Automated Transcript:

Chapter 21. My text assigned sign to me runs from one to 14, The disciples gone fishing. You remember it? Peter said, I go fishing. And the other said, we’ll go with you. If you’ve got a car broke down and you know that down the road, a ways is a mechanic. You welcomed down there hoping that he’ll be available to work on your car and you get down there.

And there’s a sign on the door that says gone fishing. Well, it makes you think that somebody sorta taking a break from their daily routine and responsibility, and they’re enjoying some recreation. They’re not where they’re supposed to be. But with the assigned topic concerning Jesus, talking with the seven apostles, gone fishing, as it turns out brethren, these men are exactly where the Lord wanted them to be.

And here’s something we need to be thinking about. Are you aware? The Lord wants you to be, are you doing what the Lord would have you to be doing? Obviously here tonight we are. But I’m talking about in your day to day activity and your daily life. Are you doing that? Which God would want you to be doing, where God would want you to be doing it.

John 21 in verse one, after these things, Jesus showed himself again to the disciples on the sea of Tiberias sea of Galilee. And in this way, he showed himself. Now, as it turns out, verse 14 adds to our information about this setting. This is now the third time Jesus showed himself to his disciples. After he was raised from the dead.

You put those two verses together and you see that, yes, here’s seven apostles. Jesus is going to show himself to them after his resurrection, the third time, why three times. And then there will be more times to follow this. It was absolutely necessary that these men, one in all were totally convinced in their heart. Jesus was raised from the grave.

Likewise, brethern it must be absolutely certain in our hearts. We serve a resurrected Lord. He lives, he lives Christ Jesus lives. Today. We sing. That should be foremost in our thinking. I serve the Lord who has exhibited power over the grave itself. We are so blessed to have this knowledge. The disciples needed another seeing of Jesus after his resurrection so that their faith would be strengthened.

Think about how their work as apostles would be hindered. If they weren’t settled in their heart, that Jesus was raised from the grave, how powerful that is and how badly we must totally believe it. Have it settled in our hearts, understand from the scriptures and what some powerful lessons we’ve heard at this lectureship confirming the resurrected Lord. Anyone who has an ear to hear can understand the reality of that truth.

Jesus came forth from the grave verse two Simon, Peter Thomas called the twin Nathaniel of Canaan in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee and two others of his disciples were together. Please notice we’re told about Thomas he’s identified specifically, and he’s called the twin. Perhaps there’s a particular reason. The Lord had him and identified that way. Well, we know it is because earlier in chapter 20 and verse 24,

now Thomas called the twin one of the 12. So we know we’re talking about the same man was not with them. When Jesus came well, we heard the fine sermon on that. Recently, Thomas wasn’t there. The first time was the second. Now the third, the Lord’s going to show these men one in all. It’s really him. Thomas,

look at my body, touch the scars, go away. Believing how powerful is that message. Verse three, Simon. Peter said to them, I go, I’m going fishing. And they said to him, we’re going with you all. So they went out and immediately got into the boat. And that night they caught nothing. How disappointing, how sad can you imagine laboring working hard with those nets catching nothing.

It didn’t just happen by coincidence. God’s going to get their attention and he’s going to do it through them going fishing. Some people have criticized Peter saying, I’m going fishing at this time. The fact of the matter is Peter’s dealing with reality. Yes, there’s all this that he knows about Jesus, but like the other disciples, he has responsibilities brethren like Peter,

we have to balance physical needs and spiritual needs. We all make these choices every day. We’re charged and challenged concerning studying to show ourselves approved unto God. And they’re in the course of that. We learn also we have obligations that must be met. So we have to balance the spiritual aspects of our life with the physical aspects of our life. And sometimes that’s difficult to do.

The bottom line is you give yourself totally to the Lord seeking first, the kingdom of God and his righteousness. And indeed all these things will be added unto you. Maybe not to the level of your desire or some specifications of something, but God’s going to take care of you, serve him first, put him first and all things he’ll take care of the rest and then teaching you how to live a balanced life.

You’re going to have the proper perspective concerning spiritual versus physical. And it’s no longer versus it’s a compatible with one another. God will keep us from being sports junkie so that we’re glued to some TV, watching some football or basketball or whatever the person is hung up on for psyching the responsibilities that they have. The Lord of God, won’t take you there.

Not criticized and enjoying basketball or football, whatever, but there’s a time and a place and there’s limitations that had to be placed on these things. God’s word teaches us how to do just that. I touched on the fact that this is the third time that the Lord showed himself alive after his resurrection, John 20 verse 19, then the same day at evening.

