209 - First Accept the Father's Love, Then You Have the Power to Love#
209 - First Accept the Father's Love, Then You Have the Power to Love
(JP 文字组 —beloved 整理)
The topic of sharing is: First Accept the Father's Love, Then You Have the Power to Love
John 4:7-11
7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
Let us pray first,
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You! It is Your grace that leads us into a new week, Your love surrounds us once again, and we come to worship You! Please accept our worship! Father, provide for us and nourish our hearts! You know what we lack, give us our daily bread in due time, and help during this time for the Holy Spirit to do a renewing work! Thank You and praise You! In the name of Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen!
The scripture we just read is from 1 John 4:7-11, which mentions what God's love for us is like. Love is not a noun; love is a verb. Do you all know the difference between a noun and a verb? What is the difference? A verb carries action and behavior, while a noun might just be a label. God's love for us is not just something He says; it is active. The Father does not just say, "I love you," and leave it at that; He acts. What kind of action does He take?
Romans 5:6-8
6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Is there love in the world? Yes, people can love heroes, handsome men, beautiful women, but who is willing to love sinners? Who is willing to love those they dislike or even those who oppose them? Such people are rare. The scripture just mentioned that dying for a righteous person is rare; what kind of person is a righteous person? Someone who does good deeds, contributes greatly to the people, to the country, and to the world. Would anyone be willing to die for such a person? Yes, some people would be willing to die for such famous individuals.
Dying for a good person is similar; perhaps someone would dare to do it, but what about dying for a sinner? Who would be willing to die for someone who is extremely sinful? It seems not worth it; if they die, so be it; the world would be quieter. What is God's love for us like? Only Jesus Christ, while we were still sinners, died for us, doesn't that refer to us?
When we were still sinners, continually sinning, just a few days ago we shared that we are sinners, what can we do? Sin! Don't think we can do good deeds; in fact, good deeds come with conditions and purposes, including love. I love you, and you must repay me; if you don't repay me, I can reluctantly accept it, but you cannot attack me for it or slander me; that won't do. Isn't that the limit of worldly people?
I love you, and if you don't repay me, fine, I can tolerate that, but don't you dare mock me; if you do that, I can't stand it. While we were still enemies and sinners against God, Christ died for us; that is God's love, Amen! What kind of love are we to accept? The Father loves you without asking for anything in return, without needing your understanding; He is always providing. Therefore, Christianity has never been a religion of works, nor a religion that is saved by works; it is a faith of love, Amen!
When the world sees us loving one another, that is the mark of Christians. Christ loves us; God's love is demonstrated here. What does "here" mean? It means that while we were still weak, Christ died for sinners at the appointed time; does that include you? Yes, it does. This tells us one thing: the Father loves you so much that He allowed His only beloved Son to die for you! Hallelujah!
Under the law of Moses and today’s worldly laws, there is love, but people strive to love on their own, with strength coming from themselves. There was a time, about 1500 years ago, when the Israelites were under the law of Moses, required to keep the commandments, to love their God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength, but did they accomplish it?
For 1500 years, no one could fully meet God's standards, not even Moses, who was highly regarded by God, or David and other spiritual predecessors; they all failed. God knew that no one could love Him with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength, so He made a change. He sent His Son, His only beloved Son, Jesus, into the world. God said, "I know you cannot love Me; your love is limited and conditional. Don't love God this way, and don't love people this way, because you simply cannot do it. God says, 'Let Me love you!'"
When Jesus came into the world, He told you, "Why should you enter the kingdom of heaven? Because God loves the world; He does not want you to go to hell or suffer in this world. Why did God create this world? Because He loves you, so all of this starts from God's love. After Jesus came, our Heavenly Father said, 'From now on, give up all your past efforts, including your efforts to love God and love people. First, accept My love.'"
If you truly want to love others, like God, without asking for anything in return and without being hurt, you must first learn to accept the Father's love, Amen! Brothers and sisters, please listen carefully: accepting and understanding are two different things. Many people understand God's love, but that does not mean they accept it. I know you, but that does not mean I understand you, do you understand? These are two different things. Why do we come to hear the word? The purpose of hearing the word is to understand and accept God's love! Hallelujah!
Many people say, "I understand God's love," but when they encounter problems, or when they face persecution and hardship, they still show impatience, anger, and a loss of peace. This actually proves that they still lack God's love, and the reason for this lack is simple: they have accepted too little of God's love. If everyone were to describe themselves as a pool, our God is a fountain; if you have nothing inside, it is not your fault; you just need to keep striving to receive, Amen! It is not about me striving to have more love inside; that is useless. What you need to do is strive to receive and accept God's love, Hallelujah! This is what we need to understand.
