Children are staying in the services morning, those 3rd through 5th graders, and I think there are children's bulletins still in the back if any of those guys or girls didn't grab one of those. If you have your bubbles with you open to John chapter 21, Daniel mentioned last week on Easter Sunday that we were going to be starting a series looking at some of the narratives in the life of Jesus from his resurrection day until the day that he has sinned back into heaven. And so we're going to be looking at a few of those here in the weeks ahead. And this is one of those in John chapter 21. Let me give you a little bit of the context here. Jesus has already appeared at least twice to his disciples, and we're told in this passage that this is the 3rd time that he appears to them. And as we look at this, you realize that Peter had been living now for days with the guilt of having known that he had betrayed Jesus, not just betrayed Jesus, but he had hours before he had told Jesus, I will go with you even unto death. And he'd even taken a step forward in that in the Garnageth Semeni when the soldiers came to arrest Jesus. He was the one that had drawn his sword. He had struck, not a very good strike, but got the ear of one of the guards there, and then was surprised to hear Jesus say, put away your sword, was taken back by that, was watched his friend, Lord and Savior, delivered into custody, arrested, persecuted. And then as we know, three times an item, and then Peter now is in a position here where Jesus has risen from the dead, and Peter is in much need. And Jesus knows it of being restored, not just as, hey, you're still part of the disciples, but being restored by Jesus knowing that he's been forgiven, and this is an account here that Jesus has, and other than Jesus, Peter is the next most popular character in this passage as Jesus comes to him, and it's very interesting what Jesus says to him. So we're going to look at this, and we're going to read it together, John, I'll read it for John, chapter 21, verses 13 through 19. They had been out fishing on the boat, just to give you the immediate context, and they had, you know, which they were often doing, and this guy on the shore asking, hey, do you caught anything? And their answer is no, we've been fishing all night, you haven't caught a thing, and then they hear somewhat familiar words, why don't you try throwing your nets on the other side of the boat, which sounded vaguely familiar. It did so, thank you, and then pulled up this huge catch. And Peter, we're told, jumps out of the boat and starts swimming to the shore, knowing it is Jesus, knowing it's another appearance of Jesus, the third one, doesn't wait for the boat to come in, but comes to shore, and when they have an amazing breakfast, Jesus cooks fish there on the beach, we picked up in verse 13. Jesus came, took the bread, and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples, and he was raised from the dead. When 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. Again, 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. 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. 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. Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, follow me. Let's pray. Father God, we come to you this morning, and we are in need of your Holy Spirit, God, to impart and open up your word. Father, you are the guide into all truth. You're the one that leads us and reveals and applies the word of God to our hearts and lives. So will you come and teach? Will you come and speak? That will be your people might grow and learn and understand and experience the resurrection power of your son by your spirit in our hearts and lives is your church, as your people, as your sheep. God this morning, we pray this in Christ's name, amen. You know, there's a lot we could talk about in this passage that we don't have time to. And I'm going to focus on just the three words, speed my sheep, that Jesus says several times here. But just to remind you here, what's going on, when he is talking with Simon Peter here, he calls him several times, Simon, son of John. The only other time Jesus called Peter, Simon, son of John, was when he called him originally. He calls him Simon lots of times and Simon Peter, but he goes back to this original call. It's almost like Jesus is saying, let's get back Peter to your calling, Simon, son of John. He would have echoed in Peter's head. Peter, the one who had said, I will take you and I will go with you even at the point of death. He's encouraged by Jesus. Remember the last few verses here. Jesus says, when you're old, your hands will be stretched out and someone will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go. According to tradition, Simon, Peter will be eventually martyred and was crucified upside down. Jesus comes back and restores him so, hey, Peter, you're ready for go with me on to death? Don't worry. You're going to get an opportunity. Then you will. And by the way, don't forget Jesus had already told Peter the first time that he was going to fail and betray him. He was going to die in three times. So for Peter to hear the words of Jesus, say, look, you will be faithful and to me to the point of death like he desired before when the power of my spirit is poured out. And Peter was. So Jesus comes back. He's restoring Peter in the midst of death. He's reminding him of his original call. He's reminding him that, hey, even