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Redeemer Community Church is located in the historic Avondale neighborhood of Birmingham, AL. Our church family exists to celebrate and declare the gospel of God as we grow in knowing and following Jesus Christ.
For more information on who we are, what we believe, or how to join us, please visit our website at rccbirmingham.org.
If you have a bible, I invite you to turn to John chapter 21. It is also there in your worship guide. We're continuing my goodness. We are continuing our study on the life of Peter, and we're gonna be looking at story that takes place at least a week, if not weeks after resurrection of Jesus. And if you are wondering, well, why didn't we look at the resurrection and Peter's encounter with Jesus right after he rose from the dead?
Joel Brooks:That's because we don't have a record of that in the gospels. It's remarkable really that we don't have that because Paul in first Corinthians 15, he tells us that Jesus first appeared to Peter, and then to the 12, and yet, for some reason, none of the gospel writers chose to write about it. So, don't know what that encounter looked like. I would have loved to have had a record of that. I'm sure that Peter was filled with joy.
Joel Brooks:He probably said some inappropriate things, whatever came off the top of his head, but we don't know what they talked about. We only know that some time later, Jesus appeared to the 12, that he then breathed on them the Holy Spirit and commissioned them. And then, for some reason, Peter decided to go back to Galilee, 80 miles away from Jerusalem, and go back fishing to his fishing business. We don't know why. I mean, maybe he just didn't know what to do.
Joel Brooks:Jesus might be risen from the dead, but what does that look like on a day to day basis? And and so here, we're back at the scene of where Peter was first called at the Sea Of Galilee. Jesus is going to reappear to him because there's a conversation that needs to be had. There's one final thing that Jesus needs to talk to Peter about before he ascends and goes back to heaven. I'm I'm thankful that John wrote this.
Joel Brooks:If you didn't know this, John has two endings. I'll watch you read it in just a bit, but you'll have the ending of John at the chapter 20. And then, many years later, likely as John was entering the the very final weeks of his life or or year of his life, he decided he would include one more chapter, and this is probably after all the apostles had died, and he thought, I need to record about that last conversation that Jesus and Peter had, and also explain to everyone why I am still here, and I'm about to die. And so, we have this final chapter. So read with me.
Joel Brooks:We'll begin with the very last two verses from chapter 20, and it's a it's a longer reading, but it's beautiful. It's awkward. It's painful, but it's it's so good. Now, Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in in this book, but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, and that by believing, you may have life in his name. After this, Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea Of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way.
Joel Brooks:Simon Peter, Thomas called the twin, Nathaniel of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of the disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them, I am going fishing. They said to him, we will go with you. And they went out and got into the boat, but that night, they caught nothing. Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore, yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.
Joel Brooks:Jesus said to them, children, do you have any fish? They answered him, no. He said to them, cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some. So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because of the quantity of fish. The disciple whom Jesus loved, therefore, said to Peter, it is the Lord.
Joel Brooks:And when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment for he was stripped for work, and he threw himself into the sea. The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a 100 yards off. And when they got out on the land, they saw a charcoal fire in place with fish laid out on it and bread. And Jesus said to them, bring some of the fish that you have just caught. So Simon Peter went ahead and he hauled the net ashore full of large fish, 153 of them.
Joel Brooks:And although there were so many, the the net was not torn, Jesus said to them, come and have breakfast. Now, none of the disciples dared ask him, who are you? They knew it was the Lord. And Jesus came and and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish, this was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?
Joel Brooks:He said to him, yes, Lord, you know that I love you. He said to him, feed my lambs. He said to him a second time, Simon, son of the son of John, do you love me? He said to him, yes, Lord. You know that I love you.
Joel Brooks:He said to him, tin my sheep. He said to him the third time, Simon of John, do you love me? Peter was grieved. He said to him the third time or he that he said to him the third time, do you love me? And he said to him, Lord, you know everything.
Joel Brooks:You know that I love you. 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're old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go. At this, he said, to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.
Joel Brooks:And after saying this, he said to him, follow me. Peter turned and saw the disciple who Jesus loved following them, the one who had been reclining at table close to him and had had said, Lord, who is that that is going to betray you? When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, Lord, what about this man? Jesus said to him, if it is my will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow me.
