1. JESUS WANTS TO SEE A FRESH DEDICATION TO HIM!
2. JESUS WANTS TO SEE A FRESH DEPENDANCE ON HIM!
3. JESUS WANTS TO SEE A FRESH DIRECTION WITH HIM!
Pastor
Why does God allow us to experience these Shoreline Encounters? Why does He put us in a position where we must be in turmoil trying to determine His Will? We begin our exploration of John 21 to discover the three things that Christ wants to accomplish in and through us on the Shoreline.
NUMBER 1: JESUS WANTS TO SEE A FRESH DEDICATION TO HIM!
In verses 15, 16, & 17, Jesus asks Peter, “Do you LOVE Me…?
In the Original Language, there are several words for LOVE. Here are two:
AGAPE = Equals a Pure, Non-Selfish, Non-arrogant, Self-less, Perfect Love like God has for us.
PHILO = Equals a lesser type Love that one person might have for another person such as a brother, sister, or friend. This word is the base for the name
At this Shoreline Encounter, Our Lord needed to confirm to Peter the status of Peter’s DEDICATION. You see, in the past, Peter had a flawed comprehension of his level of dedication to his Lord. He would impulsively make claims about his dedication that were shallow, not-thought-out, inflated, and lacking. For example, in Mark 14:31, Peter proclaimed the level of his love, claiming to have AGAPE type love for Christ. But, Jesus informed Peter that he would fail and deny Him before the Cock next crowed.
Now here is the interesting part that I discovered from my Word Studies in John 21. The first time that Jesus asked the question, He asked, “Peter, do you AGAPE me?” Peter answered, “I PHILO you!” In other words, two times Peter was asked, “Do you love me with a God-Like Love?” Both times, Peter answered, “I love you with a less-than-that, brotherly type Love.” The final time, Jesus asked Peter, “Do you even Love me with a Brotherly type, (Philo) Love?” And Peter answered, “You know all things so you know that my Love is not perfect but I do Love you like a Brother and want that Love to grow!” (I took a little liberty here to clarify my point) Through this Encounter, Peter acknowledged that he had been “broken” like a Wild Stallion might be brought under control and could now be useful for joining the Lord’s team and caring for God’s flock.
If we desire to have an AGAPE-type Dedication to Him, then, from time to time, Jesus will bring us back to the Shoreline, so that our encounter can reveal the flaws in our love and dedication. He never brings us to the Shoreline to destroy us but to embrace, bless, and prepare us for the next phase of ministry. Each time we encounter the Shoreline, Jesus desires to see a new and deeper dedication to Him as a result.
ON THE SHORELINE, WILL YOU RETREAT, REMAIN, OR RESPOND?
(Do you need a New Shoreline Encounter?)
See you next week!!!
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