When I was growing up, on a nice spring day the neighborhood kids and I would get together to play kickball out in front of my house. We would naturally rather have been playing baseball, but one time I got knocked unconscious.... smacked in the eye with a fly-ball.... so our baseball playing was allowed when my dad was able to come outside. I don't think it was real clear to mom, that my brother didn't do it on purpose. But there were problems with us boys playing kickball too. Sometimes, the kicker would wallop the ball into the air over toward the trees. The ball would then bounce it way down through the branches and would get stuck. Well...The ball would be out-of-play. So Instead of allowing an automatic home run, we would all shout, “DO OVER!” The game would stop until my big brother or someone could climb up into the tree and the ball was recovered. At that, the kicker would be allowed a "Do-over." It was always nice to have a "Do-over,"
You know what is the best thing about the future? The best thing about tomorrow is that it only comes... one day at a time. We’ve all had times in our lives when what we feared the most was..... what we couldn’t see. For some it is the knowledge that more of the same waits. They didn’t enjoy today ... there is no hope for them that tomorrow will be any different. Still....For some... everything has changed... a divorce.... a death.... a job loss..... and the new life they now have, is untried and untested. What would you like to do-over?
Worrying about tomorrow is for many the national past time. A writer once put it that if we spent half the time in preparation for tomorrow as we do fearing being unprepared, there would be nothing to worry about. What makes tomorrow so fearful at times is, frankly, what we know of today. It’s today’s sorrows and woes that color our understanding and anticipation of tomorrow. If we could stop our own muddy stinkin thinkin, and unlink tomorrow... from today in terms of potential, we’d be a whole lot better off.
One day in 1789, the skies of Hartford Connecticut, darkened. Some of the representatives in the legislature, glancing out the windows, feared the end of the world was at hand. There was a clamor for immediate adjournment. Colonel Davenport, speaker of the House of Representatives, rose and said, “The Day of Judgment is either approaching or it is not. If it is not, there is no cause for adjournment. If it is, I choose to be found doing my duty. Therefore, bring in a candle.”
In the very last chapter of the Gospel of John, Jesus responded to one of his closest friends... who failed him. We see how this friend responded to his own failure. As we read this final chapter of John, we discover Jesus: Jehovah Go'el... Our God and Redeemer.... allows Peter to have a Do-Over. Most of you when you open your bibles and look at this passage, there is a heading that says, “Jesus reinstates Peter.” Why is Jesus “reinstating” him? It was because of what happened the night Jesus was betrayed.
In John 13 we read that Peter boasted to the Lord that he would follow him anywhere – even to the point of laying down his life for Jesus. But we know that didn't happen. That ball got stuck in the tree somewhere. Peter denied Christ... not once, not twice, but three times and on the third time, Jesus was looking directly at Peter immediately as the cock crowed. It was one of the saddest moments in all the bible: and Peter wept bitterly. So here about 10 days later we have Peter. He has seen the risen Lord twice... briefly... but it appears that Jesus didn’t really address Peter and their relationship. Peter knows Jesus is alive again. What he doesn’t know is if his relationship with him can ever be the same again.
Jesus arranges a scene that mimics one of Peter’s first encounters with Him. Peter is fishing all night, but hasn’t caught anything. Jesus tells him to cast his nets on the other side of the boat – Peter obeys, and enjoys a bountiful catch. When he realizes it is Jesus he puts on his cloak and jumps in the water – just to be with Jesus again. He can’t wait! This is important – because it shows us Peter’s heart. When he failed Jesus on that terrible night by denying him, he immediately repented – he knew he was wrong. It was evidenced by his weeping. His response this day, showed he still loved Jesus with crazy abandon, and wanted to be around him no matter what.
Now when Jesus addresses Peter, there are all sorts of things that Jesus could have asked him. Jesus did not ask “Why did you do it? Can I trust you not to do that again? Are you really sorry?” Jesus doesn’t ask any of these. The only question Jesus asked was “Do you love me?” His past was not the issue. Jesus had moved on. It was forgiven. It was forgotten. The issue for Jesus was whether Peter was going to let the failures in his past affect his present and his future.
Peter was a “fisherman” who went into ministry and failed, and had once again become a fisherman. Jesus was concerned that he would not be satisfied with living as a fisherman for the rest of his life. He had much bigger plans for Peter. Jesus knew that Peter had important work ahead of him as an Apostle, a preacher, a leader in the early church, but if he fell back into what came easily (being a fisherman) he would miss out. And so he asks him, “Do you love me?”
This is what matters to our Lord the most. Put the past behind us. Do you love me? In most English translations of the bible, this passage can seem kind of redundant. Do you love me?, Yes I love you. Do you love me?, Yes I love you. Do you love me? We however need to remember that the Bible we have is only a translation... The original is in Greek.
Agape, Phileo, Eros and Storge, are Greek words for love that we encounter in the bible that are translated into English as love. Each Greek love word means a distinctly different kind of love. Two of these words are not used in this scripture. I can say, “I love pepperoni pizza.” That word for love in the Greek is Storge. It means a deep affection. I have a deep affection for Pepperoni Pizza. Storge however is not a word used in this passage of scripture.
