Sermon
John 21
Publisher transcript
Transcript
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Let's read together.
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After this, Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias.
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And he revealed himself in this way.
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Simon Peter, Thomas called the twin, Nathaniel of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together.
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Simon Peter said to them, I'm going fishing.
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They said to him, we'll go with you.
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They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
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Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore, yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.
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Jesus said to them, children, do you have any fish?
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They answered him, no.
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He said to them, cast the net on the right side of the boat and you'll find some.
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So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because of the quantity of fish.
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That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, it is the Lord.
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When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea.
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The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off.
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When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place with fish laid out on it and bread.
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Jesus said to them, bring some of the fish that you have just caught.
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So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them.
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And although there were so many, the net was not torn.
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And Jesus said to them, come and have breakfast.
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Now none of the disciples dared ask him, who are you?
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They knew it was the Lord.
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Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so would the fish.
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This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.
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When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter,
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Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?
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He said to them, he said to him, yes, Lord, you know that I love you.
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He said to him, feed my lambs.
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He said to him a second time, Simon, son of John, do you love me?
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He said to him, yes, Lord, you know that I love you.
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He said to him, tend my sheep.
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He said to him the third time, Simon, son of John, do you love me?
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Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, do you love me?
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And he said to him, Lord, you know everything.
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You know that I love you.
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Jesus said to him, feed my sheep.
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Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted.
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But when you were old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.
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This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.
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And after saying this, he said to him, follow me.
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Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them,
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the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper,
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and had said, Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?
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When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, Lord, what about this man?
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Jesus said to him, if it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?
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You follow me.
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Well, this morning, for our send-off Sunday, we're looking at the final chapter of John's gospel.
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Some of Jesus' last words to his disciples before he would leave them on earth and return to the Father.
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This season of the year is a time of looking back to the past and looking forward to the future.
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And whether you're graduating or moving on or whether nothing in your life is changing
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and everything is simply just the same as it was,
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it's a good opportunity periodically to look back and to look forward.
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So we're going to look into this passage this morning.
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As Jesus, what we'll see is that as Jesus equips his disciples for the future,
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he does it by reminding them of the past
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in three particular ways.
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This closing chapter of John is fascinating in that
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what Jesus says and does points back to at least three prior incidents
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in the course recorded in the New Testament gospels
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that Jesus and his disciples have already been through.
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One at the beginning of Jesus' ministry,
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one at the middle,
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and one toward the end.
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And I think Jesus deliberately orchestrates the way this scene unfolds
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in order to sort of replay these prior events in his disciples' minds.
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It's as if he was, you know, if you're graduating,
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perhaps you may walk around the campus this weekend
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and remember the first day that you arrived
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and a conversation that you had during sophomore year with a friend
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or perhaps something that happened just last week.
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And you'll have these memories that are triggered in your mind
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as you look at the places where you've been
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and the people you've been with.
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Or it's sort of like,
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so this last chapter is a bit like that
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or it's a bit like watching the highlights on SportsCenter
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after a baseball game.
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And they point out the defining moments of a game
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or the end of a symphony where the theme and the variations
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are woven together in a grand climax
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or a surprising conclusion of a movie
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that puts a new twist on various strands of the plot.
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So what we want to, the main point here
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is that Jesus equips us for our future
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by reminding us of our past.
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So I want to look at three lessons that he teaches us
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looking back and looking forward.
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So first, Jesus teaches us to abide in him.
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The story begins with Simon Peter and six disciples
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going fishing in the Sea of Galilee,
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or here it's called the Sea of Tiberias.
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Now it's a bit of an ambivalent beginning.
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You know, if you've read the Gospel of John,
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the last couple of chapters,
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Jesus has been crucified.
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He's now risen from the dead.
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He's revealed himself to his disciples.
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And now we see the disciples are sort of hanging out.
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Peter's like, let's go fishing.
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And they're like, sure, we'll go with you.
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Now on the one hand,
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fishing is a perfectly legitimate activity
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for Jesus' disciples.
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One person said even though Jesus was crucified
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and now is risen,
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his disciples still have to eat.
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And that's very reasonable.
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And according to Matthew and Mark,
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Jesus had actually told them to go to Galilee
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where he would see them.