Peter, your devoutness and your devotion, which wasn't successful before, will be by the power of my spirit. When I sit on the high and when my spirit is poured out at Pentecost, and we'll talk about that in a few weeks. But in the middle of this restoration for Peter, he reminds Peter of his call, and he tells Peter three times, feed my sheep as he asks him if he loves him. Well, we're going to look at those three words, and we're going to look at it from two different perspectives. One, when Jesus tells Peter to feed my sheep, he's reminding him, Peter that, because Peter would have remembered too, that Jesus, on the night he's betrayed, remember John chapter 10, Jesus that said before, just days, hours before he was delivered at the cross, I am the good shepherd. I lay down my life for my sheep. Peter would be reminded that he is a sheep, but Peter's also being reminded, as we can see very clearly, that he has a responsibility to take care of other sheep. So we're going to look at things from two different perspectives as Peter would have heard, and as we can apply it to ourselves today, we are sheep, and we have a responsibility to take care of sheep. And as we look at that, let's look at those three words. Number one, I want to emphasize each one at a time, but number point one in your outline, feed my sheep. Feed my sheep. I already made reference to it, but John 10 said this, Jesus said, I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks and the flock is scattered. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep and my sheep know me just as a father knows me and I know the father, and I lay down my life for the sheep. Jesus reminds Peter, he's a sheep. Jesus reminds us that we are sheep. He begins to be a sheep, by the way, it's probably not the animal picture that you would have picked for yourself. It might ask you. And may I am I right? It's my word to ask you, hey, and this is a good icebreaker to use like a small group or an apartment. Hey, you would pick one animal to represent or identify yourself with, or you would be one animal that would kind of indicate a little bit about your personality. I mean, honestly, how many of you would pick a sheep? I mean, yeah, they're warm and cuddly. But they're also known for other things that aren't quite so, you know, positive. I mean, throughout, what are some animals you would have picked? Gold and Retriever. Gold and Retriever. All right, that's nice. What are some other ones? Kids jump in here too. Monkey. All right, I'm not going to ask why, but monkey. Others, come on. Eagle. Eagle. Lion. Lion. Yeah, there you go. Otter. Otter. Cool. Come on, guys. Girls here. What animal? He could be an animal any animal. Ha, ha, ha, ha. Gary. Yeah. I'm waiting. Give me some. Come on, guys. Badger. Pick for yourself. Not for your spouse. John. Don't. All right. I can see. We're going to stop this direction. We're going right now. Most of us would not have picked a sheep, a lamb. They seemed just a little bit too sweet, a little bit too innocent. Not strong enough. Not courageous enough. And we have to remember that during these days and ages, there were shepherds everywhere. There were sheep everywhere. People understood the characteristics of a sheep. Jesus has picked an example of something that people understand and know. Because they would have grown up around this. And Jesus says, the feed my sheep. He's calling us sheep. Sheep had strengths and weaknesses. And I want to remind you of some of those strengths and weaknesses. Because Jesus is specifically calling himself a shepherd and calling us sheep. So let's look at some of the weaknesses of sheep first, because they might jump in your mind first. First off, sheep, they are prey animals. They are animals that get eaten. I mean, when's the last time you heard of a story or saw a movie where this sheep comes up? OK, and attack something. Well, you're not going to find one, because sheep just don't do that. They are animals that get eaten. Now, they might eat grass and things like that, but they are not going to devour and eat any animal. Another weakness by sheep. They always look behind and never walk straight. And I didn't know this actually until I did some research on sheep this week. Do you realize that sheep never and sheep cannot walk in a straight line, unless they're like being pulled by a rope or something? Because sheep have this tendency as they walk, because they have eyes on the side of the head to look behind them one way. And then they want to turn back and as they're walking, look back with this eye. And every time they do that, they turn. As their head turns, they turn. Sheep do not walk in a straight line. Sheep are always looking behind them. Can you think is it make a little more sense why Jesus might have picked a sheep to describe us? Some of you have probably heard about this that many sheep, when they fall and they are rolled over and they're on their back, in many cases, they cannot flip themselves back over. They can truly be stuck. In a very short time, they can die on their own, just being on their back. Sheep that do this are called cast sheep, C-A-S-T, cast sheep. Cast sheep or sheep that get stranded and fall over and fall on their back, he cannot write themselves back up. You can see why they're preyed on, can't you? Sheep also, another thing that can be a weakness about them, sheep are conditioned to follow a leader. You hardly ever see a sheep by himself. You see