SPEAKER_00: Amen, church.
SPEAKER_00: Good to worship with all of you.
SPEAKER_00: I want to welcome all of our campuses.
SPEAKER_00: Everybody join us online.
SPEAKER_00: I want to get to John chapter 21.
SPEAKER_00: John chapter 21.
SPEAKER_00: Let me ask you a question.
SPEAKER_00: Have you ever had an experience where you saw something from a different vantage point?
SPEAKER_00: Maybe from a different view, maybe from a different angle, and it totally changed the depth of your understanding.
SPEAKER_00: In 2018, my wife and I, my wife Jen and I, we took 19 people from our church in Colorado and we went to the Holy Land, to Israel for the first time.
SPEAKER_00: Let me ask, just across our campuses, how many of you have been to Israel, to the Holy Land?
SPEAKER_00: There's a few.
SPEAKER_00: I would encourage you to go because here's what happened.
SPEAKER_00: We went, and I, you, you and I, we all to whatever depth we understand, there are some of the same old stories.
SPEAKER_00: Like we know the same old stories in the Bible.
SPEAKER_00: And when we went on this trip, it was almost like we saw the places where Jesus walked.
SPEAKER_00: We were taught by people who understood the culture and the history and the language and the people groups and the religions of the area, and we began to see the same old stories in a whole new way.
SPEAKER_00: Like when you literally like dip your feet in the Sea of Galilee where Jesus would have walked on water, it changes your perspective.
SPEAKER_00: Like when you sit on the side of the Mount of Beatitudes where they believe that Jesus taught the crowd of thousands at the Sermon on the Mount.
SPEAKER_00: When you actually walk, like get out of a vehicle and walk in the valley of Elah where David would have fought Goliath.
SPEAKER_00: And when you go to the temple and you walk down to the temple and to that western wall and you see around, or you stand on the Mount of Olives and you look down onto Jerusalem, man, it changes your perspective.
SPEAKER_00: John chapter 21, there is a story that stood out to me more than probably any other teaching we experienced on that trip.
SPEAKER_00: And it happens along the Sea of Galilee.
SPEAKER_00: We're actually along the Sea of Galilee.
SPEAKER_00: You can see a picture of the Sea of Galilee that's just kind of a picture of what it looks like.
SPEAKER_00: And just any other lake, it's more like a lake than an actual sea.
SPEAKER_00: And we actually got to go out onto a tour boat that you can see.
SPEAKER_00: And those aren't the boats that like Jesus would have used or Peter would have used.
SPEAKER_00: There was a church that had a replica of what Peter would have used as a boat.
SPEAKER_00: That's more like the picture of the fishing boat.
SPEAKER_00: But we got to see the Sea of Galilee.
SPEAKER_00: And in John chapter 21, there's two stories.
SPEAKER_00: There's two stories.
SPEAKER_00: In our guide, his name was Khalil, and Khalil was like not just a guide.
SPEAKER_00: I mean, this wasn't just a tour guide.
SPEAKER_00: This guy was a Christian who was from the area, who was more like a rabbi, a preacher, a pastor, a teacher, professor.
SPEAKER_00: I mean, this guy was educated, and he just took this passage and began to explain it to us.
SPEAKER_00: There's two stories in John chapter 21.
SPEAKER_00: And one of them is a story that I have always grabbed hold of.
SPEAKER_00: Like when I go to John 21, it's one of my favorite passages of scripture.
SPEAKER_00: And I always go to the portion of the passage where Jesus reinstates Peter.
SPEAKER_00: It's so emotional.
SPEAKER_00: Like it's such an emotional passage.
SPEAKER_00: And it's also incredibly gracious.
SPEAKER_00: See, the moment happens where Jesus is standing on the beach, Peter doesn't recognize him, he's coming in from fishing, and he realizes it's Jesus, and he jumps out of the boat and he comes, and Jesus has a fire waiting with some fish prepared and breakfast prepared for Peter.
SPEAKER_00: Now understand, when Jesus invites Peter to this breakfast, it's one of the first times.
SPEAKER_00: Like he's seen him since the resurrection, but it's one of the first times that Jesus really gets to sit down and have a conversation with Peter, who denied him three times.
SPEAKER_00: If you remember the story, Peter didn't even show up to Jesus' crucifixion.
SPEAKER_00: I mean, he is this is one of his closest friends.
SPEAKER_00: He's followed Jesus for three years.
SPEAKER_00: And when everything went haywire, Peter was nowhere to be found.
SPEAKER_00: They sit down at breakfast, and Jesus looks across the fire at Peter with six other guys sitting next to them, and he asks a question.
SPEAKER_00: He says, Peter, do you love me?
SPEAKER_00: And Peter responds back, Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.
SPEAKER_00: And Jesus says, Well, feed my sheep.
SPEAKER_00: Then he doesn't say anything else, and there's one of those long pauses.
SPEAKER_00: You know, those pauses just kind of like make you wonder what's going on, and there's silence, and nobody likes silence, and Jesus just leaves a little silence, and then he looks back at Peter and he says, Again, Peter, do you love me?
SPEAKER_00: And Peter responds as John writes, and he says, He says, Jesus, you know that I love you.
SPEAKER_00: And Jesus says, Well, feed my lambs.
SPEAKER_00: And there's a long pause again.
SPEAKER_00: One of those uncomfortable pauses, and then Jesus lands it.
