WEBVTT 00:00:04.659 --> 00:00:08.179 Today's reading is from the Gospel of John, chapter 00:00:08.179 --> 00:00:13.960 21, beginning at the 15th verse. When they had 00:00:13.960 --> 00:00:18.899 finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, 00:00:19.100 --> 00:00:22.879 son of John, do you love me more than these? 00:00:24.059 --> 00:00:28.719 Yes, Lord, he said. You know I love you. Jesus 00:00:28.719 --> 00:00:37.479 said, Again Jesus said, Simon, son of John, do 00:00:37.479 --> 00:00:42.579 you love me? He answered, Yes, Lord, you know 00:00:42.579 --> 00:00:46.679 that I love you. Jesus said, Take care of my 00:00:46.679 --> 00:00:51.880 sheep. The third time he said to him, Simon, 00:00:51.920 --> 00:00:58.479 son of John, do you love me? Peter was hurt because 00:00:58.479 --> 00:01:02.439 Jesus asked him the third time, Do you love me? 00:01:02.719 --> 00:01:08.060 He said, Lord, you know all things. You know 00:01:08.060 --> 00:01:14.340 that I love you. Jesus said, Feed my sheep. Very 00:01:14.340 --> 00:01:17.599 truly I tell you, when you were younger, you 00:01:17.599 --> 00:01:21.579 dressed yourself and went where you wanted. But 00:01:21.579 --> 00:01:24.739 when you are old, you will stretch out your hands 00:01:24.739 --> 00:01:28.260 and someone else will dress you and lead you 00:01:28.260 --> 00:01:32.420 where you do not want to go. Jesus said this 00:01:32.420 --> 00:01:36.379 to indicate the kind of death by which Peter 00:01:36.379 --> 00:01:41.000 would glorify God. Then he said to him, follow 00:01:41.000 --> 00:01:46.400 me. The word of the Lord. Rob mentioned that 00:01:46.400 --> 00:01:49.680 I was one of the ministers here. That was a few 00:01:49.680 --> 00:01:53.120 years ago. I was a lot younger. I do remember 00:01:53.120 --> 00:01:56.719 a few of you. It's good to see folks again. But 00:01:56.719 --> 00:01:59.019 more than that, it's just such a privilege to 00:01:59.019 --> 00:02:00.900 be with you and to be able to worship together, 00:02:01.099 --> 00:02:05.299 to stand before God's word and to listen to what 00:02:05.299 --> 00:02:08.199 it is that God might have to say today. Rob said 00:02:08.199 --> 00:02:11.620 in the announcement that this is the third week 00:02:11.620 --> 00:02:14.840 of the series Faith. hope, and love, and the 00:02:14.840 --> 00:02:17.879 question is, what remains? And one of the ways 00:02:17.879 --> 00:02:19.860 to think about that question is, what remains 00:02:19.860 --> 00:02:24.199 when everything else is peeled back? And so I 00:02:24.199 --> 00:02:29.020 want to speak particularly today to those who 00:02:29.020 --> 00:02:31.379 feel that they've perhaps failed in one way or 00:02:31.379 --> 00:02:35.360 another, to those who carry regrets for things 00:02:35.360 --> 00:02:38.680 that they have done in the past, and maybe feel 00:02:38.680 --> 00:02:41.520 as though they can't be forgiven for something 00:02:41.520 --> 00:02:44.590 that they've done. And finally, I want to speak 00:02:44.590 --> 00:02:47.789 just to those who are feeling worn out and discouraged. 00:02:50.370 --> 00:02:56.370 Let's pray. Gracious God, we thank you so much 00:02:56.370 --> 00:03:00.189 for the gift of your word. And we pray as we 00:03:00.189 --> 00:03:03.990 sit before your word and come with hearts expecting 00:03:03.990 --> 00:03:06.930 to hear your voice that you will indeed speak 00:03:06.930 --> 00:03:11.689 your word into our lives. in a way that liberates 00:03:11.689 --> 00:03:14.930 us to follow you more closely. We pray this in 00:03:14.930 --> 00:03:19.569 the name of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen. So 00:03:19.569 --> 00:03:22.770 faith, hope, and love, and the greatest of these 00:03:22.770 --> 00:03:26.289 is love. That's what Paul says in 1 Corinthians. 