[The following is the manuscript of my sermon delivered on the 19th of October, 2014.]
Last week we briefly looked at a time after Jesus’ resurrection but before His ascension when He appeared to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. A short time after this, Jesus appeared to His disciples again, this time by the Sea of Galilee.
The disciples had been fishing all night and caught nothing. Jesus appeared along the coast, but they didn’t recognize Him yet. He told them to cast their nets again, on the right side of the boat. When they did, they caught so many fish they could barely bring in the nets.
After enjoying their morning meal, Jesus had the opportunity to talk to Peter again. Listen to the exchange between Jesus and Peter, as recorded in the 21st chapter of the Gospel of John, verses 15 through 19…
The disciples had been fishing all night and caught nothing. Jesus appeared along the coast, but they didn’t recognize Him yet. He told them to cast their nets again, on the right side of the boat. When they did, they caught so many fish they could barely bring in the nets.
After enjoying their morning meal, Jesus had the opportunity to talk to Peter again. Listen to the exchange between Jesus and Peter, as recorded in the 21st chapter of the Gospel of John, verses 15 through 19…
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.”
16 He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?”
He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”
He said to him, “Tend My sheep.”
17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?”
And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep. 18 Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.” 19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me.”
--John 21:15-19 (NKJV)
Let us pray... Father in heaven, we are so happy and blessed to be able to come here this morning in the name of Jesus Christ Your Son just to worship You. Open our hearts, Father, to Your word. Fill us anew, Jesus, with the Holy Spirit. Accept our worship as a sweet offering to You. In the beautiful name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
The preacher’s five year-old daughter noticed that her father always paused and bowed his head for a moment before starting his sermon. One day she asked him why?
“Well, Honey,” he began, proud that his daughter was so observant of his messages, “I’m asking the Lord to help me preach a good sermon.”
Then she asked, “How come He doesn’t answer you?”
James DeLoach, associate pastor of the Second Baptist Church of Houston, TX, related the following story to the author, Willard Aldrich, for inclusion in his book, When God Was Taken Captive:
I am not a connoisseur of great art, but from time to time a painting or picture will really speak a clear, strong message to me. Some time ago I saw a picture of an old burned-out mountain shack. All that remained was the chimney... the charred debris of what had been that family's sole possession. In front of this destroyed home stood an old grandfather-looking man dressed only in his underclothes with a small boy clutching a pair of patched overalls. It was evident that the child was crying. Beneath the picture were the words which the artist felt the old man was speaking to the boy. They were simple words, yet they presented a profound theology and philosophy of life. Those words were, "Hush child, God ain't dead!"
That vivid picture of that burned-out mountain shack, that old man, the weeping child, and those words "God ain't dead" keep returning to my mind. Instead of it being a reminder of the despair of life, it has come to be a reminder of hope! I need reminders that there is hope in this world. In the midst of all of life's troubles and failures, I need mental pictures to remind me that all is not lost as long as God is alive and in control of His world.
“God ain’t dead”, the old man in the photo said. The Newsboys say, “My God’s not dead, He’s surely alive; He’s living on the inside, roaring like a lion.” Not only is our God not dead, He is still at work in the world.
Think back to just about the last time Jesus and Peter spoke to each other. It was at their last meal together, the one we commemorated a few weeks ago. Jesus told His assembled friends that one of them would betray Him that night. They all shouted, “No! Who? Not me!” And then our Lord told Peter that he would deny Jesus three times before dawn. Peter said he’d never do such a thing, but of course we know he did exactly that. And when he realized it, he was crushed - deeply saddened and hurt.
So now, here the two are again - face to face, one on one. And Jesus asks, “Do you love Me, Peter?” What must Peter have thought? Was the Lord testing him, to see if he would deny Jesus again? Was this a punishment for that earlier denial?
Jesus asked again, and yet again. Each time Peter replied, “Yes, Lord, You know I love You.” With each answer, Jesus commanded “Feed My lambs”, “Tend My sheep”, “Feed my sheep”. And then He said simply, “Follow Me”.
Those two words spoke volumes. They provided Peter with forgiveness for his actions in denying Christ. They restored him to a wholeness that had been shattered that night in Jerusalem. They let him know that Jesus still loved him. They brought him peace. With those two words, Jesus changed Peter’s world.
This was not the first time Jesus spoke those two words to Peter: “Follow Me”. That happened back at the start of Jesus’ ministry. Matthew recorded the incident in his Gospel account, chapter 4 verses 18 through 22, like this…
The preacher’s five year-old daughter noticed that her father always paused and bowed his head for a moment before starting his sermon. One day she asked him why?
