124 - The Christian Sign is to Love One Another 3#
124 The Christian Sign is to Love One Another (Part Three)
(JP Text Group - Grace Grass Compilation)
John 21:15-19
15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John (Note: “John” is referred to as “Jonah” in Matthew 16:17), do you love me more than these?” Peter said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.”
17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, 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 everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. 18 Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” 19 This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God. And after saying this, he said to him, “Follow me!”
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we thank you for this time to worship and praise you together. As we listen to your words once again, may they be a help and strength in our lives. Just as you lifted up the weak Peter, may you also lift up those among us who are weak. Heal those who come to seek you; you are our healer and provider. You are our great shepherd. May the Holy Spirit lead this time so that each of us may receive something. We thank and praise you. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen!
Continuing to share that the Christian sign is to love one another
In John chapter 21, there is a very important background. Peter and the disciples had previously failed after following Jesus for three and a half years. At that time, they only heard the words and had knowledge in their hearts but did not have the power to act on Jesus' words. Therefore, when Jesus faced persecution, all the disciples ran away. Among them, the self-righteous Peter denied Jesus three times, and he fell quite thoroughly. Jesus resurrected and appeared to the disciples three times; this was the third time. When Jesus appeared to the disciples this time, Peter's heart had not let go of the denial of Jesus.
Jesus came this time to lift up the weak Peter once again. When Peter accepted Jesus' mission to feed His sheep, it was a transmission of love. Peter must receive love from Jesus in order to love His church and his brothers and sisters. This point is very important.
We also say that the Christian sign is to love one another. If we do not understand how much Jesus loves us, or if we have not received love from Jesus, we cannot love those around us. The beginning of John chapter 21 records some of these things: “After these things,” what does this refer to? It refers to the disciples' failures, but Jesus did not hold them accountable for their failures. After experiencing this, these things still existed in their hearts.
In fact, we will also fail on our spiritual journey; we may stumble in our families and have moments of weakness, experiencing many ups and downs. Brothers and sisters, whether in failure or victory, both have very precious spiritual value for us.
Do not overlook your past failures; these are also extremely precious in God's eyes. Especially when people fail, they feel that they are not capable of anything, feeling that there are still things they cannot do. This is also a good thing; otherwise, people would feel they can do anything.
Peter is exactly in this process. In everything we experience, we must see the lessons they bring us. When we are weak and extremely sad, shedding tears, these tears are also extremely precious before God. Psalm 56 tells us that even our tears are collected by God in His bottle and recorded in His book. What does this mean? Your weakness, every fall, even your pain, Jesus knows, and God knows. And in your process, He will lift you up once again.
John 21:1: “After this, Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias.”
What kind of place is the “Sea of Tiberias”? Peter returned to three and a half years ago when he was fishing, and then Jesus came to find him, called the Sea of Gennesaret. At that time, this term was used; now another term is used, called the Sea of Tiberias. They are all names for the Sea of Galilee, just three different names. The Bible has three names that refer to the Sea of Galilee: the Sea of Gennesaret, the Sea of Kinneret, and the Sea of Tiberias, all referring to the Sea of Galilee, also known as the Galilee Lake.
In other words, three and a half years ago, Peter was fishing there when Jesus came to find him. This event seems very similar and familiar. Three and a half years later, Jesus still comes to find Peter again in this process. This is Jesus' love; no matter how thoroughly you fall or how deeply you fail, Jesus will still come to find you. Amen! He comes not to condemn you but to lift you up again.
During the three and a half years, the disciples followed Jesus. Whatever Jesus asked them to do, they did. Jesus said, “Go and preach in my name.” These disciples went out, two by two. Now suddenly Jesus died, resurrected, and no longer led them, and the disciples did not know what to do. As the first called by Jesus, Peter took on the role of leader among these disciples; someone had to guide this group.
Did Peter and the others know what Jesus' will was? In fact, Jesus had already told them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for the power from heaven. They actually knew this. Did Jesus just let them wait? Wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit. Although they had knowledge and understood what Jesus said, they did not have the ability to apply it and did not know what to do. Jesus said, “You wait.” In fact, it was a process of resting. Amen!
Before you work, you must first rest. Amen! You cannot keep working continuously; how many days can you work? If you want to work continuously, you must first learn to rest before God. They would have a lot of work to do later, and there was still a long time ahead, but in this process, they must first rest before God. Jesus' intention was, “Wait.” What does waiting mean? It means not to do anything now.