Joel Brooks:So, the saying spread abroad among the brothers that this disciple was not to die. You know, Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but if it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that 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 many other things that Jesus did, where every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. This is the word of the lord.
Joel Brooks:Thanks be to the lord. Go pray with me. Jesus, thank you thank you for putting it in the heart of John as many years ago to write this chapter. And, Lord, I I I this chapter is so so rich. There's so much there.
Joel Brooks:I just ask that it would not get in the way of what you would have for us. I pray that my words would fall to the ground and blow away and not be remembered anymore. But, Lord, may your words remain, and may they change us. We pray this in the strong name of Jesus. Amen.
Joel Brooks:So just like almost three years earlier, Peter and his friends, they've been fishing all night, and yet, they caught absolutely nothing. And so, as the day begins to break, they start making their way towards shore. And and when they're about a 100 yards away, Jesus, he's on the shore and he calls out to them, hey, did you catch anything? They said, no. Well, cast your nets on the other side, on the right side, and and they did.
Joel Brooks:Not sure why they they did, because they they certainly could not have recognized Jesus from that far away, and and the light was still dim, but perhaps there was just something familiar in the voice. So they tossed the nets on the other side, and and they caught just this enormous haul of fish. And so, of course, at that moment, they realized it's the Lord. And and when Peter realizes this, we read that he he puts on his clothes because he was stripped for work, and that he just jumps into the water. And every time I read that, it's like, that's the Peter I know.
Joel Brooks:Because that's one of the dumbest things you could possibly do. I mean, who puts on their clothes to then jump into the water to to swim? Peter probably didn't even know why he did it. It's it's a strange detail to include in this story, but, I mean, it's just one of those things, you see it happen, you remember it. It's obviously an eyewitness account.
Joel Brooks:This is nearly an identical miracle to what Jesus had earlier done to Peter. That's why some of you were thinking, hadn't we already read this story? Nearly an identical miracle, but you could not have had two more different reactions from Peter. You remember that first time, three years earlier, Peter had the catch of his lifetime, and and when when he saw all the fish coming into the nets, his response was this, Jesus, get away from me. I'm a sinner.
Joel Brooks:That was his response. He just he was aware of his sin, and he just needed to get away from this man. Here, he jumps into the water fully clothed and he swims as fast as he can to Jesus. What changed? The gospel.
Joel Brooks:The gospel had happened. Jesus had died and risen again for Peter's forgiveness and given him new life. It's not that our son Peter was no longer a sinful man. A matter of fact, he just committed the worst sin he's ever committed. He just denied even knowing Jesus three times.
Joel Brooks:And, if you read through Matthew's account of this, you actually read in his denials that he called curses down. He's not calling them down on himself, He is saying, blank Jesus, don't even know the man. So, is fully aware of his sin in this moment and yet now, jumping in, swimming as fast as he can to Jesus. That's what the death and resurrection of Jesus does for us. Earlier, the the holiness of God, it's like a a magnet that repels.
Joel Brooks:But after the death and resurrection, it becomes this magnet that just draws us in, like, draws us. We just want to be with Jesus. And I would say that the evidence of being someone who's been transformed by the gospel is not whether you know doctrine or can say a catechism because Peter knew those things earlier. It's whether all you want to do is run as fast as you can to Jesus or swim to Jesus. And Peter gets to shore.
Joel Brooks:When they all get to shore, Jesus says, bring bring in that haul of fish. Bring it to me. Peter, perhaps just wanting to show off a little bit, he goes and he does it all himself. He just he runs there, and he he hauls in the whole thing, and he he lays it out. There's a 153 fish.
Joel Brooks:This is another one of those strange details that we have here in this story. Every scholar, commentator, they all have theories on what's the significance of the 153. I've read everything from it being a 153 different nations to it being something about the Illuminati. Like, you you it's it's the range there. Let me answer it for you.
Joel Brooks:There's a 153 fish because there were a 153 fish. Don't overthink this, people. I've never met somebody who's gone fishing and who's brought in the haul of a lifetime who didn't know exactly how many fish they caught that day. You remember it. You you count.