00:03:26.710 --> 00:03:29.849 And so the question really is, what is the love 00:03:29.849 --> 00:03:32.610 that Paul is talking about? You know, love is 00:03:32.610 --> 00:03:34.650 such a difficult thing to talk about sometimes, 00:03:34.849 --> 00:03:37.490 in part because of the way that it's celebrated 00:03:37.490 --> 00:03:41.039 in our culture. where it's this romantic love 00:03:41.039 --> 00:03:44.199 that seems to be primarily about our feelings 00:03:44.199 --> 00:03:46.979 for another person. Well, Paul has something 00:03:46.979 --> 00:03:51.960 that is far more profound and also far more demanding 00:03:51.960 --> 00:03:56.199 in mind. This is not a love that is just reflected 00:03:56.199 --> 00:03:58.900 in the way that we feel, but it's actually a 00:03:58.900 --> 00:04:02.759 love that is reflected in how we act, how we 00:04:02.759 --> 00:04:06.219 treat one another, how we live. And it's marked 00:04:06.219 --> 00:04:09.830 by a commitment to one another through thick 00:04:09.830 --> 00:04:14.550 and thin, in good times and in bad. It's a love 00:04:14.550 --> 00:04:17.709 that is willing to sacrifice for the sake of 00:04:17.709 --> 00:04:21.490 another, even when misunderstood or rejected. 00:04:21.769 --> 00:04:27.370 It is a demanding love. And it's Jesus who actually 00:04:27.370 --> 00:04:30.529 shows us this love most clearly throughout the 00:04:30.529 --> 00:04:34.829 whole of his life. In fact, this love is finally 00:04:34.829 --> 00:04:38.379 and fully revealed for you and I. On the cross. 00:04:39.220 --> 00:04:42.339 That's where this love is expressed. Most clearly. 00:04:42.439 --> 00:04:45.620 And so the greatest of these is love. Indeed. 00:04:46.680 --> 00:04:49.899 Now Paul. Is able to speak about this. Because 00:04:49.899 --> 00:04:53.639 he knows this love. Personally and intimately. 00:04:54.600 --> 00:04:58.839 He knows that Jesus. Has forgiven him. And accepted 00:04:58.839 --> 00:05:03.379 him. Even after Paul. Attacked Jesus followers. 00:05:03.860 --> 00:05:07.240 Put some of them in jail. and was seeking to 00:05:07.240 --> 00:05:11.500 have others killed. And yet Jesus forgives him. 00:05:11.779 --> 00:05:15.879 And so Paul knows this love. And of course, Peter 00:05:15.879 --> 00:05:18.079 knows this love as well. The passage that Karen 00:05:18.079 --> 00:05:21.379 read for us this morning reminds us that Peter 00:05:21.379 --> 00:05:24.379 actually understands or came to understand this 00:05:24.379 --> 00:05:30.839 love at a gut level. So what does the story today 00:05:30.839 --> 00:05:33.199 tell us about love? Well, I'm going to actually 00:05:33.199 --> 00:05:37.879 suggest three things. That this story tells us 00:05:37.879 --> 00:05:41.779 about the love that we see in Jesus. The first 00:05:41.779 --> 00:05:46.300 is that this is a love that forgives. It forgives. 00:05:46.379 --> 00:05:48.920 The second is that this is a love that dares 00:05:48.920 --> 00:05:54.259 to trust. And finally that this is a love that 00:05:54.259 --> 00:05:59.779 persists. A love that remains faithful. Now this 00:05:59.779 --> 00:06:03.939 story of Peter. And Jesus on the beach is a compelling 00:06:03.939 --> 00:06:06.220 story. You might know the background. We didn't 00:06:06.220 --> 00:06:08.120 read all of it. But a little bit comes before 00:06:08.120 --> 00:06:10.620 where Peter and his friends are out fishing. 00:06:11.160 --> 00:06:14.040 They haven't caught anything. Well, someone on 00:06:14.040 --> 00:06:16.279 the beach calls out and says, well, put your 00:06:16.279 --> 00:06:20.680 net out on the other side. Now, these are fishermen. 00:06:21.139 --> 00:06:23.399 How many fishermen you know would actually listen 00:06:23.399 --> 00:06:26.480 to advice from a stranger on the beach? Not very 00:06:26.480 --> 00:06:29.660 many. But they do. And maybe that's partially 00:06:29.660 --> 00:06:31.879 because they're actually a little bit desperate. 00:06:32.339 --> 00:06:34.920 They haven't caught anything. They're ready to 00:06:34.920 --> 00:06:38.220 pack it in. But when they follow the advice of 00:06:38.220 --> 00:06:40.160 this stranger on the beach, they have a net full 00:06:40.160 --> 00:06:42.899 of fish. That's the story, the background to 00:06:42.899 --> 00:06:46.220 the part that Karen read for us today. Peter 00:06:46.220 --> 00:06:50.240 realizes there's only one person who could make 00:06:50.240 --> 00:06:55.120 that happen. That's Jesus. And so the word actually 00:06:55.120 --> 00:06:58.720 says he throws himself out of the boat. Doesn't 00:06:58.720 --> 00:07:00.560 that sound just like Peter, what we know about 00:07:00.560 --> 00:07:04.540 Peter? Impulsive, ready to leap back into action, 00:07:04.740 --> 00:07:07.699 throwing all caution to the wind. Peter jumps 00:07:07.699 --> 00:07:11.379 out and heads straight towards Jesus. A little 00:07:11.379 --> 00:07:14.939 later on, after he's dried off and warmed himself 00:07:14.939 --> 00:07:18.319 up by the fire and had a bite to eat, Jesus then 00:07:18.319 --> 00:07:23.699 speaks directly to him. Three times he says to 00:07:23.699 --> 00:07:28.680 him, Peter, do you love me? And three times, 00:07:28.740 --> 00:07:33.360 Jesus answers, you know that I love you, Jesus. 