a sheep by himself. He's usually in danger and trouble. Most of the time, statistically, they will always be with at least four or five other sheep but another characteristic is that there is usually at least one sheep that's leading the group. And sheep have been known to, with one sheep in the lead, leading and guiding the flock, if that lead sheep doesn't pay attention and walks off a cliff, the entire herd and follow in line and walk right off the cliff. Jesus says we're sheep. He reminds Peter, he's a sheep. He tells Peter, you've got a job to take care of my sheep. One of the weaknesses is they follow a leader. Let me tell you about some of the strengths of sheep because some of us are thinking, all right, I need some strengths here, help me, work with me. Well, I already kind of revealed some of this but strengths, I mean sheep, band together. Remember they require at least four or five others and they're binding together, they're coming together actually is a mechanism of defense as well as community and other things like that that sheep might have. Together, they look a little bit bigger and even to a wolf, a lone sheep is much more of a temptation than a group of four or five. Even if the wolf could overpower them all, it's still a way for them to find strength and protection in their numbers. So actually that's not such a bad thing. It's a pretty smart thing. Did you know this that strength? Let me sheep have a high tolerance to pain. Sheep have a high tolerance to pain. I didn't know that, I would not have guessed that on my own. And one of the reasons why they do that is to avoid showing weakness and looking more susceptible to predators. Sheep even injured and even wounded will not look that way because they know they become more susceptible to predators. They cover up their weaknesses, they cover up that. They display strength as a protection. All of us probably can guess that sheep have wool and wool is extremely useful in protecting the sheep and giving them warmth and protection. But also we harvest the wool from the sheep and it's a benefit to us as well to another great strength. And the fourth strength I want to look at is sheep. They're conditioned to follow a leader. Now if you're paying attention, I just mentioned that as a weakness. It's also a strength. Sheep will follow, in fact in Iceland, they have something called a lead sheep. In Iceland there is actual, a type of sheep that's called a lead sheep and he will stand up and he will lead an entire flock. And he's seen dogs and people do that here in the United States but they're actually other sheep that will. And the sheep will follow that one and that lead sheep will actually help defend. And when he sees wolves or hears or sees predators out there he'll lead the sheep in a safe direction. In fact there's even stories in Iceland of how sheep have protected shepherds in great storms or blizzards where they can't see what's going on. The lead sheep have instincts that will guide and lead and even protect human beings associated with them. Sheep have some interesting things that can lead not only weaknesses but strengths as well too. And sheep will follow a shepherd, a shepherd that cares for them and provides for them. That's also a strength. So as you look at a sheep and just some of the characteristics and some of those, can you see yourself, can you see your tendencies? Can you see why Jesus picked a sheep to say, hey you're a sheep and I'm a shepherd? There are lots of animals he could have picked from. But he picked a sheep. We must see ourselves and we must see our brothers and sisters because Jesus tells us to feed my sheep. He tells us Peter to do that. He tells you this morning to feed his sheep. They're not only are you a sheep but those around you are sheep in need and he tells us that he is the good shepherd as well. Well number one, Jesus says feed my sheep. Number two, Jesus says feed my sheep. And those three simple words that Jesus repeats three different times here. It's all for emphasis isn't it? And one of the words in there is my. Jesus says hey there aren't just any bodies sheep but they're my sheep. Peter you're not just anybody's sheep but you're my sheep and the sheep that you're gonna take care of are mine as well. We belong to him. The other sheep, they belong to him. First Corinthians 6, 19 says this, do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you? Whom you have received from God? He's speaking to Christians here. And then he says you are not your own. You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. The scripture's teach and Jesus is reminding us here that when we become his sheep, we have been purchased. We've been bought with a price. Now you might think all right what's the big deal? Okay let's keep it going to point three now, okay? We're his sheep, what's the big deal? But ownership I want to tell you is a huge deal. An ownership makes a big difference in your life. Whether you think you own something or whether you think somebody else owns something, it makes a big determination of what your perspective is. And I want to give you this formula this morning and thinking about ownership. A 40 plus responsibility equals stewardship. Say that with me. A 40 plus responsibility equals stewardship. Again, a 40 plus responsibility equals stewardship. One last time everybody's saying it. A 40 plus responsibility equals stewardship.
