John Chapter 21:1-6

No one is there way. Jesus is like a change and they don't go with Jesus. What you know about fish. I mean, at this point I don't even notice Jesus to some stranger on the shore same throw your net on the other side of the difference was 3 feet and made all the so they cast this and then what happens multitude of fish what had they been looking for fish. What did Jesus get fish. Jesus have it may take some faith.

It may take some risk. Jesus has what you're looking for. If you're looking for peace. Jesus offers you peace you're looking for forgiveness.

He will give you that so many of us continue to look in the wrong action welcome to cross the bridge with David McGee. David is a senior pastor of the bridge in Kernersville, North Carolina.

Are you looking for meaning and purpose, joy, peace, forgiveness, and more. Well, all of those things come together in one package deal. His name is Jesus Christ today pastor David talks about how you can have a part in Jesus and all that he offers to continue teaching the gospel of John, chapter 21 with his message, fishers of men.

In chapter 21, we find ourselves with the resurrection of Jesus. Jesus appears to the disciples and in this chapter, it wraps the whole thing up. If you will.

So John chapter 21 verse one is after these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberius, and in this way, he showed himself and see if Tiberius was also called the Sea of Galilee, the Sea of Galilee is where 18 of the 33 miracles were performed at least five of the disciples were from the Sea of Galilee. So this is familiar ground to them. This is her familiar stomping grounds. If you will ever's to Simon Peter, Thomas called the twin Daniel of canine Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, who were James and John and to others of his disciples were together. She got seven of them together. Simon Peter said to them, I am going fishing and they said to him, we're going with you. Also, they went out and immediately got into the boat and that night they caught nothing up for the miracle I guess is that they actually recorded.

They caught nothing and they told called nothing but not in reading some of the commentaries is interesting because some of the guys some of the commentaries I read said all they were fishing. That's just that's hunky-dory. That's great is it… I have nothing against fishing when John David was young, took him several times just so we could sit and talk, you know it was kind interesting.

We we went.

I guess we went about three times. We didn't catch anything. There is fish in the lake or not but she'll say he was asking the third dummies like a cape. So there's a hook and there's this thing on the hook and so how do they know the things on the hook so will either see it or smell it and he sat there and he got real quiet for a little while and he said that. Are you sure people catch fish like this. He was convinced there was a flaw in the plan somewhere some guy nothing against fishing, but that's not what they were supposed to be doing.

See if you dig in the Scripture you find interesting verse Matthew 2816. Since then the 11 disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. Interesting amount. Where were they there at the beach again. I got nothing against the beach. I love the beach of lived there often on the where they were supposed to be and they were supposed to be fish and they had gotten caught up in so it's a question of being obedient to what the Lord has said and noticed Peter peters, a leader, Peter says I'm going fishing and other goods go okay will go fishing understands him to know that the church at large in this church more particular always needs people to be leaders and perhaps her centenary go well not really a leader you have some leadership capabilities and let me encourage you to help develop that because leading people is a skill that you can develop and deleting a householder just leaving your own life are leading people to the Lord, are skills that you need to be developing. So here they are and what Jesus told them about fishing well some of you probably remember what it said one place he said it he said it every gospel, so we did miss it.

Mark chapter 1 verse 16 Susan as he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother, casting a net to the sea.

They were fishermen.

Then Jesus said to them, follow me and I will make you become fishers of men. They immediately left their nets and followed him love the way that says and I will make you become fishers of men.

Doesn't say you have to attend a conference or seminar to help become a fisher of men. Jesus said you know you follow me, and watch what happened. As you follow me, you will become a fisher of men. Now where they fishing for men out there, I'm thinking they were fishing for fish in Jesus and you know what you're not. That's not the focus of your life anymore your main focus is to be what I've called you to do and so I think and partly were they were looking back, which is not good for somebody astrology fishing asked lots wife or either that or they were unwilling to change, which also wasn't a good thing.

You could ask Judas about that but they needed to change any need to quit looking back the life lesson here. God wants to divinely interrupt our lives. God wants to divinely interrupt our lives. See when you come to Jesus everything begins to change, not just a little bit.

