Follow Me

WEBVTT 1 00:00:05.320 --> 00:00:14.310 John, Chapter Twenty one. Let's hear the word of our Lord. After 2 00:00:14.429 --> 00:00:18.670 this, Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberius, 3 00:00:19.390 --> 00:00:25.699 and he revealed himself in this way. Simon Peter Thomas, called the twin 4 00:00:26.300 --> 00:00:30.019 methaniel of Cana and Galilee, the sons of Zevity, and two others, 5 00:00:30.379 --> 00:00:34.740 two others of his disciples, were together. Simon Peter said to them, 6 00:00:35.259 --> 00:00:38.289 I'm going fishing. They said to him, we will go with you. 7 00:00:39.250 --> 00:00:42.890 They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. 8 00:00:44.049 --> 00:00:47.689 Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore. Yet the 9 00:00:47.770 --> 00:00:52.159 disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, children, 10 00:00:52.520 --> 00:00:57.280 do you have any fish? They answered him no. He said to 11 00:00:57.320 --> 00:01:00.759 them, cast the net on the right side of the boat and you will 12 00:01:00.759 --> 00:01:04.230 find some. So they cast it, and now they were not able. 13 00:01:04.590 --> 00:01:08.790 Now and now they were not able to haul it in because of the quantity 14 00:01:08.909 --> 00:01:14.109 of fish. That disciple, whom Jesus loved, therefore said to Peter, 15 00:01:14.750 --> 00:01:19.019 it is the Lord. When Simon Peter Heard that it was the Lord, 16 00:01:19.299 --> 00:01:22.980 he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work and threw 17 00:01:23.019 --> 00:01:26.900 himself into the sea. The other disciples came in the boat dragging the net 18 00:01:27.019 --> 00:01:30.299 full of fish, for they were not far from the land, about a 19 00:01:30.340 --> 00:01:36.090 hundred yards off. When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal 20 00:01:36.129 --> 00:01:40.250 fire in place, with fish laid out on it, in Brett laid out 21 00:01:40.810 --> 00:01:45.049 on it, and bread. Jesus said to them bring some of the fish 22 00:01:45.450 --> 00:01:49.319 that you have just caught. So Simon Peter went to board and hauled the 23 00:01:49.400 --> 00:01:52.879 net ashore full of large fish, a hundred and fifty three of them. 24 00:01:53.519 --> 00:01:57.719 And although there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said 25 00:01:57.719 --> 00:02:01.349 to them come and have breakfast now. None of the disciples dared ask him, 26 00:02:01.349 --> 00:02:06.549 who are you? They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and 27 00:02:06.629 --> 00:02:08.909 took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. 28 00:02:09.870 --> 00:02:14.469 This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he 29 00:02:14.669 --> 00:02:17.860 was raised from the dead. When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to 30 00:02:17.939 --> 00:02:23.259 Simon Peter, Simon Son of John, do you love me more than these? 31 00:02:23.300 --> 00:02:25.860 He said to him. Yes, Lord, you know that I love 32 00:02:25.979 --> 00:02:31.050 you. He said to him, feed my lambs, he said to him 33 00:02:31.050 --> 00:02:35.810 a second time Simon Son of John, do you love me? He said 34 00:02:35.810 --> 00:02:38.409 to him. Yes, Lord, you know that I love you. He 35 00:02:38.530 --> 00:02:43.849 said to him, tend my sheep. He said to him a third the 36 00:02:43.969 --> 00:02:46.759 third time, Simon Son of John, do you love me? Peter was 37 00:02:46.879 --> 00:02:51.319 grieved because he had said to him the third time, do you love me? 38 00:02:51.800 --> 00:02:53.840 And he said to him, Lord, you know everything, you know 39 00:02:54.080 --> 00:02:58.990 that I love you. Gee, Jesus said to him. Feed my sheep. 