Many people say, "I understand a lot; I know a lot." Hearing the word is a good thing, but more importantly, you need to accept what you hear into your heart; do not just process it in your mind; that is useless. If it is just in your mind, it becomes knowledge; if it enters your heart, it can change your life. It is not about how much you understand; it is about continuously accepting God's love. How do you accept it?
Repeatedly meditate on what Jesus did for you on the cross. Just like when reading scripture, replace the second person with "I": "While Christ died for me when I was still a sinner, God's love was demonstrated to me." Many people do not understand and say, "I don't feel how much God loves me." In fact, Jesus going to the cross is a clear sign of His love for you, Amen! What else? Through today's sharing, know that God has given you His most precious gift; are the remaining things unimportant? He has given you everything! If we use the analogy of marrying a wife, if someone gives you their daughter, what do they need the dowry for? The most important thing has been given to you! Wouldn't they also give you the world? Doesn't the Bible say so?
God did not spare His only Son but gave Him up for you; will He not also graciously give you all things? All things are the dowry; who is truly valuable? Jesus! Is the Jesus God gives you free? Yes, then what about all things? They are gifts! Which is more important, a gift or something you buy? If you buy a pressure cooker and they give you a beautiful wine glass as a gift, would you say, "That glass is so beautiful; I don't want the pot"? That would be a problem, right? We should know which is more important.
One year, I went to buy a phone; the promotion said, "Buy a phone and get a bicycle." In fact, I wasn't really interested in buying the phone; the phone was average; what mattered was the gift! I saw the bicycle was nice; to this day, the bicycle is still here, but the phone is gone.
This is something many people overlook: they tightly hold onto the gift and discard the main, important thing; that is a pity! Brothers and sisters, this is something we need to understand! Think about how much Jesus loves you; the sign of the Father's love for you is sending Jesus into the world. When you understand that everything Jesus did was for you, you have accepted God's love. Remember: the more you accept and receive, the more you can give.
Under the law, you must love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Do you know what the consequence is? God says, "If you cannot do it, you will die." Moreover, under the Old Testament law, God said, "Do not come near Me." At that time, God told Moses to set a boundary; whether it was people or livestock, they could not cross that boundary. If they crossed that boundary, I would send fiery serpents to bite you. No one dared to approach God easily; this is what it means to be under the law. God said you must strive, strive to love on your own.
But we are not under the law of Moses; we are under grace. Under grace, everything is turned upside down. Please listen carefully: being under grace means renewing our concepts; you must make a 180-degree turn from your past and return to the Bible, return to what is correct.
In the past, under the law, you had to strive with all your might to love God and love people, but now, under grace, what should you do? You should strive with all your might to accept Jesus' love for you, so Jesus is now loving you with all His heart, soul, mind, and strength! Hallelujah! God gave Jesus to love you this way; He hopes we will accept Jesus' love more and more. The closer you get to Jesus, the more your life will flourish; the closer you get to the law, the faster you will die; the closer you get to worldly people, the more you may get hurt. But the closer you get to Jesus, the more your life will flourish, and you will become increasingly joyful! This is the fruit that Christ bears!
What is the pulpit? It is a place to proclaim Christ's love. Do you know what serving is? It not only includes singing and leading worship; what else is serving? Brothers and sisters, expand the scope a little: your work, your family, your career, all of these are acts of service! Amen! In the process of serving, you are practicing Christ's love! The moment you serve is the moment you practice Christ's love.
You listen and think, "Today’s sermon was good; I feel good." Originally, I was a bit depressed, but after hearing the sermon, I feel relaxed. When I go home, I will live as I did before; this has no effect on you. When you receive such service from Christ, after receiving Christ's love, when you return home, at work, or in your family, put this into practice; that is serving, and serving is practicing the love of Jesus Christ. Do not be one way in church and another way at home; that is very bad.
In Korea, there are many pastor's wives who have made some funny mistakes. Let me tell you a rather interesting one. A pastor's wife took her home blankets and slept in the church. The congregation asked, "Pastor's wife, what are you doing?" She said, "Your pastor stands on the pulpit like an angel, but when he returns home, he is a living devil. I cannot live with a devil, so I must come to church and sleep on the pulpit because he is most like an angel here."
Speaking of the pastor, now let’s talk about the congregation; but you are not like that. In church, you are like sheep, quiet, saying, "Amen! I love you," and can hug brothers and sisters. But once you go out, you say, "Wait until I finish scolding you before you come back..." Brothers and sisters, I should not be like this. Let me emphasize again: when you come to church, it is to hear about Jesus Christ's love; it is a process for you to receive, Amen! But you are not looking at me; you are looking at Jesus Christ. Therefore, what I am sharing is about Jesus Christ's love; we are all receiving His love, not mine. In the process of serving, we are all practicing what we have received from Christ, Hallelujah! If you say you cannot love, that is fine; just accept Christ's love more, Amen!
