By Les Barrett

Jhn. 21:15 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.
 In this passage the tenderness of Christ should be recognized as He seeks leadership for His lambs and sheep. The first step to making a leader is determining if the candidate will respect authority, and even more to the point - it is gauging the commitment of the prospect’s love. Few people realize that before love becomes mature it starts out as a mustard seed of faith! No matter what attributes your partner may have, it is doubtless that love will be mutually fulfilling without faith. II Pet. 1:5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; 6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; 7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

Charity is another name for agape love! I Cor. 13:4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. This type of love is different from eros (sexual) and phileo (non-sexual) because as seen in the passage it is self-less, which describes God (I Jhn. 4:8, 16). Obviously to become a soldier for Christ we must have the love of God!

The second step to making a leader is outlining the hierarchy by designating positions and duties. Note how Peter was asked if he love Jesus more than “these”; who are “these”? They’re the disciples including Peter, who is being asked by Jesus to start being more self-less and prepared than “these” to “feed My lambs”. This was the same apostle who denied the soon-to-be crucified Jesus three times “before the cock crowed (Mat. 26:33-34, 75)”. However, having been challenged to love the Master with a much more mature love, “the shadow of Peter “played an integral role in healing a multitude of people (Act. 5:15-16). This saint was given a promotion after a hard lesson in love which all of us should learn, and that’s the need for humility. Though initially he boasted of his love for Jesus, he was shown the truth of A SELF-PROMOTING LOVE which is like that of a lover who says “I love you” in the morning - but sleeps around at night. However, now Peter is to introduce Christ to seekers (”feed My lambs”), teach the congregation (”feed My sheep”), and train the core for leadership (”feed My sheep”). Even in the Beatitudes (Mat. 5:3-11) Jesus mentioned “they”, “ye”, and “the world” which is indicative of these three groups.

Before his love matured Peter was like a wayward apprentice trained by a well-respected owner of a business. When the owner sought to expand, he left the apprentice in charge of his operation. After receiving a lot of angry complaints he realized that the intern was not only ill-prepared, but very rebellious! Prv. 16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. Where’s this spirit from? The Devil of course! Isa. 14:12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. 15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. Rev. 12:3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. 4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. Luk. 10:18 And He said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. 19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

Though the novice didn’t realize it, an on-going battle is being fought for the control of his soul. In this corner is - Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen (Mat. 6:9). Jhn. 6:40 And this is the will of Him that sent Me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. We know that God is love (see above), and also that according to Rom. 13:10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. In the next corner is - The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly (Jhn. 10:10). The thief won’t let you have fulfillment, or even enjoy a joke!

A preacher was baptizing people in a small stream when this drunkard came near. The preacher grabbed him and submerged the drunk for a few seconds before pulling him up asking, “did you find Jesus?” The drunk said , “no.” So the preacher put his head back underwater for a longer period before asking again, “did you find Jesus?” Once more the drunk said “no!” This third time the preacher held his head down much longer before asking yet again, “did you find Jesus?” After a considerable effort to regain composure, the agitated drunk asked, “are you sure He’s down there?”

This joke was told to me by a friend named Derrick Young. I actually don’t know if he ever thought that he would be a positive part of a sermon, however, the Bible says, “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones (Prv. 17:22)”, and Brother Derrick certainly gives us a daily dosage! That’s his talent which, when used properly, can aid and comfort the people in his surroundings - hallelujah! I Cor. 12:12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. So, how do soldiers attain “the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:11-13)?

(1) Mat. 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. To be in right standing with God we must be: (A) Obedient (B) Responsible (C) Autonomous (D) Faithful (E) Law-abiding (F) Productive and (G) Kingdom-minded, which propels us to reach the pinnacle in the Physical realm (health, wealth, etc.), Emotional realm (stability), Intellectual realm (discernment), and the Spiritual realm (the Fruits Gal. 5:22-23). The fullness of Christ brings about prosperity, peace, precisianism (concerned about correct behavior), and perpetuation (learning to fish versus eating fish for a day). (2) Rom. 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (3) II Tim. 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (4) Mrk. 16:15 And He said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. (5) E. Rev. 2:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

We all face a life and death decision daily (Rom. 6:16), and I urge you not to “die in your sins” (Jhn. 8:24). “If a man abide not in Me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. This is My commandment, That ye love one another(Jhn. 15:6, 12).”

I am a non-denominational Christian minister seeking those who are trying to find direction in understanding their purpose by studying the Word of God. We offer a Christian Newsletter, sermons on audio/video and DVD, and an online Bible Class. Contact me at http://www.lesbarrett.wordpress.com

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