Aren't you glad you serve Jesus?

Good morning, it is an honor and a privelege to be asked to speak this morning, I was thinking just yesterday, of the goodness, mercy, and kindness of the Lord. I watched as a young man came down the aisle and laid down on his face at the front of the church and gave his heart to the Lord.

He was a heavy drug user and the drugs have taken a toll on him, I have prayed for years for this young man. I met him 10 years ago when I began serving Union Hill as a youth pastor. He was the first emergency call I recieved as a pastor as well.

The first day I was setting up my office putting the few commentaries I had on my shelf which were made up of about 15 books two of which were given to me by brother Henry.

I was setting my things in place when the phone rang it was James, that is the boys name and He was crying. All He said was I need you, I asked where he was and he told me to come to a certain motel.

I was wondering what was going on since I knew he had a rough home life He was only 15 at the time.

I arrived at the motel and he sat there with his brothers and sisters on the upstairs walk way. They all sat in shock, I asked him what was wrong and he just sat there shaking i could not get a response from he or his little brother or sister.

I walked into the room and his mother lay there on the bed deceased from a drug overdose.

I took he and his little siblings to my truck and we called the authorities. That is where the downward spiral for James began. He began using drugs like his mother and father. I tried to help but nothing would stop him. He disappeared for the last 10 years.

My prayer was always that the Lord would help me find him, but if that wasn’t the Lords will that He would surround him with people filled with the Holy Spirit to witness to him and that he would be saved.

I prayed as often as I could remember for James over the last 10 years.

Yesterday James was the young man who came down and surrendered his life to Christ in brokeness and tears.

To God be the glory

I have seen the Lord do remarkable things at our church despite my foolishness and my lack of knowledge.

I have often wondered how God would allow someone like me to be a small part in what He is doing on this Earth. I have often thanked God for being gracious and using the foolish because if God didn’t use the foolish I would be outta luck.

Then there was Joey, Joey was an alcaholic, I had all of his children in youth and once I became the pastor his sons and his wife were in the congregation, they all came faithfully. Early on after I was called by God to pastor the church Joey became angry with me.

The only time Joey would come to church is if there was a meal, and I tried to talk with him about coming to church with his wife and children. Something that His wife had asked for prayer for, she desperately wanted her husband to be saved.

I spoke with him at one of those eating events and he became anrgy and used some choice language to tell me just how he felt.

He left and wouldn’t return for about 8 years, His wife and children kept coming but never again did I see Joey. I prayed that somehow some way God would provide an avenue for Joey to receive Jesus as often as I remembered.

8 years I prayed his wife prayed and his sons.

No movement

Then all of a sudden at 1 am on a Friday I received a call from Joey’s wife She said that Joey was saying he was going to commit suicide and he had left and she didn’t know where he was.

I told her I was going to look for him.

I left and I remember being groggy but getting into my truck and praying that God would show me where he was. I found myself driving down toward a cemetery in Cottonwood to this day I believe God sent me there, as I was passing by I saw Joeys truck, I pulled over and he was sitting in the middle of the graveyard.

With a bottle of pills in his hand, but he had already taken half of the bottle we called the ambulance and he had to have his stomach pumped and spent some time in rehab.

Not too long ago Joey showed back up in service and his wife was shocked, Joey came down and recieved Jesus Christ, He just gave his testimony in Sunday morning service a few month a ago, He is growing in his faith and is clean off of aclachol ever since.

With many, many more stories of successes and spiritual victories there have been just as many times I have failed as a minister.

There have been times where I have blown it.

Not too long ago, I was facing some severe opposition in the church not over something doctrinal, over something I was doing wrong but over something God had asked me to accomplish. I prayed and asked God if my time here was done.

I wondered if I was the one who needed to be leading them or if I had taken them as far as I could. I wanted to quit.

I use to tell my wife “you know I would make one heck of a deacon” Why dont we just go home and I’ll serve under a pastor and teach Bible at a Christian school.

Im tired Im hurt and I wanna be done, I have failed the Lord I want to just be normal, I don’t feel I have anything left in the tank. I reached out to Brother John Thomas and He has been a key in helping me through this time.