SPEAKER_00: He says the same question again for the third time.
SPEAKER_00: He looks at Peter right in the eye and he says, Peter, do you love me?
SPEAKER_00: And this time Peter doesn't look back.
SPEAKER_00: Peter knows what's going on here.
SPEAKER_00: He denied Jesus three times, and then Jesus is asking him this question three times.
SPEAKER_00: Do you love me?
SPEAKER_00: And Jesus could have gone down like this direction.
SPEAKER_00: He could have gone this direction and said, Well, Peter, why didn't you show up then?
SPEAKER_00: Like, why weren't you there in my darkest hour?
SPEAKER_00: Why weren't you there?
SPEAKER_00: John was there.
SPEAKER_00: He was there with my mom at the foot of the cross.
SPEAKER_00: Why weren't you there?
SPEAKER_00: And Jesus does not do that.
SPEAKER_00: He looks back at Peter again and he says, Well, Peter, then feed my sheep.
SPEAKER_00: You see, it's an incredibly moving, incredibly emotional moment, but it's also one of the most gracious moments in all of the New Testament because what Jesus does in that moment is he reinstates Peter and he lets Peter know, hey, here's what happens.
SPEAKER_00: Here's what happens when you mess up, but you're still my guy.
SPEAKER_00: What happens when Peter messed up and he was still Jesus' guy is Jesus put him in charge of the whole thing.
SPEAKER_00: He goes on to tell Peter, he says, I'm leaving, and Peter, you are in charge.
SPEAKER_00: And I've always gone to that portion of the passage.
SPEAKER_00: Man, it's again so emotional and just such a beautiful picture of grace.
SPEAKER_00: But in 2018, when my wife and I stood on the side of the shore, the Sea of Galilee, Khalil began to teach.
SPEAKER_00: And Khalil began to take another portion of the story, a fishing story.
SPEAKER_00: Before all that conversation happened with Peter and Jesus, there's a fishing story where Jesus gives a little bit of fishing advice to the disciples, and he totally rearranges their understanding of the gospel.
SPEAKER_00: Khalil said, Hey, before Jesus put Peter in charge of this movement he was going to call the church, he had to show Peter what this movement was going to be about.
SPEAKER_00: John chapter 21, starting in verse 1, here's what it says.
SPEAKER_00: It says, afterward, meaning after the resurrection, Jesus appeared again to his disciples.
SPEAKER_00: This was the third time that he had actually appeared to his disciples, different groups of them.
SPEAKER_00: And it says it was by the Sea of Galilee.
SPEAKER_00: Now stop right there for a moment because John uses a word that's really important.
SPEAKER_00: It says that Jesus appeared again to the disciples.
SPEAKER_00: Now that word's important.
SPEAKER_00: And it's not just important because he appeared the third time to the disciples.
SPEAKER_00: It's important because what it means, that word in the Greek, actually means to reveal or to show.
SPEAKER_00: Usually it shows up in scripture, like for instance, it showed up when the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary.
SPEAKER_00: What did he do?
SPEAKER_00: He gave an announcement and he revealed the next stage of the gospel, saying, Mary, you're going to have a son, and his name will be Jesus, and he will save, he will be the Messiah that will save the people from their sins.
SPEAKER_00: And in this moment, Jesus is doing a similar thing.
SPEAKER_00: He's declaring two things to this group of disciples.
SPEAKER_00: The first is this Peter's going to be in charge.
SPEAKER_00: You've been following me, I've been the one who's in charge.
SPEAKER_00: Now Peter is going to be the one that takes the mission, organizes the people, and starts the church.
SPEAKER_00: And then second, Jesus is realigning their understanding of the gospel.
SPEAKER_00: In verse 2, it tells who was actually fishing with Peter.
SPEAKER_00: It says, Simon Peter, Thomas, also known as Didymus, or doubting Thomas.
SPEAKER_00: Nathanael from Canaan Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and the other disciples were together.
SPEAKER_00: He says, I'm going out to fish, Simon Peter told them, and they said, We'll go with you.
SPEAKER_00: So they went out, they got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing.
SPEAKER_00: Early in the morning Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: He called out to them, Friends, haven't you any fish?
SPEAKER_00: No, they answered.
SPEAKER_00: He said, Throw your net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.
SPEAKER_00: When they did, they were unable to haul in the net because of the large number of fish.
SPEAKER_00: Then the disciple whom Jesus loved, I always laugh at that one.
SPEAKER_00: John's writing this passage, he's writing this book, and he refers to himself throughout the book as the disciple Jesus loved.
SPEAKER_00: Like if I'm Peter reading this after, I'd be like, hey, you don't get to give yourself a nickname, right?
SPEAKER_00: Like that's what we do.
SPEAKER_00: But that's what he writes, is the disciple that Jesus loves said to Peter, It is the Lord.
SPEAKER_00: As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, Is the Lord, he wrapped his outer garment around him, for he had taken it off, and he jumped into the water.
SPEAKER_00: The other disciples followed him the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from the shore, about a hundred yards.
SPEAKER_00: When they landed, they saw a fire of a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus said to them, Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.
SPEAKER_00: So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat, dragged the net ashore.
SPEAKER_00: It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many of that the net was not torn.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus said to them, Come and have breakfast.
SPEAKER_00: None of the disciples dared ask him, Who are you?
SPEAKER_00: They knew it was the Lord.
