We Go A Fishing - John 21:1-22
Introduction:
1. Ray O’Conner - Ultimate Night Fisherman - He loved to fish and he loved to teach others how to fish.
Owned the home we lived in in Aurora Wisconsin when I was a boy.
Ultimate Bullhead Fisherman -
Knew where - Favorite sloughs (off the Menomenie River seprating Wisconsin from Michigan?) ... He never really told us where we were.
Knew How - Pole with a kerosene lantern on the end to draw bugs or fish or both. Bamboo poles with bait fished in the light.
Knew what it took to be successful -
Prepared to stay until they quit biting - Gunnysacks for fish
Prepared to finish when fishing was over -
Wheelbarrow to dump the catch in -
Special vise in his workshop that held a special board he’d made to nail the bullheads to in order to skin them.
Assigned task for each fisherman who went with him.
2. Definitions of love - Play on words here in the text.
Unconditional Love - agapaw
Kindly affection - fhilew
3. Reasons for serving Jesus
Negative Positive
Personal Success His Position - Son of the Living God
Reward His Purpose - Saviour - Seek & Save lost
Family Tradition His Perfection - Tempted without sin
Fear (Peer pressure, hell) His Presence - Adopted into His family
4. Motivation for serving Jesus - Mark 12:28-31
"One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, "What commandment is the foremost of all?" Jesus answered, "The foremost is, ’hear, o israel! the lord our god is one lord; and you shall love the lord your god with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ "The second is this, ’you shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these."
5. This passage of Scripture identifies the motive that Jesus wants us to have for following Him.
I. The Invitation to Follow His Leading Is Based Upon Love- John 21:1-9
"After these things Jesus manifested Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and He manifested Himself in this way. Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will also come with you." They went out and got into the boat; and that night they caught nothing. But when the day was now breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. So Jesus said to them, "Children, you do not have any fish, do you?" They answered Him, "No." And He said to them, "Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat and you will find a catch." So they cast, and then they were not able to haul it in because of the great number of fish. Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord." So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put his outer garment on (for he was stripped for work), and threw himself into the sea. But the other disciples came in the little boat, for they were not far from the land, but about one hundred yards away, dragging the net full of fish. So when they got out on the land, they saw a charcoal fire already laid and fish placed on it, and bread.
1. Peter Barjona - Motive
Some would say discouraged - returned to old haunts - I go a fishing
Scriptures support dedication - Matthew 28:1-11, 16-20
Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave. And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. 4 The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. "He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. "Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you." And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me." Now while they were on their way, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all that had happened...
But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
2. Jesus invites us to obedience and compliance is based upon love - John 14:15-24
"If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. "After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also. "In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him." Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, "Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world?" Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. "He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me.
II. The Invitation To Fellowship With The Living Lord - John 21:10-14
"Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish which you have now caught." Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." None of the disciples ventured to question Him, "Who are You?" knowing that it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and the fish likewise. This is now the third time that Jesus was manifested to the disciples, after He was raised from the dead.
1. Fellowship of Love - John 15:8-10 "My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. "Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
2. Fellowship of Joy John 15:11,12 "These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. "This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.
3. Fellowship of Friendship John 15:13-15 "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. "You are My friends if you do what I command you. "No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.
III. The Invitation To Loving Service - John 21:15-25
1. Invitation to be a Caregiver
Tend His Lambs So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love (agaph) Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love (fhilew) You." He said to him, "Tend My lambs."
Shepherd His Sheep - He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love agaph Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love (fhilew) You." He said to him, "Shepherd My sheep."
Tend His Sheep He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love (fhilew) Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love (fhilew) Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love (fhilew) You." Jesus said to him, "Tend My sheep.
Responsibility to one another - "Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.: Epheisans 4:32
2. Invitation to be a Witness (Martyr) - 18 "Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go." 19 Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me!" 20 Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; the one who also had leaned back on His bosom at the supper and said, "Lord, who is the one who betrays You?"
3. Invitation to be a Witness (as God directs) 21 So Peter seeing him said to Jesus, "Lord, and what about this man?"22 Jesus said to him, "If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!" 23 Therefore this saying went out among the brethren that that disciple would not die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but only, "If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you?" 24 This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true. 25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written.
Conclusion.
1. He Wants Our Love - Lovest thou me
2. He Wants our Best Love - More than these
3. He Wants Us To Profess Our Love - Do you love me and are you willing to go public with it?
4. He Wants Our Love To Show - Tend My Sheep
5. What is that to you? You Follow Me.
We Are Called To Be Us
God has a purpose for each of us using who we are to follow Him
6. Will you become the Ultimate People Fisherman?
You’ll need to love the one who taught us.
You’ll need to love the people He loved.
You’ll need to love to teach others how to fish.
Know where - Show them the special spots to catch fish.
Know How - Show them the special techniques you’ve used.
Knew What - Show them how to persevere
Know Which - Assign tasks to match skill levels of the fisherman who you’re teaching.
7. Questions to Answer
Do you love Jesus?
Do you love Jesus more than these?
Do you really love Jesus?
If you really love Jesus... You’ll start tending to His business.
