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The Future and Forgetting
 
*Acts 9:1-19**; **John 21:1-1*7
 
July 2, 2006
 
*/Focus:/*/ We need to learn from the past but not be trapped by it.
God focuses on the future./
* *
One day a poor girl ventured into the garden of the Queen’s palace, and approached the gardener, telling him that her mother was lying very ill, and that she longed for a flower, such as she had seen in the Queen’s gardens.
It was winter time, and the flowers were rare at that season.
The child had saved a few pennies and wished to buy a rose for her sick mother.
The gardener had no authority to give away the Queen’s flowers, and he said when she offered to pay, “The Queen has no flowers for sale,” and would have sent the poor child away.
But the Queen herself just happened to be in the greenhouse, and, unobserved either by the gardener or his little customer, had overheard the conversation.
As the child was turning away sorrowful and disappointed, the Queen stepped from behind her flowery screen and addressed the child, saying: “The gardener was quite right, my child, he has no authority to give you the flowers you want, nor does the Queen cultivate flowers for sale; but the Queen has flowers *to give away*”; and, suiting the action to the word, she lifted from the basket into which she had been snipping the flowers a handful of rare roses and gave them to the child, saying: “Take these to your mother with my love, and tell her that the Queen sent them.
I am the Queen.”
So let me say to you, God has no forgiveness for sale; you cannot buy it with your poor penance of tears, prayers, or repentance; God has forgiveness to give, and you may take it by faith, but not barter for it with anything you can do
 
Let’s read today’s Scripture passages together now.
If you have your Bible with you, please turn to the book of John and we’ll read verses 1 through 17 in chapter 21: /“Later Jesus appeared again to the disciples beside the Sea of Galilee.
This is how it happened.
\\ Several of the disciples were there—Simon Peter, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples.
\\ Simon Peter said, "I'm going fishing." "We'll come, too," they all said.
So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night.
\\ At dawn the disciples saw Jesus standing on the beach, but they couldn't see who he was.
\\ He called out, "Friends, have you caught any fish?"
"No," they replied.
\\ Then he said, "Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you'll get plenty of fish!"
So they did, and they couldn't draw in the net because there were so many fish in it.
\\ Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!"
When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic (for he had stripped for work), jumped into the water, and swam ashore.
\\ The others stayed with the boat and pulled the loaded net to the shore, for they were only out about three hundred feet.
\\ When they got there, they saw that a charcoal fire was burning and fish were frying over it, and there was bread.
\\ "Bring some of the fish you've just caught," Jesus said.
\\ So Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore.
There were 153 large fish, and yet the net hadn't torn.
\\ "Now come and have some breakfast!"
Jesus said.
And no one dared ask him if he really was the Lord because they were sure of it.
\\ Then Jesus served them the bread and the fish.
\\ This was the third time Jesus had appeared to his disciples since he had been raised from the dead.
\\ After breakfast Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," Peter replied, "you know I love you."
"Then feed my lambs," Jesus told him.
\\ Jesus repeated the question: "Simon son of John, do you love me?" "Yes, Lord," Peter said, "you know I love you."
"Then take care of my sheep," Jesus said.
\\ Once more he asked him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was grieved that Jesus asked the question a third time.
He said, "Lord, you know everything.
You know I love you."
Jesus said, "Then feed my sheep.”
/
*I.
Simon Peter and Saul of Tarsus in Crisis*
Most historians agree that the two most influential leaders of the early church were Simon Peter, the big fisherman, and Saul of Tarsus, who became the apostle Paul.
Christianity would not be as we know it today had it not been for the influence of these two individuals.
These two individuals could not have become who they were had it not been for the experiences described in Scripture.
Our Gospel reading focuses on a time of upheaval and confusion in the life of Simon Peter.
He was one of the original followers of Jesus.
Early in Jesus’ ministry, Andrew had met Jesus and was so impressed he brought Peter.
Impulsively, Simon Peter signed on.
He saw Jesus rise out of obscurity and become a national celebrity.
He also watched as Jesus’ fortunes changed and the opposition in Jerusalem hardened.
He stood with the rest in absolute amazement on that Friday afternoon as he saw Jesus crucified on a Roman cross.
There was nothing left of the Jesus movement: crucified, dead, and buried.
Simon was among the group that first heard the women coming back from the tomb on Sunday morning and claiming that it was empty.
He heard the rumor that Jesus was alive again; the Abba-Father had raised him back to life.
Simon Peter even went to see the grave site, and he was present on those two Sunday nights in the Upper Room when Jesus appeared to the disciples.
He saw Jesus extend his hands and let Thomas examine the nail prints.
Peter saw all of it, but he didn’t know what to make of this last phenomenon.
His world had been turned upside down three times.
The first when he met Jesus, the second when the whole thing seemed to collapse, and now these bewildering stories of resurrection.
Alvin Toffler taught us a few years ago that the human psyche can process only so much radical change before it tends to shut down.
People either blow up in frustrated violence or they regress back to some earlier, simpler mode of being.
It was this latter course that Simon Peter seems to have taken.
In the midst of all of this confusion, Simon decides to go back to the one thing of which he is certain: making a living as a fisherman.
He’s not the first person to return to his roots under the pressure of great complexity.
The story of Saul of Tarsus is different.
As far as we know, he never had any direct contact with Jesus during the days of our Lord’s life.
After Jesus had been killed, the disciples claimed he was resurrected, and Saul began to hear a great deal about Jesus, and it was utterly repulsive.
Now, let’s turn to Acts, chapter 9 and we’ll read verses 1 through 19: /“Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath.
He was eager to destroy the Lord's followers, so he went to the high priest.
\\ He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there.
He wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains.
\\ As he was nearing Damascus on this mission, a brilliant light from heaven suddenly beamed down upon him!
\\ He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul!
Saul!
Why are you persecuting me?" \\ "Who are you, sir?" Saul asked.
And the voice replied, "I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting!
\\ Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you are to do." \\ The men with Saul stood speechless with surprise, for they heard the sound of someone's voice, but they saw no one!
\\ As Saul picked himself up off the ground, he found that he was blind.
\\ So his companions led him by the hand to Damascus.
He remained there blind for three days.
And all that time he went without food and water.
\\ Now there was a believer in Damascus named Ananias.
The Lord spoke to him in a vision, calling, "Ananias!"
"Yes, Lord!" he replied.
\\ The Lord said, "Go over to Straight Street, to the house of Judas.
When you arrive, ask for Saul of Tarsus.
He is praying to me right now.
\\ I have shown him a vision of a man named Ananias coming in and laying his hands on him so that he can see again."
\\ "But Lord," exclaimed Ananias, "I've heard about the terrible things this man has done to the believers in Jerusalem!
\\ And we hear that he is authorized by the leading priests to arrest every believer in Damascus."
\\ But the Lord said, "Go and do what I say.
For Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel.
\\ And I will show him how much he must suffer for me."
\\ So Ananias went and found Saul.
He laid his hands on him and said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you may get your sight back and be filled with the Holy Spirit."
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