Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] We'll be In John, chapter 21, the final chapter of our series in the Book of John. It's been a year and a half, Pastor Duba, Something like that. That's a good chunk of time.
[00:00:12] It's good. Hope you've enjoyed it, hope you've gleaned and hopefully that through all this time spent, you've taken away a few things that you have applied to your life and actually practicing these things for the glory of God. And this is a great chapter to of course, as Jesus wrote it, John wrote it. To end up with. As we look at very typical us, we can like put ourselves into this position to say they were knuckleheads, just like we are, that we don't always get it and we sometimes make mistakes and which is encouraging, but at the same time we should learn from people's mistakes and not recreate them ourselves. So let's pray and then we will read this passage. Father, we thank you so much for this wonderful day. And Lord, this passage of scripture, you've given us a reminder to the church then and the church now of how we are to live each and every day. And Lord, thank you for the opportunity to share.
[00:01:14] Lord, to go through these words, these verses, Father, help me to speak clearly and that you would be glorified through this time. We ask these things in Jesus name. Amen. Let's go ahead and read this short little narrative story passage that John gave us right after.
[00:01:33] I'm going to put this somewhere before I break it and drop it, or drop it and break it.
[00:01:40] John 21.
[00:01:42] After this, after meeting the disciples and the people and introducing himself as Jesus resurrected and tell him it's true.
[00:01:51] Getting rid of the doubts of Thomas and John. The little interlude saying why he wrote this book very simply, so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name and that life begins right now. Correct. We are living that eternal life right now by believing in Jesus Christ. Then he goes on to this. After this, Jesus. After this, Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the sea of Tiberias. And he revealed himself in this way. So introduces it like, here's the story. This is what happens. He sets it up.
[00:02:30] It's almost like the script here. Simon Peter, Thomas called the twin Nathanael of Cana and Galilee, the sons of Zebedee and two others of his disciples were together about seven total. Simon Peter said to them, I am going fishing.
[00:02:47] They said to him, we will go with you. They went out and got into the boat. But that night they caught nothing.
[00:02:57] And you would just think, is this deja vu, guys?
[00:03:02] Didn't we just do this like three years ago?
[00:03:05] We're doing this but that. It's nighttime, the dawn of day is coming and we've caught nothing. And you remember when Jesus said, but they didn't go there, did they?
[00:03:14] There is no recollection of what happened three years ago.
[00:03:18] They were just like in the midst of their own self, trying to get by on their own.
[00:03:28] And unlike the song that we were singing, they were not abiding. They were mustering up their own faith and whatever they can do to feed themselves.
[00:03:40] Just as day was breaking, verse 4, Jesus stood on the shore. Yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.
[00:03:47] Jesus said to them, children, do you have any fish? He's got to be chuckling, I would think, you know, he's just like, do you get? I get it. You just have to ask. I'm going to give it to you.
[00:03:59] I've told you that for three years. Just ask and it will be given right and to redirect them as well as we'll see. But it's a very almost comical situation. They answered him, no.
[00:04:12] He said to them, cast the net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.
[00:04:19] I was saying, like, you know, Paul Day's not here. It'd be like me walking up to Paul Day in a stream. Say, paul, try this, maybe you'll catch some fish over here. He'll say, who are you? You don't know how to fish, right? It's like, here's this guy yelling at them how to fish. And they've been doing it all their lives. And so they do it.
[00:04:39] Why not? So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because of the quantity of fish.
[00:04:46] Again, there's no, like, ah, light bulb goes on, right? Not quite yet.
[00:04:54] Verse 7. That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, ah, finally it is the Lord.
[00:05:00] When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for the work and threw himself into the sea. The other disciples came in the boat dragging their net full of fish. For they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off.
[00:05:17] When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place with fish laid out on it and bread.
[00:05:24] Jesus said to them, bring some of the fish that you have just caught. So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore full of large fish. 153 of them.
[00:05:36] And although there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, come and have breakfast now. None of the disciples dared ask him, who are you?
