“God knows how to make Lemonade
John 21:1-2 MSG
1.After this, Jesus appeared again to the disciples, this time at the Tiberias Sea (the Sea of Galilee). This is how he did it: Simon Peter, Thomas (nicknamed "Twin"), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the brothers Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. Simon Peter announced, "I'm going fishing."
Now at this time, Peter was still in somewhat of a state of shock, after all it had been a whirlwind of events
He was still beside himself, over what he had said, when he denied that he knew Jesus, I'm sure the devil had been working overtime on him.
I don’t know of any one, who has never felt like quitting at some point in their lives.
Things just didn’t work out the way you wanted them to, or maybe someone did or said something to you.
Or you did something to someone else and regretted it.
Maybe you have been praying and seeking God for a specific need for a long time and still haven't received your desired answer
And you almost think He has forgotten your address and you want to give up.
Don’t give up, your answer is closer than you think. Your miracle is just around the corner!
He hasn’t forgot about your need and He still knows your address, He knows everything about you, David knew this about as well as anyone.
Psalm 56:8 NIV
You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.
God cares enough about you, that He not only counted, but also collected every tear you've ever shed, Thats How Much He Loves You!
Like Peter, we have all shot ourselves in the foot on occasion and most of us have done it more than once, and even in the same foot!
The self inflicted injuries are usually the most painful ones, because we like to think that we can control what we do to ourselves.
I’'m sure that Peter was no different in his way of thinking, earlier he had told Jesus pretty much, that he would do anything for Him, to the point were Jesus had, had to rebuke him
John 18:10 Msg.
Just then Simon Peter, who was carrying a sword, pulled it from its sheath and struck the Chief Priest's servant, cutting off his right ear. Malchus was the servant's name.
You see, he loved Jesus and wanted to protect Him, one minute willing to go to his grave, for Him and the next thing you know,
He's saying, nope you've got the wrong guy, that wasn't me, that was just someone who looks like me, you must be mistaken, i don't even know this Jesus you're talking about!
John 18:25-27 msg.
25.Meanwhile, Simon Peter was back at the fire, still trying to get warm. The others there said to him, "Aren't you one of his disciples?" He denied it, "Not me."
26.One of the Chief Priest's servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, said, "Didn't I see you in the garden with him?"
27.Again, Peter denied it. Just then a rooster crowed.
His whole world was about to fall apart, he was beside himself, We can only imagine what he must have been thinking?
It’s a lot easier being courageous, when the guy who can do everything and anything and knows no limits in this world or the next, is standing next to you, ready to just speak the word and make it happen!
What would he do now, without Jesus? How would he go on?
You can imagine how he felt, he had denied Jesus just like He said he would
And there was nothing he could do about it.
From here on out, like all the others, all he could do was watch from a far, wandering what in the world, would happen next.
It was like a bad dream, only it wasn't a dream, it was all happening in real time and there wasn't a thing they could do about it!
He must have been feeling an enormous amount of guilt and condemnation, like what’'s the use,
How could I have done that, I’'m not worthy, I’'ll just quit. I’'m sure all kinds of synarios were going through his mind.
What he didn’'t realize though was that, Jesus loved him in spite of what he had done and had already forgiven him completely, even though he didn't know it, better days were right around the corner,
Jesus had great plans for Peter, He wasn’t through with Him, even though it didn't seem like it, It wasn‘t the end, it was only the beginning!
He had no idea that the best part was yet to come!
John 21:1-2 msg. (remember our text, Peter said “I’m going fishing”)
3-4.The rest of them replied, "We're going with you." They went out and got in the boat. They caught nothing that night. When the sun came up, Jesus was standing on the beach, but they didn't recognize him.
5.Jesus spoke to them: "Good morning! Did you catch anything for breakfast?"
They answered, "No." (But you should have seen the one that got away)
Just kidding!
You see a lot of times when we don’t know what to do, we go back to what we know how to do, or so we think we think we know how to do.
And sometimes when we do, we influence others to go along with us. (misery loves company)
Notice though, when they returned to what they knew, without Jesus being involved in it, they were not successful
Even after they had given it their all, they still had not even caught a little one.
You know the kind a small boy’s first catch is, you take a picture of it, but the only thing you see in the picture is the smile on the boys face, because the fish is to small.
But notice what happened after they quit trying to do it on their own and relied on Jesus!
John 21:6 & 10-11msg.
6.He said, "Throw the net off the right side of the boat and see what happens."
They did what he said. All of a sudden there were so many fish in it, they weren't strong enough to pull it in.
10-11.Jesus said, "Bring some of the fish you've just caught." Simon Peter joined them and pulled the net to shore, 153 big fish! And even with all those fish, the net didn't rip.
Notice it said not just any old fish, but 153 big fish, probably some of the biggest fish they had ever seen.
Although they didn't deserve it, God still hit it out of the park, when it came time to bless them, He always does, that's His Love action!
Even when you think, you’ve done something wrong against God and your not worthy of His goodness to you, you couldn’t be farther from the truth.
When you do that, you make it about you and want you have done. That’s the opposite of Grace! That's a Grace killer!
TBS the least shall be first in the kingdom of God!
Its not about what you do to merit Gods goodness and His amazing ability to bless you, because you could never do enough to warrant His Blessings, if you tried the rest of your life!
its about what He already did to make it available to you, without your involvement at all! Praise God!
