Brown's Daily Word 4-4-08

Good morning,

Praise the Lord . It is Friday and Sunday is coming. Praise the for the glorious Eastertide. Praise the Lord for the Spring season. Praise the Lord for His grace and tender mercies.

Lloyd Rediger in his book, "Clergy Killers", says that, “Pastors are expected to produce reassuring sermons, exciting programs and manage the church budget without causing discomfort to anyone but himself.” [G. Lloyd Rediger. Clergy Killers: Guidance for Pastors and Congregations Under Attack. (Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press, 1997) page 28] As a result of those pressures and the amount of stress that is faced in the ministry, statistics tell us that 50% of ordained ministers across denominational lines are out of the pulpit within 5 years, that indeed 1,500 pastors leave the ministry each and every month in this country. [Focus on the Family]. Peter is given as an example of one of the first preachers who wanted to quit. In Matthew 28:7 the resurrected Lord had promised that he would meet up with the disciples in Galilee. They went to Galilee and waited and waited and waited. When some days had passed and still Jesus had not shown up the disciples, primarily Peter became impatient. Peter, disappointed in the delay, announced that he was going fishing. Now there is nothing innately wrong with him going fishing, but the real problem was that they were drifting away from the calling of God upon their lives. The first danger we face that could cause us to quit is that of looking in the wrong direction. After the trauma of the crucifixion and the turmoil of the resurrection, Peter and the other disciples were discouraged and now, having waited for the Lord to appear, they were impatient. They began to look back on the good old days of their lives before things became so complicated and, frankly, who can blame them. The days when there was a daily routine that could be counted on, where there was the security of knowing what was next and the satisfaction of running their own lives. In John 21, we read that seven of the disciples have gathered at Peter’s home in Capernaum, waiting for Jesus, when Peter, impatient as always, declares in verse three, “I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee.” (KJV) Perhaps you are under the impression that you are the only believer that ever feels like quitting. Every preacher I know of faces the Monday morning desire to quit preaching. Peter was having one of those days, for in verse three Peter said, “I go a fishing.” The Greek word used to convey what Peter said was hupago (hoop-ag’-o). This is an interesting word that literally means “I retire.” Peter is ready to quit preaching and go back to what he knew best, fishing. And either Peter was very persuasive or the other disciples were as disgusted as he was, for seven of the eleven went with him and three of those were not even fisherman. They said, “Hey, we will go with you.” Peter was looking back, he tried to go back to his comfort zone. He began to think, “Hey, if this ministry thing doesn’t work out I can always go back to where I left off.” Looking back means that our orientation is in the wrong direction. As Paul said so well in Philippians 3:13-14, “ forgetting those things that are behind (and I think he means both the good and the bad) and reaching forth unto things which are ahead, I press toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

We have to keep our eyes focused on the job that God has called us to. The text says in verse three, “They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.” What Peter discovered is very important; he discovered that you can’t go back. When you go fishing, there is nothing more depressing than catching nothing. In fact Jesus showed Peter that without Him he could not even fish anymore. It wasn’t until the Lord showed up to give them specific instructions on fishing that these former “professional” fishermen got so much as a bite. The lesson for us is that we cannot go back. We belong to Jesus now and things will never be the same. Your future with the Lord is full of exciting significance only if you follow him. According to verse three Jesus appeared on the beach early the next morning. When the disciples spot Him and John identifies Him as Jesus, Peter always the man of action, jumps into the water and swims to shore. When they have all gathered together, Jesus prepares them breakfast. After breakfast Jesus takes Peter aside to speak to him privately. In verse fifteen we see the second mistake commonly made when we want to quit. The minute we stop and ask, “What’s in it for me?” you are already in trouble. If we are servicing God for any other reason than love we will run out of steam. Look now at verse fifteen, “So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me more than these? He saith unto Him, Yea, Lord; Thou knowest that I love Thee. He saith unto him, Feed My lambs. (16) He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love Thee. He saith unto him, Feed My sheep. (17) He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me? Peter was grieved because he said unto Him the third time, Lovest thou Me? And he said unto Him, Lord, Thou knowest all things; Thou knowest that I love Thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed My sheep.” Three times Jesus asked Peter a question. Jesus asked, “Simon Peter do you love Me more than these?” More than what? There are several possibilities; Peter do you love Me more than you do fishing, Simon Peter do you love Me more than these other disciples do? Peter replied, “Yes Lord you know I phileo You? I have a deep abiding affection for You. “Then feed My sheep.” A second time Jesus asked Peter, “Simon do you agape Me? “Do you love Me with God kind of love?” Simon Peter again replied, “Yes Lord you know I phileo You.” Jesus said then “Feed My sheep.” A third time Jesus asked him the question, this time He used the name He had given him, Peter. And since he could not come up to His level Jesus came down to Peter’s. This time He said, “Peter do you phileo Me?” “Peter do you have a deep abiding affection for Me.” Peter replied, “Lord You know everything You know I have a deep and abiding love for You.” Peter in effect says, “Lord I realize that nothing I could ever do would measure up to the way You love me, but I am not going to quit.” Peter came out of retirement and Jesus declared him fit for the ministry because he did not quit.

Now that he had learned that there is nothing he could do without Jesus, even fishing, he was ready to be used by the Lord. The Lord made it plain that even Peter can make the connection between his love for the Lord and his service to Him. What is really under consideration in these verses is Peter’s motivation! Only the pure motive of love for the Lord qualified Peter to care for the sheep. Peter evidentially learned this lesson well for he later taught (1 Peter 5:2-4). “The elders (presbutrous) which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: (2) Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight (episkopeo) thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; (3) Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. (4) And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.” Jesus constantly talked about servant hood. He who would be the greatest should be the servant of all. There is no room for consideration of what is in it for me, among servants. Do it for love or you might as not do it! The third error that believer’s make who decide to throw in the towel, is looking at others. Christianity is all about having a personal relationship with Christ. The truth is that when we compare ourselves with others we either get the big head or we get hacked off. In verse eighteen Jesus tells Peter what the future will hold for him, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdest thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. (19) This spake He, signifying by what death He should glorify God.” In so doing He told Peter that he would live to a ripe old age and that he would serve Him the remainder of his life. He may have indeed failed Jesus in the past, but failure is not fatal, failure is not an end unless we quit. Peter’s reply to these words of comfort, was to turn and look at John, and ask in verse twenty-one, “…Lord, and what shall this man do?” In effect Peter says, “But what about John?” Jesus’ rebuke is very sharp in verse twenty-two, “…If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou Me!” He said, “Peter that is none of your business.” Peter was guilty of playing the “comparison” game. We are still tempted today to turn and ask “But what about Them?” Paul warns in 1 Corinthians 10:12, “For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.” Have you ever been guilty of comparing yourself to some other believer? I suspect that we all have. Even preachers are guilty of looking at old so and so across town and saying, “He is not any better preacher than I am and look at the size of his church.” Jesus made the whole matter quite clear to Peter. He said, “Peter, I have told you My plans for your life, what I choose to do with John is none of your business.” “Peter you have enough to be concerned about in yourself,” and so do we. Don’t ask, What am I missing? It is a myth that you can go back. Don’t ask, What is in it for me? The compelling force in our lives, must be our love for Jesus.

In Him,

Brown