We are accepted; Christ's love is already prepared for you. What you need to do is to accept it more. Although sometimes we may rebuke or correct some people's mistakes, please remember that it is all based on love. When it is based on love, even if you hit him, he will not leave; this does not mean you should really hit others; sometimes, violence cannot solve problems. Jesus never hit anyone; when He acted, it caused trouble, and that person had no chance of living.
Although sometimes we may rebuke or correct people, you must let the other party feel loved, not ashamed. Can you remember this principle? Regardless of how many gifts you have or how many years you have believed, when you practice Christ's love, the way you treat that person, whether it is to embrace him or to truly rebuke him, you must let him feel loved, not ashamed. If he feels ashamed and worthless, you are condemning him, do you understand? This is the result; if you make others feel unloved, not cared for, but deepen their hatred, such service loses all meaning.
Jesus accepted the Father's love this way; He could calmly face all the problems He encountered in His service. When Jesus came up from the water after being baptized, the heavens opened for Him, and the Father said, "This is my beloved Son, whom I love!" Amen! Why did the Father say this? Had Jesus performed any miracles? Had He done any ministry? Had He healed anyone? Had He told anyone, "Believe in me, and you can enter the kingdom of heaven"? He had not done a single work, yet our Heavenly Father still said, "You are my beloved Son, whom I love!"
I also want to pass this message to you: first accept the Father's love this way. You say Jesus is perfect, but do you know what God's love is like? While you were still a sinner, He loved you already, Hallelujah! Now I want to tell you, you are also God's beloved child, whom He loves! Do you receive it? Keep this sentence firmly in your heart; it has nothing to do with your behavior, how long you have served, or how long you have believed; it is the result of your faith. At that time, Jesus really did nothing, yet the Father still recognized Him; you must firmly accept this recognition in your heart, and when the devil tempts you, he will not be able to overcome you.
We lack such encouragement and recognition for our children, which is why children always lack a sense of security. Many adults, because they were hurt as children or received too little affirmation, I also grew up this way; I understand that era, including the teachers in schools who were often violent. I was probably the one who got hit the most for being disobedient.
I can clearly know that although parents do that, it is indeed because they love us; they do not want us to die; it is entirely because they love us. At that time, could we understand this love? We could not understand it. To this day, we know that it is best to let your child feel that you recognize them, regardless of how they are doing, whether good or bad; they should feel that you recognize them. If they score 100 on a test, you say, "Great! Now let me treat you to KFC." If they score 50 the next day, you say, "Just drink some soup."
Under this kind of thinking, children will feel that they must rely on their good behavior to please their parents, and in the future, when they believe in the Lord, it will be very difficult, you know? They will not feel that the Father's grace is good; they will feel that if they do not strive, the Father will not like them, and without effort, they cannot receive God's blessings. You must first let them receive God's grace, starting from you.
How many people still feel uneasy when receiving God's grace? When others help you, they are too enthusiastic, and you cannot stand it. Why can’t you stand it? You feel uncomfortable; there is a bit of panic in your heart. Why do you panic when others give you too much love? Because you have received too little in this regard. What have you heard the most in the past? You are not good enough, you are stupid, you are this and that...
It has all been negative; from childhood to adulthood, you have heard nothing but negativity, attacks, and slander. You say it’s okay; the more you are attacked, the stronger you become; what you are talking about is iron, not a person. When a person has been constantly impacted by negative things and lack of recognition since childhood, when they grow up, they will not trust anyone; when others give them grace, they will think you have some ulterior motive. When you tell them about grace in church, they cannot accept it. This is why many people still do not understand the Father's love. Even if they have served in the church for many years and have many gifts, they still do not understand or accept the Father's love; they always feel they must do something, they must do something to be worthy of the Father's love.
But we see Jesus; even when He did nothing, God already loved Him and recognized Him, saying, "You are my beloved Son, whom I love!" Jesus deeply remembered this, and it became His strength to overcome all difficulties and temptations. When He was filled with the Holy Spirit, He was led into the wilderness to face the devil's temptations. Despite the devil's temptations, He still overcame; in fact, the method of overcoming was very simple: He constantly remembered that He was loved by God, that He was God's beloved Son!
No matter how much you have been hurt outside, you must return to the Father. Children are the same. Today, let’s talk about parent-child relationships. If your child has been hurt by others at school, beaten by other children, when they come home, and you see a scar, you ask, "What happened?" They say, "I got beaten." You say, "You fool! Remember this: if you lose a fight, don’t come back and tell me, and don’t cry in front of me! You need to be tough; if you win the fight, come back and tell me."