“Well, Honey,” he began, proud that his daughter was so observant of his messages, “I’m asking the Lord to help me preach a good sermon.”
Then she asked, “How come He doesn’t answer you?”
James DeLoach, associate pastor of the Second Baptist Church of Houston, TX, related the following story to the author, Willard Aldrich, for inclusion in his book, When God Was Taken Captive:
I am not a connoisseur of great art, but from time to time a painting or picture will really speak a clear, strong message to me. Some time ago I saw a picture of an old burned-out mountain shack. All that remained was the chimney... the charred debris of what had been that family's sole possession. In front of this destroyed home stood an old grandfather-looking man dressed only in his underclothes with a small boy clutching a pair of patched overalls. It was evident that the child was crying. Beneath the picture were the words which the artist felt the old man was speaking to the boy. They were simple words, yet they presented a profound theology and philosophy of life. Those words were, "Hush child, God ain't dead!"
That vivid picture of that burned-out mountain shack, that old man, the weeping child, and those words "God ain't dead" keep returning to my mind. Instead of it being a reminder of the despair of life, it has come to be a reminder of hope! I need reminders that there is hope in this world. In the midst of all of life's troubles and failures, I need mental pictures to remind me that all is not lost as long as God is alive and in control of His world.
“God ain’t dead”, the old man in the photo said. The Newsboys say, “My God’s not dead, He’s surely alive; He’s living on the inside, roaring like a lion.” Not only is our God not dead, He is still at work in the world.
Think back to just about the last time Jesus and Peter spoke to each other. It was at their last meal together, the one we commemorated a few weeks ago. Jesus told His assembled friends that one of them would betray Him that night. They all shouted, “No! Who? Not me!” And then our Lord told Peter that he would deny Jesus three times before dawn. Peter said he’d never do such a thing, but of course we know he did exactly that. And when he realized it, he was crushed - deeply saddened and hurt.
So now, here the two are again - face to face, one on one. And Jesus asks, “Do you love Me, Peter?” What must Peter have thought? Was the Lord testing him, to see if he would deny Jesus again? Was this a punishment for that earlier denial?
Jesus asked again, and yet again. Each time Peter replied, “Yes, Lord, You know I love You.” With each answer, Jesus commanded “Feed My lambs”, “Tend My sheep”, “Feed my sheep”. And then He said simply, “Follow Me”.
Those two words spoke volumes. They provided Peter with forgiveness for his actions in denying Christ. They restored him to a wholeness that had been shattered that night in Jerusalem. They let him know that Jesus still loved him. They brought him peace. With those two words, Jesus changed Peter’s world.
This was not the first time Jesus spoke those two words to Peter: “Follow Me”. That happened back at the start of Jesus’ ministry. Matthew recorded the incident in his Gospel account, chapter 4 verses 18 through 22, like this…
18 And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 19 Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 They immediately left their nets and followed Him.
21 Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.--Matthew 4:18-22 (NKJV)
“Follow Me”: two simple words spoken to four men, two sets of brothers. And each of the four dropped what they were doing, left their families and their livelihood, and followed this Man from Nazareth.
Matthew recorded other episodes of Jesus imploring those He chose to follow Him, including Matthew’s own in chapter 9 verse 9…
The rich young man was not willing to deny himself of all his wealth and possessions in order to follow Jesus. He was not willing to deny his self, his ego, his pride. He was not willing to repent from his sinful ways, to turn from his sin and follow in the same direction that Jesus led. Peter, Andrew, John, James, Matthew and the rest were, and did. They denied themselves of everything they had known up to that point in their lives – dropped it all. And Peter bore a heavy cross of his own, at least until Jesus uttered those two words again and lifted that particular weight from him.
Those commands the resurrected Jesus gave Peter are intended for us all as well. “Feed My lambs” – who are His lambs if not the most innocent and defenseless of this world? Children, widows, those who suffer some physical incapacitation, those who have no voice. “Tend My sheep” – who are His sheep if not His church?. Sheep follow the shepherd – Christ’s church follows the Good Shepherd. “Feed My sheep” – there is so much more to the word “feed” than simply providing food for the body.
The word “tend” imparts the responsibility to look after, to see to the needs of, to take care of. And indeed, we should be mindful of the needs of the body of the church lest it suffer and fall off and die. The church serves a critical purpose in this world, in God’s great plan, and we must see to it that it survives. We must feed it and nourish it. And I’m not talking about the physical bodies of the members of each congregation. The spiritual needs of the body of Christ must be met. We must all be fed, preferably daily, with the sweetest bread – the word of God. And it is up to us – as individuals, as members of the local church, as one member of Christ’s full body on earth – to do just that. We are to feed Christ’s lambs, to tend His sheep, to feed His sheep.