SPEAKER_00: That's where it got interesting.
SPEAKER_00: You see a picture of the Sea of Galilee and just a beach right there.
SPEAKER_00: My wife and I said, This is where we were standing when Khalil began to explain this passage.
SPEAKER_00: Khalil said, Understand what Jesus is doing is he's using geography to teach a lesson and to redirect the disciples' understanding of the gospel and what it was going to be about.
SPEAKER_00: So if you just get the picture in your mind, you're standing on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus is there.
SPEAKER_00: He's got breakfast ready, he's standing on the shore.
SPEAKER_00: The shore, the side he was standing on, was the west side of the Sea of Galilee.
SPEAKER_00: So if you imagine Jesus was standing here to the west, you are where the disciples are in the boat, and you're looking to the west.
SPEAKER_00: Disciples have been fishing all night, they catch nothing.
SPEAKER_00: Right?
SPEAKER_00: Jesus calls out, gives them a little fishing advice.
SPEAKER_00: They probably are a little frustrated and going, uh, who's this backseat fisherman?
SPEAKER_00: Whether they couldn't recognize him or couldn't see him.
SPEAKER_00: But for some reason, they agreed.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus says, throw your nets on the other side of the boat.
SPEAKER_00: They throw their nets on the other side of the boat and they catch a whole bunch of fish.
SPEAKER_00: Khalil just steps in and he begins to say, Jesus is using geography and direction to teach a lesson.
SPEAKER_00: So where they were fishing was off the left side of the boat.
SPEAKER_00: Jewish people, Jewish fishermen with these kind of boats always fished off the left side.
SPEAKER_00: Why?
SPEAKER_00: Because on the right side of the boat it was a little bit lower, it was built a little bit lower, and there was a rudder, there was a steering mechanism that went off the right side of the boat.
SPEAKER_00: And so if you were to throw your nets, because they didn't fish with, you know, fishing poles, they fished with nets, if you were to throw it off the right side of the boat, what would have happened is it would got tangled up in the steering mechanism, or if you caught a large catch of fish, there was nowhere to tie it without it getting tangled.
SPEAKER_00: And so what they would do is they would fish off the left side of the boat.
SPEAKER_00: And what was to the left side?
SPEAKER_00: To the left side, to the port side, directionally was south.
SPEAKER_00: And what was to the south?
SPEAKER_00: To the south was Jerusalem.
SPEAKER_00: To the south was the center of Judaism, of the Jewish religion, with all of its laws, with all of its rules, with all of its routines, with all of its customs, with all of its holy days, and with its religious leaders who enforced all of those things.
SPEAKER_00: That's where they'd been fishing.
SPEAKER_00: You see, all those laws, when Jesus came, all that tradition existed there.
SPEAKER_00: That's what the Jewish religion was about.
SPEAKER_00: And when Jesus showed up in his three years of ministry and tried to introduce a different way to connect with God through a relationship, what did they do?
SPEAKER_00: They crucified him for it.
SPEAKER_00: That direction was about the past.
SPEAKER_00: That direction was about religion.
SPEAKER_00: That direction was about routine and tradition.
SPEAKER_00: And Jesus looked at his disciples and said, How much are you catching on that side?
SPEAKER_00: They said, Nothing.
SPEAKER_00: And what did Jesus do?
SPEAKER_00: Jesus said, Hey, take your nets and throw it on the right side of the boat.
SPEAKER_00: And Khalil began to explain, what's the right side of the boat?
SPEAKER_00: The right side is the starboard side.
SPEAKER_00: The right side is the side that they never had fished on before.
SPEAKER_00: They didn't fish on that side because that's the side that you don't fish there, you fish over here.
SPEAKER_00: Figuratively speaking, the Jewish religion was always about this over here.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus tells them to pick their nets up and throw it on the right side of the boat because what's to the right side?
SPEAKER_00: To the right side is the starboard side.
SPEAKER_00: To the right side is the north side.
SPEAKER_00: To the right side directionally, the gospel had never been.
SPEAKER_00: To the right side, to the north, was Greek-speaking non-Jewish people that did not know the history, that did not know the tradition, did not know the holy days or all the laws.
SPEAKER_00: And what Jesus was effectively doing in this moment is he was picking up his anchor from this side, from the past, and taking it to the future.
SPEAKER_00: From this side, from tradition and religion to a relationship and mission.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus said, throw your nets on this side of the boat and you will catch some.
SPEAKER_00: It's really interesting.
SPEAKER_00: I've always looked at that passage and wondered, why'd they listen?
SPEAKER_00: It said they didn't even recognize Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: So why did a bunch of I would be exhausted?
SPEAKER_00: Like, you're exhausted from fishing all night.
SPEAKER_00: Peter's also demoralized because of what had happened with Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: He denied him three times.
SPEAKER_00: He doesn't show up at the crucifixion.
SPEAKER_00: And what does he do?
SPEAKER_00: He goes back to fishing.
SPEAKER_00: And his first night fishing, he catches nothing.
SPEAKER_00: And he's coming back in, and some guy from the shore says, Hey, cast it on the other side.
SPEAKER_00: And they do it.
SPEAKER_00: Why?
SPEAKER_00: Because it happened before.
SPEAKER_00: Two weeks ago, Rachel preached and she talked about Luke chapter 5.
SPEAKER_00: If you remember Luke chapter 5, and what she talked about is Luke chapter 5 is the passage where Peter has just come in from a long night of fishing.
