(Jamie Haith)

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Transcript

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Welcome to SGTM Talks.

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We hope you find this encouraging and inspiring. Our reading today is John chapter 21, reading from verse 1. Afterward, Jesus appeared again to his disciples by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way. Simon Peter Thomas, also known as Didymus, Nathaniel from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. I'm going out to fish, Simon Peter told them. And they said, We'll go with you. So they went out and got into the boat. But that night they caught nothing. Early in the morning Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them, Friends, haven't you any fish? No, they answered. He said, Throw your net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some. When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, It's the Lord. As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, It is the Lord, he wrapped his outer garment around him, for he had taken it off, and jumped into the water. The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, but they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it and some bread. Jesus said to them, Bring some of the fish you've just caught. So Simon Peter climbed into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three. But even with so many the net was not torn. And Jesus said to them, Come and have breakfast. None of the disciples dared asked him, Who are you? They knew it was the Lord. And Jesus came, took the bread, and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead. In this wonderful scene, we see four phrases that Jesus uses: one question, one command, and two invitations. And they say so much about not only the experience of the disciples, but I believe are also an insight into how we can be living our lives today. All that God is calling us into. Life to the full, enjoying all of God's abundance. The first question, the first phrase is a question, friends, haven't you any fish? What do we draw from this? I believe we can draw from this that God's abundance is not reliant on our resources. Fact number one, I love fishing. Fact number two, I'm not very good at fishing. Uh, couple those facts together and you will understand how quickly I'm a past master at knowing that this question that Jesus calls out a hundred yards across the water is quite possibly the most annoying question you can ever be asked as a fisherman. Verse five, he called out to them, friends, haven't you any fish? I don't know. I've got a sneaking suspicion Jesus is actually enjoying this. He's being cheeky. He knows they haven't got anything. And don't you love their reply? No, they answered. That's it. No. At least that's what's recorded that they said. I bet there was actually quite a lot of muttering going on in the boat. Haven't you got any fish? What kind of questions is that? Haven't you got any fish? From you there on the shore, nice and dry. Yeah, great. But you slept last night. Have you got any fish? Have you got any fish? I'll give you. Have you got any fish? Go on, mate. Jog on. Carry on with your morning stroll. Haven't you got any fish? There's no way they said just no. They were muttering. They were saying some other stuff too, because verse 4, the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. They didn't recognize him. It's early, they've been up all night, they're tired. It's still only half light. Plus, they're a hundred yards from shore. Practical reasons why they wouldn't realize it's Jesus, but more than that, they were still struggling with the whole thing. Even though they'd seen him already, they're still wrestling with this whole concept of resurrection. I believe that's why they went fishing in the first place. Jesus has appeared to them, then gone, then he's there, and then he's not. And Peter decides that his way of dealing with all of this, with all that he's seen, with all that he's done, his way to deal with this is to revert what he does best. He reverts to type, goes default, he returns to his boat. He needs some man time, he needs some cave time, he needs some time to clear his head. I'm going out to fish, Simon Peter told them. Just him and the open water. Peace. At which point he hears a response from all the others, which must have made his heart sink, and they said, We'll go with you. So much for time alone. They all want to go. They all want to go because they're all struggling as well. And they will continue to struggle in their minds with what's going on. They will continue to struggle until the day of Pentecost, until the Holy Spirit comes and fires up their hearts, until the Holy Spirit comes and connects their thoughts about the cross and the resurrection with their experience of the power of the cross and the resurrection. But until the day of Pentecost, until until head drops into heart, until logic fires up into faith, we're faced with the extreme frailty of these men. Let's be honest here, they have next to nothing in and of themselves that could come close to becoming the foundation of the worldwide church down through the ages. They've got no human strength left. That's the picture here. All they have is this extraordinary revelation of the resurrection that they are still working out and trying to comprehend. So Jesus' question is not one of fishing success, it's more of ultimate resource. His inference is that by their own hand, by their