John 21- Jesus’ Provision

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

‌Megan Hutchinson....teaching leader....class here at Kenwood

If you are visiting and your first time…welcome…

You are joining us at the end of the study of the gospel of John.

At BSF we follow a layered approach meant to take you deeper into God’s word.

So you do a lesson…

Discuss the lesson in small groups.

Listen to a teaching- which is what we are about to do in a few moments

And then- read notes provided by BSF on the particular passage.

NEW SATELLITE:

Our class here at Kenwood is just one of many classes around the world- and we are always praying that God would grow BSF.

And I’m excited to let you know…that God has opened the door for a new satellite class to open on the East Side of Cincinnati in Clermont County at The Crossing Church in Batavia.

The heart for this satellite is that women who have not had an opportunity to be a part of a BSF class would be able to study God’s word.

So if you know someone who lives in that area- invite them to go to the informational meeting on May 9 at 7:00 pm.

The details are on the screen behind me and your group leader also has this information.

Please don’t hestitate to reach out with any questions.

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So while we are finishing John- we are already looking ahead to next year’s study on the book of Revelation- starting for our class here at Kenwood Baptist on September 11.

Revelation was written was written for everyday people…like you and me…in need of hope. Come with us as we look to Jesus- our only hope in life and death through Revelation next year.

REGISTRATION:

if you are new and interested in registering for next year you can do so at mybsf.org and just search for our class here at Kenwood or another class in our area…or scan the QR code behind me.

you can also register with our admin. team at the table in the back after lecture

‌Please know if you are registering children, their registration is not complete until a parental permission form is signed which can also be found on mybsf.org.

‌for those of you currently in our class- we still have about 63 children whose permissions have NOT been signed- so make sure you do that today.

SHARING DAY:

For those of you who have been a part of our class this year. Make sure you mark your calendars for May 8 for our class sharing day!‌

because Sharing Day..is the best day..

remember…There will be NO BSF KIDS OR BSF STUDENT PROGRAM THAT DAY.

Preschool age children are welcome to attend with you..

but to maintain the privacy and confidentiality of women who are sharing, please make other arrangements for children in our student program for that time.

the purpose of this day is to give glory to God and worship him together for all he has done in and through our study of John this year.

NEXT WEEK LECTURE:

So in a moment..we are going to begin our last live lecture of the year…

Next week your groups you will meet for discussion and then you will stay in your groups and transition to a time of fellowship together.

The lecture will be posted on mybsf.org on Wednesday afternoon after class.

Simon Lennox, BSF’s Chief Product Officer is going to wrap up our study of John for us so make sure you take the time to engage with the lecture.

If you have any difficulty accessing it, you can reach out to your group leader for help.

and now…let’s pray and finish out the last chapter of John together…

Introduction:

So it’s almost May…which means it’s graduation season.

My family is preparing for my youngest daughter to graduate from preschool.

a couple of weeks ago she got her picture in her little cap and gown

and she is CONFIDENT in her ability to GO and take on the world.

The disciples had SEEN the resurrected Christ.

They were CONFIDENT that he was ALIVE.

Jesus had spent two years with them…walking with them..teaching them..pouring into them.

Last week he BREATHED on them and commissioned them to go.

but graduation day was over..

now it was time to enter the real world.

but what did that look like??

Just like a graduate has to take the skills and knowledge they have acquired and put it to practice- the disciples had to learn how to live in light of Jesus’ resurrection..

But Jesus also doesn’t leave them on their own to figure it out….

for the disciples- and for us…Jesus’ resurrection was not the end…but simply the beginning.

There was work to be done…the world needed to know…

it was GO time….

and this week Jesus is going to remind his disciples and us that He provides for his people and His work through each and every step.

So we are going to look at Jesus’ provision through his presence

Presence 21:1-14

and….. IN HIS PURPOSE

Purpose 21:15-25

Get out Bible’s/Apps

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I. PRESENCE 21:1-14

Transition: in vs:1-14 we are going to find that Jesus provides his presence in weakness, but also to sustain.