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On the other hand,
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I think in these first few verses,
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the disciples seem rather aimless,
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even a little bored,
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and powerless.
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They fish all night.
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Experienced fishermen,
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then they catch nothing.
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Now, of course,
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this wasn't the first time
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that they had found themselves
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in such a situation.
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The whole situation would have reminded them
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of what we read earlier
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in the service from Luke 5.
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This is the first flashback from the past.
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At the beginning of Jesus' ministry,
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when he first called these men
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to follow him,
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if you want to turn back there,
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the same guys,
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at least Simon Peter
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and the sons of Zebedee,
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were fishing in the same lake.
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Luke calls it the Lake of Gennesaret.
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John calls it the Sea of Tiberias.
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It's the same thing.
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It had multiple names.
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And they fished all night
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and they had caught nothing.
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And then Jesus had come along
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and he had the nerve
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to give these experienced fishermen
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advice on how to catch some fish.
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He had said,
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go out into deep water,
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let down your nets for the catch.
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At first, Peter was protesting,
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but we've worked all night.
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We've caught nothing.
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He says, okay, fine, I'll do it.
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Does it?
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Lo and behold,
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the nets are full.
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And so when the same kind of thing
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happened again,
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the disciples immediately recognized
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who it was standing on the shore
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in the early morning light.
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It's the Lord.
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Both times,
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the disciples had been working hard
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apart from Jesus
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and their work had resulted in nothing.
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And when they heard
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and obeyed Jesus' voice,
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their nets were filled to overflowing.
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What's Jesus trying to remind them of?
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He's trying to remind us
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of our dependence.
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Now, of course,
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in a general sense,
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all of us are dependent on God
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as his creatures.
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The scientist Stephen Jay Gould
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wrote,
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the laws of science
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contain many fundamental numbers
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like the size of the electric charge
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of the electron
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and the ratio of the masses
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of the proton and the electron.
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Maybe you understand those things,
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maybe you don't.
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But he says,
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the remarkable fact
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is that the values of these numbers
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seem to have been
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very finely adjusted
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to make possible
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the development of life.
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Now,
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Stephen Jay Gould
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is an agnostic
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or was an agnostic,
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but he and many other scientists
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recognize that we live
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in a universe
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that seems amazingly fine-tuned
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to sustain physical life.
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And we've discovered
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the laws of gravity,
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we peer into the mysteries
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of quantum mechanics,
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we marvel at the capacities
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of human brain,
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but we did not create
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and we do not sustain
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any of these things,
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even though
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that is what sustains
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our physical life every day.
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These things that we
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don't even think about.
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The laws of the universe
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that remain constant
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and the way that God
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upholds our lives,
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even if we don't recognize him.
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We're fundamentally dependent
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on God as his creatures
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in a very basic way.
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You know,
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in a more particular way,
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Jesus is reminding us,
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those of us who believe in him,
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that we're absolutely dependent
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on him as his disciples.
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Jesus said in John 15,
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I am the vine,
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you are the branches.
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If you abide in me,
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you will bear much fruit,
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and apart from me,
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you can do nothing.
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Now what does it look like
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to abide in Jesus,
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to live in dependence upon Jesus?
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Well, Jesus talks about
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abiding in his word,
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letting his word constantly
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be sinking into our hearts
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and shaping our lives.
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He talks about abiding in his love,
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resting in the assurance
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that we belong to him,
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and nothing can snatch us
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away from his hand.
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And that if he was willing
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to lay down his life
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for us on the cross,
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how much more
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will he give us
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all things that we need?
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Jesus also speaks
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about abiding in prayer,
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coming before God every day
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to ask for what we need,
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abiding in communion
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with God,
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the Father,
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Son,
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and Holy Spirit.
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And I think one of the
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key indicators
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of whether we're living
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in dependence upon God,
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whether we're abiding in Christ,
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is our practice
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of prayer.
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Do we feel our need to pray
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as much as you feel
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the need to eat
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in order to satisfy
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your hunger every day?
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In the Lord's Prayer,
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Jesus taught us to pray
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for our daily provision.
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Give us this day
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our daily bread,
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for our daily pardon.
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Forgive us our trespasses
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as we forgive those
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who trespass against us
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for our daily protection.
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Lead us not into temptation,
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but deliver us from evil.