But could the disciples endure this? No. They still could not rest; they wanted to do something because worry had come. Very realistically, many people ask us, “What is the benefit of believing in Jesus? Can money fall from heaven? Can you drop me some buns?” Isn’t that very realistic? The disciples were also thinking about this, “Jesus is gone, and you say to wait; what about our lives?”
Isn’t this a very realistic thing? As the main disciple, Peter began to think, “I can’t wait; I must do something.” This is what we have been emphasizing: although they were under Jesus' grace, they did not use the grace, so they wanted to do something by relying on themselves. In fact, Jesus' words are very simple: “Wait, I will provide for you.” Isn’t that simple?
People really find it hard to believe this. They say, “Is it enough to just wait? No, I must do something.” In verse 3, there were actually seven disciples here; you can count carefully. In verse 3, Simon Peter said to the others, “I am going fishing.” Brothers and sisters, what kind of church you attend and whose preaching you listen to is very important! Or following a certain leader is important, right? It is very important! In battle, it is crucial to follow a good general; if you follow someone who knows nothing, even the best soldiers can lead to your demise. It is the same in the church; if you follow a spiritually dull leader, or someone who does not know how to serve, he will lead you down the same path as Peter.
What did Jesus mean? He meant for them to wait here. But Peter said he could not wait; he had to do something. He said, “I am going fishing.” Peter was actually very wise. He did not say, “You all come fishing with me.” He wanted to go fishing by himself; if he went alone, wouldn’t that be it? In fact, he still wanted to take this group with him. So he said, “I am going fishing,” and how did the others respond? “We will go with you.” So they went out.
Brothers and sisters, was Peter’s fishing a good thing? From a human perspective, it seems very right. Can you just believe in Jesus and do nothing? But from a spiritual perspective, this is incorrect because it violates Jesus' intention. Peter represents the leader of the disciples, equivalent to the pastor of the church, or a servant. The other disciples represent the followers. As a leader, if you do not understand God’s will and lead people to a place at will, it is very dangerous.
If someone tells you not to go to this church but to gather somewhere else, or says, “Let’s establish a new church,” that is what a leader does. Leading people to another place is the same as what Peter is doing now. When you follow someone, you must have the ability to discern. These things are not only known by Peter; don’t all the disciples know? Jesus told them not to leave this place but to wait here. When Peter said this, they all heard it and said, “Okay, we will go with you.”
They blindly followed Peter without discernment. Peter's spirituality lacked clarity and dimmed, causing those who followed him to be like him, laboring all night. Do you think these disciples did not work hard? They worked very hard. Did Peter work hard? Yes, he did. But they caught nothing all night.
In the second half of verse 3, it says, “They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.”
How long? A whole night. I have shared with brothers and sisters before that in the Sea of Galilee, the fish appear at night. If you travel to Israel, the locals will tell you to eat “Saint Peter's fish.” Why is that fish called “Saint Peter's fish”? Because that night, Peter caught one hundred fifty-three large fish, and from then on, the big fish in the lake was named “Saint Peter's fish.” In one night, this person failed but became famous instead. In God's eyes, there is no failure.
The fishing matter seems like a small thing. But they did not rest and wanted to solve something through their own efforts, which instead produced a new result: they caught nothing. They worked hard but had no good results. Brothers and sisters, if you are working hard in one direction and have no good results, you should be wise and stop; perhaps your direction is already wrong.
If Peter did not catch fish that night, and Jesus did not come the next day, if Peter continued to go for three days without catching fish, would he still go? Is it because there are no fish in this lake? No. It is because the direction of effort is wrong. So this is the wisdom of Christians in life. If you find that something is making you more anxious, making you more fearful, you should stop; perhaps your direction is already wrong. It is better to rest before God and seek His direction.
Was Peter's intention in fishing good? He was trying to provide for this group of disciples. But he forgot who these disciples belonged to. They belong to Jesus. Would Jesus provide? He will absolutely provide. So when the Lord's disciples had problems with fishing, it represents that when spiritual people have problems in life, what should they do? They should first receive from Jesus. If you do not understand how much Jesus loves you and try to rely on your own efforts to do things, knowing that God loves you, you will not do this; you will learn to rely on God and thank God.
You must believe that God has provision for all your matters. For two thousand years, how many believers have been tested by similar problems? When problems arise, do they act according to their own will, or do they first rest before God and seek His will? This is very important. Peter chose to do something, and as a result, he gained nothing, just as everything returned to the way it was before. Isn’t tonight’s event very similar to what happened before? When Jesus first went to the Sea of Galilee to find Peter, what was Peter's situation? He fished all night and caught nothing.