So let’s look at Jesus’ presence in weakness in vs 1-7

So the disciples have left Jerusalem and are now in Galilee.

and in vs 3 Peter says: “I’m going out to fish.”

Clearly- Peter is still the leader here because the disciples follow his lead and go with him…

Now- we don’t know if the disciples had gone back to their previous occupation of fishing- or if this was a moment of recreational fishing…you know- the thing you go back to when you don’t know what else to do.

but..regardless.

This would have been a familiar task…

and vs 3 says that they caught NOTHING.

Soo….Apparently- this ENTIRE GROUP of professional fisherman….are out doing the thing they are supposed to be good at..and they catch NOTHING.

and then…to rub salt in their wound

some dude yells at them from shore: Did you catch anything?

vs. 5…their answer…NO…

let me just tell you something…this is a question you ask fisherman VERY CAUTIOUSLY.

Cuz if they are catching something- they don’t want you to know about it…in fear that you might try to come in and push your way into their fishing hole and steal the fish….

and if they AREN’T catching anything…they are most likely salty about it.

but…Jesus…who intentionally sought them out at this particular moment…already knew they weren’t catching any fish…

for these professional fishermen- there moment of weakness- their moment of failure at the thing the were supposed to be good at-was now on display.

as Jesus..PROVIDES a night of FRUITLESS fishing…

so that- when he shows up- he can remind them- that with Him- and ONLY WITH Him- do they have all they need.

the Disciples HAD to learn to STOP trying to operate outside of His presence..no matter the size of the task they were doing.

Do you see God’s grace to them here?

If they had caught fish…

they wouldn’t need Jesus.

because they would continue operating our of a false sense of control…

and they would have completely missed him.

But God…uses our weaknesses, our trials….to make himself known to us…to remind us of his presence.

Where has God PROVIDED his presence for you in a moment of weakness? in the middle of a trial?

Not catching fish to a fisherman would have felt so defeating…

J‌esus PURSUES the disciples in the moment of their weakness and then…when they are ready……he makes himself known..

vs. 6 “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.

vs 7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water.

John here makes the connection as Jesus has recreates the events from 2 years prior…when after an entire night of fruitless fishing Jesus said to throw their net in on the other side resulting in so many fish that their net broke…and then he calls them to follow Him.

so with this Revelation- John tells Peter that Jesus is the one on the shore..

and in that moment..

Peter no longer cares about the fish.

what mattered most to Peter-what he craved more than anything in that moment was the one the fish pointed to…what he wanted most was to be in the presence of His Lord and Savior…

because Jesus’ presence provides all that we need in the middle of our biggest failure or most difficult trial.

Jesus needed Peter to understand that a part from him he could do NOTHING.

In order for Peter to do the work God had called him to…he had to stop functioning in his own strength.

Jesus had explained this to his disciples back in John 15:5…when he said “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

What are you trying to do in our own strength?

It’s possible to ATTEMPT to serve God without Him.

There was a season of my life where this was me.

I was doing all the things..

I was exhausted…tired…and frantically asking God to equip me…to empower me…to give me all the things I needed to do his work.

but instead…he left me there…in my exhaustion…in my puddle…through sleepless nights…till I got to a point where I said- God I don’t want to do THIS anymore.

by THIS..I meant the work he had called me to in that season.

but what I didn’t realize was that that was EXACTLY where he wanted me.

what I didn’t realize was that he was standing right there..waiting…saying…are you coming?

He left me frustrated and desperate so that he could show me the futility of working for Him, without Him…

and it was in that moment..where I was done…that John 15:5 became real…apart from me you can do nothing.”

Jesus shows Peter and the disciples…then when you work apart from him..regardless of what you are trying to accomplish- it will always be as futile as fishing without Him.

He used their weakness…putting it on display…to draw them back to himself…

In what area of your life does your weakness feel like it’s on display?

Is it possible- that Jesus is trying to get you to look to him..in the middle of your failure..

Is it possible that he is standing..right there..on the shore…waiting for you to leave it all and come running to Him.

so that…he can provide in your weakness….so that he can sustain you..

2. 8-14- SUSTAINS

TRANSITION: Peter ran in his weakness…right to Jesus, and in 8-14..He finds that Jesus’ presence sustains him.

So Peter gets to the shore…this time arriving before John…leaving him and the other disciples to haul in the fish.

so they arrive….and when they get there…vs 9 tells us they are met

with a fire of burning coals…and BREAKFAST.

Fish and Bread.

apparently…while they were out catching nothing…Jesus was on shore with all they needed…

but Jesus who already has more than enough…fills their boats with fish anyways and in vs. 10- He tells them to bring the fish they have just caught.

In both instances…the fish was provided by Jesus.

however, by asking them to bring the fish from their nets to the table- Jesus is inviting them into the work he is doing….

He doesn’t need their fish from the boat…his fish on shore was just fine…but he WANTS to use them..so he invites them in.

and between Jesus’ fish on the shore and His fish in the boat..once again…Jesus shows that not only does he provide…but he provides…abundantly.

I wonder if the sight of the bread and fish triggered the memory of Jesus providing abundantly for the 5,000 with just 5 loaves and 2 fish in John 6..

Brain researchers have found that sight, sound, taste and smell have the ability to conjure up vivid memories and provoke strong emotions from earlier experiences.

the smell of coffee…cedar…and pot roast all take me back to some of my favorite and most comforting childhood memories.

but some things…trigger memories I would prefer to forget.

like the Chinese food that gave me food poisoning 9 years ago

…or the song that was playing the night I watched years of friendship dissolve in what felt like an instant….all due to broken relationships…with no reconciliation in sight.

While here Jesus recreates the memory of his abundant provision of fish and bread…

…he also built a fire of burning coals.

the only other time a fire of burning coals is mentioned in scripture is at the scene of Peter’s denial of Jesus.

It’s almost as if Jesus is re-creating the scene of that night.

Did the fire trigger Peter’s memory??

That night the disciples had deserted Jesus + and Peter had denied Him 3 times.

but Jesus- longed to take their negative memory of that night and restore it as he reconciled their broken relationship.

Jesus left heaven…came to dwell among his people…died…and was resurrected so that Peter and the disciples and you and me could be reconciled to God.

so that the relationship could be restored..

So to REMIND them of the reconciliation that was now possible because of his death on the cross, Jesus takes the first step.

he goes to the beach.

he moves towards the disciples as he re-creates the night where the relationship broke.

and he beings to restore not only a painful memory…but a broken relationship.

God’s love can reconcile even the most bitter enemies, but the story of the Bible..the gospel is that God didn’t have to forgive…he could justly and rightly condemn you for all eternity because of your sin…but instead…he comes….forgives…dies…restores..and invites you into fellowship with him for all eternity.

That’s the powerful LOVE of God.

so the scene is set…breakfast is ready…there is an abundance of fish and in vs 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish.

As the sun came up, still making it hard to see- the disciples recognized Jesus not by his appearance but by his words and actions.

Jesus here PROVIDES the meal…and invites them to come and be with Him..

They were HIS…they had BELIEVED in Him and NOTHING…no weakness..no failure or sin…could ever SEPARATE them from eternal life and fellowship forever with Him.

Jesus’ presence satisfies…it nourishes…and it sustains…

but as long as believers live in a broken world- until Jesus calls you home- it is possible to live malnourished… and just like we need to eat daily…every believer needs to be filled with the sustaining presence of Jesus…allowing him to nourish you each and every day.

Principle: Jesus' presence sustains those who follow Him.

One thing I have been trying to do lately is to eat healthy.

And if I have learned anything…to be nourished…I have to make a plan.

This past week I did NOT make a plan so I ate chips for lunch- which while delicious- they were not nourishing and left me hungry and cranky.

How are you planning to be sustained by Jesus’ presence this summer? We know that Jesus nourishes his people through His word, prayer, and fellowship with other believers…so…don’t eat chips for lunch…make a plan….

Make a plan to be in God’s word every day. Get on the BSF word go app and pick a study..invite some friends to do it with you…

Make a plan to be still before the Lord….to meet with him in prayer…to be in his presence…

And intentionally schedule Christian community with those in your church into your calendar this summer…and if you don’t have a church…make a plan to find one..right here at KBC is a great place to start if you don’t know where to go.

These things are not meant to just be a checklist to make you feel guilty when you don’t do them…they are meant to draw you into the sustaining presence of Jesus each and every day…so that you can be ready for the work God has called you to…

II. PURPOSE

So…with that…let’s look at how Jesus prepares Peter and the disciples to accomplish His work by providing new priorities and a new perspective in vs’s 15-25.

b. 15-17- New Priorities

in vs’s 15-17 Jesus has this one on one conversation with Peter in front of all the other disciples.

What happens here in John 21 is far more than a friendly fish fry at the beach for the disciples and a pep talk for Peter.

As Peter looked at Jesus over the fire and saw the one who had given his life for Him through the flames…Jesus gave Peter an opportunity to reflect his heart.

3x Jesus asks Peter…Do you love me?

Notice what Jesus DOESN’T say..

He doesn’t say:

-Peter—> will you go all out for me?

-Peter-> will you die for me?

Peter-> will you PROMISE not to deny me or fail me again…

Jesus sets up this scene—reminding Peter of his past failures…he even calls him SIMON- which was the name of his past…

and 3x…through a simple question…Jesus calls him out of his past…out of his previous failures…and into a new life…with a new purpose…and a new priority.

Simon…do you love me?

and Peter- with growing sadness at the continuous questions…says Yes Lord…you know I love you!

and he meant it.

As Peter affirms his love for Jesus he is at the same time stating the highest priority in life for all believers…

Jesus is asking you…Do you love me?

Do you love me more than your possessions…more than your pride…more than your comfort..more than yourself…

Do you love me…with all your heart…and all your soul…and with all your mind…??

3x Peter had denied Jesus…and 3x here Jesus gives him the opportunity to affirm his love for Him in front of all the other disciples.

Restoring not just his relationship with Peter but also Peter’s place among the disciples as their leader.

and with this restoration…with each affirmation of His love for Jesus…

Jesus gives Peter a command…a new priority.

He says..

Feed my lambs….Take care of my sheep….Feed my sheep…

Jesus isn’t giving him different commands here- this is a literary device used by John- it’s the same command stated 3 different ways to emphasize the point.

and in the Eastern culture…repeating something 3x emphasized the meaning behind what was being said..elevating it’s importance.

So Jesus- elevates Peter’s love for God as the utmost importance…and then…out of the love…calls Peter to care for HIS sheep…NOT with his ability, but out of his love for the Lord.

On his own-Peter could never carry out the call to care for Jesus’ sheep.

His priority- was his love for Jesus..

Peter’s love for Jesus caused him to throw himself out of a boat with his clothes on to get into his presence. and it was in Jesus’ presence that Jesus showed him that he would provide all he needed to carry out his command to care for his people…

that was his highest priority….love God…and love his people.

What is your highest priority in life?

Is your life driven by your love for God?

and if so, does your love for God drive you to care for his people?

Jesus said…feed my sheep…We have all been commanded to LOVE the sheep of his pasture…

Who might God be calling you to care for today?

and How are you going to do that?

Maybe you are caring for others- but instead of loving them out of a heart of your LOVE for God…

you are grumbling…

complaining…wishing God had called someone else to care for them…

and instead of being filled with love and compassion..you are filled bitterness and anger….

But remember- before Jesus called Peter to feed his sheep..Jesus first fed Peter.

Be filled by Jesus..then go and fill others…you cannot do one without the other..

because a part from Christ…you can do nothing…

c. 18-25- New Perspective

Jesus here pointed Peter to the highest priority and as we close and look at the final verses of John..we will see Jesus give Peter a New Perspective.

vs 18 Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” 19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”

At first Jesus’ words to Peter might feel like anything but encouraging.

However- Jesus is encouraging Peter here and calling him to view life through a different perspective.

Yes he was going to suffer- but he shouldn’t be afraid or surprised by it- Jesus is telling him ahead of time that suffering is coming.

Apparently…John is listening into the conversation- and so after the news of incoming suffering…

Peter..still seeing things from the worlds perspective goes…well wait- what about him?

vs 22 Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.”

Jesus is calling Peter to see the bigger plan..the bigger purpose here.

to Stop viewing things as the world does.

Jesus had a specific plan for Peter…a specific plan for John..and he has a specific plan for you….

but the purpose for every person remains the same…

Our BSF kids program sings a song that I think sums it up clearly:

What is the purpose of my life?

My purpose is to know God. Love Him..and Glorify Him.

everyone’s purpose is the same…but the details of how that purpose plays out will vary from person to person…

so that God’s ultimate plan- his plan of calling all his people to himself and ultimately restoring His broken world can be accomplished.

and he has uniquely called you to be a part of it.

God has given each of his people different gifts and callings…he has placed you in different places and spaces all for the purpose of bringing glory to Him in ALL parts of the earth.

Some of you are called to the workforce…working in business…schools…or retail…some of you will serve in full time or part time ministry.…some of you will be called to a life of singleness, while others to marriage and caring for children…

some of you have been called to a life of suffering…a life of hardship…

and so often it’s easy to look at the life of someone else…and think that God is somehow holding out on you…that he somehow loves you less or is punishing you because of the life he has called you to.

Jesus had just confirmed his love for Peter…He had just restored Him..

and after giving him a new purpose..a new priority…here he calls him to view life with a new lens…

to not see the suffering as punishment or God holding out on him.…but as a way for God to be glorified in and through Peter’s life.

and as Peters love for Jesus grew…so did his desire to see Him glorified in every part of his life- even in the hard places.

Where do you need a new perspective in the place that God has called you today?

Are you grumbling and complaining?

Wondering why God didn’t give you someone else’s gifts…someone else’s life…someone else’s circumstances?

DON’T LET COMPARISON STEAL YOUR JOY FOR WHAT GOD HAS CALLED YOU TO.…FOR THE UNIQUE WAY THAT HE HAS CALLED YOU TO GLORIFY HIM.

Ask God to help you view your purpose from his perspective knowing that you are a part of something bigger than yourself!

You may not have all the answers as to what God is doing in and through your circumstances- but you can trust that he is always working…for your good and his glory…

and God always writes the best stories…

and as one leader said yesterday…if it’s not good..then God’s not done.

Peter did not go on to live a perfect life..in fact, we know, that he fails again.

but Peter died doing exactly what Jesus said he would do..

Church tradition tells us that Peter died as a martyr- arms stretched out…crucified- for Christ.

he died…glorifying God..all the way to the end..

Principle: Jesus empowers His people to live and die for Him.

Ladies…graduation is over…it’s GO time…

After graduation, the wife of a recent graduate reached out to some friends and asked them to write an encouraging note to her husband as he started his new life…his new career…

and today…I want to leave you with the words from one of those friends…

“My word to you is to always remember that you are merely a vessel and He is the Treasure. Just a river bed for the river to flow. Any demands God makes on you is not on your ability but on the Christ who promised to be your sufficiency for the journey. Remember that any old bush will do if God set it on fire for His glory. May the Holy Spirit give you enough problems to keep you trusting, enough hurts to keep you broken, and enough victories to keep you praising Him. Only God can take nothing and indwell him so he can be more than a conqueror.”

Let’s pray…