Everything begins to change. Everything is supposed to begin the change. I don't know where we got this notion that once you're Christian you come to church for an hour hour and 1/2 two hours and then that's it. You've paid your inner you paid your debt you've done your time. That whole thing is really not biblical Christianity. If that's your spiritual engagement that I need to challenge you this morning. Maybe remember when you were in school and you know you missed a day and what you would do when you miss that day is probably remember you would get a note from home later maybe you figured out that you could write like mom but you know but in those early days, you'd bring have a note from home and you would come this going sexy piercing. I got my excuses was an excused absence. I'm concerned that some of the street Christianity like that. We asked the Lord to forgive us of our sins and we get this.

Note that says you are forgiven son, Jesus, and you think okay good I'm done. No no no no. It's much more than that, see it. If you think that it's all about just getting your sins forgiven and that being in and are so much more to it than that. There is so much more to. Certainly it starts there bitsy when you come to Jesus again.

Everything changes. God wants to be part of your life, not just on Sunday morning but every day of the week and the question is busy or has this become your form of Christianity, and if it has, you know, and I'll be honest, I want to wake you that slumber. I don't want you thinking that that's Christianity see you go from it's all about me too. It's all about Jesus. You go from, I want to be served to I want to serve you go from Guam looking for Sam to I'm trying to avoid sin. You go from The serve to cancer all that is supposed to change. Romans 12 one puts it this way. And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God.

Let them be a living and holy sacrifice, the kind he will accept when you think of what he has done for you.

Is this too much to ask. That's a challenging Scripture is. It's not Paul's timeout. Well, you know, as long as you do your own half or two hours a week. You know your good now. Again, you know, I'm glad you're here. I thank you for being here.

I appreciate you being here in but God wants to be more to you than just a Sunday morning experience. I want you to have a living, vibrant, contagious, active face because I'm really unsure of any other kind. To be honest I'm not sure there is another kind peters life was changing, but look what Peter was doing Peter was clinging to what he knew he used to be a freshman. What would I do well on the list efficient Jesus had more plan for him much more as we see how Peter impacted the church and impacted the world to the point that most people in the world today know who Peter is and it wasn't because he kept going fish and was because he began to pour his life out for God, now look what they call nothing, not a thing. See, when you cling to what you're familiar with. Expect the same results. But if you're willing to risk things when you're willing to step out in faith God will re-war that now that's what he wants to do in our lives. And yes, I understand we all want to cling to the old things. It seems like the older you get, the more your habits are just, you know all do this and I do do this not want to follow him and that is probably means a radical departure for a lot of people in here will be right back with more from David McGee on cross the bridge right now. Here's a word from associate pastor DA Brown want to take just a minute. Pray for a few cities in our listening audience. Specifically, Gallup, New Mexico, and Las Cruces Potala's Rothwell Tularosa and Binghamton, New York and Oswego God, we thank you for these listening in the cities right now. We pray that you would pour your spirit out on them or that they would have faith to trust you and what you want to do in her life. We pray, if there's people father who have yet to put their trust in you that today would be the day today would say yes to the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ for them. We pray for those in leadership positions that you would anoint them that you give them wisdom and discernment, Lord, that they would look to your Bible for answers and form their conclusions. Accordingly, we pray that you report your spirit out on the cities in Jesus name, amen, amen. Thank you brother and now get back to David McGee as he continues teaching verse by verse, verse four. Morning now come, Jesus stood on the shore. Yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Now I find it interesting that five maybe even seven of these guys refreshment. It was their living. That's what they did. These weren't some you know we can work on a fisherman. This is what these guys did day in day out like what one commentator said this is the failure of the experts. They were expert fishermen. They call nothing. Then Jesus said to them children. Have you any food they answered him, no notice what he calls children this week. I think that's that's really sweet. It is called Jonah because God keep in mind they're doing something you're not supposed to be doing their specially up on the mountain meeting Jesus and there down here fish and and so and Jesus.

Jesus then stand on the shore go by job sliders. What you doing out there. Your budget X disciples you bunch of artist formally known as the apostles that he didn't do any of that yet he calls them children. Children like that and he asked them have any food catching beginners of miracle in here that they just say no. They don't say well he had a lot of nipples we've had a lot of fights we had one in and that he got away in a scenario embarrassing question. I've been out there professional fisherman's and Connie YDS, coming to Jesus not know, but they hadn't caught anything. Jesus no he wanted them to realize they had gone latkes they were doing it their own way and Jesus, saying, hey how's your way going well not very well see this is the thing in the Lord wants to teach us to do things in a new way.

