It is the Lord

 

COLERAINE INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH

SERMON NOTES FROM SUNDAY 30 JUNE 2024 – PASTOR DENIS LYLE

JOHN 21 VERSES 1 – 19

 

John had 3 types of writing – he wrote the gospel, the epistles and the book of Revelation.  The gospel focuses on our past, the epistles on our present and Revelation on the future.  The gospel has to do with our salvation, the epistles with our sanctification and Revelation with our glorification.   In each of his writings there is a key and in the gospel it is John 20 verse 31 “But these are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and in believing ye might have life through his name.”.  He includes a prologue to his gospel – that is in chapter 1 and an epilogue in chapter 21.

 

In verse 1 we read of the sea of Tiberius which is really the sea of Galilee.  Jesus left Nazareth and came to Capernaum – it was there that he made his home.  I want to focus on a little phrase in verse 7 – “it is the Lord.”  It is said in the sense of “look who is here, it is the Lord.”

 

What was it that motivated Peter to say to the other disciples “I go a fishing?”  Did he become discordant and restless?  Did he say “I cannot stand idle any longer, I am going to get the old boat out.”  Or was it that they had run out of resources and they were going back to the old trade?  This man who had been appointed by the Lord went back to be a fisher of men went back to his old boat and fishing.  “When the morning was come Jesus stood on the shore.”  It is always the morning when the Lord stands on the shore of our disappointment, disillusionment and discovery.  They were 100 yards from the shore when they discerned a figure on the beach and heard a voice asking if they had any fish.  Many people would come down early to the shore to get fish from the many boats for the markets. The disciples by this stage were discouraged, disgruntled and bitter because they had caught nothing all night.  Suddenly Jesus appears and tells them to let down their nets to the right side and they would find fish.  Immediately the net tugged and strained, they caught a great number of fish.  It was then that John grasped Peter and said “it is the Lord.”  Peter is so determined not to be caught out that he casts himself into the sea and he starts swimming for the shore He wanted to get to the Lord and fast.  He left the rest of the disciples in the boat with the catch, nothing else mattered to Peter but seeing the Lord.

 

“It is the Lord” 4 words – “look who is here, it is the Lord.”  Usually these words express surprise and they are followed by the words “I never expected to see you here.”  Is that how they felt that morning?  As they looked through the mists of the morning did they see the Lord?  Do we see the Lord in the varied circumstances of our lives?  When we are suffering do we say like Daniel and his friends in the furnace “it is the Lord?”  When we are sorrowing do we say like those gathered at the grave of Lazarus “it is the Lord?”  Do we say like the two who walked down the Emmaus Road, did we not realise it was the Lord in our midst?  When we are stranded like John on the isle of Patmos and He was strengthened do we say “it is the Lord?”  On the seashore that morning those 4 words unlocked the key to the context of the chapter.

 

He is the Lord of our duty.  The Lord wants to teach us of our service to the Lord.  The first miracle in this story was in the fact that the Lord kept every fish out of their nets that night. That lake was so abounding in fish.  It was not possible to fish and catch nothing.  The disciples knew that.  They knew this lake like the back of their hand.  They were experienced fishermen.  They had been out all night and caught nothing.  The restraining hands of the Lord was keeping the fish out of their nets – why – to inforce what they were learning.  Without me you can nothing.  The risen Lord had told them to go back to Galilee but he never gave them directions to go back to their old trade of fishing.  They were no longer fishing for men but they were fishing for the table.  Verse 3should be understood as a technical term for them returning to fish. It seems they were no longer going to fish for men but they were going to fish for fish.  There is nothing that would make the devil happier than to see you go back on God and his will for your life.  They had gone back without considering God.  They acted in the energy of the flesh.  That night they caught nothing.  Like many church members and Christians who say “I prayed about this and the Lord led me to do it.”  We use that phrase glibly when we get ourselves into a mess.  As events transpire it is not the Lord leading at all.  The Lord is no fool when we do some foolish things.  They went out without direction from the Lord that night and caught nothing.  Without Christ we can do nothing.  It is possible to be busy here and there, to be seeking to do the master’s business yet to be doing nothing for him.  Nothing for Christ.  Nothing for eternity.  Could these words be written over our lives?  All is done in the energy of the flesh without direction from Christ.  Through Christ we can do everything.  Like Paul we can say “I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me.”  Verse 6 Jesus told them to cast the net on the right side of the ship and they would find enough.  Without Christ we can know failure but with him we can know fruitfulness.  Without Christ we can know barrenness but with him fruitfulness.  The difference between success and failure was the width of the ship.  When we allow Christ to give the orders he is closer than we realise.  When we go forth in his strength, at his command, in his blessing.  The disciples discovered that.  Mark said “they went forth and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming with signs following.”  It is the Lord – is the Lord, Lord of your ministry?  Is he the Lord of your service?  Has the risen Lord told you to do what you are doing?  Are you doing it for his glory or your own?