When your going through something and you feel like giving up, its almost like you think that your all alone in your dilemma,
Nothing could be farther from the truth, you may have left the scene of the incident and went to the pity party,
you may have went somewhere both physically and spiritually, but God hasn’t went anywhere!
He’s still right there waiting patiently for you to ask Him for His help, ready to deliver you, the moment you do!
Nothing can take you away or stand between you and Gods Love! Nothing!!
You’re the only one who lets something get between you and God, not Him!
and your not even capable of that, because TBS nothing shall separate you, from the Love Of God!
Even when your not, He is completely committed to the relationship!
1st Peter 4:12-13 MSG
12-13.Friends, when life gets really difficult, don't jump to the conclusion that God isn't on the job. Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what Christ experienced. This is a spiritual refining process, with glory just around the corner.
With Glory just around the corner, that sounds like a plan to me, that sounds like hope to me, that sounds like there's 153 Big Blessings coming down the road, headed my direction to me! Praise God!
Psalms 23:6 NKJ
5. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
6. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever.
The MSG. Says,
Your beauty and love chase after me
every day of my life.
Look back to verse three of our text, In the last part of that verse it says: "they caught nothing that night" (and believe me it's not like they didn't try)
Any good fisherman knows how to try real hard to catch fish, when there not biting. You bait, re-bait, try a lure, pray and re-bait again, (repeat)
This tells us God did not intend for them to return to something Familiar!
He doesn't want us to go backwards, but to move forward
Because when you return to something that you already know,
it doesn't require very much faith on your part, because you already know what to expect.
(familiarity, will never stretch you and allow your faith to grow)
Jesus said Himself: No one pours new wine into old wineskins.
Luke 5:36-39 NKJ
Then He spoke a parable to them: “No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old one; otherwise the new makes a tear, and also the piece that was taken out of the new does not match the old.
37. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined.
38. But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved.
39. And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, ‘The old is better.’”
God wants to take our walk with Him to new levels, He wants us to grow in our relationship with Him and as we do,
He wants to reveal more of Himself in our walk with Him all along the way, but it's a choice we have to make!
He is the ultimate Gentlemen, He won't force more of Himself onto us, unless we ask and seek Him out!
Human nature sometimes, or should I say almost always fights change that were not ready for, we like to think the old way is better.
That’s why the phrase, “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” rings true with most people.
Peter wasn’t ready for the change that was happening, most times like Peter, were never ready for change when its happening.
But God was doing a new thing to bring us closer to Him, God is always continuing to do new things in all of our lives.
TBS. he is new every morning, Great is His Faithfulness!!
He wants to take us to new levels and show us more of his goodness each and every day.
And the more we rely on Him and His goodness and not on our own abilities,
the more we realize that He is our power source for every situation, instead of ourselves,
And when we do, it's amazing how much more miraculous things start to come about in our lives.
TBS. Zech 4:6 (KJV)
6. Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.
“Its not by might, its not by power, but by my spirit says the Lord of Hosts”.
God wanted Peter and those who were with him (and us as well) to know,
That you can’'t do it on your own, He didn’t want Peter to do it on his own, and He doesn’t expect us to either!
He wants us to know, He will be there every step of the way to help us, always telling us just where to throw the net, each and every time! Amen!
Jesus was their power source, He was their source for everything,
When He showed up on the scene, everything changed for the better, it always does,
the more Jesus is involved in anything, the better everything goes!
John 21:11 NKJ.
Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not broken.
Jesus, blessed them and blessed them good! Not because of what they had done, but because of who He was.
Your blessing does not depend on what you do, if it did, you’d never get one!
You would toil all night and day only to come up empty handed every time.
Were not so different from Peter you and I, sometimes we think were so tough, only to find out differently through our own humility.
Have you ever heard this quote?
* When the going get tough the tough get going, But reality for a lot of us is,
* When the going gets tough, we find out we ain’t as tough as we thought we were,
sometimes it’s not that easy completing the task that’s been set before us.
A lot of people just give up and want to quit when they come up against difficulties, they find themselves saying what’s the use?
Their response should be: My God, has never failed me yet!”
And whatever comes my way, were going through it together and I‘m gonna come out a winner on the other side.
Jesus knows us inside and out, He understands everything we go through, because He has already experienced it and been victorious over it! Praise God!
*People will fail you!
*Family will fail you!
*Friends will fail you!
*Your Government will fail you!
*You will even fail you!
Life will let you down sometimes
This one Fact remains the same, God will never let you down, He will never fail you!
He’s all the time busy, working behind the scenes, to get good things lined up to happen to you.
He is in constant pursuit, working all things for our good when we put our faith and trust in Him.
So if life tries to throw you a lemon, know that He is right there to help you make the best lemonade you'll ever have!
He has promised, that He will take care of you, no matter what happens.
Will there be times of struggle, times you get tired and feel like quitting, probably.
TBS.(the bible says) His strength is perfect, when our strength is gone!
That's when He wants us to enjoy the unforced rhythms of Grace, that He longs for us to have!
Before the beginning of the world, God knew you and has had a plan for your life from that very moment.
You have had placed on you, the highest calling ever known to mankind,
to serve and to know the love and goodness of God! (Hallelujah, Glory to God!)
You may have been looked over, passed over and set aside by the world, But not by God!
He actually chose you, long before you chose Him.
You are one of His treasures, one of His most valued possessions, He loves you more than you will ever know!
Lets pray.