Jesus came. Jesus said, “Peter, can I use your boat?” At that time, Peter was washing his nets. This proves that he not only did not catch fish but also had to wash the nets. There might have been a lot of seaweed and all sorts of things that got mixed in; he had to wash the nets again. Jesus said, “Can I use your boat?” Peter said, “Sure.” Peter and Jesus both sat in the boat; He said, “Put out a little from the shore.” There were many people on the shore listening to Jesus preach. Could Peter listen at that time? He was thinking about fish. This is the reality!
Brothers and sisters, if there are many new believers in the church, or those who have not heard of Jesus, and they come here, you may have a great burden; perhaps it is a physical illness or many problems at home. I come to tell you, “Believe in Jesus; He can solve your problems.” You might say, “First solve my physical problems.” At that time, Peter must have been thinking, “Don’t speak so nicely; give me some fish first.” Did Jesus not know his needs? He had fished all night and caught nothing! This was the lowest point in life!
When encountering the lowest point in life, should we believe what Jesus said? What kind of content was Jesus preaching at that time? “Do not worry, do not be anxious; the kingdom of heaven is upon you. Amen! Believe in God, and you will see miracles.” Perhaps when Jesus preached this content, Peter could not take it in and thought, “Can He really give fish?” After Jesus finished speaking, He said, “Peter, now put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch!” Isn’t this to solve his problem?
Brothers and sisters, this is a very important matter. You must first receive His words from God, receive His love; He is indeed going to solve your problems. Although it seems like, “Why not solve my problems first and then believe in Him?” In fact, it is the opposite; God first wants to give you His words, give you His love. When you understand how much He loves you, the problems will naturally be resolved. It is your worries that will disappear.
Why do we worry? We feel that we may not be able to grasp these matters, which causes worry. Why do we fear? Because you are uncertain about whether you can do it, that is when you will be afraid. But if you believe that God loves you, that Jesus loves you, and that His love is always upon you, you will not worry. Just like a two-year-old child, do they need to worry? What if my parents don’t pay my allowance this month? Will they worry about these things? Not at all; when they are hungry, they will say, “Mom, give me something to eat.” They do not care where you earn money; these things are not their concern, and they will not have such concerns. When they grow up, they start to worry about these things because they have to be responsible for themselves. Why not let God always be responsible for you? Let Jesus always take care of you!
In fact, Jesus has always been responsible for you; we just do not understand. Knowing that Jesus is always willing to love you, He is always taking care of you, your worries will disappear, and you will be able to encourage others with Jesus' love. This is loving one another. Amen!
Tonight’s event seems like Peter has returned to three and a half years ago. Many times we may feel, “I have believed in the Lord for many years, but it seems I have returned to when I first believed, knowing nothing and having nothing, as if these years of faith were in vain.” If you feel this way, you have indeed fallen to the lowest point. The Lord is not in vain; was the three and a half years of teaching by Jesus in vain? No. These words are powerful. Amen! What problem led to such a result? It was the result of their own efforts, so now they have nothing. This situation seems to have reappeared.
What is the spiritual meaning here? They caught nothing that night, groping in the darkness. But look, when did Jesus tell them to fish? The first time Jesus told Peter to fish was during the day; this time it was in the morning. Amen! Jesus does not want you to grope in the darkness, brothers and sisters. He wants you to work when there is sunlight because you cannot see the road ahead in the dark. We dare not move forward without light. Jesus is your light; do not let yourself stay in darkness for long. What does this darkness symbolize?
The lowest point in life will eventually pass. The life of a Christian begins in the evening and becomes brighter as we move toward the day. This is the Jewish way of counting time. May we understand this: we do not walk from day to night but from night to gradually brighter days. This is the life of a Christian.
Although it was night, as dawn was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore. Thank God, do you see? The spiritual dawn has arrived. You may come to church and say, “I made many mistakes last week, just like someone groping in darkness.” But when you come here, the spiritual dawn has already arrived. You must know that Jesus is already waiting for you here.
Jesus stood on the shore; doesn’t the scene seem very similar to three years ago? Jesus also stood on the shore to find Peter. Are you willing to let Jesus find you? If you are willing, this is repentance. Brothers and sisters, when encountering problems, do not struggle by yourself; come and seek Jesus! This is repentance. This is something we need to repent of every day. May our church brothers and sisters repent every day, always keeping your eyes on Jesus, not looking at how bad the current environment is. Although you have gone the wrong way, although that night you caught nothing; although you have suffered and failed, Jesus is standing on the shore waiting for you.
