife will do that every now and then.
[00:06:11] Speaker A: Wives do that.
[00:06:11] Speaker B: They're very manipulative.
[00:06:13] Speaker A: But this is not a marriage conference.
Sometimes she'll say that, do you love me? Or I'll say to her, do you love me? What if my wife said, do you love me? And I just playfully said, yes.
But what if she said, do you?
[00:06:26] Speaker B: Oh, no, you know, did I not do the honeydew list?
[00:06:29] Speaker A: Did I, you know, do you love me? Yes. Do you?
[00:06:34] Speaker B: Yes. Do you? Oh, is it our anniversary?
[00:06:39] Speaker A: You know, did I forget?
If the person that loved you the most and knew you the best said.
[00:06:44] Speaker B: Do you love me? Hey, watch this. Do you love me?
Do you love me?
Boy, that would be a problem.
[00:06:53] Speaker A: What if the person that asked you that question already knew the answer to the question?
What if the person that asked you the question already knew the answer to that question?
Think about it. God in the Bible never asks questions from his benefit, right? God doesn't need to know things. He's got that whole omniscience thing going on. So when God asks a question, he's not asking a question for his benefit.
The very first question that God asks in the Bible is, Adam, where art thou? Do you think that God didn't know?
Like, is there any part of you that thinks, well, you know, God lost Adam? Hey, Gabriel.
Hey, Michael. Hey, guys. Get down here. Adam, there's a bunch of fig tree. I don't know where he is.
[00:07:44] Speaker B: No, God didn't ask Adam where he was because God didn't know where Adam was.
God asked Adam where he was because Adam didn't know where he was.
[00:08:01] Speaker A: Jesus didn't ask, peter, do you love me? Because Jesus didn't know that Peter loved him. In fact, Peter says in the very verse, you know all things. You know I love you. And Jesus did know. He knew exactly the condition of Peter's heart.
Jesus did not ask Peter the question because Jesus didn't know.
[00:08:24] Speaker B: No, he asked the question because Simon didn't know.
There was something Simon didn't understand.
All scriptures given by inspiration of God is profitable.
This is not just a story that we look at and say, oh, poor Simon.
[00:08:40] Speaker A: No, this is a story we look.
[00:08:41] Speaker B: At and say, what about me?
[00:08:44] Speaker A: Because understand that those words that Jesus asked Peter 2000 years ago are words that Jesus asks you tonight.
They're individual. Do you?
[00:08:55] Speaker B: Do you love me?
[00:08:57] Speaker A: Now be careful, be careful about your answer because the knee jerk answer is yes.
Do you?
Yes.
Do you?
[00:09:09] Speaker B: Oh, and that's what Jesus asked us tonight.
[00:09:13] Speaker A: So I want you to consider three.
[00:09:15] Speaker B: Thoughts with me tonight.
[00:09:15] Speaker A: Three thoughts that I think will help.
[00:09:17] Speaker B: Us understand the answer to that question, do you love Jesus? Jesus.
[00:09:24] Speaker A: Three points tonight that will help us to understand the question, do you love Jesus?
Consider them. Number one, here's this point. Ready? I call this the rebuke of Christ. If you're taking notes, just write that down. The rebuke of Christ.
I think that what's happening In John, chapter 21, verses 15 through 17 is Jesus is dealing with Peter in a way by which he needs to correct him. And we understand that the Bible, one of the purposes of the Bible is to reprove and rebuke and correct and all that's what Jesus is doing. He's using his word to correct Peter and he does so through a question. You know why? Because questions stir our conscience.
Think about it. When people come to you and accuse you, well, you're this or you're that, or you did this or you said that. That may be true. That may be true. Maybe you did say that. Maybe you did do this. But when someone points their finger at me and accuses me, what's my knee jerk reaction? It's to rebuff that. It's to dig in, it's to stiffen up. Like, oh yeah, but you, well, what about you? And you're no better. But that's not what Jesus does. You know what Jesus does? Jesus asks you a question.
He asks you, you know why?
[00:10:37] Speaker B: Cause questions make you look inward.
Questions make you think about it. So Jesus says, do you love me?
Now I've got to answer that because I'm asking. People love when you ask them. People want to give answers.
[00:10:53] Speaker A: But if you want to have a good conversation with Somebody, don't talk about yourself, talk about them.
If you want to have a good conversation with somebody, ask them questions. Where you from?
What do you do?
What matters to you? People want to give you answers. What's in? And Jesus says to Peter, oh, what? What?
Do you love me? This is a rebuke, by the way. How many times did Jesus say it right?
Did you notice that Peter tended to.
[00:11:22] Speaker B: Do everything in threes?