Along with some good friends inside the church.

It was in that context having seen both victories and setbacks and dealing with the frustration of ministry, that God did something in me that rejuvenated me. he spoke to me through this passage and I hope He encourages someone with this same text.

As you all know at this point the disciples have seen a miracles like no one else has ever seen. They watched as our Lord was crucified they watched as they ran the spear through His side.

But at this point they have been to the empty tomb where our Lord gloriously resurrected, and he has revealed himself to them. Thomas has doubted and placed his hand inside the resurrected body of our Lord.

They have witnessed miracles, and even the biggest miracle of all resurrection.

John 21:1 ESV

After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way.

John 21:

It is here in this passage that we find some thing we must never do, something we must always do, and the beauty of serving Jesus.

WE MUST NEVER ALLOW DISCOURAGEMENT TO RUN US AWAY FROM OUR CALLING

John 21:2–3 ESV

Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. 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.

Here is Simon Peter, now think about this he has seen the goodness of the Lord who sent for him by the women, Jesus told them go tell the disciples and Peter I am alive.

John 21:2

Why the disciples AND Peter?

Because Peter had to have felt like a failure.... He swore he would go to death with Jesus. But nevertheless He denied Jesus 3 times, He thought to himself there would be no way the Lord would make things as they were before. I denied Him I failed Him and i have blown it.

It is here that I see something that seems crazy, Peter you havse seen the Lord do miracles You have seen Jesus resurrected why are you going fishing?

Peters hope was crushed and he thought it would be best to just go back to doing what he felt comfortable doing in his own strength.

Walking away from a resurrected Lord IS NEVER the right thing to do and yet so many pastors walk away brokenhearted and ruin what God desires for them to do.

we must never allow discouragement to make us walk away from the call Jesus has placed on our lives.

WE MUST NEVER, IN OUR DISCOURAGEMENT, LEAD OTHERS AWAY FROM THE RESURRECTED LORD

Notice whether Peter wanted it or not, people were watching, these other men joined suit. Well If Peter is going back to fishing so will we

WE WILL GO WITH YOU

HOW WE AS MINISTERS DEAL WITH DISCOURAGEMENT WILL EFFECT THOSE WHO ARE WATCHING US WHETHER WE WANT IT TO OR NOT.

How are you leading well for your people through discouragement, the only hope of that is keeping your eyes fixed on the risen Lord knowing that He is working ALL things together for His glory and our good.

WE MUST NEVER RELY ON OUR OWN STRENGTH EXPERTISE OR WISDOM

THESE MEN WERE PROFESSIONAL FISHERMEN

THEY SHOULD HAVE CAUGHT SOMETHING BUT THEY WERE CATCHING NOTHING, BECAUSE THE RELIED UPON THEMSELVES APART FROM JESUS

WE CAN DO NOTHING APART FROM JESUS THAT MATTERS

John 21:4–5 ESV

Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.”

John 21:4

I find it interesting that ealier in the gospels Jesus came to them on the water.

Now He is coming to them on the shore

In the first instance you remember Jesus had taught on faith.... then sent them out on the water into storms 101. to learn to apply that, but they had very little faith.

here the same is true they are on the water and yet Jesus is calling them to the shore, Why?

THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE FISHING FOR PEOPLE

YET HERE THEY WERE DOING WHATEVER THEY WANTED TO DO AS IF THAT WAS AN OPTION

Getting man sized results

NOTHING

Now Jesus shows us something we must always do:

WE MUST ALWAYS OBEY THE VOICE OF THE LORD OF THE LORD TO GET DESIRED RESULTS

John 21:6–8 ESV

He said to them, “Cast the net on 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 of the quantity of fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” 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. 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.

John 21:

Sometimes change is necessary but only when the Lord is showing what the change must be.

He says throw that net down on the other side and look at the results

FROM NOTHING TO OVERFLOWING

(preach)

Little is much when God is in it

WE MUST ALWAYS GO BACK TO WHERE WE SAID NO TO JESUS AND TELL HIM YES

This is something I have seen throughout my time in ministry, we will never move forward in our walk or our leadership if we feel God leading us somewhere and tell him no.