As a pastor, I want to remind you every week to look up to Jesus Christ. Do not look at how bad your current environment is; look up to Jesus Christ. He is the solution to all your problems; you must look up to His manifestation and presence.
Jesus came; He stood on the shore, but the disciples did not know it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” Jesus said, “I know you have none; I will provide for you.” What is the most fearful thing? It is when someone has nothing but thinks they have something; that is very scary.
“Children” is a very intimate term and does not carry a mocking tone. This phrase indicates that the love of Jesus Christ always cares for our poverty and our troubles. Amen! Brothers and sisters, in the three and a half years, did Jesus often ask the disciples to fast? Did He say, “There is not enough food; let’s fast”?
No. In the three and a half years, Jesus never said, “Let’s not preach this month; let’s go work first because there is not enough food to eat.” Did He ever do such a thing? In the three and a half years, Jesus always provided abundantly for them; they never worried about what to eat, what to wear, or what to drink. But this time, after leaving Jesus, these problems arose, and they could not solve them. They worked hard but had no results. If you say, “I also worked hard but had no results,” come back to Jesus and look up to Him! You must see Jesus' provision; Jesus does not come empty-handed.
In verse 9: When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.
Jesus had already prepared everything. Do you think that believing in Jesus will leave you hungry? Will you be naked? Jesus will provide for you; He already knew that these disciples had not caught anything and had prepared everything on the shore. Do you know how rich Jesus' preparation is? “Fish” represents the most abundant things in the sea, and “bread” represents the most abundant things on land. Jesus has prepared everything for you, so do not worry. Believing in Jesus will truly allow you to eat and drink without worry, whether you believe it or not; if you sincerely believe, you will see it.
The Lord Jesus deeply knows the disciples' current lack and timely provides for their needs. Do you believe that God can supply your needs? Jesus is your cup of blessing, your inheritance, your all-sufficient help; you must first believe this. Amen!
When Simon Peter realized it was Jesus, Jesus said to them, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” It seems that our Jesus knows how to fish; the first time He met Peter, He said, “Put out into deep water and let down the nets for a catch.” This time Jesus said again, “Throw your net on the right side, and you will find some.” Doesn’t Jesus seem to lack knowledge? Can’t He say something powerful and professional? It seems not; Jesus just said simply, “Throw your net on the right side, and you will find some.”
Do you see that Jesus is the most professional? Peter could judge, “At this time, based on the water flow, wind speed, and the current water temperature, I know where the fish are.” He has very professional knowledge, but Jesus does not look at any of this. Jesus said, “I do not look at the time; I do not look at the place; I only declare based on My words.” When He declares, what do we need to do? We need to believe that Jesus' words will come to pass. This is a very important matter.
When Jesus said to throw the net on the right side of the boat, you will find some. They threw it down and found they could not haul it in because of the large number of fish. Do you see Jesus' love? Jesus' provision is in your daily life, so do not separate faith from life. The blessings and love Jesus gives you are reflected in your daily life. The love we give to others should not be an empty theory but should be manifested in life. Amen!
How do we manifest it? For example, if you see some brothers in the church have problems, you care for them and help them; isn’t this Jesus' love for one another? It is like this, brothers and sisters. Just as the disciples were weak and had physical needs, Jesus came and said, “Throw your net on the right side, and you will find some.” This is practical love for one another. Amen! Jesus loves these disciples very much and then solves their problems.
When they saw the fish, they remembered, “Wow! This scene is really familiar.” Many times when we are weak, we pray and remember how God has answered our prayers. I knew nothing, my life was small, I did not know anything else, did not know any heresies, did not know what kind of disputes were in the church, only knew to look up to Jesus. God healed me. It is like returning to the fervent heart of a new believer. People say that a newborn calf is not afraid of tigers. Why are they not afraid? They do not understand how terrifying a tiger is, so they are not afraid. Ignorance and fearlessness.
But Jesus does not want us to be ignorant; He wants us to understand Jesus more and more because the more we understand Jesus, the more love we can draw from there! Jesus wants us to understand Him; the more we understand, the more strength we have. When they saw the fish, this scene seemed very familiar! Because the first time they did this according to Jesus' words, they caught two boats full of fish, but this time they could not haul it in; there were a total of one hundred fifty-three fish, right?
There is a saying, “Although there were so many fish, the net was not torn.” This is a very important matter, brothers and sisters. What is the spiritual meaning? That time, the net was full of big fish, a total of one hundred fifty-three. After Jesus told Peter to throw the net, He said to Peter, “From now on, I will make you fishers of men.” Hasn’t He already told him? Don’t fish anymore; I will make you fishers of men. But this time, when Peter saw the fish, he remembered Jesus' words...