The other word for love that is NOT used in this Scripture is Eros. Eros is the word from where we get the English word Erotic. However The other two words for love that ARE used this scripture are Phileo, which means brotherly love: and Agape, which means unconditional, perfect love. When you know the words of the original language, the passage takes on a deeper meaning.
Jesus in this passage asks Peter, “Do you Agape me?” Do you love me perfectly Peter, no matter
what Peter... Do you love me even.... when fo llowing me.... gets hard..... Peter responds, “I phileo you.” He truly did love Jesus like a brother. Jesus then tells Peter, “Feed My Sheep.” Jesus asks a little later, “Do you Agape me?” The mood now turns more somber. Peter appears to realize precisely what Jesus was asking. Peter had denied his love a week and a half earlier. He allows Peter the chance to think about but also to put the memories of that night to rest. A much more serious Peter responds. 'Yes Lord ….I love you like a brother. I phileo you.' Jesus then tells him to feed my Lambs.... Take care of My followers. Feed them. Feed them the word, spiritual knowledge and insight. Take care of their spiritual needs. Make sure they know Me Peter. Let them know I care for them.
Finally Jesus asks Peter, a third time, “Do you Agape me?” This time it really disturbs Peter. Peter knows Jesus is God and that as God, he already knows, all that is in his heart. He knows Jesus knows....that his love is far less than perfect. He realized as fallen human beings in fallen human flesh we are completely incapable of perfect love this side of heaven without Christ's Supernatural ability. And It grieves Peter. All he can say in a weeping response, “Jesus, You know all things... All I can say Lord, All I can truthfully say after my actions last week Lord......
I phileo you.” and Jesus repeats, “Feed my sheep.”
What word for love would you use to describe your love for Jesus? Is it Agape? A Perfect kind of love? Is it Storge.... A Pepperoni Pizza kind of love?
There is nothing wrong with being a fisherman – unless that’s not what God has planned for you. Unless that is an escape from becoming the person God needs you to be for the sake of His kingdom. Maybe you've resorted to doing what you do as a concession. You are convinced that God is through with you. Are you convinced that after what you’ve done, and the promises you’ve broken, that God couldn’t ever use you? If so – just remember how he treated Peter. He heard his cries of repentance, he heard his declarations of love for him, and he commissioned him to move into a great future of living – and ultimately dying – in Jesus’ service.
If you’ve failed God – If you have denied what Jesus has called you to be, Let me bring a candle..... Jesus allows a Do Over. You need to know that there are many different types of love, but only one type of sin: DEADLY. However if you repent of your sin, he is faithful and just to forgive your sin and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness. You can experience freedom from sin today. You can have a Do Over. We can go even further. You can experience the love of God today. And that's what this church is all about. We’re here to help people experience the love, acceptance, and forgiveness that God offers each one of us when we repent of our sins, where we’ve failed God or other people.
God’s nature is grace. We would do well to follow this example. This takes supernatural power. We spend so much time worrying, fearing for what may or may not be. We often forget that a Christian has nothing to fear in the day or tomorrow as long as we remain faithful to the calling that God has given us. Rather than fearing, we would be much better off taking comfort in the fact that God does not expect perfection. He does expect an excellent effort. Natural people remember people’s failures and hold their past against them. But if you are a follower of Christ, and the Holy Spirit lives within you, you are no longer a natural. You have become super-natural. We need to remember that when things are lousy... God is still Holy. That Holiness is given to us. God separated our sin from us as far as the East is from the West and we are made holy by the declaration of God as He drops our sin into the sea of forgetfulness. Do you need to release someone into God’s hands of grace? Do you need to ask God to take away your tendency to hold people’s failings against them?
I pray for an authentic Christian community – where love, acceptance, and forgiveness is offered to people as generously as our Lord extends it. He offers it to those of us who repent of our failures. Light the candle. Let the light of love shine when the storm clouds gather and darken the sky... so we can be faithfully doing our duty. May you extend the love, acceptance, and forgiveness the Lord extended toward Peter to those in your life who have failed. May you receive the love, acceptance, and forgiveness the Lord offered Peter.
Father,
We humbly present ourselves to You knowing that You know all things. We are laid bare before you. Yes we are in church today and as holy as we may appear to others, You know us in our deepest.... most inward hearts. You know how our love.... like Peter's.... is not perfect. I ask that You plant within Your church..... a more perfect love. A love that makes us keenly aware of who You are; what you have done. Put it within our hearts a desire to love our brothers and sisters in Christ. Put it within us to bring as many as who will, to come when we return to Your house. Help us to grow in your likeness so that we will continue to filled with Your Holy Spirit. Plant a passion for evangelism: for works of compassion that we might be balanced and Biblical, mindful of Your global mission. Let us reflect that the banner over us, is love. Thank You Lord.... Thank You....It is my privilege to pray in the name of Jesus for Your people. Make your people one... in love and purity. Hear this prayer my Lord. For I ask it in the precious name of Jesus our Lord God, Savior and King. A-men
Receive your Do Over. Do you want to Enjoy all that Jesus died to give you and everyone else too? If you do, please respond today. I believe in Jesus' name, by the authority of the Word of God, and the power of the Holy Spirit, That God has indeed spoken.
