From the Desk of Pastor Ron Oden

Lou Holtz, the famous football coach, passed away recently.  After he retired from coaching, he was an outstanding motivational speaker and kept your attention with his humor and down-to-earth philosophy on life.  I heard him speak at a seminar I attended several years ago, and his outstanding presentation kept everyone's attention.  Holtz had a strong Christian faith and was a dedicated Roman Catholic.

Many of the quotations attributed to him reflected his faith and can be directly related to scripture.  He asked the following question to all the players he recruited to his teams over the years:

     1) Can I Trust you?

     2) Are you Committed to excellence?

     3) Do you Care about me?

      I took that last question and substituted Love for Care.  

     That's what Christ was telling Peter in John 21:15-17.  Three times Jesus asked Peter, "Do you love me?"   Each time Peter tells him that he most certainly does love Jesus.  The last time he tells Jesus, "Lord you know all things, you know I love you."

Each time Peter answered Jesus came back with, "Feed my sheep." and "Take care of my sheep."

What Jesus was getting at with His repeated question was "Peter can I trust you to be committed totally to me and my ministry and are you willing to do all you can to support it with your upmost ability."  It's the same thing Holtz was asking of his players.  Three words describe what Jesus and Holtz required, TRUST, COMMITMENT, and LOVE.

But Jesus went further and told Peter, "Feed my Sheep."   For Peter, and all who followed Him, it was the charge to reach out and bring the gospel message to all.  He was telling us to feed the spiritual appetite of our souls with the Good News of the Gospel message that Jesus gave the world.

Not long ago I described the first evangelists, Andrew and Philip, that we're told about in John 1:35-45.  Philip challenged Nathanael to come and see that Jesus was for real.  He was the expected Messiah.  This is our challenge also.  We're challenged to get others to "Come and See” and to get to know the risen Christ. 

Jesus didn't take the command to share and spread the gospel lightly.  In all four (4) of the gospels he addresses this.

Mathew 28:19-20; Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you."

 Mark 16:15: Go into the world and preach the gospel to all creation."

 Luke 24:47: "This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in His name to all nations."

John 21:15-15-17: When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more that these?"

                                   "Yes, Lord, he said, "you know that I love you."

                                   Jesus said, "Feed My lambs."

                                   Again Jesus said, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?"

                                   He answered , "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."

                                   Jesus said, "Take care of My sheep."

                                   The third time He said to him, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?"

                                   Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" 

He said, Lord, you know all things, you know that I love you."

                                   Jesus said, "Feed My sheep."

 Trust, Commitment, Love.  Jesus Trusts all those who have placed their faith and life in His hands to be totally Committed to his command to reach out in His name to bring others to the knowledge and understanding of His Love.  The question put to us is: Have we done this with all our abilities and kept His trust with our firm commitment?  It's as if we're put in Peter's place and being asked "Do you love me?"  If our faith and love for Christ is strong and truly genuine then we will be the disciples he's tasked us to be.  I have sadly failed to follow this command too many times, and I would imagine we all have or we wouldn't be concerned as to why our churches aren't full of believers every Sunday.

Oswald Chambers put it simply, "Pour yourself out.  Don't only testify about how much you love Me and don't only talk about the wonderful revelation you have had, 'Just feed My sheep.'"   

Oswald goes on to write: "The love of God is not created -- it is His nature.  When we receive the life of Christ through the Holy Spirit, He unites us with God so that His love is demonstrated in us.  The goal of the indwelling Holy Spirit is not just to unite us with God, but to do it in such a way that we will be one with the Father in exactly the same way Jesus was.  Jesus had such a oneness with the Father that He was obedient when God sent Him to be poured out for us.  He says to us, "And the Father has sent Me, I also send you." (John 20:21)

We need to ask ourselves, as well as challenge ourselves, to be "poured out" for others that they may come to the Christ knowing that their salvation rests on a trusted and committed relationship with His love.

II Timothy 4:2 - "Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage -- with great patience and careful instruction."

PRAYER: Gracious God,

Accept my confession that I have seldom lived up to your trust with the commitment needed to reach out to others in Your Name.

 Give me the strength and perseverance to keep my life open to the guidance of your Spirit that I may reflect your love through my actions, deeds, and words that others will come to know the loving relationship that will bring them closer to you and their salvation.  In Jesus' name I pray, AMEN