Brothers and sisters, when you pray to God and see it fulfilled, you will remember that God's words are indeed correct; He is a faithful God. What is scary is that we do not have this experience and never take a step deeper with God. Jesus wants Peter to be a fisher of men, not only to catch many people but also to ensure that what is caught is a full net and not lost.
Brothers and sisters, every pastor's ministry is different, and the gifts received from God are also different. Some people particularly like to speak in front of thousands of people, to hold evangelistic meetings, believing that many people can come to faith; isn’t this fishing?
It is the same, brothers and sisters. This world is like the sea; we are the fish inside. After the net is thrown down, some will be saved, and some fish will go out, just like in an evangelistic meeting where many people believe in the Lord, and the pastor also gains fame. This is good, but at the same time, there is one point: is it more difficult to raise fish? It is easy to catch fish, but is it difficult to raise them? When I was young, I caught quite a few fish, but after a few days, they died because I did not know how to keep them alive.
In other words, we must not only be fishers of men but also do one thing: we must take care of them, love these people, and not let them drift back into the world. Jesus came to find these disciples because He loves them, Amen! He does not want them to remain weak; He wants them to regain strength! Jesus prepared breakfast for them. Before Jesus went to the cross, He prepared dinner for them, and when they were weak, He prepared breakfast for them. From evening to morning, God has always been providing.
Brothers and sisters, do not worry about your current problems. After Jesus prepared all this, the disciples sat down, and Jesus took the bread and fish to give to them. Can you imagine such a scene? The disciples were very tired; they sat down, and Jesus now took the bread and fish to give to them. These seven disciples began to distribute the bread and fish. Who is resting now? The disciples are resting; they are enjoying God's provision. Jesus said, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” Were these fish caught by them? They were provided by Jesus. Amen!
Although the disciples worked hard, if there were no provision from God, no matter how hard you work, it will be ineffective. If you walk in God's will with one word from Jesus, there will be abundant harvest. The disciples' fishing became a kind of enjoyment. Jesus said, “Throw your net on the right side!” The disciples threw down the net, and a net full of fish came up. Isn’t this a kind of enjoyment? Therefore, serving God in Christ should be an enjoyment. Amen! If it becomes bitterness, jealousy, and disputes, then there is a problem.
After they finished fishing, Jesus said, “Bring me a few fish.” After Jesus finished cooking, He gave it to them; He did not let them eat raw fish, right? It was grilled fish because there was a fire. After grilling, He gave it to them. Jesus became the servant again; in fact, this was just an act of love. Jesus did not say, “I love you so much,” but this whole action was Jesus loving these disciples.
When they were weak, Jesus came to lift them up; when they were hungry, Jesus came to provide for them. So brothers and sisters, I hope you can receive Jesus Christ's provision here. As a new week begins, no matter how difficult your current problems are, remember that Jesus always has a way.
After they finished breakfast, Jesus began to resolve Peter's doubts in his heart. This problem must be resolved; if it is not resolved, there is no way to serve. Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” At first, Jesus was loving the disciples with unconditional love, providing for them. After they finished eating, having enjoyed rest and gained strength, Jesus began to ask Peter some questions.
This is the second point we want to share: Jesus' love changed Peter's life.
The first point shared is that if you do not receive from Christ, you cannot give out; perhaps your labor will be without results. They first rested and filled their stomachs. Peter was possibly called aside by Jesus. In any case, there was a dialogue between them. Jesus asked Peter, “Peter, do you love me more than these?” Why did Jesus ask Peter this? Why did He specifically say this to Peter? In any church, regardless of size, God wants to establish a pastor. Perhaps this pastor is not the smartest or the most capable, but he must have love. Do you understand this, brothers and sisters?
Including Paul, among the twelve disciples, was Peter the most eloquent? Was Peter the most knowledgeable? No. Or was Peter's gift the greatest? No. But Peter received abundant love from Christ. This point is very important. As a pastor of the church, perhaps he does not have as much knowledge as you or is not as eloquent as you, but one thing is certain: he must love you. Such a pastor is worth following. Because he is a pastor established by Jesus, do not underestimate this position; it is very important.
Looking further, when Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love me more than these?” In Greek, the word for love used is Agape, which means “God's unconditional love, an imperishable love, a love that does not seek return, a sacrificial love.” This phrase has two interpretations, both of which are correct. The first is: you love these. Referring to the boat, the fishnet, or the bread, the coals, do you love these more than me? This is the first interpretation.