Joel Brooks:Once again, this is obviously an eyewitness account. The number of fish is not important. What is important is the fact that Jesus didn't need those fish to be brought to him, yet he asked for them to bring the fish to him anyway. Notice Jesus already had fish. He already was cooking breakfast by the fire, but yet he asked them to bring fish anyway.
Joel Brooks:And I think what we see here, Jesus is is teaching them something, really, it's an invitation to something. Jesus obviously can produce all the fish he wants on his own. He doesn't need the disciples to work for him, to bring in that haul. I mean, what did the disciples have to offer? He's the one who put the fish in their nets.
Joel Brooks:But he invites them to bring in that haul anyway, because he wants them to have the joy of participating in his work, to participate in what he's already doing. And I have I've been thinking a lot about this over the last few months, actually, about what this means pertaining giving or stewardship. Because here, we see that giving is not something that Jesus wants from us. Giving is something that Jesus wants for us. Not from us, but it's something he wants for us.
Joel Brooks:He doesn't need us to give to him because he owns everything. So he doesn't need it, but it's something he wants for us as a way of invitation, inviting us into the joy of his work. And these disciples are obviously filled with joy as they're laying it out. Look how many fish. We'll count them for you.
Joel Brooks:One, two mean, they they are obviously filled with joy at getting to bring this in. Now, as they all sat down for breakfast, we get to read another very strange detail. Once again, this chapter is full of them. John's old when he writes this. He's obviously been thinking about this for a very long time.
Joel Brooks:We read in verse 12, none of the disciples dared ask him, who are you? They knew it was the Lord. Now, why would you think that, and why would you ever write that? The only reason you would ever have that thought or you'd ever write something like this is if Jesus somehow looked different after his resurrection. He's different, but he's the same Jesus.
Joel Brooks:That that's why you ask that question. And if you're asking, well, how is he different? I don't know. If if you'll notice after the resurrection, we never have anyone tried to describe Jesus' appearance. We don't know what his face looked like.
Joel Brooks:We don't know what his clothes looked like. There's not any description because I think the people like the vocabulary. It'd be like asking somebody from the seventeenth century if you you brought them here and you showed them a modern car. They'd know it's real, they just lack the vocabulary to adequately describe what they're seeing. How do you describe a body that is no longer subject to decay or death?
Joel Brooks:What does that look like? They they lacked the words. But I wish they had tried because they were looking at not only their future, but our future. That's we will have a body just like that. They they were looking at their future.
Joel Brooks:You'll be the same you, but you'll be different. Same Jesus, but different. They all knew him. After they eat, they're sitting around by the fire, and now it's time. It's time for that painful, awkward conversation.
Joel Brooks:It's probably the most excruciatingly painful conversation ever recorded, But Jesus and Peter need to have a talk. He's going to cut into Peter. And not as a way of harming Peter. There's gonna be pain, but it's it's not just some kind of careless pain for pain's sake. It's not payback or anything like that.
Joel Brooks:This is like a surgeon making a cut in order to heal him. And Jesus is gonna have to cut once, then he's gonna have to go a little bit deeper, and then he's gonna have to go a little bit deeper, but it's all part of the healing process. Because there was still something that was going on with Peter. Yes. Peter knows that Jesus has forgiven him.
Joel Brooks:He knows that. Yet, old memories die hard, and there's there's something holding Peter back in his relationship with Jesus. It might have even been one of the reasons he went back to fishing. We we don't know. But as they're all sitting around this fire, Jesus looks at Peter and says, Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?
Joel Brooks:That had to hurt. I mean, especially since the last time Jesus had looked at Peter as he was standing by a fire, Peter had just denied knowing Jesus for the third time. And if that wasn't painful enough, Jesus used his old name, didn't call him Peter, he called him Simon, son of John. That's the name that Peter had before he was a disciple, before he followed Jesus. Ouch.
Joel Brooks:Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these? We're not exactly sure what Jesus is referring to when he says more than these. He could be asking if Peter loves him more than the disciples that are there, and that would certainly make sense because earlier, it was Peter who made the boast, hey, if everyone else denies you, no Jesus, I will not. I'll I'll lay down my life for you, which he didn't. And so, certainly, Jesus could be referring to, do you really love me more than these?
