February 13, 2014

"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

Why did Jesus require Peter to have a quality of love was incapable of having?

Is that fair?

Jesus was asking Peter if he loved Him with a godly, passionate, pure love (agape) and Peter responded honestly that he loved Jesus with a brotherly love (phileo).

There is a big difference.

If you don't think so guys, on Valentine's Day this Friday, tell your wife you love her like a sister. See how that works for you. (Reminder: I do marriage counseling)

So back to the original question, "Why did Jesus demand from  Peter a level of love he was not able of giving?"

He probably did it for the same reason He required Peter to have a salvation he couldn't earn and to fulfill a ministry calling he was incapable of accomplishing. Jesus intended for Peter to trust Him and depend on Him for the divine ability to fulfill His will.

Do you remember this quote, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit;apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."? John 15:5-8

As you understand this you realize what Jesus was not really asking, "Peter do you love me" but "Peter will you trust me to love you"?

Of all that can be learned from this encounter perhaps this is the most significant truth - when God calls us to love Him He is inviting us to receive His love. When He calls us to salvation He is calling us to receive His grace. When He calls us to serve Him He is calling us to be used by His Spirit.

God's call is His enabling. Whatever He calls you to do He expects to do through you. 

Give that some thought and prayer this morning.

    

      

February 12, 2014

"After breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Master, you know I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” He then asked a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” “Yes, Master, you know I love you.” Jesus said, “Shepherd my sheep.” Then he said it a third time: “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was upset that he asked for the third time, “Do you love me?” so he answered, “Master, you know everything there is to know. You’ve got to know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. I’m telling you the very truth now: When you were young you dressed yourself and went wherever you wished, but when you get old you’ll have to stretch out your hands while someone else dresses you and takes you where you don’t want to go.” He said this to hint at the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. And then he commanded, “Follow me.” John 21:15-19

What do you do after you have failed and you are confronted with your failure?

Do you know how to "fail forward"?

Jesus met with Peter on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. He met him there because Peter had returned to fishing after he miserably failed Christ by denying Him three times. Peter was running from his failure by returning to something he knew he was good at doing - fishing.

After the breakfast of divinely caught fish, Jesus pulled Peter aside and kindly confronted him with the cause of his failure, "Peter, do you love me (with a divine, godly love)?" 

Peter's answer was honest but insufficient, "Yes, Lord, I love you (with a warm, brotherly love)."

Jesus repeated the question and Peter gave the same response.

The third time, Jesus changed the question and lowered the bar, "Peter, do you love me (with a warm, brotherly love)?"

Peter was deeply grieved and broken because Jesus had exposed him for his lack of devoted love.

Jesus loved Peter so much that He wanted him to understand why he failed. Only when you understand your reason for failing are you able to begin turning the failure into success!

Like you and me, the cause of Peter's failure was simply because he didn't love Jesus enough. He loved Him like a friend or a brother but not like a devoted follower of the Son of God.

As Jesus revealed to Peter, when you love him better you will live for Him better!

February 11, 2014

"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 21:18-19

While Scripture does not record the actual death of Peter, here we see Jesus predicting that He would suffer and die.

The occasion for this statement is Jesus' gracious calling of Peter back into discipleship following his humiliating denial of Jesus. When Jesus called Peter, James and John the first time, it was by the Sea of Galilee. Now they stood on the shore of that same sea as Jesus calls him back into action.

With the call, Jesus clarifies the cost of the call, "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.”

Historians record that Peter did die with his hands stretched out on a cross. But because he felt unworthy to die as his Master had died, Peter requested to be crucified upside down. On October 13, 64 AD, Jesus prophecy of Peter was fulfilled as the Romans crucified him upside down. According to the record, it took him three days to die because crucifixion killed its victims through asphyxiation and that didn't happen when he was upside down. The Romans finally beheaded him on the cross say historical accounts.

I share this to make the point that something happened in Peter's heart between the time he denied Jesus three times and the time he gladly gave his life as a martyr.

What brought on such a dramatic change that fulfilled another prophecy of Jesus, "You are Peter and on this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it."?

What happened in the heart of Peter that transformed him from one who denied Jesus to one who died for Jesus?

That is what we will explore over the next few posts.

But for today, let me ask you this. What is going on in your heart? 

Will you die to Jesus today? Will you crown Him Lord in your life and deny yourself?

As Peter discovered, if you don't die to yourself you will eventually deny Jesus.

February 10, 2014

"Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited."  Romans 12:14-16

One of the first disillusioning experiences of my ministry happened in my first meeting with fellow pastors in my area. Prior to prayer we were sharing concerns. Several of them were facing some very tough situations and asked to be supported by their brothers. Each of them were met with great empathy, compassion and heartfelt prayer.

When it came my turn to share, things had been going well with my church and my people so I shared some praises giving God glory for what He had done. To my great disappointment my praises were met with a great lack of enthusiasm. In fact, the responses ranged from indifference to resentment. Nowadays we would say it was "awkward".

I left that meeting feeling sad that my brothers in ministry could not seem to find it in their heart to share in my rejoicing. I was not sharing those things to brag, I wanted to praise God for His faithfulness. It hurt when they acted as they did. As I worked through my disappointment, I resolved that while I could do nothing to change how they responded to me, I would consciously celebrate with them whenever they shared victories. And, in the 39 years since, I have - always - every time. I did not want any other pastor to feel the disappointment I suffered that day.

For some reason, especially among pastors, there seems to be a spirit of competitiveness that exists. That spirit makes it hard to celebrate the successes of others. I have seen it happen between churches, too. Human egos can get in the way at times.