40 00:03:00.189 --> 00:03:02.349 Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, 41 00:03:02.389 --> 00:03:07.430 you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are 42 00:03:07.550 --> 00:03:10.830 old, you will stretch out your hands and another will dress you and carry 43 00:03:10.830 --> 00:03:15.180 you where you do not want to go. This, he said, to 44 00:03:15.340 --> 00:03:20.379 show by what kind of death he was to glorify God. And after saying 45 00:03:20.419 --> 00:03:25.020 this, he said to him, follow me. Peter turned and saw the 46 00:03:25.099 --> 00:03:30.889 disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against 47 00:03:30.889 --> 00:03:34.250 him during the supper, and said, Lord, who is it that is 48 00:03:34.330 --> 00:03:38.090 going to betray you? When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, 49 00:03:38.210 --> 00:03:42.120 Lord, what about this man? Jesus said to him, if it is 50 00:03:42.319 --> 00:03:45.919 my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you. 51 00:03:45.960 --> 00:03:51.599 You follow me? So the spring, saying spread among the brothers that this 52 00:03:51.800 --> 00:03:55.069 disciple was not to die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he 53 00:03:55.229 --> 00:04:00.310 was not to die. But if it is my will that he remain until 54 00:04:00.349 --> 00:04:04.469 I come, what is that to you? This is the disciple is bearing 55 00:04:04.509 --> 00:04:09.870 witness about these things and who has written these things, and we know that 56 00:04:09.949 --> 00:04:14.460 his testimony is true. Now there are also many other things that Jesus did, 57 00:04:15.180 --> 00:04:16.860 where every one of them to be written. I suppose that the world 58 00:04:16.899 --> 00:04:29.970 itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen, our passage 59 00:04:30.050 --> 00:04:33.370 this morning. John, Chapter Twenty one begins with these words. After this, 60 00:04:33.649 --> 00:04:39.160 Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the seer of Tiberius, and 61 00:04:39.240 --> 00:04:44.879 he revealed himself in this way. And then it goes on to recount a 62 00:04:45.279 --> 00:04:49.959 number of events that happen. First a fishing event, a breakfast and finally 63 00:04:50.000 --> 00:04:55.149 a conversation. And each of these scenes we might call him, and each 64 00:04:55.189 --> 00:05:00.629 of these events or or movements of this story, we see the Lord revealing 65 00:05:00.670 --> 00:05:05.389 himself. I'm showing himself to the disciples, and not only to the disciples, 66 00:05:05.509 --> 00:05:11.699 I'm also to us. In these verses. In this final chapter of 67 00:05:11.819 --> 00:05:17.740 John, Jesus reveals to US himself and his will for us in the in 68 00:05:17.899 --> 00:05:24.610 our ongoing relationship with him as the church. We might think of the disciples 69 00:05:24.730 --> 00:05:29.850 here as the first church, the early church, these first group of people 70 00:05:29.970 --> 00:05:33.290 that were following Jesus. And what is Jesus doing? He's revealing himself to 71 00:05:33.370 --> 00:05:38.079 them. He's giving them a mission, he's calling them to a task, 72 00:05:38.480 --> 00:05:43.360 he's showing them a way of life and all these things we have much to 73 00:05:43.519 --> 00:05:50.509 learn. I want to draw four lessons. We might call them four places 74 00:05:51.149 --> 00:05:59.470 where the Lord reveals him self and continues to reveal himself today. The first 75 00:05:59.509 --> 00:06:04.939 one is the Lord reveals himself in making fishers of men. Lord makes fishers 76 00:06:05.019 --> 00:06:11.100 of men. We see this in the our first scene here. The disciples 77 00:06:11.180 --> 00:06:15.379 are out on the boat. This is, after all, how Jesus originally 78 00:06:15.420 --> 00:06:17.850 called them. He said in the Early Gospel, in the early parts of 79 00:06:17.889 --> 00:06:21.730 the Gospels, he says, follow me and I will make you fishers of 80 00:06:21.810 --> 00:06:28.009 men. Here at the end these book ends on his ministry to them, 81 00:06:28.089 --> 00:06:32.839 this is what is happening. I'm he is impressing this point on him some 82 00:06:32.959 --> 00:06:38.439 of the disciples are in a boat, notice that they are continuing on with 83 00:06:38.639 --> 00:06:42.079 life. Peter is says, I'm going fishing. They say, will go 84 00:06:42.279 --> 00:06:46.800 with you, but they're not catching anything. They're not catching anything at all. 85 00:06:46.839 --> 00:06:50.949 All night they're not catching anything. When they do catch something, though, 