Do you know how the child will act? In the future, no matter how much they are hurt, they will not tell you; perhaps they will become very tough, and in the end, the one who gets hurt will be you. Many children in families are raised by their parents and end up harming themselves. So brothers and sisters, what is needed now is to encourage yourself, accept God's love, and love others in this way.
If in the past you have continuously accepted negative and condemning messages, remember one thing: no matter how the world sees you, the Father loves you. His love is very simple; it is recorded here: "While Christ died for me when I was still a sinner, God’s love was demonstrated to me." How much does Jesus love you? He died for you. Ask yourself, how many people in the world are willing to die for you? Hallelujah! Men say, "I can die for you, go through fire and water for you." They are all liars. Brothers and sisters, you must know that one thing has already happened: Jesus really died for you; that is the Father's love. We must constantly remember this fact and accept others with this acceptance.
I have been talking about how Jesus did not perform any miracles; His first miracle was turning water into wine. So when He came up from the water, the Father affirmed Him; at that time, He had not performed a single miracle. Please listen carefully: the important thing is not how many miracles you have performed or how many ministries you have done, but that you must truly understand that in God's eyes, you are loved by Him. Our church has never been centered on ministry; although these are important, the most important thing is to be centered on Christ's love. If a church is centered on ministry, everyone is busy doing things; it is no different from a company, you know? We are not here to build a company; we are here to receive Christ's love and then live out that love!
Abraham had two sons, Ishmael and Isaac, but God said to Abraham: "Take your son, your only son." In God's eyes, who is His son? Isaac. Why is he the only son? Isn't Ishmael a son? Yes, but he was born of Abraham's own effort. Although he is a son, God does not want us to live by our own efforts or by His promises; God only wants you to live by His promises. What should you do with your efforts? Let them go, Amen! Why are those stories in the Old Testament written in the Bible? It is not just to show that Abraham was as ordinary as we are; that is one purpose, but it also allows me to see the spiritual significance within:
Abraham was also waiting for God; he was also weak. Our Lord died for him; we are the same in this aspect. One thing, when Abraham relied on his own efforts and had a son named Ishmael, he caused trouble; there was chaos in the family, and the two women began to fight over the child. Abraham encountered difficulties; when he asked God, God said, "Let Ishmael go; I will take care of him."
What I want to tell you is that if you have never said, "I fully accept the Father's love," it is because the Ishmael in your heart has not left. You need to tell yourself: I will no longer rely on myself; I am willing to let go of myself and solely look to Your promises; that is letting go of your Ishmael. When you let Ishmael go, do you know that God's blessings will abundantly supply Isaac? In God's eyes, He only values how much you believe in His promises, and He never praises you based on your actions; it is based on how much you have accepted His love! Hallelujah! God said to Abraham, "Take your only son and offer him as a burnt offering to Me." We must understand that this also has a spiritual meaning; do not just look at this event; you must know what it symbolizes: it is the entire picture of Jesus Christ.
I do not know if you have seen "The Passion of the Christ," but there is one part that moves me the most: when Jesus was carrying the cross, He had already been beaten to the point where there was no intact flesh left. When Mary passed by a street wanting to embrace her son, Jesus fell, and Mary saw Him. How would Mary's heart feel? Just as the Bible says, "A sword will pierce your own soul." At that moment, Mary would rather die herself than see Jesus die, but there is a foreshadowing. At that time, Jesus said a sentence that, although it is a movie, moved me deeply. In an instant, I understood that Jesus loves me this way; He said, "Mother, I am renewing everything!"
What does this sentence mean? What I am suffering is not for you to be sad; I am renewing everything. If I do not walk this path, the suffering you will endure will only increase! Jesus is here to renew everything. Now looking back to Genesis, when Isaac carried the wood up the mountain, you remember that Jesus carried the cross, which is the reality; Isaac carried the wood, did he not place himself on that wood? Jesus carried the cross; did He not place Himself on the cross? This is a completely similar fact; the event of Isaac is indeed a foreshadowing. At that time, he truly carried the wood up the mountain, and many years later, God's Son Jesus carried the cross to Golgotha. When Abraham was about to kill his son, God stopped him; this is a fact.
Genesis 22:10-13
10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham! Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied. 12 "Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son." 13 Abraham looked up and there in the thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns; he went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son.
