This sermon, titled “𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐢𝐦 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝,” is based on the biblical passage John 21:15-17.
The message focuses on the 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐨 “𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐲 𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐬” 𝐚𝐧𝐝 “𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐞.”
The message is structured around three main points – 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟, 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐩, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐝’𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐬 – 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩. The message emphasises that actions must match 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭’𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧.
1. 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐥
Peter’s uncommitted return to fishing (saying, “I go a fishing”) illustrates the danger of the unconsecrated “I”, which must be crucified.
𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲
The unconsecrated soul is shallow and indifferent to Christ’s suffering and calling. Peter forgot the cross and returned to fishing.
𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬
An uncommitted heart is torn between two masters and is filled with emptiness. Peter’s personal deviation led others into immediate disobedience, resulting in catching “nothing”.
𝐋𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐦
The uncontrolled “I” operates without divine boundaries by personal impulse and claims ownership over its actions, resisting surrender to Christ’s control.
𝐅𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧
Peter had a fondness for personal desires, returning to the nets and fishing business, which is “rebuilding what had already been brought down”. A single day outside the will of God is a lost day.
2. 𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐮𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐫
Love for Christ must be expressed through faithful, fearless, and frequent service to His flock.
𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐅𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐢𝐧 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞
True fellowship requires undivided love and loyalty centred on Christ, prioritising Him above family, profession, or personal desires. Loving anything (even a career or hobby) more than Christ disqualifies one from true fellowship.
𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐥𝐲 𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠
The church is Christ’s possession, not any man’s. Love for the Shepherd and love for the sheep give the courage to feed them rightly. Perfect love casts out fear. Fear of rejection or people’s reactions shows love is compromised; true love speaks the truth.
𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐭
Ministers must frequently feed the saints with confidence until the very end. The calling is not to retire but to continue labouring with determination, enduring afflictions, and making full proof of the ministry.
3. 𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐝
The final mark of true devotion is unwavering discipleship that holds fast to Christ’s standard, regardless of circumstances or the actions of others.
𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠
The call to “Follow me” is constant, even when ageing brings limitations. Christ’s suffering is the example; follow His steps, letting His will be done, especially when the journey is hard.
𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐥𝐲 𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐝
The standard is Christ alone: “If I will that he tarries till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me”. Believers must not measure their faithfulness by the failings or slackness of others. There is no shame in standing for the truth.
𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞-𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠
True discipleship means diligently hearing Christ’s sayings and doing them, digging deep to lay a foundation on the rock. This deep consecration makes the believer unshaken when trials or persecution come.
