Good afternoon. Welcome back to our worship service. And we are in part two of the message on the restoration of Peter or love in the Christian ministry. And I'm going to read verses 15 through 18, 19 I should say. This is the word of the living God. 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. He said to him 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. 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. Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked when you wished, 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. This he spoke signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he said to him, follow me. When you take a look at this portion of God's word from verses one through verse 19, you look at it in two sections, the miracle, and if it has any significance to the second part, which is Peter's restoration. And I'm going to prove that later on. But that's what we looked at this morning was the miracle, the great miracle of the fish that were caught, which should remind the seven apostles of what had happened earlier in Luke chapter five, when they were called to the gospel ministry and they were brought in now. by Jesus Christ, but now he has died, he's been raised from the dead. They are somewhat scattered, and now our Lord is going to restore Peter, as well as to give an account to these men that are there with Peter, that Peter has not been disqualified from the Christian ministry. So we'll take a look at the question, the answer, and the command. We'll look at right now number two, which is the second question. And I want you to notice that our Lord calls in the same name, Simon son of Jonah. So we're still there. And he wants to know if he does indeed love him, except our Lord does something a little bit different. He shortens his question. He doesn't say, do you love me more than these? He simply says, do you love me? It's more of a direct approach. that our Lord is now dealing with, and that is he's no longer comparing him with others, but do you love me? Do you love me? Now, he didn't ask Peter, are you wise? Are you learned? Are you eloquent as speech? Now it is important to have these characteristics, these abilities, as a godly man must have understanding to teach and to lead the flock of God. Much wisdom is needed to help and assist poor saints in their sins, their struggles, their difficulties, their lack of assurance. One should have that humble approach. But no love to Christ will clutter up the ministry. No love to Christ will make it a band of robbers, so to speak, instead of a church of love. And it will not profit the saints of God if there's no love in the Christian ministry. For if Peter had not love, it profits him nothing. Even if you could take Mount Sinai and shove it into deceives Tiberius, or other miraculous gifts. If he has not love, it profits him nothing. Peter, therefore, is to be tender, compassionate, attentive to weak, trembling believers. But if he does not love Jesus Christ, he will not love his people. The love here in verse 16 is a stronger word. It's the idea of affection and attachment to Christ. Now let's take a look at Peter's answer. Peter shows great restraint. He remains humble. The second question has been asked him if he loves the Lord. Even after our Lord's acceptance and his command in the verse earlier, he exhibits self-control and he answers the identical way. He says, yes, Lord, you know that I love you. And then our Lord gives a command. He says, tend my sheep. Notice he doesn't say, as he said in the first one, to feed my lambs. Right now he uses the word tend my sheep. Again, it's a different Greek word and it means to feed, to keep, pastor, shepherd, govern, lead, direct. I think you get the point. But to do this all with love to Jesus Christ as well as to these particular sheep. He is to Do this to the older ones. It's not lambs, it's sheep, and it's the idea that these are older believers. Do not neglect the older believers that are under your care. Do the work of a shepherd to those that are learned, to those that have the knowledge of God and are mature in the faith. I want you to notice two that he continues to use the word my shepherd these people shepherd my lambs protect my people not your people but my people which brings us to the third question our lord is still not done with peter as he knows him better than peter he knows him the lord knows us better than we know ourselves our lord wounds so that he might heal, because he's a great physician as well as a wonderful shepherd. Here's the third time. Just as Peter denied knowing the Lord three times, he's questioned three times, and he now has the opportunity to affirm his love for the Lord Jesus. But I want you to notice that Peter is grieved. Did you notice that? He's grieved because he said to him the third time, why do you think he was grieved that third time? Can it be that Peter thought that our Lord didn't believe his answer? I mean, my wife and I are on a walk, I'm gonna embarrass my wife now, we're on a walk and if she were to say, Rick do you love me? I'd say, yes honey, I love you. We go a little bit further, she says, Rick do you love me? I'm going to think, maybe she didn't hear me the first time. Honey, you know I love you. Yes, I love you. So we go a little further. She says, Rick, do you love me? Okay, now I'm grieved. Now I'm upset. What's, what's going on here? Yes, you know that I love you. Now that is, I'm sure a very poor