Joel Brooks:But also that these could be referring to the fish that Peter just brought in. In some ways, this actually makes more sense because Jesus had made a point to tell Peter to bring those fish to him, made a point to have them count all the fish out. And if this is the case, then Jesus, he's actually recreating the the original call. When Peter, if you remember back then, he actually had some hesitations about Jesus because he had been around Jesus for a bit, and finally, it came to this moment. Jesus did that miracle, and then Jesus called him to follow him.
Joel Brooks:And so, maybe Jesus is is harping back to that original call where three years earlier, he gave Peter the catch of a lifetime. Which is it? I don't know. And, really, I don't I don't. I don't know if Peter's asking if or Jesus is asking Peter if he loves him more than the disciples or if he loves him more than his old life and all the wealth, that whole of a lifetime.
Joel Brooks:Maybe he it's maybe it's both. Regardless, the important thing here, though, is not the these so much. It's that Jesus asked Peter about his love. You ever thought about that? He didn't ask Peter I mean, there's there's a million questions.
Joel Brooks:He didn't ask Peter, did you learn your lesson? Peter, have you have you finally been humbled? Peter, are you really gonna obey me this time? Peter, are you ever gonna deny me again? He doesn't he doesn't do any of that because who cares if if he does all of that and he doesn't love Jesus?
Joel Brooks:That's like the central thing that Jesus wants to know is,
Connor Coskery:what do you think about me? How do
Joel Brooks:you feel about me? Do you love me? You know, Paul in in first Corinthians 13, in what's known as the love chapter, doesn't have to only be read at weddings, just so you know. Paul says this, if I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but I have not love, I'm not just a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have prophetic powers and understand all mysteries and knowledge, and if I have all faiths as to remove mountains, but I have not love, I am nothing.
Joel Brooks:And hear this, if I give away all that I have or if I deliver up my body to be burned, but I have not love, I gain nothing. And so, I said that the these isn't important. It doesn't matter if if Peter's willing to give it all away or if Peter, he's ready now to to never deny Jesus again and to give up his life for him, be burned at the stake. It doesn't matter because what Jesus wants to know is, but do you love me? Do you love me?
Joel Brooks:Tim Keller famously said that religious people, they find God useful. Christians find God beautiful. I think we live in a in a cultural moment where a lot of people are finding God useful. But I wonder how many find God beautiful. That's what Jesus is asking here.
Joel Brooks:What is your heart? Does it does your heart find me irresistible? Are you drawn to me? Do you love me, Peter? Three times, Jesus asked Simon bar bar Jonah or son of John this question, cutting deeper each time, three times, one for each of his denials.
Joel Brooks:We read after that third time Peter was grieved, and how could he not be? I've tried this week to ask myself the question of whether I love Jesus to the point where I was grieved. I I know I I I preach for Jesus. Do I love him? I look at my life and I know that I give for Jesus.
Joel Brooks:Do I love him? I know that I I get up and I read my bible every morning for Jesus. Do I love him? It's a it's a very probing question because the truth is we could do all of those things and not love Jesus, and they profit us nothing. That's what Jesus is at.
Joel Brooks:He says, I want your heart. What do you think about me? Do you love me? Every time Peter responds the affirmative, yes, I love you, Jesus then gives him a task. You know, he says, feed my sheep or tend my my lambs or feed my sheep.
Joel Brooks:But this is what Jesus does when he forgives. He doesn't just forgive, he then gives you a task or an assignment. He does this to show just how forgiven you are and that he hasn't given up on you. In many ways, your your failures in the past are what's going to prepare you to do this task in the future because you're no longer going to depend on your own strength. You now know who you are.
Joel Brooks:So, he forgives. And you want to know how forgiven you are, Peter? Here's your task. As a parent, perhaps you've experienced this, you know, if maybe you were in the kitchen and you had one of your children helping you in the kitchen. You know what help is like.
Joel Brooks:They they make a mess. Perhaps you had a child one time drop a dish, it broke. And the child's like, oh, I'm sorry. And you said, that's okay. It's okay.
