**PETER, DO YOU LOVE ME?**

Watchman..5/29/2010..Billy Blankenship
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This is what the Church must return too today

The Church today is faced with many problems. Morally, doctrinally, ethically, and spiritually. But none any greater than, the need of "genuine Christian love"! Unless this begins to happen soon, and, we return again to our "first love", we can forget all the running, jumping, and falling, it is all simply a show of the flesh and emotionalism, and profits us nothing.!

I can almost see the scene right now! It had been a rough night on the Sea of Tiberias. Peter had just told the other Disciples of his great intentions: I go a fishing! They all said, we are going fishing also. Fishing at night is one thing, but to fish all night and not catch anything, well, that is another story. Just about daylight, Jesus appeared on the shore. He yelled at the disciples: Children, have ye any meat? (Children? why these were grown men!) They said no! I remember what an old Minister said to me years ago, he said: No matter how old we get, God still calls us Son! Cast your net on the right side Jesus yelled, and then you'll find fish! As they obeyed the Lord, they loaded up with fish, a hundred and fifty three! About that time, John recognized who it was, he said to Peter: Peter, it's the Lord! Peter wasn't too well dressed at this point, so he jumped into the Sea. After Peter came up out of the water, and drew the fish to land, the Lord said: Come and dine!

This was the third time Jesus had shown himself to the disciples after his resurrection. Let us now pick up the story:

St John 21:15... So when they had dined, Jesus saith unto Peter: Simon, son of Jonas lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, yea, Lord; thou knowest I love thee. He saith unto him, feed my lambs.

16...He saith unto him the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, feed my sheep.

17...He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, feed my sheep.

You see friends, if we really love the Lord, we will do something! Jesus was saying in essence, if you love me Peter, DO SOMETHING, FEED MY SHEEP! We are well aware that Jesus didn't think Peter had a hearing problem, but what was the real reason for asking him so many times, whither or not he loved Him? Some say, that it was because Peter had denied him three times. I think not! I personally think, that Jesus wanted to know if Peter really did love Him, and hear him say it. Dear friend, the greatest thing on earth, is having the HONOR OF "LOVING the LORD"!!

Many times I have either knelt, or, sat on the floor of my bed room, and talked to the Lord like this: "Lord, I know where I am tonight, but in my minds eye I would like to be sitting with you on the sea shore, just like you did with Peter! I too want to hear you talk, as I am so thankful in being close to you. As I hear you talk to Peter, I know you would ask me the same thing, and, it makes me really ponder in my heart how much I do love you"? If I had been there that night, and I had plans of starting a "Church that would reach the world", and "all Hell" couldn't stop it, my questions would have been much different to Peter.

They would perhaps of gone something like this: Peter, you will be preaching in a few days after my return to the Father, will you do your very best to preach hard for our organization? Will you stick with the Word, and do not compromise? Will you earnestly contend for the faith? Can I depend on you that you will not fail me, or let me down? Will you? will you?

Yes, my questions would have been much different. I would have instructed Peter to be honest, trustworthy, kind, caring, compassionate, truthful, bold, and many other things that Jesus NEVER ONCE MENTIONED! Why not? Why was He only concerned (with Peter's love for Him?) Because Jesus knew that if Peter really loved him, there was no need to ask these questions anyway, for he knew that Peter would give his best! Peter's love for the Lord would have taken care of all the rest! As we search some of the Scriptures today, we find that the basis for all of Christianity, is based on love.

10...Herein is LOVE not that we loved God, but that he LOVED us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

11...Beloved, if God so LOVED us, we ought to LOVE one another.

19... We LOVE him, because he first LOVED us.

20... If a man say, I LOVE God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that LOVETH not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he LOVE God of which he hath not seen?

21...And this commandment have we from him, that he who LOVETH God LOVE his brother also.

5:3... For this is the LOVE of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

I realize we have covered several verses on LOVE, but our entire Christian walk with God, should be based on LOVE.

YOU CAN OPERATE ALL OF THE GIFTS!

The great Apostle Paul, went to great length to explain the necessity of having LOVE in our walk with God! No one (except Jesus), could have been so expressive in telling us of the need of LOVE in our lives. Instead of putting you and I as an example, Paul refers to himself constantly in the (first person),

(I) In 1 Cor. 13:1... Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity (LOVE) I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

Beloved, hear what I am about to say: You can tithe, give your offerings to the Church, (or the TV Ministers) work at the Church, bake, sell, visit the sick, be faithful in Church attendance, sing in the choir, PASTOR A CHURCH, Evangelize the world, prophecy, and operate all the Gifts of the Spirit, but if you don't have LOVE, IT WILL PROFIT YOU THE SAME AS IT DID THE APOSTLE PAUL, NOTHING!! Paul did not say that it would not "profit" " someone else", he said it would not profit HIM anything! There are many ministers, and Churches today, who have worked long and hard over the years, but will wind up in the end of the trail, with no blessings from God.

