Dec. 14, 2025

Loving God -  The Greatest of These…

Introduction - This is another message in the series I have called “Loving God.”  It is the most important message of this series, I believe, maybe the most important message I’ve ever been shown and had the privilege to speak about.  I believe God is revealing it for this time and the societal condition in which we live, as we see our nation in a state of spiritual weakness.  The church is the only answer for this condition, not the well-intentioned programs of the human government.  I believe the principle revealed by the Lord in this message is the critical key to the church being powerful enough to overcome the darkness headed toward our country.  We’ll get right to the critical point:

1 Corinthians 13:8-13 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away with; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away with. 9For we know in part and prophesy in part; 10but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away with. 11When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. 12For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully, just as I also have been fully known. 13But now faith, hope, and love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.  NASB

Paul is teaching that in this age we live in, the church age, or the age of grace, there are three dynamics which we will need to succeed in life:

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the certainty of things hoped for, a proof of things not seen. NAS

The first two dynamics are Faith and Hope, which are closely related but not identical.  Here’s a simple way to look at the difference:  You have been taught that Jesus is coming again and you have a confident expectation that it will occur (HOPE).  It causes you to do things like going to church, praying for the sick, etc. which are evidences of your hope (FAITH).  If hope ever wanes, faith soon stops.  In this age, we do not see Jesus, but Peter talked about the end of our faith, which happens when we see Jesus.  It is very probable that we will not need faith to live out our life in heaven.  We will be with God, and will simply be carrying out the assignments he gives us in the full knowledge of the Holy Spirit.  

The third dynamic is LOVE.  In my experience, this is the most seriously overlooked dynamic.  We really work at building our faith and stoking our hope, praying, interceding, claiming, declaring, giving, casting out, witnessing, counseling, preaching, etc., etc., but really don’s precisely understand LOVE.  Simply put,,.  LOVE is the selfless, sacrificial and unconditional commitment to the welfare of others, especially God.  We each have received love at some time and are conscious of the need to receive love, and learn in a much slower way the need to give it to others.  The primary recipient of our love, however, is God Himself.  Deep inside, we know that God has no needs, as we know them, so we stop thinking about giving love to God.  If we were to do it, we don’t really know how, so we soon turn our focus away from God and show love to humans instead.  It’s a shame, because the very most important dynamic we need to succeed here on earth is LOVE of GOD.  Answers to prayer, the growth of the Kingdom, personal well-being, etc. are all affected by it. Paul called it the Greatest of these three.  The Greek word for greatest is a broadly used word meaning superior in every measurement: power, effect, magnitude, etc.

God operates according to principles which are truth.  Because of His love toward us, He is very gentle and forgiving, allowing us to be sheltered from some of the most severe consequences of life in His universe.  We gradually learn not to stick our hand in a fire or walk off the top of a high building.  We learn which things in life we must do (bathe ourselves or make breakfast for example).  In 1 Corinthians 13, God is telling us a priceless truth: LOVE is the most powerful way to get things done in this life.  He lets us figure things out, because the whole universe works precisely according to His rules.  We would never develop faith if we did not have to solve problems.  

So the thing we need to find out is, How do we express love to God?  The apostle Joplin wrote a great, plain answer to this question:

John 21:1-17 After these things Jesus revealed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and He revealed Himself in this way: 2Simon Peter, Thomas who was called Didymus, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. 3Simon Peter *said to them, “I am going fishing.” They *said to him, “We are also coming with you.” They went out and got into the boat; and that night they caught nothing. 4 But when the day was now breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5So Jesus *said to them, “Children, you do not have any fish to eat, do you?” They answered Him, “No.” 6And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you will find the fish.” So they cast it, and then they were not able to haul it in because of the great quantity of fish. 7Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved *said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he was stripped for work), and threw himself into the sea. 8But the other disciples came in the little boat, for they were not far from the land, but about two hundred cubits away, dragging the net full of fish. 9 So when they got out on the land, they *saw a charcoal fire already made and fish placed on it, and bread. 10Jesus *said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have now caught.” 11So Simon Peter went up and hauled the net to land, full of large fish, 153; and although there were so many, the net was not torn. 12 Jesus *said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples ventured to inquire of Him, “Who are You?” knowing that it was the Lord. 13Jesus *came and *took the bread and *gave it to them, and the fish likewise. 14This was now the third time that Jesus revealed Himself to the disciples, after He was raised from the dead. Now when they had finished breakfast, Jesus *said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” He *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He *said to him, “Tend My lambs.” 16He *said to him again, a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He *said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.” 17He *said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was hurt because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus *said to him, “Tend My sheep. NASB

Very pointed examples, don’t you think? Here is God, in person, on the earth, telling humans how to love Him.  He even repeated it three times!  This certainly has some profound significance.  So, of all the ways we think God wants to be loved, He now makes it abundantly, precisely clear. We need to understand the Greek words in these verses.  In verses 15 and 17, the word bosko is translated as tend.  It has to do with feeding, or pasturing a flock of sheep.  One overseeing the flock was responsible to get the sheep into the right type of grass so they could eat the right stuff.  Spiritually, it obviously would mean that overseers are responsible to teach and preach the word of God in right ways so that people can grow spiritually.  In verse 16  a second word, poimaino is translated as shepherd.  It is different from the concept of feeding.  It is a much broader term, meaning to exercise general oversight for the welfare of the sheep.  It involves protecting, guiding and guarding, effecting healing, correcting, cutting wool, caring for newborn lambs, etc. How older Christians take care of younger ones is the most vivid way in the whole of the Bible which God uses to teach us how to love Him.  

Conclusion - One last thought - We can dismiss this as something only entrusted to Peter.  It seems pretty obvious that this manner of showing love to God wasn’t unique to Peter, or it would have ceased after Peter’s death. We’ll be learning in upcoming weeks about this, the most effective of all ways to show love to Jesus, the one who first loved us.  Let’s learn to employ this power attached to love to change our lives and advance the Kingdom!