Everyone understands this event. What I want to tell you is that this is a foreshadowing; a father reaches out his hand to kill his son. At that time, did Abraham really hate his son? On the contrary, he loved his son very much. God wants you to think about one question through this event: do you know how much Abraham loved his son when he had him in his old age? You should imagine how much our Heavenly Father loves His only beloved Son, Jesus! Under such love, when Abraham wanted to reach out his hand, it proved that Abraham truly believed in God; this was his only son, and he was willing to offer him. He believed that God could bring the dead back to life. Did God want his son? Do not make assumptions; do not repeatedly ponder why God wanted to do this. I have already said this is a foreshadowing, Amen!
Please listen carefully: God will not ask you for your son. Do not make such associations! Many people ask, "Would you be willing to offer your son?" Offer him as a burnt offering! Which mother would be willing? Which father would be willing? Such assumptions are wrong. This passage is meant to tell us how much Abraham loved his son, his only son. God did not want his son; God will not force you to offer your son; He only wants to tell us: God has new preparations. Please listen carefully: our Lord will not take away what is most important in your life, Amen!
Do not be misled by some people's incorrect interpretations. They say that when there is something blocking your relationship with God, He will unceremoniously tear it down or take it away. If it is money, God will make you go bankrupt; if it is your son, if you love your son more than God, God will take your son away, bringing him home early.
Have you heard such things? Is such a God truly a loving God? I would rather not believe in Him; He is a jealous God, but that is not how jealousy should be explained, right? God uses this event to tell us: Abraham's son, God did not want him; He knows how much Abraham loves his son, so He said, "Do not harm him at all! You have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me."
In God's eyes, did he not offer him to God? He had already given him; there was a substitute, who was it? A ram replaced his son. That ram foreshadows who? Jesus Christ! Time moves quickly forward; when Jesus carried the cross to Golgotha, did anyone stop Jesus from going to the cross? No one, and most people said, "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!" Jesus willingly went up.
Have you ever thought about what the Father's intention was? When you are about to kill your son, the angel comes out to stop you, our God comes out to stop you, but when our God offers His own Son for you, no one stops Him. From this, can you see how much the Father loves you? This is His only Son; He actually gave Him to you, Hallelujah!
This is what Jesus accomplished for us; through Jesus' work, you can see God's love for us. We can say to the Father, "I truly know You love me!" Looking at the previous scripture, the angel said to Abraham, "Now I know that you fear God." You can see through this event when you look at Jesus, you will say to the Father, "Lord, I did not know You loved me before, but now I truly know You love me." At that time, God said to Abraham, "Because you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me." You can also say: "Father, I know You love me because You did not withhold Your Son, Your only Son, from me!" He really gave Him to you! He really gave Him to you! Hallelujah!
All service should not be centered on ministry, evangelism, how many things you do, or how many gifts you have; it should be centered on love. You must tell the person you are serving how much Jesus loves you! How much the Father loves you! This is the heart that should be present when serving. It is this love that motivates us to move forward. I am not rejecting everyone from pursuing gifts or the development of various ministries; I am just telling you that when you center on love, your ministry will grow larger.
The Bible says that when Abraham turned around and saw a ram caught in the thicket, this story took place on Mount Moriah. Do you know that the highest mountain in Israel, Mount Moriah, is Golgotha? The place where Jesus was offered! When Abraham turned around and saw that ram, many years later, at that same place, Jesus offered Himself. Do you know this is God's arrangement? God already knew what we needed; God will not take away what is most important in your life; instead, He wants to give you His best!
Let me tell you again: when you serve others, give them the best from your life. In the church, in life, in the family, it is the same; in interpersonal relationships, it is also the same: give your best to others, not the garbage you do not want.
Most people give their garbage to others, saying, "I am so annoyed today; what should I do?" As a result, you end up being just like that person. You need to receive Christ's love; after receiving recognition and acceptance from Him, you will be different from the world. When the world is like that, when they are very anxious and helpless, you can give them Christ's love, and that can solve their problems; that is serving!
Do not always think of serving as just sweeping the floor or cooking in church; it is not like that. What we are talking about in serving is entering into every aspect of your life. God loves us this way; He did not want Abraham's son Isaac. Today, remember: God will not take away what is most precious in your life; God always wants to give you His best!!!
When you are filled with everything the Father has done for you, when you understand it, your worship will no longer be the same. We are not just singing songs in church; we are not training everyone to be very good singers. It is about understanding Christ's love and then singing out that love, using our voices to praise Him and respond to Him. You always ask, "Why do some people sing differently?" Because they have already understood Christ's love; they are proclaiming God's glory, and you are truly singing; how can it be the same?
Similarly, preaching is the same; I am merely sharing a little bit of the Christ's love I understand with you. I also look forward to your sharing and testimonies; we can comfort and encourage each other. We are motivated by God's love and move forward together, Amen!
