The Trouble With Normal

John 21

After this, Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples by the Sea of Tiberias. He revealed himself in this way:

Simon Peter, Thomas (called “Twin”), Nathanael from Cana of Galilee, Zebedee’s sons, and two others of his disciples were together.

“I’m going fishing,” Simon Peter said to them.

“We’re coming with you,” they told him. They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

When daybreak came, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not know it was Jesus. “Friends,” Jesus called to them, “you don’t have any fish, do you?”

“No,” they answered.

“Cast the net on the right side of the boat,” he told them, “and you’ll find some.” So they did, and they were unable to haul it in because of the large number of fish. The disciple, the one Jesus loved, said to Peter, “It is the Lord!”

When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he tied his outer clothing around him (for he had taken it off) and plunged into the sea. Since they were not far from land (about a hundred yards away), the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish. When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish lying on it, and bread. “Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,” Jesus told them. So Simon Peter climbed up and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish—153 of them. Even though there were so many, the net was not torn.

“Come and have breakfast,” Jesus told them. None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread, and gave it to them. He did the same with the fish. This was now the third time Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

When they had eaten breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said to him, “you know that I love you.”

“Feed my lambs,” he told him. A second time he asked him, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said to him, “you know that I love you.”

“Shepherd my sheep,” he told him.

He asked him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was grieved that he asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.”

“Feed my sheep,” Jesus said. “Truly I tell you, when you were younger, you would tie your belt and walk wherever you wanted. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will tie you and carry you where you don’t want to go.” He said this to indicate by what kind of death Peter would glorify God. After saying this, he told him, “Follow me.”

So Peter turned around and saw the disciple Jesus loved following them, the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and asked, “Lord, who is the one that’s going to betray you?” When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about him?”

“If I want him to remain until I come,” Jesus answered, “what is that to you? As for you, follow me.”

So this rumor spread to the brothers and sisters that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not tell him that he would not die, but, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you?”

This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true.

And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which, if every one of them were written down, I suppose not even the world itself could contain the books that would be written.

Introduction

The human tendency to believe change is temporary and that the future will again resemble the past is called "normalcy bias.

They are literally unfair towards brother different. They show prejudice towards tommorow.

Martin Luther King Jr. once said, In his speech I am proud to be Maladjusted “There are some things within our social order to which I am proud to be maladjusted (failing or unable to cope with the demands of a normal social environment.)

"maladjusted behavior"

and to which I call upon you to be maladjusted.” The people I heard from expressed the concern that the world would quickly readjust to an unjust normal.

In other words I aint Good until all are treated Good.

Simply put some people are unable and unwilling to adjust. and the danger is that we miss could be by holding on to what was.

Holding on to what was a good life

Holding on to what was a good friendship

Holding on to what was a good job

And we miss what we could have or could become.

Its like when the grape comes through the crushing it knows it will never be a

grape again. If the grape holds on to what it was before the crushing it would miss so many oppourtunities. Dont be the grape that can only see itself in one form, one shape , one use, one way. The grape that only can be found at one section of the store and have limited value.

But some grapes dont trip during the crushing because they know one day they will be wine. Their value will go up if they learn to grab hold of the possiblities.

Grapes you have been crushed , smashed, beaten, battered, but the wine you will become will be all worth it.

Thats why you cant go back to normal we have to give tommorow a chance.

Last few years we have faced anything but normal.

Wasnt normal preaching in empty churches.(my father probaly would have easily fit in)

wasnt normal seeing normal dissapaer right before us.

Nothing normal about 2nd guessing if you should shake and hand or not.

We have literally had a memorial service for Normal.

The problem with Normal is it Gets Worse.

1–3 21 After this, Jesus appeared again to the disciples, this time at the Tiberias Sea (the Sea of Galilee). This is how he did it: Simon Peter, Thomas (nicknamed “Twin”), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the brothers Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. Simon Peter announced, “I’m going fishing.” 3–4 The rest of them replied, “We’re going with you.” They went out and got in the boat. They caught nothing that night. When the sun came up, Jesus was standing on the beach, but they didn’t recognize him.

Familiarity doesn't Require Faith -

The routine affords us a sense of familiarity that doesn't

require as much faith side note here when we are familiar with things, we don't need as much faith for things , on the flip side of that coin when things are foreign to us it requires more faith from us simply put when you're familiar less faith is needed when it's foreign more faith is required that's why new cities, new jobs, new

positions, new ventures, new people, new co-workers , new illnesses make you pray different / new seasons/ new people/ new opportunities /new ideas /new challenges make people nervous so it's a little easier to just stay where you've always been/ think like you've always thought /be who you've always been/ say what you've always said /go where you've always gone/ travel where you've always traveled/ be friends with who you've always been friends/ with drink what you've always drank /eat what you've always eaten/ smoke what

you've always smoked /stay with who you've always been with it /could be toxic abusive harmful or deadly no shade it's

just easier sometimes to remain where you've always remained.

coordinate what you've always coordinated give what you've always given take what you've always taken be rude like you've always been rude well this just the way i am we all if we are not careful

we'll be in a rush to return to familiar. This is why churches die this is why corporations die this is why businesses die this is why relationships die, this is why ministries die, this is why cities die, this is why governments collapse,

because when what has been

is more appealing than what can be

it won't be long before

what has been is all you will ever see.

I will never be who i was pre pandemic and your aim should never be who you used to be!