[00:05:46] They knew it was the Lord.
[00:05:49] Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them. And so with the fish.
[00:05:53] This is now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead to begin with. I was just reading through this and reminding myself of who I am sometimes, and I think who we can be sometimes.
[00:06:12] There are times in life when you stop and you look around, you think, what? Just how am I right here?
[00:06:19] What decision did I make that got me in this position?
[00:06:24] When did I not listen to God and make my own decision, my own wisdom, my own counsel? And how did I. We don't go through that process often, do we? It's usually afterwards, sometimes.
[00:06:36] How did I get here?
[00:06:38] How did I end up here?
[00:06:40] You're not thriving. You're just kind of surviving. You're kind of just like muddling through life. You're doing whatever you can to get by, trying to meet your own needs. And it feels like God is nowhere to be found.
[00:06:54] But the truth is, he hasn't gone anywhere, has he?
[00:06:57] It is not that God has disappeared. It is us that you. We've gone AWOL sometimes.
[00:07:05] You know, I remember sometimes going on vacation is like, you just kind of like, leave God behind for a while, right? And you just gotta go enjoy life.
[00:07:13] Is there ever a time that we should be on leave from the kingdom of God and the work that we should be doing in there?
[00:07:22] I mean, Jesus told us in Matthew 6:33. What? Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. And he didn't say, like, seek first when it's convenient or seek first when you have time, or seek first when you have me on the calendar on the third Sunday of every month. No, he says, seek me first, always the kingdom of God and his righteousness. But sometimes we don't. And that's where we find the disciples in John 21. Here, Jesus had just risen from the dead. We know that they've seen the empty tomb. Thomas has put his fingers in his hand.
[00:07:59] They've heard his voice. And yet, instead of moving forth in faith, what do they do? They kind of, like, draw back and drift backward into something that's familiar.
[00:08:10] Isn't familiarity sometimes easier than hard or just kind of persevering, just kind of staying in the status quo?
[00:08:20] It doesn't take much to stay in the status quo, does it? What kind of faith does it take to stay in the status quo.
[00:08:30] It doesn't take much because you've done it over and over again, right? And you know, it works.
[00:08:36] When God is prompting you to take that step and do something different, that's when things get a little dicey and that's when we get a whole lot of character building and faith growing, isn't it?
[00:08:48] I remember, I don't know how many years ago Val and I, we were praying and you know, I was going through my mind. I just don't. I don't want to just like glide into like retirement doing the same old thing and not having to stretch myself and just praying, God, just use me somehow some way.
[00:09:07] At the school we prayed that for like a year and a half or something like that.
[00:09:15] Shouldn't have, but we did.
[00:09:18] And lo and behold, it's like a position I never wanted whatsoever in my life. He said, les be a principal.
[00:09:28] No, no, you gotta deal with parents and they're horrible.
[00:09:35] Give me kids all day long and I'm good.
[00:09:38] I gotta deal with teachers. And they don't always do what they ask you to. You ask them to do.
[00:09:43] It's like. But it stretched me and it caused me to like drive that mile to school every day saying, God, I can't do this.
[00:09:56] I need help.
[00:10:00] And it's amazing how God answers that prayer.
[00:10:06] I'm sorry, that was slight track.
[00:10:09] They return to what's comfortable, what they know. Because that's what we all tend to do when we uncertain, confuse or just maybe lazy or afraid.
[00:10:19] Such things can lead us to a state of, and this is a bad word, complacency, doesn't it?
[00:10:24] What happens when we're complacent? What gets done when we're complacent?
[00:10:29] Nothing is done.
[00:10:32] When reading scripture, we need to remember the original audience.
[00:10:35] And perhaps the brief narrative is a microcosm of what is happening in this early church. Remember, John wrote this in AD around 90, right? And the church has been going for about 60 years.
[00:10:50] Is it in a good state right now? No, it's fledgling. People are bringing in false doctrines. Even Paul, like 30 years later is like grieving on, or 20 years later grieving on the Galatians. Why are you allowing this stuff to come into the church? Why are you compromising the gospel?