In this portion of Scripture we are reminded that God expects us to empathize with one another. When your heart is breaking, I weep with you.I share your pain and get involved in providing comfort. When you get a big win, I am to celebrate as though it happened to me!

May this be a reminder that God has not called us to compete with each other but to COMPLETE each other for His glory!

Are you competing or completing?

February 9, 2014

"Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited."  Romans 12:14-16

Empathy means - "Identification with and understanding of another's situation, feelings, and motives."

Doesn't that sound like a good thing? Isn't that something that you would want from others?

But what does this have with finding peace? How does being empathetic lead to finding peace?

Let me ask you this, "What happened the last time you were insensitive to what your spouse was feeling?"

What happened when you acted according to what you thought your spouse was wanting when in fact, they wanted something different. How did that work out for you?

If you fail to empathize with someone due to unfamiliarity, or insensitivity, misreading some emotional cues, or  failure to listen well, you will be perceived as not caring about that person. Or, it could indicate that you are too preoccupied with your own troubles that you don't have empathy for the needs of another. Those responses put stress on a relationship. They indicate a lacking for caring or a lack of really knowing the person. Over time it can begin to erode trust. Once trust is diminished it becomes much more difficult to give the benefit of the doubt to you. They will tend to be less patient with you. That changes the entire way that person begins to look at you. It will be more difficult to extend grace to you. Over time, the relationship becomes strained.

Furthermore, your ability to empathize with the feelings of others and to show genuine concern for those emotions will win you loyalty and love from that person. It also indicates that you have found inner peace and resolved your issues so you are able to devote yourself to ministering to the needs of others - to know what they are feeling and how to best meet that need.

God is able to more completely meet our needs because His Son, Jesus, lived as a man on this earth for 33 years and felt the stresses and strains, the fears and frustrations, the pain and pathos of the human experience. He could have relied on His omniscience to know what we are feeling, but He didn't. He donned the flesh and blood of a human being to be able to identify with our sufferings by suffering Himself.

Empathy is a hallmark of caring relationships. And like Hallmark, it cares enough to send the very best. Therefore it calls forth the best in relationships.

February 8, 2014

"Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited."  Romans 12:14-16

Giving grace and getting rid of grudges is a big first step to finding peace. You cannot have spiritual peace while you are holding onto resentment or hostility. The two are incompatible.

Only if you are living as a holy sacrifice surrendered to God and filled with His Spirit will you be able to be a grace giver. Only those who have been transformed by grace are able to grace others.

The second step to finding peace is the ability to empathize with the emotions of others.

What does this have to do with peace?

Empathy is the ability to enter into the feelings of others. It cares how others feel and desires to celebrate the positive emotions while consoling the painful ones.

Again, it is a test of love. It shows that you love another person well enough to set aside your own emotional needs to respond to the emotional needs of others. Such an unselfish love is not natural, it is supernatural. It is the love Jesus demonstrates for you and me!

Such love shows that you are at ease with your own emotional state - at peace with yourself. That allows you to enter into the joys and sufferings of others.

"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin." Hebrews 4:15

Jesus is able to know how hard life is and how much it can hurt because He lived life and faced the temptations of life - EVERY ONE - so that He can identify exactly with what you are feeling in any difficulty trial of life.

Why would He love like that? Why would He willing suffer as He did? Why would he relive that pain by identifying with others' pain?

It is because God loves like that! And because He loved God and God's love was perfected in Him, Jesus loves like that.

So, if God's love is active in your life you will love in the same way He loves. You will genuinely rejoice in their joys and sincerely share their sorrows.

Extending grace to others. Empathizing with others. Those are two big steps to inner peace and to developing peace in a family or a fellowship.

Are you a peacemaker? Are you able to give to others the very emotional support you desire for yourself?

February 7, 2014

"Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn."  Romans 12:15

The fact that the Great Apostle includes this admonition with this portion of Scripture is telling.

For one thing I think it recognizes that empathy does not come naturally for us. We have an inherent self-interest and we care about those who care about us. But to reach out to those with whom we have no vested interest is not something that happens on its own.

So, what must happen to make you care about others? What brings you to a place of sharing in sorrow and celebrating in joy?

At the risk of being redundant, the very things I have been showing you over the past few weeks:

Surrender

It seems to me the best way to care about others more is to surrender your heart and mind and will to the One Who loves them most. When you offer yourself as a living sacrifice to God, He changes how you think - about Him, about yourself, and about others!

Selfless love is born in surrender.

Serve

The test of love is service. When you love someone you serve them. When you are surrendered to God you serve Him by serving those He loves. And as you serve others, as you become more involved in their lives, and you get to know them better and begin to like them more.

Also, as you serve them they begin to feel more loved by your and by the Father.

Sincere Love

Sincere love is the result of being surrendered to God and being involved in serving others. Sincere love is evidence that God's love is being expressed in your heart. It is more than a feeling it is a commitment. It is a decision. God expects you to show sincere love to people you feel warm emotions for and those you don't.

Godly love empathizes with the pain and problems of others. It offers to help bear the pain. It brings a comforting presence. It joins in prayer. It offers friendship. It meets practical needs. It sheds tears with those who are sad. It celebrates with those who are enjoying life.

Empathy is a God-given gift through which heavy load are lightened and broken hearts get mended. It is evidence that God has done a transforming work in your heart.

When I care as deeply over the needs of others as I do over my own, then I know God has done a work in me and wants to do a strong work through me!

Are you surrendered to God? Completely?

Are you serving God by serving others?

Are you showing sincere love?