Dawning of a New Day

DAWNING OF A NEW DAY Day is Referred to as the Third Sunday of Easter May 1, 2022 By Craig Minke In this world today and throughout history we see people, world leaders using their influence and power to control and harm others * Look at what is happening in the Ukraine, where innocent women and children are being slaughtered. * Look at what is happening in North Korea, where Christian are being killed * Some of you have fled countries in Africa where militia gangs have killed many and taken whatever they want. (Sp0L) But Jesus also uses his power but Jesus' power is much different. * Instead of taking other peoples lives Jesus displayed his power by laying down his life for all humanity. * Instead of being overcome with evil, Jesus exemplified truth, love, and light. * His name is above all other names! Before Jesus laid down his life and was crucified the Bible records what happened to the disciples * The apostle Peter abandoning Jesus and denied that he even knew Him. * Three times Peter is recorded as denying Jesus. He was more concerned about his self preservation than being a fisher of men. Today's reading from John records the appearance of the resurrected Lord to Peter who is restored and commissioned to feed Jesus' sheep. Let's read JN 21:1-19 After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. 2 Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. 3 Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will go with you." They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. 4 Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus said to them, "Children, you have no fish, have you?" They answered him, "No." 6 He 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. 7 That 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. 8 But 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. 9 When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish that you have just caught." 11 So 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. 12 Jesus 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. 13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. 15 When 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." 16 A 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." 17 He said to him the third time, "Simon son of John, do you love?" 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. 18 Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and 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." (NRSV) Easter Sunday (the crucifixion and the resurrection are big events for the Christian Church. * Celebrations abound with music, drama, decorations, and food that are rarely seen on other Sunday gatherings * Resurrection Sunday is also the day most churches have their biggest day of attendance. * But Easter (Resurrection Sunday) is more than just A big special day. * In the Christian Calendar Easter is a season. In fact it is celebrated for 7 Sundays before the day of Pentecost. o Today we find ourselves today on the third Sunday after Easter, barely halfway through the season. o By now you notice that the remaining Sunday gatherings look like business as usual. o Back to normal attendance o Back to the regular attendees. We may be disappointed and wish every Sunday would look like Easter Sunday. * But if we are honest for many churches its back to business as usual. * In fact some days don't reflect the fact that he is risen at all. * We are just keep going about our lives "business as usual." * When we first became a believer we has a passion for learning our first love but if we don't watch that passion love for God can wane. o Sound familiar? o Is our passion for Bible Study searching the Scriptures still there. o Is our time spent in prayer still there. If these things have waned in their important today's message may be for you. * This story is about Peter and the other disciples who have seen the Risen Lord but now the excitement has dwindled and they are returning to their old lifestyle. * If this a happened to Peter, the one Jesus chose to build his church on, we SHOULD WE NOT BE SURPRISED THAT IT CAN HAPPEN TO US. . * Let's take a look at how it played out for Peter and his fellow fishermen. JN 21:1-3 After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. 2 Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. 