Will Our Testimony Be Believable?
Good Morning Friends,
Today we contemplate being tried before the court of Caesar and that of Jesus. Both raise interesting questions. Both look beyond what a person has been to what they might become. Both have advocates for the accused. And I think we all can sense God’s hand prodding the outcomes of both. But then we are drawn to a deeper question. Will Our Testimony Be Believable?
Scripture: After several days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to welcome Festus. Since they were staying there several days, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying, “There is a man here who was left in prison by Felix. When I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me about him and asked for a sentence against him. I told them that it was not the custom of the Romans to hand over anyone before the accused had met the accusers face to face and had been given an opportunity to make a defense against the charge. So when they met here, I lost no time, but on the next day took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought. When the accusers stood up, they did not charge him with any of the crimes that I was expecting. Instead they had certain points of disagreement with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who had died, but whom Paul asserted to be alive. Since I was at a loss how to investigate these questions, I asked whether he wished to go to Jerusalem and be tried there on these charges. But when Paul had appealed to be kept in custody for the decision of his Imperial Majesty, I ordered him to be held until I could send him to the emperor.”
Acts 25:13b-21 (NRSV)
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.” (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, “Follow me.”
John 21:15-19 (NRSV)
[The shepherd] calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
John 10:3 (NIV)
Message: The love of Jesus for us makes success out of our failures. Our love of Jesus makes our testimony believable. The proof text is in today’s lectionary scriptures. Here it becomes clear that God can love us and the world can judge us. We also learn, especially in the story of Peter, that hearing your named called can be a joyful or horrible experience. It all depends on the situation. And let’s be honest about today’s stories, Peter and Paul were not at all sure the outcome was going to be joyful experience. Both are about the nudging of God to get us to where God wants us to go in our lives. Paul’s journey was to Rome. And Peter’s was about returning to be not just a fisher of men but also a shepherd of sheep. Both have drama, but the story that has had gotten a lot more sermon focus over the years is that of Peter and Jesus. The exchange is profound. Peter having denied Jesus three times just before the crucifixion was not in a place of restoration with the risen Christ yet. He was like a sheep without a shepherd, and that is not a pretty sight. Peter was having a hard time forgiving himself even though his sins had been forgiven. Thankfully the Shepherd knows more than just our names. The revelation of Peter should therefore be a revelation for us as well. Here we see that Jesus never disowns His flock. Peter hears the Shepherd’s voice three times calling him out of the sheep pen to a purpose that would glorify God. So too we should hear the Shepherd calling us out of our sin. So here is where all this matters for us. When we say, we love Jesus, when we are giving our testimony before the King are words are to be believable and backed up by actions in our lives. We must seek to love and care for others. We all have, hopefully, experienced the love of Jesus in our lives, but deep down, in addition to God’s love of us, we need to experience and express our love of God. Friends, we need to be lovers of people and for this love to be believed they need to see the love of Christ in our lives. Friends, get ready for joy to come knowing that sometimes the journey takes us to unexpected places. So believe but also be believable.
Pray we realize that love must be shown. Pray we realize that the past does not matter. Pray we realize that Jesus, the Good Shepherd does not give up on His sheep. Pray we realize that people want a leader to mobilize and lead them. Pray we realize that the power of ministry and our lives flows only from our love for God. Pray that as we follow we have the right motive, the right assignment and the right focus. Pray we cultivate a heart like Jesus worthy of leading others. Pray we realize that God will grant us enough time to complete our assignments if we heed His call and have His heart. Pray we realize that sometimes we may have to face the valley of the shadow of death. Pray we realize that our life speaks more powerfully than our words. Pray that we realize that the only thing worthy of following is the deep and committed motivation of our heart to love God.
Blessings,
John Lawson
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