I’m going fishing!
By
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
OPENING: - Let me open with the understatement of the year and say, “Life is hard sometimes”. We are constantly reminded of struggles, hard times, disasters, tragedies, heartaches, the failing economy, the decline of moral principles, lawlessness, family struggles, societal confusion, political pandemonium, religious rhetoric, etc.
There are times in this walk with God that we will become discouraged, disappointed, feel lonely, wonder what is going on, and even question God. The danger of this is when you feel or become tempted to believe that if you just satisfy this desire that is producing this feeling that everything will be alright. During these times you may even begin to doubt the promises of God and question the plans he has for you.
Understand no child of God is exempt from the dark clouds entering into their lives from time to time. Great men of God like David, Job, Jeremiah, Elijah and the Disciples experienced discouragement, disappointment and even questioned in their lives. The way we view and respond to times of disappointments and discouragements will determine how we press on and are able to persevere with joy.
We must learn to see the big picture and be able to be of good cheer, no matter how bad things might appear, we must be assured knowing that God loves us and will be there for us in our time of need. We must learn to rejoice because we have Christ in us the hope of glory.
Today I am speaking on the subject “I’m going fishing”. This is not talking about going down to the river or lake and sitting there enjoying a day with my fishing pole in the water, but dealing with disappointment, discouragement, misconceptions in our Christian journey.
PRAYER: -
SCRIPTURE: - John 21:1-7 & 14 “After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself. There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples. Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing. But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No. And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea. This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead”.
We find in our text in verse #1 the Bible says, “After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias and on this wise showed he himself.”
Understand this is after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus had already appeared to the disciple once in 20:19-23 the Bible says “Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.” Jesus appeared to them after His resurrection, Peace was bestowed upon them, Promises were made, and the disciples were glad.
But Thomas was not there with them when Jesus came. Then in verse 26 of the 20th chapter the Bible says, “And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.” The number 8 means a new beginning. After 8 days Jesus appeared before them again or the 2nd time the number 2 represents division, the number 8 represents new beginning. When Jesus appeared the 2nd time on the 8th day it represents dividing the old things from the new things, the Old Testament from the New Testament, the Law from the Promise, Jesus was showing them a new beginning, all the things that they had seen, experienced, gone through and learned up to this point was all part of the process to get them to a new beginning and Thomas was with them and Jesus said unto Thomas “Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side and be not faithless, but believing and Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God and Jesus said unto him Thomas because thou hast seen me thou believed, blessed are they that have not seen and yet believed”. WATCH THIS: - Doubt was soothed, for Jesus’ sooths all our doubts. Jesus performed many signs in the presence of his disciples after he did these things, he manifested himself at the sea of Tiberias, but all the disciples were not there with him at the sea of Tiberias.
Verse #2 says “There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples”. This totals 7, we know that 7 is God’s number it represents “spiritual completeness and spiritual perfection.” it is the most mentioned number in the Bible. So, we see we have 7 disciples here.
There is something that you need to understand about the order of these disciples mentioned here in verse #2. Understand that God always operates in a Divine Order. We are familiar with the mentioning of Peter, James, and John the Bible often speaks about Peter, James, and John. Jesus took Peter, James, and John, on the Mount of Transfiguration Jesus was transfigured before Peter, James, and John, when Jarisus daughter died he took Peter, James and John. Why is it that at one point there are 70, then 12 are chosen, but mostly only 3 are able to go different places, yet there is only one that is said to be the disciple that Jesus loved, it’s a Divine Order. Many people would try to argue that Peter, James, and John were Jesus favorites and say I thought God doesn’t have respecter of person because they fail to understand exactly what Peter, James, and John represented they fail to understand the purpose because they fail to understand the Divine Order. I’m going fishing.
WATCH THIS: Peter represents FAITH. We often talk about Peter and say he sank in the sea of Galilee, he denied Jesus 3 times, he was quick tempered, yet in still he is the representation of FAITH because he was the only one to get out of the boat and walked on the water, even though he sank it took FAITH to get out of the boat in the first place. When Jesus asked whom do men say that I the son of man am, the popular belief according to society was that he was Elijah, Isaiah or one of the prophets, but Peter said “Thou art Christ the Son of the Living God”, that took FAITH because he had to go contrary to what was popular. Many people will be on the bandwagon when things are popular but TRUE FAITH is being able to stand when it’s not popular anymore. That’s what Jesus was talking about when he said upon this rock I build my Church, not on Peter, but upon the solid foundation of faith. Peter represents faith because he realized his limitations and began to walk in the limitless resources of God.
James and John, they were brothers, the sons of Zebedee. Whenever you read of them in the Bible it always mentions both. You never read about just John or just James, even when it talks about their deaths it mentions them together. The reason they are mentioned together is because of what they represented. In the Bible there are two things that always go together, you have one because of the other and that is goodness and mercy.
