(Valentine’s Message from I Peter)

It doesn’t really matter which book of Scripture I would be preaching from in February, if I wanted to preach a Valentine message I wouldn’t have to turn very far. 

In every book and everywhere I go through Scripture, I find love.

John, the apostle of Love, gives us passages about love at a rate of one out of every 3 verses in I John – “God is Love”.

Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles writes I Corinthians 13.  What a beauty!

Peter, the apostle to the Jews brings up the subject of love in each of the 5 chapters of I Peter.  II Peter gives us the challenging list of additions to a maturing faith with the keystone being love.

1:8 Though you have not seen him, you love him

1PE 1:22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.                     

2:17 Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.

1PE 3:8 Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.

3:10 For,

  "Whoever would love life

    and see good days

  must keep his tongue from evil

    and his lips from deceitful speech.

1PE 4:7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

5:14 Greet one another with a kiss of love.

2PE 1:5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.

2PE 1:16 We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." 18 We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.

And yes, it was Peter whom the Lord asked three times – “Simon, do you love me more than these?” (John 21).

Notice the discussion of John 13.

LK 22:31 "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers."

    LK 22:33 But he replied, "Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death."

    LK 22:34 Jesus answered, "I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me."

JN 21:15 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."

    JN 21:16 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."

    JN 21:17 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. 18 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." 19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!"

“Truly Love” (agape) – “love in which the entire personality, including the will, is involved.”

“Love” (filleo) – “spontaneous natural affection or fondness in which emotion plays a more prominent role than will.”

Jesus said agape the first two times.

Peter said fillew .

Jesus said fillew the last time.

Peter said, “Lord you know I fillew  you.

What was the sifting all about? 

What would come out of the most severe testing of Peter life?  (Most recorded; most talked about; etc.)

Petros did not come out of this known as Peter the denier (unless we have misunderstood this).

Something very significant was going to be tested in Peter – what was it?

I never noticed this before until I looked at these passages side by side, this time.

Jesus says to Peter that Satan has asked to sift him, but that he would turn back and be restored.  Jesus said that when this happens, he was to strengthen his brothers.

When Jesus personally restores Petros, what does He ask Peter three times?

Do you love me?

The sifting, the denying, and the restoring were all about love.

IF WE LOVE WE WILL NOT LOSE.

We will not lose if we love.

We are guaranteed loss if we don’t love.

1PE 4:7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

COL 3:12 Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

IF WE LOVE WE WILL LOSE EVERYTHING.

Love hurts.  The world sings this – it was a rock song when I was a teenager.  We know that there is nothing like fulfilled love that brings us the greatest feelings of joy; we also know that there is nothing like broken love that brings the deepest feelings of pain.

We know this about ourselves.

Did you know that this is somehow also true of our Lord?

The grief of the Son was not just the grief of His humanness, but also being God, He was hurt.

John 11:35, “Jesus wept.”

Why did the worldwide flood of Genesis 6 take place?  God was grieved that He had made man.

“The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain” (Genesis 6:6).

“Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30) says the apostle Paul.

Think about it.

And then, “above all” love.