Jesus invited, over and over, “Follow Me”. He implores us, each of us, throughout our lives: “Follow Me. Lay down the things in this mortal life, the things of this world that are most important to you, pick up your cross, and follow Me.”
Are you willing to commit yourself fully? If you are, there’s a great reward. Because implicit in those two words – “Follow Me” – is the promise: “And we will change the world.” One Man, born in the most humble of surroundings, raised in a family of no great means, praised by some but taunted and persecuted by many everywhere He went, arrested on trumped up charges, sentenced and executed, buried… This one Man completely changed the world. Nothing like Him ever walked the face of the earth before, nothing ever will again. He took the world, turned it upside down, and changed everything.
And now it’s our turn. We are His church, left behind to do His work here on earth. We have been charged with loving God and each other. We have been tasked with spreading the good news of eternal salvation through the grace of God and the belief in His Son, Jesus. And we have been told to take care of ourselves as well as seeing to the needs of others.
Jesus stretches out His hand to us and says “Follow Me”. Are we ready to do so? Are we committed enough to leave everything this world might offer behind and pick up our cross and get in step behind the One we call Master? Do we even believe that we can change the world? Our Lord believes we can. Jesus says we can, through Him.
Follow Him, and change the world.
God ain’t dead.
Amen.
Let us pray… O Lord our God, we trust in You, we have faith in You, we truly believe that You are still Sovereign over all of creation. But Father, when we see all the madness around us, when we personally witness the depths of moral decay this society has fallen to, we have to wonder if You still care. Your followers are being persecuted across the globe to the point of losing their lives. Your church is under attack, Lord Jesus, just as You warned us it would be. It is being assaulted from both outside and from within. Those who would bend Your word to suit their own purpose utilize the laws of man to beat at the very doors of Your body on earth. But worse than these are those who stand in Your pulpits each Sunday morning, preaching a perversion of Your word to a people who will only believe what is pleasing to them. Father we pray that You intervene for the sake of Your children who remain righteous and stop this insanity before it can go further!
But then, Father, we hear the words of Your Son as He beckons us, “Follow Me. Follow Me and together – together - we can change the world.” Together, we can strengthen the church and each other. Together, we can teach only the truth of God’s word, disavowing the preachings of those who are hired solely to tickle the ears of their listeners. Together, we can stand for what is right and holy, in accordance with God’s word. Together, we can work toward a better tomorrow. Together, we can further advance God’s kingdom.
Hear us now, Lord Jesus, as we lay bare our innermost being to You, as we seek Your guidance, as we listen for Your call, as we search our hearts for the willingness to accept that call…
Ever faithful Jesus, Lord and Master, You stand at the door knocking, asking to come in. You extend Your hand and invite us to follow You, so that together we can change the world. And Lord we do so recognize that this world is in desperate need of being changed. Give us the courage, dear Jesus, to accept that invitation. Give us the strength to take up our cross. Give us the commitment to follow You no matter what we might have to leave behind, no matter what price we may be asked to pay. We stand ready, Lord, to follow You. In Your beautiful name, O Jesus we pray. Amen.
Matthew recorded other episodes of Jesus imploring those He chose to follow Him, including Matthew’s own in chapter 9 verse 9…
9 As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him.--Matthew 9:9 (NKJV)
“Follow Me”, and again, as did Peter and Andrew, John and James, Matthew stopped what he was doing, left everything behind, and followed Jesus.
Of course, not everyone that Jesus asked to follow Him did so. Do you remember the story of the rich young ruler? He asked Jesus what he needed to do to be able to enter the kingdom of heaven. Jesus explained that the young man must love God and follow the commandments brought from God by Moses. The young man said he’d done that all his life – what else must he do? Matthew shares the rest of this conversation, and the result, in chapter 19 verses 21 and 22…
Of course, not everyone that Jesus asked to follow Him did so. Do you remember the story of the rich young ruler? He asked Jesus what he needed to do to be able to enter the kingdom of heaven. Jesus explained that the young man must love God and follow the commandments brought from God by Moses. The young man said he’d done that all his life – what else must he do? Matthew shares the rest of this conversation, and the result, in chapter 19 verses 21 and 22…
21 Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.--Matthew 19:21-22 (NKJV)
The rich young man walked away, he did not follow Jesus. He had too much, in his opinion, to leave it all behind. Jesus doesn’t ask us to give up everything to follow Him. Just to be willing to, and without hesitation. Because if you hold anything back, if you’re not willing to drop everything on a moment’s notice, without a second thought, then you’re not fully and truly committed to Him.
