The Lord Jesus Christ - Norm Wakefield

These are my raw notes of Norm Wakefield’s second talk at the 2011 Christian Life Conference in Monroe, WI

• What is the living hope to which we are born again?
  • 1 Pet 1:3-4
  • Being born again comes through the resurrection of Jesus
  • A hope of an inheritance
  • Is there anything that Peter did that could have made his relationship with Jesus perish, be defiled or fade away? Yes
  • But the relationship was not based on him, but on the work of Jesus! Peter had hope because the relationship he had with Jesus was not based on anything he did, but was based on Jesus love for him

• How did Jesus reveal Himself to Peter?
  • Jn 21:7, 12-14
  • After two manifestations of Jesus, Peter still goes back fishing
  • Peter has failed – he is disillusioned and discouraged
  • What was Peter’s view of Jesus? Perhaps an earthly king? King of what? The King of the Kingdom when He comes – Maybe master? A master rules,  they take over, they conquer – or maybe Ruler, He will come and rule – these were possibly Peter’s thoughts, and they are correct
  • 21:15-16 – the agape and phileo dialogue – Jesus called him Simon, hearkening back to his relationship before Jesus, Peter in the flesh, he had returned to where he was in the flesh – Jesus was saying that He knew everything about Peter
  • Matt 16:17-18 – Peter didn’t figure it out, it came into him through the work of the Spirit – Jesus was talking of the rock of faith, Jesus being built on the power of God
  • Matt 17:24-27 – Jesus used the name “Simon” when He was trying to build Peter’s faith.
  • Why is Jesus single out Peter? So Peter can see that his relationship with Jesus  is not dependent on Peter
  • Jn 21:18-19 “Follow me”

• “Feed my sheep,” means that Jesus is the Lord – our shepherd – notice the difference
  • Jesus is Lord over his sin because He is the good shepherd who laid down His life
  • A King rules with law – the subjects must obey
  • Rulers rules with law – the subjects must obey
  • Masters rules with law – the subjects must obey
  • Shepherds rule with love – and the sheep are to obey
  • Jn 21:18-19 “Follow me” – rather than obey me – the shepherd leads the way
  • 1 Pet 2:21, 24-25 – a picture of the love of the shepherd
  • Parents that are having to make their adult children obey see Jesus as the Lord their King not Jesus as the Lord their shepherd
  • 1 Pet  4:19, 5:1-4, 6-8
  • Up to the point of the beach experience, Peter had seen Jesus as rigid king, ready to lord it over others, but know he sees Jesus as a shepherd who guides, leads, and protects
  • Jesus is a King, a Ruler, and a Master, but at His heart is a shepherd, who goes after the wayward sheep with love and mercy rather than the law and with the staff
  • Standards matter, but they do not matter more than our relationship with Jesus
  • When we have a revelation of what Jesus has done, we will seek to follow him and conform to His will, and we will seek to see our neighbors have a relationship with Jesus before we seek to have them conform to standards
  • What will give us comfort is not our adherence to standards, but the certainty of our relationship with Jesus
  • Sheep take their eyes of the shepherd following their hunger – the only way they get back is when the shepherd comes to find them
  • You are in danger of being Satan’s prey if you do not look up and see Jesus as the Lord your shepherd

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