“The Welcoming”

Scripture: Acts 10:1-48

Last week, we saw how the Holy Spirit was beginning to change the face of faith. Saul, the great persecutor of people of the Way, a Pharisee who was totally committed to the Law of Moses, a man who believed that all who refused his understanding of the Law were worthless. But by the power of Jesus and the working of the Holy Spirit, he came to a new understanding of what his Jehovah God was about, and what he wanted from him, and in his change, everything became new, including his name.
And not only was this man changed, but the one who God sent to pray over him was also made new. Ananias, a man of faith, but one who was frightened of the power that the world could bring against him, discovered that the God of Salvation who was for him, was also the God of Confidence within him.

Today, we are about to see another change happen, and it would be in a man who had already experienced the difference that faith in Jesus could bring about. Simon, a fisherman of the Galilee – crude, arrogant, and ignorant, at best - had become Peter, the powerful, faithful, Spirit-filled preacher of Pentecost. He had known Jesus as a great and gifted teacher, and later, had come to know him as his Messiah, but now, his God was about to reveal the fact that He was Lord of not only Israel, but of the entire world.

And this change would be monumental – not only for Peter and Paul, but for all the people of earth – then, and for thousands of years to come.

Read Acts 10:1-6

Cornelius was not only a Gentile, but he was a Roman soldier who was commander over 100 men. But this man was different from most Roman soldiers – while he owed allegiance to his emperor and senior officers, he was also a believer in the God of Israel. He had never become a Jew, as that would have required circumcision – a change that would have given his new found faith away, and would have put an end to, not only his military career, but very possibly to his and his family’s lives. But this soldier and his entire household had become believers in Jesus Christ, in spite of the risk.

They were “devout and God-fearing”, which tells us that they, to the best of their ability, followed the teachings of Jesus, and they worshipped him. This would have been, out of necessity, within their own home, and probably included their household staff. We aren’t told how they came to Christ, or what they had to do to keep their faith from discovery by the military leadership, but for this family, it was all about God and the grace he showed for anyone who would love him.
And in their faith, they shared whatever they had with others, and they were faithful in prayer. Jesus had taught them that a generous heart would bring honor to Almighty God (Psalm 37:21-22), and that prayer would strengthen their relationship in the Lord. (Romans 12:11-13) And it was in prayer that the Lord’s message came to Cornelius that afternoon, a message that acknowledged his gift of faithful obedience to God, and that the Lord was about to give him a gift of immeasurably greater value.

Read Acts 10:9-14

Joppa was a city many miles south of Caesarea, so the two servants and one attendant of Cornelius had quite a journey before they could deliver their master’s invitation to come to visit him. The problem though, was that Peter was a Jew, and the Law required that he avoid entering the house of a Gentile – it would be a sin, it would make him “unclean”! And the entourage that was approaching Joppa would know this. What would they say to convince the apostle to honor their master’s request?

But God “had their back”, and he was already putting his plan in motion - He was giving Peter a vision that would change his understanding of what being “unclean” was all about. He would show Peter many types of animals and reptiles and birds, and would tell him to eat them. For some of these, the Law declared them unfit – unclean – for human consumption, while others were perfectly acceptable as food. But Peter, the obedient servant of God, had always known that some things just weren’t right as far as the Lord was concerned. And even though the disciple had discovered a whole new way in Jesus, he was still a faithful Jew at heart!

The truth about our Almighty God, a truth that we seem to forget from time to time, is that He never changes. He may change our lives, but that is because we have failed to stay in step with him, and not because His Steps have taken on a new direction! Peter thought that the Law of Moses was the Law of Jehovah, but the simple fact is that humanity is always trying to clarify and improve on God’s way, but how can we ever improve on Perfection?

In truth, we can’t and never will!

