Decisions

Sermon notes from Sunday 5 May 2019

John 21 verses 1 - 14

Verse 1 "After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples."  The setting is the seashore among Jesus` disciples when Jesus appears to them.

The decision that Peter makes.  Verse 3 "Simon Peter saith unto them I go a-fishing."  Here is Peter with the rest of his disciples - Thomas, Nathaniel, James and John and 2 others.  Peter looks around him and decides to go fishing.  I don`t believe Peter was in the right mind to make the correct decision.  Maybe you are on the brink of a decision that no-one else knows about.  You have to make that decision for yourself.  Peter would make a decision that would be costly.  There were many things going through his mind.  Perhaps he felt he was a failure.  The Lord had told Peter one day "before the cock crows you will deny me 3 times." (Matthew 26 verse 34) Peter is now making a decision to go fishing.  I am sure the enemy was not too far away from Peter at this moment in time.  He remembered the time in the Garden when Judas kissed Jesus and in that act Jesus was arrested.  Peter had been let down, hurt by someone he thought a lot of.  No doubt Peter thought he was man he could trust, depend on.  David the Psalmist said "I looked all around me, there was no man who careth for my soul." (Psalm 142 verse 4)  Have you ever felt like that?  That the whole world has turned against you?  It is a lonely place to be in.  When they arrested Christ and took him to the Judgment Hall Peter was walking afar off.  Here he is now making a decision.  Maybe he felt he was the biggest failure.  He had been standing with Christ`s enemies, with those who cursed Christ, hated his name.  Peter was standing there weeping and when the cock crowed the tears flowed in earnest.  He had denied he knew Christ 3 times by that stage.  Those tears of bitterness.  Now he is making this decision to go back to fish.  Is there a decision you must make today?  Elimelech and his wife Naomi were going through a difficult time.  The place they lived in, Bethlehem-Judah was a place of famine.  Elimelech made a decision to go down to Moab, a God rejecting place.  Moab is a picture of the world today.  He was going to take his wife and family down there based on the circumstances around him.  He never thought to ask God, turning his back on God.  Peter is standing here that day making a decision that would change his life from that moment on.  Peter was going back to his old livelihood, turning his back on the things of God.  Perhaps there is something going through your mind, feeling perhaps you are a failure.  Perhaps there was a time when you stood up and witnessed for God.  Or perhaps given a tract to someone.  Maybe you are not in the right mind to make a spiritual decision right now.  Peter was in a place where his mind was full of everything that had happened in recent days.  John Mark made a decision based on what he felt at that time.  He no longer travelled with Paul and Barnabas.

The diversion it caused.  This decision would divert him off course, would take him back into his old life.  A dangerous thing even to contemplate.  Perhaps there are times when you listen to a song and you are transported back into a situation from many years ago.  Peter was going to make a decision that would soon engulf him.  "Commit thy way unto the Lord and he will sustain you." (Psalm 37 verse 5)  This is not what the Lord had for Peter.  Remember when he was first introduced to Jesus by his brother.  He came and met with the Lord.  Have you ever met the Lord at Calvary yet?  Christ died for us and he expects us to come to him, to take away our sins, make us new creatures in Christ Jesus.  He will save us.  When Peter came to he Lord he was told "thou art Simon son of Jona." (John 1 verse 42)  The Lord firstly gave him a new name and then a new character.  When Jesus came to Andrew and Peter on the sea shore he told them "follow me and I will make you fishers of men." (Matthew 4 verse 19)  Peter was now going back into his old role.  Jesus asked Peter to be a soul winner.  God expects you to do your own bit for him in your family, in your neighbourhood.  The Lord told Peter "feed my lambs."  He wanted him to be a soul winner, to preach the gospel, to be a shepherd to the lambs, not a fisherman.  Peter got diverted from the decision he made.  We cannot drift back into our own paths.  We cannot have a foot in God`s kingdom and a foot in the world.  The Lord has a role for you today.  We cannot be used by God if we have not laid all on the altar for him. 

The disruption it caused.  Decisions affect others.  The decision we make today is going to affect someone near us, in our families, in our homes, in our neighbourhoods.  When Elimelech and Naomi went down into Moab it affected their family.  That whole family was wiped out - both Elimelech and his 2 sons died.  Your decision will affect someone else today.  Peter was taking that role of fisherman once more - notice the little word "I".  It is my decision.  Then the rest of the disciples said to him "we also go with thee."  They all decided to go wih him.  Do you notice the danger in that.  Not only do we see Peter diverted from the path God had but we see him disrupt the plans God had for the rest of the disciples.  Sometimes the Lord comes to you or I in the quietness of our own homes, he has a task for us, something to do but our plans don`t fit with God`s.  Our decisions will affect the rest of our lives, our families.  That is why we need to be careful because others are watching us too.  Paul told Timothy "be thou an example to those around you." (1 Timothy 4 verse 12)  Peter wanted to go fishing and the rest decided to go with him.  We can influence others by our actions.  John Mark told Paul and Barnabas that he was returning to Jerusalem.  As a result Paul and Barnabas themselves separated.  Some times the decisions we make can disrupt others.  Remember the spies in the Old Testament who wanted to spy out Canaan first.  Caleb and Joshua brought back good reports but the rest of them brought back evil reports.  Disillusionment and disruption were brought to the people and they decided not to go into the land.  Remember someone is watching your life right now and whatever you decide could take them back into the world.  

The result of Peter`s decision was a barren night.  They fished all night and caught nothing.  When you are out of the will of God you will not catch anything.  The Lord appeared to them and told them to let down their nets and they caught a large amount of fish.  John told them it was the Lord who spoke and Peter didn`t wait.  He jumped right into the water.  He had his eyes now fixed on the Lord once more and saw him in all his glory.