Galatians 5:6 tells us that in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
Galatians 5 tells us to stand firm in the truth and not fall from grace. Paul emphasizes that faith expressing itself through love is what counts. So how can a person have faith that expresses love? What is love? The original word is just love; just remove "benevolence," and it becomes love. How can a person generate love within? It is simple: give them Christ, let them understand how much the Father loves them, let them understand how much Jesus loves them, and they will naturally have Christ's love. When you understand Christ's love, a faith of love will arise, and this faith will have an effect. How great will the effect be? Look at how Paul understood.
When Paul was busy, many people needed healing; he said to someone, "Bring my clothes and put them on him." Is this love's faith? He did not say, "Wait a minute, line up; can't you see I am busy? I don't even have time to eat; go line up over there; don't bother me." That is too much pride. But Paul knew that the person was anxious, so he said, "My Lord, what can I do?" He said, "Bring my clothes." Did he not carry His love? The faith of love was passed on, and then that person was healed. Brothers and sisters, the true way to make gifts effective is to be filled with Christ's love; when you give it out, it produces immense effects. Thank and praise the Lord!
The meaning of this sentence is very simple: when you understand Christ's love, faith will become effective. This is why when you continuously think about Christ's love, you are filled with the Holy Spirit, you have faith, and your life begins to change because you are motivated by God's love! Dear brothers and sisters, I wish for you to receive Christ's love more, accept God's love, and your faith will become effective.
In the past, Peter always boasted about how much he loved Jesus; in fact, he really did not understand or accept much of Christ's love. What did Peter say? "Lord, even if they all fall away, I will not." I am willing to die for You. This kind of faith is something the other disciples did not even dare to say. Jesus did not say, "Oh, Peter, you are my only confidant in this life; I am satisfied. You understand me so well; look, none of the other eleven disciples are willing to die for me, only you."
What did Jesus say? Jesus said, "Peter, Peter, you will deny me three times." At that time, what did Peter say? "Lord, no! Even if everyone denies You, I will not deny You! How can I deny You? I love You!" He said such mushy words, but when real trials and persecutions came, what did Peter do? He swore and cursed that he did not know Jesus! Do you know what swearing is? I swear by the head of a spider that I do not know Him! He swore; he brought curses upon himself, perhaps also cursing Jesus, saying, "I do not know Him; I really do not know Him; I have nothing to do with Him." Brothers and sisters, this is us. When a person always boasts about how much they can do for the Lord and how great their abilities are, they actually do not understand much of Christ's love.
Peter failed; he failed completely, looking nothing like a Christian or a spiritual leader. That is not wrong, right? He fell more completely than anyone else! But did Jesus abandon him? Jesus did not say, "Peter, you disappoint me too much! I had such high expectations for you! What have you done for me?" No.
After Jesus died and rose again, He personally found Peter and the others. That night, Peter was fishing, and by dawn, he had not caught a single fish. Jesus said, "Boys, do you have any fish?" They said no. Jesus said, "Throw your net on the right side, and you will find some." Did they find this familiar? Very familiar! They threw the net on the right side, and how many fish did they catch? 153 large fish. The Bible says there were so many fish that the net did not break.
After this miracle happened, who was the first to remember that Jesus was standing on the shore? It was John. Among all the disciples, John understood Jesus' love the most. In the Gospel of John, John often uses a term to describe himself: "the disciple whom Jesus loved." You can use this term too; everyone else can use it, but how many people have used it? I wish brothers and sisters would start telling themselves from today: "I am the disciple whom Jesus loves." Your behavior will change. When you see a miracle, the first thing that comes to your mind is that this is what God has done. You will not say, "The time has come! Finally, you are here; dawn has arrived, and you are finally awake; I will pull you up." It is not like that. At that time, John said, "It is the Lord!" Seeing the miracle means having a close relationship with God. So when the 153 fish came out, John said this, and Peter reacted, disregarding everything and running to Jesus.
Brothers and sisters, what did Peter run to do? This is our Lord Jesus Christ. If he had run to the high priest, he would have been doomed, but he ran to Jesus. Interestingly, Jesus did not rebuke him. At that time, Peter's character was like this; every church will have a Peter, someone who acts without considering the consequences, but he is still loved by God. How rough was Peter at that time? When they came to arrest Jesus, he took a sword and cut off a man's ear; was that not violent? But Jesus still loved Peter. In a church, there are people like Peter, there are people like John, and there are people like Paul; they all exist together. Jesus loves them all, Amen!
Peter was very reckless, but when he came before Jesus, he no longer spoke. The Bible does not record that Peter ran to Jesus and said, "Lord, are You still alive?" He did not say anything, did he? Why did he not speak? Because at that moment, Peter came before Jesus and said, "Lord, You can come to find me; no matter what You say, I will listen; I will no longer speak recklessly; I do not know what to say anymore."