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Do we feel that need
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to pray every day
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for our provision,
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our pardon,
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and our protection?
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You know,
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even if we don't feel
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our need for prayer,
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are we so convinced
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of its importance
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for our spiritual well-being
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that we discipline ourselves
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to do it?
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You know,
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if you're sick,
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or if you're depressed,
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or if you're taking
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certain medications,
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you might not actually
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feel hungry.
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You might not actually
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feel like eating at all.
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But if you want to,
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if you want to care
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for your body,
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and if you want to promote
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your own physical health,
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you'll discipline yourself
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to eat,
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even if you don't feel
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the need for it,
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because you realize,
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my body isn't functioning
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the way it should.
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And in order for me
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to get better,
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I will have to eat
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healthy foods.
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And in the same way,
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there can be that discipline
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of praying,
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even when we don't feel like it,
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even when our spiritual senses
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are a little bit dull,
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and we have to discipline ourselves
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and say,
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I need to pray.
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Even though I feel
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self-sufficient,
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even though I feel like
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I'm not in
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a desperate situation,
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I need,
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I'm absolutely dependent
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on God,
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and I need to be
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in prayer.
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So God reminds us
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of our dependence.
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You know,
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sometimes God reminds us
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of our dependence
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in a situation like
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the disciples found themselves in.
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They fished all night
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and caught nothing.
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Maybe you've been searching
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for a job all year,
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and you still haven't found one.
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Sometimes God reminds us
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of our dependence
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through hard situations,
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sickness or job loss,
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loneliness.
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But you know,
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it's also a blessing
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when God sustains us
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in our dependence on Him
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through a time of prosperity,
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when everything's going well,
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and when you have the job
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you always wanted,
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and when you have
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great friends,
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and you might otherwise
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be tempted to embrace
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the illusion that
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we are self-sufficient
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and self-made.
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It's a blessing
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when God sustains us
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in dependence on Him.
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Whether it's in a time
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of adversity
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or a time of prosperity,
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it's true nonetheless.
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And so Jesus reminds us
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of that.
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Now Jesus reminds them
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of their dependence
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by pointing back
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to this first episode,
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but He also provides for them
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in great abundance.
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What happens
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in Luke chapter 5
Luke 5 chapter mention
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and in John chapter 21?
John 21 chapter mention
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Well, they throw out the nets,
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and then they get this
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amazingly large catch of fish.
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Now there's this interesting
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difference between the two stories.
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In Luke,
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everything starts to fall apart.
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The nets start breaking.
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The boats start sinking.
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Peter says,
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Go away from me, Lord.
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I'm a sinful man.
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They can't handle
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the abundance
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that Jesus provides.
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But in John,
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verse 11 points out,
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although there were so many fish,
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the net was not torn.
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And when Peter sees Jesus,
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he runs to Jesus
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because he knows
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He's the Lord.
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Now,
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what's the significance
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of this detail?
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Well,
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the nets full of fish
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are a symbol
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of the disciples' calling.
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Right?
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Jesus had said,
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Don't be afraid.
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From now on,
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you will be fishers
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of man.
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Right?
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This is a,
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I will send you out
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into all the world
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with the good news
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of Jesus Christ
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to welcome people
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and to gather people
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into my kingdom.
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And you know,
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that calling
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that Jesus gives us
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to proclaim
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the gospel
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of Jesus Christ
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and to bring
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all kinds of people
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from all over the world
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into his kingdom
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can feel overwhelming
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and intimidating.
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We might feel like
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Peter and the other disciples
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did in Luke.
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The nets are breaking.
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You might think,
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you know,
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what if God brings
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a whole bunch of people
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who are totally different
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than me
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into our church?
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Or what if God brings
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people into my life
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who have overwhelming
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physical needs?
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Or what if I'm asked
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to take on
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a position of leadership
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and responsibility
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that I feel like
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is over my head?
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Now it's true,
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following Jesus
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can feel overwhelming
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at times.
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But what Jesus wants
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to reassure
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his disciples here
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is that he's promised
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to be with us
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and to equip us.
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And that we can
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depend on him,
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we can abide in him,
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and he'll equip us
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for whatever task
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he calls us to.
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Although there were
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so many fish,
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the net was not torn.