Now think about this. If you're visiting someone's home and every single person here has visited somebody else's home and kids you think about this. When you go with your mom and dad to visit somebody else's home and when you sit down on the couch and when you start to put your foot up on the coffee table and get mine up there, parents, what do your, I mean kids, what do your parents say? What did they say to you Ray? Get your feet down, this is somebody else's house. They probably say that at your own house but they especially say that somebody else's house because it's not your house, okay? And my parents used to say it all the time and I say it to my kids, you know, you don't jump on the couch at our house at home, you're not gonna do it at their house. There is a special thing, a special respect when you're in somebody else's house because they own it that you act in a special way, a careful way. I mean think about it if you're borrowing someone's car. If you borrow someone's car, you're gonna be a little bit extra careful with it, you would think, right? You're gonna be a little bit more careful to say, you know, it'd be really bad if I got a speeding ticket in somebody else's car. You know, you might even drive the, you know, follow the traffic laws a little bit more closer, closer. You know, when you're moving around and driving in and turning in things, you might be a little bit extra careful because you don't own it, because it's not your car. And if you're in an event that you do damage someone's car, like when I borrowed John Archer's truck a few months ago, very nice brand new white truck. And I was backing it into my brother's house to unload some furniture. And the sound of metal crunching caught my ear as I nicked part of the little three-gart car garage had some of those posts nicked when those coming in. It's not a good sound. You know, and it wasn't a huge dent. It wasn't that big, John, wasn't, it wasn't that big. But you know what? Because it was John's truck, you know, if it'd been my car, I probably would have said, you know, let's just draw like a little smiley face around that. Let's just, you know, it's not a big deal, but I didn't own the truck. It belonged to John, and I took the responsibility to make sure it was fixed and done right. And you would probably do the same thing if you were borrowing smiles as a car, because you don't own it, because someone had entrusted you with an authority, their vehicle had given you respect, you knew that you had responsibility. And therefore, you acted as a steward. You think about a, you know, parents or adults here. Have you ever watched somebody else's child? A child comes over to your house and spends the night? I mean, it's our prank. I mean, you know, watching movies on the weekend is a fun thing. But if we ever decided to rent a movie and we have somebody else's child at our house, especially if, you know, if we're not completely 100% sure, we pick up the phone and we call and say, hey, it's okay for Johnny to watch this movie. And some of you parents have called us up and say, hey, it's okay, they watch this. Because it's not your child, because you want to be extra careful with that, because you realize you have stewardship and responsibility. And an authority that's been entrusted to you by the person that still has authority, the parents, and your need for stewardship is heightened and risen. You want to be careful with that. Jesus is clarifying here for us that we are his sheep, that he has authority. And there he is a shepherd that takes responsibility for leading us, for discipling us, for guiding us. Philippians 1.6 says, he who began a good work in you will carry it on to the day of completion to the day of Christ Jesus. Jesus has taken responsibility for our sanctification. And he's using people and churches and Bible studies and your Bible and your prayer life. He's using these things to disciple you and shepherd you. And he's also saying, hey, you're to feed my sheep and don't forget they're my sheep. Parents, don't you ever forget that your children ultimately belong to God, and you are a temporary steward of them. Everybody, don't forget that every friend that you have belongs to God, and if there are Christian, God says they're his special possession. They become adopted children. You know, if you really realize that everybody around us, and especially those in the body of Christ, or God's special possession, we would treat them so differently. Men, women, those who are dating, I guarantee you, you would treat God's daughter, men, very differently. If you really believe this is God's girl, or girls, you would treat a guy differently. You believe this is God's son, God's boy. And I'm telling you right now, don't mess with my kids. And I don't care how nice you are to be mess with my kids, you're not gonna think I'm a very nice person, because nobody messes with my kids. And I'm a wretched, sinful human being. Imagine the holiness of God who says, hey, these are my sheep. That's my girl, that's my boy, that's my son, that's my daughter, possession, authority plus responsibility equals stewardship, and Jesus is reminding Peter of this and his calling to realize that he is a sheep. Think about, if you understand this, think about what it would mean, how you spend your time. Think about it, what it would mean, about how you view your money. If all of a sudden you really believed it's God's money, not mine. Think about it, how it would do with your health. My health belongs