How many times when we make mistakes and come before our parents do we say nothing? Why do you not speak? Because they know everything; what else do you need to say? You expect their acceptance and forgiveness because I often make mistakes; I understand this situation. If parents stare at you, that is good; then you have something to say: "I was wrong." What I fear the most is that when you go in, they continue doing what they were doing as if nothing had happened. At that moment, my heart is pounding; I think, "It is said that before a storm comes, it is always calm." They are cooking, and I go over and ask, "Can I help with anything?" "No, it is fine." My heart becomes even more uneasy. So surely, some of you have experienced such things.
At that moment, if Jesus saw Peter and said, "Peter, come here, kneel down, and confess your sins to Me," Peter would have knelt down and immediately said, "I will confess any sin you want." But interestingly, at that time, Jesus said, "Bring me the fish you caught." Did Peter say anything? He still did not speak; he just listened and brought it over. Then Jesus made bread for them and cooked fish for them to eat. During the meal, the Bible does not record that "Jesus took the bread, gave thanks, looked up to heaven, and said, 'This is my body; eat it.'"
There were no such formalities; that meal was extremely quiet; no one spoke. The Bible says everyone knew it was the Lord, but no one spoke. You say, "In the past, this was a chattering team; why did it become so quiet this time?" Everyone knew they had betrayed the Lord, but the Lord Jesus acted as if nothing had happened. This is the supreme love of God, which is different from what we say in the world. His outward calm does not mean His heart is calm; that can be even more terrifying. I am waiting at home, waiting... As a result, after dinner, it finally exploded, and the consequences were worse than when it was calm before. But Jesus would not do that, brothers and sisters; in Jesus' heart, His love for you is unconditional; it is God's love!
Let us look at a passage of scripture (John 21:15). When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?"
Finally, Jesus spoke. Jesus said, "Peter, do you really love me more than these?" This is not a rebuke; it is to let Peter understand "how much I love you." The love mentioned here is God's love, Agape; the original Greek refers to God's love, selfless, sacrificial love, the highest level of love! He said, "Peter, did you not say you loved me in the past? Are you loving me with that kind of love?" You love these, which may refer to fish, the world, or other things; the original Greek has such meanings. We do not understand now, but no matter which one it is, look at how he responds: "Lord, yes, You know that I love You."
But the love Peter used is called philos, which means like. Do you think liking and loving are on the same level? At this moment, Peter had become very humble; he said, "Lord, You know my love for You does not reach Your love for me." Is Peter now easily understanding Christ's love? Jesus did not mention the past; He did not mention Peter's betrayal; He did not say anything. He still said, "Do you love me?" Then when Peter said, "Yes, You know I love You."
Actually, his meaning is: "Lord, I know how much You love me today; I finally understand." At this moment, you are qualified to do the work of serving. Please listen carefully, brothers and sisters; it is not about saying, "Wow! Lord, You do not know; I can already speak in tongues, interpret tongues, see visions, and speak... I can do everything." Jesus says, "Great, go serve quickly." Such people are dangerous. What kind of person begins to have the ability to serve? It is someone who understands that Christ's love for them is something they will never reach, and they can only receive His love; then they are qualified to serve others because they are no longer using their love but Christ's love. So Jesus said to him, "Feed my lambs."
Love them in this way; that is, use the love you are currently expressing, "Yes, Lord, I can only like You; I know how much You love me." Use this love to feed my lambs."
Jesus asked him a second time, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" This is John 21:16. Peter is no longer comparing; he no longer cares about fish, the world, or anything else; "Do you love me?" This love is still Agape, God's love. How did Peter respond at this time? "Lord, yes, You know I love You." Actually, Peter's meaning is: "Lord, You know my heart; You know my love for You is just liking." He still used the word like. "And Your love for me is beyond all others; although I once boasted that I loved You, my love for You can only reach liking. I know You are willing to sacrifice everything for me, but I cannot reach that love." Peter still said he liked You. "I can only say I like You." Good, when Peter answered like this the second time, Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."
If a person always feels they cannot love Jesus, and their love for Jesus is always so little, while Jesus' love for them is vast and deep, something they can never repay or boast about, such a person is qualified to be a pastor. So Jesus said to Peter, "Feed my sheep." Do you know what feeding represents? It means nourishing the lambs.
Jesus gave Peter a lifeless lamb and let him feed them with this kind of love. When you shepherd, it means the sheep begin to give birth to lambs, and the church is established! Amen! What is needed at this time? It is still necessary to remember how much Jesus loves you! You will never have anything to boast about in Jesus' love; you will never reach the love Jesus has for you. Hold onto this love and shepherd God's children; all pastors should have this kind of heart for serving! At this time, regardless of how this person behaves or how their life is, we will not abandon or discard them. According to Peter, should he have been abandoned?