[00:11:08] Why are you allowing people to teach that Jesus is not God?
[00:11:14] And what's this whole gospel about?
[00:11:18] What did John say earlier in John 20, 30 and 31, he wrote this, so what? One reason that believe in Jesus Christ, the son of God, that he is God, man, and believing you might have life in his name.
[00:11:35] And so John is writing this to that audience and you fast forward a couple thousand years. Are we much different today?
[00:11:43] No, things are still like that.
[00:11:50] And so this means just as much to us today as it did then.
[00:11:55] Spiritual complacency is not good.
[00:12:00] Some established churches, like the one in Ephesus, they were spiritually complacent. What did Jesus say to them in Revelation?
[00:12:08] You were doing great, but what? You just stopped loving me.
[00:12:16] The first love, Jesus Christ, you stopped.
[00:12:20] It grew cold. Your love for one another grew cold.
[00:12:25] But you're doing all kinds of great ministries, but nothing's happening because there is no love moving and driving. Those stop forsaking their first love.
[00:12:38] This suggests that while external practices were strong and they can be, the spiritual devotion and love for Christ were weakening.
[00:12:47] And we see that just in this glimpse here.
[00:12:52] They had just spent three years being fed, like spoon fed by Jesus. And yes, there was testing, and maybe this was a test as well. I'm gone.
[00:13:01] I'm telling you to go to the mount and be ready for me. But what do they do in the meantime? They go back to what was familiar.
[00:13:12] But what the best thing about this is, Jesus doesn't just leave them there, does he?
[00:13:19] I mean, he could have sat back and just watched them struggle and just like, dude, all you had to do is pray.
[00:13:29] Just call out to me for some help.
[00:13:33] Or even more so think about what was the remarks from Jesus in Luke 5 when he said the same thing and he told these disciples, what? You're no longer going to fish for these fishes, you're going to fish for men.
[00:13:47] That was their new purpose and they've forgotten that as well.
[00:13:53] It doesn't take us long to forget why we are here.
[00:13:58] All right, short introduction.
[00:14:02] Let's look at verses one through three again real quickly here. We'll skip the first part. Look at verse two. We get the setup. This is the story.
[00:14:11] He got these seven disciples. In verse three, Simon Peter said to them, I am going fishing, being the leader that he is. And these other guys, they just say, ah, let's go too. If Peter's going, we all going to go fishing.
[00:14:26] No one says, hey, wait, Jesus is coming. He told us to go meet him. Maybe we should prepare to meet Jesus. No, they go fishing instead.
[00:14:33] No one raises a hand and say, this is not a good idea.
[00:14:37] They all kind of follow along.
[00:14:41] But do we blame them? It's kind of hard, right? It's been a long three years. It's been a long, like the last couple, maybe 10 days or so. A lot of things have happened.
[00:14:54] A lot of confusion, a lot of fear, maybe some anger towards. Maybe they thought his body was stolen at first. And now they see Jesus and he's here and he's like, well, what is going on?
[00:15:07] Struggling with feelings of guilt, maybe inadequacy after having denied Jesus. Right. Peter himself. Right.
[00:15:14] Has there been any restoration between Peter and Jesus yet?
[00:15:19] We're going to see it next week, but Peter's carrying that burden.
[00:15:26] The other disciples who, just like only John was there with Jesus and the mother of Jesus.
[00:15:36] So a lot of guilt and shame and going back to something that's familiar really does make it easy, doesn't it?
[00:15:47] Instead of pressing forward and moving forward, we kind of wallow in that for a bit. And we see them doing this just for a brief moment.
[00:15:56] And then they try to provide.
[00:15:58] They needed to eat, their families needed to eat. They're back in their homeland territory there by the lake, you know, so we really can't blame them, except for the fact they kind of lost sight of their purpose for being there to begin with.
[00:16:15] They caught absolutely nothing, which symbolizes the emptiness of relying on their own efforts. Right.
