In this thought-provoking episode, we delve into the powerful question posed by Jesus to Simon Peter: ‘Do you love me more than these?’ Join us as we explore the implications of prioritizing our love for the Lord above all other relationships and possessions. Through biblical lessons from figures like the rich young ruler, we reflect on our own commitment and the distractions that may hinder our spiritual journey.
The words of Jesus to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me more than these? A provoking question right to the heart, and that question is before us today that we too must answer. And we will. From the International Gospel Hour, this study is coming up. Stay with us.
SPEAKER 02 :
Hi, this is Jay Webb for International Gospel Hour. Welcome to our broadcast today. For over 90 years, churches of Christ have proclaimed God’s Word through our broadcasts. Just ahead is another Bible-based lesson with Jeff Archie of International Gospel Hour.
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, thank you always to our J-Web, and greetings to all of you. Great having you with us for our broadcast from the International Gospel Hour. We are delighted to come to you under the oversight of our elders at the West Fayetteville, Tennessee Church of Christ. Our mailing address is P.O. Box 118, Fayetteville, Tennessee, 37334. The town of Fayetteville is located about 20 miles due north of Huntsville, Alabama. Gives you an idea where we are in the state of Tennessee. Our website is internationalgospelhour.com. Please feel free to peruse our website. And you can also call us toll-free at 855-444-6988 at ItIsAvailable247. Also concerning our number, let me share with you our number once again. When I tell you we have a free book giveaway for this broadcast, we offer once again the book Does God Exist? by Dave Miller, courtesy of ApologeticsPress.org. To receive this free book, and a little side note too, everything that you hear we offer from International Gospel Hour will always be free. All you have to do is call us toll free at 855-444-6988. Leave your name and address and just say exist. That’s all you need to say. And that way we know that’s the book that you’d like. You can also go to our website at internationalgospelhour.com, click on the Contact tab, and leave the same information, name, address, and type, Exist, in the message box. So if you’d like the book, all we need is your name and address, and just type or say the book Exist in the message box or by phone. One more time, you can call us toll free at 855-444-6988, name, address, and just say Exist. or internationalgospelhour.com. Click on the Contact tab. Leave us the same information, your name, address, and just type EXIST in the message box, and we’ll send that to you as soon as possible. Now, folks, as we began our broadcast today, we noted John 21 in verse 15 that says, So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me more than these? Now, we could engage in a thorough discussion of John 21 and Jesus restoring Peter by asking him about his love for the Lord. The Lord knew the heart of Peter, and he knew of what was ahead for Peter. But today we want to apply the question asked of Peter to us. Love me more than these, or do we love the Lord more than things in the world? I know many that would say they love the Lord, but do they truly love the Lord with their examples, their language, their worship? It’s time to challenge ourselves, friends, but before we engage in our study, we have another special gift just for you, and our J-Web will tell you all about the details.
SPEAKER 02 :
In a world of division and even confusion in the religious world, friends, please know this, the Bible is always right. The free booklet, Something is Wrong, But the Bible is Right, is available from International Gospel Hour. Please call us toll-free at 855-444-6988 and leave your name, your address, and just say, Bible Tract. That’s it. You may also go to our website at internationalgospelhour.com Let Jesus ask, Love me more than the love of the world? If this were asked to the one called the rich young ruler in Luke 18, 18-23, what would he say and what would he do?