Joel Brooks:I'm I'm assuming that's what you said. The user is like, I'm making assumptions here. That's that's okay. That's okay. You need to clean it up.
Joel Brooks:It's like, don't have to worry about it. Like, I I forgive you for that. It's it's okay. But the child still feels something. There's still a little bit of that guilt and a little bit of that shame in there.
Joel Brooks:We would say that they know they're legally forgiven, but are they really fully, relationally forgiven? Do you know how you show that child forgiveness? You then get one of your priceless little bowls, and you give it to them, say, here, you go, why don't you use this? And the moment the child is given that, they know all is well, that they're forgiven and you are going to use them once again. That's what Jesus does here, how he had to warm Peter's heart that he was told to feed a sheep.
Joel Brooks:After these questions that Peter Jesus keeps asking Peter, he then tells Peter in front of everyone that when he was young, he got to do whatever he wanted, but when he's older, he's not. If you were to stretch out his arms, people are going to clothe him and take him where he does not want to go. And he's telling Peter, when you're older, you're going to lose your freedom, and you're gonna die. A painful death. He's talking about crucifixion.
Joel Brooks:His arms are gonna be stretched out, he's gonna be taken to where he doesn't wanna go. And after Jesus tells Peter this about all this terrible suffering ahead, he says the same two words to him that he said three years earlier. Follow me. Peter had to hear those words differently though, didn't he? He's not the same person that he was three years earlier.
Joel Brooks:I mean, Peter now knows he could walk on water, people. He also knows he could walk away from the Lord. I mean, Peter, he knows that he could be the rock, and he can also be a stumbling block. When Jesus first called Peter to follow him, Peter had no idea what lay ahead. He's just full of dreams, all these possibilities, kingdom's gonna come, it's gonna be amazing.
Joel Brooks:Now, he knows he's being asked to go to his death. He's when Jesus said, hey, I want you to deny yourself, pick up your cross, follow me, he now knows Jesus was not kidding about that. I've often wondered why Jesus told Peter he was about to die a horrible death or he's going to. It's not quite the pep talk, is it? I mean, when you're trying to get people to get on board on task and you're gonna die an excruciatingly painful death.
Joel Brooks:And Jesus had many other roads he could have gone, many other options in front of him to tell Peter. He he could have told Peter about all the success Peter was gonna have. Peter, you're forgiven. This is how forgiven you are. You're gonna preach to thousands.
Joel Brooks:I mean, when you get up there and you preach, the Holy Spirit's going to fall, thousands are going to come to know me. Peter, I'm going do such miracles through you that people are going to line up the sick on the street just hoping your shadow will pass them, then they'll be healed. I haven't done that with any other person in the Bible. I mean, you're going to be the rock. The church is going to be built on on your proclamation of the gospel.
Joel Brooks:Gospel. And he could have told Peter all that. Instead, he told Peter how he was gonna die. But can I tell you, I I the more I've thought about this, there could not have been any more encouraging words to Peter than this? Because telling Peter that he was going to be crucified was Jesus saying, Peter, where you failed, you won't.
Joel Brooks:I will sustain you to the end. You don't have to worry about denying me or falling away anymore. I will carry you through that. There could not have been any more comforting words to Peter. And sure enough, thirty years later, Peter courageously goes to the cross.
Joel Brooks:Church tradition has it that he asked to be crucified upside down because he did not think himself worthy to be crucified like his Lord. In the immediate context here though, Jesus is just saying, hey, will you follow me for a walk? It's really all he's saying. Hey, come follow me. What I I wanna talk to about something, and it's really just, let's go be alone.
Joel Brooks:But it's it's more than that too. Peter here is getting a picture of what the road is gonna look like ahead, where he is going to have to leave his friends, and he's gonna have to go alone. That's what following Jesus is gonna look like for him. It's hard because for the last two or three years, he's really gotten to know these guys, love them. He was in a fishing business with some of them beforehand.
Joel Brooks:He he probably knew some of these guys for his whole life. And Jesus says, leave them, follow me. I know that because we're a growing church, some of you have experienced similar things. Some of you have been asked to leave your home group to go in to start a new home group with new members. That was Jesus' call coming to you through Ford Gallen.