The second interpretation is: do you love me more than these disciples? This phrase has two meanings, and both meanings are correct in Greek. Peter answered Jesus, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you!” But the love Peter answered was not the same love Jesus asked of Peter. Jesus used Agape, and Peter responded with philo, which means what? Let me translate it into Chinese for you: when Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love me more than these?” or “Is your love really greater than those people?”
Peter answered, “Yes, Lord; you know I like you!” Is there a big difference between love and liking? One is unconditional, and the other is just liking, a very superficial comparison. Peter said, “Lord, you know, I just like you; I cannot say I love you unconditionally. I have already failed before, but you still ask me today if I love you! Or if I love you more than these, I do not know how to answer you, Lord; I can only say I like you; my love can only reach this level.”
Brothers and sisters, this is a very important point because Peter was once very proud and boasted about himself, without a humble heart. Jesus never told him, “Peter, from now on, I will entrust my disciples to you.” Peter was a hothead; whenever something happened, he would jump out, saying, “Lord, they all fall away; I will never fall away; they all fail; I will not fail; they all deny you; I will not deny you. I am willing to die for you.” Isn’t that an exaggeration? In fact, that was a kind of pride; Jesus never entrusted him with anything.
As a servant of the church or as a believer, if you are proud, you will gain nothing before God. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. What is a humble person? It is someone who feels they cannot do it; Lord, all these things are given to me by you; wisdom, ability, and gifts are all yours. God says, “Since it is mine, I will give you more.” This is important. Only those who serve God with humility can receive God's blessings because proud people do not need God; they feel they are strong.
Although we often feel discouraged, often weak, and sometimes complain to God, or feel very proud and arrogant, the Lord Jesus still loves us and does not count our sins against us. Instead, He embraces us with His Agape unconditional love because it is Jesus' love that continuously supplies us. So Peter said, “Yes, Lord; you know I just like you.” Brothers and sisters, at that time, Peter really humbled himself. Jesus said, “Peter, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” Peter was still unconvinced, but he really denied Jesus and even cursed Jesus, swearing that he did not know this person.
When preaching the gospel to others, you may encounter others cursing you, insulting you, or even trying to distance themselves from you. Even with such words, Jesus did not abandon these people. Thank the Lord; this is the Agape love of Jesus. This love is unconditional, regardless of your behavior; He will still love you and does not count our sins against us.
When Peter said, “Lord, you know I just like you; I cannot say I love you,” he humbled himself. Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” Would you dare to entrust your ministry to someone who has betrayed you before? Not just once, but several times? You would be very uneasy. Isn’t Jesus very unwise to entrust it to him? He denied Jesus three times. When we fail and are weak, we truly cannot do it, and that is when we will humble ourselves, and Jesus wants to use the humble.
Peter has already humbled himself, so Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” Thank the Lord; why did He first say “lambs”? What are the characteristics of lambs? Lambs have no discernment; they are very small. Whatever you give them, they will eat. If you give them poison, they will eat it. If you give them poisonous grass, they will also eat it! So lambs have no discernment. Jesus said, “Peter, feed my lambs.”
Brothers and sisters, you must remember this word “feed.” Feeding is a process of provision. It means do not strike them, do not condemn them; you must feed them because they are lambs. In this matter, I experienced it last week. My second child woke up and started crying for an hour as soon as his mother left. I tried holding him horizontally and vertically, but he still cried. I couldn’t just scold him!
Could he understand what I said? No, he could not. Would scaring him work? No, it would not work. No matter how you scare him, it does not work. In the end, I held him until I was exhausted, and I put him on the bed and said, “Cry if you want!” He still cried. Am I really going to leave him there? I still had to hold him and comfort him. At that moment, I suddenly understood one thing.
When we are still lambs, we are very willful and do whatever we want. We do not know that it is grace; we act recklessly, wanting to do whatever we want. Jesus still embraces us because we are lambs. He continuously feeds us. Jesus said to Peter, “You must feed my lambs.”
Especially for me, I can only use the word “feed” to speak to you because most of the people in our church are new believers; I can only feed you. Even though many problems exist among you, because you have not grown up, I can only feed you. Thank God! Feeding is the responsibility of the shepherd; it is to lead the flock to places with water and grass so that they can fully enjoy healthy grass. This is the responsibility of the shepherd. I can only tell you that there are some things you should not do because they are not good for you. Although you may not understand now, you will definitely understand later. I will feed you with God's words to help you grow, not to strike you. Always remember that striking does not work.
