LOVEST THOU JESUS MORE?

                                 John 21:1-17                                                                       

Pastor Rick Jackson

That God loves us is an indisputable fact of Scripture. [John 3:16, Rm. 5:8, 1 Jn. 4:10]

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

That we love God is a very disputable thing. The depth of our love is in question by the lives that we live. Simon Peter, fresh off denying the Lord, being remembered by the risen Lord, is confronted with the question that confronts each one of us, that Jesus might ask us the same question He asked Simon Peter, "lovest thou me more than these?"

I. LOVEST THOU JESUS MORE THAN THESE PEOPLE?

1. Family - was Andrew there? [v. 2]

Matthew 10:37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

2. Long Time Friends - James & John [v. 2, Deuteronomy 13:6-10]

If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers; Namely, of the gods of the people which are round about you, nigh unto thee, or far off from thee, from the one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth; Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him: But thou shalt surely kill him; thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people. And thou shalt stone him with stones, that he die; because he hath sought to thrust thee away from the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

3. Newer Christian Friends - Thomas and Nathanael, ...and two other of his disciples [v. 2]

1 Corinthians 5:11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.

II. LOVEST THOU JESUS MORE THAN THESE THINGS?

1. An Activity (occupation, hobby, pastime, etc.) [v. 3, Matthew 6:33]

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

2. A Place [v. 1, 3; Acts 8:5-8, 26-27]

3. Favorite Food [v. 9-13, 1 Cor. 10:31-33]

Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God: Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.

III. LOVEST THOU JESUS MORE THAN THESE?

1. Do You Love Jesus? [v. 15-17]

2. Do You Love Jesus Supremely? [v. 15, Joshua 23:11]

Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the LORD your God.

Psalm 31:23 O love the LORD, all ye his saints...

Mark 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

1 Corinthians 16:22 If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.

Philemon 1:5 Hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints;

3. Do You Love Jesus Enough To Live For Him? [v. 15-17]

Psalm 97:10 Ye that love the LORD, hate evil:

Daniel 9:4 And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments;

John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

John 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love

1 Thessalonians 1:3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;