00:07:34.920 --> 00:07:38.800 And three times, Jesus says, feed my sheep, tend 00:07:38.800 --> 00:07:42.860 my lambs. Now, these three times is not Jesus 00:07:42.860 --> 00:07:45.019 just being repetitive. You saw that in the reading. 00:07:45.079 --> 00:07:47.100 Peter gets a bit confused and impatient with 00:07:47.100 --> 00:07:50.360 him. But Jesus is not being repetitive. He's 00:07:50.360 --> 00:07:53.699 being intentional. He's being intentional. You 00:07:53.699 --> 00:07:56.199 see, it was only a few days before. In fact, 00:07:56.199 --> 00:07:58.699 it was the night before Jesus was crucified that 00:07:58.699 --> 00:08:04.100 Peter had denied Jesus three times. And to make 00:08:04.100 --> 00:08:07.899 matters worse, Jesus had predicted that Peter 00:08:07.899 --> 00:08:12.319 was going to deny him. And now Jesus is coming 00:08:12.319 --> 00:08:15.920 to him. And in some senses, he's reminding him 00:08:15.920 --> 00:08:20.389 about it. You see, Peter, bold and brash, refused 00:08:20.389 --> 00:08:23.490 to accept the fact that he could possibly deny 00:08:23.490 --> 00:08:30.589 Jesus. But then he does. He lies. And then he 00:08:30.589 --> 00:08:35.909 denies and, in fact, betrays Jesus. Now, Jesus 00:08:35.909 --> 00:08:39.090 is not trying to bring up that denial. He doesn't 00:08:39.090 --> 00:08:41.710 bring it up in the conversation. And Peter doesn't 00:08:41.710 --> 00:08:43.950 want to bring it up either. I mean, Peter wants 00:08:43.950 --> 00:08:47.679 to forget it ever happened. He's ashamed. He's 00:08:47.679 --> 00:08:51.100 embarrassed by what he's done. In fact, he knows 00:08:51.100 --> 00:08:56.659 in his heart that what he's done is a deep betrayal. 00:08:58.480 --> 00:09:02.740 Almost unforgivable to abandon his friend, his 00:09:02.740 --> 00:09:09.299 mentor, in his hour of need. Peter would prefer 00:09:09.299 --> 00:09:12.179 that this has never happened. And that's what 00:09:12.179 --> 00:09:18.590 makes this encounter with Jesus. So tender. Peter 00:09:18.590 --> 00:09:21.990 is so attentive to Peter's. Jesus is so attentive 00:09:21.990 --> 00:09:25.629 to Peter's heart. Now he doesn't say to Peter. 00:09:25.870 --> 00:09:28.690 What I would say in that situation. Which is 00:09:28.690 --> 00:09:33.049 you betrayed me. What were you thinking? Because 00:09:33.049 --> 00:09:35.529 Jesus is not trying to make Peter feel terrible. 00:09:35.669 --> 00:09:38.970 For what he's done. He's not trying to rehash 00:09:38.970 --> 00:09:44.320 that event. But he knows. that Peter's denial 00:09:44.320 --> 00:09:48.360 needs to be addressed. See, Jesus understands 00:09:48.360 --> 00:09:52.559 that Peter's betrayal is something that needs 00:09:52.559 --> 00:09:56.740 forgiveness. It's almost therapeutic that Jesus 00:09:56.740 --> 00:10:00.340 knows that in order for Peter to be liberated, 00:10:00.519 --> 00:10:04.960 he actually needs those actions to be addressed 00:10:04.960 --> 00:10:12.629 and forgiven. And in that, Jesus shows a forgiveness 00:10:12.629 --> 00:10:18.009 even for the unforgivable. That's part of the 00:10:18.009 --> 00:10:21.169 love that Jesus shows in this reading today. 00:10:21.909 --> 00:10:25.629 It's also, though, a story of trust. Let's step 00:10:25.629 --> 00:10:27.850 back just a little bit. We didn't read a whole 00:10:27.850 --> 00:10:29.830 lot of the story that goes before, but I suspect 00:10:29.830 --> 00:10:32.789 that many of you are very familiar with it because 00:10:32.789 --> 00:10:35.409 it's the Easter story that happens just before 00:10:35.409 --> 00:10:39.649 our reading today. It's so familiar, I think, 00:10:39.649 --> 00:10:42.029 maybe to some of us that we kind of gloss over 00:10:42.029 --> 00:10:47.970 the extraordinary events of the past few days. 00:10:48.830 --> 00:10:51.470 See, the followers of Jesus have had their world 00:10:51.470 --> 00:10:54.769 turned upside down. It's one of the most catastrophic 00:10:54.769 --> 00:10:58.649 events in their lives. Heart -wrenching despair, 00:10:59.149 --> 00:11:04.429 bewilderment, and pain. They watched their leader. 