When a three-month-old baby cries, will slapping him two times make him stop crying? You say, “Why are you crying? Why don’t you understand?” Does that work? It does not work. What is the method to stop a three-month-old baby from crying? Feeding. Why could I not do this? Because I had no milk at that time. Do you understand, brothers and sisters?
As lambs, the only thing that can feed you is God's word. I can only give you God's word. Amen! So for us, this is important. I cannot give you anything poisonous; I must take responsibility. Not everyone is qualified to be a pastor; a pastor must have a spirit of dedication. They must be responsible for the flock; it is not just a few people coming together to casually establish a church. Since you dare to take on this leadership role, you must be fully responsible for them. God is looking for you; thank the Lord!
Just like Adam and Eve, who sinned first? Eve sinned first, but who did God look for? “Adam, have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” Why did He not ask Eve first? He should have asked Eve first because the head of the family is the man. God must first look for him. If there are problems in our church, and I do not care, when God comes, He will first look for me, not you. Do you understand, brothers and sisters? Since you are willing to be in this church, I must take responsibility for you. I am the pastor, and I will treat you as the Lord's sheep and feed you. This is the first feeding. Then Jesus asked Peter again.
In verse 16, Jesus said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”
He still used the word philo, asking, “Do you love me?” Peter again answered the Lord, “Yes, Lord; you know I love you.” Jesus used philo, and what did Peter use? It was still philo, saying, “Lord, you know, yes, I just like you.” This is my love. At that time, Peter was really very humble. What did Jesus immediately say? “Tend my sheep.” What is the difference between these two? When lambs grow up, they no longer need to be fed milk every day; they need to be provided with clean pastures and clean water, and that is enough. They will eat by themselves. For lambs, they need milk.
Brothers and sisters, I hope you do not always remain as lambs; you should be able to grow up and eat things in the pasture by yourself. You should have the ability to discern. I hope you all have the ability to discern in grace. Do not just follow what others say; do not just echo what others say. If someone says this is heresy, or you believe everything, do not listen casually. You must have the ability to discern. When you have the ability to discern, you are already an adult sheep. You will enjoy more than what lambs enjoy.
Isn’t what God created very rich? A three-month-old child can only drink milk; can they enjoy the many delicious things God created? No, they cannot. Because they are still small children, when they grow up, they can freely enjoy the many delicious things God created. I hope you do not remain as lambs; grow up to be someone who can enjoy God's abundant provision and blessings.
We are the second point: God gave this responsibility to Peter, saying, “You must tend my sheep.” The meaning of tending is to shepherd, to lead these grown sheep to the pasture and let them eat. What does this mean? For me, this is pastoring. The meaning of pastoring is to help lambs grow up and give these sheep the ability to discern.
Brothers and sisters, I hope you can all grow up. I am your pastor; you should also have the ability to discern. The standard for discernment is the Bible. Hallelujah! So let the Bible be your ability to discern in life, and you can receive and enjoy the abundant blessings Jesus wants to give you. When we grow up to be adult sheep, we can take care of those lambs.
1 Peter 5:2-4 also tells us,
2 Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; 3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.
This is not for lambs; it is for grown sheep, for pastors, or for servants. You must shepherd the flock of God among you. If you have this ability, say before God, “Lord, I have understood some of your truths.” How to do it?
During this week, give out what you have understood to those around you who have not yet believed, share God's love with them, spread the gospel to them, and use your strength in this area. Do not engage in scheming or constantly look at others' shortcomings; use your ability in the right place. Doing so is not wasting time; there will still be rewards before God. You will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away, setting an example for those around us. I am a Christian; this is the pattern of Christ.
How many people dare to say, “I go out representing the pattern of Christ”? Knowing this, you can humble yourself. It turns out we are still far behind. What is scary is that we, like Peter, have followed Jesus for more than three years, knowing too much but acting too little. Because we have not acted, we feel we are remarkable until we hit a wall and realize how little we actually know. At this moment, we humble ourselves. If you feel you already understand a lot, go and tell those who have not believed or those under the law about what you know. You will truly know how much you understand; this is pastoring God's sheep.
The third time, Jesus said to him, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Actually, this time is different. This time Jesus used philo, changing the meaning to say, “Peter, do you like me?” He did not use God's love; He asked, “Do you like me?” At this moment, Peter did not even dare to say he liked Jesus. Jesus had come down to his level and asked, “Do you like me?”
What did Peter say? “Lord, you know everything; you know I like you.” At first, Jesus used love, but in the end, Jesus said, “Do you like me?” When Peter heard this for the third time, he must have felt conflicted, remembering that he had denied Jesus three times... perhaps he had such a knot in his heart, always entangled and unable to let go. But Jesus used three times to say, “You know I have always loved you.” Peter was released and said, “You are all-knowing; you know I like you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.”