[00:16:25] What do we get out of relying on our own?
[00:16:29] There could be some temporary stuff happening, but in the long run, what do we get out of relying upon ourself?
[00:16:41] Jesus wasn't there, no one to turn to right away.
[00:16:44] So they were trying to muster up. And I mean, maybe I get it all wrong when I fit. Maybe I should just pray. God, can I just have a fish today?
[00:16:52] Just give me that one pound trout to reel in. That'd be kind of good.
[00:16:57] Or maybe when we go out and say, Jesus, can I have just an opportunity to share the Gospel today?
[00:17:04] Give me an opportunity to cast the net today, and if you want, Jesus, give me a fish in that net that I can proclaim truth to, that I can give hope to.
[00:17:19] But they were fruitless all night.
[00:17:22] Just like in their initial calling in Luke 5. They were fruitless their whole night.
[00:17:30] And perhaps the second failure may have added a little more disappointment to their life as it was already.
[00:17:36] Things just keep piling up on them right here.
[00:17:40] But again, it goes to not listening.
[00:17:44] As I was reading over this and preparing and reading different stuff throughout the week, you think, why did I read this Proverbs today?
[00:17:55] And it makes a lot of sense. And if you turn to Proverbs chapter one, and you can say, well, where does this apply, Pastor Les? And it does verses 20 through 33.
[00:18:10] I was sharing this at our prayer meeting the other night, and Pastor Carl. Carl just said, reminded me of the situation this is. And it makes sense. As wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the market, she raises her voice, wisdom being the gospel, being Jesus Christ.
[00:18:26] At the head of the noisy street, she cries out. At the entrance of the city gates, she speaks, how long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will you Scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge. So you get this picture of a busy marketplace, think Main street, but like, squished together to one lane, and everyone out on their businesses just yelling at you come in here, buy this, buy this, buy this, buy this. You want this? This is good stuff. And then you have Jesus saying, no, this is the way. Right here, I'm the way.
[00:18:58] Did we get that picture?
[00:19:01] And as we travel down the street, we tend to go into every one of these stores to try to find our peace and our hope and our value in what the world offers.
[00:19:11] And it's good for a little bit, right? But it's not very long lasting.
[00:19:17] He goes on to say, verse 22 or verse 23. This is the key verse. If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you. I will make my words known to you.
[00:19:30] All we have to do is turn and listen to what Christ has for us, don't we?
[00:19:36] He's given us the entirety, the full revelation of himself in Scripture, and it's here for us to go to whenever we need some good counsel.
[00:19:46] But where do we tend to go first? Ourselves? Right?
[00:19:51] We got the answers.
[00:19:54] Even as redeemed people, we can still turn away from God's counsel in areas like decision making, relationships, finances, handling conflict.
[00:20:05] And as the original audience struggled with, they were denying the divinity of God because he wouldn't have wrote this and said this purposely by saying to believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that they were struggling with this, even though he spent three years showing them everything that he is to be God, they still were having trouble believing it, entirety, or perhaps just not having the right priorities in their proper place.
[00:20:36] That we're seeking the things of this world before we seek the kingdom of God.
[00:20:41] That's what I pull away from this passage.
[00:20:44] And here we see John and the others finding comfort in something besides Jesus.
[00:20:52] And it's fruitless when we do this, when we turn and not listen, we experience the natural fruit of our choices. Frustration, regret, emptiness, or maybe discipline from the Lord.
[00:21:06] Paul told us for sure, do not be deceived. God is not mocked. For whatever one sows that will he also reap.
[00:21:17] So I see this how it applies directly today, this passage from Proverbs. When we stubbornly reject his counsel, we may experience painful consequences, not as punishment, but as a discipline unto the time that we are restored.
[00:21:34] But yet when we turn to him and his reproof and his correction, he pours out his spirit and gives us insight and success.
[00:21:45] Another failure here, the failure to abide. John 15. 5.
[00:21:53] I was reading and found this very unique analogy of how we are to abide.