00:11:04.970 --> 00:11:07.090 the one in whom they had put their confidence 00:11:07.090 --> 00:11:12.409 in. They watched him be betrayed, be unfairly 00:11:12.409 --> 00:11:19.529 judged, and then executed. They're now terrified 00:11:19.529 --> 00:11:24.509 for their own lives, and they retreat into hiding. 00:11:24.909 --> 00:11:27.649 Can you imagine the conversations that are happening 00:11:27.649 --> 00:11:29.909 at that point in time, hidden away, expecting 00:11:29.909 --> 00:11:35.230 a knock at the door? Expecting that... The authorities 00:11:35.230 --> 00:11:38.870 are going to come after them as well. And then 00:11:38.870 --> 00:11:41.190 the resurrected Jesus appears right in their 00:11:41.190 --> 00:11:44.409 midst. Maybe at first, you know, that actually 00:11:44.409 --> 00:11:49.149 makes things worse. They saw him die. And then 00:11:49.149 --> 00:11:51.549 suddenly he's there right in the midst of them. 00:11:51.610 --> 00:11:53.769 That's just as almost as overwhelming as anything 00:11:53.769 --> 00:11:59.360 else. In the midst of this charged setting. The 00:11:59.360 --> 00:12:01.360 disciples are still trying to make sense out 00:12:01.360 --> 00:12:04.159 of all this. They are totally confused. But Jesus 00:12:04.159 --> 00:12:06.340 goes right ahead. And this is right at the end 00:12:06.340 --> 00:12:09.179 of John chapter 20. And he commissions them. 00:12:10.000 --> 00:12:12.799 He commissions them. Let's look at that just 00:12:12.799 --> 00:12:16.000 a little bit more closely. He does three things. 00:12:16.480 --> 00:12:19.279 The first is that he sends his followers out 00:12:19.279 --> 00:12:23.700 into the world in his name. He makes them his 00:12:23.700 --> 00:12:26.919 representatives so that other people can come 00:12:26.919 --> 00:12:32.129 to know him. Through them. Second thing that 00:12:32.129 --> 00:12:36.250 he does. He breathes the Holy Spirit on them. 00:12:36.289 --> 00:12:40.690 Just as God breathed life into Adam. Now Jesus 00:12:40.690 --> 00:12:45.049 breathes the new life that he has brought into 00:12:45.049 --> 00:12:49.230 his followers. And then third, he says this. 00:12:50.690 --> 00:12:54.769 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven. 00:12:54.950 --> 00:12:57.750 If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven. 00:12:58.669 --> 00:13:00.889 Now that can be a bit confusing. I get confused 00:13:00.889 --> 00:13:03.529 over that sometimes. Depending on how we read 00:13:03.529 --> 00:13:06.210 it, does this mean that Jesus is saying, no one's 00:13:06.210 --> 00:13:09.289 forgiven unless you decide? Unless you forgive 00:13:09.289 --> 00:13:15.389 them? Or does it perhaps mean more that forgiveness 00:13:15.389 --> 00:13:18.009 is right at the heart of the good news, of the 00:13:18.009 --> 00:13:22.190 love that Jesus has brought into the world? But 00:13:22.190 --> 00:13:24.970 in order for others to receive it, the disciples 00:13:24.970 --> 00:13:29.759 have to learn how to forgive themselves. Forgiveness 00:13:29.759 --> 00:13:32.200 has to begin somewhere. First it begins with 00:13:32.200 --> 00:13:35.220 Jesus, and then after that it begins with Jesus' 00:13:35.360 --> 00:13:39.960 followers. Jesus is putting his confidence in 00:13:39.960 --> 00:13:43.440 his followers to continue his work, even though 00:13:43.440 --> 00:13:47.860 it's demanding and costly work. This is not easy. 00:13:49.000 --> 00:13:53.100 So the trust Jesus gives to his followers is 00:13:53.100 --> 00:13:56.480 particularly clear in this little encounter that 00:13:56.480 --> 00:14:00.330 happens on the beach. Jesus invites Peter to 00:14:00.330 --> 00:14:03.549 look after his sheep, to tend his lamb. And in 00:14:03.549 --> 00:14:05.549 the background, of course, is this image that 00:14:05.549 --> 00:14:09.409 Jesus is the good shepherd, which John talks 00:14:09.409 --> 00:14:12.590 about in chapter 10 of his gospel. Jesus says, 00:14:12.710 --> 00:14:15.950 I am the good shepherd. And in that context, 00:14:16.009 --> 00:14:18.809 he has critiqued the religious leaders for failing 00:14:18.809 --> 00:14:21.429 to care for the people, and he says, I'm going 00:14:21.429 --> 00:14:24.769 to be the one that cares for them. But now... 00:14:25.309 --> 00:14:29.169 He passes that on to these followers, and he 00:14:29.169 --> 00:14:34.590 entrusts the people into the hands of Peter and 00:14:34.590 --> 00:14:38.870 others. So imagine, for those of you who are 00:14:38.870 --> 00:14:42.809 parents, trusting your children into the hands 00:14:42.809 --> 00:14:46.470 of another person. Trusting your children who 00:14:46.470 --> 00:14:49.110 you love and care for into the hands of another 00:14:49.110 --> 00:14:52.509 person. That's what's happening here. Jesus... 