 The title of our sermon this morning is Do You Love Him? Do You Love Him? It's the question on the lips of our Lord. It's a Peter in John chapter 21 verses 15 through 25. It's been a wonderful journey together through the gospel of John, amen. We've often, as we work through the gospel, verse by verse, paragraph by paragraph, chapter by chapter, we've often reminded ourselves of John's purpose for writing. It's good to keep that in mind. John reminds us of his purpose in John chapter 20 verse 31 where he says that these things are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name. So under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, John writes this account with an evangelistic purpose. He writes certainly to build and to cultivate faith of believers, but his primary purpose is to reveal or to make known the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ so that unbelievers would turn from their unbelief, would turn from their sin, put faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and have everlasting life in him. As we consider John's purpose, turn with me to John chapter one. John chapter one, John's primary purpose to reveal, to make known the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ, that believing that he is the Christ, the Son of God and that believing in that you may have life in his name. John chapter one, he begins with that revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ in verse one. In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him and without him nothing was made that was made. In him was life and the life was the light of men and the light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it. As you drop down to verse 14, that word, the word of God, the word who was with God and the word who was God, that word, verse 14 became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory. The glory is of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth. Look at John chapter two. As John reveals the Lord Jesus Christ, he miraculously turns the water into wine at the wedding in Cana in John chapter two. And in verse 11, John says, this is the beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee and manifested his glory and his disciples believed in him. In John chapter two, the Lord Jesus Christ clears the temple, drives out the money changers and those who bought and sold that in verse 17, his disciples then remember that it was written, zeal for your house has eaten me up. So the Jews answered and said to him in John chapter two, what sign do you show us since you do these things? And Jesus answered and said to them, destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up. The Jews said it's taken 46 years to build this temple. You're gonna raise it up in three days? But he was speaking of the temple of his body. Therefore, when he had risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he said this to them and they believed the scripture and the word which Jesus had said. If you flip the page to John chapter three, John chapter three, verse 13, no one has ascended to heaven, but he who came down from heaven, that is the son of man who is in heaven and as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the son of man be lifted up that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. If you look at John chapter four, in verse 19, the woman at the well said to him, sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worship on this mountain and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship. And Jesus said to her in verse 21, woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will neither worship on this mountain nor in Jerusalem worship the father. You worship what you do not know. We worship what we know. We know what we worship for salvation is of the Jews. Verse 23, but the hour is coming and now is when true worshipers will worship the father in spirit and truth for the father is seeking such to worship him. God is spirit. Those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. The woman said to him, I know that Messiah is coming who is called Christ. When he comes, he will tell us all things. Jesus said to her, I who speak to you am he. And John chapter five, in verse 24, most assuredly I say to you, he who hears my word and believes in him who sent me has everlasting life and shall not come into judgment but is passed from death into life. And John chapter six, Jesus said to them in verse 35, I am the bread of life. He who comes to me shall never hunger. He who believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the father gives me will come to me. And the one who comes to me, I will by no means cast out for I have come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. This is the will of the father who sent me that of all he has given me I should lose nothing but raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of him who sent me that everyone who sees the son and believes in him may have everlasting life. And I will raise him up at the last day. And John chapter eight, most assuredly I say to you before Abraham was, I am. In John chapter nine, the man born blind healed by Jesus. He was cast out of the temple. Jesus found him in John chapter nine, verse 35 and said, do you believe in the son of God? He answered and said to him, who is he Lord that I may believe