[00:22:00] Because a lot of times we think of as abiding as something that we just.
[00:22:05] We actively do. But what is the relationship?
[00:22:09] You gotta put your imagination on here. Suppose you are totally paralyzed and can do nothing for yourself but talk.
[00:22:18] Got the picture?
[00:22:21] And suppose a strong and reliable friend promised to live with you and do whatever you needed done.
[00:22:31] You got the picture? Now you are helpless.
[00:22:35] You are totally reliant on this person, this friend, to feed you, to bathe you, to, to do whatever you need.
[00:22:47] How could you glorify this friend? If a stranger came to see you, would you glorify his generosity and strength by trying to get out of bed and carry him, your friend? Could you do that? Would that even work?
[00:23:03] Is it even possible?
[00:23:06] No.
[00:23:07] You would say, friend, please come lift me up.
[00:23:10] And would you put a pillow behind me so I can look at myself or look at my guest?
[00:23:15] And would you please put my glasses on for me so I can see this person and the result what happens? And so your visitor would learn from your request that you are helpless and that your friend is strong and kind.
[00:23:31] Do your guests know that Jesus is strong and kind of.
[00:23:37] Because he will do what you can't do for yourself.
[00:23:40] Mainly you can't save yourself, but he will provide for you.
[00:23:46] He is a strong and kind friend.
[00:23:49] You glorify your friend by needing Him.
[00:23:53] Do you need Jesus right now?
[00:23:57] Do you need Jesus when you go home today?
[00:24:00] Do you need Jesus when you go to work tomorrow?
[00:24:04] Do you need Jesus to be the best husband and wife you could be?
[00:24:10] Is there anything in life? We don't need Jesus for nothing.
[00:24:20] You glorify your friend by needing him and by asking him for help.
[00:24:26] And you can count on Jesus, right? You have faith that he will help you.
[00:24:31] John 15:5 says, Apart from me, you can do absolutely nothing.
[00:24:38] So we really are paralyzed without Christ. We are capable of no Christ exalting good, right?
[00:24:44] As Paul says in Romans 7:18, nothing good dwells in Me that is in my flesh, I need Jesus.
[00:24:53] But John 15:5 also says that God does intend for us to do much Christ exalting good. So how do we do that?
[00:25:03] By faith and trust and asking Jesus, because He asks us to bear fruit. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, it is he, it is him, and he it is that bears much fruit.
[00:25:15] So as our strong and reliable friend, I have called you friends.
[00:25:20] He promises to do for us and through us what we can't do for ourselves.
[00:25:26] They weren't able to catch any fish at that moment, were they? They were totally helpless.
[00:25:33] They needed some help.
[00:25:36] And for us to be fruitful, we need help.
[00:25:40] How then do we glorify him?
[00:25:43] John 15:7. If you abide in me and abiding is just say I need you, I can't live without you. Jesus, abide in his words.
[00:25:59] Ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you.
[00:26:03] So what do we do? We pray. We ask God to do for us through Christ what we can't do for ourselves. We don't see Jesus, Peter and the disciples praying before they cast Jesus just give us some fish today. They just go out and they just do it.
[00:26:17] They do what they naturally do and they forgot to ask Jesus.
[00:26:23] Just simple stuff in our lives, right?
[00:26:27] Just beginning a project, a day, a relationship, asking help.
[00:26:34] And the result of this is what verse 8 in John 15 says this.
[00:26:38] By this my Father is glorified that you bear much fruit. And that is why we exist today, is to bring glory to God.
[00:26:46] But we can't do that on our own.
[00:26:50] The disciples were commit or will be commissioned later. But they were still told earlier that you would be fishers of men, that you're to go and to proclaim the truth that I have told you that I would die and rise again for the sins of the world.
[00:27:08] It's a good thing that God, Jesus, they don't leave us muddling, do they?
[00:27:16] They see us just as you know, Jesus is going to walk on by in the water and they cried out and he came back.
[00:27:24] He wants us to rely upon him.