WATCH THIS: Wherever faith goes goodness and mercy follows, for the Bible says in Psalm 23 goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, WHY, because I had faith to believe that the Lord is my shepherd, I have faith to believe that I don’t have to want for anything because I have faith in the Lord my shepherd and because I have faith goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. That’s why you hear so much about Peter, James, and John, because to be with Jesus requires faith, to be in his presence requires faith and when you have faith goodness and mercy automatically will follow. When Jarius’ daughter died he suffered no man to follow him save Peter, James, and John, Why because Jesus was about to do a great miracle, but it was going to take faith on the part of Jarius and his wife and because of their faith they were going to receive God’s goodness and mercy. That’s why we hear so much about Peter, James, and John. FAITH GOODNESS & MERCY 3, 3 is the second most mentioned number in the Bible, 3 speaks of solidity it is the symbol of fullness. It denotes Divine testimony. It represents the 3 manifestations of God. REMEMBER THAT. Faith, Goodness, & Mercy.
So that’s why we read so much about Peter, James, and John because of what they represented. But in 21:2 it’s different it is Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples. We have established that there were 7 and that 7 is God’s number it represents “spiritual completeness and spiritual perfection” so we know by that, that there is going to be a perfect completeness with these 7 at the sea of Tiberias, because of the number 7, but something was about to happen or they would not have come to the completed result, so let’s look at the line up.
We know Peter means faith, but he is called Simon Peter here, this is for a reason, he is getting ready to go through something that is going to change his life. God was about to impart to him and the other disciple something that would literally catapult them into another spiritual level, it would bring them into a new beginning, but they had to be prepared to be able to handle what was about to come. In their minds what they were experiencing did not meet their expectations, it wasn’t easy, they had began to struggle with disappointment and discouragement.
Simon Peter, Simon was his given name or his carnal name for he was Simon the son of Jonah, that is what is meant by Simon bar Jonah, Simon son of Jonah. Peter is his spiritual name, it is the name he is called after his transformation, his experience with Christ. He is called here Simon Peter because he is literally struggling with the human nature Simon and the spiritual nature Peter, he is living out Galatians 5:17 “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would”. It is at this point when we struggle with the flesh and the spirit that the devil really tries hit you hard with disappointment, discouragement, temptations, lustful desires and everything he has in his arsenal. This is what is happening to Peter and the other disciples.
Jesus had been crucified; Peter denied him 3 times, the number 3 means fullness and solidity, so it was a complete and solid denial of Jesus on Peter’s part. Yet here is the risen Jesus now in a glorified body manifesting himself in his presence. Peter, who represents faith, is struggling with the concept that he has failed, he feels like he is a disappointment, and he becomes discouraged. He was at a point where he had to reconcile his faith with his current circumstances. We all must come to the point when we reconcile our faith with our circumstances. I know what I believe, I know God can, but what I believe and what I am dealing with right now I am struggling with trying to reconcile, I am struggling with trying to make sense of this. If I didn’t at some point reconcile what I am seeing with what I believe I would literally go out of my mind because I would have no hope, my current circumstances would literally overwhelm ne and I wouldn’t be able to realize that a change has to come, or I would lose my natural mind.
No doubt in his mind he is remembering when Jesus said that the devil desires to have you that he may sift you as wheat, he is probably saying boy I really messed up now, he no doubt felt that he was not worthy to be in the presence of the Lord after all that he had done, his foot didn’t almost slipped, he fell in and made a big splash, but he failed to understand that a just man falleth 7 times and riseth up again, no doubt he was remembering the cross and the crucified savor and all the things that Jesus suffered, he probably felt like the scum of the earth and in his mind said what would Jesus have to do with me.
Then we have Thomas not a lot is spoken about Thomas other than how he doubted the resurrection of Jesus and said unless he could see for himself, he would not believe. Thomas is called Didymus, which is the Greek word for twin. There is something about twins and it is not so much what they do but what society makes them feel. When you have twins, one is mostly always called by their name, they are the more outgoing and assertive one, so they are called by their name the other is just often called twin. They are made to feel as though they don’t have their own identity, they are made to feel inferior and incomplete without the other one. They are compared to the other one because they possess the looks as their twin, but their personality is different, that’s why psychologist and psychiatrist say if you have twins don’t always dress them alike, don’t always get them the same gifts because they are different people with different personalities, but Thomas is called Didymus (TWIN) he is made to feel less important and incomplete and in 20:25 “The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.” It was his way of getting respect for himself, although he is known as doubting Thomas it was his way of getting some much-needed respect and acknowledgement. Anybody ever wanted just a little R.E.S.P.E.C.T.