illustration, but I think we see what Peter is going through. Three times he's being asked if he does indeed love the Lord. And now Peter is going to appeal to his deity. Keep in mind that even though Peter denied our Lord three times and he's going to acknowledge him three times, it doesn't cover his sin. His sin is only covered by Jesus Christ and he paid for that sin when he died on the cross a few days earlier. So to keep that in mind, Jesus made payment for those denials. But Peter now is going to answer our Lord and he's going to appeal to his deity more emphatically. He says, Lord, you know all things. You know that I love you. He's basically saying to the Lord, you know everything. You know the beginning. You know the end. You know my affections. You know my thoughts. You know my sins. Though I didn't show a sign of love to you or affection or attachment to you when I denied you before men, now I peel. to your all-knowing power, you being God manifested in the flesh, you know that I love you. I want you to notice here that Peter remains humble and reverent. He doesn't say, well, just tell me what you want me to say. He doesn't say that. Or just tell me what you want me to do. Peter knows his weakness, and in his response, He doesn't distinguish himself above his brethren there. He doesn't boast of his love. He does set a watchman over his mouth, and he appeals to Christ's person. He believes that Jesus is God manifested in the flesh, and this is to be a comfort to Peter, that Jesus knows his thoughts, he knows his affections, and this gives him comfort and sincerity Only the Lord can look into our souls and see what's going on. There's a proverb, Proverbs 20, 27 says, the spirit of a man is a lamp of the Lord. I can look at you and I have no idea what's going on inside. I have a general idea, but I have no idea what's going on inside of you. or if we have one-to-one relationship and we're talking, we're not going to be able to see what's going on inside of us, what we're saying. However, the spirit of a man is a lamp to the Lord. The Lord looks right in and he sees everything that's going on within our hearts, within our minds. I mean, probably one of my greatest griefs, I have a lot of griefs, but maybe one of your griefs is that the things that go through your mind, even when preaching's going on. It's a grief to think upon that, but it's good for us to know that the Lord sees it. He sees the righteousness of Christ. Now, some detractors might reprove our Lord for how he deals with Simon Peter. Three times he asked me if he loves him. But I think this goes to show that our Lord is working in him patience. working in him, love for his person. And if Peter is going to instruct others in the faith, when you consider that he has rebelled against the Lord, if he's going to be doing that, instructing others in the faith, He needs to be dealt with by the way that the Lord knows what's best way to deal with him. And that is this three questions asked with the three answers of him affirming. This is also needed for the six other guys that are there with him, the six other apostles that would appear. They see that our Lord is restoring Peter back to the Christian ministry. I want you to notice now the command of our Lord. He says to feed my sheep, feed my sheep. Obviously it's spiritually with God's word doing good to them, even a life of sacrifice for the people of God. He is indeed to give everything that he has within him for the good of his people to be a servant to the people. We would use the word slave, but obviously that's not very popular. You can use the word servant, that is fine. But really a Christian minister is to be a slave to the people of God, to be of help to them any way that they can, to shepherd them, to help them. Even though Peter's denial could have been an occasion of despising the gospel of Jesus Christ, God uses it for his restoration, as well as for encouragement for God's people that fall into sin. The Lord commands Peter to the ministry, to his people. Again, he uses the word my, feed my sheep. Remember in Matthew 25, when people are persecuted, Inasmuch as you've done it unto the least of these, my brethren, you've done it unto me." Well, the other part, which is more positive, is in regards to, Lord, when do we see you when we visited you or when you were sick? Inasmuch as you've done it to the least of these, my people, you've done it unto me. So there we see our Lord takes a more of a direct approach to how we deal with one another. Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting the church? No, he didn't say that. The Lord Jesus said, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It goes to show that Christ has ownership of his people, even here where the sheep are to be fed by Peter. The reminder to Peter is, these are not my people. Peter is not the head of the church, contrary to what the Romanism says. Paul is not the head of the church. All glory would not go to Jesus Christ. He purchased the church by His very own blood. I mean, were these people baptized in any other name? Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the authority of Jesus Christ. Now, let me show the significance of the miracle of the fish and the restoration of Peter. In your energy, in your strength, You caught nothing, is what is being said. But when Jesus gave the command, great blessing. And what our Lord is saying, as far as I can tell, is you cannot feed the people of God and shepherd them in the energy of your flesh, but only by the Spirit of the living God that the Lord Jesus Christ sends from his exalted throne And he says, Lo, I'm with you always, even to the end of the age. And this cannot be done apart from love. Cannot be done apart from love. Brethren, remember who is doing the feeding whenever sermons are going on. It's the Lord Jesus Christ himself feeding his people. So those are the three questions. Those are the three answers. Those are the three commands. What's the cost of following Christ? Verse 18 and 19. Moshe Shirley, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wish. However, when you're older, someone else is going to gird you. He's talking about his death, how he will die. Some have said that Peter was crucified upside down. That's speculation. But one thing we do know, it appeared that his life was taken from him in a way that he did not wish. He died a martyr. And what was the thing that would help Peter die that particular death. The Lord Jesus says, follow me. Notice he says that, follow me. He's obviously not meaning that in a, what the right word is, but it's in a way that you take it literal. That's what I mean. Because a couple of days later, our Lord ascends to heaven. I mean, what's Peter gonna do? Sprout wings and fly up to heaven? No, that's not how you follow the Lord. You follow the Lord by his example, by his life, his life of obedience, as well as his love for his people. And that is what Peter is to do. Well, I have some conclusions here as we finish up. And the first thing is patience, patience. Our Lord taught Peter that it's not allowed profession or to be more courageous and zealous than others. He taught him Patience. Look at how our Lord deals with him patiently. Look at how long it took for him before he finally restored him. It took the third time that our Lord had appeared to them that he restored him. He was showing Peter patience. Patience is needed in order to help care for God's people. Love for Christ's flock. Love and patience go hand in hand. Usefulness, humility, and love for one another. That is the gospel of our Lord and Savior, as well as the characteristic of a man who is going to be a pastor for those who aspire to the Christian ministry, but also for those of us that are Christians. We have love for one another. Secondly, Peter needed boldness to be a representative of Christ, yet not pride. And there is a difference. Peter needed to be bold. Christ had to restore him. And he was restored. And look at the boldness of Peter in Acts chapter two, when you get a chance, when we finally get there, there's boldness by Peter. People will cut to the heart saying, what must we do in order to be saved? Peter learned very well, learned very well, and he had to be direct. He had to be bold. And remember this, smooth seas never made a good sailor. Smooth seas would not have helped Peter. He had to have come to the realization that he had sinned against his Lord. He had denied his Lord three times. He acknowledged his Lord three times. Boldness, boldness in the gospel. Trials help us. My brethren, trials help us. They're difficult, you know that. And you, in one sense, you regret going through it, but trials are there for us. They've been handed to us by God for our benefit and good. If we look at our trials that way, we will look at our life much differently. Thirdly, forgiveness, forgiveness. See the great forgiveness of our Lord. We would do well to learn from our Lord and how he deals with Peter. We should deal directly We should deal patiently. Reprovers should be lovers. To show love is to correct, but make sure it's done in meekness, in love, lest your medicine be turned to poison. If gentleness is lacking, there will be no edification, there will be no comfort. There should be tenderness. Now let me balance here. If you are being reproved, don't look too much for tenderness or gentleness. Look for the truth. Sometimes someone get mad at you and raise their voice. If there's truth in it, okay, I really didn't like the way that he approached me, but he's right. He's right. If I sinned, I sinned. That's how I think we should take a look at it with truth. Fourthly, love. I have a question for you. Do you love Jesus Christ? Do you love Jesus Christ? Remember, our Lord said, if you love me, you will keep my commandments. There's no disconnect between the Ten Commandments and our Lord's two commandments. Loving the Father, loving God with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength, as well as our neighbor as ourself. The Lord Jesus Christ and the Father are one. In one sense, I'm kind of embarrassed to have to actually bring this up, but people, teachers, show a separation from the Ten Commandments and the Lord's Two Commandments as if they were contrary to one another. They're not. They're joined together. Paul the Apostle says, I delight in the law of God. The Lord Jesus Christ amplified the law, murder and adultery. He even called himself the Lord of the Sabbath. He says that the Sabbath was made for Jews. No, he didn't say that. The Sabbath was made for man, for his benefit, for his good. It's a picture of God's character, the law of God. And the law of God must be preached for us to see where we have fallen short, but also to see where we should be striving for. There's a proverb, Proverbs 28, 9 says, one who turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer should be an abomination. So we