[00:11:24] Speaker A: Did you notice that Jesus tended to do everything in threes? You know that Peter disagreed with the Lord?
[00:11:30] Speaker B: Three times.
[00:11:31] Speaker A: Disagreed. I mean, said Lord. You're wrong, I'm right. Three times. Peter did that. Think about Matthew, chapter 16, the great confession. Remember, thou art the Christ, the son of the living God. Blessed art thou, Simon Bar Jonah. Flesh and blood hath not revealed that unto you, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say unto thee, Peter, upon this rock himself I will build my church. The gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Well, the greatest confession of all time, Peter made it.
But wait a minute.
[00:12:01] Speaker B: From that time forth, Jesus began to teach them that he, now that they know he is the Messiah, he had to clarify to their predisposed thinking who Messiah was.
[00:12:12] Speaker A: Because they were thinking, oh, Jesus is Messiah. We win. Jesus is Messiah. We get to rule and reign. Jesus is Messiah. We're gonna throw off Roman oppression. This is great. Jesus said, no, no, no. That's not the kind of Messiah. I'm not that Messiah. Not yet.
There's coming a day when Jesus will return and he'll rule and reign. Wonderful. But Jesus said no. From that time forth, he began to teach them that I must go to Jerusalem. I must suffer many things of the chief priests, the scribes and the elders. I will die there. I will die there. I will be buried. I will rise again.
[00:12:45] Speaker B: You know what Peter said?
You know what Peter said?
[00:12:48] Speaker A: When Jesus said I'm gonna die, you.
[00:12:50] Speaker B: Know what Peter said? No way.
[00:12:52] Speaker A: Not so, Lord.
Think about it. Jesus is teaching them the very mission of the suffering servant. He's teaching them the very mission of the Savior. And Peter says, nope.
[00:13:08] Speaker B: What does Jesus say to Peter?
[00:13:11] Speaker A: Get thee behind me. What?
[00:13:14] Speaker B: Satan.
[00:13:14] Speaker A: So here's the deal. Ready?
[00:13:16] Speaker B: When Jesus calls you Satan, you've done something wrong.
[00:13:19] Speaker A: Okay?
Why?
[00:13:21] Speaker B: Because it would be satanic to subvert Jesus gospel purpose. Right? If Peter disagreed with Jesus, what about the upper room?
[00:13:32] Speaker A: What about that last supper room? What about that room?
What about Jesus saying, tonight every single one of you will deny me.
Every one of you will forsake me. Every one of you. By the way Matthew 26:56. Spot on. They all did.
But what did Peter say? Peter said, not me.
I mean, this time, Lord, you're not all wrong. As a matter of fact, you're 11/12.
[00:13:57] Speaker B: Right?
[00:13:58] Speaker A: Cause all these other guys, I have had my question marks about them, too. Yeah, you're right, Lord. They are gonna. But not me. Though all men deny you, it's gonna come down to the very end. It's gonna be you, Jesus, and me.
Cause I will never deny you, Jesus. You are wrong.
[00:14:19] Speaker B: Wow.
What about acts, chapter 10?
[00:14:24] Speaker A: Here's acts, chapter 10.
[00:14:25] Speaker B: And Peter's at the house of Simon the Tanner.
[00:14:28] Speaker A: He's on the roof. Remember, there's this vision to Cornelius, and now here's a vision to Peter. And there's this sheet that comes down with all sorts of animals on it. And rise, Peter, kill and eat. That's the hunter's life verse right there. Rise, Peter, kill and eat. What does Peter say to the Lord?
[00:14:47] Speaker B: Not so, Lord.
[00:14:49] Speaker A: Lord. No, I've never eaten anything unclean, Lord.
My standards are higher than your standards.
Wow.
[00:14:58] Speaker B: He disagreed with the Lord because of his.
Because of his predispositions.
He disagreed with the Lord because of his pride.
He disagreed with the Lord because of his prejudice.
But he disagreed with the Lord three times.
[00:15:18] Speaker A: Oh, by the way, how many times did Peter deny the Lord?
[00:15:24] Speaker B: You were with him, weren't you?
[00:15:25] Speaker A: Oh, no, no, you got me.
You got me mixed up with somebody else. Now, that was somebody else. That was not me.
Hey, your accent.
You're not from here. I distinctly can tell. No, no, you were one. No, no, no.
I was not one of them. You got that wrong the third time.
[00:15:48] Speaker B: No, no, I'm for sure. You are a disciple of Jesus.
[00:15:52] Speaker A: And he cussed and he swore. I am not.
[00:15:56] Speaker B: And the cock crew.
I've stood at this spot in Jerusalem. Some of you have been there. Right there by Caiaphas House.