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That we,
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and the net
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in one sense
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can represent
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the promises
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of the gospel of Jesus.
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Jesus says,
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anyone everywhere
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who believes in him
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will have eternal life.
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He's a merciful Savior,
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and anyone who comes to him
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will not be driven away.
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The promises are true,
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and they will hold,
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and they will not break.
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And that's what
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Christ has given us.
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So that's the first thing.
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Jesus calls us
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to abide in him
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by reminding us
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of our dependence.
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Second, he calls us
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to invest for him.
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Now this is verse 9
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through 14.
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When they got on land,
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they saw fish and bread
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prepared by Jesus.
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Jesus was acting
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as a host.
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He had cooked breakfast
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for them,
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inviting his disciples
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to share a meal.
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And verse 13 says
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he took the bread
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and gave it to them.
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Now, once again,
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Jesus was deliberately
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reminding them
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of an episode
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from the middle
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of his earthly ministry
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when he had fed
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a whole crowd of people,
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5,000 men plus women
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and children,
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with bread and fish.
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And when he took it
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and gave it to the people.
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In the Gospel of John,
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it appears in chapter 6.
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It's the only one
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of Jesus' miracles
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recorded in all four
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of the Gospels.
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So if you want,
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you can flip back
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to John chapter 6,
John 6 chapter mention
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this event that Jesus
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was reminding
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his disciples of.
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Now, what was the point?
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Why did Jesus want
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to remind his disciples
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of this particular event?
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On the one hand,
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it was a symbol
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of his abundant provision.
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Going along
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with the first point,
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with only five small loaves
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of bread and two small fish,
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Jesus fed a large crowd
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and there were 12 baskets
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full of leftovers
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at the end,
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one for each of the disciples.
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But you know,
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the story isn't just about
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Jesus' amazing provision,
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amazing though it was,
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but also Jesus'
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insistence that his disciples
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be involved in the process.
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If you go back
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to John chapter 6,
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verse 5,
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it says,
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Jesus saw that a large crowd
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was coming toward him
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and he said to Philip,
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where are we to buy bread
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so that these people may eat?
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Verse 6 said,
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he said this to test him
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for he himself knew
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what he would do.
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Jesus intentionally involved
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his disciples
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in his ministry.
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Now, Jesus was
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the Lord of all creation.
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All things had been
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made through him.
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If he, I mean,
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if he could really do
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this miracle
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and multiply five loaves
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of bread and two small fish
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to feed 5,000 people,
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he didn't really need
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the five loaves of bread
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and two small fish.
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He could have
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made it out of thin air.
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But no, he says,
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I want you
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to be invested
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in this with me.
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He received
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a small boy's lunch,
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willingly offered.
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He involved
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the disciples
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in organizing
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the people
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and distributing
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the food
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and cleaning up afterwards
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and in John 21,
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Jesus followed
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the same pattern.
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He says,
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he was already
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cooking the fish
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and bread
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on the fire
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and Jesus says,
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bring some of the fish
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that you have caught.
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You see,
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Jesus is sufficient.
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Jesus can accomplish
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his work on his own
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but he calls us
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to be invested
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alongside him.
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And even though
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our resources
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may seem insignificant
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and insufficient
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compared to his,
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he multiplies them
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for the good
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of his people
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and the glory
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of his name.
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So let me ask us,
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brothers and sisters,
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can you remember
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a time
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when Jesus called you
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to invest sacrificially
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from your own
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limited resources
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and then he multiplied
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what you offered him?
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Offered to others
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in his name.
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Maybe you heard
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that someone
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in the church
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was sick
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and you took
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the initiative
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to make dinner
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and bring it over
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to their house
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and encourage them.
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And maybe they sent you
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the sweetest thank you note
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about how much
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it meant to them
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to know that
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they have a church family
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and they have people
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who care for them
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in that kind of way.
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Or maybe you took
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the time to meet
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one-on-one
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for several months
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with someone
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who had questions
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about Christianity
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and they came
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to faith in Jesus
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and they're walking
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the same path
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with you now.
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Maybe you took
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the difficult step
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of gently confronting
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a brother or sister
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who seemed to be
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straying
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from the ways
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of Jesus
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and they listened.