should delight in the law of God. It shows us our need for Christ. But I have to ask the question, do you love the Lord Jesus Christ? Now, many will say you can talk to them on the street. Many will say yes, but it's only a word. They're not in church. or they're hateful towards one another. It's not love in word only. My wife and I went to a concert. It was a Harvest concert. This is, oh, must have been 30 years ago. And so we're on the third base side, and one of the guys jumps up on the third base dugout. He's got a tambourine. He started getting the crowd saying, we love Jesus. Yes, we do. We love Jesus. How about you? And they point over to the people that are on the first base side. So someone jumps up on that, dug out, and they do the same thing. We love Jesus. Yes, we do. We love Jesus. How about you? And so going back and forth, I couldn't help but think, I thought, this really doesn't prove anything. This doesn't prove that someone loves Jesus. This shows that maybe you can, you know, talk loud or yell loud, or you're just kind of going back and forth. After about five minutes, I felt like the Lord's name was being taken in vain. That doesn't prove love. That doesn't prove love at all. It's by action, whether we love Jesus Christ or not. Pastor Renahan preached through 1 John, especially chapter 3 and 4 deals with how we can tell if we love God, because if we say we hate our brother, we do not love God. It's love for one another. Again, talk is cheap. It's easy. Do you love Christ? Do you love God's people? That's really the question. Do you like being around them? Do you like being in church with them? Can you imagine me claiming love for my wife and yet I plan my vacations without her? Can you imagine that? Or I can hardly wait to get out of the house. That doesn't show any love at all. I like being around her. I like it a lot. Just as we like being around each other, we show love for one another. Which brings up the question, who's the head of this church? It's not Campbell's church, it's not Sam's church, not George's church, not Hayden's church, definitely not Rick's church. This is Christ's church. Christ Church. Now we can't say this is my church because of the fact that we're joined to that church and we love the church and yes this is my church but we realize that the head of this church is Jesus Christ. We will have a different mindset when we commit ourselves to the membership of this church. Our brother Robert joined the church. Really we are committing ourselves to Jesus Christ as well as with the elders and the members of the church that there is no doubt. But the prime one that we have our eyes set upon is the Lord Jesus Christ in fulfilling our responsibilities here in the church. I think if people knew that Christ was head of these churches, maybe many of them would like to be joined to those particular churches, even to our church. Are you the property of Jesus Christ? I'm not meaning to be contentious here, prove it. Prove it. Lastly, or not lastly, almost lastly, we're almost there, when you sin, do not run away from Jesus Christ. Peter plunged himself into the water when they caught that great amount of fish, and he realized it was the Lord, because John says, it is the Lord. He got himself into the water, He swam towards Christ. He ran to Christ. And then eventually he helps with the fish. But do you remember that? Judas killed himself. He ran away from Christ. Peter ran to Christ. So when you do fall into sin, my dear brethren, and you will sin, Look to Jesus Christ. Run to Christ. Run to Him as well. Well, last point here. Did Peter learn his lesson so that sin was completely eradicated from him? No, he didn't. I think we all identify with him pretty much. Later on in the chapter, Our Lord needs to reprove Peter because he said, what about this man after he told him of his death to John? What about John? And our Lord had to say, what is that to you? If I will for him to stay until I come, you follow me. Was sin eradicated after that for Peter? Book of Galatians, Paul had to reprove him for his hypocrisy. for his hypocrisy. What does that teach us? It teaches that we do indeed have remaining sin. Peter had remaining sin, and we as brethren have remaining sin. But we look to Jesus Christ, keep running to him, keep swimming to him. If any of you swim, when you get in the water tomorrow, whenever, think upon that. I am swimming towards Christ in my walk, in my devotion, and in my church attendance, as well as my church membership. The Lord Jesus said, Simon, Senator Jonah, do you love me more than these? Yes, Lord, you know, I love you. And he says, Feed my lambs, tend my sheep, love my sheep, feed my sheep. Amen. Let's pray. Our father, we thank you for how you've taken this miracle of fish as well as the restoration of Peter for the benefit and good of our souls. So we bow before you. We give you thanks. We love you because you have first loved us and sent your son to be the propitiation for our sins. And oh, father, we acknowledge our love for your son. who gave himself for us freely, that we might have life and have fellowship with you, forgiveness of sins, peace with one another, and because of this, Father, we live in a land of love and we praise you and thank you for that. So hear our prayers, continue on blessing us as we desire to partake of the Lord's Supper in remembrance of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for it's in his name that we pray, amen.