SPEAKER_00: Hasn't caught anything.
SPEAKER_00: Sound familiar?
SPEAKER_00: Jesus looks at him and says, Peter, push out in the deep water and let's cast our nets.
SPEAKER_00: Try one more time.
SPEAKER_00: Let's cast our nets on the other side.
SPEAKER_00: Cast your net on the other side of the boat and you'll catch some.
SPEAKER_00: And Peter looks at Jesus and he says, Jesus, I'm the professional.
SPEAKER_00: You teach, I'll fish.
SPEAKER_00: No, he didn't say that, but he said, Jesus, I fished all night and we're exhausted and we caught nothing.
SPEAKER_00: But since you say so.
SPEAKER_00: Because he had seen miracles before.
SPEAKER_00: But because you say so, we will push out and we will cast our nets on the other side of the boat.
SPEAKER_00: And they caught such a large amount of fish that the boat almost sank.
SPEAKER_00: They dragged the fish in.
SPEAKER_00: Peter gets out on the beach, he gets down on his knees, looks at Jesus and says, I am unworthy.
SPEAKER_00: And Jesus says, No, you are worthy.
SPEAKER_00: Stand up, because you will no longer fish for fish, you will fish for men.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus started his ministry with these guys.
SPEAKER_00: Like this was the moment where he looked at them, come follow me.
SPEAKER_00: And they left their boats and they followed Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus says, Hey, you're gonna do something different.
SPEAKER_00: You're gonna be about catching people.
SPEAKER_00: And Jesus goes throughout his ministry and he helps them understand just moment by moment where he goes to like the Samaritans, just for a little bit.
SPEAKER_00: And a non-Jewish woman in John chapter 4, and he meets at a well with her and he begins to share the gospel, and he stays in a couple days in that town and introduces the gospel to all of those people.
SPEAKER_00: He's just giving them this picture that this is no longer a religion that's just for some.
SPEAKER_00: This is now becoming a relationship and a mission that is available for all.
SPEAKER_00: He started his ministry with it, and then he ends his ministry with the same picture saying, Peter, we're gonna do something different.
SPEAKER_00: And it's always been interesting to me also in John chapter 21, they catch all these fish.
SPEAKER_00: And did you notice that John names how many?
SPEAKER_00: He names 153.
SPEAKER_00: Man, if I'm telling a fishing story, I'll be like, man, there's like 150 of them.
SPEAKER_00: This is big.
SPEAKER_00: But he names 153.
SPEAKER_00: Why so specific?
SPEAKER_00: Did you know in that day most rabbis actually believed that there were 153 different people groups and nations in the world?
SPEAKER_00: You think Jesus is trying to make a point?
SPEAKER_00: We're going from the past to the future.
SPEAKER_00: We're going from a religion religion to a relationship.
SPEAKER_00: We're going from this routine thing to a mission.
SPEAKER_00: We are picking up our anchor from Judaism and religion and tradition and rules, and we're moving over here to Christianity and mission and relationship and grace.
SPEAKER_00: And it's almost like, it's almost like Jesus is still standing on that shore for so many of us, for us today.
SPEAKER_00: And he's standing on that store and he's calling out and saying, Hey friends, you got any fish?
SPEAKER_00: And he knows the answer.
SPEAKER_00: Because at some time or another in our life, we fall back into this place where we are just living a religion and not diving deeper into a relationship.
SPEAKER_00: You see, Jesus in this moment, when he tells them to take their nets and cast it on the other side of the boat, he is making two drastic shifts in the mission of the gospel.
SPEAKER_00: He's saying, we are moving from, we are moving from religion to relationship, we are moving from routine to mission.
SPEAKER_00: Like this moment is like a seismic shift in the gospel.
SPEAKER_00: Where he's teaching Peter, he's saying, Hey Peter, before I actually reinstate you and give you the mission, you have to understand what this thing's about.
SPEAKER_00: Because if we just go try to recreate in Jerusalem, recreate in Jerusalem what we've always had, this religion with all its rules and all its traditions and all its routines and all its holy days, man, that thing will never go from here to here.
SPEAKER_00: It will never transform people's lives.
SPEAKER_00: It will never make it out of just this region.
SPEAKER_00: What we've got to do is give people a relationship with Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: And what Jesus was saying is, Peter, that relationship with you has transformed your life.
SPEAKER_00: And I want you to lead the movement that is going to transform other people's lives.
SPEAKER_00: And here's what happens: it happens.
SPEAKER_00: 50 days later, Peter goes and he sits in Jerusalem.
SPEAKER_00: He's waiting as Jesus has told them.
SPEAKER_00: The disciples, when he went up into heaven, he told them to go and wait in Jerusalem and the Holy Spirit would come upon them.
SPEAKER_00: Acts chapter 2 is that picture.
SPEAKER_00: Acts chapter 2, there's this great sermon that Peter preaches during another feast, another festival.
SPEAKER_00: People are gathered, and it says that 3,000 people were baptized that day when they heard the truth of the resurrection, and the church starts, and it's awesome.
SPEAKER_00: I mean, Acts chapter 2, and then Acts chapter 3, and 4, and 5, and 6.
SPEAKER_00: I mean, there are so many miracles and all this stuff that's happening.
SPEAKER_00: But what's crazy is it all stays right there.
SPEAKER_00: It stays right there in Jerusalem until Acts chapter 10.