[00:16:03] Speaker A: There's the stairs. You can see the 2000 year old stairs. And I've stood there with groups and I've talked about that denial of Peter, of Jesus. And remember what happens when that rooster crows and Jesus is being led from the judgment hall of Annas, the High Priest Emeritus, to the hall of Caiaphas in that little courtyard. And their eyes meet and Peter goes.
[00:16:25] Speaker B: Out and weeps bitterly.
[00:16:27] Speaker A: Wow.
[00:16:29] Speaker B: He denied him three times.
He disagreed with him three times.
Is it not interesting that Jesus calls him three times?
Think about that. You know, Peter followed the Lord for six months.
[00:16:48] Speaker A: Remember John 1. And Andrew first findeth his own brother Peter, Remember Peter, Andrew, James, John, Phillip and Nathanael. They follow Jesus to the wedding feast. And they follow Jesus down to Jerusalem. And they're there with Jesus when Jesus cleanses the temple. And they're there with Jesus when Jesus meets with Nicodemus. And they're there with Jesus first four months, as Jesus is doing miracles. And John the Baptist and his disciples are over here, and he's there with Jesus when they're going up to the woman at the well, they're there with Jesus. But then the Bible teaches they go back to their nets. Because it was after that that Jesus is rejected at Nazareth and he goes to Capernaum and he sees Peter and John and says, follow me. Or rather Peter and Andrew, James and John, follow me.
Why, they've already gone back.
[00:17:33] Speaker B: And now he has to formally call them.
Let down thy nets for the draught. Right. Luke 5.
And now here in John 21, a third time. A third time.
Boy, Peter just did everything in threes.
Take hope, my friends.
You know, sometimes we look at our own lives and we see the repetitiveness of our pride.
We see the repetitiveness of maybe a pet sin. We see the repetitiveness in our life of some of our wrong thinking. Aren't you glad that we serve a gracious Savior?
Aren't you glad that Jesus pursues us even in our repeated sins? But what a wonderful Savior we serve.
[00:18:16] Speaker A: It's a rebuke, though.
[00:18:17] Speaker B: Hey, Peter, think about it. Think about it. You deny me thrice. Do you love me? Hey, do you love me?
Hey, do you love me?
It's the rebuke.
I remember as a boy. My dad left our home when I was 4, almost 4.
[00:18:35] Speaker A: My mom raised us by herself and.
[00:18:38] Speaker B: We weren't good kids. I wish we were, but we weren't.
My brother and I fought like cats and dogs and we weren't a help to my mother. And my mother got remarried when I was about 10. And we didn't have a really good.
[00:18:51] Speaker A: Relationship with our stepfather.
[00:18:52] Speaker B: And we weren't saved and we were just dysfunctional.
I was really a nightmare to my mom. I hate that she worked full time and she did her best.
I remember one time I was screaming at her.
I was out of control screaming at her.
And she grabbed me. I must have been 11 or 12 years of age. And she took me by the shoulders and she just held me tight.
She was weeping.
She said, sometimes, Kurt, I wonder if you even love me.
I'm going to tell you something. That was probably the sternest rebuke my mother ever gave me.
More than any whooping, More than any grounding.
More than any speech.
Just that wonder.
Do you love me?
Do you love me?
Do you love me?
Why would he need to ask the rebuke of Jesus? Rebuke of Christ.
Watch this. Number two.
[00:20:09] Speaker A: Not only do I see the rebuke.
[00:20:10] Speaker B: Of Christ in John 21, verses 15 through 17, but I see what I'll call tonight. Ready for this?
A range of considerations.
A range of considerations, you say?
[00:20:23] Speaker A: Okay, Kurt, what do you mean by that?
[00:20:24] Speaker B: A range of considerations.
[00:20:26] Speaker A: Okay, here's what I mean.
[00:20:27] Speaker B: The question that Jesus asks in verse 15 is a qualified question.
[00:20:33] Speaker A: You say, okay, Kurt, what do you mean by that?
[00:20:35] Speaker B: A qualified question.
[00:20:36] Speaker A: So Jesus doesn't ask the question, do you love me?
That's not the question. The question is not, do you love me?
[00:20:42] Speaker B: Question mark.
[00:20:43] Speaker A: No, the question is this. Do you love me? Ready for the qualifier. Do you love me more than these?
Right, that's the question. Do you love me more than these? So it's a qualified question.
So I guess the $64,000 question is, okay, what are these?
Right. Do you love me more than these? So what are these?
And Bible scholars have wrestled with that. You can get this commentary and get that commentary, talk to this preacher and hear that sermon, and you might hear some different answers. So let me give you the range of considerations. Okay, Number one. Do you love me more than these? I think many people believe that. What that means is, do you love me more than these fish?
[00:21:23] Speaker B: You say, really?
[00:21:24] Speaker A: You love Jesus more than fish? That's not a bad choice. That's not a hard choice. Well. Well, here's the idea. The idea is, Peter, you went back to fishing, you went back to industry, you went back to your job, you went back to your comfort place. You went back to where you can make profit. Peter, do you love me more than you love stuff?
Right? Do you love me more than what your job can get you?
Do you love me more than what these fish can profit you? And I think that's a legitimate question. I think Jesus does ask that question. And whether or not this verse teaches that, I think that's a Bible principle, right? Take heed and beware of covetousness. For a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. But I'm afraid that in America, we are so rich, we are so increased with goods, we're like that Laodicean church. We don't think we need anything. We certainly don't need God. Because our prosperity has robbed our focus of God. Right? Having food and raiment, let us be there with content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil, which while some have coveted after they have erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee these things and follow after righteousness and godliness and faith and love and patience and meekness, and fight the good fight of faith. Timothy, live for things that will outlive you.
I think Jesus says that to us today.
You'll live for things that will outlive for you. Don't live for stuff.
Don't live for stuff. Right. Take no thought for tomorrow. Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things. God will take care of those things and put me first.
[00:23:11] Speaker B: I'll tell you, that's a good lesson. And maybe. Maybe that's exactly what Jesus meant.
Do you love me more than these stuff, fish industry, your life, your past?
Do you? Because so quickly we go back to those things with which we're comfortable, the things over which we have control so often. Maybe that's what he meant.
Secondly, range of considerations.
[00:23:40] Speaker A: Hey, maybe do you love me more.
[00:23:42] Speaker B: Than stuff than these fish?
[00:23:44] Speaker A: What about this?
[00:23:45] Speaker B: Do you love me more than these. Do you love me more than these disciples?
Do you love me more than you love them?
[00:23:52] Speaker A: And I think, again, I think Jesus uses that principle certainly in the Bible. And he may mean that here. He may mean that here. Maybe what he means is, Peter, you're showing solidarity with these men more than you're showing solidarity with me. I mean, Peter, you and the guys are going in that direction. I'm really calling you to a gospel direction. I'm calling you to a commission direction. But you're taking these men. You're going that direction.
Do you love them more than you love me? Because did not Jesus say In Luke chapter 14, if any man come after me and hate not father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yea, in his own life also, he cannot be my disciple? I mean, is that not a requisite for discipleship? To say, jesus, you are more important than any other human relationship in the world?
[00:24:37] Speaker B: That's certainly true.
So maybe what Jesus meant in John 21 is, Peter, am I more important than anybody else in your life?
Because sometimes for a teenager, it's my friend who's more important or my girlfriend.
Sometimes it's the best friend.
Sometimes we put people as idols in front of Jesus, and maybe that's exactly what Jesus meant.
But there's a third possibility, and I'm just gonna be biased and tell you I think the third one is the right one.
Now, I may be wrong, and I.
[00:25:18] Speaker A: Think the Bible principle for each of.
[00:25:19] Speaker B: These is taught elsewhere. So I think I'm safe.
But let me tell you why I believe this third option is the one. Let me tell you why I think it is.
Range of considerations.
[00:25:31] Speaker A: Do you love me more than these fish?
[00:25:34] Speaker B: Maybe.
[00:25:34] Speaker A: Do you love me more than these disciples?
[00:25:36] Speaker B: Maybe.
[00:25:37] Speaker A: Certainly. Bible principles.
[00:25:39] Speaker B: Watch this.
[00:25:40] Speaker A: Do you love me more than these.
Now, in grammar, there's a unique term called.
[00:25:48] Speaker B: Ready?
[00:25:50] Speaker A: An elliptical clause.
So all of you grammar Nazis, you're.
[00:25:54] Speaker B: Like, oh, this is good. I love this guy. He's talking about grammar, okay?
[00:25:57] Speaker A: About the two of you.
[00:25:58] Speaker B: The rest of you are like, this is so boring.
[00:26:01] Speaker A: Elliptical. Here's the way an elliptical clause means.
[00:26:04] Speaker B: It means that the rest of the sentence, the verb that's supplied is implied, okay? For instance, do you love me more than these love me?
Do you love me more than these love me?
Do you love me more than these love me?
Now, look it up in the original language.
[00:26:26] Speaker A: It works there.
[00:26:27] Speaker B: It works in English.
[00:26:29] Speaker A: It's an elliptical clause.
[00:26:32] Speaker B: It's a grammatical function. Do you love me more than these love me? He say, okay, Kurt, why do you think that's what Jesus meant? Here's why. Ready? Because that's what Peter told him.
That's what Peter told him.
Peter said to him on their last meeting with. When they were all together, I love you more than everyone else does.
He didn't say it in those words, but that's what he said.
[00:27:01] Speaker A: You know, they're going to deny you.
Yeah, they're suspect. But. But, Lord, I'm. I'm the. I'm the loyal one. Remember, I'm the one that's here. Lord, I'm your main guy. Lord, though all men deny thee, I will not. Lord, I love you more.
I stand out among the rest.
[00:27:20] Speaker B: Peter, do you love me more than these love me?
Because it seems like you're all in the same boat.
It seems like you're all heading in the wrong direction.
Peter, I distinctly remember you saying to me that you were different.
I distinctly remember you saying to me that you love me qualifiably, quantifiably, more than everyone else did. Peter, do you love me more than these?
Well, what a statement.
What a statement.
[00:28:01] Speaker A: By the way.
[00:28:02] Speaker B: That's why we ought to Resist comparison.
Because at the end of the day, those that compare themselves among themselves and measure themselves by themselves, they're not wise.
[00:28:14] Speaker A: And just about the time we start.
[00:28:16] Speaker B: Using ourselves as the measuring stick against somebody else, it's just about the time.
[00:28:20] Speaker A: That wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed, lest he fall. Just about the time we fall flat on our face because we're full of ourselves.
Peter, do you love me more than they loved me?
Because you said you did.
[00:28:33] Speaker B: So we see the rebuke of Christ. Ready?
The range of considerations.
But watch this. Lastly tonight, ready? The repetition of the command.
Now listen very carefully because I think this is really an incredible point that Jesus makes.
Okay, Peter, do you love me more than these? Peter says, yes.
Verbally?
[00:29:01] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:29:03] Speaker B: Have you noticed how easy it is to say things?
It's easy. Saying things is easy. If a man say, I love God, it's easy.
[00:29:14] Speaker A: You know, that was faith I have worked. If a man say, that was faith I have worked.
[00:29:19] Speaker B: Show me. Show me. It's easy to say. It's harder to show.
[00:29:24] Speaker A: So Peter says, yes.
[00:29:27] Speaker B: And Peter doesn't say, okay, I accept your answer.
Jesus says, oh, then feed my sheep.
Now, why would Jesus say that? Well, wait a minute. Because that's exactly what Jesus said to Peter in the upper room.
[00:29:42] Speaker A: Cause Peter said, I love you more.
[00:29:45] Speaker B: Jesus said, no, you don't.
[00:29:47] Speaker A: I will not deny you. Yes, you will.
[00:29:50] Speaker B: But then you remember what Jesus said.
But, Peter, Satan desires to have you. So in the Old English, you know this, right?
[00:29:58] Speaker A: You is always plural. You is always plural.
[00:30:01] Speaker B: Satan has desire to have you disciples that he may sift you as wheat. He wants to separate you one by one.
[00:30:07] Speaker A: But I have prayed. He wants you, but I have prayed for thee.
[00:30:13] Speaker B: That's singular.
So what was Jesus saying? Jesus saying, okay, Peter, Satan wants to destroy all you guys. I'm praying for you.
And when thou singular converted, then strengthen the brethren.
So what did Jesus say? Jesus said, okay, Peter, you are gonna die. Me too, but I'm gonna rescue you first.
And when you're converted in your thinking.
[00:30:35] Speaker A: When you get back to your right.
[00:30:36] Speaker B: Mind, you have one job. Know what that one job is? Know what that one job is? I want you to strengthen the brethren.
Okay, can we say it this way? I want you to feed the sheep.
When you get it, then I want you to help them get it.
Right.
[00:30:53] Speaker A: Peter, do you love me more than these? Cause you said you did. Yes. Then do what I told you to do.
Because you're not feeding sheep right now. You're taking sheep away.
You're putting sheep in a boat and going in the opposite direction to Peter. If you truly have been converted, if you truly love me, if it's truly and by the way, Jesus knew that. He did, but he's qualifying it saying, Peter, then do what I told you to do. Do you love me? Yes. Then do what I told you to do. Peter, do you love me? Yes. Then do what I told you to do.
[00:31:29] Speaker B: Here's what I believe. Jesus was not looking for a verbal yes.
He wasn't looking for. He was looking for action.
Cause you can say all you wanna say about how much you love Jesus, but Jesus is not looking for talk is cheap.
He's not looking for this. You know what I found in Baptist churches like ours? Here's what I found. We all know how to say. We all know how to sing. We all know how to confess.
[00:31:57] Speaker A: We all know the Baptist language. We all know what to say. We all know the plastic smile. We know all that, what Jesus says. And I'm not looking for that. I'm not looking for the recitation of lions. I'm not looking for the wearing of costumes. I'm looking for actors on a stage. I'm looking for real Christianity that shows up and helping and feeding and loving the people that are within arm's length of your life.