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They listened
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to what you said
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and they changed
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their ways
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and they thank you
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for it.
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Maybe you introduced
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yourself to someone
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new before
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or after church
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even though
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you're naturally
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an introvert
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and they were
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standing 10 feet away
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not talking to anyone
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alone and you were
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standing by yourself
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and honestly
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you would have been
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more comfortable
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just standing 10 feet
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away and not saying
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a thing.
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But you thought
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because let me go
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and introduce myself
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because that would be
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a blessing to them
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even if it's not
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my personality type.
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And maybe they now
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tell others how
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welcoming they found
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this church to be.
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Now I know
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it doesn't always
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work that way
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right?
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Sometimes you invest
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and you give
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and you
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share God's word
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and share what
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he's given you
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and you don't see
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multiplying fruit
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of your labor
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in the Lord.
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Jesus was very
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realistic about this
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in the parable
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of the sower.
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Jesus says
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sometimes the word
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falls along the path.
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People don't want
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to hear it at all.
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They just brush you aside.
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They don't thank you
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at all for the ways
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that you're trying
-
to do good to them
-
spiritually.
-
They don't even care.
-
He says sometimes
-
the word falls
-
on rocky ground
-
and people get
-
really excited
-
about it for a little while
-
but then when the
-
going gets tough
-
the excitement
-
doesn't last.
-
He says sometimes
-
the word falls
-
among thorns
-
and it gets choked
-
out by the worries
-
and cares
-
and riches
-
of this life
-
and it doesn't mature.
-
But he says
-
sometimes
-
the word falls
-
into good soil
-
and takes root.
-
And he says
-
through perseverance
-
over time
-
it multiplies
-
thirty, sixty
-
or even a hundred
-
fold.
-
And you know
-
doesn't that make
-
it all worth it?
-
When we see Jesus
-
taking our humble
-
offerings
-
our humble efforts
-
that we offer
-
to him
-
as expressions
-
of worship
-
and share
-
with others
-
and in some cases
-
he multiplies
-
them far more
-
than we could
-
ever expect
-
or imagine.
-
So Jesus
-
is encouraging us
-
invest
-
for him.
-
Abide in him
-
invest
-
for him
-
and don't
-
hold back.
-
Bring what you have
-
to Jesus
-
and let him
-
multiply what you offer.
-
Third
-
abide in him
-
invest for him
-
and finally
-
be restored
-
through him.
-
Jesus reminds us
-
of our dependence
-
he reminds us
-
of his power
-
to multiply
-
what we invest
-
in his kingdom
-
but finally
-
he reminds us
-
of our failure
-
and his forgiveness.
-
You know
-
when we look back
-
honestly
-
on our lives
-
whether it's
-
just the last week
-
or the last year
-
or the last decade
-
we look honestly
-
we will be reminded
-
not only
-
of our dependence
-
on him
-
and his abundant
-
provision for us
-
or our investment
-
in his kingdom
-
and his multiplying
-
of our efforts
-
but we will also
-
be reminded
-
of our shameful
-
failures
-
and our darkest
-
moments.