[00:27:27] I mean just the.
[00:27:30] I don't know what the word. Just the craziness of this story, of this of a paralyzed person, like he can't move and he wants to get up and answer the door.
[00:27:39] He can't do anything. Nothing's going to happen until he asks a friend, until we ask Jesus.
[00:27:50] When it comes to the spiritual progression in our lives and living in his kingdom, we need to rely upon him daily.
[00:27:58] And that's what was failed or the failure in this first part.
[00:28:05] But he doesn't leave us there.
[00:28:07] Verses 4 through 8 in this passage he goes on the story. Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore. Yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.
[00:28:25] Jesus said to them, children, do you have any fish? They answered him, no.
[00:28:29] He said to them, cast the net on the right side of the boat and you will find some. So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because of the quantity of fish.
[00:28:40] That disciple whom Jesus loved, therefore said to Peter, it is the Lord.
[00:28:45] When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for the work and threw himself into the sea.
[00:28:54] The other disciples came to the boat dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, about 100 yards off.
[00:29:03] I would call this a gentle reminder.
[00:29:07] Jesus had a great sees. Jesus gently restoring them, reminding them of who he is and what he can do for them.
[00:29:19] Things that we need to remember as well as is was their call. What were they called to do in Luke 5, a year or so earlier, maybe two years earlier? Or what did Jesus call them to do? What was their redefined purpose in life?
[00:29:34] To be fishers of men.
[00:29:38] Do you think they needed to be reminded here of their purpose in life? Yes, by this illustration of these fish and just the mind going back to what Jesus initially said, he reminds them of this redefined purpose in life, of their misplaced focus. We see here that they had gone fishing for themselves and not for Jesus.
[00:30:08] It's not sinful that they went fishing, but it's revealing also at the same time, after the resurrection, Peter is uncertain about what's next. Instead of seeking Christ and his kingdom, Peter returns to what was familiar again.
[00:30:24] He's doing what makes sense humanly, meeting his own needs through his efforts. But the result? Again, they caught nothing.
[00:30:34] What happens when we focus on meeting our own needs before seeking Christ?
[00:30:40] We catch nothing.
[00:30:42] He reappears.
[00:30:44] He knows this. It's all not new to him. He knows what's going to happen. He's going to use this as a teaching moment to remind them before he sends them out with a great commission. Later, he appears, restoring and reminding them of the right priorities, reminding them what he said earlier in Matthew 6:33, Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. I will provide for you.
[00:31:15] At dawn, Jesus stands on the shore and calls out, cast the net to the other side. And as they maybe under their breath, mocked him and said, who are you to tell us what to do, where the. Whatever.
[00:31:25] But what happens when they obey, simply obeying and listening to Jesus, what happens?
[00:31:33] They catch. Maybe this is where they get boatload, right? They catch a boatload of fish.
[00:31:40] When we put Christ first, when we seek his direction and trust in his provision, everything else just.
[00:31:47] It all seems to fall in place, doesn't it?
[00:31:50] Maybe not the way we want it to sometimes, but it does fall into place of what Christ wants for us.
[00:31:57] And we know that God is in the business of restoration. From the very beginning, after the fall of man, his entire plan was for us to be restored to him, correct?
[00:32:09] He wanted the relationship to be reconciled and for us to be able to walk with him and have a relationship with him forever.
[00:32:19] If there's a healthy relationship built on the love of Jesus Christ, then restoration is always possible. Correct? It's always possible.
[00:32:29] Jesus love never changes. It never fades or grows cold. Our love for him is genuine if our love for him is genuine. But it's not perfect.
[00:32:39] And when we realize that, it can leave us feeling guilty or ashamed. Peter's love was not perfect, right? On that night, he. He denied him three times. And I'm sure it's just running through his head still.
[00:32:51] We gotta remember, you guys, Jesus, sacrifice and resurrection already cover the guilt and shame.
[00:32:58] The sins are forgiven and the guilt and shame is gone.