to God, health, I'm trying to say, if God's giving me strength, that should use it. God's giving me weakness at this time through illness. It's for purpose, it's for a reason. But it belongs to him. One day in Boston credible last week to come up and share in the midst of brain cancer that he is praying for God to use him, to glorify him. There was an article about him and his family in the Easter land of the sun this past week. His desire is even in his illness, to glorify God. God owns it all. Psalm 50, 9 through 12. God says this is where he says, he says, I have no need of a bowl from your stall or of goats from your pins. For every animal of the forest is mine and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird in the mountains and the creatures of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell you for the world is mine and all that is in it. See God owns it all and we're his sheep. That gives you dignity as a person. But you know what, those that are around you that you minister to are his sheep too. And they should cause you and draw you to be a steward. Number one, Jesus says feed my sheep. Remember that we're sheep. Number two, he says feed my sheep. They're mine. Just like you are. And then number three, lastly, he says feed my sheep. He says feed my sheep. We must remind ourselves that there is a need of nourishment. We need nourishment as sheep from God. And we need to be nourishing others. Jesus said in John chapter four, he says as the Lamb of God. The Lamb of God, Jesus says this, his disciples came up and urged him, they said rabbi eats something. But he said to them, I have food to eat that you know nothing about. Then as the disciples said to one another, could someone have brought him some food? My food said Jesus is to do the will of him who sent me into finish his work. Jesus the Lamb of God needed nourishment and it came from his Heavenly Father. Jesus comes and tells Peter, he says, look feed my sheep. You are a sheep. You need nourishment from me. In this case, Peter needed restoration. Peter needed renewal of his call. Peter needed a refocusing of what he was to do. And your shepherding sheep were called a minister to those arenas who are also sheep who need nourishment. And if you think about that for a little bit and think about it, what it means to know God's will and to do his work is what Jesus said was his food. What has that work for us? How do we know God's will? How do we do God's work? If we are sheep that need nourishment and if we are going to be nourishing others, and there are several ways. One is knowing God's word, the Bible. Spending time in God's word. It's been so exciting that so many of you, about 70 in our church have committed to reading through the Bible in a year taking that one year chronological Bible and help many of you would join us again next year or jump in midstream. You know, just pick your starting date, whatever the date is and read to the next year. But saturate yourself knowing the word of God because knowing God's will doesn't come naturally. Scriptures tell us that we're prone to evil, not prone to righteousness. If you're left for yourself, you're going to wander around. If you leave a child without discipline and structure as they grow up, they don't just become as little angels. Children left for themselves with no structure or no guidelines become little selfish, you know, idiotic terrors because that's the human nature. And when we get older as adults, we just learn to kind of look, make it look a little neater on the outside but we're still just as sinful and evil as the young child that has no instruction in guidelines. But when God says come, saturate, study my word, know my word, he reveals his will to us. He shows us righteousness. He shows us what truth is. It also tells us through a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ by his spirit. We must have a personal relationship. That's how we're nourished. There are many people that know the Bible left, you know, left word and right word and all the way around. But they have no personal relationship with God. There are many biblical theological scholars that do not have a personal relationship with God and it has having no impact on their life. Because it comes through a personal relationship that's offered through Jesus Christ. It comes through prayer or spending time. Not just reading God's words saying, God, apply that word in my life. God, give me the power and faith to believe and trust you. It comes through a prayer life. It comes through fellowshiping as the body of Christ gathering in his church, encouraging one another. Remember, this is a strength of sheep. They're in numbers, they don't want to be alone. They want to be in at least four or five. It kind of sounds like a small group, don't it, Daniel? Gathering, that's a strength for sheep. It's a strength for us, gathering together and encouraging one another. And of one sheep is walking towards a cliff rather than just all following. You need a sheep to say, you know, let's go this way instead. You need a group, you need people in your life that are speaking truth to you. People that are challenging you. Well, that's how we know God's will. And we're called to do God's will and work. Not just to know it for ourselves as sheep, but Jesus says, feed my sheep, feed them. You are to feed the sheep that God has placed around you. Parents, if you're a parent, it's your children. I mean, is there