Welcome to the Defender Bible Study, a weekly encouragement to equip the body of Christ through the study of scripture and prayer to manifest the gospel to orphans and vulnerable children around the world. This podcast is ministry of Lifeline Children's Services where we believe that defending the fatherless begins by being rooted in God's word. Welcome to the Defender Bible Study. I'm coming to you from Birmingham, Alabama. And today we are continuing our study on the book of John.

We're actually finishing our study on the book of John as we close with the passage from John chapter 21 verses 15 through 25. And in John 21 after his resurrection, Jesus appears again to his disciples by the Sea Of Galilee. They've been fishing all night but catch nothing. Then Jesus calls from the shore, tells them to cast on the other side and suddenly the nets are overflowing. John recognizes Jesus first and he says, it's the Lord.

And Peter, as always the impulsive one jumps in to swim ashore. What follows is one of the most tender moments in scripture, the risen Christ who has conquered death, sat down at the right hand of God. He he sits down with his weary disciples over a charcoal fire and serves them breakfast. He meets them in their failure and exhaustion, not with anger, but with kindness. And then in verses 15 to 25, Jesus turns to Peter, the disciple who had denied him three times and restores him.

And what we see here is not just a story about Peter, but a story for us. It's about how Jesus restores the broken, calls us to love him by serving others, and prepares us for sacrifice, and calls us to persevere in following him. And so let's read John chapter 21 verses 15 through 25. When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these? And he being Peter said to Jesus, yes, Lord, you know that I loved you.

Jesus said to him, feed my lambs. So Jesus said to Peter a second time, Simon, son of John, do you love me? And he said to him being Jesus, yes, Lord, you know that I love you. And Jesus said to Peter, tend my sheep. He said to him a third time, Simon, son of John, do you love me?

And Peter was grieved because he had said it to him the third time, do you love me? And he said to him, Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you. And Jesus said to him, feed my sheep. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted.

But when you were old, you will stretch out your hands and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go. This he said to show what kind of death Peter was to glorify God. And after saying this, Jesus said to Peter, follow me. Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, that would have been John, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper. And Peter said, Lord, who who is it?

Or or or and John had said, Lord, who is it that is going to betray you? But when Peter saw John, he said to Jesus, Lord, what about this man? And Jesus said to Peter, if it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me. So the saying spread among the brothers that this disciple would not die yet.

Jesus did not say that he was not to die, but if it is my will that he remain until I come, what is it to you? This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true. Now there are also many other things that Jesus did where every one of them to be written. I suppose the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Let's pray and ask Jesus to bless his word in our hearing on this podcast.

Father God, I thank you so much for your word is living and active and sharper than any double edged sword. Lord, I pray that this passage, as you redeem and restore and commission Peter, Lord, that we would see the way that you redeem, you restore, and you commission us. Lord, would you equip us to faithfully continue in gospel ministry? And we ask this in your great name, the name of Jesus. Amen.

When God's providence as I was even preparing for this Bible study, In my Bible reading, I happened to be in Luke chapter 22. And Luke chapter 22 is Luke's account of Peter's betrayal of Christ. And just to remind us, you know, the first thing you start with is Jesus at the last supper looks to Peter and he says, Peter, Simon, Simon, Satan has asked me to sift you and you will deny me three times before the rooster crows. If you remember Peter in Luke 22, it's recorded. Peter says, Lord, if I must die with you, I will never deny you.

Then in Luke 22, we we see just a little bit later that not only does Peter deny Christ once, but three times before the rooster crows, Peter denies Christ exactly as it would be said. And the rooster crows and Peter weeps bitterly. But even before the three times that Peter denies Christ, see as well, Luke records for us a visit to the Garden Of Gethsemane where Jesus tells Peter, James and John, watch and pray for your spirit is willing, but your flesh is weak. Three times he tells them this. One, two, three.

And instead of watching and praying, they're fast asleep. And so we see that that Jesus deals with Peter in threes. And what we're gonna see here in a minute is not only does Peter deny Christ three times, but Christ restores Peter by making it known three times. I forgive you. And not only do I forgive you, I restore you.

And not only do I restore you, I now commission you. So let's look together from this passage at four ways that Jesus equips his people to continue faithfully in gospel ministry. The first one we see is that Jesus restores the broken. Verses 15 through 17, again, Jesus asking each of these three verses, Simon, son of John, do you love me? Notice Jesus is not using the name Peter that he had given him.

He's using the name Simon, his birth name, which actually meant questioning. So Simon, the one who questions, the one who's not strong, son of John, do you love me? Jesus, you see, doesn't ignore Peter's denial. He doesn't dismiss it. Instead, Jesus addresses it head on, asking Peter three times if he loves him.

With each affirmation Jesus responds with a new commission, feed my lambs, tend my sheep. Beloved, this is grace and action, restoration not condemnation. Jesus wasn't just acknowledging and forgiving, but completely restoring and commissioning Peter afresh. Jesus uses the shepherd metaphor because it was deeply familiar in Israel's culture and throughout scripture. God himself is the shepherd of his people, Psalm 23 and Ezekiel 34.