86 00:06:51.069 --> 00:06:59.310 it is because Jesus makes it happen. Jesus took calls to them from 87 00:06:59.350 --> 00:07:01.420 the shore and says, do you have any fish? There are made aware 88 00:07:01.459 --> 00:07:04.620 of their inadequacy. They say no. He tells them what to do. 89 00:07:05.019 --> 00:07:11.860 Cast their net over here and they pull in a load to so heavy they 90 00:07:11.899 --> 00:07:19.170 can't pull it up into the boat. This will this is a picture of 91 00:07:19.370 --> 00:07:27.810 what Jesus will do with their man fishing, so so to speak, their 92 00:07:27.930 --> 00:07:33.399 work in spreading the Gospel, their work and going out and calling people unto 93 00:07:33.399 --> 00:07:39.279 Christ. There are going to be so many that come that it will be 94 00:07:40.959 --> 00:07:45.709 it will be a weighty thing. And this continues, of course, to 95 00:07:45.750 --> 00:07:48.670 be the work of the church in what we call the Great Commission. At 96 00:07:48.709 --> 00:07:54.670 the end of Matthew and the last chapter of Matthew, Jesus tells us to 97 00:07:54.709 --> 00:08:00.459 go and make disciples of all nations. They are to go fishing and the 98 00:08:00.579 --> 00:08:05.459 Lord promises them that they will catch, and this is, of course, 99 00:08:05.459 --> 00:08:09.819 a wonderful promise. Right when we are empowered by the Lord to do his 100 00:08:11.100 --> 00:08:15.850 work, there will be success, and indeed there has been a consider this 101 00:08:16.209 --> 00:08:20.610 small group of men on a boat, and now consider the millions and millions 102 00:08:20.689 --> 00:08:26.410 of people that worship the Lord and have worshiped the Lord now for two thousand 103 00:08:26.529 --> 00:08:31.440 plus years. Amazing, amazing. This is what he promised to them and 104 00:08:31.559 --> 00:08:35.960 this is exactly what has happened through them. And there were going out, 105 00:08:35.240 --> 00:08:39.440 and then those people spreading the word, and those people spreading the word and 106 00:08:39.559 --> 00:08:45.070 those all the way to today and even us here. The Lord continues to 107 00:08:45.110 --> 00:08:50.070 do his work. He continues to tell us how to catch and where to 108 00:08:50.190 --> 00:08:56.620 catch and and with what to catch them with, and we find success in 109 00:08:56.779 --> 00:09:01.899 all this. We learn are we are reminded anyway, and we should learn 110 00:09:01.179 --> 00:09:07.179 that we are totally dependent upon Christ. Apart from Him we have nothing. 111 00:09:07.940 --> 00:09:11.529 We do not grow in ourselves, we do not grow in number. The 112 00:09:11.649 --> 00:09:18.250 church is not built if it's not for Christ, but in Christ. He 113 00:09:18.370 --> 00:09:22.610 tells us that the gates of hell itself will not prevail against his people. 114 00:09:24.799 --> 00:09:28.279 We are totally dependent on him, and there's nothing bad about that. There's 115 00:09:28.279 --> 00:09:33.799 nothing wrong about that, there's nothing like we're supposed to be sufficient in ourselves. 116 00:09:33.399 --> 00:09:39.629 Jesus wants us to trust him, to listen to him. I think 117 00:09:39.629 --> 00:09:43.230 it's also worth noting that this fishing of men, there's calling people to the 118 00:09:43.309 --> 00:09:50.909 Gospel and this catch that inevitably happens. It's a team effort. Jesus doesn't 119 00:09:50.909 --> 00:09:54.100 tell each one of them to put their line in the water, all kind 120 00:09:54.139 --> 00:09:58.019 of lined up there on their boat. Chances are they'd all get tangled up. 121 00:09:58.580 --> 00:10:03.100 Here the images of a net, all of them working together to make 122 00:10:03.700 --> 00:10:11.450 this catch, and when they catch the net is full and good. So 123 00:10:11.730 --> 00:10:18.129 one way the Lord reveals himself to us is in making us successful, making 124 00:10:18.169 --> 00:10:24.720 the Gospel successful in people who themselves were changed by his word. He makes 125 00:10:24.799 --> 00:10:30.840 fishers of men who are successful in their catch. The second thing to know 126 00:10:31.559 --> 00:10:37.230 is the fellowship of care. The Lord reveals