The Reset Button: By Tim Kernan

John 21:15-19
15When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”
16Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?”
He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. 18 I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” 19Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”

In this spectacular passage Jesus reinstates the truculent and impetuous Peter to his role as leader of the apostles. The strong man had looked terror in the eyes and flinched on the night of Jesus’ false “trial” before the Sanhedrin. After denying Christ three times he relegated himself to the same category as Judas. Of course the two men had different responses to Gods forgiveness: Judas hung himself and Peter repented and waited patiently for God to use him in any way He chose.

Jesus reinstates Peter by calling him in an unambiguous way to focus on the job he will have to do until his death. The job is a simple job and it’s the same job that every disciple is called to: take care of and feed one another. It’s the call Jesus makes to Peter and to every disciple. Is it the call you received? Is it the call that you pass on to others in turn?

Jesus reinstated Peter after their relationship (Peter even denied knowing him!) and Peters walk took a pretty precipitous slip. Sometimes we too have to hit the reset button on our discipling relationships.

Im very proud of the London church for the love that is obvious in the fellowship. It was a hard fought and won trophy that we hold dear. The London church is a hard fighting group of soldiers who have faced all kinds of problems in stride and overcome. We have made great strides evangelistically and continue to do so! We were so excited to baptize our newest member last night! However this week, in an abundance of caution, at the leaders meeting I challenged all the leaders to go after their discipline relationships with a new vigour. That means two things:

1: Reinitiate the friendships: You cant nit pic people about changing “x,y and z” before you make sure that you have engaged them on a friendship level. As our brother Niyi says: “people don’t care what you know until they know that you care”. That means that we need to live in the shoes of the people we are discipling. Jesus walked by the sea of Galilee with his disciples for three years, even helped them fish! He didn’t mind being seen with the tax collectors and even had dinner with them before he plucked two of them to become apostles.

There is a call in the Scriptures to be “fishers of men” (Mark 1). Well you cant fish men if you cant catch them! We are called to really know the people we intend to lead. I believe from the bottom of my heart that Jesus, the Author of Life (John 1), had to drop himself down a couple of gears to put on sandals and walk along the sea of Galillee to make some illiterate fishermen and traitor tax collectors into best friends… If the God of the universe can do it…Can you? Are you?

Sadly today, because of alcohol, drugs, abuse, and neglect many people come out of the baptistery not even really knowing themselves. How do you hang out with someone who has no hobby or things they like to do? It can sometimes be a struggle and maybe it means going out to learn a new sport or even spending a couple hours in a dark living room playing video games and eating corn chips! Whatever it takes its critical to actually “catch” the hearts of the people we are discipline. If that means change: amen! If it means lowing ourselves, amen! If it means denying ourselves: whatever it takes!

I’ve challenged all the leaders to take this challenge on board and “recatch” all the members and pull in those relationships which might be less strong than we imagine.

I know the hearts of the disciples in the London church and I know they will not make it hard on them.

2: Build Together! The first thing Jesus said to the disciples in Johns Gospel was: “What do you want?” (John 1: 38) Powerful words! Often times we take one look at someone and we think we know what they “need to work on”. How many development projects in the third world fail for lack of local buy in? How many billions of dollars wasted because some outsider thinks they know better than the locals who have been there for a thousand years?

When you ask those powerful words your not an outsider anymore. You are working with a soul to help them to truly overcome what has been burdening them for perhaps their whole life. What you help get them success against what is enslaving and burdening them your far from being an outsider, you’re a hero. Are you someone’s hero right now? Do you want to be? If so start asking those powerful words: “What do you want”.

We strongly believe that if we “catch” one another all over again for Christ and if we become one another’s hero’s by helping each other to conquer the power of Satan in our lives we will be a much stronger group in London.

Christ has said that his plan for every man woman and child in the world is to be a disciple and be in his church. Discipleship is too hard for no one. Discipleship is out of reach to no one. Lets make sure we are taking time today to make sure we have truly caught the hearts of those we love around us and that they are not struggling against Satan alone. Let

Love,

Tim