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, the text tells us what he did. When he asked Jesus, good teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? So Jesus said to him, why do you call me good? No one is good but one that is God. You know the commandments. Do not commit adultery. Do not murder. Do not steal. Do not bear false witness. Honor your father and your mother. And he said, all these things I have kept from my youth. So when Jesus heard these things, he said to him, You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven, and come follow me. But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich. This one loved the world and his riches more than the Lord. He wanted to buy, but he wasn’t willing to pay. Walking away sorrowful shows from the context and the power of this world that his sorrow increased the more knowing what he should do, but refusing to do so. That when you see how the world affected him and that word sorrow continued to increase. Will we find ourselves the same way? You know, some love their work and their careers more than the Lord. In 1 Timothy 6 and verse 10, For the love of money is the root of all evil, which while some coveted after they have erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. Some love their friends and relationships more than the Lord. But James 4 and verse 4 says, You adulterers and adulteresses, know you not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. Some love their pastimes and pleasures more than the Lord. But 1 John 2.15 reminds us to love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. You see, texts as this make us think, friends. But will they make us do the right thing? And can we truly say with all of this, by action, Lord, you know that I love you. And let us remember the same with Peter. He does know. Here’s a second question. Let Jesus ask, Love me more than the love of your family? In Matthew chapter 10, beginning with verse 32, Whosoever confesses me before men, him will I also confess before my Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies me before men, him I will also deny before my Father who is in heaven. Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, and a man’s enemies will be those of his own household. He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” Within our context of confessing or denying Christ, we find there may be the times we must deny the desires of family and choose the Lord. Family may not understand. I know of individuals who have strained relationships or hardly any relationship at all within their families because family does not agree with one’s decision to become a Christian. Maybe religious beliefs are different therein, and these are numerable in many ways. Luke 14, 26, Jesus said, If any man come to me and hate, now that word hate there in the context means love less, means a priority. If any man come to me and hate, not his father and mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. Third, friends, let Jesus ask, love me more than the love of yourself? Let’s continue from Matthew 10, and let’s go to verses 38 and 39. And he who does not take his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it. And in Luke 16 and verse 13, we are reminded that no man can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or hold to the one and despise the other. We cannot serve God and mammon or money. Fourth, let Jesus say, Love me more than? Well, my child, love me more. In doing so, one will seek his kingdom first, Matthew 6 and verse 33. And the reason we love him is because he first loved us, 1 John 4 and verse 19. When we do His will, we love Him and we are His friends. John 14, 15 and also John 15, 14. In John 14, verse 23, Jesus answered and said, If a man love me, he will keep my words, and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him and make our abode with him. Friends, from our study today, we understand we need to love Jesus more than anything. When he asked Simon Peter, do you love me more than these around you? And remember, he asked that question to Peter three times. Peter eventually showed his love and his dedication to the Lord. Friends, will we do the same? Maybe we need to look at our lives and make certain that our priorities are correct. And we’ve offered a couple of good study tools for you. Here’s a third one that’s online and we hope will help you in your study of the Word of God. Then I’ll be back to wrap up our broadcast.
SPEAKER 02 :
Maybe you’d like an online study of the Bible. The World Bible School has a free online Bible study available. Just go to worldbibleschool.org and register. That’s worldbibleschool.org And get this, a study helper is provided for your lessons. That’s the free online study at worldbibleschool.org Sign up today. Tell them the International Gospel Hour sent you.
SPEAKER 01 :
Dear friends, let us love the Lord more than anything, and I know that everyone desires to do that very thing. Let us not allow the world, the relationships, even ourselves to get in the way. I want to acknowledge a kind brother in the Lord by the name of Adam Evans, who a number of years ago submitted this lesson called, Where Does Your Love Reside?, And from this lesson, I developed what you have heard today. I’m grateful through my relationship of Polishing the Pulpit, that’s polishingthepulpit.com if you’d like to learn more about it, that I learned and shared a number of sermon outlines with preachers through the years. And I found this one quite worthy and thought it would be worthy to share it with you. I really appreciate your desire of the things that be of God. Let us hear from you if you’d like the free book, Does God Exist? And also the free booklet, Something is Wrong but the Bible is Right. And enjoy your online study of the Bible at worldbibleschool.org. Thank you for joining me today on the International Gospel Hour broadcast. We’ll continue our studies at another time. I’m Jeff Archie and friends, keep listening.
SPEAKER 02 :
Thank you for listening to our broadcast today, and we hope you continue onward with your search and study of God’s Word. Please join us next time and visit our website at internationalgospelhour.com.