SPEAKER_00: Acts chapter 10, Peter is over on the coast.
SPEAKER_00: He's modern-day Tel Aviv, just south of there.
SPEAKER_00: There's a place called Jaffa.
SPEAKER_00: It was called Joppa back then.
SPEAKER_00: It says that he was at a tanner's house and was up on the roof.
SPEAKER_00: That's where he was staying.
SPEAKER_00: He was up on the roof, and all of a sudden he has this vision.
SPEAKER_00: And it says that God takes a sheet and brings this great sheet down in front of him as he's just sitting there, and it's full of all these animals, all kinds of animals that you can think of.
SPEAKER_00: And God says to Peter, he says, Peter, take and eat.
SPEAKER_00: And Peter is like appalled.
SPEAKER_00: Because what's inside the sheet, the kind of animals, were things that they were the kind of animals that the Jewish religion said, these animals are unclean, so do not eat them.
SPEAKER_00: And so Peter responds, he's like, Well, no, no, Lord, I can't do that.
SPEAKER_00: Like these are unclean animals.
SPEAKER_00: I can't eat bacon.
SPEAKER_00: I can't, it's I mean, he just like, no, I can't do that.
SPEAKER_00: And God looks at him and says, Peter, do not call unclean what I've called clean.
SPEAKER_00: Then God says again, Peter, take and eat.
SPEAKER_00: And Peter again says, God, do you realize this is the way I've grown up?
SPEAKER_00: I've never eaten these, these are the rules.
SPEAKER_00: We've got to keep the Jewish rules and Jewish.
SPEAKER_00: I know we're doing some other thing, but we've got to keep all these rules and all this routine.
SPEAKER_00: And God says, Peter, do not call unclean what I have called clean.
SPEAKER_00: And then the sheet goes away.
SPEAKER_00: And Peter is like, You ever wake up from one of those dreams and you're like, I have that was the weirdest.
SPEAKER_00: I'm not going to even tell anybody about that dream.
SPEAKER_00: That's one of these dreams, and all of a sudden there's a knock on the door, and they're looking for Peter.
SPEAKER_00: And it's some people that work for this guy named Cornelius, who is a guy from the north, a Greek speaking non Jewish centurion in the Roman army, who is a gracious person who.
SPEAKER_00: Who's been praying to God and who's kind and generous to his community and has helped the Jewish people in so many ways, but he does not know the gospel because the gospel's never been there.
SPEAKER_00: And these two come and they're like, Hey, is there a guy named Peter who lives here?
SPEAKER_00: And the guy's like, Yeah, I'll get him.
SPEAKER_00: So Peter comes down, like, hey, this seems weird, but our boss has had a dream.
SPEAKER_00: Peter's like, I had a dream.
SPEAKER_00: Our boss had a dream and said that you've got something really important that you want to explain to him about this good news thing.
SPEAKER_00: Peter's like, okay, so he goes with them.
SPEAKER_00: They show up at Cornelius' house, they open the door, he comes in.
SPEAKER_00: It's almost comical because Cornelius runs over, falls at Peter's feet, and he says, Thank you.
SPEAKER_00: This angel appeared, like appeared, like that word again, appeared to reveal something to Cornelius, appeared to me and told me to go find you and that you would explain this thing called the good news to me.
SPEAKER_00: And Peter, instead of going, Yeah, I had a dream too, he's like, hey, just so you know, this is kind of weird for me.
SPEAKER_00: And he's like, Well, why?
SPEAKER_00: He's like, because I don't know if you know this, but which Cornelius knew, but he's like, Jewish people don't do this.
SPEAKER_00: Like, like we don't hang out with people like you.
SPEAKER_00: But God gave me a dream too, and let me explain the gospel.
SPEAKER_00: And he explains the gospel, and in that moment, in Cornelius' house, a non-Jewish, Greek-speaking Roman centurion who does not know the history, who does not know the culture, who does not know the religion, actually, he knows those things, but he's never participated in them, believes in Jesus, receives the Holy Spirit right there.
SPEAKER_00: The book of Acts says that he received the Holy Spirit, he and his family, and they begin to see miracles right in that moment, just like when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples.
SPEAKER_00: What God was doing was going, hey Peter, this is legit.
SPEAKER_00: We're going from this side to this side.
SPEAKER_00: This is no longer a religion that's just available for some.
SPEAKER_00: This is a relationship and a mission that is available for all.
SPEAKER_00: Do you know how long it took Peter to get that?
SPEAKER_00: Acts chapter 1 to Acts chapter 10.
SPEAKER_00: How long of a time frame is that?
SPEAKER_00: They believe that is about a decade of time.
SPEAKER_00: Do you realize that Jesus said, take your nets and throw them on the other side of the boat and you're gonna catch some?
SPEAKER_00: Like that's where the gospel's gonna go crazy.
SPEAKER_00: That's where you and your relationship with God is gonna grow.
SPEAKER_00: This relational thing.
SPEAKER_00: And they go into Jerusalem and they start the church and they stay in Jerusalem for years.
SPEAKER_00: Until Acts chapter 10, and actually a little bit in Acts chapter 8, Acts chapter 6, there's a little bit where it goes into Samaria, and there's a little, then there's a persecution, a guy named Stephen is killed, and then people start persecuting Christians, and God uses even a difficult thing and scatters Christians all over that area of the globe.
