Sermon Tone Analysis

John 21:1-22

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stephen Caswell © 2004

Illustration Of Eric Liddel

 

A famous runner prepared himself for the nineteen twenty-four Olympics, his name was Eric Liddel.

Perhaps you have seen the movie Chariots of Fire that tells the story of two men Eric Liddel and Harold Abrahams.

Eric had trained hard for this competition and had set his heart on winning the gold medal in the 100 yards race.

He was also a faithful Christian, who readily shared his faith and took every opportunity to do so.

After the trials he was chosen to run in the 100 yard race and sailed for France, as the games were to be held in Paris.

Eric Liddel loved the Lord and he also loved to run.

Eric had to a struggle for some time with the fact that the final for the 100 yard race final was going to be run on Sunday.

What would he do?

He had trained long and hard for this event and now it was to be run on the day that he held as sacred, the Lord's day.

/Which love was the greatest in his life?

His love for running or His love for Christ?/ /This was a conflict between the two, what would he do?

/The Prince of Wales tried to coerce him to run on Sunday, and to put King and country before God.

Well he chose to put God first and the Lord opened up a way for him to run in the 400 yards event that was run on different day.

Eric Liddel went on to win the race.

But this conflict revealed that Eric Liddel had Jesus Christ in first place of his life.

*/What are you devoted to?/*/ /A career, wealth, friends, family, or Christ!/ *What motivates your service for God?* /Fear, man’s praise, guilt, habit or something else.

/Or is it love for Christ?/

 

*/Firstly,/** *Love's Priority

 

/a.

Determine, *What are These?*

Friends, Family, Fishing?/

 

*John 21:15:* /So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?

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

He said to him, Feed My lambs./

Tonight I would like to look at Peter's commission to service for Christ.

In *John 21:15-17* the Lord asks Peter three similar questions.

On Peter's reply Jesus gave him four commands regarding service to Christ.

The first question was/ Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?

/ */What was Christ referring to when He said these?/*/ Was it the disciples?/

/Did he love Christ more than the other disciples did?/ /Was it the friendship of the disciples?/

/Did they mean more to him than Christ?

Was it the fishing boats and his previous life as a fisherman?/

I believe the last 2 are all that's dear to Peter; */his Friends and fishing career/*.

You see initially Peter, Andrew along with James and John had been called from fishing to follow Christ.

After Peter's denial of Christ, the crucifixion and resurrection we read that he wants to go back to fishing again in *John 21:2-4.*

This is not just once, the present continuous tense means he wants /to keep fishing/.

So that's what he did and he took along six of his mates with him.

They fished all night and caught nothing.

It's interesting to note, that Christ had told them, /apart from me you can do nothing./

It was then that Christ came on the scene and told them how to fish.

I believe that is why Jesus called Peter, Simon.

He was acting like Simon again; he had gone back to his old way of life.

He went fishing with his friends.

He had forgotten Christ's call to become/ A Fisher of Men.  /

/b.

Devotion and Discipleship/

 

So Jesus asks Peter/ Do you love Me more than *these?*

/He wants to know what is number one in Peter's life.

Jesus says to Peter do you */agapao/* me.

*/Do you love me unconditionally, the way I love you?/* G. Campbell Morgan translates the question like this,*/ Are you devoted to Me? /*In using the word *ἀγαπάω* Christ was not merely seeking an emotional love, but complete devotion.

/He wants to find out/ */The Priority of Peter's lov/e.*

Christ wanted to know if Peter loved Him more than friends and fishing.

Was Peter devoted unconditionally to Christ.

You see, love is not just an emotion it is active.

Agapaw *ἀγαπάω* love, God's love is an unconditional commitment for the other persons good.

There was nothing wrong with fishing as an occupation or hobby.

There was nothing wrong with his circle of friends, the disciples.

But Christ had called Peter to /follow Him./

And this meant that He had to be number one in Peter's life.

Peter must re-evaluate his priorities.

I believe that Christ even arranged this meeting so He could deal with Peter's priorities.

He commanded them to go from Jerusalem to Galilee knowing all this would happen.

*Matthew 28:10.

*Peter had to decide what was first in His life.

His devotion for Christ had to be greater than his love for anything else.

Notice that Christ asked this question before He entrusted Peter with ministry.

Peter had been called by Christ to follow Him.

He had been trained for about three years.

But none of this counted for anything unless Peter's devotion for Christ was greater than all else.

/Would he follow Christ no matter what?/

 

/c.

Decision Time/

 

Peter had to choose was he going to be a /shepherd or a fisherman/.

Christ gave the cost for discipleship in *Luke 14:26-27.*

/If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

/

 

The Scriptures do not teach us /to hate/ in these verses, rather they tell us that our love for Christ must take precedence over everything else.

Peter responded by saying, /Yes Lord, You know that I * love */*φιλέω* /you like a friend.

/So Christ asked Peter again,/ Simon son of Jonah do you love* *Me unconditionally /*ἀγαπάω*/?/

And again Peter replied/ Yes Lord; you know that I love you like a friend.

/*φιλέω* Again Peter did not claim his love to be the same as Christ's.

Again he said I love you like a friend.

Then a third time Jesus questions Peter saying, /Simon son of John do you love Me like a friend/* φιλέω*/?

/Christ had come down to Peter's level.

He accepted the fact that Peter was acknowledging his own weaknesses.

Perhaps Peter was not so confident now.

He had said even if everyone else forsakes you I never will.

And shortly after he denied Christ 3 times.

Now Christ had asked him 3 times,/ do you love me?/ Peter was upset that Christ had asked him the 3rd time, and said, /Lord you know all things, you know that I l*ove*/ /you./*

**φιλέω* /Peter had denied Jesus 3 times as Christ said he would.

Now he had confessed his love for Christ 3 times.

Jesus publicly restored him to leadership of the flock.

/

/d.

Application, What Are We Devoted To?  /

 

But for all believers the question remains, /do you love Christ more than everything else?/

It is possible for us to come to church and be involved in a lot of Christian activities and still not have Christ number one in our lives.

The Questions still remains: / *Who or what do you love most?... What are you devoted to?*/ /Is your family more important to you than Jesus Christ?/ /Do they come before your commitment to Christ?/ Or perhaps it's your friends.