The only way to get past that is that we have to go back to the place we told God no and tell Him yes. Allow Him to teach us there and then obey and move forward.

John 21:9–14 ESV

When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

John 21:9-

Here is Peter now sitting around a fire with Jesus, if we remember it was aournd a fire the last time when Peter made such a terrible mistake.

When He denied the Lord

Here Jesus has the fire lit ready to nourish the disciples and Peter but Jesus was after much more than physical nourishment He was there for spiritual restoration.

WE MUST SEEK TO LOVE THE LORD MORE TOMORROW THAN WE DO TODAY

John 21:15–16 ESV

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.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.”

John 21:15

(Agape/Phileo)

Do you love the Lord?

If you do then dont run away in discouragement fight hard to love your people, feed them.

notice he didn’t say entertain them, He didn’t say coddle them, He didn’t say do whatever is pleasing to their ears, He says feed em.

As ministers it is not our job to be eloquent of speech or come up with new and exciting way to present the gospel.

The gospel is what is exciting, all of the other stuff is just that stuff.

Our job as ministers is to take the infallible word of God and plant it inside the hearts of hungry starved souls and allow god to do the rest.

We shouldnt look for new ways to teach something, just teach what the word says, if they like it fine, if they hate it fine, but our job is obedience.

FEED MY SHEEP PETER

You are not a fisherman any longer you are a fisher of men!

MORE THAN THESE?

DO YOU LOVE ME MORE THAN FISH?

Many of us want Jesus and our “normal”normal life as well, but you cannot come to Jesus and keep everything you used to trust in and fully trust in Him. We must empty ourselves of our strengths and rely upon His Soverign power.

DONT YOU SEE PETER I DID NOT CREATE YOU TO BE NORMAL BUT PECULIAR, I CREATED YOU TO LOVE ME MORE THAN YOUR OLD LIFE AND BUSINESS

I CREATED YOU FOR ME

TEND MY SHEEP

Care for them, protect them from wolves, walk with them

TEND THEM

WE MUST ALWAYS REMEMBER THE LORD KNOWS WHERE WE TRULY ARE WITH HIM

John 21:17 ESV

He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved 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.

There is no fooling the Soverign omniscient Lord of Heaven.

John 21:

WE MUST ALWAYS REMEMBER THE CALL TO SERVE JESUS IS A CALL TO DIE

John 21:18–19 ESV

Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”

When you were young you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go, not if you follow me, if you follow me you will be taken places you do not wanna go.

John 21:18-

You will go through things you do not wanna go through

WE HAVE NO CHOICE IN THE MATTER

HERES THE REALITY I THINK MOST IF US AS PASTORS FAIL TO REALIZE AT TIMES

IF JESUS CALLED YOU TO A PLACE THEN STAY, STAY UNTIL HE CALLS YOU ELSEWHERE.

WE HAVE NO CHOICE IN THE MATTER

HE KNWOS WHAT IS BEST FOR HIS FLOCK AND HE KNOWS WHAT IS BEST FOR THE SHEPHERD

ULTIMATELY HE KNOWS WHAT WILL BRING ABOUT THE MOST GLORY DUE HIS NAME

WE SHOULD CONSIDER IT AN HONOR TO SUFFER CIRTICISM FOR HIS NAME SAKE, TO SUFFER RIDICULE FOR HIS NAME SAKE, TO SUFFER PEOPLE MISUNDERSTANDING US FOR HIS NAME SAKE HE IS WORTHY OF EVERY THING I COULD EVER GIVE TO HIM

WE SHOULD REJOICE WHEN GOD ALLOWS US TO SLIP INTO THE CRUCIBLE OF TRIALS BECAUSE GOD IS PRODUCING IN US WHAT COULD NEVER BE PRODUCED IN US IF THE HONEYMOON STAGE IN MINISTRY NEVER WENT AWAY.

SO now Pete is faced with a choice Jesus is restoring him, but Jesus always brings you back to place where you failed and makes you try again.

FOLLOW ME…

(preach)