Did Jesus not say, "If you deny me before men, I will also deny you before my Father in heaven"? Was Peter not qualified enough? Should he not have been discarded? Did Jesus abandon him? No! So as a pastor, you must understand how much God loves you and has not abandoned you; therefore, you have nothing to boast about, and you will not discard any believer, even if they are terrible. You will not have the right to throw them away, saying, "You are not worthy to follow me; you will slow down our pace; you are not worthy to follow us." You will never discard anyone, even if someone says that person is worthless; you will not discard them because you are not serving them with your love; you are serving them with Christ's love! Hallelujah!
In verse 17, Jesus asked him a third time, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" This time, Jesus lowered the level of love, using philos, meaning "Do you like me?" Peter was grieved because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said to Jesus, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You."
At this moment, we see one thing: Peter has truly humbled himself; he no longer boasts about how much he loves Jesus; he is constantly receiving Christ's love, constantly experiencing Christ's love. He said, "I know You know all things!" Amen! Do you know Jesus knows all things? Then does Jesus know that among you there are some who are weak? Does He know you have problems? Did Jesus abandon you? No! So at this moment, we want to tell everyone that when Peter said, "Lord, when You asked me the third time, it made me very sad! Why did it make me sad? I know I have nothing to say; I did betray You; I did do that, but You did not abandon me; I know You love me," Hallelujah! Today, as pastors, we should treat all the sheep with unwavering commitment! Then Jesus said, "Feed my sheep."
A few days ago, I shared that in a law-based church, the reason they attack each other is that you stole my sheep. When Jesus was serving, His ministry was large, and His influence was great. The Pharisees and scribes said, "We must get rid of Jesus because you stole my sheep." But when it comes to Jesus, what did He say to Peter? "Feed my sheep." Amen!
Let’s return to this: it is because he has Christ's love inside him, which is completely different from having the law inside. A person with the law inside is selfish; they always suspect others will steal their things, steal their sheep. Are those your sheep? Today, I hope that more shepherds in China understand God's love and rise up, no longer dividing your sheep and my sheep. Just take this church as an example; I hope more people will stand up. If they can stand here and share God's word, that would be even better, Amen! I will tell them with the words of Jesus Christ, "Go feed Jesus' sheep," wouldn't that be better? Today, for every person serving, understanding Jesus Christ's love, such people should continuously receive Christ's love, continuously receive Christ's love.
Please remember, when Jesus asked Peter three times, He only hoped Peter would know, "The key is not how much you love me, but how much I love you," Hallelujah! How much you have accepted Jesus' love will be reflected in your life, work, and service. I do not hope everyone learns knowledge; rather, I hope you truly receive and accept the Father's love, and then you can live out the love of Jesus! Peter deeply remembered this and unreservedly testified for Jesus until the end of his life. This is the source of strength in our lives; this strength will help us overcome all circumstances! It is not about how much Bible knowledge you have or how many gifts you possess; it is about how much you know Jesus loves you!
In Christ's love, you will generate immense faith, giving you the courage to face everything you encounter! You will willingly be renewed by Jesus in love, willingly obey His words and live because you know He loves you, and everything He does is for your benefit. Thank and praise the Lord! I wish everyone would understand Christ's love, receive this love, accept this love, and continuously live it out in life!
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You! Thank You for helping us this way! Through today's words, let us once again understand Your love. We can only live out such love after first accepting the Father's love; otherwise, we have no ability. By relying on ourselves, we can only boast about how much we love Jesus, boast about how much we have done, but today all service is not because we love Jesus so much, but to understand how much Jesus loves us. In all our service, we continuously experience Christ's love! In ourselves and in others, we must experience Christ's love! Lord, let this love be deeply placed upon us, allowing us to meditate every day on what Jesus Christ accomplished for us on the cross, understand this love, and then live out this love! Thank and praise the Lord!
This world does not need gifted people; it does not need to see how big the ministry is; it needs the love of Jesus Christ! The world needs to understand Christ's love! Because many people are wandering, feeling lost, and hurt, they need to return to the embrace of Christ's love! Although many people do not understand this love, we are willing for You, Father, to manifest Christ's love through us! Let us first become a group of people who love one another, so that people see that it is not because we understand how much Bible we know, but because we love one another!
Father, we thank You for this! Give us hearts that love one another! Let us serve one another in love, filling us with You and Your faith! Thank and praise the Lord! All glory will be given to You! In the name of Lord Jesus, we pray! Amen!