[00:32:21] Speaker B: I don't care how good you look on Sunday in front of a bunch of church people. How do you treat your wife?
How do you respond to your kids?
What would your co worker say about your Christianity?
What about the people in your pasture?
Are you helping, feeding and loving them?
Let me end with this question.
It's a profound question and I'm going to warn you, it's going to just take a little bit of thinking right now.
[00:32:49] Speaker A: And I know you're tired.
[00:32:50] Speaker B: I know it's been a long day. I know many of you have worked, but I just. Would you just give me five minutes to walk you through this?
Because this will be a revolutionary thought for you.
I really, I promise you. Okay, here's the question in closing. Here it is. Ready?
Can you love Jesus the way that Jesus loves you?
Just answer that in your mind right now.
Can you love Jesus the way Jesus loves you? Okay, now before you answer, let me.
[00:33:22] Speaker A: Tell you how Jesus loves you.
[00:33:24] Speaker B: Jesus loves you before you loved him, Right? Do we know that?
[00:33:28] Speaker A: First John, chapter four. We love him because he what?
First loved us. So can you love him first?
[00:33:33] Speaker B: No.
[00:33:34] Speaker A: He beat you to it. He beat you to it. He loved you before you even Know.
[00:33:38] Speaker B: There was a him. He loved you, right?
[00:33:40] Speaker A: So can you love Jesus the way he loves you? Well, not in that way. Cause you can't love him first.
[00:33:44] Speaker B: Because he loved you first.
[00:33:45] Speaker A: Someone's gotta be first.
[00:33:46] Speaker B: He won.
[00:33:47] Speaker A: Okay, what about this? Jesus loved you when you were unlovely, did he?
[00:33:52] Speaker B: Not even when I'm bad, He loves me.
[00:33:55] Speaker A: Do you love Jesus when he's bad? No, he's never bad. He's altogether good. Do you love Jesus when he's unlovely? No, he's never unlovely. He's the lovely one.
So can I love Jesus the way he loves me? Ostensibly, the answer is no, because I can't love him first and I can't love him when he's unlovely. I can love him, but I can't love him qualifiably in the same way that he loves me.
[00:34:18] Speaker B: But wait a minute.
Somebody came to Jesus one day and they asked him this question.
[00:34:25] Speaker A: Here's what they said.
[00:34:26] Speaker B: Master, what is the greatest commandment in the law?
And what did Jesus say?
[00:34:34] Speaker A: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, soul, mind and strength.
That was the question.
[00:34:40] Speaker B: That was the answer. But Jesus went beyond the answer.
[00:34:44] Speaker A: And the second?
No, the guy didn't ask about the second.
He only asked about the first.
But Jesus, for some reason, gave a second. And a second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two hang all the law and the prophets.
[00:35:00] Speaker B: Oh, okay.
[00:35:01] Speaker A: Well, if Jesus gave that answer, do you think we should stick with it? Sure.
Jesus always gives the right answer.
[00:35:07] Speaker B: Matter of fact, Jesus is the answer. Okay, so there it is.
[00:35:10] Speaker A: No problem. But wait one minute.
So the apostle Paul wrote to the Romans, and In Romans, chapter 13 and verse 8, he said, owe no man.
[00:35:19] Speaker B: Anything but to love one another.
[00:35:22] Speaker A: For he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
[00:35:30] Speaker B: Wait. Wait a minute.
[00:35:31] Speaker A: He that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. Well, I thought Jesus said, to fulfill the law, you have to love God and then love others.
[00:35:38] Speaker B: But Paul didn't say anything about loving God.
[00:35:41] Speaker A: Paul just said, love others, you fulfill the law.
It's like he missed number one.
[00:35:46] Speaker B: He went right to number two.
[00:35:47] Speaker A: Well, what about Galatians, chapter five, where it says, all the law is fulfilled in one word. Even in this, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. All the law is fulfilled in one word. Even in this, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Nothing about loving God.
Paul, you're missing number one.
You're going right to Number two, you're saying that all the law is fulfilled in loving your neighbor. Well, wait a minute.
[00:36:13] Speaker B: James. James, chapter two.
[00:36:15] Speaker A: So James, the half brother of the Lord, if ye fulfill the royal law, according to the scripture, thou shalt love.
[00:36:23] Speaker B: Thy neighbor as thyself. You do? Well, the royal law. The number one law. The royal law is, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Nothing about loving God.
[00:36:32] Speaker A: So which is it?
[00:36:33] Speaker B: Okay, are we on team Jesus over here?
[00:36:36] Speaker A: Love God.