Jesus identifies himself as the good shepherd in John 10 who lays down his life for his sheep. And now here, Jesus commissions Peter to a shepherding responsibility and by extension to all who lead and serve in his name. So first, feed my sheep. What does that mean? We are to provide spiritual nourishment by teaching the word of God faithfully, grounding people in truth, and pointing them to Jesus as their ultimate sustenance.

This is not just providing biblical information, it's about leading people to a life in Christ. But then after the second question, the second commission is this, tend my lambs. What does that mean? We are to care for the vulnerable. Lambs implies the youngest and the weakest.

Jesus calls Peter to protect, guide, and nurture those who are most at risk. This is pastoral care, walking with the broken, the fragile, and the overlooked. But then third, Jesus repeats, feed my sheep. In other words, we are commanded to shepherd the whole flock. This shepherding includes the whole community of believers watching over them, protecting them from wolves, and leading them towards growth in Christ.

And the sack at feed my sheep includes us, beloved, the Gentiles. This was not just the Jewish believers. Jesus was telling Peter, care for all my children. John Stott said to be a shepherd is to assume responsibility for the flock, is to guide, guard, and feed the sheep entrusted to our care. No task could be more noble because no people could be more precious than those whom Christ died for.

Jesus therefore here completely restores Peter, a broken man who had failed and wept bitterly over his denial. But the extravagant grace of Christ expunges Peter's record and sends him back out. Psalm one zero three ten reminds us, He does not deal with us according to our sins nor repay us according to our iniquities. John Stott also wrote in basic Christianity, he says the Christian community is a community of the forgiven. We are not a society of perfect people, but of those learning to forgive and be forgiven.

Peter's restoration was not only for himself, but it stands as a beacon of hope for every believer who has failed. And at Lifeline, we encounter many who feel unworthy. Birth mothers carrying shame, children who believe they're unwanted, families who feel like they have failed. Like Peter, they need to hear, you are not beyond grace. Jesus restores you to purpose.

And that's part of our calling to speak restoration into broken stories. And then the second way that Jesus equips his people to continue faithfully in gospel ministry is by calling us to shepherd the vulnerable. You see, love for Jesus means shepherding vulnerable people. If you love me, feed my sheep. Notice how Jesus connects love for him with care for others.

Love for Christ is never private. It is always expressed in how we shepherd his people, especially the weak, the vulnerable, and the ones in most need of care. Jesus restores us so that in turn, we can take the message of this restoration to others. And this is the gospel, beloved. We care for the vulnerable because there's an outpouring of the extravagant grace we have received.

It's our response. But we must never divorce this care and justice from true shepherding, which is gospel proclamation. I love what my friend David Platt says in his book Radical. He says, Jesus does not call us to a privatized faith, No genuine love for him overflows in mission to others. To say I love Jesus is to commit to his people, to make disciples, to care for the broken, and to lay down our lives so that others may know his grace.

For us here at Lifeline, this means adoption and foster care aren't just programs. They're acts of love for Jesus himself. Every child visited, every family counseled, every mother listened to, this is tending his sheep. And our calling isn't just to serve individuals, but to help churches step into their role of caring for the vulnerable by creating a community of shepherds who reflect the heart of the good shepherd. The third way that Jesus equips his people to continue faithfully in gospel ministry is by preparing us for sacrifice.

You see, beloved, following Jesus requires sacrifice. And we see that in verses 18 through 19. It says, when you are old, another will carry you where you do not want to go. Jesus foretells Peter's martyrdom. Peter had enjoyed freedom, independence, and somewhat control over his life.

He did what he wanted, but there would be a time of limitation and loss of autonomy. Others would carry him where he did not want to go, implying submission to circumstances outside of his control. Stretch out your hands as we see Jesus tell Peter what would happen. In the ancient world, this was often understood as a reference to crucifixion. Early Christian tradition affirms that Peter was crucified in Rome under Nero around AD sixty eight to 6064 to '68.

He was also crucified upside down at his own request because he did not feel worthy to die in the same manner as his Lord. So history tells us Peter was crucified in the place that is now the Vatican Square outside of Saint Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. We see not only true historical prophecy, but we see that even in his martyrdom, Peter would glorify God. His death, once marked by cowardly denial, would be transformed into courageous witness. He was being commissioned to be the rock on which Christ would build his church, no longer Simon, but commissioned as Peter Petros, the rock.

The call to follow him is not a call to comfort, but the costly obedience. But in that cost, there is also glory. Peter would glorify God through his faithfulness to the end. Luke nine verse 23, if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. John Piper wrote in his book Desiring God, when Jesus calls us, he does not call us to an easy road.