own strength, by their own know-how, their results will be worse than poor. By themselves they caught nothing. By themselves they can do nothing. But God's abundance is not reliant on our own resources. Let's take a look at ourselves today. What do you see when you look at yourself? What do you see? How is it going for you? Haven't you any fish? Success? Any resources beyond what's frail, the very normal? God's abundance is not reliant on your own resources. Reading and rereading this passage over and over, one of the key things that struck me is not perhaps what you would expect. I've been deeply moved by the kindness of Jesus. So half jokingly, but making a serious point, he asks them, haven't you any fish? No. He points out the painfully obvious lack of resources, but in his kindness he doesn't leave them in that place. So what does Jesus do to encourage them? What does he say next? The second phrase throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some. And when they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. It's the offer of divine intervention. Or more accurately, divine partnership. Jesus doesn't make fish magically appear in the boat. He doesn't cause plentiful pods of pilchards to prostrate themselves before Peter. He calls on them to do something themselves, to trust and to obey. It's not a suggestion. He's not saying, Have you tried over there? I just saw a little rise, I saw a ripple over there. It's a specific command and an unshakable promise. Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some. It's just like with the feeding of the 5,000. Now you go and distribute the food, and as you do so, I will multiply it. I want you to learn a crucial kingdom principle here. That you do the thing that you can do, and then I will do the thing that only I can do. You see it time and time again in scripture. Feeding of the 5,000, they're giving the bread, and they look down, and there's more to give. They're like, how did that happen? And then they give it. They didn't get showered with baguettes from on high. They were giving out peace and then a peace, and they look, and there's a peace. It's the same with Moses at the Red Sea. He does the one thing he can do, put out his arm. It's the same with Noah in the Ark. I can't, I can't, you know, make a miracle, but I can build. The miracle comes as we obey, as we step out. That sense of God calling us to something. Okay, I don't know, but I'll give it a go. And then we grow as we go. That's when we see amazing and unique things happening. Not that this is the only miraculous catch of fish in the New Testament, of course, it's a repeat miracle of what we see, what Jesus did on the lake of Gennesaret in Luke 5. So why do it a second time? To make it clear that it's him on the beach, probably, partly. As we saw a few weeks ago with the disciples on the road to Emmaus. Everyone is struggling to recognize and comprehend their Jesus there in his transformed, resurrected body. Maybe he's doing it to drive home the teaching point from before that he's the God of miracles and he wants partnership. I think it's more than that as well. In its fullness, I believe this miracle catch, like the first, as recorded by Luke, is mainly for the sake of Peter. This is where we come onto the kindness of Jesus. Let's read it from Luke 5. This is when Luke is recording this extraordinary event. One day, as Jesus was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. He saw at the water's edge two boats left there by the fishermen who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, Put out into deep water, let down the nets for a catch. Simon answered, Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets. And when they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signalled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, Go away from me, Lord, I am a sinful man. For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken. And so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon's partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, Don't be afraid. From now on, you will fish for people. So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything, and followed him. That's the context for Jesus' first call on Peter. Jesus calls Peter away from all he has ever known to follow him. He calls Peter from working to fill his own belly to live for a far, far higher calling. All Peter has ever known is fishing. And Jesus, graciously using language that Peter will understand, he says, one day you're going to fish for people. But that promise, when we read John 21, is yet to be fulfilled. And that initial promise must have been ringing in Peter's ears and reverberating around his brain as he fished that night, as recorded by John, on the Sea of Galilee, because Peter has blown it. He's blown it big time. Surely he believes that every promise he ever made to Jesus is now lying in tatters on the floor. Surely that means that he's shattered any potential he had for God. That's why he's fishing in the first place. He's gone back, he's gone back to the only thing he knows what to do. But even that's not working. So there he is, and he feels ruined, he feels useless. But then in steps Jesus, and he's so kind. Jesus is just so kind to Peter. In the later verses of John 21, if you read on, we see Jesus reinstating the call on Peter's life. Jesus' triple command covering and cancelling Peter's triple denial of him. And that process begins right here in this moment with this supernatural hall of fish. And as Peter watches those nets fill up to overflowing, surely he's starting to feel his heart filling to overflowing with the realization, oh my goodness, maybe the promise isn't broken after all. Could it be that I haven't destroyed God's favour over my life? The abundance is still there. That calling, that calling, that's that sweet, precious calling, it's still available. Jesus still believes in me. He still wants to use me. On Easter Sunday, Mary recognized Jesus when he called her name. On Easter Sunday, the disciples recognized Jesus through the wounds in his body. And now Jesus is recognized by Peter through the abundance that comes through the obedience to his word. Don't you love what happens next? It's John who puts two and two together and realizes it's Jesus. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, It is the Lord. Now, if I was writing a gospel, that is exactly how I would describe myself. The disciple whom Jesus loved. It's my gospel, that's how I'm going to describe myself. But it's Peter who John respects. Because as he makes clear it's Peter and only Peter who does this, as soon as Simon Peter heard them say, it is the Lord, he wrapped his outer garment around him, for he had taken it off and jumped into the water. Don't you love how Peter is so blinded by his own sense of failure and loss that he is slower than John to realise that this is the same miracle, that this is Jesus. But don't you also love the fact that Peter's the only one to jump off the boat to race after Jesus? That's Peter, that's his thing. The others stay in the boat, that's their thing, but not Peter. It's Jesus. It's it's Jesus. He's doing the same miracle when he called me. He's calling me again. He's calling me again. He's so passionate, just the thought of being back near Jesus and reinstated in his calling. He is out of that boat. The first time Jesus did this miracle, Peter's reaction is to say, Go away from me, Lord, I am a sinful man. For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken. But now Peter, this time, he's intimately aware of his own sinfulness, personally connected to his own failure, worse than ever. But he is more aware that Jesus is not about legalistic worth. He's not about religious work. Peter now knows that Jesus' abundance, miracles are one thing, but it's the abundance of Jesus' grace and forgiveness that's the greatest miracle of all. So Peter puts on his outer garment and jumps into the water. Interesting, he leaves the boat like he originally left the boat. Peter puts on his outer garment, jumps in the water. Peter puts on his outer garment. Peter puts on his coat to jump into the water. Let's pause for a second. Who in their right mind puts on their coat to go swimming? What was he thinking? Why put more clothes on to swim and wade ashore? The best suggestions and most accurate translations would lead to the conclusion that he was actually fishing semi-naked, words, gymnos, and that he just put on some clothes to see Jesus. I don't get it, I don't like it. If I go fishing in a boat with you, you better have plenty of clothes on, okay? There's too many hooks lying around. Whether Peter had nothing on and put something on, or had something on and put more on, the point is the same. He didn't want to be unclothed in front of Jesus. Because like Adam and Eve in Eden, he already feels naked and ashamed for what he's done. But it's okay because in this miracle, Jesus is saying to Peter and to the other disciples to us today, he's saying this not only is God's abundance not reliant on your resources, but also God's abundance is not dependent on your own worthiness. But there's more. Jesus wants to make more about God's abundance clear to us. He wants to open up core principles of the kingdom of God. What about this that Jesus says next? Bring some of the fish that you've just caught. Bring some of the fish you've just caught. In other words, God's abundance is given to be shared. Jesus said to them, Bring some of the fish you have just caught. Verse 10. So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many, the net was not torn. When they get to the shore, Jesus says, Bring some of your fish, not necessarily all 153, just some. Again, let's pause again. I have a burning question. Who counted the fish? You've got the resurrected Jesus standing there. Someone is counting fish. One, two, three. Yeah, I'll be there in a minute. Four, five. There's always someone like that, isn't there? We all know someone like that. Let's just get this straight. Someone's counting fish. This first century chartered accountant is in the house, but I don't believe that number is significant, other than to point out and remind us that no matter what the miracle and how great the wonder, there is still, even in the church, it's so easy to be worried about numbers. 153 fish. Jesus says, bring some of them here. Get some of that out of the boat where you left them. Stop hoarding the miracle. Be nice. Share. Bring some of the fish. How much should they bring? 10%? I don't know. I bet someone was thinking. Is it 10%? Is that right? Exactly what you mean. 15 fish and one tail? Is that right? Is that what you want? I honestly don't think Jesus cares. I think he's saying this for a different reason. He's saying just share. Just share. The truth is, we all need to be sharing anything and everything that we have from a heart attitude. It's all yours anyway, Lord. So I want to share this. He commands it, not suggests it. Bring some of the fish. And what does Peter do? He goes and drags the whole net. Don't you love him? He doesn't just bring some, he goes and brings it all. I love Peter. I love that attitude, all of me. Key kingdom principle for each of us. Because here's the truth of it. It's not that the Son of God is totally reliant on your resources anyway. He's quite capable of developing and using his own. Look at verse 9. Then when they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it and some bread. They just caught this massive catch of fish, but they don't actually need it because Jesus has already sorted it. How did he do that? Where do you get the fire from? Where do you get the bread from? Where do you get the fish from? I don't believe he stopped at a store on the way. As we read at the beginning of John's Gospel, Jesus is the one who put all things in place in the first place. A creative miracle is nothing to him. A few flames and some fish tacos, nothing to Jesus. And what's more, the freshly resurrected Jesus is now part of the new creation. He is the Lord of a whole different order of being. But it's beautiful that in this new being, one thing remains: his love for his friends. Jesus doesn't call the disciples over to the fire just for a meal. He doesn't need their fish. He wants their fish on the fire by way of companionship. Jesus is all about partnership. He loves cooperation. God's abundance is given to be shared together. And fourthly, God's abundance is all about relationship. God's abundance is not reliant on my own resources. God's abundance is not dependent on my worthiness. God's abundance is given to be shared. And fourthly, and finally, God's abundance is all about relationship. Let's make one thing abundantly clear at this point. The abundant life that Jesus promises to each one of us here is not about material wealth. The abundant life that Jesus promises is not about having a Bugatti Veyron and a McLaren in some lock-up garage somewhere and having all of the designer bags that you could ever wish for. God's abundant life is not about career advancement and dream fulfillment. It's not even about being the best that you can possibly be. Despite what you may hear in some churches, Jesus was not interested in knowing that you knowing how to succeed in life as your primary goal. If you do, great, well done. But that's all just surface. What God cares about for you is that you know him. That you know him. Of all that Jesus says, most of all, the four words that come next from Jesus, this is surely one of the loveliest invitations in the whole of the Bible. Come and have breakfast. Come and have breakfast. I love breakfast, best meal of the day. Of all moments in history to be part of, you know when you get one of those dinner party conversations, if you could go to any moment in history, what would it be? This would be right up there for me. Early morning on a beach, open fire, breakfast with Jesus. What a moment and what a thing to hear. The saviour of the universe looking at you and saying, come and have breakfast. So thoughtful, so kind, so Focused on relationship. I think that's key for us to hear this morning. This is the resurrected Christ looking at his friends and wanting to eat with them and be with them and that relationship to continue. So down to earth, so real, so focused on relationship. You'd think they'd be off at this point, changing the world. But there's plenty of time for that. Right now, what they need is to be with him, is to simply be with him. And that invitation is the same for each of us. Whether we feel like we're living an abundant life on the surface or not, indeed, I know, and I know that you know, that it's actually in the hardest times of our lives, that's when that relationship, that intimacy with God is forged stronger than ever. Amazing that this is recorded in Scripture. Come and have breakfast. He's inviting them into the greatest adventure. Not building the church, although that is a great adventure that they're about to set off on. He's inviting them into relationship with him. And that same invitation is extended to each of us. Today and every day. So tomorrow morning, with your steel-cut oatmeal and your hot cup of coffee, maybe a Bible in your hand, that same invitation is for you, it's for me. Paul Miller in his book, The Praying Life, says, God is for you in the details of your life. He wants you to thrive. He is, after all, the God of hope. The infinite God touches us personally. Paul alludes to this when he says, Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than we can all ask or think, according to the power at work within us. We dream big because God is big. Jesus is beckoning each of us today into a deeper and deeper relationship with him, despite your feelings about yourself, despite my feelings about myself, our relative worthiness, the grace of Jesus is beckoning us to him. Come and have breakfast. Come and be near me. Come and enjoy my abundant life. Come and let's enjoy the greatest adventure, the most abundant life imaginable. Let me close with the words of Saint Augustine. To fall in love with God is the greatest romance. To seek him is the greatest adventure. And to find him is the greatest human achievement. Let's pray. Lord, we thank you so much for that invitation, which is for each of us today. And we ask, Lord God, that you would give us, each of us, just the confidence to say yes to that invitation, to draw close to you, and to enjoy your abundant life. In your name we pray. Amen.

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