Read Acts 10:15-16

I like Peter, and in some ways, I’m a lot like him. The truth is that the Lord usually has to tell Peter, and me, what He wants from us more than once! Neither of us seems to get it the first time! But praise the Lord, He is patient, and is willing to spend the time humoring us until we finally understand what it is He is trying to say to us.

On this day, the Lord would have to teach our friend Peter about cleanliness three times, and he finally got it. The Law that prevented a Jew from entering the home of a Gentile, as it turns out, was wrong, and the man was about to discover why he was learning this lesson at this time.

Cornelius’ servants arrive while Peter is trying to figure out why this vision has come to him now. They offer the invitation to come to the centurion’s home, and not only is it accepted, but Peter invites the three into the house where he is staying. God’s truth is finally his, and after spending the night in the same place, they leave for the rest of the trip to Caesarea, along with some other believers. God’s way is already beginning to spread to others.

The Lord’s truth isn’t always easy to accept or understand. It doesn’t make sense, it doesn’t fit with what we have always believed, it doesn’t match with our lifestyle, it just can’t be true – we must have misunderstood! But Peter had been following Jesus long enough to know that he never makes a mistake, and that his way is always right.
So Peter enters the house, finding that Cornelius has invited many other people to come and hear what the Lord has to say through him. And the first thing he does is to set the record straight, that he is a Jew, and they are Gentiles, and his Law says that he shouldn’t be there, but that the Lord God Almighty has told him that it is right, and that it is proper that he should be there. And he asks why it is that he was sent for – is there illness or some other issue that needs the Lord’s attention?

But Cornelius gives him the truth, that he had been praying to God, and he was told to send for Peter! No illness, no infirmity, no death, no demons, no reason other than he was to come to share the Lord with this entire household. And he begins to preach, with these words – “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism, but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.” (Acts 10:34-35) Peter has taken a huge step in faith, and it takes so little time for it to become his own truth. He continues to share the message of Jesus Christ with everyone who has come, and before he finishes, the Holy Spirit falls fresh upon all who have heard.

The Jewish believers who had come with the apostle were amazed at all they were seeing and hearing – that even Gentiles could know the love and power of the Lord. And he decides that all who have received should be baptized.

Faith and service in the name of Jesus Christ has just had its door blown wide open – that the only caveat remaining is that they fear Him and are willing to follow His ways. So the question for each of us is this – who do we share the love of Christ with? Are we selective, do we make the decision as to who is worthy and who isn’t? Are we reluctant to tell others about Jesus and what he means to us? Are we that judgmental of others? Why aren’t we telling everyone about the Savior who left heaven, who suffered the judgement of earth’s hatred, who died as a sacrifice to free us from our sin, who only asks that we repent of those old ways, and begin following the perfect ways of Almighty God?

We need the same unifying changes that came over Peter and Cornelius, and over Paul and Ananias, and over every person who has ever loved Jesus Christ. And until we give up our ways, and accept the full truth and way of Christ, the Church will continue to struggle, and distrust each other, and be fragmented, and will never know God’s healing for our brokenness. Today, just as it was for Peter and Paul, must be the first day of our new understanding of what the Lord Jesus Christ wants for our lives.

Are we willing to accept His changes, or will we continue to live this life by our own way and means? Jesus will always be ready and willing to welcome those who love him into his life, but how ready are we to welcome him?
The decision is always before us. Choose wisely.

“Let’s Get It Right!”

Scripture Acts 9:1-19a

As we know, Saul was a Pharisee, and a totally committed one at that! He was present at the stoning of Stephen, he became the great persecutor of Christians in Jerusalem and throughout Judea, and he was, by his own definition, a Hebrew of Hebrews, a Pharisee, zealous in the law, and righteous to a fault (Philippians 3:4-6).
He was the type of person who all of Israel looked up to as an example of how a child of Abraham should live. And yet, he was anything BUT an example of how the Lord would have us live.

