Christian Study: Do You Love Me?

Praying With Paul

http://www.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/praying_paul/pwp.pl

Walking in Love

Romans 14:13-16

Dear Father, to whom all will bow,

Help me not pass judgment on others or despise them. Let me look to myself in view of the fact that I will have to give an account for my own self.

You have said, "As I live every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to God." Let me praise you now before the day of your judgment. Let my praise be willing and not forced.

Help me never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother or sister in Christ, and especially of some young person. Don't let me injure anyone by exercising my rights. Let me rather walk in love toward. Don't let my right to do something cause the ruin of one for whom Christ died. Do not let what is good to me be evil spoken of.

In the name of Jesus I ask for the love and wisdom to so live. Amen.

Romans 14:13-16 (New American Standard Bible)

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=rom%2014:13-16;&version=49;

¹³Therefore let us not ^(A)judge one another anymore, but rather determine this--^(B)not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother's way.

¹⁴I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that ^(C)nothing is unclean in itself; but to him who ^(D)thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.

¹⁵For if because of food your brother is hurt, you are no longer ^(E)walking according to love ^(F)Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died.

 ¹⁶Therefore ^(G)do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil;

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My Utmost For His Highest http://www.myutmost.org/03/0301.html THE UNDEVIATING QUESTION
"Lovest thou Me?" John 21:17 Peter declares nothing now (cf. Matthew 26:33-35). Natural individuality professes and declares; the love of the personality is only discovered by the hurt of the question of Jesus Christ. Peter loved Jesus in the way in which any natural man loves a good man. That is temperamental love; it may go deep into the individuality, but it does not touch the centre of the person. True love never professes anything. Jesus said - "Whosoever shall confess Me before men," i.e., confess his love not merely by his words, but by everything he does. Unless we get hurt right out of every deception about ourselves, the word of God is not having its way with us. The word of God hurts as no sin can ever hurt, because sin blunts feeling. The question of the Lord intensifies feeling, until to be hurt by Jesus is the most exquisite hurt conceivable. It hurts not only in the natural way but in the profound personal way. The word of the Lord pierces even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, there is no deception left. There is no possibility of being sentimental with the Lord's question; you cannot say nice things when the Lord speaks directly to you, the hurt is too terrific. It is such a hurt that it stings every other concern out of account. There never can be any mistake about the hurt of the Lord's word when it comes to His child; but the point of the hurt is the great point of revelation.

John 21:15-18 (New American Standard Bible)

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2021:15-18;&version=49;

The Love Motivation

¹⁵So when they had ^(A)finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you ^(B)love Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You " He said to him, "Tend ^(C)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, "^(D)Shepherd My sheep."

¹⁷He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him ^(E)the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, ^(F)You know all things; You know that I love You " Jesus said to him, "^(G)Tend My sheep.

Our Times Are in His Hand

¹⁸"Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go."

Matthew 26:33-35 (New Living Translation)

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+26:33-35

³³ Peter declared, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you.”

³⁴ Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.”

³⁵ “No!” Peter insisted. “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!” And all the other disciples vowed the same.

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1. What does Jesus mean when He asks Peter "Do you love me?"

a. Why does He want to know?

b. What kind of love is He talking about?

c. Is He speaking of a verb "Love" or a noun "Love"?

d. Is He making the assumption that Peter WANTS to "Love" Him?

2. Inorder to answer the question, what must we first do?

a. We must desire to "Love" Jesus in our hearts

b. How do we get there?

c. How do I get to the point in my life that I truly desire to "Love" my God?

3. John 21:17

a. Why was Peter hurt by Jesus asking the question?

b. Did Peter perhaps think Jesus did not believe the first two answers?

c. Did Peter perhaps think that Jesus truly knew his heart? Could he have been afraid of what Jesus knew of inside Peter's heart?

d. Why was it so important to Peter that Jesus believe him when he told Jesus he loved Him?

e. It is obvious Peter did love Jesus in his heart. Right? How is this obvious?

f. Eventually, Peter dies for Christ's name (verse 18)

4. Matthew 26:33

a. Was Peter boastful of his "Love" of Jesus? Why?

5. How do we Love Him?

a. Tend the Sheep/Love Others

b. How do we tend or feed His sheep?

c. What does He mean by tending or feeding?

d. Leading to Him?

e. Witness for Him?

f. Provide example of how to live in His Will?

g. Does He tell us to Love others here?

• No, he says to tend to His flock, feed His sheep.
• Does this mean we are to love others in order to Love God ?
• Do we Love God in order to love others?
• My love for others gets worn out

6. Romans 14:13-16

a. Tend the Sheep/Love Others

b. Not judge others - Hypocrisy

c. Do not be a stumbling block to others