00:14:53.240 --> 00:14:57.320 is trusting his followers to share God's grace 00:14:57.320 --> 00:15:01.379 with others, to continue God's work of forgiveness 00:15:01.379 --> 00:15:05.019 and reconciliation with others. So this is a 00:15:05.019 --> 00:15:08.620 love that dares to trust at a really deep level. 00:15:10.379 --> 00:15:13.960 Finally, this is a love that persists. After 00:15:13.960 --> 00:15:16.779 the extraordinary events of the crucifixion and 00:15:16.779 --> 00:15:19.659 resurrection and Jesus' charge to his followers, 00:15:20.350 --> 00:15:22.350 Can you just imagine the dynamic that's happening 00:15:22.350 --> 00:15:24.110 here? What do we expect the followers to do? 00:15:25.389 --> 00:15:28.570 They've just seen this amazing thing. Jesus commissions 00:15:28.570 --> 00:15:29.789 them. What are they going to do? They're going 00:15:29.789 --> 00:15:33.690 to go out and go to work, right? They're inspired. 00:15:34.190 --> 00:15:37.129 That's what they did in Luke chapter 10, where 00:15:37.129 --> 00:15:39.370 Jesus sends them out two by two, and they go 00:15:39.370 --> 00:15:43.129 out. They're excited to go out. But that's not 00:15:43.129 --> 00:15:46.370 what happens this time. Again, we didn't read 00:15:46.370 --> 00:15:48.250 this, but right at the beginning of chapter 21, 00:15:49.049 --> 00:15:51.870 we read that shortly after Jesus' commissioning 00:15:51.870 --> 00:15:56.070 of them, Peter turns to the other followers and 00:15:56.070 --> 00:16:00.610 says, let's go back fishing. Let's go back fishing. 00:16:01.610 --> 00:16:05.190 How could Peter, after encountering the resurrected 00:16:05.190 --> 00:16:08.470 Jesus, hearing this extraordinary commission, 00:16:08.809 --> 00:16:15.750 go back to his fishing boat? I wonder if this 00:16:15.750 --> 00:16:19.509 had more to do with Peter's lack of confidence 00:16:19.509 --> 00:16:24.210 in himself than a lack of confidence in Jesus. 00:16:24.789 --> 00:16:27.169 Well, whatever was going on for Peter in this 00:16:27.169 --> 00:16:31.730 situation, this story shows us that Jesus doesn't 00:16:31.730 --> 00:16:35.690 give up. He's consistent and he's persistent. 00:16:35.870 --> 00:16:38.870 He keeps inviting Peter and the other disciples 00:16:38.870 --> 00:16:42.070 to take up the work that he has for them over 00:16:42.070 --> 00:16:44.169 and over again. In fact, throughout the whole 00:16:44.169 --> 00:16:47.299 gospel, We see that in spite of the fact that 00:16:47.299 --> 00:16:51.659 over and over again, these few followers mess 00:16:51.659 --> 00:16:56.299 up. They get confused. They lose their way. They 00:16:56.299 --> 00:17:01.080 actually betray Jesus. And yet he keeps persisting 00:17:01.080 --> 00:17:04.759 in inviting them into his work. I don't know 00:17:04.759 --> 00:17:06.720 about any of you that work in the business world, 00:17:06.759 --> 00:17:09.660 but you know what would happen if we had someone 00:17:09.660 --> 00:17:13.359 who kept messing up over and over again. We wouldn't 00:17:13.359 --> 00:17:15.960 keep asking them to do work. We'd cut the losses 00:17:15.960 --> 00:17:19.720 and we'd fire them. But Jesus doesn't do that. 00:17:20.220 --> 00:17:24.759 He persists with these followers. And Jesus not 00:17:24.759 --> 00:17:27.779 only calls them, but as he calls them, he says 00:17:27.779 --> 00:17:30.920 and reminds them over and over again that God 00:17:30.920 --> 00:17:35.940 provides. that God will always provide abundantly. 00:17:36.119 --> 00:17:39.160 This is, again, another consistent theme throughout 00:17:39.160 --> 00:17:42.180 the whole of the Gospels. In John, there's the 00:17:42.180 --> 00:17:44.740 story way back in John chapter 2, you know, the 00:17:44.740 --> 00:17:46.920 water turned into wine. You remember that story? 