This is the first day of the week when the Lord was resurrected the same day at evening evening being the first day of the week, the disciples were sin assembled for fear of the Jews. Jesus came and stood in the midst and said to them, peace, be with you. And that’s already been covered, but here’s the first time that it’s recorded now in verse 26,

John 20, 26, and after eight days, his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them and it mentions Thomas being with them because as we saw in 24, Thomas was not with them. When Jesus came in the first time, Do we not? Do we not see that this is the first account of the disciples of the Lord having a Sunday night meeting,

Thomas wasn’t there. And look what he missed. Some of our brethren tend to skip Sunday night meetings. Think about what they’re missing. Yes, sir. Brother Jesus came and gave these men a blessing. Peace be with you. Thomas did not get that. He wasn’t there and how wonderful it is. Verse 25. The other disciples therefore said to him,

we’ve sing the Lord, Thomas didn’t. Do we not understand that? When we assemble, there is a sense in which the Lord is with us and I’m not preaching Pentecostalism. Do we not understand? We are the children of God, the household of faith, the family of God, turn over, put your mark there. We’re coming back. Turn over to Hebrews chapter two,

let’s put a little meat on these bones. Hebrews chapter two, The book of Hebrews teaching, the superiority of Christ, how blessed we are that God and heaven saw fit to give us this amazing book, the superiority of Christ Christ above all things. And in Hebrews two Verse 11, for both he who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one.

For which reason, reason he is not ashamed to call them brethren. This is about our Lord. Referring to us as his brethren in verse 12, saying, I will declare your name to my brethren. The son of God, saying to the father, I will declare your name to my brethren and notice this in the midst of the assembly, I will sing praise to you that assembly there,

the word could be plugged in congregation. There’s a sense in which the Lord singing with us, his brethren to the father, How much more we should be eager and anxious to assemble on the first day of the week in the congregation of God’s people In the midst of the assembly, the passage said, I will sing praise to you. Think about that.

The presence of the Lord. One more time, Matthew 26, just to make the point, Matthew 26, maybe you’ve read this many times and sorta just scam through it. Like sometimes we do, you know the context here, the Lord is establishing the Memorial of his supper, Matthew 26 and verse 26, as they were eating, Jesus took bread blessed and broke it and gave it to the disciples and said,

take eat. This is my body. Then he took the cup and gave thanks and gave it to them saying drink from it. All of you, verse 28 for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many, for the remission of sins. Here’s the verse 29. But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day,

here it is. When I drink it new with you in my father’s kingdom. When you understand the certainty that this church, the assembly is the father’s kingdom, then you understand there is a sense in which Jesus is partaking of this with us. Some would say, well, couldn’t it be talking about when he returns. Now, you think we’re going to be observing the Lord’s supper after the Lord returned.

Certainly not. When the church assembles and we are singing songs, hymns and spiritual songs in our hearts, making melody to the Lord. There’s a sense in which the Lord is present. And when we are partaking of the unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine, the Lord said, I’m drinking this new with you before he couldn’t drink it with them.

And they were drinking it in prospect as his body and his blood. It hadn’t been shed, but after it was shed, now it’s being observed as a Memorial that was fulfilled by his sacrifice and in the assembly of the saints, the Lord sings praises to his father with us. And he partakes of it. New with us in the kingdom. Thomas wasn’t there that Sunday evening,

he wasn’t there and he did not have this blessing of fellowship with the son of God. Going back to John 21 in verse four, but when the morning and now come, Jesus stood on the shore, get the disciples did not know that it was Jesus hadn’t realized it was him. Some said, perhaps the early morning light, hadn’t been sufficient to see him or they’re saved.

Well, perhaps like on the road to a mayor’s you remember he did not allow himself to be seen such as they could recognize him until he was ready for that. They didn’t know that, that it was Jesus. These men have told all night and caught nothing. What do they need? Well, they need to catch fish for their physical needs, physical blessings.

But more than that, they need to know the, that they’re looking at is the resurrected son of God. Do you think it was just happenstance that that net was empty? You think that it was just one of those things that they had dropped that net and the sea and fished all night, come up with nothing. I believe in the Providence of God,

for what Jesus is about to do. And for it to have its complete effect on these apostles, by his Providence, God had an empty net. They were tired. They were in despair. They were miserable cramps. They have well, they weren’t, but about a hundred yards, a hundred yards out. And so perhaps they were coming in. We don’t know maybe they had plans of what they were going to do when they got us.

Sure. But then there’s this figure on the shore and they don’t know who it is. And in verse five, Jesus said to them, children, have you, any food, children, water, and the fake ship affection. That way to address them. I’m not a Greeks. The gall, or never claimed to be, but some resources say it,

actually it should be raised in the point of already knowing the answer. You don’t have any food. Do you? The Lord already knew the answer to this. They answered him. No. And he said to them cast the net on the right side of the boat and you will find some. So they cast and now they were not able to draw in,

draw it in because of the multitude of fish. This is not the first time that Jesus has filled their nets. Miraculously, Luke five, one through 10 teaches us this, a similar setting. Peter pushed out his boat a ways from shore and Jesus preached. And after he preached, he said, cast down your net, catch fish. And Lord,

we fished on that and we haven’t caught anything. Nevertheless, at your word, we’ll let down the nets. And you know, the net was full so much so that they had to call their friends with another boat and they came and the boats were so field that they, both of them began to sink. I wonder if those seven disciples at this point now,

remember in our thinking about that situation and it’s beginning to come to them that this figure on the seashore that’s that’s Jesus Verse seven. Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, it is the Lord, John. It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment for he had removed it and plunged into the sea.