He calls us to come and die. If you follow Jesus, it will cost you something. Your pride, your comfort, maybe your very life. But here's the great paradox, in dying we live, in losing we gain. Sacrifice is not the loss of joy, but the pathway to the deepest joy in him.

Beloved, the work we do here at Lifeline is costly, requires emotional energy, long hours, and entering into painful stories. But Jesus reminds us this is how he is glorified. Every sacrifice echoes his words, follow me. Finally, Jesus equips his people to continue faithfully in gospel ministry by commanding us to persevere until the end. You see, beloved, we are called to perseverance in following Christ until the very end.

And we see that in verses 20 to 25. Jesus says twice, follow me. And Peter's distracted by John's future. And he asked about his path just as Peter had taken his eyes off Christ when he was trying to walk to him on the water, just as Peter would take his eyes off Christ and cut off the ear of the soldier in the Garden Of Gethsemane. Peter gets distracted again, but Jesus redirects him.

He says, don't worry about John, you follow me. You see, beloved, faithfulness is not about comparing our path to others, but about steady endurance in our calling. Peter falls into the same trap we often do, comparison. He wants to know what John's path will look like, but Jesus lovingly rebukes him saying, don't worry about John, worry about your own obedience. You see, faithfulness is not about knowing the details of someone else's calling, but about walking steadily in your own.

Again, Piper is helpful when he says in Desiring God, the call to follow Jesus is radically personal. It's not competitive. It's not a measurement against others. It is obedience to the sovereign king who knows the path he has set for each of his children. Comparison to others takes our eyes off Jesus and places them on ourselves and others.

Jesus is gently reminding Peter that in order to endure, his eyes must be on Christ. Hebrews twelve one through two urges us, therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great crowd of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and sin and which clings so closely and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith. Who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. It's easy to compare ministries and outcomes and and fruitfulness. But Jesus' words to Peter is his words to us, you follow me.

Our calling is not to compete or to compare. It's to persevere faithfully in shepherding the vulnerable and the families that are entrusted to us. This chapter closes John's gospel with such beauty and depth. We've seen Peter restored by grace, commissioned to shepherd, prepared for sacrifice, and called to persevere, but the story doesn't end there. And then the gospel closes in verse 25.

Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. For every one of them to be written, I suppose the world itself would not be able to contain the books that would be written. You see what a powerful reminder. The story of Jesus is bigger than we can record. His works are inexhaustible.

His glory is uncontainable. And what we see in scripture is only the beginning of his mercy, his love, and justice following through the ages. So what does this mean for us? First, we embrace restoration. Like Peter, we are not disqualified by failure.

Jesus restores the broken to fruitful ministry, and that's the message we carry. There there is grace for any story. But in second, we shepherd with love. To love Jesus is to love his sheep. Every act of advocacy, every late night phone call, every home visit is not just work, it's feeding his lambs, tending his sheep, loving him in action.

But then third, we persevere faithfully. Beloved, don't compare your calling to another's. Jesus' word rings out to us, you follow me. And remember, what you do is part of something far larger. The world itself couldn't contain the works of Christ.

And so every sinner who follows Jesus is just another chapter in the endless story of the matchless grace of Christ. The story of his mercy doesn't end with us. It stretches beyond what we can imagine, feeling, filling the world ultimately with the glory of the Lord. This week we are praying for all of Lifeline's fundraising, dinners and fundraising efforts as we raise our budget so that we can be able to support orphans and vulnerable children here in The United States and around the world. So let's pray for these fundraising efforts.

Lord, I just pray that your presence would fill every fundraising movement and conversation that will happen between now and the end of the year. I pray that the mission of Lifeline Children's Services will be clearly communicated and that you will move hearts to action and support. Lord, you know our needs. You know the needs of those that we serve, the vulnerable children. I pray that you would bring your people to be able to fill those needs.

Lord, I ask that you would give every guest and every donor a deep burden for vulnerable children and families. I pray that the testimonies and the stories that will be shared at these events will will deeply move people and reflect your great faithfulness. Lord, I pray that every story that we share will be covered in truth, healing, and hope. And I pray that hearts would be store stirred towards generosity to meet every financial need of Lifeline's ministry. And would you provide above and beyond what is needed to support the work of Lifeline?

Lord, would you give us strength and joy and unity among our staff and our volunteers and our partners as we prepare for all of these events. And Lord, would we see your hands provide in so many different ways. Oh God, we love you. God, we praise you. We know that you are the owner of the cattle on a thousand hills and so we trust you.

And it's in your great name that we pray, the name of Jesus. Amen. Thanks again for joining us for the Defender Bible Study. If you enjoy making this podcast a part of your weekly routine, we'd love for you to take a moment to subscribe, rate, and review the Defender Bible Study to make it easier for more people to find. For more resources and information on how you and your church can partner with Lifeline, please visit us at lifelinechild.org.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter by searching for Lifeline Child. You can email us directly at infolifelinechild dot org. We look forward to seeing you again next week for the Defender Bible Study.