00:17:47.220 --> 00:17:50.660 Where there's an abundance of wine, overflowing 00:17:50.660 --> 00:17:53.880 more wine than they need. John chapter 6, there's 00:17:53.880 --> 00:17:56.940 a feeding of the 5 ,000, where Jesus feeds the 00:17:56.940 --> 00:17:59.740 crowd, if you remember, with a few fish and a 00:17:59.740 --> 00:18:02.829 few loaves of bread. And now we have this same 00:18:02.829 --> 00:18:06.150 image of abundance, but now it's an abundant 00:18:06.150 --> 00:18:10.230 catch of fish. See, God is a God of abundance. 00:18:10.650 --> 00:18:13.490 It says in the Old Testament, he owns the cattle 00:18:13.490 --> 00:18:17.630 on a thousand hills. And here Jesus is reminding 00:18:17.630 --> 00:18:22.309 his followers that God will provide. When we 00:18:22.309 --> 00:18:25.349 come to the end of ourselves, when we have nothing 00:18:25.349 --> 00:18:29.940 left, God will provide. So this is a love that 00:18:29.940 --> 00:18:33.500 persists in spite of every possible obstacle. 00:18:33.859 --> 00:18:37.880 A love that keeps going through thick and thin. 00:18:38.259 --> 00:18:40.619 This is what Paul is talking about in Romans 00:18:40.619 --> 00:18:44.920 chapter 8 when he says this. I am sure that nothing 00:18:44.920 --> 00:18:48.900 can separate us from the love of God in Christ 00:18:48.900 --> 00:18:54.599 Jesus our Lord. This is a love that doesn't fail. 00:18:56.039 --> 00:18:59.119 So in Jesus Christ, we see this love that acts, 00:18:59.319 --> 00:19:03.839 a love that forgives, that trusts, and that persists. 00:19:04.039 --> 00:19:08.119 And because this love comes from God, it's also 00:19:08.119 --> 00:19:12.500 a love that is abundant. And it can't help but 00:19:12.500 --> 00:19:15.440 keep reproducing itself because it's overflowing. 00:19:16.119 --> 00:19:19.220 It's a love that teaches, that empowers, that 00:19:19.220 --> 00:19:22.779 sets people free to learn how to love others 00:19:22.779 --> 00:19:26.519 in the same way. The encounter makes this so 00:19:26.519 --> 00:19:32.140 clear. Three times Jesus says to Peter, do you 00:19:32.140 --> 00:19:37.140 love me? And three times Peter says, you know 00:19:37.140 --> 00:19:41.660 that I love you. You know that I love you. And 00:19:41.660 --> 00:19:45.819 each time Jesus responds, feed my sheep, tend 00:19:45.819 --> 00:19:51.200 my lambs. To love Jesus is to share or to learn 00:19:51.200 --> 00:19:54.500 how to share his love with others. See, Jesus 00:19:54.500 --> 00:20:00.059 heals Peter. He reconciles him to God by offering 00:20:00.059 --> 00:20:03.559 him forgiveness not once, not twice, but three 00:20:03.559 --> 00:20:07.000 times. For every time that Peter denied him, 00:20:07.119 --> 00:20:12.299 Jesus allows Peter to declare his love. And in 00:20:12.299 --> 00:20:19.119 that act, he restores Peter. Jesus meets Peter's 00:20:19.119 --> 00:20:25.329 betrayal with forgiveness. Over and over again. 00:20:26.309 --> 00:20:28.910 So it's almost like delicately and carefully, 00:20:29.029 --> 00:20:32.349 but with a firm hand, he's cutting the hurt, 00:20:32.450 --> 00:20:37.769 the confusion, and the fear out of Peter's heart. 00:20:38.529 --> 00:20:42.549 And he does that to heal him and to restore him. 00:20:44.450 --> 00:20:49.630 And when he does that, he then sends Peter out. 00:20:50.329 --> 00:20:57.319 It's an amazing story. So this is not a love 00:20:57.319 --> 00:21:01.039 as a feeling or love as a theory. It's a love 00:21:01.039 --> 00:21:03.839 that transforms, and both Peter and Paul bear 00:21:03.839 --> 00:21:07.200 witness to this. It's because they have experienced 00:21:07.200 --> 00:21:10.740 the forgiveness and restoration of Jesus in their 00:21:10.740 --> 00:21:14.019 own lives that they are set free to act in the 00:21:14.019 --> 00:21:16.880 same way. At the end of our reading, we're reminded 00:21:16.880 --> 00:21:21.920 that both Peter and, in fact, Paul both gave 00:21:21.920 --> 00:21:27.329 their lives. because of following Jesus and learning 00:21:27.329 --> 00:21:31.250 how to love others. Some of you might know, when 00:21:31.250 --> 00:21:33.910 I'm thinking about this sermon on love, one of 00:21:33.910 --> 00:21:35.109 the things that comes to mind, of course, is 00:21:35.109 --> 00:21:37.869 all the music about love, and one that I can't 00:21:37.869 --> 00:21:39.630 ever stop thinking about, even though it's a 00:21:39.630 --> 00:21:42.170 long time ago, is Paul McCartney's song about 00:21:42.170 --> 00:21:44.309 silly love songs, right? The world has had enough 00:21:44.309 --> 00:21:46.150 of silly love songs. Some of you