in him? And Jesus said to him, you have both seen him and it is he who is talking with you. And then he said, Lord, I believe and he worshiped him. In John chapter 10, verse seven, Jesus said to them again, most assuredly I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All whoever came before me are thieves and robbers. But the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come that they may have a life that they may have it more abundantly. John chapter 11, verse 25, I am the resurrection of the life, he who believes in me though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this? John chapter 12, verse 44, Jesus cried out and said, he who believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me and he who sees me sees him who sent me. I have come as a light into the world that whoever believes in me should not abide in darkness. John chapter 13, he washes the feet of his disciples in the upper room and says in verse 34, a new commandment I give you that you love one another as I have loved you that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another. In John chapter 14, verse six, Jesus said, I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me. In John 15, verse one, I am the true vine. My father is divine dresser. In John 16, 13, however, when he, the spirit of truth has come, he will guide you into all truth for he will not speak on his own authority but whatever he hears he will speak and he will tell you things to come. He will glorify me for he will take of what is mine and declare it to you. In John chapter 17, verse one, Jesus spoke these words, lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, Father, the hour has come, glorify your son that your son also may glorify you as you have given him authority over all flesh that he should give eternal life to as many as you have given him. And this is eternal life that they may know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. John 18, verse 37, Jesus answers, Pilate, you say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, for this cause I have come into the world that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice. And in John 19, verse 30, Jesus said, it is finished. Bowing his head, he gave up his spirit. In John chapter 20, verse 19, that the same day at evening, being the first day of the week when the doors were shut, where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst and said to them, peace be with you. And when he said this, he showed them his hands, his side, then the disciples were glad when they saw the resurrected, risen Lord Jesus Christ. In verse 21, so Jesus said to them again, peace to you. As the Father has sent me, I also send you. Glory, all right? What a treasure the gospel of John is. It is a treasure. And we beheld this glory on the pages of John's gospel. The glory is of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. So what does the Lord do now? As we come to John chapter 21, verses 15 to 25, the Lord Jesus Christ takes that staggering, immeasurable, inestimable treasure. And he puts it in earthen vessels. The glorious revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ contained in the word of God, the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ is committed into the hands of clay pots, baked dirt, weak, unrefined, crude, formed and fired mud, preaching the gospel. A treasure in earthen vessels, a treasure in clay pots. So that, as Paul would say later, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. He puts it into the hands of clay pots, weak, fallible, sometimes faithless, shallow, sometimes ignorant, waxing and wading, sometimes vacillating, fallible, weak men and women. Baked dirt. Look at the very next page, Acts chapter one, verse one. Luke, the author of Acts, refers to his gospel in verse one as the former account. And he describes the gospel of Luke as the record in verse one of all that Jesus began both to do and to teach. The book of Acts then goes on to record the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ as it continues through the preaching of his body, the church, clay pots, clay pots under the power and operation of the spirit of God. And that torch, that torch has been passed down to you and I, future clay pots, a bunch of baked dirt. For all that to take place, for all that to take place, for the gospel to go out, for his church to be built, for his mission to press forward in this world, for the kingdom of God to grow, for all that to take place, the Lord must first deal with a clay pot named Peter. And by implication, dealing with that clay pot named Peter, he deals with other clay pots in our church, in our day. And he does that on the beach in John chapter 21, verses 15 to 25. It's a transition of sorts. Peter's being prepared for ministry, being prepared for work, labor in the Lord's vineyard. And Peter needs to come face to face with his own weakness, face to face with his own sin. The Lord must deal with us, deal with our pride, deal with our weakness, deal with our lovelessness. This conversation between the Lord and Peter takes place now in John chapter 21, verses 15 to 25, in the hearing of the other disciples. And it takes place in our hearing this morning. It is written for our admonition. The gospel's glorious revelation of the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ might also be considered an inglorious revelation of the weakness and failures of Peter. In fact, the weakness and failures of the Lord's disciples and by implication, the weakness and failures of us. And finally, in John chapter 13, after boasting that he would lay down his life for Christ, Peter's told that he will deny the Lord three times before the sun comes up in the morning. And as they make their way out of Jerusalem to the Garden of Gethsemane, where the Lord would be arrested, the Lord's words are obviously weighing heavy on the heart and mind of Peter. And he boasts yet again in Matthew 26, verse 33, even if all are made to stumble because of you, I will never be made to stumble. Lord said that he would deny him. And yet Peter wrestling with that, I will not deny my Lord. He says again, even if I have to die with you, I will not deny you. The gospels all record the account of Peter's denial. Luke says that while he was still speaking, denying the Lord with a curse, the rooster crowed, and the Lord in the courtyard of the high priest, he turned and looked at Peter, made eye contact with him. And Peter, at that moment, making eye contact with the Lord, he remembered the Lord's words. And Luke records, as well as Matthew, as well as Mark, as well as John, that Peter went out and wept bitterly. The weakness of Peter, the failure of Peter, those denials of Peter have landed him on the beach in John chapter 21, verses 15 through 25. We belong on that beach too, don't we? We belong on that beach too. After our many failures, considering our own weakness, there are many times we boast as Peter boasts foolishly, foolishly without knowledge, we boast as Peter does. We belong on that beach. We can easily put ourselves in the shoes of Peter. If you think about it for a moment, we can easily put ourselves in the shoes of Peter. The many times we have denied him, you say what way have I denied him? There are many ways, many ways in which you've denied him. You denied him with your time. You denied him with your money. You denied him in your family. You denied him in your marriage. You denied him with your kids. You denied him on the job. You denied them in your interpersonal relationships. You denied him in your disobedience. You've denied him in your lovelessness. You've denied him in your faithlessness. There are many, many, many, many, many ways in which we've denied the Lord Jesus Christ. We belong on this beach. The Lord has instructed the disciples to wait for him in Galilee on the appointed mountain. But discouragement and failure has driven Peter down off the mountain to the beach and Peter goes fishing instead. Peter's love for the Lord has come up woefully short. So Peter, Peter needs forgiveness. That's what we need, isn't it? Peter needs grace. Peter needs mercy. He needs restoration. He needs reassurance. He needs hope. He needs compassion. He needs kindness from the Lord. And thankfully, although Peter's love comes up woefully short, the Lord's love for Peter, the Lord's love for all his disciples, the Lord's love for you if you're in Christ, the Lord's love for me will never come up short. Will never come up short. The problem is never the Lord's love for us. The problem is always concerning our love for the Lord. So in John chapter 21 then, verse 15, when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me more than these? Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me more than these? He didn't ask Peter if he was broken over his sin. Interesting, right? He didn't ask Peter if he was broken over his sin. Broken is over sin is a given if you truly love Lord Jesus Christ. Moses said that the Lord your God will circumcise your heart to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. If you're broken over your sin, broken is over sin is a given if you truly love the Lord. He didn't ask Peter if he was ready to go back to work. Obedience to the Lord is a fruit of our love for the Lord. It's a fruit of genuine conversion. It's a fruit of a changed heart. Jesus said, he who has my commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves me. So then, disobedience begs the question, doesn't it? Do you love him? Do you love him? Disobedience begs the question of Peter. Peter, do you love me? Do you love me? A lack of brokenness, a lack of humility, a lack of repentance begs the question, do you love him? The issue always comes down to love for the Lord Jesus Christ. The Christian life can be boiled down to a genuine, living, active, thriving love for the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you love him? How would you know? How does Peter know? How do you know? Many would say today, I love Jesus. Many would profess to love him. We're out witnessing, we run into people all the time that say they love Jesus. I love Jesus. He's with me wherever I go. Peter, Peter would have boasted of his love for the Lord, right? His great love for the Lord. After denying him, now on the beach, his heart is broken, and the Lord is questioning Peter's love. Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me more than these? Peter would have boasted prior to this. Now we discussed the Greek word last week for these. Last Lord's Day, do you love me more than these? It seems best to take that, if you're studying Greek, as a new genitive of comparison. It means these things. It's in the context, they're in the context of their fishing excursion on the Sea of Galilee. The disciples are now sitting around the fire amongst their nets, amongst their tackle. Jesus is essentially now asking Peter, Peter, do you love me more than these things? Do you love me more than fishing, Peter? Do you love me more than these nets, this gear? Do you love me more than your old life, Peter? Do you love me more than living for yourself? In Matthew and Mark, Peter was casting his net fishing when Jesus called out to him. Jesus said, follow me and I will make you fisher of men. And Peter has said, in the Gospel of Mark, to have immediately left his nets to follow Christ. After the encounter with Jesus and the miraculous catch of fish that we looked at last week in Luke chapter 5, Luke records that Peter then foresook all and followed him. Surely, right? Surely that's love, isn't it? That's love for the Lord. Here's Peter back on the beach with his fishing gear. Peter, don't you love me more than these things? Don't you love me more than your old life? Luke 14, 33, so likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be my disciple. Don't you love him more than your sin? Don't you love him more than your job? More than your hobbies? More than your possessions? Don't you love him more than father, mother, wife, son, daughter? Don't you love him more than those desires? Don't you love him more than your preferences? Don't you love him more than that wicked habit? Don't you love him more than your pride? Don't you love him more than your life? He who finds his life will lose it. He who loses his life, for my sake, Jesus says, will find it. Do you love him? These are all tests of love, you see? These are all tests of love. Do you love him? Do you love him? Peter said to him, verse 15, yes, Lord, yes, Lord, you know that I love you. That's interesting to look at this dialogue in the Greek. We have one word for love in the English, one word, that's love, but there are several words available in the Greek for love. Jesus, as we look at the dialogue, Jesus uses the word agapao when he asks, Peter, do you love me? Peter, do you agapao me? Peter uses the word phileo when he responds, yes, Lord, you know that I love you. You know that I phileo you. These words in the Gospels frequently used interchangeably and synonymously for love and for good reason, some believe that the difference here is a stylistic difference. Without going into too much detail, the context of the passage and Peter's state of mind leads me to believe that in such close proximity to one another in this one conversation the difference here between the two words is more than simply stylistic. Peter can't bring himself in the conversation with the Lord. He can't bring himself to use the same word for love that the Lord uses. He can't do it. Peter, in his mind, he understands there's an obvious difference between the love that the Lord is worthy of and the weak and compromised love that Peter sees in his own heart. There's an obvious difference. Jesus asks him, Peter, do you agapao me? Peter answers, yes, Lord, you know that I phileo you. The question, the question must have cut him to the heart, right? Phil laid him with the fish on the beach. He was laid bare, opened up. Peter was guilty. Peter is humbled. Having denied the Lord Jesus Christ, Peter now is confronted with the weakness of his own love for the Lord. You're the greatest commandment, Jesus said. Matthew chapter 22 verse 37. The greatest commandment is that you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind. Certainly, right? The greatest sin then would be to break the greatest commandment. And Peter knew his love for the Lord came up far short. Peter believed that he loved the Lord. We consider this text. Peter believed that he loved the Lord, but he certainly went and pointed to his recent recent actions to prove it. You couldn't look at his recent actions. In fact, his recent actions would have certainly testified to the opposite. So all Peter knew to do, all he could do was to rely upon then the omniscience of God who looks at the heart and say to the Lord, Lord, you know, you know, I know my actions don't testify to it. My actions of late give no evidence of it, but Lord, you know, you know all things, Lord, you know that I love you. I don't love you as perfectly as I should. I am incapable of the love that you are worthy of, but you know, Lord, that I love you despite my bitter failure, despite my prideful self-will, Lord, you see my heart. You know that I love you. You know that I love you. It's interesting that the setting for Peter's sin, Peter's denial, was the fire of coals in Pilate's courtyard. He stood around the fire of coals there in the cold with the enemies of the Lord. He stood there with the enemies of the Lord attempting to warm himself by the fire. Three questions, three denials, a crow of the rooster, and Peter is wrecked. Peter's wrecked. This setting, John 21, verses 15 to 25, interestingly enough, the setting of Peter's restoration is also a fire of coals. It's the only other place in the New Testament where that word is used. And it's on the beach here at the Sea of Galilee. He now doesn't sit with the enemies of the Lord. He sits with the disciples of the Lord and the Lord intends to kindle a fire in Peter's heart. Just as there were three questions and three denials in Pilate's courtyard, there's going to be three soul-searching questions and three affirmations at the beach. Peter has to face. Peter has to come to grips with the gravity and the weight of his sin. Sin is not a light thing. He denials, not a light thing. Peter had denied the Lord. So in verse 16 then, verse 16, the Lord Jesus Christ said to him again a second time, Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me Agapao? He said to him, yes, Lord, you know that I love you, Fileo. And look at me again at verse 17. Verse 17, he said to him the third time, Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me Fileo? Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, do you Fileo me? Do you love me? And he said to him, Lord, you know all things. You know that I love you, Fileo. The word grieved in verse 17 means that Peter was vexed. Peter is discouraged, downtrodden, beat down, so to speak. He was pained because the third time that the Lord asked the question, the Lord conceded to Peter's own word. The Lord conceded to Peter's own conception of his own weak love for the Lord. As if to say, as if to say, you can't boast at any level. You can't boast even in that distinction. You can't boast at any level. Do you Agapao me? You know that I Fileo you. Do you Agapao me? The Lord says, yes, Lord, you know that I Fileo you. Do you Fileo me, Peter? Do you? You know, the questions come. Three questions until Peter is thoroughly broken, grieved, vexed, distressed, cut to the heart. There's no trace of self-righteousness. There's no trace of pride. This is what repentance looks like. No, no defensiveness. No trace of pride. And by the way, notice the name that the Lord uses to address him, Simon, son of Jonah. Jesus had asked him an important question. You remember our text this morning from Mark chapter nine? You remember our text in Matthew 16? Jesus had asked him an important question before. He asked Peter and the other disciples, who do men say that I, the son of man, am? Well, the answer is some say to John the Baptist, some say Elijah, some say Jeremiah are one of the prophets. But who do you say that I am? Peter speaks up in that moment. He says you are the Christ, the son of the living God. Now the Lord answers him in Matthew chapter 16 verse 17. Jesus answered and said to him, blessed are you, Simon, Bar Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter. Names in Peter, Cephas, a stone. You are Peter and on this rock, the rock of that confession, the rock of his good confession that you are the Christ, the son of the living God. It's on that rock, Jesus says, that I will build my church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. Here on the beach then in John chapter 21 verses 15 to 17, where the Lord must break Peter down in order to build him back up, to make him fit for service, it's back to Simon, son of Jonah. Humbling, right? Humbling. It would have just crushed Peter's heart. This is pain. This is difficulty. This is adversity. Simon Peter coming face to face with his sin in his conversation with the Lord on the beach. Once again, once again, Peter doesn't appeal any longer to his own assessment of his own heart. Peter can't. He's done. Peter's done with that kind of boasting. Prior to those denials in Pilate's courtyard, Peter might have said, listen as surely as I know my own heart, I swear I love you, Lord. I love you more than anybody else loves you. That would have been Peter prior to those denials in the courtyard. However, Peter now, and rightfully so, Peter has absolutely no confidence in his own heart, no confidence in his own estimation of his own love of the Lord. Peter sees his heart more rightly. Jeremiah chapter 17 verse 9, Jeremiah says, the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Who can know it? Your heart, my heart, is deceitful above all things. Desperately wicked. Who can know it? So Peter is left then with no other alternative. He's left with appealing to the Lord's knowledge, the Lord's omniscience, the Lord's knowledge of his own heart. Lord, you know all things. You know that I love you. It's interesting, isn't it, to consider that. Peter rests in that truth. Peter's been sinful. Peter's denied the Lord. Peter's, the weakness of Peter's flesh has just run ramshot over his own heart. Peter is, he's in trouble. He needs help. And Peter, having come to grips with that sin, having come to grips with his denials, when he's in the boat, he's fishing with the other men, he's dragging in the net. John says it's the Lord. And what does Peter do? Peter hurls himself out of the boat and he swims ashore to immediately grip what I'm sure would be, embrace the Lord. To be with the Lord. Peter now confessing his sin, dealing with his sin on the beach, in this conversation with the Lord, Peter rests in. He takes comfort in the Lord's knowledge of his own heart. Peter has no confidence in his own flesh, no confidence in his own heart, no confidence in his own love for the Lord, knows that his love comes up short, knows that his love is not worthy of the Lord Jesus Christ. And Peter rests in, trusts in, takes comfort in the Lord's knowledge of his own deceitful and wicked heart. Interesting, isn't it? Now, Peter resting in that truth when others should be terrified at that truth. Listen, the Lord knows your heart. If