Here it is different again, brothers and sisters. Although three times Jesus gave similar words, they were absolutely different this time. What does this time refer to? “Feed my grown sheep.” Even if you say, “I have believed in the Lord for a long time; I have already established a group; I have served the Lord for a long time…” you still need to be fed. Now the feeding is no longer milk; it is various spiritual food that needs to be understood in order to supply more people.
It is still feeding; whose sheep does Jesus use? “Feed my lambs; tend my sheep; feed my sheep.” Whose sheep? Jesus'. Amen! Brothers and sisters, in our church, I am the pastor; are you sheep? Who do you belong to? You belong to Jesus. Do not say you are just under the teaching. If someone tells you, “Let’s establish a new church,” whose are you? You belong to Jesus. Why create a division? This point is very important.
When you follow a certain person, a leader is indeed needed, but can this person truly be responsible for your life? If he cannot take responsibility for you as a sheep, you will go hungry, just like Peter. Peter became a leader himself, but he could not provide; Jesus personally came to provide. Amen!
If today’s message has helped you, and you feel you are part of this church, and the teacher is my pastor, then I will dedicate my life to feeding you and shepherding you. This is my ministry; this is also my responsibility as a pastor. Thank God. New believers may act recklessly, even without any restraint, doing whatever they want. But as their lives grow, they will begin to restrain their behavior.
Later, you see in verse 18, Jesus said to Peter, “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.”
When you are young, the meaning of dressing yourself is that you have truth as your belt, feeling that you understand a lot, wanting to go wherever you want, just like a young Christian who does not know the heights of heaven or the depths of the earth. They do not know that in God's eyes, they are really less than a drop of water; they know too little. They feel they are very capable, thinking they can do this and that, and have various gifts to establish a church, and so on.
This is when you are young; you can dress yourself and go wherever you want, but when you are old, this refers to when you become a mature Christian. You will no longer act at will. “You will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” As a pastor, knowing the responsibility of a pastor, he will not do things carelessly anymore. Amen! This is very important; he knows that his actions will have a significant impact on others.
Peter was also very clear; he knew he had grown up. The fruit of the Holy Spirit had already been produced, so he began to bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit, having patience. When he was young, if someone scolded him a few times, he would immediately jump up. John was like this; when the Samaritans did not accept him, John immediately said, “Lord, do you want me to call down fire from heaven to destroy this whole city?” Isn’t that a terrifying thing? But the old John said, “Children, you must love one another, for God is love.” He had already restrained himself.
Peter was the same; when Peter was young, he spoke whatever came to his mind, hurting many people. But when he grew old, what did Peter do? He understood how much Jesus loved him; he accepted Jesus' love and loved the disciples. When he grew old, he was martyred for the Lord. Although at that time he had the opportunity to escape from Rome, God’s words came to Peter again, saying, “Son of man, where are you going? My flock is all in Rome.”
After hearing this, Peter cried and turned back to Rome. At that time, he was captured by the Roman Emperor Nero, who was going to crucify him. Peter had no complaints; he said, “You want to crucify me? This is the most glorious thing in my life.” But I have one request: I am not worthy to be crucified like my Lord; crucify me upside down! Peter died like this. It seems that these disciples did not have a good ending, but they had no regrets about what they shepherded. Thank God!
As a pastor, I may suffer many grievances, but it does not matter; I am willing to offer this for the Lord. Since God loves me so much and has placed His grace upon me, I should tell you what I know and offer you the love of Christ. I hope that our brothers and sisters can love one another, not to control people but to help them. Hallelujah!
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise you! When we were lambs, we were very willful, which made the Lord very sad, but Jesus never gave up on loving us. When we deepen our understanding of you and realize the love of Lord Jesus, we begin to restrain our behavior, become examples of lambs, and participate in service, bearing various fruits of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus, we truly thank you. From Peter, we see how you loved Peter, and you love me just as much. I am willing to receive love from you to shepherd those around me. Each person is a shepherd of God; Jesus is our great shepherd. Among the disciples, we have leaders who are our examples, but Jesus is our ultimate example. We do not look at any one person; we look at Jesus Christ.
Thank you for giving us this opportunity to share your love, Jesus Christ, here together. May each person use God's words to feed those around them, so that our tongues will no longer become a source of disputes but will proclaim the love of Jesus Christ. Let us bring the love of Christ to more people, so that more people will come to know the love of Jesus Christ through us. Thank you and praise you; all glory belongs to you. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen!