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A New Way Forward | Creatively Cultivate

Today we finish our series “A NEW WAY FORWARD” talking about the last step of our C3 Vision

  • Cultivate

 

HELPING DISCONNECTED PEOPLE FIND, FOLLOW AND BE LIKE JESUS

Actively Connecting people to God and Others

 

Compassionately caring for all God Sends us

 

Creatively help people CULTIVATE a deeper relationship with God and Others

 

John 21:15-17

15 When they had eaten breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said to him, “you know that I love you.”

“Feed my lambs,” he told him. 16 A second time he asked him, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said to him, “you know that I love you.”

“Shepherd my sheep,” he told him.

17 He asked him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was grieved that he asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.”

“Feed my sheep,” Jesus said.
This story comes after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus

 

On the night of his arrest, Jesus was betrayed by his disciple Judas

  • All the disciples scattered
  • People follow close behind and stopped at a fire with strangers to warm up

 

A strander recognized Peter as a follower of Jesus

  • He denied it

 

They said it again later

  • Again he denied it

Then a young girl said she recognized him as a Disciple of Jesus

  • He denied it cursing and left

Might not sound too bad except for a conversation just a few hours earlier…
Luke 22

33 Peter said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.” 34 Jesus said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.”
So now we are here at our current story

  • Jesus, a few other disciples, and Peter and sitting around another campfire

Jesus has risen from the dead

  • The emotions these guys must have had
  • The emotions peter must have had

Imagine what you would be thinking if you were Peter?

  • “Maybe he won’t remember?”
  • “A lot has happened?”
  • “Will be bringing it up?”
  • “Can I still be one of His followers?”

 

They are probably sitting in the quiet just in awe of the Risen Savior before them

  • Not sure of what to say or think

 

Then Jesus Speaks DIRECTLY TO PETER

  • Asks a questions

 

John 21:15

“Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said to him, “you know that I love you.”

 

I bet you could cut the tension at that moment with a knife

  • not sure if the other disciples knew or not
  • but they knew something was up

 

Jesus wasn’t trying to torture Peter or rub his mistake in his face

  • At this moment, Jesus begins to CULTIVATE (grow) Peter

 

As we will see, CULTIVATION requires 3 things:

 

1 – Correction

Can you remember a time when you got caught doing something you KNEW you weren’t supposed to be doing?

 

You were probably feeling a few of the following?

  • Regret
  • Shame
  • Frustration
  • Desire to run away/escape

 

You anticipated what is coming

  • Correction of some kind

 

Here’s a fact:

NO ONE LIKES TO BE CORRECTED

  • No kid
  • No adult
  • No employee
  • No one

 

It rubs us the wrong way

  • Like a shirt tag that irritates you

 

Here’s another fact:

CORRECTION CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE

 

Most of us can remember a moment when someone took the time to correct us and help us recover and grow from our mistakes

  • parent
  • Teacher
  • Boss
  • Friend
  • Spouse

 

In this moment, Jesus was beginning the process of CULTIVATION Peter through first Correcting him of His mistake

 

But here is the GENIUS OF JESUS

  • He doesn’t just tell Peter what he did
  • Peter KNEW what he did
  • instead, asks him questions – probably would have been less painful if je just came out and said it

 

But look how he corrected him

 

John 21:15

Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”

 

Jesus has such a way with words

  • Love me more than these…

 

What are the “THESE” Jesus is referring to?

  • Maybe the disciples
  • But I think it is something bigger

 

Jesus is asking Peter does he love him more than his own desire to be accepted by others

  • Around the fire, Peter fell to the fear of what they thought about him
  • He was more concerned about his reputation and saving his own skin

 

When Jesus brings correction in our lives through the Holy Spirit of through Other believers, its often a question

  • _______, do you love me more than yourself?
  • Do you love me more than the opinion of others
  • Do you love me more than your desire to be comfortable’
  • Do you love me more than your own dreams for your life

So this brings us to an important aspect of CORRECTION

  • Our ability to allow others to speak into our lives and we truly hear them

This is why CONNECTION and CARE are so important

  • Connecting with others gives us the influence to speak into others as well as the ability to listen when they speak to us
  • Caring for others shows them how much we value them which gives us the influence to speak into their life

 

The thing that stands in the way for most people receiving the correction is PRIDE

  • You should have seen!
  • You don’t understand!
  • You’ve never felt that way!
  • Etc…

 

Without Correction, you can’t get to the new step of Cultivation

2 – Direction

 

John 21

17 He asked him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was grieved that he asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.”

“Feed my sheep,” Jesus said.

 

This step is CRITICAL when it comes to cultivating someone to grow

 

Cultivation is about GROWTH

  • When we make mistakes, God is not looking to just reprimand, but to help guide us forward – TO BE MORE HOLY

Jesus REMINDS Peter of his calling

  • to be fishers of men
  • To point people to the kingdom of God

 

Back to our garden analogy

When a plant/tree is young and immature, you often have to give it a guide to growing properly

  • otherwise, it will never grow well, will break, or may die

 

But when a plant is nurtured to maturity, it can often survive storms and hurricanes

  • That is what cultivation does

Peter would eventually go on to do incredible things in Jesus’ name

  • He would risk his life
  • He would be put into prison
  • He would go before rules with no fear of death

 

It all goes back to this moment of CULTIVATION

  • Where Jesus lovingly corrected and directed Peter back on course

CORRECTION without DIRECTION is RELIGION

DIRECTION without CORRECTION is MEANINGLESS

 

CULTIVATION is something that each of us needs

  • it’s something that we need each other for

 

CULTIVATION NEVER HAPPENS ALONE

  • Is only possible in community
  • Don’t run when someone who loves you tries to correct you

 

How CULTIVATION looks at Cornerstone

  • Groups
  • Growth Tracks
  • RightNow Media

 

Email my notes