[00:33:02] We don't have to live with it anymore, we don't have to keep carrying it.
[00:33:08] His love invites us to lay it down and. And be restored.
[00:33:15] That's what his love does.
[00:33:17] Did Peter have reason to put clothes back on and jump in the water to go to see Jesus?
[00:33:25] I don't know what guilt he had, I can't imagine.
[00:33:30] But he had an opportunity now.
[00:33:32] So he was.
[00:33:34] Whatever he was wearing, he puts everything back on.
[00:33:37] Don't know how far he swam, or maybe he thought he could walk on water again, I don't know. But he took off towards Jesus. He could not get there fast enough.
[00:33:48] And I have to believe because he wanted to say, jesus, I love you.
[00:33:54] Forgive me, forgive me for denying you.
[00:34:00] Forgive me for choosing my own safety over my love for you.
[00:34:09] It was symbolic. I mean, we know that Peter is impulsive, right?
[00:34:14] He acts on a second and we see he remembers the miraculous catch the first time.
[00:34:22] And then he fell on his knees and said, depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.
[00:34:28] But this time, after the resurrection, after this miraculous catch, Peter doesn't shrink back in shame. But what he runs towards grace.
[00:34:40] You can run towards grace right now.
[00:34:45] Your past does not keep you from running towards grace because he will forgive you of that past.
[00:34:54] And Peter was able to run, swim, whatever you want to call it, towards that grace.
[00:35:03] That's the power of the resurrection.
[00:35:05] Because of the cross, Peter no longer needs to say depart from me. He can say, it's the Lord and run straight into his presence.
[00:35:19] Third point, verses 9 through 14.
[00:35:25] He provides the provision from Jesus.
[00:35:31] When they got out of land, they saw a charcoal fire in place with fish and lay it out on it and some bread. And Jesus said to them, bring some of the fish that you have just caught. He wants them to join in and partake and partner with this feast here.
[00:35:46] So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore full of large fish.
[00:35:51] Not going to go into Some numerology of 153. Just a boatload of fish. All right, don't even want to go. There you go forever, big number, a lot of fish. And we'll see why here in a second.
[00:36:06] And although there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, come and have breakfast now. None of the disciples dared ask him, who are you?
[00:36:16] They knew it. It was the Lord Jesus came and took the bread and gave it.
[00:36:21] And so with the fish, some sweet fellowship there, wasn't it?
[00:36:26] He provides fellowship. I mean, Jesus provides everything we need when we put him first.
[00:36:38] In regards to the original call, the disciples ignored for a brief time. They again, not a lot of days, hours time. But it gives us a glimpse of what happens when we ignore the call a few hours a day later.
[00:36:57] Jesus is going to commission that great Commission from Matthew 28.
[00:37:02] The call to follow is all about fishing in souls, which is the fruit that would come with abiding in Jesus. Going back to John. That's the fruit that Jesus was talking about.
[00:37:17] In this narrative. John isn't just telling a story for the early church, he's writing for us today.
[00:37:23] What happens on that shore is a living picture of what Jesus continues to do for his people right now.
[00:37:31] And this is where we get the title of the sermon. Here we have the fish.
[00:37:37] The miraculous catch of 153fish is a powerful reminder of Jesus provision and purpose that we as a church are to go out and just make disciples.
[00:37:52] 153, just a big number that is our job as a church is to make disciples, to make disciples within as we grow together in the love of God. That love compels us to go out and share the good News with people who need to hear it.
[00:38:12] The fish is a reminder of his provision and purpose as we feed on him and his truth. John 6. We've got to remember that it is him that we find our sustenance.
[00:38:22] It is in Jesus that we find our spiritual food.
[00:38:26] It's in Jesus who we find and know how we are to walk each and every day.
[00:38:32] Not only our daily bread, but also the harvest that comes from obedience.
[00:38:37] The fish point to both the fruit of the Spirit, our transformed character, and the fruit of making disciples which naturally flows from a Christ centered gospel shaped life.
