Breakfast Braai
Notes
Transcript
Today Jesus has a BBQ on a beach,
but just to help our SA members,
I will interchnage the word BBQ for Braai as well!
PRAY
If you were a Jew reading or hearing John’s gospel for the first time, back in the first century, what is the one thing you would want to know as the book ends?
The book would seem to have ended most naturally at the end of the chapter we did just before the Summer Psalm series.
Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
So the question is
What will this ‘Life’ we are promised through ‘belief’ look like right now?
We’ve been shown through the pages,
That Jesus is God become man.
He is light in this dark world.
He is the creator,
the holy one,
king of kings.
We’ve seen the logic of why his death on a cross makes sense,
and makes ‘good’ the realtionship between God and man.
that he came to bring love and life, and light,
That he has all authroity,
All power,
he comes in perfect obedience to the father,
and although he came not to judge but to save,
He will one day nonetheless judge all who reject him,
He is the Great I Am.
And how did the people of his time receive him?
Within many of the readers lifetimes,
Jesus was crucified,
unfairly tried,
murdered,
spat on,
beaten,
mocked,
burried.
Can they,
can we really be forgiven for that.
Simply by believeing?
Surely Jesus will hold a grudge!
What will this ‘Life’ we are promised through ‘belief’ look like now?
We might understand the idea of eternity after death,
but what happens now in the normality of life?
How will we live,
what will we do,
how will we relate to Jesus who we killed either directly,
or certainly becasue of our sin.
We have denied him,
disowned him,
turned our backs on him for our own sakes.
What if despite believeing, we still find ourselves mistreating Jesus,
Will he still forgive,
Perhaps the reader,
perhaps we
feel a bit like Peter by this point,
Believing, but with the guilt of being a 3 times denyier of Jesus
as we saw in chapter 18,
And the cock crows.
What will this ‘Life’ we are promised through ‘belief’ look like now?
Well,
entre the final chapter -
1 - Jesus our friend and motivation v1-14
1 - Jesus our friend and motivation v1-14
The disciples are on there way back to Galliee following the death and resurection of Jesus in Jerusalmn.
Here’s a map, it’s along way - about 75miles
Sea of galiee, dead sea, jeruslamn
They don’t appear to all be travelling in one big group, so 7 are introduced in v1.
It’s got to be an uncertain and frightening time,
Even though Jesus has appeared to them, already,
things have changed,
and they haven’t yet recieved the helper,
the HS, that JEsus has promised them yet.
BUt life - as it does for us, must go on.
Perhpas Peter suggested fishing simply becasue he wanted to take his mind of things,
perhaps they were hungry,
perhaps they needed some money,
so planned to catch and sell to others on the pilgrimage back from the passover festival to other regions.
Whatever the reason,
or perhaps a happy combination of all three,
they went fishing.
Life goes on quite normally for Jesus’ disciples.
Perhaps that’s our first lesson,
life and the realities of living must go on.
The mundane nature of work, the daily grind.
We must all go fishing,
get ill,
work,
cook,
look after people,
But,
as we’ll see shortly,
for the Jesus follower,
we must never get too comfortable with the normal,
Many don’t like change,
or are scared of risk or adventure,
The disiciples could have chosen 'quiet normality,’
drift off into the sunset on their boat,
“Is that the life Jesus promises for believers?”
How ironically sad and dissapointing that would have been for them,
and for the end of this gospel!
After all they had been through with Jesus,
heard from Jesus,
seen in Jesus,
to be unchanged and return to just a ‘normal’ worldly life - would be tradgic.
But I often wonder if that’s exactly what we do today as Jesus followers.
Persueuing the ‘normal’ life.
Comfort, job, security..
Where is the adventure for Jesus,
the risk takers,
the pioneers,
the uncomfortable,
sacrificial,
Jesus obeying and Jesus loving people of God?
We may not be apostles,
But I hope we’ve learnt from John’s gospel that to seek a ‘normal’ life is not ok!
We need, within the normality of life,
to also be looking to enjoy, and serve Jesus.
That’s what’s about to happen here.
A far off figure, back on the beach calls out, v5b-6a
here’s a picture of the sea of galiee - this is sunset - but you get the idea
The New International Version Chapter 21
“Friends, haven’t you any fish?”
“No,” they answered.
6 He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.”
The right side of anything in those days was deemed to be lucky,
so,
not yet knowing it’s Jesus who called,
and having been unsucessful so far anyway,
They take the advise of the man who calls out,
in what they probably think is friendly banter and jest
- and think ok, funny guy,
let’s try the right side.
Of course though, this being Jesus,
there is no luck involved.
You can imagine the smirk on Jesus’ face as they enjoy his interaction to try the other side,
knowing that they are about to have the catch of their life.
He said, “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.
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.
Peter probably near naked from the heat of working hard, grabs his outer garmet and jumps in the water!
It is the Lord!
This is the excitement that ought to fill us
with motivation every morning to live the ‘normal’ life,
but in a way that obeys and serves Jesus!
The HS has been put into our hearts if we believe,
We every morning as we begin fishing,
can say ‘It is the Lord, and do all we can to live for him.’
And our Lord is not a tyrant,
a slave driver,
an evil dictator,
He’s a friend who loves to please and bring joy to us,
He’s a friend who’s got - breakfast on the beach ready for us.
When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.
what a warm interaction this is,
Jesus the kind of friend we all want!
Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.”
Join me, bring what you can, let’s talk,
let’s talk about the day ahead.
Lets have a laugh - they even count all the fish to see how many they caught,
153! They exclaim as they all muck in counting them all up with Jesus.
Isn’t this how you’d like to start your day,
Waking up,
reminding yourself as your eyes open -
It’s the Lord - he’s with me by his Spirit,
He is our daily motivation to give all for Him alone.
He’s got everythgin ready for me,
and he wants to talk about the day and months ahead.
He’s here mucking in with me.
Open your bible, listen to me,
Open your mouths and pray to me,
Ask, prasie, enjoy,
Your job may be normal,
your daily chores and chidlcare may be normal.
but the friend who set up this day for you,
Well he’s far from normal.
When your day starts like this,
you’re ready to evangelise,
you’re ready to put others before yourself,
You’re ready to priorities church and the church family,
even when it’s harder becasue of Covid.
Perhpas you’re even ready to become a pastor, or youth workers or missionary - as Peter is about to be told:
Jesus our friend and motivation
But first of all before Peter serves again, we need to deal with that issue of his 3 times betrayal.
2 - Jesus our Merciful Lord v15-17
2 - Jesus our Merciful Lord v15-17
So far, we’re all big fans of Jesus our friend,
setting us up each day with breakfast on the beach.
But a true friend doesn’t ignore our problems.
Peter denied Jesus 3 times in His greatest hour of need.
In all Peter’s excitement,
he must have still felt awkward about that,
or atleast hoped Jesus had forgotten about it,
Or, just simply hoped to sweep his sin under the carpet without discussion.
But Jesus doesn’t ignore Peter’s problems and sins,
anymore than he ignores ours.
All sin will be held up before us in the prescence of God and either we will be judged as we deserve,
Or because we have been brought to repentance and faith,
we will be shown mercy.
Sin must be delt with - either by us on our knees and Jesus on the cross,
or by Jesus in judgement.
That is why we have these next few verse,
Peter must be reinstated to service,
restored in love,
3 times Peter will be asked if he truely loves Jesus,
3 times to ensure Peter is repentant of the 3 denials of a few days ago.
When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”
Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.
Sometimes facing up to our sin hurts us.
But Jesus doesn’t mind our pain,
for it saves Peter from the far worse fate of judgement.
If you want to know if your sin will create an awkward barrier between you and Jesus,
even if we believe in his death to forgive us,
then the answer will be
- well it depends if you’ve brought it to him in humble repentance yet or not!
If you haven’t repented of some sin,
then it will generally come to comfront you in your life,
as Jesus, by His Spirit in His word,
brings that conviciton and pain upon us until we repent!