Read Acts 9:1-3

His passion for the law wouldn’t let him stay close to home – he had to go wherever faith in Christ was beginning to grow, and Damascus was one of those places. His fame had already grown to the point that he was highly respected in the highest religious circles of the land, but that wasn’t enough – he felt that he had to continue his vendetta against believers in Jesus Christ wherever they might be found. He believed that it was his duty, as a faithful member of the household of Israel, to wipe out these heretics of the faith.

But isn’t it interesting that, no matter how committed our lives may be to some personal direction, the Lord may have other ideas, and, no matter what we may think, can turn our lives around in the blink of an eye. As dedicated as Saul may have been to the law of Moses, as focused as he was in his misguided faith,
God was about to set him on a new course, a new understanding of divine will, and would redirect Saul’s passion and zealous heart to the good. And that direction was about to take him to the same city he had planned to make an example of what would happen to all who followed Jesus – and it still would, except that it would happen in a totally different way.

We will all meet the Living Lord Jesus in unique ways, and Saul’s was no different. We might even wonder when God began to work in his life – whether it was long before, in the humble way that Stephen sought forgiveness for those who were in the process of stoning him, or in the way that, even in the face of his murderous persecution, faith in Christ continued to not only grow, but to flourish, or during the time that he traveled through the region of the Galilee where Jesus’ ministry had had the greatest impact, or did the Lord wait until this incredible flash of glory that finally got Saul’s attention.

Read Acts 9:4-9

Even to this day, the power of the gospel to grow in the midst of hated and opposition and subjugation, continues to amaze and bless people throughout the world. The only places where the faith becomes stagnant is where peace and contentment and prosperity exist.
Persecution not only can’t put a halt to the spread of Christianity, it seems to promote it! Only God would ever do it this way – and he did it for Saul, and he does it for us.

Saul would meet Jesus on his own road of destruction and ruin, but the ruin wouldn’t be for believers, it would be in the cold, calculating, legalistic heart of the Pharisee. And he would soon discover that his hatred for believers was actually his distrust for God Himself. Jesus would tell him “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
Saul, an intellect, a self-important and highly respected man, one who was committed to his own brand of faith, a man who followed his own direction, was about to lose it all, and in Philippians 3:7-8, we read “whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.”, and he would even see his former life, and his misplaced understanding of God, as “rubbish”.

He would be blinded, and would have to be led, by the hand, into the very city he had planned to devastate, and yet, he was no longer lost – he was on a new way, with a new vision, and new purpose in his life.
And yet, the story doesn’t end here – it is only beginning – for Paul and for us.

Read Acts 9:10-16

The man Ananias, already a believer, already a man of God, was about to experience his own brand of change, just as Saul was being changed into Paul. Ananias had been living in fear – a fear that was founded in his perception of earth’s power. But just as the Lord’s change will do for each of us, he was about to experience the power of God at work – the work of overcoming the ways of the world.

The murderous Saul had been a powerful force in the world’s campaign of terrorism against Christ’s people, and Ananias had been a faithful but timid and reluctant force for God. And in this unexpected twist of fate for both men, they would be brought together to initiate the beginning of an entirely new direction in Christian faith.
Belief in Jesus Christ would no longer be limited to people of the Jewish faith – the Door would be thrown open to people of all nations, of all classes, of all walks of life! The power of God would become most evident in the humble, not in the powerful; it would accomplish the most good in those who surrendered to the will of God, not through those who exercised their own will; the greatest witness could come from those who accepted the world’s hatred, not from those who fought to preserve their own lives.

Ananias had been chosen to offer God’s blessing to one who hated him, and the one who he feared the most. And the words that he was given were ones of reassurance, that Jesus “has sent me so that you may see again, and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” No great sermon such as the one Peter was given at Pentecost, no great presence like the one that Paul and Silas would receive in prison – just a few simple, God given words, that would come to Paul through the faithful obedience of a simple man - words that would set the false teachings of earth aside, and would put the righteous way of Almighty God in motion.