-
verse 9 says
-
Jesus made a charcoal
-
fire
-
on the beach
-
the only other time
-
in the entire Bible
-
where a charcoal
-
fire is mentioned
-
is three chapters
-
beforehand
-
in John chapter 18
-
verse 18
-
and Jesus was on trial
-
before the high priest
-
and Peter
-
was standing
-
in the courtyard
-
and the servants
-
and officers
-
had made a charcoal
-
fire because it was cold
-
and three times
-
someone asked Peter
-
Peter
-
you aren't
-
one of
-
that man's
-
disciples
-
are you
-
and three times
-
he replied
-
I'm not
-
Peter said
-
more than a few
-
stupid things
-
in the course
-
of his
-
life with Jesus
-
but that night
-
had been the worst
-
of them all
-
the same night
-
that Jesus
-
was handed over
-
to die
-
and what we see
-
here
-
is that knowing
-
his past
-
failure
-
Jesus pursues
-
Peter
-
with forgiveness
-
you know
-
Jesus doesn't
-
wait
-
for Peter
-
to approach him
-
with repentance
-
instead
-
he pursues him
-
with forgiveness
-
sometimes
-
if we have been
-
wronged
-
our response
-
is simply
-
to wait
-
for the other
-
person to approach
-
us with repentance
-
we say
-
they wronged
-
me
-
they ought
-
to take
-
the initiative
-
to make
-
amends
-
if they
-
genuinely
-
repent
-
I'll consider
-
forgiving
-
them
-
but they
-
ought to
-
make the
-
first move
-
but that
-
is not
-
what Jesus
-
does
-
here
-
or with
-
us
-
generally
-
Jesus
-
doesn't
-
wait
-
for us
-
to repent
-
he
-
graciously
-
pursues
-
us
-
with his
-
forgiveness
-
now
-
how does
-
Jesus
-
do that
-
well
-
first
-
he
-
brings
-
us
-
face
-
to
-
face
-
with
-
our
-
past
-
failure
-
Jesus
-
approached
-
Simon
-
Peter
-
and took
-
him
-
aside
-
Simon
-
son
-
of
-
John
-
do
-
you
-
love
-
me
-
more
-
than
-
these
-
now
-
you
-
might
-
wonder
-
why
-
does
-
Jesus
-
apparently
-
compare
-
Simon's
-
love
-
for
-
Jesus
-
with
-
the
-
other
-
disciples
-
love
-
for
-
Jesus
-
why
-
does
-
he
-
ask
-
him
-
do
-
you
-
love
-
me
-
more
-
than
-
they
-
do
-
well
-
on
-
the
-
night
-
that
-
Jesus
-
was
-
arrested
-
that's
-
exactly
-
what
-
Peter
-
said
-
you
-
will
-
all
-
fall
-
away
-
but
-
after
-
I'm
-
raised
-
up
-
I'll
-
go
-
ahead
-
of
-
you
-
to
-
Galilee
-
and
-
Peter
-
immediately
-
replied
-
even
-
though
-
they
-
all
-
fall
-
away
-
I
-
will
-
not
-
and
-
later
-
that
-
night
-
Peter
-
had
-
denied
-
Jesus
-
three
-
times
-
and
-
so
-
Jesus
-
asked
-
do
-
you
-
love
-
me
-
more
-
than
-
these
-
in
-
other
-
words
-
he
-
was
-
bringing
-
Peter
-
to
-
face
-
this
-
question
-
would
-
will
-
you
-
confuse
-
your
-
love
-
me
-
with
-
a
-
false
-
sense
-
of
-
superiority
-
over
-
all
-
the
-
other
-
disciples
-
and
-
I
-
think
-
Peter
-
got
-
it
-
because
-
he
-
didn't
-
say
-
yes
-
Jesus
-
I
-
love
-
you
-
more
-
than
-
they
-
do
-
he
-
just
-
said
-
yes
-
Lord
-
you
-
know
-
that
-
I
-
love
-
you
-
and
-
he
-
didn't
-
compare
-
himself
-
anymore
-
because
-
he
-
had
-
been
-
humbled
-
and
-
then
-
two
-
more
-
times
-
Jesus
-
asked
-
Peter
-
the same
-
question
-
do
-
you
-
love
-
me
-
verse
-
17
-
says
-
Peter
-
was
-
grieved
-
he
-
was
-
hurt
-
sometimes
-
it's
-
painful
-
to be
-
brought
-
face to
-
face
-
with
-
our
-
past
-
failures
-
you
-
know
-
when
-
Jesus
-
pursues
-
us
-
with
-
his
-
forgiveness
-
he
-
brings
-
us
-
face
-
to
-
face
-
with
-
our
-
past
-
failure
-
many
-
times
-
we're
-
afraid
-
to
-
do
-
this
-
past
-
when
-
when
-
we've
-
been
-
wronged
-
or
-
when
-
others
-
have
-
wronged
-
us
-
and
-
our
-
instinct
-
is
-
pretend
-
that
-
nothing
-
ever
-
happened
-
or
-
sweep
-
it
-
under
-
the
-
rug
-
or
-
make
-
excuses
-
for
-
ourselves
-
or
-
others
-
or
-
we're
-
afraid
-
that
-
if
-
we
-
really
-
face
-
what
-
happened
-
that
-
we'll
-
never
-
be
-
able
-
to
-
get
-
beyond
-
it
-
isn't
-
that
-
why
-
we
-
don't
-
face
-
the
-
past
-
because
-
we're
-
afraid
-
if we
-
really
-
face
-
it
-
we'll
-
never
-
get beyond. And so we suppress and deny and minimize and blame and excuse and don't talk
-
about it and remain distant from each other, but Jesus doesn't do that. Jesus brings Peter face to
-
face with his greatest failure, precisely so that Peter will be able to move beyond it forever.
