Minister: Rev. Olon M. Lindemood

Back to Basics:

Jesus and The Church

John 21: 15

“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.”

 

Back to Basics:  Jesus and the Church!

 

1. We have been with Jesus our best friend,

2. We have heard the invitation to read one of the gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke or John.

3. We know that God loves each one of us more than anything else in all of creation.

4.  We know that the Holy Spirit gives us the skills / teachings / and guidance to live not by a burden to the law but a liberated spirit of love!

 

So what’s the church got to do with the basics of our faith? 

 

SIMON PETER!  (three stories)

Well, One day Jesus came in to the district of Caesarea Philippi and he asked his disciples:  “Who do people say that I am?”  (Luke 16: 13-19)

            Not coincidence that Jesus is in the district of Caesarea Philippi… a district with a large shrine carved into the side of a large mountain … a large stone out cropping.  There … the greek god PAN… God of shepherds and sheep and mountain wilds … a fun god of a pagan world…

 

… you are Peter (Petros), and on this rock (petra) I will build my church.  And the gates of Hell will not prevail against it… I will give you the keys to the kingdom …

 

 A Second encounter between Jesus & Peter … John 13: 36-38:

 

Lord, where are you going? Peter asked.  Jesus answered, “where I am going, you cannot follow me now. But you will follow afterward.”  Peter said to Jesus, “Lord why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.”  Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me?  Very truly, I tell you, before the cock crows, you will have denied me three times.”

 

Later Peter is near by as Jesus is being beaten and jailed … He is asked,  are you one of those disciples… followers of Jesus … “No, not me.” 

Again someone says,  You were with him.  “No, not me.” 

A third time … Yes… you got that Galilean accent? You were with him.  Peter swore … I was not with him!  (the rooster crowed at the moment of the third denial)  And Peter (according to Luke 22:62) went out and wept bitterly!

 

Ah … Peter … the church … Peter is a microcosm of the metaphor for the church … you see we … who gather in Jesus name … We who follow Jesus … We who call our selves the church … get bold … we become confident … we become defiant … we know what’s best … even more than Jesus some times…

 

Remember the Hymn? 

I am the church

You are the church

We are the church together

All who follow Jesus, all around the world,

Yes we are the church together…

 

The church is not a building,

The church is not a steeple,

The church is not a resting place,

The church is a people.

 

I am the church

You are the church

 

Yes… we know that truth.

Peter … a follower of Jesus from the very beginning … betrays the holy, betrays Jesus! 

 

So now thirdly, Peter catches up with the Resurrected Jesus … they have a breakfast bbq on the north shore of the sea of Galilee. 

 

And this is our scripture story of the restoration of Peter … the restoration of the church … Jesus asks three times, “Peter, do you love me … “ oh yes Lord,  you know I do …” 

 

The church (you and me) … here we are … frail, like the big bold fisher man … Peter … frail … Jesus asks, “do you love me?”

 

 

What is the purpose of the church?

Committees?

Music?

Feel good?

No… the purpose of the church … is to hear the question… Jesus asks,  “do you love me?”

 

Do you love me Jesus asks?  The church (you, me) we answer that question YES! YES Lord, we love you…

(You / Me) we are the Church …

We are the community of faith

We are the followers of Christ

We are the fellowship of the saints

We are the body of Christ

We are the family of God

We are the Holy Spirit people alive!

 

Now … When we gather … we are about loving Jesus!  We are about Praising Jesus … With the ROCK … we are about 

Living Restoration …

Living Salvation

Living Love

Living the feeding of sheep

Living the sharing of the story of Jesus

Living the invitation to a bestest friend….

 

Let’s pray:

 

Holy, wonderful, mighty, magnificent God… we your people know that we become the community of faith that carries your hope and love.  We are your church.  We know:

 

The church’s one foundation

is Jesus Christ her Lord;

she is his new creation

by water and the word…

 

Keep us faithful to your need for us to keep the basics of Loving / praising Jesus Christ your son, our savior, our lord.  It is in his name that we pray.

Amen.