And some of us we need to realize that there's parts of our lives that you start working or not functioning well probably because were doing it our way, and the nets keep coming up empty and the Lord would say to you this morning.

We got the call have anything that you plan you gonna keep doing at that same way understand. I believe that we will each and every one of us be asked this question when we get to heaven, which catch and go to will did you try to catch anything. No, I just sat back and criticize those who are gotten things over Lord you know I played a part we saw people coming to Jesus every week. It was awesome which will it be seek God wants us to realize that our way won't work and that were dependent upon him, because when we try to do things our way and work don't be shocked by that.

I'm shocked when you try to do some your own way and it works. I'm also shocked when under some God's way and it fails because I have to ask myself, okay got what we trying to teach me. Here's the thing that God can give us spiritual goals but with no human effort. We will get there with all the human effort in the world. We cannot accomplish spiritual goals. If God doesn't empower us to do. See, that's what's so significant about somebody getting saved in some I found the Lord and some I get baptizes because those things don't happen in the natural. I don't have the power to convert somebody to what we see week after week is a very special supernatural thing, but when God gives us spiritual goals and we combine them with human effort.

There's nothing that can't be done.

There is nothing that can't be done. Life lesson here, Jesus said, without me you can do nothing with me. There is nothing you can't do. Obviously there's some things that you can accomplish, but nothing of real spiritual significance of lasting important and here's the thing.

When you play self at the center of your life and in you may have the forgiveness of your sins, but self still rules your life. Well it's it's like you're at this phase of your Christian walk past the African but God is not really God in your life, you've got self at the center that's not what God desires for you see, you won't find what you want and you will find what you need when you do that Jesus told us that we may overuse the word destiny. At times, but you will never fulfill your God given destiny myself is at the center of your life won't happen and God loves you so much when he's at the center of your life is the only time you find that joy in that peace and that love. At his strongest place. I know you won't find true satisfaction just in your workplace or in beer commercials or surfing online you're not gonna find true satisfaction and I've seen people that were mainly worse they were scared to death to start serving here and watch what happens in their lives and see their face and they say things like, you know what was in there and is working with the kids and the God of the universe used me to speak to them and I've never experienced anything like that being God, that's a win we've been created by God to join with him in this venture to serve one another and and through his power healed a beat up broken world. God wants us to trade selfishness for sacrifice in the mundane for meaning in religious ritual for reality is what God wants to do in our lives and yet somehow still want to be spectators. Christianity is not a spectator sport for six 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 as is interesting.

They're doing it their way. Jesus says make a change and they don't go yeah Jesus what you know about fish. I mean, at this point I don't even know it's Jesus, it's just some stranger on the shore same throw your net on the other side of the boat and perhaps even when I just talked about serving just now.

Your likelihood, the difference was 3 feet and made all the different so they cast this and then what happens multitude of fish what had they been looking for fish. What did Jesus get fish. Jesus has what you're looking for. It may take some faith. It may take some risk. Jesus has what you're looking for. If you're looking for peace. Jesus offers you peace.

If you're looking for joy. He offers you joy.

If you're looking for forgiveness. He will give you that so many of us continue to look in the wrong direction. Jesus can give you those things in ways that you could never imagine beyond what you're able to think some of us even as I say that your like what he means. Jesus has what I feel strongly about its next lifeless Jesus has what you're looking for some of you even as I say that some of you medical only meet to use as one of make Jesus a shopkeeper, and in an here's the deal does the things that we really want meaning in life. Love Julie peace the assurance of forgiveness at a cost to deliver something bigger than ourselves, and in these things you find it in Jesus. You don't find it in yourself again why your life revolves around yourself even if you have your sins forgiven you not see those things when you begin to live this radical revolutionary adventure for God. You can see these things and many of us have looked for these things in a self-centered lifestyle.