Read Acts 9:17-19a

The blind Paul knew exactly who was coming – it was one of the people he had planned to arrest, and hopefully, to torture and execute. But his blindness would never let him carry out his threat, even if his emotions could! The Lord’s voice had set him on an entirely new path in life, and as he waited for Ananias to arrive, his mind must have been racing!
He had been told that this man would tell him what he must do, but what would that be? Was God going to turn the tables on him, bringing suffering and persecution to his life? Was he going to be chastised severely for all that he had done? Or was the Lord going to give him some difficult sacrifice to make everything right again? What was this great secret that he was to hear?

And when the meeting happened, what does he hear? The very first words out of this man’s mouth were “Brother Saul”! Brother? What does that mean? And before he can begin to make sense of this, Ananias continues, and tells Saul that Jesus had spoken to him, too, and that he had been sent to heal his blindness! No words of condemnation, no fear, no direction, nothing that would tell him what was about to happen! Just that he was about to see again, and that he was to receive the Holy Spirit. He wasn’t sure that he knew what that meant, but it was as powerful a moment as the one he had experienced out on the road.

And suddenly he could see again, and he felt that he just had to be baptized – he had to receive Christ for himself. He didn’t understand any of it, and I suspect that Ananias didn’t either! But Saul, now Paul, knew that. whatever was happening, life was about to take on an entirely new complexion. And that is what happens every time our Almighty God is given control of our life.

Paul was about to go to places and people who he would never have associated with before, and his faith in, and relationship with, his Lord God Jehovah was taking on a whole new dimension – for him, and for countless thousands of Gentiles. And through both Paul and the prophet Jeremiah, we discover that there is nothing that our Lord God can’t do (Jeremiah 32:17) – if we let him.

Will you let him - today?

“The Church”

Scripture: Acts 2:1-41

Today is Pentecost, the day that is celebrated as the birth of the Church. For Israel, Pentecost, also known as the Feast of Weeks, or First Fruits, was an annual celebration of the first harvest. It was one of their three most important holidays, along with Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles (Deuteronomy 16:16-17, Numbers 28:26-31), and all Jews, regardless of where they lived, would try their very best to come to Jerusalem to offer a sacrifice of blessing at Temple.

Jews from many nations, those families who had not returned to the Promised Land from exile, would come to Jerusalem to join in this important celebration. So it is fitting that we, too, celebrate this time as Christianity’s day of fruitfulness. It would be the beginning of an intentional and phenomenal spread of faith in Jesus Christ through the faithful witnessing and missional outreach by the early apostles and their converts.

At first, it would be Jews who would come to the Lord, but in a very short time, Gentiles also would be welcomed into fellowship and faith in Christ. But before we begin to consider how and where this growth in faith occurred, let’s see how it became such a powerful movement from the very beginning at Pentecost.

Read Acts 2:1-4

Jesus had told the disciples at the Last Supper that a gift from the Father would be sent very soon (John 14:15-17, 14:25-27) and he told them again, just before his ascension to heaven, when He said “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:7-9)

So the faithful, only numbering about 120 at that time (Acts 1:15), were waiting faithfully for that day to come, and when it arrived, they were gathered together, possibly discussing all that had happened during the preceding few weeks and worshiping their now Risen and Living Lord, when the Spirit bursts into their lives. It is quite different from what Elijah had experienced on the mountain. (1 Kings 19:9-13) Then, God came to the prophet in a whisper - not in a powerful way, but gently, and in a very quiet way that you had to be ready to hear.

But on Pentecost, the Spirit came upon the faithful in power, in authority, and in such an obvious way that it could not be missed. For Elijah, he had to be open, prepared, and silent before the Lord’s message and call could be placed upon his life. For the faithful on Pentecost, they, too, had to be prepared to receive the message of God, but in a slightly different way – it would be through faith in the Son of God, in Jesus their Redeemer and Savior.