[00:38:53] That's what we are to be as a church. Christ centered, Gospel centered, obeying every word of Jesus Christ, loving him, loving those he puts into our life.
[00:39:06] The fire. The fire Jesus prepared in this fellowship time is a symbol of his spirit, the gracious gift of God promised long ago in Ezekiel 36.
[00:39:16] Love this chapter of Ezekiel where God says, I will give you my spirit.
[00:39:24] I will rip out your heart of stone and I will place in you my heart of flesh.
[00:39:31] And you will do what I. I mean you will be compelled to do what I ask you to do.
[00:39:36] Through the Holy Spirit, we are cleansed, renewed and empowered for the mission Jesus gives his church. That's us today, right?
[00:39:44] We are empowered by Him, God Himself, to do his work.
[00:39:51] The fellowship around that fire, Jesus invites his followers into fellowship, a personal restored relationship with him and with one another.
[00:40:04] It's amazing that it's miraculous and supernatural that a church can be united even though we're so different in who we are.
[00:40:15] The demographics of any church should be as diverse as it can be because it shows the power and the unity and the love of Jesus Christ that we have for one another.
[00:40:25] By His Spirit. We share an intimate communion with the risen Savior who still serves, still calls and still provides for his people today.
[00:40:36] Fire, fellowship and fish.
[00:40:39] The story began with seven disciples around a fire, ends with thousands of believers filled with Jesus.
[00:40:46] The fire Jesus. Just 50 days later, a few days later, actually, Jesus restored his followers in John 21 and by Acts 2 that restored fellowship became a radiant church.
[00:41:01] The breakfast on that shore became a breaking of bread in homes.
[00:41:05] The same Jesus who said come and eat, still invites his people to come and live in fellowship with him and one another.
[00:41:14] If you turn to Acts 2, you see everything that we just talked about. Today we'll finish with this passage, Acts 2, 42, 47.
[00:41:29] And they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and the fellowship to the breaking of bread and prayers. It's just around the fire, right?
[00:41:38] Their counsel. They went no other place but to Jesus for their counsel and their teaching.
[00:41:45] They were being fed daily by the words of the apostles and the word of God, teaching and fellowship, breaking the bread and the prayers and asking the supplications for Jesus to intervene and provide what they need.
[00:42:00] And awe came upon every soul. And many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. Just like 153 fish coming aboard.
[00:42:10] And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all as they needed. It's just love for one another.
[00:42:23] And here's the fruit.
[00:42:27] Think about the fish, the number of fish, the 153.
[00:42:31] And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes. They received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people.
[00:42:42] And this last sentence says, and the Lord added to and who did all this? And the Lord added to their number day by day, those who were being saved.
[00:42:55] Was there a lot of fish being caught when they were being obedient?
[00:43:00] A lot of souls being saved from hell by God because they were responding to the truth of the gospel.
[00:43:08] That's what Jesus still wants for us today, to be in fellowship, studying his Word together, breaking bread together, praying for opportunities for us to have to plant seeds in the hearts of people in our community.
[00:43:26] And he will bring them in. He will bring the harvest.
[00:43:35] We just have to be obedient to what he asks us to do.
[00:43:40] Let's pray.
[00:43:43] Father, thank you so much for this day, this time, this passage, this reminder, a gentle reminder, Lord, of why we are here today.
[00:43:56] Yes, it is to sing, it is to see a friend, to see a loved one.
[00:44:03] But Lord, let us not be distracted to our call today.
[00:44:12] Deny ourselves, pick up our cross and follow you.
[00:44:16] And as we follow you, as you promised that you are going to make us, you are the one that changes our character.
[00:44:23] You are the one that gives us the desire and the love for people that need to hear truth or that we would be just faithful to that.
[00:44:36] And when we are, we know that you will bring in the harvest, you will fill the nets that we can disciple and make disciples, disciple makers out of those that come to you.
[00:44:51] Father, we thank you for your love and your presence. Thank you for this day where we ask these things in Jesus name, Amen.
