Sidney UMC - Fourth Sunday of Easter - 04/30/23 - Sermon - “Jesus According To Peter”

                            Sunday 04/30/23 - Sidney UMC

Sermon Title: “Jesus According To Peter”                                  

Old Testament Scripture: Psalm 23                                      

New Testament Scripture: 1 Peter 2:19-25

Gospel Lesson: John 10:1-10

          When you think back upon your life, who would say is the greatest person that you have ever known? This means that person who you would say was the best human being that you have ever met. I am sure that some of us can think of human beings that would not be in this category, but who is the best person you have ever met. This can be a tough question as there might be several people you can think of.

          When thinking of this person or persons what about them puts them in the category of the best person you have ever known? Is it because they were so kind and so loving? Is it because they helped you when you needed it? Or was it something else? What was or is so great about this person or persons that they are the greatest you have ever known?

          A big part of our Christian faith is aspiring or growing to be better than we are right now. I hope and pray that I am holier and more righteous than I was 10-years ago. Certainly 20-years ago! I hope and pray though that I will continue to become holier, more righteous, and more loving as I get older.

          In the journey of my own life, I have been blessed with many Godly, kind, hardworking, and good people in my life that have and continue to do so much for me. I have met people that after leaving their presence it was as if I was talking with Jesus himself. I had a great visit this past week with Marion Yerger, who attended this church for a number of years before her health declined. Whenever I see her, she is always full of the love of Christ, and is a true inspiration to me. In every church that I have attended or have pastored I have meet people who are truly Godly and extraordinary. This church is no different.

          Early on in my ministry I was actually foolish enough to think that I was coming to a church to teach the people of the church. Perhaps some of this has taken place, but I have found that it is always a two-way street. The people of God, with all of there gifts and graces have so much to offer one another. It has been very heartening since I have been the pastor here to hear how some people in the church tell me how grateful they are for there church family, and the love that the people experience here. Maybe we can think of someone in this church in the past or the present that is one of the greatest and Godliest people that we have ever met.

          I have had family members, such as the late and great Grandpa Winkelman that showed me through word, action, and deed what it meant to live a Christian life. What it meant to work hard, be honest, love God, love neighbor, and make the world better. I have also met and have been ministered too in different times in my life when I have been in dark valleys. I have also been blessed to minister to others when they have been in dark valleys in their life.

          We are reminded of this in our Psalm 23 reading for this morning, which is probably the most well know of all the Psalms. I tend to read this Psalm at every funeral, celebration of life, or memorial service that I do. We hear in Psalm 23, once again:

¹ The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. ² He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; ³ he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake. ⁴ Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me (Ps. 23:1-4, NRSV).

 

          This Psalm has been read for centuries, even before the birth of Christ. Maybe the person or person that are the greatest we ever met walked with us through dark times in our lives.

          This morning, in our New Testament reading from 1 Peter 2:19-25, Peter tells us about the greatest person that he has ever met. It is not his wife of his mother-in-law, although they were probably right up there. The greatest person that Peter ever met was Jesus. Peter was lucky enough to have know and interacted with Jesus on earth, and none of us here have been able to do this.

          Peter tells us that the radical message Jesus’ love, hope, peace, and salvation is a message that many in this world want to silence and eradicate. Peter tells us that some Christians will suffer for Christ, as Christ suffers for us. Peter tells us that Christ is our ultimate example of how to live on this earth. Peter tells us that the greatest person that he has even met is Jesus Christ, and as a result, Peter wants to be like Jesus (1 Pt. 2:19-25, NRSV). I want to be like Jesus. I have seen the love of Jesus in various people in my life, that have and continue to point me to being more like Jesus.

          I tend to be a slow learner sometimes though, but as I go through life I hope to be more and more like Jesus. This is why my sermon for this morning is called “Jesus According To Peter”. Who was Jesus according to Peter? If Jesus was the greatest person that Peter had ever met or known, than what was good about him. Looking once again at 1 Peter 2:21-24 it says:

²¹ For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps. ²² “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” ²³ When he was abused, he did not return abuse; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. ²⁴ He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, having died to sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed (1 Pt. 2:21-24, NRSV).

          What as so great about “Jesus According To Peter?” Peter tells us that Jesus committed no sin, and that there was no deceit found in his mouth, as he was fully God and fully human. I joke some months before we say the prayer of confession before partaking of Holy Communion that I might sit this prayer of confession out. I cannot though, as we all probably have committed sins since our last prayer of confession. Peter says though, that Jesus committed no sin. Some of us might get angry and say things about another person or something else bad. Peter says that no deceit was found in Jesus’ mouth.

