Opening Illustration: Joseph Tson was pastor of Second Baptist Church, Oradea, Romania, until he was exiled by the Romanian government in 1981. He writes of his experience:
"Years ago I ran away from my country to study theology at Oxford. In 1972, when I was ready to go back to Romania, I discussed my plans with some fellow students. They pointed out that I might be arrested at the border. One student asked, 'Joseph, what chances do you have of successfully implementing your plans?'"
Joseph asked God about it, and God brought to mind Matthew 10:16 "I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves" -- and seemed to say, "Tell me, what chance does a sheep surrounded by wolves have of surviving five minutes, let alone of converting the wolves? Joseph, that’s how I send you: totally defenseless and without a reasonable hope of success. If you are willing to go like that, go. If you are not willing to be in that position, don’t go."
Tson writes: "After our return, as I preached uninhibitedly, harassment and arrests came. One day during interrogation an officer threatened to kill me. Then I said, 'Sir, your supreme weapon is killing. My supreme weapon is dying. Sir, you know my sermons are all over the country on tapes now. If you kill me, I will be sprinkling them with my blood. Whoever listens to them after that will say, "I’d better listen. This man sealed it with his blood. "They will speak ten times louder than before. So, go on and kill me. I win the supreme victory then.'"
The officer sent him home. "That gave me pause. For years I was a Christian who was cautious because I wanted to survive. I had accepted all the restrictions the authorities put on me because I wanted to live. Now I wanted to die, and they wouldn’t oblige. Now I could do whatever I wanted in Romania. For years I wanted to save my life, and I was losing it. Now that I wanted to lose it, I was winning it." [1]
John 21:20–22
I like Peter if for no other reason, he reminds me too much of me. Peter was always the boisterous one of the all the disciples and as such, he was their unofficial leader. But Peter had problems keeping his eyes only and solely on Jesus. In the days following the resurrection of Jesus, Jesus appears with His disciples on numerous occasions. In the previous verses we read where Jesus restores Peter to ministry after his failure of denying Jesus. Jesus goes on to tell Peter how he will end his days:
John 21:18–19 (NKJV) Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.” 19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me.”
Jesus in verse 19 was speaking that Peter would later on die as a martyr and as a martyr Peter would glorify God.
Church tradition holds that Peter was crucified in Rome and at Peter’s request, he was crucified upside-down because he felt unworthy to die just as Jesus died.
Now before we become too harsh on Peter, think about it for a moment. What if you were told that you, as some point in the future, near or far future, you would die a horrible death for the cause of Christ? But Peter, after his denial of Jesus and Jesus restoring him to ministry looked around and to see who was listening.
John 21:20 (NKJV) Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?”
Peter identified John. John in his own Gospel was reluctant to identify himself directly. Peter asked a straight forward question to Jesus.
John 21:21 (NKJV) Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?”
Good question, we would say. Yah, what about good old John. I’m going to die, what about him? Listen to the answer Jesus gives:
John 21:22 (NKJV) Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.”
So what about John. You are to follow me. More than a few of my commentators said that in essence Jesus said, “Peter, mind your own business. What I will for John to do is my business. You are to do what I called you to do.”
What Peter was doing is what we all do. We take our eyes off of Jesus. Peter had a history of taking His eyes off of Jesus. He should have known better.
Remember when Peter was called by Jesus and was first asked to follow Him? Peter and some others had been fishing all night and caught nothing. Now Jesus called for them to cast their nets one more time and they caught so many that the boats began to sink. When Peter realized what had happed he looked at himself:
Luke 5:8 (NKJV) When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”
When we compare ourselves to Jesus, we only begin to see just how truly sinful we are. But to Peter’s credit, he immediately forsook all and followed Jesus. Later, when Peter saw Jesus walking on the water and Peter asked Jesus to call him. Jesus said, “Come,” and Peter stepped out of the boat and was walking on the water. Remember what happened next.