[00:36:37] Speaker B: Love, love your neighbor. One, two. Or are we on team Paul and James here? Just love your neighbor.
Well, I'm going with team Jesus. I mean, I don't know about you. I mean, we all make our own choice because obviously the Bible contradicts itself.
Obviously, there's this huge conundrum, right?
No, the Bible does not contradict itself. So how then do we find harmony between Jesus saying, number one, love God, Number two, love your neighbor, and Paul.
[00:37:07] Speaker A: And James saying, no, no, love your neighbor. You've done it all.
So a man comes to Jesus, matter.
[00:37:13] Speaker B: Of fact, he's a smart guy.
[00:37:15] Speaker A: He knows a lot about the Old.
[00:37:17] Speaker B: Testament law, especially the Mosaic law. He's a lawyer in that sense of knowing the law of God, the Torah.
[00:37:24] Speaker A: And he comes to Jesus one day.
[00:37:26] Speaker B: Says, master, what must I do to inherit eternal life? Now think about the question, what must I do?
[00:37:34] Speaker A: So if you want to do something.
[00:37:35] Speaker B: To go to heaven, then you better keep every commandment God's ever given and you'll go to heaven.
The fact is, you've already failed. We all have. All have sinned and come short of.
[00:37:44] Speaker A: The glory of God.
[00:37:45] Speaker B: Right? There is none righteous. No, not one.
[00:37:48] Speaker A: Right. All we, like sheep, have gone astray. So we've already blown it. But. But if it were theoretically possible for you to keep all the law of God, then you would indeed earn your way to heaven. No. No one could do that. Only one has fulfilled the law. That's Jesus. But he asked the question, what must I do to inherit eternal life?
And what did Jesus say?
[00:38:08] Speaker B: Jesus said, what do you think?
Again, questions stir the conscience. What do you think? Well, religious people love to tell you what they think.
[00:38:17] Speaker A: They love to show off their knowledge. What do you think? And the lawyer says, well, I think you ought to love God.
[00:38:26] Speaker B: Love your neighbor.
[00:38:29] Speaker A: That's the same answer Jesus gave.
So this guy agrees with Jesus.
Peter, Paul, and James are on their own team. But this lawyer, he's on Team Jesus. Love God, Love your neighbor.
[00:38:41] Speaker B: And Jesus said, okay, do that.
See how that works out for you.
And the man realizes in conviction, there's no way somebody can do that.
The law slays us.
The law condemns us. So he has to bring the law down to his level. So he says, who is my neighbor?
He didn't ask who God was. You know why? Because anyone can say they love God. And how can you challenge that?
God is an unseen entity. How can you challenge that?
So he asked, who's my neighbor? And Jesus tells the story about the Good Samaritan.
[00:39:15] Speaker A: Not as a cozy story for us to act better toward other people, although I think it's a great example. No, he told the Good Samaritan story to show us that salvation by works is impossible.
[00:39:26] Speaker B: Impossible.
Who was neighbor? Who was neighbor? And the man could only spit it out. I suppose him that showed mercy, Jesus was showing this man that you are condemned because you don't keep the law.
[00:39:42] Speaker A: Wow.
[00:39:44] Speaker B: So what does all this have to do with, can I love Jesus the way Jesus loves me?
And how does this position love God, love your neighbor, somehow congeal with this position? Just love your neighbor. You've done it all. How can we reconcile them?
[00:40:06] Speaker A: Well, one day.
[00:40:07] Speaker B: And here it is.
So here it is.
One day, Jesus will say this to some people. Ready?
Thank you for the cup of water when I was thirsty, and thank you for the food when I was hungry.
[00:40:26] Speaker A: And thank you for visiting me.
And thank you for clothing me when I had no clothes. Thank you.
And then they will say unto him, lord, when saw we thee naked, Lord, when were you hungry, Lord?
When were you thirsty, Lord? Lord, when did we visit you?
What are we missing, Lord, when did we do that to you?
[00:40:51] Speaker B: And then he will say unto them, don't miss it.
Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren.
Don't miss it.
Ye have done it unto.
Talk to me.
Watch this. You've done it. Not for me.
Not like me.
You've done it to me.
Can I love Jesus the same way that Jesus loves me?
The answer is yes.
You know why? Because I can love people before they love me.
And when I do that, I'm loving him.
And I can love people when they're unlovely.
And you're never more like Christ than when you do that.
And when I love the unlovely person, I'm not just acting like Christ.
I'm not just doing that for the Lord.
I'm doing that to the Lord.
So could it be that God has put prickly people in your life?
Could it be that God has allowed that one, that situation, that betrayal, that unloveliness so that you have a prime opportunity to love him the way he loves you.
Do you love Jesus? Shh.
He's not looking for a verbal answer.