SPEAKER_00: And then Peter goes to a council of leaders and they begin to talk about is this just for us and a religion, or is this a relationship for all?
SPEAKER_00: And they decide it is what Jesus said, a relationship, and the gospel begins to spread.
SPEAKER_00: Peter takes a guy named Paul and his buddy Barnabas and sends them on mission trips.
SPEAKER_00: There's three of them to be exact.
SPEAKER_00: They go to Europe, they go to Asia Minor, they plant churches all over the place, and it's the reason you are sitting here today.
SPEAKER_00: You see, Jesus in that moment was saying, we are making a shift.
SPEAKER_00: Like we are making a shift from religion to relationship.
SPEAKER_00: And I think the question that he has for you and me, for every one of our campuses, for people watching, wherever, the question he has for us is the same question he had then.
SPEAKER_00: Do you have a religion or do you have a relationship?
SPEAKER_00: And here's what's really hard is you can't tell on Sunday.
SPEAKER_00: Like none of us can tell on Sunday because man, when you walked in today, you guys look great.
SPEAKER_00: It's the same at every campus I go to.
SPEAKER_00: You walk in, I see you, and I'm like, hey, how you doing?
SPEAKER_00: Glad you're at church today.
SPEAKER_00: And you look back and you're like, great.
SPEAKER_00: Liars.
SPEAKER_00: Or some of you at least.
SPEAKER_00: Like the reality is, man, you can't tell on Sunday because we walk in, we we got our smile on, we got our family together, we're coming, or or we're with some friends, or we're just coming in excited to be here, and and we act like everything's great.
SPEAKER_00: Where you figure out whether you have a religion or a relationship with Jesus is Monday through Saturday.
SPEAKER_00: So, how do you know?
SPEAKER_00: Like, how do you actually know if you have a religion or a relationship?
SPEAKER_00: Let me give you some thoughts.
SPEAKER_00: If you only show up when it's convenient, you've got a religion, not a relationship.
SPEAKER_00: I mean, when the World Cup's not on, or the football game's not on, or or you're not tired or busy, or you show up, or maybe you just show up when you feel guilty.
SPEAKER_00: You need a little encouragement, a little shot in the arm, be able to pray in a church, or have somebody pray for you.
SPEAKER_00: Man, if you only show up when you are when it's convenient, you just have a religion, not a life-changing relationship with Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: If you believe in God, but that belief never shows up in your behavior.
SPEAKER_00: It never changes how you talk, it never changes how you treat your spouse or your friends or your kids or relationships.
SPEAKER_00: If it doesn't change what you think about sexuality or purity or character or integrity, then what you've got is you've got a religion and not a relationship.
SPEAKER_00: If you attend, but you don't participate, meaning you sit in a row just like this, but you don't get outside of that row and actually participate with anybody else.
SPEAKER_00: Like you consume on Sundays, but you don't contribute in any other spot.
SPEAKER_00: You don't serve, you don't get in a group to learn with other people and help other people learn.
SPEAKER_00: You don't contribute anywhere, you don't give, you don't.
SPEAKER_00: Man, if you don't participate, here's the thing: you God didn't create the church to be that way because the church is the mode, it's the mission that he gave.
SPEAKER_00: It is the vehicle that he gave to us to accomplish his mission to the world.
SPEAKER_00: And no church is perfect.
SPEAKER_00: Let me just say that.
SPEAKER_00: No church is perfect, including our church, but it's what he gave us.
SPEAKER_00: And so we are to make, every single one of us is to make it as best, make it the best we can.
SPEAKER_00: Like if you don't participate, you've got a religion, not a relationship.
SPEAKER_00: And if if your faith has never reproduced itself in another person, you've got a religion, not a relationship.
SPEAKER_00: If there's no one else, it's going to be in heaven because of a connection with you, watching you, an invitation to church, praying for somebody, then they just like, hey, why do you care?
SPEAKER_00: And you're telling them why.
SPEAKER_00: If you've if you've never shared why your life is different because of your relationship with Jesus, man, what you've probably got is a religion, not a relationship.
SPEAKER_00: Because when you have a relationship that begins to transform your life, you can't help but talk about it.
SPEAKER_00: You can't help but share with someone else about it.
SPEAKER_00: Now, if any of that describes you, I'm not trying to shame you.
SPEAKER_00: What I'm trying to do is invite you to the other side of the boat.
SPEAKER_00: I'm trying to invite you to the other side of the boat because here's what it's what's at stake.
SPEAKER_00: When you think about what's actually at stake, is a religion will never go from your head to your heart.
SPEAKER_00: Like your head is where you understand things, it's where you understand the things we're talking about, or doctrine, or this or that.
SPEAKER_00: Nobody ever falls in love with a doctrine.
SPEAKER_00: They fall in love with a relationship with Jesus that transforms their life.
SPEAKER_00: And the second thing is at stake is understand that a religion will never transfer.
SPEAKER_00: Like if we are just hoping that the next generation is just going to show up with us to church and do a little bit of our religious activities and that's going to wear off on them, and they're going to still be people of faith in the 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s, man, we missed it.
SPEAKER_00: Because here's what the next generation can tell.
SPEAKER_00: The next generation can tell, like they can see the difference between a dad that just goes to church and a dad who has a life-changing relationship with Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: And dads and moms and friends and people, here's the thing.
SPEAKER_00: There's some of us say, I don't even know what that looks like, man.