himself in this breakfast. But 127 00:10:37.350 --> 00:10:45.750 I'm calling here a fellowship of care. After they they bring the the fish 128 00:10:46.309 --> 00:10:50.899 in, Jesus tells them to take some of the fish. Verse Ten that 129 00:10:52.019 --> 00:10:56.580 you have caught any makes breakfast for them. This is a reminder to us 130 00:10:56.620 --> 00:11:03.100 that the Lord does not merely send us out. He also is constantly gathering 131 00:11:03.179 --> 00:11:09.090 US around. He gathers US around himself and he feeds us. If these 132 00:11:09.289 --> 00:11:13.370 words sound familiar, that he took bread and gave it to them, you 133 00:11:13.450 --> 00:11:16.649 almost are waiting to hear any blessed it and broke it and gave it to 134 00:11:16.730 --> 00:11:20.799 his disciples. Right, because these are the same verbs, in the same 135 00:11:20.840 --> 00:11:24.879 order that we have the feeding of the five thousand, with the bread and 136 00:11:24.000 --> 00:11:30.159 the fish and the feet and the Lord Supper, the institution of the Lord's 137 00:11:30.200 --> 00:11:35.070 Supper. In all of these things, Jesus is communicating to us that we 138 00:11:35.429 --> 00:11:41.710 gather around him and he nourishes us, he feeds us. He is where 139 00:11:41.870 --> 00:11:48.539 we find our fellowship, our care and our life, and this is important. 140 00:11:48.779 --> 00:11:52.580 Our zeal for evangelism are zeal for the lost. Is Not a feverish 141 00:11:52.700 --> 00:11:58.980 one of activity that's just constantly try. We're we're trying to whip ourselves up 142 00:12:00.019 --> 00:12:05.370 into some kind of crave. We do that work and we do it zealously, 143 00:12:05.970 --> 00:12:11.169 but we also resting in Christ. Sometimes that looks like just sitting around 144 00:12:11.330 --> 00:12:18.320 and eating breakfast with him and with one another, trusting in him, waiting 145 00:12:18.480 --> 00:12:24.559 on him, conversing with him. Notice also the place of doubt in this 146 00:12:24.759 --> 00:12:31.190 passage. They begins on the sea where they can't quite see him. This 147 00:12:31.350 --> 00:12:35.350 probably was it possibly I'll say it was, because he was just at some 148 00:12:35.470 --> 00:12:41.149 distance away and it was early borning. But he is recognized by John, 149 00:12:41.350 --> 00:12:46.139 probably through his actions, through their catch. He says it is the Lord, 150 00:12:46.259 --> 00:12:52.019 he says to Peter. Then when they get on land and they bring 151 00:12:52.179 --> 00:12:56.299 the net, we read in verse a twelve none of the disciples dared to 152 00:12:56.419 --> 00:13:01.090 ask him, who are you? It's an interesting it's an interesting verse. 153 00:13:01.169 --> 00:13:09.129 It's almost like they wanted to but didn't want to. They knew that it 154 00:13:09.409 --> 00:13:13.960 was the Lord, but there was a sense of perhaps fear in them, 155 00:13:15.600 --> 00:13:20.000 a sense of wonder, what's going on? This lord is, of course, 156 00:13:20.200 --> 00:13:24.679 the one who is just crucified on a cross and paled with a spear, 157 00:13:26.120 --> 00:13:31.470 put into a tomb and dead for three days. And yet it is 158 00:13:31.590 --> 00:13:39.470 the Lord. Here he is calling us, I'm making us effective and now 159 00:13:41.070 --> 00:13:48.779 ministering to US breakfast. This doubt that we have sometimes, is it the 160 00:13:48.899 --> 00:13:52.139 Lord? I don't know if it's the Lord. It is the Lord. 161 00:13:52.299 --> 00:13:56.690 Is that the Lord? It is the Lord. That's something that goes on 162 00:13:56.970 --> 00:14:01.970 throughout our whole lives. Doubt, of course, is not is the opposite 163 00:14:01.009 --> 00:14:05.570 of faith, but it is present in us. The Lord knows this, 164 00:14:07.809 --> 00:14:11.840 so he ministers to US enough. What I'm saying is fellowship of care. 165 00:14:11.279 --> 00:14:16.120 He binds us together with one another and he takes care of us day in 166 00:14:16.440 --> 00:14:22.440 and day out. He meets our needs, he provides for us when we 167 00:14:22.519 --> 00:14:31.590 are hungry, both in body and in soul. Next, we see the 168 00:14:31.750 --> 00:14:37.830 Lord