We look for these things chasten whatever big house or are lots of financers are nice cars dollars nothing against those things. But when they become the center of your life and your being cheaply satisfied, chances are you're satisfied. What will it take Jesus and sometimes we don't even know what were looking for. We think we know were looking for some of us had the fun we had to actually find what we were looking for, so we could figure out the we needed to go look for what we were looking for was real clear what I think you knew it was the next lifeless nugget that I think that's clear the because in my instance been involved in secular music and incorporate stop and think it okay this is what I want and and I came close to that. The real is not in us not in and some of you may be at that place of disillusionment maybe assault at some point. Your job is going to bring you this intense satisfaction and now you're going, you know, I don't think think it's going to, maybe you're looking to family life to bring that in your realizing snack and bring it.

Maybe you're looking to your spouse to bring it near the study. It either. You know why because God loves you so much he wants you to sign it one place. That's an change in unshipped and solid as a rock that's him and he loves you so much that you won't find it in any these other things in life and noticed Jesus didn't say we need to go the other in the late because that's what we often think in it to make these huge changes ask us to take steps.

That's what he asked us to do.

I mean, how hard was it for the disciples to just throw the net on the other side about was a hard all and that's what Jesus Jesus.

But if you do this and I'll do that if you do this and I'll do that and so some of you are probably closer than you realize. And again you can find true peace and joy and satisfaction in Jesus following and it starts with asking them to forgive your present and how simple is he doesn't say hello is what you got to go to this that and the other nephew do those things for 12 years and you can begin to follow me and asked for forgiveness of sins.

I'm so glad he didn't do that.

Just come to me. Ask the lookout. We built fences around that family.

What you can just ask you going to do this you gotta do that you gotta do it like this and you gotta do it like that again. How did we take the greatest message that humanity has ever heard and turn it into something twisted but no longer appeals to people understand I don't water down the gospel.

If you don't ask the Lord to forgive your sins, your sins will never be forgiven and your forgiveness is only available to the atoning death of Jesus on the cross. I'm not watering it down, but I do want to keep it simple because we tend to make it overly complicated, but I can make it complicated because it was not meant to be complicated, it was meant to be straightforward.

Jesus has what were looking for in full.

Follow him and discover the reality of Jesus in our lives.

Verse seven. Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, it is the Lord love that and when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord. He put on his outer garment, for he had removed it and plunged into the sea. Hello Peter. Peter is just that all or none gung ho guy and inter-entity didn't always get it right. But man. Gotta write very often and look what God did with his life. Friend, you know for sure that your sins have been forgiven. You can know right now only Legion a short simple prayer simply telling God you're sorry and asking him to help you to live for him. Please pray this prayer with me out loud right now. Dear Jesus, I believe you died for me that I could be forgiven and I believe you were raised from the dead that I could have a new life not done wrong things I have sinned, and I'm sorry. Please forgive me of all those things. Please give me the power to live for you. All of my days in Jesus name, amen friend of you prayed that prayer according to the Bible you've been forgiven you've been born again.

Jesus said he would not turn anybody away who comes to him and he came for those people who knew they needed forgiveness. Those who were sick, not the righteous. So congratulations bring you just made the greatest decision that you will ever make.

God bless you, if you pray that prayer with David for the first time we'd love to hear from you.

You can visit cross the bridge.com to receive our first steps package with helpful resources to help you begin your walk with Christ. Or you can write to cross the bridge at PO Box 12, 515 Winston-Salem, NC 27117 and share how God is working your life you're the Bible tells us that the free gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord. But it does cost for us to come and bring that message to you and to others in your neighborhood through radio through the Internet and through the mobile technologies that God has gifted us to be able to use so if you like to support this ministry. Please go to cross the bridge.com.

Click on the donate button and ask God how much he would have you give either on a one-time basis or continuing basis each month to help ensure that the teaching of God's word continues to go out through cross the bridge. Thank you so much ODA before we go. What are some ways that we can bless our listeners each day. You can wake up with encouragement Pastor David to the word of God with his email devotional life lessons to consider daily reading and the thought to meditate on. Throughout today from the heart. David McGee those are terrific and it's easy and it's free so folks sign up today@crossthebridge.com. Thanks again for listening and join us next time.

As David he continues to verse by verse in the gospel of God