SPEAKER_00: That is what we're here for.
SPEAKER_00: That's what we're here for.
SPEAKER_00: And we're getting ready to start a series in August that's the life you've always wanted, talking about our values, and you want to know how to have a life-changing relationship with Jesus that actually gets passed down generation to generations, man, you come and be a part of that.
SPEAKER_00: And students, I would say to you, sitting at all of our campuses, you got to ask yourself, do I have a relationship with Jesus, or do I just have this routine religious thing that I do with my parents because they've always done it?
SPEAKER_00: Or I do it with some of my friends because they've always done it.
SPEAKER_00: You see, a relationship with Jesus should transform our lives and invite us into something that's unspeakably beautiful.
SPEAKER_00: Man, do you have a religion or do you have a relationship?
SPEAKER_00: And if you are looking for more than just religious activities that land here and you're looking for that to travel to here, then maybe here's some suggestions.
SPEAKER_00: Number one, make church more than a routine.
SPEAKER_00: What if this fall we jump in and we just think about like, what if we made it more than just a routine?
SPEAKER_00: What if we got out of these seats and we began to serve?
SPEAKER_00: Some of you, you began to give.
SPEAKER_00: Some of you, you jumped in and you found some of the best friends you've ever had because you were willing to jump into a small group and you found them there.
SPEAKER_00: They were already here.
SPEAKER_00: You just haven't met them yet.
SPEAKER_00: And one of the biggest things in our society right now is loneliness.
SPEAKER_00: Man, there are people who are looking for friendships and ready to be friends and help you understand and see the gospel in a different way.
SPEAKER_00: Maybe it's having spiritual conversations with your kids or your grandkids.
SPEAKER_00: Did you know that that's one of the biggest determining factors of whether or not the next generation will keep their faith for generations is if they have consistent, ongoing faith conversations outside of church.
SPEAKER_00: Some of you would be like, I don't even know how to have those conversations.
SPEAKER_00: Let us help.
SPEAKER_00: Or just dive in.
SPEAKER_00: Because what is so beautiful and so authentic is when a dad or a mom or a friend or a grandparent somebody asks and says, their kids ask and say, Hey Dad, what do you think about this?
SPEAKER_00: And you're like, I don't actually know, but let's go find out.
SPEAKER_00: And it creates conversations together and it creates opportunities.
SPEAKER_00: Maybe for you it's being generous.
SPEAKER_00: The Bible says that our heart goes where our treasure is.
SPEAKER_00: Maybe God wants you to begin giving and fueling ministry and what he's doing in our community and in our church.
SPEAKER_00: Or maybe it's going on a mission trip.
SPEAKER_00: Maybe God wants us to do something different so we can get something different.
SPEAKER_00: My daughter Maddie, she's 20 years old in this last year.
SPEAKER_00: I mean, Maddie's she she is strong in her faith and knows why she believes what she believes, but she made a statement to me.
SPEAKER_00: She said, Dad, I'm looking to just feel something more.
SPEAKER_00: She went to a thing her sister had gone to.
SPEAKER_00: It's called Ultimate Training Challenge early this summer.
SPEAKER_00: And it is uh it's UTC is by Athletes in Action.
SPEAKER_00: It is a, you could imagine like our camps for high school students with incredible worship and great teaching, and I mean just all the stuff.
SPEAKER_00: It is like that on steroids for college athletes.
SPEAKER_00: And so hundreds and hundreds of college athletes come from all of their physical challenges, but they have teaching and worship.
SPEAKER_00: And Maddie went and she came back on fire.
SPEAKER_00: Like on fire, not just knowing something, but feeling something and motivated to go do something.
SPEAKER_00: And her conversation was if you want something different, you gotta do something.
SPEAKER_00: Okay, I think somebody's awake out there.
SPEAKER_00: You want something different, you gotta do something.
SPEAKER_00: What do you need to do that's different?
SPEAKER_00: Like, what do you and I need to do that is different this year?
SPEAKER_00: That will bring something different in our life.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus went back to those disciples and said, Hey, it's not just this year, it's for all generations to come.
SPEAKER_00: We're picking up from this side of the boat, we're going to this side of the boat because it is about a relationship with Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: Man, if I could encourage you with anything, it would be two things.
SPEAKER_00: First, it would be this is this week, decide which side of the boat you've been fishing on.
SPEAKER_00: Like, what if you were just to just get honest with yourself and just decide, hey, where have I been fishing?
SPEAKER_00: Do I have a religion?
SPEAKER_00: Or am I pursuing a relationship?
SPEAKER_00: And you probably already know the answer.
SPEAKER_00: Like you've been feeling that this entire message of going, you already know.
SPEAKER_00: If Jesus would to say, hey, you got any fish, you probably have the same answer.
SPEAKER_00: Figuratively speaking, he's not talking about nets, he's talking about your life, your spirit, your relationship with God.
SPEAKER_00: If you were to ask answer that question, which side am I on, where would it be?
SPEAKER_00: And if you want something different, you gotta do something different.
SPEAKER_00: And the difference between a religion and a relationship is that a person who's got a relationship with Jesus isn't just throwing up a prayer every time they're in a hard spot.
SPEAKER_00: It's an ongoing relationship with God where we are learning to pray.
SPEAKER_00: Some of you say, I don't even know how to pray.
SPEAKER_00: Do our guided prayers.