revealed in the feeding of the flock, not just here at breakfast, 169 00:14:37.909 --> 00:14:45.419 but the Future Commission and ordination that he gives to Peter. Three times he 170 00:14:45.740 --> 00:14:50.419 says to Peter, feed my sheep, feed my sheep. He says a 171 00:14:50.980 --> 00:14:56.370 first, feed my lambs, perhaps a comment that it is to the weakest 172 00:14:56.730 --> 00:15:03.490 and the most precious and the little ones that we are to reminder not to 173 00:15:03.610 --> 00:15:09.320 neglect them. But overall, his point is is the same. We are 174 00:15:09.639 --> 00:15:15.879 to hear the church is commission to feed the sheep. It's ministers in particular, 175 00:15:16.279 --> 00:15:20.720 he says, reveals himself in the life of the church. In this 176 00:15:20.879 --> 00:15:24.309 way, he continues to take care of us, and he does that through 177 00:15:24.389 --> 00:15:28.830 his servants. This is quite an amazing thing when we remember that it was 178 00:15:28.950 --> 00:15:35.269 just a short while ago that Peter was denying his Lord and Savior three times, 179 00:15:35.429 --> 00:15:39.139 three times before the Rooster Crows. You will deny me, he says 180 00:15:39.179 --> 00:15:43.860 to Peter. And three times Peter said, I don't know him, I 181 00:15:43.299 --> 00:15:48.340 don't know him, I don't know him. Now the Lord draws back this 182 00:15:48.779 --> 00:15:56.049 sinner to himself so that he might minister to sinners, one who is needy, 183 00:15:56.210 --> 00:16:00.690 going to others who are needy, one who has been loved, going 184 00:16:00.730 --> 00:16:04.200 to others who are loved by Christ, to Minister to them, to feed 185 00:16:04.720 --> 00:16:10.399 them and to care for them. This is the commission he gives to Peter 186 00:16:10.679 --> 00:16:14.679 and he impresses on it, presses the US on him. And it is 187 00:16:14.759 --> 00:16:18.240 not just on Peter in the ministers of the Gospel, but it is the 188 00:16:18.399 --> 00:16:22.830 Hork of the whole church. To feed the sheep. We are to be 189 00:16:22.429 --> 00:16:26.429 a discipling go and make disciples of all nations, and that, of course, 190 00:16:26.549 --> 00:16:30.750 means of one another. That work of discipleship, of care, of 191 00:16:30.909 --> 00:16:36.899 feeding, of nourishment, a continues on each and every week throughout our lives, 192 00:16:36.980 --> 00:16:41.220 and all of it might be summed up in this one phrase. Feed 193 00:16:41.379 --> 00:16:48.490 my sheep, tend my sheep. In this work, we really have everything. 194 00:16:48.090 --> 00:16:52.889 You can't tend and feed to the sheep unless you're guarding them. You 195 00:16:52.009 --> 00:16:57.970 can't tend and feed to the sheep the love of Christ unless you know him 196 00:16:57.970 --> 00:17:03.639 and are loving him. The thing areous things. The various works that we 197 00:17:03.679 --> 00:17:07.720 might think that go on in the church and go on in our lives would 198 00:17:07.720 --> 00:17:11.039 be summed up here, and that's a good thing because it means that again, 199 00:17:11.200 --> 00:17:15.519 this is how the Lord is revealing himself to us. He's feeding us, 200 00:17:15.559 --> 00:17:18.710 he's taking care of us, he's watching over us, and he does 201 00:17:18.829 --> 00:17:23.710 that even through each other, which takes us back to the fellowship of care, 202 00:17:23.750 --> 00:17:27.670 which takes us back to the fishers of men. And all of this 203 00:17:27.869 --> 00:17:32.380 he is reminding us, of course, that it is based in our love 204 00:17:32.460 --> 00:17:36.180 for him and, even before that, his love for us, that these 205 00:17:36.819 --> 00:17:41.940 things happen. What is it that we are to nourish each other with? 206 00:17:41.140 --> 00:17:47.130 What is it that Peter is to go and shepherd the flocks with? It 207 00:17:47.369 --> 00:17:51.890 is the love of Christ as and the message of love that is given on 208 00:17:51.970 --> 00:17:57.049 the cross. This word of Christ that calls people into the church is the 209 00:17:57.089 --> 00:18:03.319 same word of Christ that nourishes the church. Jesus feeds us with the promise 210 00:18:04.039 --> 