3 Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will go with you." They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. (NRSV) The story begins with seven disciples gathering at the Sea of Galilee. * Jesus had already appeared to them so WHY were they going back to their old profession. * Peter is recorded as saying, "I'm going out to fish." * Notice his orientation. * He is no longer acting like a a man who dedicated himself to following Jesus, * He is choosing for himself what he is going to do. * One could say he is returning to a SELF-DETERMINED approach to life. * Not only that, but he is also INFLUENCING THE OTHER DISCIPLES to follow him. * Remember Peter was called to be the LEADER who would lead the early church. * This doesn't appear to be a good start for LEADERSHIP. * Instead of leading others to be followers of Christ, he has led them to follow himself. * Like FORGET THIS FISHERS OF MEN - LET'S GET BACK TO FISHING. WHAT ABOUT YOURSELVES? HOW DOES THIS RELATE TO US? * Have we seen ourselves slip back into our own SELF-DETERMINED patterns of our old thinking and behaviors? * It happens to us all. * Let's face it, the CULTURE we live in celebrates and continually barrages us with the temptation to "BE YOUR OWN MAN" or "BE THE CAPTAIN OF OUR OWN SHIP." * Our culture PULLS ON US. * All of us have heard the rant, "YOU HAVE THE POWER WITHIN YOU.", that may be partially true BUT ONLY IF THE HOLY SPIRIT IS LEADING US. * It seems the culture around us is focused on SELF, This slide tells it all. * Today the focus on SELF is evident in our lives and the world around us. o Self admiration o Self focus o Self identity o True self o Self pleasure o Self care o Self perception o Self mediation o Self love o Self Interest o Self help o Self reflection o Self image o Self gratification o Self confidence o Self appraisal o Self determination o Take a selfie * HOWEVER God in his word and Jesus did not focus on SELF * The Bible gives us over 50 one another commands, that we are to carry out by interacting with others and fellow believers. o Love, encourage, serve, give, help, etc. * The one another commands are the opposite of SELF * We are called to be followers of Christ, BUT WE OFTEN FIND OURSELVES, just like Peter and his fishing mates, returning to our BOAT AND OUR FISHING TACKLE, as if Easter Sunday meant Jesus had decided to move on without us. Peter and the other disciples give us a glimpse of how a self-determined life will look apart from Jesus. * They proceeded to answer for themselves a series of questions in order to fulfill their self-determined quest. * They determined for themselves WHAT they would do - GO FISHING. * They determined for themselves WHERE they would go - OUT TO SEA. * They determined for themselves HOW they would do it - BY BOAT. * They determined for themselves WHEN they would do it - AT NIGHT. This self-initiated task in the end produced for them a net full of NOTHING! "0" * We are reminded that Jesus told his disciples that apart from him they could do nothing. * Remember the words of Jesus in JN 15:5 I am the vine, you are the branches: He that abides in me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit: for without me you can do nothing. * I think most of us can say WE HAVE BEEN THERE, doing our own thing with "ZERO" results * We return to your boats, make your best PLAN, gather your FAVORITE TOOLS, and give it ALL you got, only to end up with the same results before you knew Jesus. * Nothing! * Nothing worth counting anyway. * USUALLY HOWEVER, we end up with less than nothing - often making a MESS OF OUR LIVES and DRAGGING OTHERS DOWN WITH US. * So far in the Bible account we see a pretty dismal start for our third Sunday of Easter. * But don't go away, the sun hasn't come up quite yet. * Let's go back to our reading in John JN 21:4-7 4 Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus said to them, "Children, you have no fish, have you?" They answered him, "No." 6 He 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. 7 That 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. (NRSV) PLAYING OF VIDEO (FROM THE CHOSEN) It was "early in the morning" when Jesus appeared on the shore, and everything begins to change. * The disciples at first did not recognize Jesus. * They had answered for themselves o The WHAT, WHERE, HOW, and WHEN o But they had not answered the WHO question. * WHO was this man on the beach? * Jesus asked the disciples a QUESTION o Do you have any fish, he knew the answer. o It is as if he gave them the OPPORTUNITY to say things weren't going as planned. NOTICE ALSO- Jesus' TIMING * He could have showed up the night before and saved they a lot of work. * BUT HE WAITED TILL MORNING JESUS WAS SEEKING TO GET HIS DISCIPLES TO THINK ABOUT WHAT THEY WERE DOING * This is Jesus' 3RD appearance to the disciples * Maybe appearing early in the morning at sunrise may remind them of his resurrection from the tomb * Maybe after a humiliating night the great fishermen CAUGHT NOTHING. * Maybe they were more ready to listen. * When Jesus said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat," the disciples followed his instructions, leading to a catch so great they were unable to haul into the boat. Why the miraculous catch - so that the disciples could have no doubts he was the Lord * Jesus helped them answer the only question that is truly important - the "WHO" question. * He did this in a very personal way. * The disciples will remember this the rest of their lives. FOR US TODAY: When WE FALL BACK into our selfish ways - Jesus reaches out to us in a loving APPROACH. * He