anything more obvious than that for you as a parent? But what if you're not a parent? If you're married, hey, it's your spouse, you have a responsibility to encourage your spouse, to serve them, men and women alike, husband and wife alike. Well, what if you're not married? Well, you still have friends, you have people, you kids in the youth group, you've got one another and you have a responsibility to one another, to nourish one another, to help one another. Not just to do your own thing, feed one another, remind each other of God's word, pray for one another, hold each other accountable, watch out for one another. We're called to bring us kingdom. That's so much a big part of what our church is and why we have the name Christ kingdom church. We're called to do that. We're called to understand who we are and we're called to use our gifts to do the work and will of God. And I want to tell you, remind you this morning that it is not the American dream. If you think it's the American dream, you will be sadly disappointed. And let me tell you what you'll be disappointed in in the American dream. You'll find it, you'll get there, you'll be like, is this it? Whereas the famous movie, is this as good as it gets? Is this what it's really all about? Is this what I based my life on? And if you don't have the advantage of seeing that on this side of eternity, the scriptures tell us you will see it when you stand face to face before God. It's not the American dream. It's, there's only one dream that we were designed and made to pursue. And that's the kingdom dream, the kingdom of God. And you are each made and shaped to do that in a special way. And there are things that you can contribute. There are things that you can bring to the kingdom and to his church that nobody else can. And if you're not doing your job, then part of the picture is being missed. And imagine if I had given all of you a puzzle piece to Jigsaw puzzle. And I said, hey, make sure you come to church this week. Here's your puzzle piece. And I each gave you a puzzle piece for the exact number of people that are here. Well, if one of you had missed, I mean, I mean, have you ever, has he ever put together Jigsaw puzzle and put together every single piece and then found, oh my goodness, we're missing one? You know, it says Jigsaw, 5,000 pieces. And you have only got 4,999. I mean, would that be disappointing? I mean, yeah, you can see 99% of the picture. You're like, hey, there it is. Yeah, it's a lake, it's got birds, it's got a boat on it, cool. But if you're missing that one piece, you're gonna be like, God says he's gifted all of us to come in and to serve in his body. And we each have a puzzle piece. There's a part that you come and bring. So can you imagine what if 20 or 30 pieces are missing? And don't just think about us as a congregation. Think about the people that are lost sheep, living right over there. There's where they all are, some 30,000 plus people, just in a few miles that way. Soon to be more that way. They're holding a puzzle piece. They're part of the picture. They may not even know God yet. But you're gonna be the tool that God's planning on using to bring them and to help them see, look, you got a puzzle piece. Come be part of the body of Christ. There is a picture God is making in the waterfront lakes, Evelyn Park here. He's not just archers. He's using the other churches here too. And it's a jigsaw puzzle. And there's a lot of white space. And there's only a little piece, a clump of pieces here, a clump of pieces here. God wants us to bring his kingdom. He wants us to feed his sheep as you're minding us of that. But this in conclusion this morning, we be reminded that Jesus in his last words doesn't just say, hey Peter, it's okay. Hey Peter, you're all right. I'm forgiving you. Oh Peter, by the way, get back on track. But Jesus comes back in three times. He says to Peter, Peter, feed my sheep. Peter, do you love me? Yes Lord, do you know I love you? Feed my sheep. Peter, do you love me? Yes Lord, Peter, by this point right now as he knows everything. God, do you know I love you? Feed my sheep. Let's pray. Father, thank you for the reminder of your word this morning. Thank you for the wonderful gift of restoration that is visible here in the life of Peter. God, that we can know that no matter where and when we fall short, just like Peter, God, you come with restraining power to forgive us to cleanse us. And God, you also come reminding us and challenging us that we are to feed your sheep. Then not only are we sheep, but we have responsibility that we belong to you. And those around us who are yours belong to you, that we are stewards and that we're given the responsibility to nourish ourselves and to nourish those around us. So God, strengthen us with that truth this morning as we come to your table. We're in need of just that visible reminder that your table gives us of nourishment. Through your broken body, through your shed blood. So God, remind us again, if your grace is morning and lead us in repentance now as we prepare our hearts to come to your table. And we pray this in Christ name, amen. We'll listen to your worship of the giving of our time, the giving of our offering and as we sing about strengthening ourselves, trusting in him. And we surrender ourselves to know and come to the table. That's a picture of how Jesus has surrendered himself for us laying down his life. But rose again from the dead on our behalf as well.