“Will You Let Me Lead your People” John 21: 15-19; Acts 9: 36-43

Another week of preaching to an empty sanctuary!

A better sermon title might have been, "Will you let me follow you," although I wanted to make the point that leading people is what it means to follow Jesus.  I'm not sure I made that connection as well as I could have.

“Will You Let Me Lead your People”  May 3, 2020; St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, Denton; John 21: 15-19; Acts 9: 36-43

(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."

Introduction: “Will You Let Me Lead Your People”  April 17, 2016; FPC, Troy; John 21: Acts 9: 32-43

The story we read from the Gospel of John is a continuation of the interaction between the disciples and the resurrected Christ that we began last week.

As you may remember, 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 said, “I am not.”

You know how the story plays out over breakfast.   three times Jesus asks Peter, “Do you love me.”  Three times Jesus says “yes.”  Three times, Jesus calls Peter to take care of Jesus’ sheep.

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

in that moment, I suspect Peter has a question for the Risen Christ:  “Will you really let me lead your people?”

Move 1:  Peter wants to know if he is still welcome to be a disciple of Christ.

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.

1. Indeed, this fisherman had taken Jesus' offer to start fishing for people and he had excelled.

1. he was the one who knew exactly who jesus was when jesus asked, “Who do people say that I am?”

1. Peter was the one the Jesus had said would be the Rock on which the church would be built.

1. For Peter, leading God's people to Christ and doing Christ's ministry has become who he is. 

1. 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 lead your people?”

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.

A few years ago, I was referring a soccer game at a tournament in May.

It was u U-19 Boys games, which meant that most of the players were Seniors, who were about to graduate.  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 ot 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.

It quickly became apparent that the star player was not having that great a game.  He missed a good chance on the goal early.  He made a bad pass. Then, he 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, the star player.

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 player 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.  

At this point, the confrontation was more exciting than the game.

He was parked close to the field, so he gets 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 team” 

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

Another long pause.

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

I think that is Peter’s real questions for the resurrected Christ:  Will you let me back in the game?  Will you let me lead your people?”

c.  that’s what Peter wants to know:  "Jesus, are you letting me back in the game?"

1. I've messed up, but will you let me lead your people?”

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

             3. He wants to follow Jesus and lead the people.

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 who he is called to be.

1.  I find it fascinating how the Gospel of John tells the story we know as Peter’s denial of Christ.

2.  In three of the gospels - Matthew Mark and Luke, which are known as the synoptic gospels because they have the same view (no extra charge for that bible lesson) - in those three gospels, the question asked of Peter is, “A “do you know the man?” To which Peter responds three times, “I don’t know the man.” 

3. But the Gospel of John tells the story a bit differently.  In John, the question is,  “aren’t you one of his disciples?” 

NOt a question of whom Peter knows, but a question of who Peter is.

Is he a disciple, a follower of Christ tasked with serving Christ in the world?

In the moment, Peter’s responds “I AM not” (Karoline Lewis

Associate Professor of Preaching and the Marbury E. Anderson Chair in Biblical Preaching

Luther Seminary, http://www.workingpreacher.org/craft.aspx?post=5320)

4.  Peter is not simply denying Jesus, he is denying his calling, he is denying who he is, a disciple of Christ.

5. How devastating it must have been for Peter to realize that he no only turned away from Jesus, but Peter had turned away from who he knew himself to be.

c.  I suspect that is why Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves him.

1.  not because Jesus doubts whether Peter loves him. Jesus knows he does.

2.  not because Jesus doubts whether Peter will commit to serving the resurrected Christ.  Jesus knows he will.

3.  But Jesus also knows Peter must claim it for himself.

4. So he pushes him, challenges him, makes him dig deep to lay claim to who Peter has become - a follower of Christ who is sent to serve Christ in the world.

d.  We who call ourselves disciples of Christ face challenges in our lives.

1.  most of us are being challenged in lots of different ways as we try and move forward in a pandemic.

2.  The question is not will Jesus let us follow him or lead his people.  that is what Jesus desires.

3. The question is are you ready to live into the calling the Risen Christ has put before you?

Move 3: To be clear, the task is feeding Jesus’ sheep.

a. Jesus tells Peter, “Feed my lambs.”  “Tend 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 about his sheep.  his love and concern for the people of the world.

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

5. He is giving Peter the chance to claim again his calling to join with Jesus in caring for his sheep.

b. So peter does.

1. We read two stories from Acts.

2.  They serve sort of as an epilogue to the scene on the beach.

3. if we were watching a movie, it would say, “One year later.”

4. probably a couple of months in Peter’s life

b.  Peter first heals Aeneas and then gets called to Tabitha’s house because she has been given up for dead.

1. A lot going on in the stories.

2.  The belief people have that a disciple of Christ could heal.

3.  Dorca, and all her wonderful attributes.

4. The image of Peter praying on his knees.

5.  Lots of good material for several sermons..

6.  But today, we look at those stories and affirm that Peter is doing what he is called to do - feeding Jesus’ sheep.

Conclusion:  when Peter asks the Risen Christ, “Will you really let me lead your people,”  Jesus surely would answers, “Feed my sheep - that is what you are called to do.”

When we ask the Risen Christ, “Will you really let me lead your people,”  Jesus surely answers, “Feed my sheep - that is what you are called to do.”