Read Acts 2:5-13

The Spirit’s arrival made such a commotion that even people outside in the streets – and probably up to many streets away – knew that something incredible was taking place, and many thousands would come to discover for themselves what this might be about.

Put yourself in their place – you hear sounds unlike anything you have ever heard before, and you have to decide if it is something you should flee from, or something you just have to investigate. Now if you are honest, you would admit that you want to check it out!
When you pass an accident on the highway, do you keep looking ahead, or do you crane your neck to see just how bad the wreck and the injuries may be? If you pass a house or business with fire trucks out front, do you move on quickly to get out of their way, or do you slow down and try to see what is burning?

The truth is that human nature wants to experience the unknown, whether it will be to their benefit or not. On Pentecost, thousands would come to see what the sound of such a violent and rushing wind was all about, and why these uneducated men were so versed in the languages that they shouldn’t be able to speak!
Some would be amazed and touched by these strange but amazing happenings, but others would resist believing, and apparently wouldn’t be able to understand. If these few doubters had been able to hear what was being said, they wouldn’t have attributed this unexplained event to alcohol! But apparently, there were some who were refusing to accept the message that was being offered. Remember that Jesus, in John 14, said that the world wouldn’t be able to see the Spirit or even know him – that faith and openness to Jesus and all that he stands for is the key to receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Some today even suggest that the Spirit’s gift was bestowed upon the people as a gift of hearing, and not specifically on the disciples as a gift of speaking. Regardless of where the Gift was bestowed, it was felt by all who were prepared to receive the word of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

Faith is a powerful gift, isn’t it! Jesus said that a tiny bit of faith – that which is comparable to the size of a mustard see – could do great and unbelievable things. He said that faith in him would enable his teaching to be confirmed and empowered by the Holy Spirit. He said that faith in him would accomplish things that would be as great, and even greater, than the things he had done, and that it would bring rewards that exceed all explanation and reason to everyone who believes and obeys.

And so it did on Pentecost

Read Acts 2:14-21

We read that Peter raised his voice! Up until to this time, they all had, apparently, been speaking in a normal volume – and even at that thousands could hear what was going on, even at great distances. But to get the people’s attention, he speaks louder to address the issue of what was being heard, or rather what was not being heard. He quotes the prophecy of Joel (Joel 2:28-32), along with the call to be saved by faith.

He is explaining to this great gathering as to why this is happening. Joel had been prophesying to Messiah’s coming and all that this will mean to the nation. After describing the many blessings and gifts that Messiah would bring to them, he offers the words that Peter had just lifted up. Even 800 years before this day, give or take a few years, God was preparing the nation for the coming of the Holy Spirit, and all that he would mean to them. Young and old, men and women, anyone of faith would be blessed beyond measure – not by the routine and common, mind you, but by the exceptional and mind blowing gifts of God’s Righteous and Precious Spirit.

And then Peter makes the connection, for all who would believe, between the anticipated coming of Messiah, and the life, and death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Read Acts 2:22-41

Jesus, who you crucified, is your Messiah!
Jesus, who every one of us has denied and blasphemed, is our God and our Savior!
Jesus, who offers salvation to all who will repent of their sin, all who will turn away from their un-Godly ways, and all who will receive the Lord’s baptism in faith, this Jesus, this God, is a God of love and forgiveness, unlike the Jewish concept of warrior Messiah who brings glory to Israel alone through the destruction of their enemies.
Jesus is the God of not only Israel, but of all the earth, and no one will be denied, except those who refuse to believe and receive. Our enemies will be turned, not destroyed; our enemies can also be saved, not condemned; even the sceptics on that day of Pentecost, the ones who ridiculed and tried to explain away the works of the Spirit, still had a chance to know the blessing of their Almighty God – IF they would only hear.

And so must every single one of us. This is the day of the Church – the day of our own, personal gift of “first fruit”, the day when simply by faith and trust in our living Lord Jesus, we can have our sinful lives cleansed, and our personal sentence of condemnation overturned, and transformed into one of glorious salvation.