He's looking for you to love the person near you that you really don't want to love.
And that, my friends, is graduate level Christianity.
And he calls us to that.
He calls us to that.
This is Monday night.
We want revival.
Revival starts with saying no to ourselves.
Revival starts with saying, lord, I'm going to show the love of Christ to people that desperately need to see it. And if I never get it back, I'm doing it to you.
Do you love Jesus?
[00:43:15] Speaker A: Shh.
[00:43:17] Speaker B: Let's show him.
And Father, thank you for this night and thank you, Lord, for this great, great church.
Thank you for kind attention and for Holy Spirit liberty.
Thank you for the incredible sufficiency of your word and the relevance of a passage written so many years ago that just hits us right between the eyes.
Oh, Jesus, tonight we're asking for your grace and help and strength.
We know that insufficient we are.
We know that we've come up short time and time again.
But Lord, just as these men reminded us in song, oh, God, we're on that glory road and we want to honor you.
Please, God, our heads are bowed, our eyes are closed. Tonight, for just a moment, I want to ask you a couple questions.
First of all, I want to ask you this question. Are you here tonight without Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior?
If you were to die today, do you have a Bible reason why you would be on your way to heaven and have a relationship, a bona fide, secure relationship with Jesus Christ?
[00:44:34] Speaker A: Or are you just trying a harder hoping?
[00:44:38] Speaker B: I wonder tonight if I could just pray for you. Maybe you wandered into the service.
[00:44:42] Speaker A: Maybe you're a guest, maybe you're a longtime member, but you're just not sure about your own eternity.
Messages like this maybe has rattled you a bit. That's not me.
[00:44:51] Speaker B: That's the Lord.
[00:44:52] Speaker A: Can I pray for you tonight?
[00:44:54] Speaker B: No one's looking.
[00:44:55] Speaker A: If you're here tonight and would say, pastor Skelly, I'm not sure.
[00:44:59] Speaker B: If I were to die today, I'd spend eternity with Christ. I'm not sure that I'm saved. Would you please pray for me? Would you slip a hand up tonight? Just slip it up and I'm going to pray for you. I'm not going to embarrass you. I'm not going to call. God bless you. God bless you. I'm going to pray for you tonight. And God bless you. My friend, I will be praying for you tonight as well. Who else tonight would join these? That's me. Pastor Skelly, pray for me. I'm not sure I'm saved.
I'm not sure. But I sure would love for you to pray for me about this. That I'd love to do that. Who else tonight? That's me. Pastor, would you please pray for me?
Just join these tonight? I'm gonna pray for you in just a moment.
I'm gonna give it a couple more seconds. Tonight, can I pray for you?
Thank you for having the courage to raise your hands tonight, those of you that did. And I'm gonna pray for you.
Lord Jesus, I do pray for these that have raised a hand for life's most important question.
And oh, God, tonight. Oh, God, tonight I'm praying that you would give them unction and courage to step out, Lord, to make that decision by faith, to trust you and you alone for their soul's salvation.
Oh, Lord, tonight, please work in their hearts, Lord. May tonight be their night. May today be the day passed from death unto life. Oh, God, today, please give them courage.
Give them understanding.
Give them your gift tonight. Please, God, I pray.
And then with our heads bowed and eyes closed, I want to ask one more question tonight. Maybe as you heard the message tonight and followed the text of scripture, maybe God spoke to your heart.
Maybe there's been a little bit of plasticity and your relationship with the Lord.
Maybe you've become a little bit too much of a talk Christian and maybe a little bit less of a walk Christian.
Maybe you have resisted and almost regretted a relationship in your life.
Maybe you have removed yourself from a prickly person in your life.
And maybe God has reaffirmed to you tonight.
Well, here's a way for me to show love, not just for Christ, but to Christ who would say, tonight, Pastor Scully, God's laid somebody on my heart. Somebody on my heart that I just need to be praying for. That I need to be reaching out to, showing love to. No matter what they show in return.
God has impressed somebody upon my heart tonight that I'm praying for somebody specific tonight. If that would be you tonight, we.
[00:47:36] Speaker A: Would you lift your hand all across.
[00:47:37] Speaker B: The auditorium with me, God, tonight. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. Many, many hands.
Many hands.
And, oh, God, tonight I pray that you would help us to live your love in front of these people that we've just brought to you in prayer.
And now, Lord, I pray that you bless this invitation.
Bless each person who has made a decision or will and Lord, may you be honored in the decisions of your people. I pray in Jesus name. Amen.
[00:48:11] Speaker A: Clifford Baptist Church invites you to join us for worship every Sunday morning at.
[00:48:15] Speaker B: 11Am for more information about our church, please call our church office at 434-946-0555.
