John 21:15-17 NKJV

So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of Jonah, 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."

16 He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?"

He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You."

He said to him, "Tend My sheep."

17 He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?"

And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You."

Jesus said to him, "Feed My sheep.

WE SEE HERE A CONVERSATION BETWEEN JESUS AND PETER. JESUS REPEATEDLY ASKED PETER THE SAME QUESTION…”DO YOU LOVE ME?”

PETERS RESPONSE WAS THE SAME EACH TIME…”YES LORD YOU KNOW THAT I LOVE YOU!”

THE LESSON PETER WAS MISSING WAS JESUS WAS ATTEMPTING TO GET PETER TO SEE THAT LOVE IS AN ACTION WORD. HE WAS TELLING PETER LOVE IS MORE THAN WORDS THAT HE NEEDED TO ADD CORRESPONDING ACTION TO HIS LOVE, TO BE A DOER OF HIS WORDS, TO DO MORE THAN JUST SAY ”YES LORD YOU KNOW THAT I LOVE YOU!”

AFTER BEING ASKED THREE TIMES, PETER MUST HAVE BEEN THINKING JESUS DIDN’T BELIEVE HE REALLY LOVED HIM AND VERSE 17 SAID HE WAS GRIEVED.

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE GRIEVED, IT MEANS TO FEEL GRIEF AND GRIEF MEANS…

INTENSE EMOTIONAL SUFFERING CAUSED BY LOSS, DEEP SORROW.

PETER WAS SORROWFUL BECAUSE HE THOUGHT JESUS DIDN’T BELIEVE HE REALLY LOVED HIM AND JESUS JUST WANTED HIM TO SEE THAT LOVE REQUIRES US TO GIVE SOMETHING OF OURSELVES IN THIS CASE HE WAS TELLING PETER “FEED MY SHEEP”

JESUS IS STILL ASKING THE CHURCH THE SAME QUESTION…

DO YOU LOVE ME?”

OUR RESPONSE IS THE SAME AS PETERS…

”LORD YOU KNOW ALL THINGS; YOU KNOW THAT WE LOVE YOU!”

AND HIS RESPONSE IS STILL THE SAME…

“FEED MY SHEEP”

WE MUST BE CAREFUL NOT TO BE LIKE PETER WHEN HE ASKED OF US THE SAME THING AGAIN AND AGAIN, WE CAN’T ALLOW OURSELVES TO GET GRIEVED.

LET ME GIVE AN EXAMPLE…

Mal 3:10 NKJV

Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,

WE HAVE BEEN ASKED AGAIN AND AGAIN AND IF WERE NOT CAREFUL LIKE PETER WE CAN GET GRIEVED WITH IT. REMEMBER THE DEFINITION OF GRIEVE…

IT MEANS TO FEEL GRIEF AND GRIEF MEANS…

INTENSE EMOTIONAL SUFFERING CAUSED BY LOSS.

YOU SEE JESUS ASK US TO BRING OUR TITHES TO HIM BUT LIKE PETER IF WERE THINKING GRIEF THOUGHTS…THOUGHTS OF SUFFERING CAUSED BY LOSS. WERE THINKING JESUS IS TRYING TO TAKE SOMETHING FROM US AND IF WE GIVE IT WE WILL SUFFER LOSE, LOSE OF OUR FINANACES AND THAT GRIEVES US.

LET ME READ ALL OF Mal 3:10

Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,

That there may be food in My house,

And try Me now in this,"

Says the LORD of hosts,

"If I will not open for you the windows of heaven

And pour out for you such blessing

That there will not be room enough to receive it.

ISN’T THIS REALLY SAYING THE SAME THING THAT JESUS SAID TO PETER…”IF YOU LOVE ME YOU WILL FEED MY SHEEP”.

LET ME PARAPHRASE…

Bring all the tithes into Generations church,

That there may be food in this house, food to feed the Sheep.

WE SHOULD NEVER ALLOW OURSELVES TO BE GRIEVED NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES JESUS ASKED SOMETHING OF US. WE CAN SEE HE IS NEVER A TAKER HE IS ALWAYS A GIVER. HE PROMISES US IF WE BRING OUR TITHES TO HIS HOUSE THERE WILL ALWAYS BE FOOD IN HIS HOUSE TO FEED HIS SHEEP AND BECAUSE WE DO MORE THAN SAY “YES LORD YOU KNOW THAT WE LOVE YOU!” WE ADD CORRESPONDING ACTION TO OUR LOVE HE PROMISES HE WILL OPEN THE WINDOWS OF HEAVEN AND BLESS US BEYOND OUR ABILITY TO RECEIVE.

top