A Fishing
Trip To Remember!
Sermon Notes
Saturday, August 25, 2007 & Sunday, August 26, 2007
(480) 895-8766
John 21:1-19 NRSV
1After
these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the
4Just
after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that
it was Jesus. 5Jesus said to
them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.” 6He said to them, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will
find some.” So they cast it, and
now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. 7That disciple whom Jesus loved
said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When
Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was
naked, and jumped into the sea. 8But
the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they
were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off.
9When
they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and
bread. 10Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” 11So Simon Peter went aboard and
hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and
though there were so many, the net was not torn. 12Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who
are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. 13Jesus came and took the bread and
gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14This was now the third time that
Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.
15When
they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I
love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I
love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the
third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything;
you know that I love you.” Jesus said to
him, “Feed my sheep. 18Very
truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and
to go wherever you wished. But when you
grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt
around you and take you where you do not wish to go.” 19(He said this to indicate the
kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, “Follow me.”
A.
Introduction
1. Iron Ears!
a.
One Sunday morning, an usher named Bill showed up to worship with
both of his ears badly burned. His
concerned pastor asked, “What happened to you?”
Bill said, “I was sitting on the couch yesterday watching my college
football team. My wife was ironing
clothes nearby, but then left the room to tend to the wash. The phone rang and keeping my eyes glued to
the action, I by mistake grabbed the hot iron and put it to my ear. “So how did the other ear get burned?” the
pastor asked. Bill replied rather
sheepishly, “Well, a few minutes later the guy called back.”
b.
Whatever you think of Bill’s intelligence, you have to admit that
he was focused. He was so caught up in
the football game, that he really did not know what he was doing.
2. Today’s Scripture
Lesson: John 21:1-19
a.
In today’s lesson the disciples have lost their focus. It’s an amazing thing! The risen and glorified Jesus Christ has
appeared to them numerous times! Jesus’
very presence is the proof that He IS the Savior of the World! They have just witnessed the greatest, most
glorious Good News of all! This is news
of such vital importance that every human being needs to hear it. And what do seven of the disciples do? They go fishing! They take a little vacation.
b. Now don’t get me wrong. We all need vacations. And yes, even if we are retired, all of us
need time away. Jesus Himself took time
off in the wilderness. And maybe the
disciples needed a break. We have the
New Testament and most of us from an early age have heard folks witness about
the resurrection of Jesus. We can only
imagine what it was like for those early Christians. They went from the agony of the crucifixion
to the glory of the resurrection in three days!
I’m sure that some days they felt as if their heads were spinning! They had just witnessed the most awesome and
amazing thing. For days they had to have
been on an emotional high! The time came
when they must have felt still “giddy”, but, also, very much exhausted. So, a vacation fishing
just might have sounded good. It would
give them a time to sort things out.
B.
There is a time for the vacation to end!
1. Today’s Scripture
Lesson: John 21:6-7
a.
Jesus, in today’s Scripture uses a direct approach. He appears again to the disciples. He waves at them from the beach and they at
first don’t recognize Him. However,
Jesus has a plan. He knows that they
have not had any luck in catching fish, so He tells them, “Cast
your net on the other side of the boat.” (see John 21:6) Jesus knows that they will
laugh at this suggestion. But He insists
and perhaps to humor Him they obey. And
to their astonishment the net is now teeming with fish! John turns to Peter and says, “It is the Lord!” (John 21:7 NRSV) Who else could it be? Who else has dominion over the land and
sea? The disciples then steer the boat
to shore. The impulsive Peter can’t wait
and jumps into the water and swims the 100 yards to shore.
b.
Thus the disciples’ vacation ended! The Resurrected Jesus calls them back to the
shore.
2. Bill Cosby
a.
Some years back Bill Cosby was the commencement speaker at a
college graduation ceremony. I don’t
remember his exact words, but he said something like this: “Congratulations! Now stop living off your parents. When you leave here today,
go find a job. Rent an
apartment. Go home, thank your parents,
pack your bags, and move out!”
b.
Bill Cosby decided to be direct in his approach. He was telling the young graduates that it
was time to move on. It was time for the
“financial ride” from mom and dad to end.
And the same is true of vacations.
Vacations and times away are good, but there comes a time for them to
end.
C.
There is a time to return to the everyday world.
1. Today’s Scripture
Lesson: John 21:15-17
a.