remember that. 00:21:46.329 --> 00:21:49.910 Well, this is not silly love, but it is crazy 00:21:49.910 --> 00:21:54.410 love. It's crazy love because it demands way 00:21:54.410 --> 00:21:57.990 more than any of us ever have hoped for, imagined, 00:21:58.170 --> 00:22:02.430 or want. And so part of what we're doing here 00:22:02.430 --> 00:22:05.730 today is recognizing that you and I are coming 00:22:05.730 --> 00:22:09.549 to stand before this love again. To let it enter 00:22:09.549 --> 00:22:12.369 into our hearts in order that it transforms us 00:22:12.369 --> 00:22:15.130 and liberates us to be the kind of people that 00:22:15.130 --> 00:22:18.369 can learn how to love like Jesus. See, we do 00:22:18.369 --> 00:22:22.359 that in the confession. Where we go before God 00:22:22.359 --> 00:22:25.660 and we let God search out our hearts. And we 00:22:25.660 --> 00:22:28.279 have the promise of God's forgiveness for us 00:22:28.279 --> 00:22:32.019 for anything that we've done. Where God restores 00:22:32.019 --> 00:22:34.759 us in relationship to him. And then we have the 00:22:34.759 --> 00:22:37.539 communion where we gather around a table that 00:22:37.539 --> 00:22:41.720 Jesus is the host. And he feeds us just as he 00:22:41.720 --> 00:22:44.920 fed his followers on that beach so many years 00:22:44.920 --> 00:22:48.460 ago. He feeds us. with this food. And even though 00:22:48.460 --> 00:22:50.480 we might only have a tiny bit of bread and a 00:22:50.480 --> 00:22:53.619 small drop of wine, it's a promise of the abundance 00:22:53.619 --> 00:22:58.480 of God. That God is the one who provides for 00:22:58.480 --> 00:23:01.559 us. And so that takes us back to where we started. 00:23:04.059 --> 00:23:07.519 As you sit here this morning, do you feel as 00:23:07.519 --> 00:23:10.339 though you've made too many mistakes along the 00:23:10.339 --> 00:23:13.700 way? Perhaps you think, well, you don't have 00:23:13.700 --> 00:23:20.210 a whole lot to offer. Maybe you feel like you've 00:23:20.210 --> 00:23:23.569 just tried and failed too many times. After all, 00:23:23.650 --> 00:23:26.890 how is it that any of us after encountering Jesus 00:23:26.890 --> 00:23:29.529 go back to living the way we were living before? 00:23:31.569 --> 00:23:33.910 And yet how easily that happens, doesn't it? 00:23:34.630 --> 00:23:37.150 Our hearts and minds are open to the truth of 00:23:37.150 --> 00:23:42.190 Jesus. And it's something of a vision of the 00:23:42.190 --> 00:23:45.660 life that he offers for us. But then we find 00:23:45.660 --> 00:23:48.400 ourselves sliding back to the day -to -day grind, 00:23:48.680 --> 00:23:53.440 reality of real life. Just like Peter, we get 00:23:53.440 --> 00:23:56.359 discouraged, disillusioned, and maybe impatient 00:23:56.359 --> 00:23:59.660 as well. Maybe we look at ourselves and we feel 00:23:59.660 --> 00:24:02.440 as though we have nothing to offer. Or perhaps 00:24:02.440 --> 00:24:04.180 we believe that we've made too many mistakes 00:24:04.180 --> 00:24:07.240 along the way. And maybe you're feeling that 00:24:07.240 --> 00:24:12.019 way this morning. After all, it's the most natural 00:24:12.019 --> 00:24:15.549 thing in the world to get discouraged. to retreat 00:24:15.549 --> 00:24:19.730 to what is familiar. Well, wherever we're at 00:24:19.730 --> 00:24:23.809 today, this story, this encounter on the beach, 00:24:24.009 --> 00:24:27.970 reminds us that Jesus and God meets us when we 00:24:27.970 --> 00:24:31.890 come to the end of ourselves. Jesus is always 00:24:31.890 --> 00:24:37.309 there before us, even in the darkest places of 00:24:37.309 --> 00:24:41.109 our lives. The darkest places of our lives, Jesus 00:24:41.109 --> 00:24:45.180 is there. And he doesn't just meet us there or 00:24:45.180 --> 00:24:49.220 leave us there. He leads us out. And he calls 00:24:49.220 --> 00:24:52.980 us to join with him in learning to love others 00:24:52.980 --> 00:24:57.660 with forgiveness, trust, and persistence, just 00:24:57.660 --> 00:25:03.000 as we are loved by him. The deeper we go in experiencing 00:25:03.000 --> 00:25:05.319 God's forgiveness and love for us, the more we're 00:25:05.319 --> 00:25:09.099 able to share his love and forgiveness with others. 00:25:10.059 --> 00:25:12.819 The love that we're talking about always begins 00:25:12.819 --> 00:25:17.920 with God. It's overflowing from him. It's his 00:25:17.920 --> 00:25:20.539 initiative in our lives that enables you and 00:25:20.539 --> 00:25:23.240 I to learn how to love. And here's the thing. 