00:18:08.400 comes to us in the Gospel, the good news that he comes to save 211 00:18:08.559 --> 00:18:14.950 sinners from their sins. And this is the word that he gives to Peter 212 00:18:15.670 --> 00:18:18.950 and it's the word that he gives to us. It is a word of 213 00:18:18.150 --> 00:18:26.069 love. And so we see the Lord revealing himself in making fishes of men, 214 00:18:26.950 --> 00:18:30.460 in this fellowship of care, in the feeding of the sheep and finally 215 00:18:30.980 --> 00:18:37.500 in this full variety of gifts and diversity within the body, variety that will 216 00:18:37.700 --> 00:18:45.089 call us to depend and trust on the Lord. In the last scene that 217 00:18:45.369 --> 00:18:52.490 John gives to hear, this last movement, we see Jesus saying to Peter 218 00:18:55.009 --> 00:19:02.319 of the he will, he will die verse nineteen. This he said to 219 00:19:02.440 --> 00:19:06.640 show by what kind of death he was to glorify God. And so he 220 00:19:06.759 --> 00:19:10.349 calls to him and says follow me. It's a reminder that the fishing is 221 00:19:10.390 --> 00:19:12.910 not always going to be easy, that shepherding is not always going to be 222 00:19:14.029 --> 00:19:17.750 easy, that church life is not always going going to be though there will 223 00:19:17.750 --> 00:19:22.990 be excess success and even massive success, it will be a battle. It 224 00:19:22.109 --> 00:19:30.339 will be a hard one. Fight Peter and many of the other disciples are 225 00:19:30.460 --> 00:19:34.539 going to die for this work, even as perhaps some of you will die 226 00:19:36.099 --> 00:19:41.730 for this work. The Lord calls us to trust in him even through death, 227 00:19:42.609 --> 00:19:47.569 to follow him even through death, to be willing to give up everything 228 00:19:47.730 --> 00:19:52.410 to follow him. That is what discipleship is for. It's about trusting him. 229 00:19:52.039 --> 00:20:02.119 discipleship is all about following him, trusting him above all else. Well, 230 00:20:02.240 --> 00:20:07.509 as we think about that trust, we have it at this particular level 231 00:20:07.670 --> 00:20:11.670 of diversity and of gifts and a full variety of gifts within the church. 232 00:20:11.750 --> 00:20:18.109 And we have that when Peter Turns and sees John, the disciple whom Jesus 233 00:20:18.269 --> 00:20:23.460 loved, it says following them and he says Lord. Whom? He says 234 00:20:23.500 --> 00:20:27.420 to the one who had said Lord? Who is it going to betray you? 235 00:20:29.500 --> 00:20:32.259 When Peter saw him, he says Lord, what about this man? 236 00:20:33.700 --> 00:20:40.609 and Jesus says to him, it's not of Your Business. Don't ask dumb 237 00:20:40.690 --> 00:20:45.849 questions. The Lord says, if it's my will that he remain until I 238 00:20:45.930 --> 00:20:56.640 come, what's it to you? What is that to you, Peter? 239 00:20:57.319 --> 00:21:07.670 So funny? Perhaps you see himself in him in some ways. Peter here, 240 00:21:07.750 --> 00:21:11.430 at the beginning of our story, he goes out fishing. The Lord 241 00:21:11.549 --> 00:21:15.230 calls them and of course it's John who recognizes Jesus First, not Peter. 242 00:21:17.190 --> 00:21:19.740 But when he says that's it's Peter, Peter Jumps off the boat, even 243 00:21:19.740 --> 00:21:26.500 though they're close. Jumps off the boat, swims to the shore. The 244 00:21:26.619 --> 00:21:30.339 other disciples, you know, pull the boat in with the fish, and 245 00:21:30.420 --> 00:21:33.450 then Peter runs over to the boat, grabs this net full of fish drags 246 00:21:33.490 --> 00:21:40.890 it all by himself. We see a same kind of like vigor and intensity 247 00:21:41.049 --> 00:21:48.880 in Peter, in in in his professions, and then other actions. Remember 248 00:21:48.000 --> 00:21:52.519 just recently at the Tomb. He and John goes the tomb. John Stops 249 00:21:52.559 --> 00:21:57.079 at the door and peeks in. Peter Rushes into the tomb and then after 250 00:21:57.160 --> 00:22:00.549 that John Comes in and takes a look. John gets there first, but 251 00:22:00.630 --> 00:22:06.029 then Peter Rushes. This is a this is the pattern of their relationship. 252 00:22:07.069 --> 00:22:11.269 There Peter is our John is at the Lord's supper. That was Jesus is 253 00:22:11.430 --> 00:22:15.819 meeting with them right on the night when he would use betrayed John leaning up 254 00:22:15.819 --> 00:22:19.900 against his law, against his Lord, close to his heart, literally, 255 00:22:21.059 --> 00:22:26.420 like maybe hearing the heartbeat of his savior. Peter Professing his love. I 256 00:22:26.460 --> 00:22:30.369 will die with you or I'll die for you. I'll I'll fight for you 257 00:22:30.450 --> 00:22:34.650 to the very end. And then moments later it's Peter who's denying his Lord. 258 00:22:36.569 --> 00:22:38.490 It's Peter who saying I don't know him. And you know who is 259 00:22:38.769 --> 00:22:45.720 that gets him and brings him in to the to the courtroom scene. There 260 00:22:45.359 --> 00:22:51.799 it's John. If you were at a friend is. See, it's like 261 00:22:52.000 --> 00:22:57.440 always get it right, who never seems to mess up, who always seems 262 00:22:57.480 --> 00:23:02.910 to beat you to the Punch in terms of faithfulness and righteousness and loving the 263 00:23:03.069 --> 00:23:08.750 Lord? And felt a little frustrated about that. What about them? What's 264 00:23:08.750 --> 00:23:14.099 going to happen to them? That seems to be Peter here. Peter has 265 00:23:14.220 --> 00:23:17.980 just been spoken to by the Lord. Do He love me? Do you? 266 00:23:18.099 --> 00:23:22.940 He's recommissioned him, he's called him back into His grace, and Peter 267 00:23:22.019 --> 00:23:25.420 can't help a look behind him and say, well, what about him? 268 00:23:26.460 --> 00:23:30.529 What's going to happen to him? Is he going to die too? And 269 00:23:32.170 --> 00:23:37.730 Jesus and his great mercy continues. Is To love Peter, and he loves 270 00:23:37.769 --> 00:23:44.359 him with a somewhat harsh word and says, what's it to you? It's 271 00:23:44.440 --> 00:23:48.319 none of your business. What is it to you? If it's my will 272 00:23:48.440 --> 00:23:52.400 that he remain until I come, of course, Jesus, knowing that it 273 00:23:52.440 --> 00:23:59.750 would be at least thousands of years before he would return. What's it to 274 00:23:59.789 --> 00:24:03.789 you if John would last another day, a year, a month or Millennia? 275 00:24:06.390 --> 00:24:10.660 That's my will and this reminds us that in the work of the church, 276 00:24:10.700 --> 00:24:14.180 as we work together, there is a diversity of gifts. Some of 277 00:24:14.220 --> 00:24:18.539 us are outgoing and strong go getters, other as of us are more careful 278 00:24:18.619 --> 00:24:22.980 and quiet. Some of us are Mary's, some of US are Martha's. 279 00:24:25.210 --> 00:24:30.970 Some of US when struggle intensely without others of us not as much. Some 280 00:24:32.130 --> 00:24:34.410 of us are rich, some of US are poor. Some of us are 281 00:24:34.450 --> 00:24:41.359 blessed with hospitality and are amazingly capable of that. Others of us are better 282 00:24:41.519 --> 00:24:47.559 one on one or being a part of the support. We could go on 283 00:24:47.759 --> 00:24:51.720 and on, and the Scriptures do, listing variety and diversity of gifts. 284 00:24:52.950 --> 00:24:56.750 That's wonderful for all kinds of reasons, but the thing I want to emphasize 285 00:24:56.789 --> 00:25:02.509 this morning is it's in that diversity that the Lord calls us to trust him 286 00:25:02.549 --> 00:25:08.059 above it all, rather than trying to get this particular Christian life for myself 287 00:25:08.099 --> 00:25:15.220 or having this particular following of the Lord, Jesus, the Lord and and 288 00:25:15.380 --> 00:25:19.460 and to have someone else's or something like that. The Lord calls each of 289 00:25:19.579 --> 00:25:26.609 us to follow the Lord, to trust him personally, and that will mean 290 00:25:26.730 --> 00:25:32.450 different circumstances for our lives. Some of us will live a long time, 291 00:25:32.730 --> 00:25:38.000 some of us will not, some of us will be very active and in 292 00:25:38.200 --> 00:25:42.519 front and some of us will be more quiet and behind the scenes. There's 293 00:25:42.559 --> 00:25:47.279 all kinds of ways we