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, “Feed my lambs.” 16 He said to him 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, “Tend my sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. John 21:15-17

I can vividly imagine the anxiousness of Peter as he awaited the promise of Jesus to build His church through him in Matthew 16:18. Whatever your view apostolic succession is, Jesus singled Peter out to be a leader amongst leaders. So here is Peter, after abandoning His Savior in His darkest hour in the Garden of Gesthemanie, after denying Jesus three times and abandoning him during His false trials, waiting to hear a word from the Lord to see if Jesus was still going to build the church through him and use him for Jesus own glory.

Finally Jesus turns to Simon Peter and addresses him. Can you imagine the growing anticipation of Peter? Ready to be called. Ready for service. Ready to prove His faithfulness to Jesus. Can you see Peter listening closely and hanging on ever word, almost like a man that knows he’s about to get a promotion as he sits quietly listening to his boss before the big moment?

“Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”

Not, “will you build a sweet church for me?” Not, “will you be successful for me?” Not, “will you attract large crowds for me?” Not even, “will you begin a church planting movement for me?” Instead, Jesus asks Peter the most important question we’ll ever be asked, “do you love me?”

The foundation of all that we do, all that we are, and all that God gives, is dependent upon the true answer we give to this question. Do you love Jesus more than all of these other things; great things, God-glorifying things? Do you love Him supremely and therefore out of passionate love desire to plant a church for His glory?

When I began to counsel young couples prior to marriage I learned a few things about youthful and immature motivations for marriage. Perhaps the most common misdirected affection is a desire to get married that is stronger than the love for the person they’re marrying. In other words, they love the idea more than their lover.

I wonder how many of us have fallen in love with the idea of planting churches more than the person we’re planting for. Do you love the idea more than Jesus? Does the need to plant a church fulfill some deep longing to be approved and accepted? Are you hoping that in all your doing you will grow in your deep affections for Jesus? Are you hoping that God will give you the needed delight in Him above all else while you’re planting?

Another common mistake in pre-marriage is believing that all your problems will be fixed when we finally say “I do.” Instead, getting married is like plugging your life and problems into an amplifier and cranking the volume to “10″. Marriage doesn’t fix problems, it magnifies them. So it is with planting a church. To assume that all your spiritual shortcomings and immaturity will somehow be fixed when you plant is not only foolish, it’s deadly. It will not only crush you but the many lives of those who unwittingly follow you into your over-desire to do for Jesus rather than be for Jesus.

Do you know what you love? Do you love Jesus more than all of your planning, scheming, strategizing, and vision-casting? Do you love Jesus more than your need for the smiles of men and women? Do you love Jesus more than the results you think you’ll have for Jesus.

Planters, do you love Jesus more than these?