 

He is the Lord of our deficiency.  Does Jesus care?  Was that not the same question the disciples asked when they were all in this same boat one night when a storm rose.  They rushed to Jesus who was sleeping and asked “carest thou not that we perish?”  How does he respond to their failure and frustration?  Verse 9 tells us as soon as they were come to land they saw a fire and a feast prepared for them. Can you see the position the risen Lord takes.  This is the Son of the Living God, the risen Lord.  The one who John said “in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. “ This is the eternal God who went through death and conquered hell and death.  He prepares a breakfast for them all.  Can you imagine it? This is our Lord.  Can you believe it?  Who would have thought that he would be linked with such mundane matters?  Should that not be the responsibility of a servant?  Did Jesus himself not say “whosoever of you will be the chiefest shall be servant of all for even the Son of man came not to be ministered into but to minister and to give his life a ransom for many.”  We think the opposite to Christ. We imagine that when someone has arrived in terms of power and influence they will no longer be engaged in service. How wrong we are. Here we see the mighty God, the conqueror of hell and the grave.  We think the opposite of service. He is cooking breakfast for 7 hungry disciples.  What humility, what condescension.  Are you willing to minister to the body of Christ in whatever form that might take?  The position he takes.  The provision – what did these fishermen need that morning?  They had all been out on the lake all night.  They needed a fire when they came to shore from the chill waters of the lake.  The Lord had it ready.  They came in hungry as well.  They had worked all night and caught nothing.  Jesus had breakfast ready.  They also needed fellowship.  They were irritable, Peter was like a bear with a sore head.  The Lord knew they needed this time together.  The Lord of our needs.  He is also the Lord of our deficiency.  Our needs – have you not proved him to be such?  Has there ever been an occasion when he did not meet your material, mental physical, spiritual, emotional, psychological needs?  Matthew 6 “Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not neither do they spin. And yet I say into you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore if God so clothe the grass of the field which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?”

 

Said the robin to the sparrow, I should really like to know, why these anxious human beings rush about and worry so. “ Said the sparrow to the robin “friend I think that it must be, that they have no heavenly Father such as cares for you and me. “. 

 

It is the Lord – he is the Lord of our duty and our deficiency.

 

He is the Lord of our devotion. The breakfast is over and Peter goes to one side to talk with the Lord.  This conversation is with the risen Lord and centres around one question that “Do you love me?”  Peter had denied the Lord 3 times and the same Lord asks one question 3 times.  Do you love the Lord in your life, in your love life?  Does he occupy the throne of your life?  Then he asks him “Do you love me more than these?”  More than you love these other men – remember his brother Andrew is included and James and John his fishing companions as well as those called by Christ who had gone fishing with him.  Do you love me more than you love these other men?  Do you love Christ more than the other disciples?  Do you love Christ more than your friends?  Do you love Christ more than your Christian friends or family?  Do you love Christ more than your co-workers in church?  More than anyone else?  More than anything else?  Did Christ sweep his hands around the fishing boats and ask this?  Your old way of life?  Your hope for a profitable business?  What about you today?  Do you love the Saviour more than your business?  More than your profession?  More than your career?  More than your hopes for a career?  More than material things?  More than the status symbols?  More than your dreams and plans for the future?  More than your current cashflow?  More than your investments? More than your leisure activities?  More than your pastimes?  More than your football?  More than your future.  More than your finance?  More than your family?  More than your fitness?  A confession to the risen Lord.  Does it come from the heart?  Do we sorrow that we do not love him more?  Can we come into his presence despite our failings, you know that I love you?  In North Korea when it was taken over by the communists, some soldiers went into a village and the place where the believers met.  They gathered all the Christians together.  In that hut was a picture of the Lord hanging on the wall.  The soldiers said “anyone who doesn’t want to be shot should come here and spit on the face of the Lord. “  Immediately a line formed and one by one they spat on the picture.  One girl came from the back of the room.  She took the picture in her hands and wiped the face of spirit her handkerchief.  She said “my Jesus I love you.” They took her out and shot her dead.  Do you love him today?  “It is the Lord.”  The Lord of our duty, of our deficiency, of our devotion.

 

He is the Lord of our departure.  Do you notice that as we come to the close of these verses the Lordship is spoken of in the realm of death?  Verses 18 and 19.  Notice 2 things – Christ is sovereign in relation to the timing of our death.  “Peter when thou shalt be old.”  I want to assure you today that Christ is in control of when you die.  He will determine when you die.  Christ exercises control in relation to the manner of our death.  “Peter, you will die by crucifixion as a martyr.”  Death is not out of my control today.  He who said “I am he that livery and was dead and behold I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of he’ll and of death. “ He decides who dies and when.  When Christ is sovereign, he is control of your death both in the manner and when he would die.  Peter’s sweet composure. Remember Herod in Acts 12 after he beheaded John he reached out and took Peter.  The night before he would be executed what is Peter doing?  He is sleeping.  If you knew you would be executed in the morning would you sleep?  And he was sleeping so soundly that an angel had to wake him.  He knew the Lord was in control of his death.  “When thou shalt be old”.  He knew that he would be delivered from Herod and he slept like a baby.  For he who is the Lord at my birth shall be the Lord at my end.  Christ will be with me to the end, he will be with me in the end and beyond the end.  “Peter look who is here, it is the Lord.” 

 

The Lord of our duty – that is challenging

The Lord of our deficiency – that is encouraging

The Lord of our devotion – that is stimulating

The Lord of our departure – that is comforting

 

To know he has the keys of death, he will bring us safely to the eternal shore – is that not a beautiful picture of our life today?  The Lord will say to us one day “bring of the fish you have now caught.”  Will you have something to lay at his feet?  Will you step onto the shore of eternity and say “Lord here are the children, the souls you have given me.”  I wonder will I have souls to present to the Saviour?  “For what is our hope, or you or crown of rejoicing? Are not even he in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his.coming?”  Then he will say “come and dine.”  We will enter into the marriage supper of the Lamb, it will take us all eternity to tell him will how much we really love him.  “In mansions of glory and endless delight I will sing with the glittering crown on my brow, if ever I loved you, my Jesus tis now. “