"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT BEING IN "DIRECTED SERVICE BY GOD"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT BEING IN "DIRECTED SERVICE BY GOD"

John 21:3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We are going with you also.” They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing.

John 21:5 Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?” They answered Him, “No.”

John 21:6 And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.

Some explanatory thoughts, application and a prayer:

1. Jesus had appeared to the disciples twice already since He was raised from the dead. And, He had begun to give them their marching orders as it were. Essentially, it was to "Be fishers's of men" and to go into all the world and preach the gospel. For reasons that are not given us here, about half of the group of 11, ( Judas was no longer with them ) decided after Peter's suggestion, to go fishing for actual fish not men. See John 21:3 above.

2. Peter's suggestion, could be placed in the realm of "peer pressure", he had been a very outspoken member of the group in the past, and it's fair to think that the other men would easily concede to his suggestions, which of course they did. So, what we have here is the group of disciples/apostles, doing something that Jesus did not call them to do. It was, "self-directed" service, rather then "God-directed" service. They were in today's parlance, "doing their own thing. 

3. After fishing all night, and catching nothing, they saw a man standing on the shore, (it was Jesus, but they did not recognize Him as such, the sun was just coming up) but, He asked them a question, which in the original greek text means, "you don't have any food do you" or, "you haven't caught anything have you" And, of course they were quick to answer, "No".  

4. Failure, frustration, and futility, is always what happens to God's people when they direct themselves, and forego, or neglect the direction of Jesus Christ. Jesus's simple instruction to all of His children, is to "Follow Me", not "do your own thing" So, this story is classic as to what not to do, and yet there is a lesson for us here. 

5. Please re-read this verse before we go on. John 21:6 And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish. Here we have "Jesus directing them", and we can see that the results were phenomenal. They were now doing what Jesus told them to do. They took the simple instruction from Jesus ( albeit they still did not know it was Him at this point ) nevertheless, it was the very Word of God telling them what to do, and you can see what happened. 

6. I call what happened here, the "One Step" program. It's one step to get back in step with God, and His will for your life. If by chance you are experiencing failure, frustration, and futility, because you have been going your own way for some time, you can by God's grace, simply turn around and get back on track with the Lord. Just repent of going your own way, and go the way that You last knew He had directed you in and to. Or, just ask Him, "Lord what do You want me to do?" And, He promises to give you wisdom. James 1:5  If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

7. Here's a familiar and wonderful promise from the Lord that kind of pulls all this together. It's a promise from our God who cannot lie. Let's take Him at His Word, and let Him direct our lives, that they may be fruitful and joyful, and successful in the sense that we are doing what our Lord has called us to do. 

Pro 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
Pro 3:6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. 

A prayer:

Father, You love us even when we are doing our own thing. You love us even when we don't believe in You. You remain the same, even when we change. And, Father, we thank You that we can change, we can repent, we can turn back to You. You give the gift of repentance ( See James 1 ) Give it to us where it's needed today Lord. Thank You that You allow us to understand the error of our own ways, and that You do not punish us for going our own way, and You welcome us back when we turn to You, and You restore, and re-enlist us as it were in Your service. We love You Father, in Jesus name. 

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia