TRIED AND PROVENED

John 21:4–11 KJV (WS)

But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No. And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea. And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes. As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread. Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught. Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken.

When She Prayed for Thirty Dollars

God answers prayer … Let us trust him. A Christian woman was in financial need. She had been talking a good deal to the Lord about it. Her income that month was thirty dollars.

.… She began praying for the impossible, asking the Lord for thirty dollars more. The next mail brought her a certain envelope. She writes about it as follows: “I opened the envelope when my husband and I were at breakfast, and my eyes began to feel queer, so that I had to wink fast, and there was a big lump in my throat. The envelope contained a check for $32.84, and instantly there was a little prayer in my heart, ‘O dear heavenly Father, I just can’t thank You enough.’ Why, it just seemed as if the Lord were sitting right by my table.” Yes, but why say, “As if the Lord were?” For the Lord was. And he had been standing right alongside when she had asked for the impossible. Nor is the Lord’s bank account all used up yet. He has more checks, and his balance at the bank is large.

TRIED AND PROVED

Introduction: Background of the story, Jesus had already risen.

Most of your greatest battles will come after you have given your life to God.

The trying of our faith will have just begun.

James 1:1–9 KJV (WS)

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting. My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:

When Our faith Is Blurred

John 21:3 KJV (WS)

Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.

It is more easier than most people actually think to slowly go back to the old way of thinking.

The time between Jesus resurrection until now is less than 40 days.

What about the miracles they saw and experience.

Living for God is a daily walk, not weekly or monthly or yearly.

Their profession is no longer fishers, or tax collection, or merchants or farmers, they are now followers of Christ, their profession CHRISTIANS.

Three and a half years of seminary training by the greatest teacher this world will ever see, Dr. Jesus.

They Caught Nothing

Sometimes people graduate college with a business degree and flip burgers.

God call these men first of all, to major in Soulolgy, or the profession of winning souls for God to occupy Heaven Kingdom.

3. They were still in God’s school, the school of hard knocks.

(This is a phase the means “sometimes painful”.)

Education one gets from life’s usually negative experiences which often contrasted with formal education.

Have Ye Any Meat?

What really was Jesus referring to, was this not only physical, but spiritual.

John 4:32–33 KJV (WS)

But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat?

2. This morning what’s in your net?

1. Disappointments

2. Anxieties

3. Brokenness

4. Turmoil

Why Don’t You Cast Your Net On The Other Side This Morning?

Salvation is on the right side.

Healing is on the right side.

Provision is on the right side.

Comfort is on the right side.

Deliverance is on the right side.

153 Fishes

The Greeks greatest mathematician was Archimedes.

In his measurment of a circle he calculated the value of Pi.

It was his most useful, and therefore, his most infuential work.

The unusual number 153 figured most prominently in that work.

John Lived In A Greek Culture

John knew the Greeks wrongly believed the Gospel Jesus was foolishness and in contradiction to their wisdom.

John includes the detail of 153 fish in his gospel.

The Greeks would have immediately recognized how his use of the number 153 alluded to the wisdom and the work of their esteemed cultural hero, Archimedes and by extension to all Greek wisdom.

They knew John was claiming that Jesus, who is God, is the source of all wisdom.

The Net Did Not Tear

The same net which contains all the 153 fish, and by extension all the wisdom offered through Jesus to man, both the Greeks natural wisdom and Christian wisdom of revelation.

The one net does not tear because there is no inconsistency between these two types of wisdom.

The fact that Jesus already had some fish before the apostles came is indicative of the fact that He is not restricted to the wisdom that is revealed to man.

But, He is the source of all wisdom.

For He is the only God.