DAY 21 // JOHN 21: // "WHAT'S THAT TO YOU?" // PASTOR LARRY

John 21:20-23
“Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them....21 When Peter saw him, he asked, ‘Lord, what about him?’ Jesus answered, ‘If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.’ Because of this, the rumor spread among the believers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, ‘If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?’”

I have always loved the quote, “God made you an original, don’t die a copy” . We applaud that quote but then grumble when our challenges seem greater and our blessings seem smaller than someone else's. When their social media makes their lives look far better than ours, we pout and maybe get a little ticked off at God. We lose sight of the goals God has called us to because we are staring at someone else's success. Peter had this same problem.

In this last chapter of John, we see the power of grace, restoration and commissioning. In John 19, Peter had denied Jesus three times and now the risen Jesus shows up, coaches the disciples on fishing, makes them breakfast and then takes Peter for a little walk. In that walk, Jesus reassures Peter of his love and he restores Peter to his ministry. Peter must have been so thrilled knowing his failures didn’t finish his story.

But then Jesus warned Peter in verse 18, basically telling him, “Peter, people are going to persecute you even to death.”

Do you know what Peter’s response was? Peter sees John following him and asks, “What about HIM?”
Peter wants to know how his story is going to compare with John’s story. I love Jesus' answer, “What’s that to you? Just follow me!” Write your own story and don’t worry about John’s. Stay in your lane. Run your race. Dance to your music. Mind your own business because you don’t have enough mind for their business and yours. Leave John to me and just follow me. Eyes on me.

So many people are missing their own story because they are watching or wishing for someone else's. Stop wasting your life worrying about having a life like someone else's. Stop filling your mind with someone else's highlight reel, or social media feed.

Now don’t misunderstand, we need godly role models. Paul told people, “Imitate me”. But he was speaking of imitating character and learning godliness, not about your day to day story, or your opportunities, ministries, and adventures.

Let me get really personal for a moment. I really wanted 3 or 4 kids in our family. But Deb nearly died in the childbirth of Lindsey and the doctors said, “No more kids for you”. That’s not the story I wanted. I wanted a story more like my pastor friend Stuart’s story who has 6 kids. But that’s not my story. Jesus had to say to me, “What’s that to you? Follow me!”

In “The Horse and His Boy” by C.S. Lewis, Aslan (who symbolizes Christ) has a conversation with a young boy named Shasta. During the exchange, Shasta asks Aslan about something that happened to his friend, Aravis. Aslan replies, “Child…I am telling you your story, not hers. I tell no one any story but their own.

We need to learn this phrase well, “What is that to you?” and tell it to ourselves often. When someone else gets the raise, the new car, the house, the girl or guy, the new baby, the Masters degree...we need to rejoice with them and say to ourselves, “What’s that to you? Just follow Jesus.” God’s got a great but different story to write with your life IF you will say YES to him.

Peter wrote a beautiful story with his life and then spread out his hands and was crucified upside down. John wrote a different, but equally beautiful story, and died of old age.

As we end this FAST we need to make a new determination to say YES to God’s story for our lives in 2021. To say YES to God’s story for Light and Life. We are not like anyone else and Light and Life is unlike any other church. You were born an original, don’t die a copy!

Prayer Focus: Pray for ALL who participated in the fast, that God would richly reward him as they sought His face in this season.