During our last hymn today, if you have never made your heartfelt plea to God for his help in offering your repentance, and receiving his forgiveness, and to receive his salvation by faith in Jesus, this is the day. May his Spirit fill you, and speak to you, and renew you, and blow through you like a mighty renewing wind this day, and all days – and all by faith.

“Too Many Fish, Too Little Time!”

Scripture: John 21:5-19

Ever since Easter morning, the resurrected and living Jesus had been revealing himself to the faithful. They had seen the miracles he had brought to many lives, including the raising of several from the dead. But now he himself had been killed, and while they thought that because of his death that the miracles would now cease, the Lord had no intention of leaving them with this false impression.

Scripture tells us that many experienced his living presence (Acts 1:3; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8), and each person was encouraged to not only rejoice in the new life of Christ, but to be strengthened and committed in sharing the message of hope in Jesus throughout the world. For the past five weeks, we have considered the impact that some of these sightings had on Jesus’ followers, and today we consider one more. By now, the disciples were all relatively certain that, first, their Lord had defeated the finality of the world’s death, and second, that he had something in store for them, even though they had yet to have it revealed to them. Their lives and ministries were on hold for the moment (Acts 1:4-5), but there was a sense of anticipation within them all. They had been told to wait patiently in Jerusalem for the most incredible gift they would ever receive – so when will it come, and what should they do in the meantime?

Read John 21:5-9

“Let’s go fishing!” Some might think that this decision is meant to relieve the boredom of waiting, but quite honestly, I think that it was to calm the great anticipation that was building within their spirits! What is the gift that the Father is going to send us? What will we be asked to do with it? Will it really enable us to do all that Jesus did, and even more (John 14:11-14)?

I’m not especially skilled at fishing, but my grandfather was. Whenever he had some free time, he would gather up his fishing pole, get some bait, prepare his boat, and off he would go – sometimes for the day, and sometimes for a week. Fishing was a time of relaxation and renewal for him, and he always seemed to come back with a respectable catch. But this night, the disciples didn’t seem to have as much luck.

They had spent all night out on the lake, with nothing to show for their efforts. Remember that they fished with nets, not poles and lures, so they were pretty tired by the time the stranger appeared on the shore to tell them that they were fishing on the wrong side of the boat! And he was right – with one cast of the net, the catch was incredible, even to the extent that 7 men couldn’t haul it in.

And then Jesus was recognized by John, and when he cries out in excitement, our friend, good old impetuous Peter, grabs his clothes, jumps out of the boat, and wades into shore, leaving the others to care for the bulging net. And when they arrive, Jesus is waiting for them, with preparation for a breakfast of fish and bread already underway.

But why did Jesus have to appear to them again – after all, they had already seen his living presence in the upper room. Did they need more assurance? Maybe, but there may be a couple of other, very specific reasons for this appearance.
First, these seven would be part of the core ministry of faith that was about to spread far beyond their own vision. They needed to know that God was going to not only be behind them in ministry, but that he was going to be working in and through them – that he would be providing for them through all that was about to begin.
Second, many would pooh-pooh the fact that Jesus was living, and would try to convince them that he was only “living” as an image in their anxious minds and hearts. They had to know for certain that their first encounter with the Living Christ was not a vision, was not some manifestation that their troubled minds had conjured up. Sharing fellowship and a meal together had a powerful significance for them, as they had known this part of Jesus throughout their time together, and they had to know that this would never change.

