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When I read this text the first thing I’m struck with is that Peter and the other disciples had gone back to their previous occupation. Was it just reality setting in and the necessity of making a living?
Or was it something deeper? They had encountered the Risen Jesus and -- for some reason -- returned to their former lives. I want to say to them, “Hey, what are you guys doing? You’re the Apostles for crying out loud. Go apostle or something!”
I know many people who have a profound religious experience -- they encounter the Risen Jesus personally -- but then they drift right back into their old life. Maybe it’s not a bad life they return to... It’s just not a TRANSFORMED life.
I wonder if this morning you’re a Christian like these disciples who has met the Risen Savior, but has not had your life RADICALLY ALTERED by the experience.
We lose sight of the fact that there is now a Presence in our lives who, by just being there, changes every thing about us. Like the disciples we are toiling away like nothing has ever changed and Jesus is on the shore, just waiting for us to notice him.
Beloved, I want you to know that if you have encountered the Risen One, YOU CANNOT GO BACK TO “NORMAL” LIVING. And when we try, we find we just don’t fit in any longer.
I. Verse 3 says that they had worked all night and caught nothing. When we return to our old ways we are FRUSTRATED.
A. “You haven’t caught anything, have you?” Jesus asks. I can hear their frustrated, curt response: “NO!”
· When we try to return to the things that we used to do before Jesus we sense that frustration. Even if it’s returning to the same JOB with the same attitude we feel frustrated. We feel like we don’t fit in -- like a square peg in a round hole. Like revving an engine to the max but having the car in park.
· After encountering Jesus we may return to the same world but not in the same way. Once you meet the Risen Jesus you can’t go back to your “normal” life.
B. Jesus reminds the disciples that without him their efforts are FRUITLESS. “You haven’t got anything to eat do you?” No matter how hard we toil, if we do it without Jesus we will have nothing to show for all our work.
C. This goes for life. And it is especially applicable in the life of the Church. Man, I KNOW this feeling. God lets me be fruitless at times just to show me that I can do nothing without him no matter how hard I work or how much I think it over.
II. Jesus tells them to try again on the other side. And, when they listen to him and do what he says the disciples catch a huge load of fish. Obedience to Jesus brings abundance (not the prosperity doctrine here!!!). Obedience makes our labors fruitful.
A. Obedience to Christ causes them to be able to actually keep what they catch. Their nets do not break. I think this applies directly to us as the church. It is important to remember as we go through our pastoral transition. Here’s the application for us:
· No matter how hard you work or how smart you are the only thing that builds the Church is OBEDIENCE to Jesus.
· If we are obedient we will NOT have a back door problem with folks coming in and leaving later. The fish will NOT get away.
B. 153 is a significant number. Lot’s of ink spilled on this number but I think the following is the closest. The Church Fathers said that the Greeks believed that there were 153 species of fish in the world. So that the fish represent all the different races of humanity. In other words, when we are obedient to Christ the church brings in people from every ethnic or social background.
C. The net did NOT BREAK. The church is UNITED even with all these different people in it. A church that seeks to be obedient to Jesus will have unity. The reason that there is disunity in our denomination right now is that there are people who DO NOT want to be obedient to Jesus.
· Human agendas, ingenuity, power plays will make us lose fish and be disunited. Obedience to Christ will make us fruitful and united.
III. John is intentionally saying something, therefore, about the Church in this passage. He also says something to the leader of the early church and by extension to leaders today and the churches they serve.
A. Christian leaders are BROKEN PEOPLE who need God’s grace and forgiveness. Christian leaders fall and need to be picked back up again just like everybody else. (Help, I’ve fallen and the church won’t let me up!) Peter had to be restored and that’s why Jesus asks him 3 times “do you love me.” Because Peter had denied Jesus 3 times on the night of the arrest. Restoration was possible for Peter for 3 reasons.
· Peter was open to restoration because he would NOT HIDE HIS FAILURE.
· He would NOT REMOVE HIMSELF FROM THE COMMUNITY that held him accountable.
· And, most of all, becuase he had a TREMENDOUS LOVE FOR GOD. Look! The guy jumped overboard to swim to Jesus. That’s love!
B. That leads to the second point here: Christian leaders, above anything else, must have a PASSION for God that is so strong it can make them look foolish. Tony Campolo says, “We need passion in our faith. Instead of praying, ‘If I should die before I wake’ we should be praying ‘Lord, wake me up before I die!’”
· John Wesley had this passion. It’s what drove him to travel 250,000 miles on horseback to preach in the fields and coal mines of England. Count Nikolaus Ludwig Von Zinzendorf: “I have one passion only. It is He! It is He!”
C. Pastors may not be good administrators, or singers, or even preachers... But if they have a passion for the presence of Christ they will be fruitful servants. And I think it’s neat that Jesus is literally calling Peter to PASTOR, to shepherd the sheep.
· A pastor who desires nothing but Christ WILL be a good shepherd because Jesus will tell him/her to tend the flock. The sheep don’t have to NAG to be shepherded if the pastor is PASSIONATE about his/her closeness to Christ.
CONCLUSION: This new existence involves the CROSS of discipleship. Christians, leaders and the folks in the pews, are giving up their old lives for a rich, abundant life THAT COSTS YOU EVERYTHING. “When you are old someone will stretch out your hands on a cross, Peter.”
How about you? Have you met the risen Jesus but gone back fishin’ like nothings changed?
Are you frustrated and fruitless? Is your labor bringing you nothing?
Then listen again to Jesus. Turn your mundane occupation over to him in obedience. See if he will not grant you abundance!
Maybe like Peter you need restoration? Jesus offers that here.
John 21:1-19
21:1 Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of
Tiberias. It happened this way: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus),
Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other
disciples were together. 3 "I'm going out to fish," Simon Peter told them,
and they said, "We'll go with you." So they went out and got into the
boat, but that night they caught nothing.
4 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did
not realize that it was Jesus.
5 He called out to them, "Friends, haven't you any fish?"
"No," they answered.
6 He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find
some." When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the
large number of fish.
7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" As
soon as Simon Peter heard him say, "It is the Lord," he wrapped his outer
garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. 8
The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for
they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. 9 When they landed,
they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.
10 Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish you have just caught."
11 Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of
large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said
to them, "Come and have breakfast." None of the disciples dared ask him,
"Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came, took the bread
and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the
third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the
dead.
15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of
John, do you truly love me more than these?"
"Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."
16 Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?"
He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."
17 The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?"
He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my sheep. 18 I tell you the truth, when you were younger
you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you
will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you
where you do not want to go." 19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of
death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!"
NIV
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