Oh, and Jesus makes it quite clear that there is a price that comes with our commitment. Again in Matthew’s Gospel, chapter 16 verses 24 and 25, Jesus cautions…
Oh, and Jesus makes it quite clear that there is a price that comes with our commitment. Again in Matthew’s Gospel, chapter 16 verses 24 and 25, Jesus cautions…
24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”
--Matthew 16:24-25 (NKJV)
Those commands the resurrected Jesus gave Peter are intended for us all as well. “Feed My lambs” – who are His lambs if not the most innocent and defenseless of this world? Children, widows, those who suffer some physical incapacitation, those who have no voice. “Tend My sheep” – who are His sheep if not His church?. Sheep follow the shepherd – Christ’s church follows the Good Shepherd. “Feed My sheep” – there is so much more to the word “feed” than simply providing food for the body.
The word “tend” imparts the responsibility to look after, to see to the needs of, to take care of. And indeed, we should be mindful of the needs of the body of the church lest it suffer and fall off and die. The church serves a critical purpose in this world, in God’s great plan, and we must see to it that it survives. We must feed it and nourish it. And I’m not talking about the physical bodies of the members of each congregation. The spiritual needs of the body of Christ must be met. We must all be fed, preferably daily, with the sweetest bread – the word of God. And it is up to us – as individuals, as members of the local church, as one member of Christ’s full body on earth – to do just that. We are to feed Christ’s lambs, to tend His sheep, to feed His sheep.
Jesus invited, over and over, “Follow Me”. He implores us, each of us, throughout our lives: “Follow Me. Lay down the things in this mortal life, the things of this world that are most important to you, pick up your cross, and follow Me.”
Are you willing to commit yourself fully? If you are, there’s a great reward. Because implicit in those two words – “Follow Me” – is the promise: “And we will change the world.” One Man, born in the most humble of surroundings, raised in a family of no great means, praised by some but taunted and persecuted by many everywhere He went, arrested on trumped up charges, sentenced and executed, buried… This one Man completely changed the world. Nothing like Him ever walked the face of the earth before, nothing ever will again. He took the world, turned it upside down, and changed everything.
And now it’s our turn. We are His church, left behind to do His work here on earth. We have been charged with loving God and each other. We have been tasked with spreading the good news of eternal salvation through the grace of God and the belief in His Son, Jesus. And we have been told to take care of ourselves as well as seeing to the needs of others.
Jesus stretches out His hand to us and says “Follow Me”. Are we ready to do so? Are we committed enough to leave everything this world might offer behind and pick up our cross and get in step behind the One we call Master? Do we even believe that we can change the world? Our Lord believes we can. Jesus says we can, through Him.
Follow Him, and change the world.
God ain’t dead.
Amen.
Let us pray… O Lord our God, we trust in You, we have faith in You, we truly believe that You are still Sovereign over all of creation. But Father, when we see all the madness around us, when we personally witness the depths of moral decay this society has fallen to, we have to wonder if You still care. Your followers are being persecuted across the globe to the point of losing their lives. Your church is under attack, Lord Jesus, just as You warned us it would be. It is being assaulted from both outside and from within. Those who would bend Your word to suit their own purpose utilize the laws of man to beat at the very doors of Your body on earth. But worse than these are those who stand in Your pulpits each Sunday morning, preaching a perversion of Your word to a people who will only believe what is pleasing to them. Father we pray that You intervene for the sake of Your children who remain righteous and stop this insanity before it can go further!
But then, Father, we hear the words of Your Son as He beckons us, “Follow Me. Follow Me and together – together - we can change the world.” Together, we can strengthen the church and each other. Together, we can teach only the truth of God’s word, disavowing the preachings of those who are hired solely to tickle the ears of their listeners. Together, we can stand for what is right and holy, in accordance with God’s word. Together, we can work toward a better tomorrow. Together, we can further advance God’s kingdom.
Hear us now, Lord Jesus, as we lay bare our innermost being to You, as we seek Your guidance, as we listen for Your call, as we search our hearts for the willingness to accept that call…
Ever faithful Jesus, Lord and Master, You stand at the door knocking, asking to come in. You extend Your hand and invite us to follow You, so that together we can change the world. And Lord we do so recognize that this world is in desperate need of being changed. Give us the courage, dear Jesus, to accept that invitation. Give us the strength to take up our cross. Give us the commitment to follow You no matter what we might have to leave behind, no matter what price we may be asked to pay. We stand ready, Lord, to follow You. In Your beautiful name, O Jesus we pray. Amen.
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