you're not in Christ, if you've not been given a new heart, if your heart's not been changed, if you don't have any love for the Lord Jesus Christ in your heart and your heart is rebellious against God, your heart is hard toward the things of God, you have no interest in the things of God, you have no love for God, you have no motivation to follow God, then you should be terrified that God, who is a consuming fire, knows your heart. He knows every corner. He knows every dark deed. He knows every dark thought. He knows everything that you do. His eyes search your heart. Nothing is hidden from his sight. And in that day, in the day when the Lord Jesus Christ comes back to judge, every thought, every intent, every deed will be called to account. And the Lord who knows your heart through and through will be your judge. Only a genuine believer can rest in that truth. Why? Why? Only a believer can rest in the Lord's omniscience concerning his own heart. It's because of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ is forgiving. The Lord Jesus Christ is gracious. The Lord Jesus Christ lived a perfect, sinless life so that you could have the righteousness of Christ. You don't have to stand before that consuming fire in your own filth. You don't have to stand before the God of the universe who will cast you into hell. The one who is able to destroy your body and soul in hell for all eternity. You don't have to stand there in your own sin. You can stand there clothed in the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ who is perfect and sinless and blameless and spotless. You can stand there clothed in that righteousness right with God. In fellowship with God. You can embrace him on the beach instead of running terrified from him. If it weren't for the grace and mercy of God shown in the Lord Jesus Christ, Peter should have hurled himself out the other side of the boat and swam to the farthest shore. But what does he do? He hurls himself out of the boat and he embraces Christ. Only a genuine believer can rest in the truth that, Lord, despite my failures, despite the corruption of my own heart, I know that I love you. You know that I love you. So what's the difference then? The difference is our relationship to the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, therefore, knowing the terror of the Lord we persuade men. This is the Lord's gracious, the Lord's compassionate, the Lord's kind, the Lord's loving treatment of Peter. It's painful. It's painful. But it's necessary. He doesn't take a wait-and-see attitude to deal with Peter's sin. He dealt lovingly. He dealt directly. He dealt quickly. He dealt with Peter's sin. Many, many who say they love the Lord, who profess to love the Lord, many bristle. They revolt under that kind of loving confrontation. Peter is humble. Why? The Spirit of God has broken his heart over his sin. He's broken over his sin against the Lord. Peter is humble. Why? Because Peter loves him. Peter loves the Lord. Many, many run offended when they're confronted over their sin. Why? Because of pride. Because of pride. You've sinned against the Lord. Peter's humble. Many run offended. Many flee correction. They don't want to be corrected. And so as soon as a loving brother, a loving sister comes alongside to correct them in their sin. Listen! Do you realize that what you're doing is sinful? Do you realize that what you're doing is offending the Lord? Listen! And what do they do? Leave the church mad. Hurling rocks as they go. They run from loving accountability for their sin. They hurl themselves out of the boat to swim the other way to avoid the Lord's chastening questions. They hurl insults. They rail against the disciples. A bunch of losers in the boat as they're swimming the other direction racking up further sin along the way. Why? Why do they do that? It's pride. It's pride. No repentance, no humility. Ultimately, ultimately, no love for the Lord Jesus Christ. No love for His word. No love for His gracious commands. This is the Lord's loving discipline of Peter, and we need it, don't we? Some might say, some might say this is harsh. And Peter on the beach, Lord Jesus Christ questioning, question, question, question. Just laying Peter open. Listen! It's such a thing called transitive verbs. Be verbs. You're being harsh. You're being gentle. If someone is being gentle with the rapist, he's being harsh with the victim, right? If someone's being mean to the officer, he's being kind to criminals, right? Some might say this is harsh. Some might think that church discipline is harsh. Some might think that a loving confrontation over sin is somehow mean-spirited, somehow unloving, when in fact, it is loving. It's loving for the Lord Jesus Christ. It's loving toward the Lord's church. It's loving and treasuring holiness and righteousness, and yes, it is loving the soul of that person in sin. The Lord Jesus Christ is on the beach with Peter loving Peter. This is love toward Peter, that loving discipline that we need. Turn to Hebrews chapter 12. Hebrews chapter 12 with me. Peter needs this. We need this. Hebrews chapter 12. And I want you to consider the Lord's grace as he confronts Peter in his sin and as the Lord disciplines us in our sin. The Lord doing that through his word, the Lord doing that through loving brothers and sisters who you are accountable to, who are