The disciples came ashore to be with Jesus. They eat and talk. Then Jesus calls Simon Peter aside and speaks
to him. Three times Jesus asks, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” (see John 21:15-17) Three
times Peter responds, “Yes, Lord, you
know that I love you.” (see John
21:15-17) And three times after Peter responds, Jesus
commands, “Feed my sheep.” (see John 21:15-17)
b.
Jesus was clearly sending Peter out into the world. Jesus was saying that it was time to go back
to that every day world and serve others in His name.
2. Balloon
a. Their
Church was twenty-five years old and they were having a big celebration that
Sunday! Charles Paul Conn’s two-year-old
daughter Vanessa, as were the other children, was given a helium filled
balloon. Vanessa’s balloon was bright
blue and seemed almost alive as it danced on the end of a string as she ran
through the hallway. But then the
balloon bounced against the sharp edge of a railing and popped. With a bang it burst and fell to her
feet. She looked down at the wad of
twisted blue latex. She began to
cry. Then she looked up and a smile came
upon her face. She picked up the broken
balloon and ran to her daddy! She held
it up and said, “Here, Daddy, fix it.”
b. Like
a flattened balloon, our world is broken and hurting. Jesus weeps for His lost sheep. And He calls His disciples to reach out. Oh, we can’t fix all the problems of the
world, but we are called to help. We are
not called to hide away and only take care of ourselves. We are called to serve and to share Jesus’
love.
D.
Jesus will help you!
1. Today’s Scripture
Lesson: John 21:19
a.
Today’s Scripture lesson ends with Jesus speaking to Peter and
the other disciples. He gives them a
call. It is the same call that He gave
to them at the beginning of their discipleship:
“Follow Me!” (John 21:19 NRSV)
b.
Jesus is saying that He will not desert us. He is telling us that He will always be there
to lead us!
2. Two Soldiers
a.
Duane L. Burch shared a story in the August 1997 Guideposts
Magazine. Some thirty years ago, he and
a buddy were about thirty miles from the Marine barracks in Fort Meade,
Maryland – where they were stationed – when their car over heated and sputtered
to a stop. They were running late and
only had an hour and a half to get back before they would be overdue from their
leave. Both were afraid of being
classified as absent without leave. They
opened the hood and discovered that the bolt holding the generator had worked
its way out, loosening the fan belt, causing the engine to overheat and the
battery to discharge. “What are we going
to do?” the friend asked. He did not
want a blemish on his record. Duane
didn’t either, but also didn’t know what to do.
Finally Duane said sarcastically, “You’re the one who is religious. Why don’t you pray?”
b.
Duane then searched for a loose bolt in the trunk or one he could
take out of something under the hood to hold that generator tight. No luck.
Just then his friend came back.
“I took your advice and prayed.
Everything will be all right.”
Duane started to laugh, but then heard the rumbling of a huge semi truck
and trailer. As it passed by, he heard a
clink on the road and something thudded to a stop against his shoe. It was a bolt: A bolt that fit perfectly into the generator
bracket. They arrived back to the
barracks in time!
c.
Do you and I trust the Lord?
Jesus will help. He may not
always “toss” a missing bolt our way, but He will help us come back from
vacation and face the every day world.
Jesus will help us in the difficult task of living. He will help us with our problems. And Jesus will even help us to be faithful
disciples in sharing His love to the world!
E.
Conclusion: Recap
1. There is a time for the
vacation to end!
2. There is a time to
return to the everyday world.
3. Jesus will help you!
A Fishing Trip To Remember!
1. There is a time for the vacation to end!
2. There is a time to return to the everyday
world.
3. Jesus will help you!
John 21:1-19 NRSV
1After these things Jesus showed himself again to the
disciples by the
4Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but
the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.
5Jesus said to them, “Children, you
have no fish, have you?” They
answered him, “No.” 6He said
to them, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat,
and you will find some.” So they
cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many
fish. 7That disciple whom
Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!”
When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for
he was naked, and jumped into the sea. 8But
the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they
were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off.
9When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire
there, with fish on it, and bread. 10Jesus
said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have
just caught.” 11So
Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a
hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not
torn. 12Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared to ask him,
“Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. 13Jesus came and took the bread
and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14This was now the third time that
Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.
15When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon
Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than
these?” He said to him, “Yes,
Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus
said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I
love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the
third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything;
you know that I love you.” Jesus said to
him, “Feed my sheep.
18Very truly, I tell you, when
you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you
wished. But when you grow old, you will
stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take
you where you do not wish to go.”
19(He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he
would glorify God.) After this he said
to him, “Follow me.”