Read John 21:10-14

Even though there is already enough fish on the fire, Jesus tells the men to bring him some more. There are a lot of theological opinions as to the significance of the net and the number of fish, but I think that Jerome, a rather controversial priest and theologian of the mid-4th century, has about the best explanation.
He believed that the net represents the future Church, and that no matter how many come to Christ, there will always be a place for all. He also felt that the fish themselves were not only many in number, but include many different species of fish, also telling us that it isn’t just one group or nation that will be welcome, but that all will be invited in. Inclusion of the Gentiles hadn’t been accepted yet, but this was Jesus’ way of saying that not only would it happen, but that it was God’s Will that it would happen.
In addition, I think it is significant that Peter is the one who went to drag the bulging net up on shore. In a few more verses, Jesus would tell this disciple specifically that he would be charged with the care and feeding of the Church Universal. Peter would not only rise to lead the Council of Jerusalem, but he would also be one who would be shown specifically that the Gentiles, who the law of Moses would have us believe are unclean and unworthy, are just as worthy as he is.

Jesus’ teaching never ends – not for the followers of his day, and not for his followers of this day!

Read John 21:15-17

Jesus asks Peter three questions that appear to be identical, and at Peter’s reply, he offers an additional three nearly identical charges. Most theologians see the 3 questions as Jesus’ effort to bring Peter - who had denied him 3 times - back into the love of God. And this certainly has some relevance for us, but I believe that each question and each response are important in and of themselves.

The first question is “Do you love me more than these?” The beach, the boat, the net and fish, the other 6 disciples, and all of nature surrounds them, and I believe that the Lord is asking Peter if his love of the Lord is greater than his connection to the things of earth. In denying Christ, Peter was proclaiming his loyalty to worldly life, instead of spiritual life. Jesus wanted him to reaffirm his love for the way of God.
And when Peter says that he does, indeed, love the Lord, he receives the first command for his ministry – “Feed my lambs.” He is being called to nourish and teach the newest followers in the love of Christ, and that he must never exclude or discourage any who desire a relationship with the Lord.

The second and third questions are “Do you love me?” By asking the question twice, Jesus is telling Peter that a shallow and superficial love of him will never suffice. Loving Jesus must always be an “all in” type of love – if, that is, a life in him is to mean anything.
But the charge that Peter receives each time is slightly different. The first is to “Take care of my sheep”, and the second is to “Feed my sheep”. “Caring” is a call to protect, to sustain, to know their needs and to provide for them. And that would become a very important task for the new Church. Deacons would be appointed to do this very thing, especially for widows and orphans. (Acts 6:1-6) But “Feeding” is different – it is a call to nourish the flock spiritually with the best teaching, the teaching that has only come from Jesus. And it isn’t only new believers who need this attention – we all do. And the first apostles would find that this would be a constant struggle for them. False teaching would thrive as worldly thought and opposition would constantly come against the truth of Christ, and it had to be exposed for the lies it held.

The call that Christ places upon Peter’s shoulders is the same one that is given to every one of us. Committed and experienced believers are to make faith development for new believers a priority.
The Lord also calls us to “care” for all who enter the Church in search of relief from life’s burdens. Life is difficult enough, without having to struggle through it alone. When one comes under attack from the world – whether from the external forces of evil, or from the frailty of human existence - the Church must be the first line of support and defense to help each other through those times.
And the nourishing, the “feeding” within the Church must be tied to all that Jesus taught, and all that the Holy Spirit inspires. This also must include the rejection of all of the “poisoned food” of evil ways, the ones that are inspired by the false spirits of earth and Satan.

Read John 21:18-19

Following the way, the truth, the life of Jesus is not a decision to enter into lightly. The early apostles would discover this throughout the ministry they were called to. There would be hatred, lies, beatings, ridicule, rejection, and even death, and it all would be heaped upon those who simply offered the love of God to the people of earth. And the old saying “Somethings never change!” is especially true for all who call Jesus Christ Lord and Savior. But while the Christian life here on earth may not be easy, it is still far more satisfying, and eternally more rewarding, than anything that the world can offer. Peter would come to know that, and countless millions throughout the ages have claimed that truth, too.
Do our lives bring glory to God, as theirs have, or are we still missing the mark in our walk of faith? When Jesus and his life become our guiding light and principle, it is then that we can rejoice that he is ours, and that we are truly his.