accountable for you. Look at Hebrews chapter 12 verse 1. Therefore, we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us, here's the point, let us lay aside every weight. Let us lay aside the sin which so easily ensnares us and let us run with endurance. Endurance, that's what we need. We need endurance. Near run with endurance, the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Verse 3. For consider him who endured such hostility from sinners against himself lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. Peter, on the beach, is weary. Peter is discouraged. That's what the weight of sin does to you. It's discouraging. It's wearisome. So the first reason, let me give you the first reason, the first reason that Jesus must undertake this pride-crushing correction of Peter on the beach at Galilee is that Peter is discouraged. Deal with the sin and you deal with the discouragement, you see. He's got to deal with Peter's sin in order to deal with Peter's discouragement. Peter has to press forward in ministry. There's a work for Peter to do. As the Father has sent me, Jesus said, so send I you, Peter is sent. He's commissioned. He can't be weighed down in the swamp of discouragement. Peter's got to pull himself up by the bootstraps. The Spirit of God's going to pull him up by the bootstraps. Peter's got work to do. He can't be discouraged. Peter's conscience is grieved. The weight of sin is weighing him down. It's ensnared him and Peter needs to run. And as much as Peter has suffered, he will certainly and can certainly suffer more. Look at verse 4. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed striving against sin. Is that true of Peter? Yes it is. Is it true of you and I? Yes it is. Will Peter strive to the point of bloodshed? Yes he will. Peter will certainly suffer much more. He will give everything, including his own life. Peter is martyred for the faith, crucified under Nero, upside down. So the second reason, the second reason that Lord is on the beach doing this with Peter is to prepare him for greater trials. More trials, more adversity, greater adversity, and the Lord has to prepare him for those. There will be greater persecutions for Peter and there will be greater persecutions for you and I. The Lord in his wisdom, in his grace, he prepares us for difficult trials that are yet to come. Matthew Henry says that he graciously accommodates trials to our strength. At this point, this is what Peter can handle. Peter will one day die for the faith. Look at verse five. And have you forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as sons? My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by him, for whom the Lord loves he chastens and he scourges every son whom he receives. Our trials, our difficulties, the adversity that we face are all divine instruments, divine tools. Remember the Lord's words to Peter in Luke 22 before his denials? The Lord said to Peter, Peter, Satan has asked for you that he may sift you as wheat. That's Luke 22. That permission was obviously given. Why? Because our trials, our difficulties, our adversity are divine instruments useful to the Lord in training his people in righteousness. Remember what the Lord said to Peter? He said in verse 32 there, but I have prayed for you, Peter, that your faith should not fail. And when you have returned to me, when you have returned to me, that's got to be comforting, right? Strengthen your brethren. Strengthen your brethren. The Lord is preparing Peter for ministry, preparing Peter for work in the church. He's growing him up, maturing him, lopping off all those rough edges that offend, right? Skimming off all the dross that is worthless and wasteful. Far from being instruments of divine wrath or instruments of divine judgment, trials for the believer are proof. They are evidence of God's fatherly love, God's fatherly care for us. They may be evidence of fatherly displeasure, certainly, but certainly they are evidence of fatherly love. Look at verse 7. If you endure chastening, endure chastening, that would entail patience, would entail faith, trust in the Lord, love, fervency, faithfulness. If you endure chastening, verse 7, God deals with you as with sons. For what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. The third reason that the Lord meets with Peter on the beach to confront him in his sin is that he does it in love to conform us, to conform Peter, to conform us to the gracious and good will. He is conforming us to his will. It's a kindness. It's a grace. Ecclesiastes says that with much wisdom comes sorrow. A parent knows that well, right, with your kids. You see them running toward the street, and you know what's out. The kid is completely oblivious, but you know. So you yell out and you discipline. Then you give them a little pow-pow, make sure they don't do that again, think twice before heading for the street, you see the pitfalls and the potholes of life, and you want to protect your kids from those. Listen, the Lord is infinitely wise. The Lord is immeasurably wise, infinitely wise, and so what does he do? He chastens those whom he loves, conforms them to his gracious and kind will, turns them from their sin, and turns them to him. He does this in love. Look at verse nine. Our author writes, We've had human fathers who corrected us. We've paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the father of spirits and live? For they indeed, for a few days, chastened us as seemed best to them, but he, for our profit, that we may be partakers of his holiness. The fourth reason the Lord meets with Peter on the beach is Peter needs holiness. Holiness without which no one will see the Lord. He does it for our soul's sake. Do you see? 1 Corinthians 11, 32, but when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world. We're chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world. We need holiness without which no one will see the Lord. Verse 11. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful. Nevertheless, afterwards, it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. The fifth reason the Lord meets with Peter on the beach is to produce in Peter the fruit of righteousness. That righteousness and growth and fruit necessary to Peter's future work. Peter's future work. Peter is being prepared for work in the Lord's vineyard, work in the ministry, work in the Lord's church. Back in John chapter 21, notice with me, considering this work in verse 15, 16, and 17, in verse 15. So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me more than these? He said to him, yes, Lord, you know that I love you. He said to him, feed my lambs. Verse 16. He said to him a second time, Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me? He said to him, yes, Lord, you know that I love you. He said to him, tend my sheep. Verse 17. He said to him the third time, Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me? Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, do you love me? And he said to him, Lord, you know all things. You know that I love you. Jesus said to him, feed my sheep. The Lord has plans for Peter, right? He has work for Peter to do. And although the chastening of the Lord on the beach was painful for Peter, those words, right? Those words, feed my lambs, Peter, tend my sheep, feed my sheep. Those words would have been sweet delight to Peter. That means the restoration of Peter. Peter is useful in ministry. Peter's got work to do. Very important in the years of the disciples who were sitting there listening to this, right? To see and to hear Peter restored to faithfulness, restored to usefulness. Peter was forgiven and Peter was restored. And the Lord graciously dealing with Peter as a father should deal with his own son, compassionately, kindly, lovingly, restoring Peter to faithfulness, restoring Peter to usefulness. We'll see next week as we look at this text again how the Lord here describes and defines the true love of Christ of a genuine Christian. True love for Christ involves service. True love for Christ involves sacrifice and true love for Christ involves perseverance. We'll look at that next week. Consider the applications with me. One is this. The Lord Jesus Christ didn't sweep Peter's sin under the rug. The Lord Jesus Christ dealt with Peter's sin head on, directly, lovingly, directly, biblically, lovingly. We are to do the same. That's not easy. It's not easy, but it's necessary. It's not easy for you to do the confronting. It's not easy to be confronted, but it's necessary and we've been commanded. We've been commanded to love one another in this way. By the Lord's lips we've been commanded. Secondly, we're not to despise the chasing of the Lord. We're to deal with it humbly as Peter dealt with it. Recognizing our own sin, recognizing the weakness of our own heart, recognizing sometimes the coolness of our own love for the Lord. Thirdly, we're to keep our faith and trust in the Lord while we keep our hand to the plow. True love for Christ involves serving Christ. True love for Christ involves tending the sheep, feeding the sheep, taking care of the sheep, loving the sheep. Did Peter get it? After all this, after all this, did Peter get it? Did the Lord yield in Peter the peaceable fruit that he was after? Let's judge for ourselves in 1 Peter chapter 1. 1 Peter chapter 1. Did the Lord produce in Peter the fruit that he was after? Listen what Peter writes some years later. 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 3. Peter writes, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you. You who are kept by the power of God, not by your own staying power, you're kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this, you greatly rejoice. Isn't it a cause of rejoicing? See the gracious love of the Lord Jesus Christ toward us in this? In this, you greatly rejoice, now for a little while if need be, you have been grieved, distressed, vexed by various trials so that the genuineness of your faith being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, that faith may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. I just think that Peter had this experience in his mind, even as he penned these words, having denied the Lord Jesus Christ, having walked with him in ministry all those years, having denied him and then seeing the grace and mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ toward him and restoring him on the beach, making of all those, us now, whom having not seen him, we love him, we love him, though now you do not see him, yet believing you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls. Do you love him? Amen. All praise, honor, and glory to the one who shepherds our souls so kindly, right, so lovingly.