You have to admire and love Peter. Oh my yes. I’m talking about Peter. That denied three times knowing the Lord. But you remember this is the Peter that also went out and wept bitterly. You got the lift Peter. And so many times we see Peter doing the thing, similar to what we would do, Jumped into the sea. He’s going to swim the shore.

John said, it’s Jesus. It’s the Lord. And that was all Peter needed. Jumping in the water, swam to shore. Couldn’t wait for the boat, lugging this field net to make its way to shore. He had to see and be with Jesus. And he had to do it right then desperately wanting to be with the Lord. Peter somehow knew that even though there was a great blessing in the net,

there was a greater blessing standing on the seashore. He wanted to go to him. Jesus, because of his love. He always does that, which is best. He fed them. The fish gave them the fish. But more importantly, he’s got something to say to Peter. Peter has no idea what the Lord’s thinking, why he’s there, what he’s going to say,

but he’s got to see him and he’s got to be there right then. And the Lord, you know what he’s going to say to him. He’s going to prepare Peter for the death that he is going to suffer. And he’s going to ask him, do you love me? Are we that anxious to read and hear from the Lord? Are we that anxious to open our Bibles and see those words and read?

Are we that anxious that we would just jump in and totally immerse ourselves? The inspired word of God. He will tell us the things that we need to know to comfort us. The Lord says, come to me, all you who are labor and who are heavy Laden, and I will give you rest. And when Jesus gives you rest, it’s rest.

That is beyond anything we can receive in this world. Rest in the heart and rest in the soul to encourage us when we are down, the Lord says, but seek first, the kingdom of heaven came to him of God and his righteousness. And all these things will be added unto you to provide us an example. Our Lord says, I always do those things that please him,

John 8 29, if we need discipline, the Lord says, if your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out, cast it from you. It is more profitable for you that one of your members perish than for your whole body to be cast into Hale. Jesus will tell us what we need. If we will simply turn to his word and pursue its teaching and the idea of casting the eye or chopping off a hand or something.

Yes, that’s an extreme statement. It’s a gross exaggeration. The Lord doesn’t expect us to literally do that or all his servants in his kingdom would be blind in handless. And footless, he’s trying to tell us how serious that little sin that we’re harboring in our life is how detrimental it is to our spiritual growth, to our salvation and how we should resist the temptation to continue to do it.

This is how serious Jesus sees sin in our life. And this is how serious we should approach our repenting of it. Verse nine, verse eight. But the other disciples came in the little boat for, they were not far from land, but about 200 cubits dragging the net with the fish. Then as soon as he had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there and fish laid on it and bread.

Then Jesus said to them, bring some of the fish. Once you have, once you have just caught Simon, Peter went up and dragged the net to full of large fish, 153. And although there were so many, the net, the net was not broken. What a blessing for these men and how God in heaven has blessed us. Think of the physical things that you have received from the hand of the Lord.

The fact that you were sitting in this assembly is a tremendous blessing. The fact that you can see and hear, you can read it. You can read the word of God. The fact that your heart is is of such a, is of such a nature, that it allows the word of God to shape and mold your life. You know what being a Christian has done for you,

you know what you were doing before you became a Christian and for each one of us, it’s a unique thing. But you know, the direction that life was going to take you, If you had not become a Christian continued in that way, you know where it would end, But thank God and be able to see and appreciate the blessing of being born again And the word of God shaping and molding your life to his glory.

And you’ve put away things that the Lord would not have you involved in doing verse 11, Simon, Peter went up and dragged the net full of large fish, 153. And although they were so many, the net was not broken. 12 Jesus said to them, come and eat breakfast. Look at what the Lord has done. First of all, he’s given them a net full of fish.

And so it was, it was so gracious that he said, bring some of the fish that you call. They didn’t catch those fish. And they knew that the Lord put that net full of fish in their hands, but bring some of the fish. And he had a fire going and he had fish and bread and told them to bring some of their fish.

And then he said in 12, come and eat breakfast. He knew they were hungry. They needed to eat yet. None of the disciples dared ask him, who are you, why they knew it was the Lord mission accomplished. This is now the third time that Jesus has shown himself alive to his apostles. After the resurrection, They knew it was the Lord.

That was exactly why they had to be totally completely convinced. This was Jesus who was crucified, who was in tuned. And now is living in walking among us. They went fishing, but God had something else in mind for them as they were going about their daily activities. Brethren, look, look, look, look, look every day of your life,

no matter where you are, what you’re doing, look for what God has prepared for. You look for whatever opportunity you see may provide for you to show love to someone, to be an encouragement, to someone, to teach someone about the salvation that you have received. Just daily routine things. I’m going fishing. Yeah, Peter, you’re going fishing,

but guess what? You’re going to have this confirmation of the resurrected Lord, by the way, Thomas is going to say it again. He needs it In Peter. You need to know, you need to know what death you’re going to die for for the son of God. And he’s going to prepare you for that By asking, do you love me?

It’s the same for us Every day. There is a sense. There’s a way Through our day-to-day activities, nothing special. There’s an opportunity For us to say yes, Lord. I love you. Thank you.