Are you a mature sheep?

Hi how are you all today? I am well. This week I started my internship at church. This is for one year and I get to learn and be involved more deeply in church. I am excited but nervous at the same time. Have you ever taken on a new adventure and how did you feel?

This week I want to have a look at the three answers Jesus gave Peter in John 21. Jesus asked Peter three questions and when Peter answered, Jesus gave him three instructions. Some say Peter was asked three questions as he had betrayed Jesus three times. His answers to these three questions then negated his betrayal statements. Another option is that Jesus was setting Peter up for his future work in the Kingdom of God.

Whatever the reason I believe we need to look at these three instructions that Jesus gave Peter. There are two reasons for this. They are:

1. We will see where we are personally on our Christian journey.

2. We will see where our heart is in relation to others.

Let’s look at those instructions.

1. Verse 15 contains our first instruction “ Feed my lambs”. My question is are we doing the feeding or being fed. Peter was told to feed the young Christians. Those lambs who hadn’t matured in the things of God yet.

These lambs were being fed the milk of the Word. If we find yourselves here, and all of us do at the start of our Christian walk, we will learn how to read the Bible, how to pray, why communion is so important, how to tithe and how to share our faith.

Those are the foundations of Christianity and ones we all need to learn to move on.

Some of us are involved in nurturing these new Christians and that is a great ministry.

The danger with this instruction is that we ourselves remain lambs. We never move past the baby stage. What are some ways we can know we are still in this stage?

A. We want someone to pray with us continually instead of praying ourselves.

B. We don’t read our Bible and rely on the pastors preaching every Sunday.

C. We don’t minister to people , we expect ministry.

2. Verse 19 gives our second instruction “tend my sheep”.Tend in the Cambridge dictionary means to care for someone.

Just as a shepherd tends his sheep, as mature Christians we need to tend each other. There will be a shepherd (pastor) over us but we need to care for the other sheep in the flock. This ensures that needs are met, people are encouraged and when one gets hurt or is wounded, we rally around them and don’t gossip.

Tending others in the body of Christ is one of the commands of Jesus which is to love others. The way we tend and love each other will show the world the love of Jesus.

Baby Christians still need care but their care comes in the form of feeding or nurturing. Tending indicates we look out for each other- it is an unselfish care.

3. Verse 17 is the final instruction and says “feed my sheep”. Even though we are mature Christians we still need feeding to grow big and strong in the Word of God. Just because we are mature doesn’t mean we know everything. There is still revelation to be found in the Bible. This means we still read the Bible, still pray, still attend church and life groups and are still open to God and remaining teachable.

So my question is are you a lamb who still needs constant feeding or are you a sheep who tends to others and remains teachable? This is a question we all need to ask ourselves. Where do you find yourself?

Growing up in God is good so let’s all strive to do it. That is the way you keep living the life God intended for you.

Bless you

Karen