Three Times
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· 2 viewsThrough Jesus we learn we are not loved because we are perfect; rather, we are being perfected because we are loved.
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Scripture
1 Later, Jesus appeared again to the disciples beside the Sea of Galilee. This is how it happened. 2 Several of the disciples were there—Simon Peter, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples. 3 Simon Peter said, “I’m going fishing.” “We’ll come, too,” they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night. 4 At dawn Jesus was standing on the beach, but the disciples couldn’t see who he was. 5 He called out, “Fellows, have you caught any fish?” “No,” they replied. 6 Then he said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get some!” So they did, and they couldn’t haul in the net because there were so many fish in it. 7 Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic (for he had stripped for work), jumped into the water, and headed to shore. 8 The others stayed with the boat and pulled the loaded net to the shore, for they were only about a hundred yards from shore. 9 When they got there, they found breakfast waiting for them—fish cooking over a charcoal fire, and some bread. 10 “Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,” Jesus said. 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore. There were 153 large fish, and yet the net hadn’t torn. 12 “Now come and have some breakfast!” Jesus said. None of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Then Jesus served them the bread and the fish. 14 This was the third time Jesus had appeared to his disciples since he had been raised from the dead. 15 After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.” “Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him. 16 Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love me?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love you.” “Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus said. 17 A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep. 18 “I tell you the truth, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked; you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will dress you and take you where you don’t want to go.” 19 Jesus said this to let him know by what kind of death he would glorify God. Then Jesus told him, “Follow me.”
Focus Statement
Focus Statement
Through Jesus we learn we are not loved because we are perfect;
rather, we are being perfected because we are loved.
Point of Relation
Point of Relation
I remember watching Sesame Street as a kid.
How many here watched Sesame Street growing up? How many of you were before the time of Sesame Street?
Were you really? So how many of you had children who watched Sesame Street…or grandkids?
See, none of us are really before the time of Sesame Street…as we are living in that time right now and have been for the last 53 years! Yes, Sesame Street is over a half-century old.
Hard to believe, right!
Can you guess one of my favorite characters?
If you guessed THE COUNT…ding ding ding…winner winner beyond chicken dinner!!!
And I cannot help but think of things, at least sometimes, through the lens of Sesame Street…and the Count in particular.
For instance, let me tell you a story.
There once was this guy named Pedro...
he lived down on Fish Street...
and he, if you can guess, loved to fish…as all the people on Fish Street did.
One day this really famous religious teacher , Jesus (HEY-ZOOS), came along and told Pedro that, instead fishing for fish on Fish Street...
He’d take him to all the streets and have him “FISH” for people...
Bringing them to know and turn to God.
Pedro loved this idea so much, he and his friends Juan and Santiago (who were brothers), left everything behind and spent three years learning from and befriending him.
Then one day, the teacher is arrested and Pedro, Santiago, Juan, and the others flee for their lives.
Only Juan and Pedro had the courage to go to the court to watch the trial from a safe distance...
But someone recognized Pedro, then another, and then another.
Pedro DENIED Jesus…ONE TIME...
No…TWO TIMES...
But wait…THREE TIMES. Ah Ah Ah Ah Ahhhhh! Three times he denied Peter.
OY…That’s a lot of times…no?!?!
Things to Consider
Things to Consider
Sesame Street and the Count aside,
We all make mistakes…we all are sinners (Romans 3:23)...
and as Jesus even admitted within himeself...
The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
This is why we are in no position to judge...
no matter what someone else’s sin might be...
Jesus is always reminding us…let the one WITHOUT SIN cast the first stone.
Here’s a fact I want you all to consider…to truly consider...
We are not LOVED by Jesus because we are perfect…
quite the opposite…just look at Peter and the disciples.
He denied his own master, his own Lord, his own friend THREE TIMES in a row!
Simply put, if Jesus LOVED and CHOSE people because they are perfect…
PETER would not have been loved or chosen.
No, we are not loved by Jesus because we are perfect...
No, we are perfect in and because of Jesus’ LOVE for us!
And, knowing that, how do we measure up in our LOVING Jesus back?
What Scripture Says
What Scripture Says
In our Scripture today, we find our disciples doing what our disciples do...
They seemingly forget all that Jesus taught them…all that he promised them...
And they have gone back to what they have always done...
They go fishing.
That is until a stranger, who turns out to be Jesus, interrupts them...
He just shows up on the shore and starts cooking breakfast and then calls them to him...
Once Peter realizes it is Jesus, he doesn’t even wait for the boat…
He weirdly tosses on his clothes and goes swimming to shore.
Once there something amazing happens...
Jesus penetrates Peter’s heart…and in doing so…
he penetrates the hearts of all the disciples.
Since that fateful Maundy Thursday evening and the wee morning hours of Good Friday,
Peter had been hanging on to some serious guilt.
It was Peter who objected the most vehemently when Jesus said he was going to die...