While Jesus may be a BBQing breakfast friend setting us up for the day,
He is also our Lord!
It is the Lord! - the disciples cry.
And Peter would not forget that again after this conversation!
Sin is not trivial or light matter.
Sin is a denial of Jesus’ Lordship
It is a denial of Jesus himself,
And we are called to repent,
and to affirm our love for Jesus in doing so,
for he is Lord.
And he is a Merciful Lord -
for once we affirm our love for him,
we ‘see’ the great privaledge of his forgiveness and mercy.
We are reinstated to serve HIM
Peter, the denier,
becomes
Peter the Shepherd of the Church.
Feed my sheep,
He will go on to become the foundation rock of the church!
He becomes the leader of the disicples,
Even though, he (aside from Judas Iscariot) is recorded as being the disciple who fails Jesus the most.
Repentance brings restoration, and resinstatement to service.
What a merciful Lord we have.
Don’t hide your sin from him,
Don’t sweep it under the carpet as if it’s forgotten.
Face Jesus,
Repent,
Affirm your love for him again,
For you will find only mercy and forgiveness,
and you will be set on his straight paths of righteousness again.
We will find ourselevse reinstated to serve!
Jesus our Merciful Lord
And finally,
3 - Jesus our All v18-25
3 - Jesus our All v18-25
These final few verse are odd at first.
But they serve to remind us what our friend and merciful Lord calls us to,
and reiminds us that our true motivation and joy in life is Jesus our All.
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.”
That phrase ‘stretch out your hands’ was a standard reference to crucifiction.
The idea of your hand being streched out to be fixed to the cross.
It would be 30 years before Peter faced this fate - where he indeed was crucified.
30 Years he served and suffered for Jesus to the eventual point of death!
All the while knowing this prophesy of crucifiction hung over him!
Why did he keep going,
why take all the suffering?
Well he summarises why in one of the bible books he wrote,
If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.
Suffering for Jesus,
taking risks,
living in the normality of life,
but living for Jesus not yourself.
when ever that brings suffering,
Peter would remeber that Jesus was His all!
If he suffered for Jesus name,
then he was,
in his suffering bringing praise and glory to God!
Pause
As Peter and Jesus walk along the beach discussing his future death and service,
he notices John behind them listening as he walks.
When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?”
Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.”
Don’t worry about everyone else, says Jesus,
Maybe John will die for me, maybe he wont,
Your concern,
is to know that I am your All,.
and you are to live all out for me.
Some of us may face opposition from your family for your faith,
some may not.
Some may have freedom to speak of Jesus at work,
some may be ridiculed or even disciplined,
Don’t worry about others says Jesus,
I am your ALL<
Just follow me.
JEsus is Our ALL
To conclude...
To conclude...
I don’t know how you live your life,
perhaps you say you believe in Jesus, perhaps you don’t.
But this book was written that you might believe!
And if you believe,
it’s not ok to be unchanged,
go about your daily life of fishing without responding to Jesus.
If you find no inclicnation to hear from him in his word,
if you have no inclincation to pray to him,
If you find no inclincation to seek his will in your decisions,
if you have no inclination to take risks for him
Then you are, like Peter denying him,
Or worse, not believeing in him at all.
It’s time to bring every moment of your life to the
‘breakfast preparing friend’ - Jesus,
It’s time to repent and know that he is a merciful Lord,
and It’s time to know that Jesus is OUr AlL.
Nothing else can or will satisfy,
and so,
we can take great risks to love and obey him always.
Don’t stay fishing for the rest of your life, drifitng about with no fish,
Join Jesus’ Breakfast BBQ on the beach.
Join Him, talk to him,
follow Him,
Pause
The final verse is worth a quick look to finish...
Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.
There may not be room in this life to hear all about Jesus,
but
When Jesus returns,
and we enjoy his BBQ’ing skills for eternity,
and we walk along the beach with him,
We can enjoy discovering everything he ever did,
forever more,
with our freind,
our merciful Lord
our All in All.
PRay