Joel Brooks:And it was hard for you to do that, because you knew and you loved those guys. Eighteen years ago, Lauren and I, we felt the Lord calling us to leave the the church we love, the ministry we love, to start Redeemer. It was hard. But we follow him no matter the cost. We read that as Jesus and Peter, they're walking along the shore, John follows behind them.
Joel Brooks:Just so you know, John likes to refer to himself as the one whom Jesus loved. I mean, come on, John. Just so you know, Jesus loves everyone, but John just wants you know, but he really loves me. And, I crack up every time I read this because Jesus had just told Peter, you're going to die a horrible, excruciating death. Peter's next words are, yeah, well, what about him?
Joel Brooks:I mean, if that's going to happen to me, what about him? Although, was probably an act of tenderness. He he probably he just he didn't want John to suffer the same fate. But Jesus rebukes Peter. He says, if it's my will that he remains until I come, what is that to you?
Joel Brooks:How is my calling on his life any of your business, Peter? You follow me. I'm not sure if there are actually any words in scripture that have hit me harder than these. When Jesus calls us to follow him, we don't look behind and see who's also following, and we don't look sideways. It doesn't matter.
Joel Brooks:He's called us to follow him. And we don't compare our callings. What what my following Jesus looks like compared to the the other person who's following Jesus, we don't do that. All of our callings are different. Earlier, you know, Jesus, he met the rich young ruler who was a good moral person, and he said, you gotta sell everything you have, and you gotta give it to the poor and follow me.
Joel Brooks:If you wanna have eternal life, that's the cost. Later, he meets up with Zacchaeus, a not so good person. He just goes, hey, I'm gonna come to your house. He goes to Zacchaeus' house, never tells Zacchaeus what to do. Zacchaeus gives some of his money away, and Jesus is like, hey, eternal life, it's entered into this home.
Joel Brooks:Imagine if the rich young ruler had been eavesdropping in on that conversation. What? That is so unfair, Jesus. If I want him to keep his wealth, what is that to you? If I want you to give all yours away, that's the cost of following me.
Joel Brooks:Each of us have an individual calling to follow Jesus. We don't follow Jesus through somebody else's life. We follow through our own life, and that's why Jesus is so blunt with Peter. What I'm doing with other people is none of your business. Jesus might be calling some of you to singleness.
Joel Brooks:It might call some of your friends to be married. He might give some of you the spiritual gift of evangelism when all you want to do is speak in tongues or something. He might call some of you to be missionaries overseas, and he might call others of you to just knock out a career here and make tons of money and be generous. We don't know what the calling's gonna look like. Maybe he's he's calling you to live down in a broken down community without a good school system or to live in a gated neighborhood.
Joel Brooks:It doesn't matter. You just you don't look behind, and you don't look sideways. You you just listen. Jesus, where do you want me? Because I want to follow you.
Joel Brooks:This isn't an excuse or giving you permission to just live however you want and just say, well, you know, all of our callings look different. No. You listen to Jesus, and you say, my life is yours. Wherever you call me, I will follow. Whatever it looks like, I will follow.
Joel Brooks:Whatever you do with anybody else or those behind me doesn't matter, but I will follow you, Jesus. And can I tell you, there's not a person here who knows where the Lord's gonna lead them? You don't know where the Lord's gonna lead you this afternoon, let alone a year or five years from now. I should say, you don't know where the Lord is gonna lead you in this life. He will lead you to death, but then He will lead you out the other side.
Joel Brooks:That's where He's taking you. He's leading you to eternal glory with Him. So I wanna end with the last two words that Jesus told Peter, which were also the first two words he told Peter, follow me. Let's pray to him. Jesus, I pray right now you would stir in us a deep affection for you, that no matter the cost, we would follow you.
Joel Brooks:Because you're worth it. You're the treasure. So whether it leads to to pain or whether it leads to comfort and secure wherever it it doesn't matter because you're the treasure. So we wanna follow you, Jesus. So right now, in this moment, I pray that you would stir in us that deep affection.
Joel Brooks:Lord, so that if you ask, do you love me? The answer is yes. Lord, you know all things, and you know I love you. And we pray this in the sweet name of Jesus. Amen.