He’s the one who swore up and down he would be with Jesus even to the death...
and he almost carried that promise out when he cut the ear off of Malchus, the High Priest’s slave, with his sword.
But, almost didn’t count...
In the end, Peter bailed on Jesus...
and when it counted...
DENIED HIM…not once, not twice, but three times...
[THE COUNT] AH AH AH AH AHHHHH!
Jesus knew that the way to Peter’s heart was to break through his own guilt and shame.
Let’s listen again to Jesus as he breaks through to Peter in verses 15-19:
15 After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.” “Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him. 16 Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love me?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love you.” “Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus said. 17 A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep. 18 “I tell you the truth, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked; you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will dress you and take you where you don’t want to go.” 19 Jesus said this to let him know by what kind of death he would glorify God. Then Jesus told him, “Follow me.”
NOTICE, just as Peter denied Jesus three times, Jesus asked Peter three times if Peter loved him.
That is not by accident or a coincidence…nor is it Jesus trying to further Peter’s guilt.
Still, notice it is upon the THRID time Jesus asks, that Peter breaks down.
Jesus has reached him. He has penetrated his heart...
And let’s him know by what kind of death he would glorify God.
In other words…I’ve already forgiven you…I will make you strong…now go and follow me!
Peter is not scolded, he’s not punished...
He’s just reminded of his own guilt…through Jesus asking him three times…and that brings him to acceptance of Jesus’ forgiveness…
and the purpose that Jesus then laid before him.
Notice that Peter didn’t verbally say he was sorry...
But Jesus knew his heart…Jesus saw his guilt…his same...
Just as he sees ours despite our failing in being faithful to him as he has been to us.
What This Means for You
What This Means for You
I want you to pause now and reflect: Have you denied Jesus?
Now, let me clarify. I know that you haven’t denied him literally, three times, the way Peter did.
But have you ever denied him? Are you denying him now?
Are you failing to be as faithful as you could be?
Are you being called to some ministry or purpose that you’ve been avoiding or flat-out saying no too?
Just place your name in place of Peter’s, Jesus asks “Todd do you love me more than these?”
“Yes Lord, you know I do.”
“Then feed my lambs.:
“Todd, do you love me?”
“Yes Lord, you know I love you.”
“Then take care of my sheep.”
“Todd, do you love me?
“Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.”
“Then feed my sheep.”
What This Means for Us
What This Means for Us
As a church, Jesus is asking us the same question:
CHURCH: Do you love me more than the world?
Do you LOVE me?
Do YOU love ME?
Now, I know that some have questioned how much ministry we’ve done over the last few years, with a pandemic and all.
First, I would say that WE’VE done and continue to do great local and global missions.
We mostly support global missions through our Shared Ministries expenses...
Though we have supported missionaries and a children from underdeveloped countries.
LOCALLY: My goodness!
I represent our church at Newton Rotary Club and so, community mission opportunities have and will arise there.
We have been ardent, ongoing supporters of the Weekend Bag Program.
You know, I’ve come to understand that some people might think this food we’re collecting doesn’t stay in the county...
I am not sure why that is being thought…as 100% of the food collected goes to students in Newton and all around Sussex County. It is going DIRECTLY to the “LEAST OF THESE” in our Sussex County Schools.
I cannot think of a more important mission for us to be a part of.
We have our Treasures of Hope ministry led by Linda and crew, and many people donate to that…without looking for any credit…
just helping out by giving what they can. Others volunteer their time down at Treasures on a regular basis…and we could always have more help.
We have a tremendous Children’s and Adult’s Christian Education System...
We just held our first of many Open MIcs and it ROCKED!
This is a mission of outreach and hospitality for us, that can continue to build community within and outside of the church.
And those are just to name a couple of missions and/or ministries,
not to mention the fact that we supported healthcare workers by making and donating cards and masks, as well as many other things we did throughout the worst of the pandemic.
In fact, if one is questioning what we’ve done through the pandemic or what we are doing now...
My question to that person is, where were you? Or Where are you?
Now, don’t get me wrong…I understand that during the pandemic we had to isolate and many in our congregation were compromised in one way or another...
But that doesn’t mean one couldn’t pick up a phone to help call around…to check in on people...
Or that one couldn’t make masks or cards for people...
or that one couldn’t decide to give more to help the efforts of those who can physically be there to make sure the church operates.
Friends, remember, we are not LOVED because we are perfect! None of us are perfect! ONLY JESUS is perfect...
and we are are being perfected by JESUS because WE ARE LOVED by Him.
Like Peter, all we need to do is acknowledge where we have failed, repent, accept God’s forgiveness and FOLLOW HIM.
If we do that, WE WILL not only be a church building with people in it on Sundays...
We will be THE CHURCH who brings JESUS to the COMMUNITY in order that it may bring the COMMUNITY to JESUS! AMEN? Amen!