COMES TO US in ways we can recognize, often with little reminders of WHO HE IS as we have come to KNOW HIM. Notice how Peter finally saw who was standing on the shore. His eyes were opened when one of his fellow disciples said to him, "It is the Lord." * Peter's excited response is comical. * He jumps off the boat and swims to shore. (He first remembers to put on some clothes. * Maybe seeing Jesus helped Peter to see the futility of his new pursuits and he couldn't abandon ship fast enough. This is why it is so important as we gather together as fellow disciples to remind each other of who the Lord is. * How often is it that we can't see the Lord present with us until SOMEONE REMINDS US who we have lost sight of? * Scripture says us in Ecclesiastes that ONE CAN EASILY BE OVERPOWERED, TWO CAN DEFEND THEMSELVES, BUT A CORD OR THREE STRANDS CANNOT BE BROKEN. * We need each other just as a friend SHARPENS THE COUNTINANCE OF A FRIEND. * A good friend will help bring our focus back to God. * That is why the writer of Hebrews wrote: HEB 10:24-25 24 and let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (NRSV) * That day is approaching, when we look at the world around us which people have a hand on the trigger ready to fire nuclear warheads. * We live in a secular world that believes they know more than God or the ancient words of the Bible. * Back to our reading for today. LK 21:8-14 8 But 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. 9 When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish that you have just caught." 11 So 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. 12 Jesus 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. 13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. (NRSV) PETER NOW IS FOLLOWING CHURCH AGAIN * As Peter follows Jesus with self-abandonment, the other disciples follow suit. * This is the primary calling of any church "leader." * It is to be a follower of Christ. When all the disciples were on the shore, we find that Jesus is already cooking some fish. * Jesus does not need our catch, but he INVITES US TO PARTICIPATE in what he is doing. * Jesus INVITES them to bring some fish from their catch for a COMMUNION STYLE BREAKFAST. * Jesus gives them credit for the catch of fish, even though they know it was Jesus who made the catch possible. * This is the Lord the disciples had grown to know during their time with him. * After this invitation we see that "None of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" o It seems the disciples struggled with the concept of the resurrected Lord. o It would have been interesting to hear their discussions on the boat at they were fishing all night long. * The "who" question seems to have been settled for these disciples. JN 21:15-19 1 5 When 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." 16 A 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." 17 He said to him the third time, "Simon son of John, do you love?" 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. 18 Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and 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." (NRSV) It's after receiving this communion type meal that Jesus restores Peter to the ministry of feeding the sheep. * We see after the three questions address Peter's love for Jesus * Peter is brought face to face with his own humanity. * The Bible talks about the hurt and disappointment on Peter face as he remembers his 3 denials of Jesus. * Jesus also predicts Peter would not waver in following him. * Jesus even predicts the events leading up to Peter's death. * Have you ever asked the question what was Peter to feed to the sheep? How was Peter to feed the sheep? o The word of God o Expounding and explaining the word of God o A shepherd nurtures the sheep o He takes them to green grass places where they will be feed o A good shepherd helps the sheep to avoid predators o A good shepherd cares for his sheep o A good shepherd teaches the sheep to recognize Jesus' voice & call o A good shepherd gives them the meat of the word, not just milk as new born babes. * In the same way, the CHURCH IS THE PLACE WHERE SHEEP ARE FED We see from now a NEW PETER who is ready to follow Jesus' lead. * He becomes one who nourishes and takes care of the sheep. * Peter is charged to feed the sheep with what Jesus feeds him. * John records Jesus feeding the disciples bread and fish in a communion fashion mean. In summary, when Jesus shows up everything changes. * Night turns to day. * Fruitless fishing becomes an abundant catch. * Toiling at sea becomes a rest on the shore. * When Jesus answers the "who" question for us, we know all thing will work out for our good. * We can now abandon the pursuit our own destiny and let Jesus be our captain. * We do this by his last words in the passage "FOLLOW ME!" * Scripture shows Peter being a CHANGED MAN. The book of Acts records Peter standing up to preach and 3000 people became believers. CLOSING PRAYER