can slice this, but the point is that in 294 00:25:47.319 --> 00:25:51.470 the end of the day we're not to be jealous of others, but to 295 00:25:52.670 --> 00:26:00.190 rejoice in the Lord, in bringing together a people with diverse gifts and diverse 296 00:26:00.309 --> 00:26:07.299 backgrounds that together we might serve him. Only the Lord himself could use such 297 00:26:07.339 --> 00:26:15.819 a diverse and and wide body, body of people for his work. And 298 00:26:15.940 --> 00:26:21.450 instead of creating a tower of babble which falls apart and all kinds of division 299 00:26:21.609 --> 00:26:26.690 and disunity, the Lord knows how to bring the people together as one. 300 00:26:27.049 --> 00:26:30.049 Now we struggle, of course, at this and this life on. There 301 00:26:30.089 --> 00:26:34.799 are many denominations and churches and even within our own churches we struggle to to 302 00:26:36.000 --> 00:26:38.640 hang together, to stick together in the Lord. But this is the Lord's 303 00:26:38.680 --> 00:26:45.960 promise to us. He tells us to focus on him, even as he 304 00:26:47.150 --> 00:26:49.990 calls us to this work of the church he's even as he calls us to 305 00:26:51.349 --> 00:26:56.309 discipleship and evangelism and care and nourishment and all these things. He keeps telling 306 00:26:56.349 --> 00:27:02.460 US focus on me, focus on me even a way more than our calling 307 00:27:03.140 --> 00:27:10.019 focus on the Lord Jesus. And that's why the book, of course, 308 00:27:10.180 --> 00:27:18.009 ends this way. John Ends word about his word of clarification, about his 309 00:27:18.210 --> 00:27:22.769 death and then, of course, the promise that these things are true. 310 00:27:22.730 --> 00:27:26.849 But instead of ending on a word about himself, he ends with the word 311 00:27:26.890 --> 00:27:30.519 about the Lord, and he says in Verse Twenty Five. Now there are 312 00:27:30.599 --> 00:27:33.640 many other things that Jesus did, where every one of them to be written. 313 00:27:33.640 --> 00:27:38.799 I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be 314 00:27:40.079 --> 00:27:45.349 written. So here, in this last chapter is we come to know the 315 00:27:45.430 --> 00:27:48.910 work of Christ, as we come to know in this Gospel who Jesus is, 316 00:27:48.630 --> 00:27:53.230 what he did, what he's doing today in this world and through his 317 00:27:53.390 --> 00:28:02.940 people. We learn that God reveals himself in the drawing in of the elect, 318 00:28:03.460 --> 00:28:07.180 that as we listen to him, that is, we proclaim his name, 319 00:28:07.980 --> 00:28:11.180 all kinds will be brought in and it will be a quite heavy weight 320 00:28:11.339 --> 00:28:15.930 and the net will not break. We also learn that God will continue to 321 00:28:15.089 --> 00:28:18.970 shepherd is people, to care for us. He will not only catch us, 322 00:28:19.009 --> 00:28:23.170 but he will care for us and there will be sustaining relationships and spoonful 323 00:28:23.289 --> 00:28:29.400 by spoonful, Sunday by Sunday, day by day, the Lord will feed 324 00:28:29.440 --> 00:28:33.240 us and take care of us and ultimately, as this work goes on, 325 00:28:33.839 --> 00:28:40.559 the success of this is his, it's his word, it's his directive, 326 00:28:40.640 --> 00:28:45.509 it's his commission, it's his people. We will be a part of that, 327 00:28:45.670 --> 00:28:49.349 we will enjoy that, we will eat breakfast with the Lord, but 328 00:28:49.549 --> 00:28:53.950 ultimately it will be him who is empowering us, him whose strengthening us, 329 00:28:56.420 --> 00:29:00.259 and that's important to for us to remember because, as it will involve suffering 330 00:29:00.420 --> 00:29:07.460 and trials and temptations and difficulties of every kind, we must remember that the 331 00:29:07.619 --> 00:29:11.809 Lord is in command, that the Lord is king, that it is the 332 00:29:11.970 --> 00:29:17.130 Lord who died and the Lord who rose again from the dead to make his 333 00:29:17.329 --> 00:29:26.079 people, to establish his kingdom forever and ever and ever. Amen, our 334 00:29:26.119 --> 00:29:27.880 heavenly father, we thank you for your word. We