All the work done, and for NO PROFIT! Simply because their labor was motivated by something other than the LOVE of God! How this speaks to many of the "showmen" on Christian TV today, all of their dreams, visions, schemes, and manipulating the people, ALL FOR NOTHING! In this World, we can be a great success, even in the Ministry, but in the Lord's eyes we can still be a total failure. Some might say: That isn't true, what ever we do for Christ will stand, or last. Perhaps you had better take a look at the book of Revelation, at one of the hardest working Churches of that day, and see what Jesus had to say about it!

How many Pastors today, are Pastoring Churches that are only concerned for their own welfare? Looking only for the tithe, offerings, appreciation offerings, perks, parsonage, fame, and sometimes recognition. In all of this work (that is good and commendable) but if it is not done with the LOVE of God, and for the LOVE of God, it is all wasted time for the Pastor. All of his labors will PROFIT HIM NOTHING! Paul said so!

If you are in the Ministry, LOVE must be your driving force, your motivation. Your motive must be the LOVE for God, and LOVE for people. Isn't it a pitiful shame today, that all of the nonsense we see in some Churches, and on TV, where with just a little intelligence you can see the motivating force is greed? Isn't it sad, that we could go through life (doing the work of the Lord) and still wind up with all of our works being burned up, as wood, hay, and stubble? All of the labors for nothing, because we did not have the love of God in our hearts! PETER, DO YOU LOVE ME MORE THAN THESE?

When Jesus asked Peter, if he loved him more than these, what could he have meant? Notice now; Jesus didn't say that Peter shouldn't love THESE. He ask him if he loved them MORE than Him! He might have meant, do you love me more, than your fishing Buddies? He could have meant also, do you love me more than wanting to return to your fishing trade? Notice dear ones, Jesus didn't ask Peter if he could preach, sing, Pastor a Church, Evangelize, organize, or prophecy! He was only concerned about Peter's love and devotion for the Master! I might ask you today, do you love Jesus more than these? More than your job, your friends, your Church, your bank account, your talents, your call to the Ministry? It isn't so much what we love that concerns Christ, it is what, or who, we love MORE than Him.

Many Ministers love their work for the Lord, far above loving the LORD they are working for! It is possible for a Pastor's Church, or ministry, to be his god! Jesus is asking you right now as you read this message, WHO EVER YOU ARE, what is it you love MORE than the Lord himself? I once knew a Pastor, who had a golden opportunity to lead his Church into a great harvest of "soul winning" but he didn't love souls. He didn't love his Church either, as he refused to lead them, or, let them go into the City, the (highways and hedges) and compel (persuade) others to come into the house of the Lord. He did not want the different races, and, the lower class "neighborhoods" to visit the Church. He would rather sell to the Moslems, (and he did) with great plans of building in a more sophisticated, economically prospering area of the county. Unless he repents, all of his works will be burned up. Jesus said: he came to preach deliverance to the poor..We are to follow in his steps.

We will now read of one of the hardest working Churches in the Bible! Jesus said so, and he must know. Much different than the Church above, this Church gave it their all. But something was still bad wrong with it, what was it?

Rev. 2:1... Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write: These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;

We have no record in the Bible, of any Church working harder than the Church at Ephesus! No Church was found more faithful, in spotting, and getting rid of the false Apostles of their day. The Bible tells us, they knew they were false apostles, because they found them to BE LIARS! Just like those that have been in our area, who have (said they were apostles), and, they have lied like the devil himself with many of their false prophecies! This Church labored with patience, and, with all of the commendations the Lord gave them, he still said: I HAVE SOMEWHAT AGAINST THEE!?YOU LEFT YOUR FIRST LOVE-YOU HAVE FALLEN! You must repent!

I trust that everyone can see, that although the Lord expects his children to be faithful, hardworking, concerned, discerning, praying, patient, that by all these verses of scripture, you surely must see that above all: HE IS MOST CONCERNED WITH KNOWING, THAT HIS CHILDREN LOVE HIM! Do you love Jesus, more than the Church where you go? Are you more concerned with pleasing Christ, than your Pastor? Would you rather have the praise of Jesus, than the praise of men? I ask you dear friend, in all that you hold dear to you in this World: DO YOU LOVE JESUS MORE THAN THESE? Is it your desire that what ever happens in this life, that loving Christ is your highest goal-your main priority? Can you this day, sit at his feet and say like Peter: YEA LORD, THOU KNOWEST ALL THINGS, THOU KNOWEST I LOVE YOU!

Oh; Lord Jesus, let that always be my answer, when you ask me in the wee hours of the night. Bill, lovest thou me more than these? May I be able to say "with an honest heart" yea Lord, you know that I love you! Amen.

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Thank you, and God bless you.

an unworthy Servant 

Brother: Billy E. Blankenship

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