Reflections on "Will You Let Me Lead Your People" John 21: 15-19; Acts 9: 36-43

I enjoyed preaching this sermon.  I did correct a mistake in my initial bog.  I had noted that Jesus used three different Greek words for "love" his questions for Jesus, but it was really two different verbs.  I did not pick up on any of that in the sermon.

I did note in the Sanctuary service that two weeks in a row the sermon has actually been a bout questions that were not asked.  Maybe the sermon series should be entitled, "Questions they wanted to ask the resurrected Christ but didn't!"

(John 21:15-19) When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my lambs." A second time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Tend my sheep." He said to him the third time, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" And he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep. Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go." (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, "Follow me."

“Will You Let Me Lead Your People” April 17, 2016; FPC, Troy; John 21: Acts 9: 36-43

Introduction: This story is a continuation of last week's story from the Gospel of John.

The disciples are on the beach with the Risen Christ, gathered around a charcoal fire to have breakfast together.

Surely, the charcoal fire in the scene reminds us that the last time Peter was around a charcoal fire, that would be on the night of Jesus' arrest, he had been asked three times if he was one of Jesus' disciples.

Three times, he denied knowing Christ.

Now breakfast is over and Jesus turns to Peter, and asks “Do you love me?”

“Yes, Lord: you know that I love you.”

To which Jesus responds, “Feed my lambs.”

Peter is asked a second time, replying the same, to which Jesus slightly reshapes his response, “Take care of my sheep.”

And yet Jesus asks a third time, “Do you love me?”

This time to Peter's affirmation Jesus answers, “Feed my sheep.”

Peter, we are told, is grieved at being asked this once again.

As we continue in this post-Eater preaching series on questions we might ask the resurrected Christ, I am interested in the question that does not get asked by Peter.

Move 1: "Jesus, will you let me lead your people?"

a. Think for a moment about who Peter was.

1. Once he had found Jesus, he had given himself over to following and serving Christ.
2. Indeed, this fisherman had taken Jesus' offer to start fishing for people and he had excelled.
3. He was the one the Jesus had said would be the Rock on which the church would be built.
4. For Peter, leading God's people to Christ and doing Christ's ministry has become who he is.

5. As upset as Peter was at having denied Jesus, I suspect he was even more upset because he believed that his denial would keep him from serving Christ, because he is not sure that he could not do what he believes he is called to do.

He wants to know, “Jesus, will you let me follow you?”

b. When I was coaching soccer, and as I have observed coaching through the years as a referee, I have noticed that some coaches pull you out immediately when you make a mistake.

Other coaches let you play through the mistakes.

Referreing a soccer game at the Strawberry tournament at Archer Park a few years ago.

It was u U-19 Boys games, which meant that most of the players were Seniors. This was not a particularly high level of soccer, so most of the players were not training and playing with a college career in mind. They were playing a final season for a final hurrah.

I've learned through the years that those types of games can be fun because everyone is there to have some fun, or it can be very challenging because the players don't care much about the authority figures there, including their coaches and the referees.

Appeared to be a star player, but he was not having that great a game. He missed a good chance on the goal early. Then, didn't hustle back on defense. He seemed to receive the ire of the coach. It quickly became clear that he was the coach's son.

After another mistake, the coach angrily substituted for his son.

It began an intense discussion between the player and his coach/father right there on the sideline. I was the assistant referee, so I had a front row seat.

'Why did you pull me from the game?'

“You're playing terribly.”

“You're a terrible coach.”

“if you don't like my coaching, just quit.

The players takes off his jersey and throws it on the ground.

“If you're not going to be part of the team, then just leave.”

He angrily grabs his bag, gets his keys, and then heads to the parking lot, all the while exchanging words with his coach/father.

He was parked close to the field, so he gets in his car and slams the door.

He never starts the car. He sits there. Later, he comes back to the field.

His coach/father greets his return with, “What are you doing back here.”

“I want to play.”

Silence.

“ Are you going to let me play?”

“Why should I? You already quit on your time”

“I'm the captain. The teams needs me. Are you going to let me help my team.”

“Put on your shirt and get back in the game.”

b. Peter wants to know: "Jesus, are you letting me back in the game?"

1. I've messed up, but are you letting me back in the

game.

2. Despite his betrayal, despite his failings, Peter sees the resurrected Christ and wants back in the game.

              3. He wants to follow Jesus.

Move 2: To be clear, Peter took himself out of the game.

a. It was not Jesus giving up on Peter, but Peter giving up on himself.

b. Different ways we take ourselves out of the game.

c.  We do not believe we can do it.

          1.  We want to follow Jesus.

2. We want to take on the task of ministry.

3.  But like Moses, remember Moses, who did not think we he could lead God's people because he was not a good talker, we do not believe we have the skills needed so we take ourselves out of the game.

d. Or we are too busy doing other things.

                  1. we want to follow Jesus and engage in ministry, but we cannot find the time.

                  2. Busy with work.

                   3. Overwhelmed with family obligations.

                  4. Not enough time in the day to do everything.

                   5. We do not have time to follow Jesus, so we take ourselves out of the game.

e. we are afraid.

          1. the idea of giving our lives over to serving Christ overwhelms.

          2. We are afraid we cannot do it, so we remove ourselves from the opportunity.

f. You can name your own reasons that you take yourself out fo the game.

There are lots of reasons that we dare not even ask Jesus, “Will you let me follow you?”

Move 3: the task is feeding the sheep.

a. Charles Schultz, the creator of the comic strip Peanuts showed Snoopy, sitting atop his doghouse with his trusty typewriter, working once again on his great American novel. The only words in the strip are those from Snoopy’s Smith-Corona:

“Do you love me?” she asked.

“Of course”, he said.

“Do you really love me?” she asked.

“Of course”, he said.

“Do you really REALLY love me?” she asked.

“No”, he said.

“Do you love me?” she asked.

“Of course”, he said.

So she asked no more

in that series of questions that sounds eerily like the conversation the Risen Christ has with Peter that morning on the beach. It is clear that for the young woman, the questions were about her.

Her need for affirmation.

That's not what is at stake in Jesus' questions for Peter.

Jesus is not asking so that he can feel good about himself.

He's asking Peter to as a way to redirect him, to call Peter's attention to the task still at hand, to invite Peter back into the game.

b. Jesus tells Peter, “Feed my lambs.” “Take care of my sheep.” “Feed my sheep.”

        1.  Jesus does not say “Feed your sheep,

          2.  Or even “feed the sheep,” in the generic.

         3. Jesus is talking aobut his sheep.

         4.  We have previously heard in the Gospel of John Jesus describe himself as the Good Shepherd.

          5.  He is giving Peter the chance to join with him and care for his sheep


     c.  And so Peter does.

             1. we read one story about what he does in the passage from Acts.

               2.  Tabitha is given up for dead.

             3.  Peter comes and brings her back to life.

                4.  Peter, feeding Jesus' sheep.

Conclusion: when Peter asks, “Will you let me follow you,” Jesus asnwers, “Feed my sheep.”

that's Jesus answer for us as well.