SPEAKER_00: You can get those in any of our platforms, media platforms, that help you every single day to learn how to pray.
SPEAKER_00: Whatever it may be, man, the difference in stepping in from a religion to a relationship is means it goes from here to here.
SPEAKER_00: And you got to do something different this year to do that.
SPEAKER_00: You just decide, hey, I'm gonna be there every week of that value series because I don't know how to do it, but I want to, and we're gonna share with you how to.
SPEAKER_00: And the second thing I would encourage you to do is throw your net on the other side of the boat for somebody else.
SPEAKER_00: Guys, understand this thing we call faith was never meant to be kept to yourself.
SPEAKER_00: It was never meant for us to show up to Central Christian Church to our five campuses or people watching online, whatever, and just show up and have a religion that's available for some, meaning all of us.
SPEAKER_00: There's a whole valley out there of about almost six million people.
SPEAKER_00: Whole valley out there, and there are so many that do not know Jesus, and what they're looking for is just a simple invitation.
SPEAKER_00: They don't need a sermon from you, they need an invitation.
SPEAKER_00: And the question is whether or not we understand that Jesus didn't just call us to a relationship with him, he called us to be a part of a mission that is helping everyone understand their need for a relationship with him.
SPEAKER_00: You know, the average person will never reach another person for Christ in their lifetime.
SPEAKER_00: You know, the reality is most of us think that's really hard.
SPEAKER_00: Somebody asked me in the lobby today and said, Man, that thing that really challenges me about how to actually, I don't know how to, and they actually were really vulnerable and said, Man, I really understand how to to interact with people who are Christian people.
SPEAKER_00: I just don't know how to interact with non-Christian people.
SPEAKER_00: And I'm thinking, well, you interact with them at the grocery store and you interact with them at the gym and you interact with the doctor's office and you interact them with when you take your car in to get the oil changed, and when you you're with people all the time.
SPEAKER_00: I went into the gym this last week and I was thinking about this message, and I was thinking about conversations, and and I was like, I'm just gonna watch, and man, guys, there were so many conversations that happened with people that have no idea that I'm a pastor or a Christian.
SPEAKER_00: This guy walks up, and my kids are playing basketball in the gym, and I'm too old to do that anymore with them.
SPEAKER_00: But I I was watching and I walked up just to peek in the door, and this guy walks out, and this young kid, probably 24, 25.
SPEAKER_00: He looks at me and he's like, Are those your kids?
SPEAKER_00: He's like, Man, they're really good.
SPEAKER_00: I was like, Yeah, their mom taught them.
SPEAKER_00: But he said, They're they're really good.
SPEAKER_00: And uh, and he just starts having this conversation with me, and he says, Do you play?
SPEAKER_00: And I was like, I it came around and somehow, somehow, church came up.
SPEAKER_00: And he's like, Oh man, you're a pastor?
SPEAKER_00: That's what you do.
SPEAKER_00: He's like, My, I got a friend who goes to that church.
SPEAKER_00: I've been thinking about going to that church.
SPEAKER_00: I was like, Come on, man.
SPEAKER_00: Easy conversation.
SPEAKER_00: Next day I walked in the gym, lady, I'm wearing my values t-shirt.
SPEAKER_00: Lady who's working the front desk.
SPEAKER_00: I see her all the time, say hi.
SPEAKER_00: She's super sweet.
SPEAKER_00: I walk by and she says, Nice shirt.
SPEAKER_00: I said, Thanks.
SPEAKER_00: And I kept walking.
SPEAKER_00: And it hit me.
SPEAKER_00: That was an opening for a conversation to go back and say, Hey, thanks, Domini.
SPEAKER_00: Hey, how are you doing?
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah, it's actually a church t-shirt.
SPEAKER_00: I go to Central and easy open conversation.
SPEAKER_00: Who knows if it turns into an invite?
SPEAKER_00: Who knows?
SPEAKER_00: But I missed an opportunity.
SPEAKER_00: How many times do we miss an opportunity?
SPEAKER_00: Now, what I'm not asking you to do is go out into the community and be weird.
SPEAKER_00: We got enough weird Christians.
SPEAKER_00: And if you're weird, just tell them you go to a different church, something like that.
SPEAKER_00: All right.
SPEAKER_00: Man, it's just be people.
SPEAKER_00: Who love people and realize that God loves people and he created every one of them, whether you like them or not, and he wants a relationship with them.
SPEAKER_00: So he said, pick your net up off of this side of the boat and throw it on that side of the boat because all those people need Jesus and they need him from us.
SPEAKER_00: So, man, as we head into out of this summer and into this launch of this ministry year, guys, let's go for it.
SPEAKER_00: Let's go for it personally, to not have a religion, but let's have a relationship.
SPEAKER_00: Let's go for it for the sake of the people around us that God has uniquely placed you to invite them to come and have a saving relationship and a transforming relationship with Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: Father, we just thank you so much for just Jesus pushing so hard into your team, into your disciples, into to help them understand as long as it took to help them understand to throw that net on the other side of the boat so we could be here.
SPEAKER_00: Father, help us to take that and to pass it on.
SPEAKER_00: Father, help us to first experience a relationship with you.
SPEAKER_00: Not just a religion, but a relationship with you.
SPEAKER_00: And help us to provide it for somebody else.
SPEAKER_00: The opportunity for somebody else.
SPEAKER_00: It's in Jesus' name we pray.