Today I want to share a song with you. A song that came to me way back on November 27, 1990. That song, “Will You Love Me?”, came in the midst of our little church body learning that one of our greatest acts of worship is to present the souls of men to our Father. We are not called to this world to be served, but to serve. We are not called to live comfortable lives for pleasures’ sake. We are called to take up our cross and, when necessary, to suffer for the sake of righteousness. We are called to lay down our lives that others might gain theirs! God’s grace is sufficient – even in the most horrible suffering or circumstances. Will you love Him?
What prompted a great deal of this song comes directly from a conversation Jesus had with Peter just after they had enjoyed breakfast together. Following is the account of that conversation found in John 21:15-17 NASB:
Now when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, [son] of John, do you love Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Tend My lambs.” He 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, "Shepherd My sheep." He said to him the third time, "Simon, [son] of John, do you love Me?" Peter was hurt because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Tend My sheep.”
What was Jesus trying to communicate to Simon Peter? As I pondered the answer to that question, I came up with as few things…namely: Love is an action, not a feeling. Love is the laying down of life. The question of whether we love the Lord or not is answered by the way in which we live our lives.
Do we live our lives for the sake of the Gospel or to benefit ourselves? Do we love God when life is difficult or when it’s convenient for us? We are not placed on this earth for our own glory or pleasure. We are placed on this earth for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The simple truth of the matter is that we express our love to God when we lay down our lives for the sake of others…when we tend to God’s sheep. And who are the sheep Jesus is talking about in John 21? People.
Are we tending to the needs of people? Are we comforting those who mourn? Are we feeding those who are hungry? Are we visiting those who are in prison? Are we clothing those who have need of clothes? Are we being Jesus to the world around us? Just think about how God can use your life to bless the life of another today.
Jesus said it like this in John 15:13 NASB: "Greater love has no one than this, that a person will lay down his life for his friends.”
Let’s simply be friends with those Father brings across our paths and be vessels of His love to them in the process. To help you understand what I am talking about, I have included the lyrics to the song. At the end of this post you will find a link to The Dennis Jernigan Podcast episode in which I share the song from the original recording so you can hear the heart cry of why I wrote it in the first place. The first three verses and choruses are from Jesus’ point of view. Verse four and the last chorus are my personal responses to the original question Jesus posed to Simon Peter. “Do you love Me?”
Dennis Jernigan
Will You Love Me?
WORDS & MUSIC
Dennis Jernigan
November 27, 1990
Verse One
You always love me when you are falling
And how I long to hear your pleas
But will you love Me when I am calling
Or do you love your life of ease?
Will you love the world while millions are dying around you?
Will you love the world, forsaking the Shepherd Who found you?
Chorus
I will love you when you fall
Even if you never call
And I will love you through it all
When you fall but tell Me
Will you love me when the world is calling?
Will you love me when the world is falling?
Will you love Me?
Will you give your life for Me?
You see I came to set men free
What would keep your love from Me?
Verse Two
I delivered you when you were dying
And the world cries out for proof
I delivered you but still you are hiding
Why won't you proclaim the Truth?
For you love yourself
And that's why you've never really grown
You love yourself
And maybe you’ve never really known that
Repeat Chorus One
Verse Three
Lay your burdens down and stop trying
I want to live My life through you
The world will knock you down
But there's no denying
I would never lie, would you?
Forsaking the world
Giving up wealth and life for you'
Forsaking the world
Loving you more than life
I died for you!
Repeat Chorus One
Verse Four
I will love you when I am dying
When the world would mock Your name
And I will love You then, never denying
Jesus bore my sin and shame
Forsaking the world
And taking my cross to follow You
Forsaking the world
Giving my life for all of You
Chorus Two
I will love You when I fall
Even if You never call
I will love You through it all
You're my All in All
And I will love You when the world is calling
I will love You when the world is falling
I will love You for You gave Your life for Me
You see I long to be set free
Nothing could keep Your love from Me
Nothing could Your love from Me
To listen to The Dennis Jernigan Podcast episode regarding this song, go to http://podcast.dennisjernigan.com/e/will-you-love-me-1631627507/
Photo courtesy of https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2018/10/19/09/35/sunset-3758238_1280.jpg