-
Jesus takes a far more painful route, and yet it is ultimately a far more healing and restoring
-
route. Jesus exposes Peter's shame, Peter's unfaithfulness, Peter's impulsiveness rooted in
-
his insecurity and fear and pride, and he does it not in order to rub salt on Peter's wounds,
-
not to punish him, not to shame him, not to exclude him. Instead, it's as if Jesus puts his hand on
-
Peter's shoulder and walks him back to the scene of his greatest failure by a charcoal fire in the
-
early morning light where Peter had denied him. And in that same setting, Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd,
-
calls Peter into a new future of faithfully following him. As you look back on the past year
-
over the last few years or your time in New Haven, is there a dark night that haunts you?
-
Is there a failure or series of failures that has left a stain on your memory and shame in your
-
conscience and you wish you could forget? The good news of this passage is that Jesus forgives
-
and heals and restores, even after our worst failures, that he walks with us to the place of our
-
sin and folly and shame. And in that same place, he stands with us as our Savior who was crucified,
-
bearing our sins, and as our risen Lord who sets us free from bondage, and he calls us into a new
-
future of faithfully walking with him. He redeems and restores, and he even reinstates. Peter's past
-
past failure did not permanently prevent him from future usefulness in God's kingdom.
-
In fact, Jesus entrusts Peter with the responsibility to care for his people,
-
to feed my lambs, take care of my sheep. And in verse 18, Jesus says to Peter, he basically says,
-
one day you're going to die for me. Even though you deny me three times, even though you've said a bunch
-
of stupid things, and you still will say some more stupid things, you will be faithful to the end.
-
In your life and even in your death, you will bring glory to God, so follow me.
-
The end result of Jesus' conversation with Peter is that Peter is no longer defined by his past
-
failure. Peter has been restored and commissioned and called to follow Jesus and glorify God all the
-
way to the end. This is the power of Jesus who pursues us with his forgiveness and calls us into a future
-
of following him. And Peter responds, verse 20 to 21, he says one more stupid thing.
-
Even after all this, he turned and saw John and said, Lord, what about him?
-
Goodness, Peter.
-
Isn't it encouraging that Peter is one of the disciples? It means we, you can be in.
-
Jesus said, if I want him to remain alive until I come back, what is that to you? You follow me.
-
Abide in me. Invest for me. Be restored through me. And don't get distracted by comparing yourself to
-
someone else. Peter was called to an active life, public preaching, sometimes getting thrown in
-
prison for preaching about Jesus, being set free by angels, traveling from place to place, healing the
-
sick, raising a dead person to life. Even once, he was a doer, we might say. John was a thinker,
-
insightful and reflective and extensive writer, giving us not only his gospel, but three letters in the book
-
of Revelation. Peter's life ended in martyrdom, bringing glory to God in his death. John lived the longest of any
-
of the apostles, as far as we know. Which was better? Wrong question. Their callings were just different.
-
They were both called to follow Jesus wholeheartedly, just to express that in different ways.
-
Some of you will be called to a life of influential leadership. Others of you will be called to a life of
-
faithful obscurity. Some of you will stay in New Haven the rest of your life until you die here. You might as well
-
reserve the cemetery plot in advance. Some of you will go and travel the world and move 20 times in your adult life.
-
Some of you will glorify God through public gifts of teaching and leadership. Others of you will glorify
-
God behind the scenes by serving and showing mercy and helping and administrating.
-
And Jesus' final word in the Gospel of John is don't compare yourself to your brother or sister in
-
Christ. Don't be constantly looking at them. Simply look to Christ. He's the author and the
-
finisher of our faith. He's the one who's gone before us and paved the way. He's the one who sent his
-
spirit to equip us for everything that he's called us to. Brothers and sisters, abide in Jesus, invest for
-
Jesus, and be restored by Jesus. Let's pray.