Whatever God Does Is Alright With Me

Text:

John 21:20-22:

20   Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee?

21   Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do?

22   Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.

 

Theme:

Whatever God Does Is Alright With Me

 

Introduction:

• Our text comes out of the fourth Gospel, the Gospel of John, written by the Bible says, “the one whom Jesus loved”. John was that special disciple who was close to Jesus.  So much so that John chose to focus on the Divinity of Jesus in his written Gospel.  Jesus the Son of God!  Jesus the Master of the universe!  Jesus the one who came to save the world from sin and shame!  This was the focus of John in this Gospel.
• In our text we find this same John asking Jesus a question, “Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee?”
  • John wanted to know who the culprit would be to betray Jesus, as Jesus had prophesied.
  • We want to know!!!! à Inquiring minds want to know!!
    • Even though we should know for ourselves merely that it is not US…
      • We want to confirm that it is not us by knowing who it is
        • “I don’t THINK that it is me?”
      • We want to “boast” in it not being us by being “in the know” as to who it is
        • “Who would do such a thing? I can’t believe that someone could do that!”
• Then in our text we find Peter compounding John’s question with another, “Lord, and what shall this man do?”
  • Peter wanted to know what was going to happen to this man who would betray Jesus, as Jesus prophesied.
  • Why did Peter ask this question?
    • Simply curiosity…NO
    • Compassion…NO
    • Peter did what we do…JUDGE, CONDEMN, and NOT FORGIVE
      • After the internalization of John’s question and sentiment, Peter then REACTED by asking this question out of the desire to hear the consoling words that one who would betray the Master would be condemned/punished in some way. Forgiveness was not an option with PeterJ
        • We all have sins/wrongs that make us REACT with quick judgment.
          • We cannot understand how a cop can beat a man for “just” robbing a liquor store while we can understand the verdict to execute a man for raping and murdering a child.
          • We don’t see a big problem if we lie on our taxes, but, if the president does, he should be kicked out.
    • We are supposed to NOT JUDGE, NOT CONDEMN, and FORGIVE
      • In Matthew 6:37 Jesus explains, “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:”
      • We can only do this if we LOVE!
        • 1Corinthians 13:4-7 explains, “Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;  Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things”
        • This love must be of God!
          • 1John 4:21 makes it clear, “… he who loveth God [must] love his brother also.”

 

Body:

• In the context of these questions from John and Peter, Jesus responds with a “smart” question in return.

“If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?”

• We have contemporary translations for this that King James didn’t know aboutJ
  • Contempary English à “If I allow him to live and be with us until I return, what does that matter to you?”
  • Southern Dialectical English à “If I let him hang ‘round here ‘til I come back, I reckon it should matter to ya’ anyway?”
  • Ebonically Spoken à “If I keep him here ‘til I come back, it ain’t none of your business anyway?”
    • Can’t you see Jesus turning and saying:
      • “Excuse you!”
      • “Give me back my business, please”
      • “You are all in the mustard and can’t even catch up”
      • “You are all in the Kool Aid and don’t even know the flavor”
      • “This is an ‘A-B’ concept so ‘C’ your way out of it”
• We are good for getting into someone else’s business, including God’s, before we are ready or without the authority.
  • In the parable of the wheat and the tares, Jesus explained that even though we see the tares in the midst of the good wheat we are to leave them to grow together…until harvest.
    • Matthew 13:30 then explains, “Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.”
  • God will take care of it! We are to leave it…people AND God’s business…alone!!
  • • Jesus then explains what they are to DO given that they understand what they are to NOT DO:

“follow thou me”

• God’s Word illuminates to our spirits what we are to do:
  • Proverbs 3:5, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.”
  • Job 28:28, “And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the LORD, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.”
  • Isaiah 11:2, “And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;”
  • Luke 10:27, “And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.”

 

Conclusion:

• With all of the time doing what I am supposed to do, I will not have time to get into anyone else’s business but my own!!
  • Matthew 7:3, “And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?”
  • In this we find true submission!
    • I can’t fix anyone…I can’t even fix myself!
    • I can’t help God…I can’t even help myself!
  • 2Corinthians 3:3-5, “Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:  Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;”
    • “Sufficiency” implies à Whatever God does is alright with me!!!
      • The three Hebrew boys knew what it meant when they said, “If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
      • Peter knew what it meant when he said in John 6:67-68, “Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
      • Jesus knew what it meant when He prayed to God in Matthew 26:42, “O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.”
      • Paul knew what it meant when he said in Philippians 4:11, “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.”
    • No matter what I do, God will always do exceedingly more.
    • No matter what I don’t do, God’s will always gets done!!!
    • Psalms 100:3-5 says it best:

“Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.  Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.  For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.”

• So, whatever God does is alright with me!

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