00:25:24.859 --> 00:25:28.160 Jesus doesn't choose the best and the brightest 00:25:28.160 --> 00:25:33.279 to do his work. He chooses us. Each one of us. 00:25:34.140 --> 00:25:36.859 The temptation is sometimes to believe that ministry 00:25:36.859 --> 00:25:39.019 is something for people with particular gifts. 00:25:39.599 --> 00:25:41.359 or for people who are particularly spiritual, 00:25:41.720 --> 00:25:44.619 or for those few who are called to be a part 00:25:44.619 --> 00:25:47.740 of God's work in the world. But Jesus dispels 00:25:47.740 --> 00:25:51.900 those notions by who he chooses. Our reading 00:25:51.900 --> 00:25:54.119 today reminds us that many of his followers were 00:25:54.119 --> 00:25:57.779 fishermen. Others were tax collectors or prostitutes. 00:25:57.920 --> 00:26:02.160 It's not exactly the dream team. Take Peter, 00:26:02.220 --> 00:26:05.440 for example. After his betrayal, why would anyone 00:26:05.440 --> 00:26:08.819 in their right mind still trust him or give him 00:26:08.819 --> 00:26:12.220 a responsible position in ministry? And what 00:26:12.220 --> 00:26:15.819 about Paul, who is hunting people down and standing 00:26:15.819 --> 00:26:18.700 by while they are executed? Two of the great 00:26:18.700 --> 00:26:21.480 figures of the New Testament, heroes of the faith, 00:26:21.539 --> 00:26:24.279 Peter and Paul, and both of them should absolutely 00:26:24.279 --> 00:26:27.099 have been disqualified, been rejected by Jesus 00:26:27.099 --> 00:26:29.980 for what they have done. And yet here they are, 00:26:30.079 --> 00:26:35.670 forgiven. And Jesus entrusts them with his work 00:26:35.670 --> 00:26:41.269 in the world. So this question for each one of 00:26:41.269 --> 00:26:44.430 us this morning, as we gather together, do you 00:26:44.430 --> 00:26:47.369 remember that we're coming before this crazy 00:26:47.369 --> 00:26:52.029 love? And are we going to let that love encounter 00:26:52.029 --> 00:26:56.250 us through what we do in our worship today? So 00:26:56.250 --> 00:26:59.890 that it does begin to transform our hearts, change 00:26:59.890 --> 00:27:03.720 our lives, and through us, it can change our 00:27:03.720 --> 00:27:06.539 world. I don't know about you, but I look at 00:27:06.539 --> 00:27:10.660 our world, it is desperately in need of the love 00:27:10.660 --> 00:27:15.539 that forgives, that trusts, and that persists, 00:27:15.559 --> 00:27:18.599 even in the face of great hardship. That's what 00:27:18.599 --> 00:27:21.119 we're called to do. That's why we're here this 00:27:21.119 --> 00:27:25.180 morning. When we look out and we pray that God 00:27:25.180 --> 00:27:28.480 will bring healing to our broken world, and God 00:27:28.480 --> 00:27:31.519 comes back and says, yeah, I'm going to. And 00:27:31.519 --> 00:27:35.319 it begins with you. I'm going to do it through 00:27:35.319 --> 00:27:38.460 you. Just like he did through Peter and through 00:27:38.460 --> 00:27:42.480 Paul. And here's the mystery. The more clearly 00:27:42.480 --> 00:27:46.299 we come to know who God is and what God has done, 00:27:46.339 --> 00:27:49.200 the more we're able to share his love. But the 00:27:49.200 --> 00:27:52.059 more we share his love, the more we also come 00:27:52.059 --> 00:27:57.720 to know what this love is. God's inviting you 00:27:57.720 --> 00:28:01.349 and I into that this morning. And I pray that 00:28:01.349 --> 00:28:04.269 every part of this service together will bring 00:28:04.269 --> 00:28:07.089 God's healing and restoration to us, set us free, 00:28:07.190 --> 00:28:09.730 that we too might follow just like Peter and 00:28:09.730 --> 00:28:13.329 Paul. Gracious God, we thank you so much for 00:28:13.329 --> 00:28:16.269 the gift of your word, and we pray and ask that 00:28:16.269 --> 00:28:18.250 as we think about your word, in particular about 00:28:18.250 --> 00:28:20.329 the gift of love that you give to us in Jesus 00:28:20.329 --> 00:28:25.150 Christ, that your spirit will inspire, encourage, 00:28:25.589 --> 00:28:29.799 enable us to be those who learn to love. just 00:28:29.799 --> 00:28:32.640 as Jesus loved. We pray this in the name of your 00:28:32.640 --> 00:28:35.059 Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.