"When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!” John 21:15-19
How many times do you get a second chance at love? When it comes to people, there are no guarantees. With God, there are ALWAYS second chances (and third and fourth and fifth....)! That is the big amazing truth you are wrapping your heart and mind around over these past five weeks. Even though it will take all of eternity to fully understand His CRAZY LOVE, the more you know about it the better it looks.
God's love is unchanging and unconditional. It is not about who you are but Who He is! His love is rooted in His Character, therefore it is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow! He will not love you more when you act like Mother Teresa nor will He love you less when you act like Charlie Manson. HE JUST LOVES WITH A CRAZY LOVE!
You don't have to earn this love you just need to receive it! Over the past two weeks we have been learning how to clear obstacles from your life to create more space for His CRAZY LOVE to occupy.
In this Scripture text above you see one of the more poignant moments recorded in the Bible. The resurrected Jesus has come seeking some quality time with His closest followers and hoping to restore Peter after his monumental denial of His Savior. In this revealing encounter between The Master and Peter, you can gain some insight into how love grows and develops within a believer's heart.
After they had enjoyed a breakfast on the beach, Jesus found some alone time with Peter and immediately questioned him three times about his love for Him. It is probably significant that he asked Peter three times because Peter had denied Jesus three times.
This encounter is rich in great truths about the love of God but I want to zero in on the three answers Peter gave to Jesus' three-fold questioning of his love. The significance is in the different words used for love in the original language of the New Testament.
Each time, Jesus asked Peter if he loved (agape) Him but each time Peter answered, "You know I love (phileo) you."
"Agape" love is CRAZY LOVE - it is unconditional supernatural love like God has for you, while "phileo" is a fondness like the love you would have for a friend or a family member.
So, Jesus was asking Peter to commit to a CRAZY LOVE commitment but all he could get was a casual love. For purposes of this lesson I want to trace the process of learning to love Jesus like this:
Loving God begins with a fondness for Jesus when you receive Him as Savior. That is how Peter responds - "I like this feeling!"
From that beginning love grows to a friendship with Jesus as you learn to walk with Him and talk with Him. That is essentially how Peter responds - "I love this fellowship!"
Love should grow to the next level when Jesus asked Him the third time hoping that Peter would confess to a full and holy love - "agape". But Peter's response was more like this - "I love this faith and I will try to live it".
Peter, still smarting from the pain of having denied Jesus and disappointing himself was very hesitant to over-promise to Christ and fail again. But I believe he answered as sincerely as he could and I think he did love Christ as much as humanly possible. And I think that traces the progression of love for Christ: from a feeling level to a friendship level to a faith level.
There was a day that Peter was finally able to confess "agape" love! But it wasn't because of anything he did or anything he stopped doing, it was on the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit of God fell upon him and filled him with "agape" (CRAZY LOVE)! That changed Peter forever and empowered Peter to change the world!
What is most crazy about CRAZY LOVE is that you cannot love God as He desires to be loved and deserves to be loved - at any level unless you receive His love. And you can only receive it to the level that you have prepared your heart through denying self and dying to selfishness.
Are you ready to stop trying to earn His love and just let Him love you?
Have you prepared your heart to receive His love at a deeper level?
Are you ready to move from "phileo" love to "agape" love? Will you renounce your shallow love and receive His supernatural love?
How many times do you get a second chance at love? When it comes to people, there are no guarantees. With God, there are ALWAYS second chances (and third and fourth and fifth....)! That is the big amazing truth you are wrapping your heart and mind around over these past five weeks. Even though it will take all of eternity to fully understand His CRAZY LOVE, the more you know about it the better it looks.
God's love is unchanging and unconditional. It is not about who you are but Who He is! His love is rooted in His Character, therefore it is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow! He will not love you more when you act like Mother Teresa nor will He love you less when you act like Charlie Manson. HE JUST LOVES WITH A CRAZY LOVE!
You don't have to earn this love you just need to receive it! Over the past two weeks we have been learning how to clear obstacles from your life to create more space for His CRAZY LOVE to occupy.
In this Scripture text above you see one of the more poignant moments recorded in the Bible. The resurrected Jesus has come seeking some quality time with His closest followers and hoping to restore Peter after his monumental denial of His Savior. In this revealing encounter between The Master and Peter, you can gain some insight into how love grows and develops within a believer's heart.
After they had enjoyed a breakfast on the beach, Jesus found some alone time with Peter and immediately questioned him three times about his love for Him. It is probably significant that he asked Peter three times because Peter had denied Jesus three times.
This encounter is rich in great truths about the love of God but I want to zero in on the three answers Peter gave to Jesus' three-fold questioning of his love. The significance is in the different words used for love in the original language of the New Testament.
Each time, Jesus asked Peter if he loved (agape) Him but each time Peter answered, "You know I love (phileo) you."
"Agape" love is CRAZY LOVE - it is unconditional supernatural love like God has for you, while "phileo" is a fondness like the love you would have for a friend or a family member.
So, Jesus was asking Peter to commit to a CRAZY LOVE commitment but all he could get was a casual love. For purposes of this lesson I want to trace the process of learning to love Jesus like this:
Loving God begins with a fondness for Jesus when you receive Him as Savior. That is how Peter responds - "I like this feeling!"
From that beginning love grows to a friendship with Jesus as you learn to walk with Him and talk with Him. That is essentially how Peter responds - "I love this fellowship!"
Love should grow to the next level when Jesus asked Him the third time hoping that Peter would confess to a full and holy love - "agape". But Peter's response was more like this - "I love this faith and I will try to live it".
Peter, still smarting from the pain of having denied Jesus and disappointing himself was very hesitant to over-promise to Christ and fail again. But I believe he answered as sincerely as he could and I think he did love Christ as much as humanly possible. And I think that traces the progression of love for Christ: from a feeling level to a friendship level to a faith level.
There was a day that Peter was finally able to confess "agape" love! But it wasn't because of anything he did or anything he stopped doing, it was on the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit of God fell upon him and filled him with "agape" (CRAZY LOVE)! That changed Peter forever and empowered Peter to change the world!
What is most crazy about CRAZY LOVE is that you cannot love God as He desires to be loved and deserves to be loved - at any level unless you receive His love. And you can only receive it to the level that you have prepared your heart through denying self and dying to selfishness.
Are you ready to stop trying to earn His love and just let Him love you?
Have you prepared your heart to receive His love at a deeper level?
Are you ready to move from "phileo" love to "agape" love? Will you renounce your shallow love and receive His supernatural love?
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