Spiritually we should be more authentic

Socially we should be more prudent

Romantically we should be more intentional

financially we should be more disciplined

emotionally we should be more gentle

mentally we should be more wise

physically we should be more healthy

biologically we should be more attentive

scientifically we should be more studied

ideologically(hypothetically) we should be more humble

ethically we should be more courageous

materially we should be more centered

personally we should be more kind

Politically we should be more compassionate

biblically we should be more intelligent

internally we should be more empathetic

basically we should be more human

globally we should be more generous

locally we should be more thoughtful

naturally we should all be more grateful

you've come through pandemics protests political fights

presidential elections murders muggings mass killings death disaster disease deception trump calamity catastrophe distress depression devastation disappointment chaos collapse of culture just to be the same man the same woman the same boy the same

girl the same teenager the same lover the same friend the same employer the same employee

that you were before the pandemic i don't think so god tore it all down so everything could all be new and when we come back we aren't going back to normal we're going to what's next.

The bible says AFTER THIS! AFTER THESE THINGS!!

After the wine making / after the water walking / after the storming calming / after the awesome teaching / after the revivals / after the rebuking / after the feeding / after the rejection / after calvary / after the dying / after the rising / after calling / after walking through the door / after letting thomas touch him / after showing himself after that dark friday / Peter RUSHED BACK TO NORMAL!

Ran back to the Familiar.

(Deal with text)

Peter went back to his former occupation

Upon on this rock peter? Peter one of the boys in the inner circle

Peter who saw Jesus talking to Moses and Elijah is now fishing.

Souls need to be saved and you fishing / Somebody needs to hear about Jesus and you fishing / Peter you seen too much, you learned too much , experienced too much, given too much and to whom much is given much is required. Peter you can't get all that and use it at the sea. After all that Peter said I'm going fishing.

Listen don't Forfeit your Future because you are Familiar with Fishing.

There’s too much a risk here. The comfort you want ,will keep you from the Growth you need. If you want to be irrelevant, remain in comfort. I believe Normal is a trick of the enemy. If he can keep you there….. Watch this Satan knew the program for Pentacost. He knew who would do devotion , he knew who would give the welcome , he knew he would do the short talk , he knew there would be a A and B selection. And he knew who would be the preacher of the hour. Yall can do the other stuff but I got to stop the Preacher and make sure he dont get the word out. Because if he does, many lives would be changed, the holy spirit would erase confusion and everyone would understand each other, one of the ways to do that is make Peter run back to normal. But here's a shout… Normal ain't the place where God hangs out. Normal is a temporary visit for the Lord. The only reason the Lord visit normal is to come see you.

The enemy to tomorrow's highest joy is your addiction to yesterday's joy did you hear what I just said your love affair - you entanglement - with yesterday's

joy is going to rob you from tomorrow's highest hope.

Trouble with Normal is it always Get Worse!

Went fishing and caught nothing. Not a thing. Zero, none ,

Went fishing and it was dark , black , pitch black , no future.

Went fishing caught nothing it was dark morning came and Jesus was on the beach and didn't recognize Him. Trouble it Got worse. Especially when you are unable to recognize Jesus.

The only Filimilar you need is a Friend Named Jesus.

Theres only one constant you will need to make it through.

Closing Story:

Dad use to take me to a place called Wyatts, I dont know if you have ever heard of that place. But Wyatt cafeteria was the thing. And everytime we go my order was chicken fried steak , mash potatoes and mac n cheese and a roll. Every time the same order. No switch up no change up no mix up… they had fish, they had chicken fried chicken, they had meatloaf, they had casserole, cabbage, beans greans I mean you just had to be at this place. But i would look pass all the options all the other possibilities all the other choices and get the same thing.

All I can share with you, dont be like that little boy. God wants you to try something different. Do something different. Why go to the same place when God has so many other options.

He has place call Joy,

Place call Peace

Place call Understanding

Place call Greater

Place call Better

Place call Higher

Place call Victory

Moses place was My.Sinai

Jacob place was pen e L - (say it how I spelt it.)

Davids place was in the Fields

Naaman’s place was in the Dirty Jordan

Jehoshaphat place was on his knees

Job place was in his repentance

Jerimmiah place was in the call

John the Baptist place was in the Wildnerness

Do you remember your place

Where there was a turning point in your life

Where he did what no other wonder could do.

He healed your body / where he tore down strongholds / where he uprooted curses / where made your paths straight / you got to have a place / He snatched you from the place not for you to go back, but to move forward.

You have a place? This place

At the Cross at the Cross where I first saw the light

You have a place

Calvary oh oh calvary surly you have place.

Down at the Cross where my savior Died.

This is the place where everything change.

The dirty was made clean

The sinner was made righteous

The blood removed the stains

The sun refuse to shine

The moon was to hurt shine

The wicked said Surley this must be the son God

The earth couldnt stay still

The veil was ripped apart(a new thing has happened)

At The cross the Worst thing Happened to the Best person.

BUt the BEst thing happened to the Worst people.

He DIED!

The placed him in a borrowed tomb.

Early Sunday Morning nothing will ever be normal again.

Jesus! Is my New Normal Jesus is my new normal when im Sick Jesus

When im hopeless Jesus. When im Down JEsus!

I never shalllllll forget. The place where it alllll turned around. That place where he made it all better, that place where he made it brighter.

Im not going back…. Im not going back.