          Some of us might believe that if we are harmed, that we should harm back. You know “an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth”. Peter says not Jesus, for when he was abused, he did not abuse back. If someone has harmed us, maybe we have threatened to harm those harmed us, of have even harmed them back. Peter says that even though Jesus suffered, he did threaten. Instead, Jesus entrusted himself to God. Jesus prayed for his persecutors, showed care and concern for his mother, and showed love and compassion without fail.

          Peter than says not only this, Jesus took all of our brokenness on him with his death on the cross. Even though we keep missing the mark, even though we keep falling short of Christ, he died for us. Peter tells us that “by his wounds you have been healed” (1 Pt. 2:21-24, NRSV).

It can be hard for people of faith to keep failing, as I sometimes do, but know we can keep being forgiven. Becoming like Jesus is the journey of a lifetime, and I hope and I pray that I am more like him than I used to be. Jesus was the greatest person that Peter have even met, and Peter wanted to be just like him.

          This isn’t just “Jesus According To Peter” either, as we are all invited to follow and be like Jesus Christ. I have never encountered anyone like Jesus, which is why I have devoted my life to preaching his gospel, to serving him, and to try to be like him in every way, except the long hair. My hope is to not only help lead people to Christ, but for as a entire community to live, love, and reach out more and more as Christ did.

          Jesus offers the constant invitation to us to follow him. He loves us unconditionally, he died for all, and he desires for us all to walk with him. In fact, in our Gospel of John 10:1-10 reading for this morning, we have one of Jesus’ famous “I Am” statements. Similar to when Moses asked God’s named in the burning bush in the Book of Exodus, and God said, “I Am who I am,” Jesus had “I Am” statements. This morning Jesus likens himself to a shepherd of sheep and as gate or a door. Beginning in John 10:1 it says once again:

10 “Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. ² The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. ³ The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁴ When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. ⁵ They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.” ⁶ Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them                       (Jn. 10:1-6, NRSV).

          If we are going to follow or be like someone then, who will it be? There are plenty of people in my life or have been in my life that I want to be more like. The reason for this though, is because these elements of these great people that I know or have known are elements and attributes that are like Jesus. Jesus is inviting us to follow him as our shepherd. If we are sheep, do follow Jesus and his voice, or do we follow someone else? I think we are all bound to follow or be someone. Peter said this morning that he is devoted to being like Jesus. I am devoted to living like and being like Jesus.

          Coming to Christ as Lord and Savior is like walking through a door or a gate. After we walk through, we have been forgiven, given salvation, and we can follow Jesus for the rest of our lives. Peter said that Jesus was the greatest person that he had ever met, and I agree with Peter. Jesus continues and ends our reading for this morning from John 10:7-10 saying:

⁷ So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. ⁸ All who came before me are thieves and bandits, but the sheep did not listen to them. ⁹ I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture. ¹⁰ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly (Jn. 10:7-10, NRSV).

          Jesus invites us into relationship and deeper relationship with him. We are likely going to model our lives and live our lives based upon someone or something. I know that I have made my share of mistakes in my life, but when I went into ministry, I reaffirmed my call to be “yoked to Christ for life, and life eternal”. I am convinced that the best we can live and love is like Jesus Christ, and this why I preach his gospel of love, hope, justice, and forgiveness. This is why is gospel is often called “Good News,” because the world needs to know about Jesus, for who is better than Jesus?

          One of the ministries that seemed to occur when I went into ministry was what I call a “wounded sheep ministry”. I have met people who have been harmed or hurt by a church, a pastor or priest, or people in the church. I probably at some points have been guilty somewhere of not being 100% like Jesus, as well. Yet, I am continuing to try, and continuing through the power of the Holy Spirit to build with you all a community of faith that looks like Jesus. Sometimes I fall short, but I want to be more like Jesus, and hope you all do to.

          Some of you have heard me say many times that some people have had problems with Christianity, but not Jesus. The problems have generally been with the church and some of the followers of Jesus. One of my favorite quotes comes from Mahatma Gandhi, who helped liberate India from British rule in the 1940’s through non-violence. When asked about Jesus Christ this what Mahatma Gandhi said:

“I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ” (https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/22155-i-like-your-christ-i-do-not-like-your-christians).

            Gandhi was saying that clearly Jesus is worth living and loving like. Yet, the problem over the past two-thousand years of our Christian faith has never been Jesus, but it has been some of us. Maybe it has been me at times, and maybe it has been you. I know this though that “Jesus According To Peter” was the greatest person he had ever met. I met Jesus, and I agree with Peter.

          So how do we make disciples and grow our church? Jesus. How to we make Sidney, the Tri-Town area, and the world better? Jesus. The goal of Christian faith to become just like Jesus in every way. For “Jesus According To Peter” was the greatest person he had ever met, and I hope and pray that Jesus is that for you too. He is for me. Amen.