Then we have Nathanael. Nathanael represents the rest of the world, he was the man that said “Can anything good come out of Nazareth”. He was full of skepticism, because what he saw wasn’t all glitz and glitter, it didn’t have flash and pizzazz, because it didn’t fit into the so-called norm of society, he didn’t really want anything to do with it. How many times have you heard someone say how can you have fun being saved you can’t do anything, you can’t go anywhere that is just boring, baby that’s a Nathanael spirit.
Then you have the sons of Zebedee that represented goodness and mercy and two other disciples, which made 7.
In verse 3 Simon Peter said, “I go a fishing”. In the Greek this literally means I’m going back to what I used to do. He is struggling with the spirit and the flesh and in his mind says I can’t go on, the battle is too strong, I’m giving up, and I’m going back to what was comfortable. He was in that place between realizing what God has promised and apprehending that that He has promised.
Many times, in this Christian walk we want to go to another level, but when we get out there to get to that level, we find that in order to get there it isn’t a smooth ride, the devil is out there against us, people we thought were on our side decided to leave us alone and all by ourselves. We now deal with disappointments because things don’t meet our expectations, our thoughts are affected because surely by now in my walk with God I should be past this, yet I have to deal with this issue now my expectation is busted. It’s not comfortable out here so we revert back to what we used to do because it is comfortable.
That’s why so many times you see church folk for a month or two months be on fire for God then it’s like out of no where they just stop WHY because they went back to what was comfortable.
Peter said I go a fishing, I’m going back to what is comfortable. Because Peter represents faith where your faith goes everything else follows, for the Bible says they say unto him we also go with thee. Because faith went back to what was comfortable, doubt, insecurity, skepticism are also there, saying yeah I told you that it wouldn’t work, I told you that God has respecter of persons, yeah I didn’t think that there could be any good in that thing, but God said I will never leave you or forsake you, so goodness and mercy come also not because it is comfortable but to remind us just how good and merciful God is.
See when you decide to go back to what is comfortable, what is familiar there is that pulling and tugging at you to come back to Jesus that pulling is goodness and mercy.
The Bible says they went forth and entered into a ship immediately and that night caught nothing. They went back to what was comfortable only to find that it didn’t work anymore. You’ve been struggling for such a long time, you cried and cried battling between the flesh and spirit, you’ve said Lord those simple things that I once knew the memories are drawing me, you’re crying and crying Lord have mercy on me, but I am reminded of a scripture that says weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning.
WATCH THIS: verse 4 says “But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus” He was standing right where they left him on the shore, it represents the place from where they were to where they were going and the only way to get to where they were going was to get to Jesus, they had gone back to the so-called comfortable things only to find that it didn’t work, but when morning came Jesus was standing there on the shore at the Sea of Tiberias, not in their past, but in their future, they had gone back to their past, they had gone back to what was comfortable searching for something all night long and didn’t find what they were looking.
You might have been look for something for a very long time and have not been able to find it, you have searched your past and often wondered why you were not able to find happiness, joy, peace, it’s because it’s in your future and Jesus is standing there trying to get you into your future, but you got to do it God’s way. He was standing there but the disciple didn’t know that it was Jesus.
He says in verse 5 “have ye any meat”, in other word have you found what you’ve been looking for, they answer him no. I ask you the question have you found what you’ve been looking for, you have been searching in all the wrong places and for the wrong things.
In verse 6 Jesus said unto them, “Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.” In other words, you’ve been doing it your way long enough and you didn’t find what you were looking for now do it Gods’ way, they still didn’t know that this was Jesus, but they did it anyhow, this is faith in action. They cast therefore and were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. Because they did it God’s way he blessed them HOW exceedingly abundantly above all they could ask or think.
In verse 7, remember 7 is Gods’ number, the Bible says that disciple that Jesus loved talking about John, who represents mercy, because Jesus had just showed his mercy on them even though they didn’t deserve it, John said it’s the Lord, no doubt someone said how do you know it’s the Lord you can’t see him I believe John said can’t no body do me like Jesus I know his work, we searched all night long and didn’t find a thing but because of his mercy he did it, he didn’t have to do it but he did.
Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fishers coat unto him for he was naked, someone might say what was he doing naked, he wasn’t naked as you may think he was, but that he didn’t have on the full garment, look at the spiritual significance, it means he wrapped himself in the full armor of God, before he didn’t have on the full armor he was struggling between the flesh and the spirit, his emotions and the Will of God. He like us had to come to the end of himself, that carnal nature had to be brought under subjection to be able to understand the fullness of God.
SUMMARY: - So how do we deal with disappointments, discouragements, temptations.
We must listen to the voice of God, trust Him, and do what he says do.
We must wrap ourselves in the full armour of God.
We must earnestly seek Jesus.
We must understand that we are never alone, even if we feel lonely. Jesus said I will never leave you nor forsake you.
We must not become double minded for a double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
We can’t blame others for the way we feel our disappointments and discouragements are ours.
We must be determined that I am not going to stay in this condition.
We must reflect upon our circumstances and reconcile our faith.
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