Matthew 14:30 (NKJV) But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”
Again, Peter took his eyes off of Jesus and looked at his surroundings. His environment was over whelming and he was filled with fear. He took his eye off of Jesus, who would have sustained him. Then there was the time The Peter looked with the eyes of the world. Peter just made the breakthrough of proclaiming that Jesus was the Christ and Jesus said that God the Father revealed that to him. But Jesus went on to explained to the disciples that He must suffer many things and be killed and will raise from the dead after three days. Yet Peter rebuked Jesus and said this thing shall never happen.
Matthew 16:23 (NKJV) But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”
Peter again took his eyes off Jesus and looked with the eyes of the world. Later, Peter boasted how he would never desert Jesus, even if it meant his own death. Peter took his off Jesus once again and looked at what he was going to do in his own strength.
Matthew 26:33–34 (NKJV) Peter answered and said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.” 34 Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”
Again Peter looks at himself and ignored what Jesus had said was going to happen. It was all about how big and strong Peter was. He looked at himself and took his eyes off of Jesus. Peter relied on himself and failed. Even after the resurrection, even after Peter has seen the Lord, he gets impatient waiting on Jesus by the shores of the Sea of Galilee and makes the statement:
John 21:3 (NKJV) Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We are going with you also.” They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing.
Peter did not wait patiently on the Lord, but took his eyes off of following Jesus and went back to his former life as a fisherman. A repeat of when Jesus first called Peter. Here Jesus restores Peter but Peter still has trouble. He is looking at what Jesus is calling others to do and not what Jesus is calling him to do.
John 21:21 (NKJV) Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?”
And what about John? If Jesus calls for John to live a long life, so what? What are we called to do? Jesus’ repeated call to Peter is quite clear.
John 21:22 (NKJV) Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.”
Jesus call to us is also quite clear. It matters little what call Jesus has on others and whether or not they are doing it. We are called to follow Jesus wherever he leads.
Mark 8:34 (NKJV) When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
Jesus never promised us our “Best life ever” or a walk in the rose garden. His call was quite clear to the disciples of His day. They were to be ready to go and die for Him if need be. As we talked about a few Sundays ago, we are not all called to go and die, though many in the world are called to do so. But we often have trouble just telling our neighbor about Jesus and inviting them to church when we know in our heart that is what Jesus is calling us to do.
Do we keep our eyes on Jesus in all we do? Our tendency is point at others and say look at them, I’m doing more. We often know the good we are called to do, but we just won't do it, using the excuse of, "Look at all the other 'good' I’m doing."
It matters little what others are doing, each of us must follow Jesus. Some are called to teach. Others are called serve, while others are called to pray. We are not called to compare. Envy of another’s ministry has no place in our service to Christ. The question will be on that day when we see Jesus, have you done what I called you to do?
When we look and see that God has bless some with wealth and others with poverty. When we look with envy, Jesus says, ”What is that to you? You follow me.” It is like Pastor Joseph Tson of Romania. Jesus’ call on his life was clear, he was to boldly preach the Gospel completely defenseless with no humanly hope for success. Only in our obedience to Jesus and to remained steadfastly in His will is the way God works and He will get the glory.
More times than not we feel we must do the flashing things that will bring credit on ourselves and not God. Here is a scary thought: Can I be successful in doing great works for Jesus and still be out of His will? Think about it. Jesus said:
Matthew 7:21–23 (NKJV)
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
Are we really in the will of the Lord? How are we to know to do so? By keeping our eyes on Jesus. Don’t look left our right. Don’t compare yourself to others. Don’t do what is right in your eyes, but do work at becoming closer to Him every day. We are to seek after Him.
Matthew 6:33 (NKJV) But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Are you seeking out Jesus or is your own pride getting in the way? It is all about Jesus. We must keep on keeping our eyes on Jesus.
[1] www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/brokeness-no-way-around-it-wes-humble-sermon-on-endurance-54285.asp?page=0
