John Chapter 21:1-7

Jesus is walking on the water and then he invites Peter to come walk on the water with one amazing thing and you know what we we all will you and Peter psych have Peter walked on water now. I don't think that any of us thought I can speak for myself, I've never walked on water never done Peter as but in order for Peter to walk on water dedicate of the book.

Yet he quit playing it safe where you this morning in the boat playing it safe. Are you willing, as Jesus invites you to live outside of yourself to begin this radical adventure with God and step outside welcome to cross the bridge with David McGee.

David is a senior pastor of the bridge in Kernersville, North Carolina, in a world filled with so many different distractions. It's easy to get lost in the mall. What's important is that we make the most of the time that we have and use it for Jesus today pastor David explains how we can do just that. As he continues the gospel of John, chapter 21 now is David McGee with part two of his teaching, 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 says after these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberius, and in this way, he showed himself and see him. 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 burst to Simon Peter, Thomas called the twin Nathaniel 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. But when the 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 were fishermen. It was their living. That's what they did. These weren't some you know we can work on a fishermen. This is what the cost into handing out like what one commentator said this is the failure of the experts. They were expert fishermen. They caught nothing.

Then Jesus said to them children. Have you any food and answered him, no notice what he calls children. 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 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 him have any food catching beginners of miracle in here that they just say no and I 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 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 anything lock as they were doing it their own way and Jesus, saying, hey how's your way going very well. This is the thing, and 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 a call have anything that you're planning to 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 God wants us to realize that our way won't work in 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 I do 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.

There's nothing you can. Jesus said, without me you can do nothing with me. There is nothing you can do. Obviously there's some things that you can accomplish, but nothing of real spiritual significance of lasting importance. 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 unforgiven, but God is not really God in your life, you've got self at the center that's not what God desires for you. 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 you will never fulfill your God given destiny myself is at 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 piece 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 going to find true satisfaction there and I've seen people that 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 sacrificing 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 and perhaps you're sitting here this morning going been here for three months six months nine months a year, two years now, my servant.can't get the feeling you might be talking to me. We clearly are. I am talking to you okay so let us know if this is your first Sunday I'm we asked people to wait while we see them filled with the Holy Spirit filled with God's word. We want to pour into you and love on you, but at a certain time every body is a healthy believer needs to begin to pour out or the water gets stagnant so I want to encourage you and that in and here's the thing we were told many places in the Bible, we gotta serve one another that we get to serve one another.

The question is are you see everybody has a choice you can come to this place and you can park as close to the doors as you can get and you can sit in here and have a nice Sunday morning experience and then go home and be comfortable until next Sunday is a choice you can join with other people who rolled up their sleeves who are serving God. Serving one another, their life has been changed and they see people reached through their efforts. Those are your choices comfortable reaching people 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 what you want to do in our life. We pray, if there's people follow 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 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 difference. I'm telling you, given an hour or two or three or four of your life. A week can make a huge difference in your life as you begin to understand God wants to use you. 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, but 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 gleaming.

Jesus has what I feel strongly about the next lifeless Jesus has what you're looking for some of you even as I say that some of you medical only meet Jesus as a make Jesus a shopkeeper, and in an here's the deal does the things that we really want meaning in life. Love Julie piece the assurance of forgiveness at a clause 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 browser are lots of financers are nice cars and dollars have nothing against those things. But when they become the center of your life and your being cheaply satisfied, chances are you are 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 do it with select life is not good that I think that's clear the because in my instance been involved in secular music and incorporate stop and think it all okay this is what I want in and I came close to that.

The realize 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 new realizing snack and bring it. Maybe you're looking to your spouse to bring it near the study. It either in a while 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 other things in life and notice Jesus didn't say we need to go to the other in the late because that's what we often think in it by coming 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 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 person and how simple is he doesn't say hello is what you got to go do this that and the other nephew do those things for 12 years and you can begin to follow me and asked for forgiveness of I'm so glad he didn't do that. Just come to me.

Ask lookout. We built fences around that family or 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. Jesus has what were looking for in full.

Follow him and discover the reality is Jesus in our lives and notice the last work of Jesus has to do with bring in the harvest in verse seven. Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, it is the Lord love that 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 Peterman Peter is just that all or none gung ho guy any and in granite didn't always get it right. But man he got it right. Very often, and look what God did with his life, to understand what it Artie happened at this point he'd already denied the Lord three times, but he still wanted to follow Jesus sleep.

We make assumptions about people that make mistakes all other people, not ourselves. We make assumptions when somebody messes up all well.

I don't care anything about Jesus not only probably just had a moment of weakness or moment of struggle, just like Peter. Peter was not disqualified as a matter fact part of the whole content of this chapter is the restoration of Peter but he says it is the Lord now that disciple whom Jesus loved to is that John exactly remember this for very long, you know that it was John. How do we know that John told Spencer this is only this gospel that John is referred to as the disciple whom Jesus loved, which you have fun with that but at the same time. John knew the Jesus love them. How did he know that it was the Lord because he knew from what was going on that it was a human effort so love this verse. You know is every Sunday morning. Every Thursday night I come out here to see you guys so many of you just got the love of Jesus shining out from you. You last Sunday. The baptism we had a number of people get mapped. I'm not sure how many I guess I should know that the just don't count. I mean I think that's a good thing, but there was a number of people to got baptized, and most of more adults, not kids just grown up in the church that kids that okay will year of age. Now you get back to adults. Some of them didn't know the Lord, to the last few months. Maybe they knew the Lord and they slipped away and they came back and what an awesome thing and every time we do baptism. I think it is the Lord's Peter jumps out about goes to see Jesus like that. There's always get out about any and you know Lake is not generally the time to get out of the generally want to get to stop when you get out of the boat, but you know he jumps out of the boat and it reminds me of another time he jumped out. But remember that you're probably familiar with the story Jesus is walking on the water and then he incites Peter to come walk on the water with what an amazing thing and you know what wheat we all will yeah and then Peter sank.

Peter walked on water, now I don't think that any of us thought I can speak for myself.

I have never walked on water never done Peter as but in order for Peter to walk on water yet to get out of the book he had to quit playing it safe where you this morning in the boat playing it safe. Are you willing is Jesus invites you to live outside of yourself to begin this radical adventure with God and step outside the home to live outside the boat. I want that adventure I've done.

The other thing of live for myself wasn't satisfied with live for God and yet again it might mean. I think every now and again but also means my walk on water, Peter jumps out goes to Jesus.

We all have that opportunity this morning. You can jump out run the Jesus rating stay in the boat. Now I gotta tell you, if you decide to stay in the boat and this will be a point that we will revisit again and again in the future because I love you enough to tell you the truth to tell you that there is life outside the boat. I know you love your boat feel safe in our maybe got in the boat and just the guitar players got up, you got a folding boat that sits on top of the stretch chemical, you might look that I got that one is that you got full boat but you know he's living his life outside the boat is taken. The risk is following Jesus.

He is on this also adventure. I would encourage you guys if you've been with self at the center and you're probably finding that you're gonna dissatisfied. Maybe you've asked the Lord to forgive your sins, maybe you haven't and if you have not I want to give you that opportunity this morning to ask the Lord to forgive you of your sins and you know what when you do it. He does it when you asking to forgive you of your sins. He forgives you of your sense. Just like in any begins to give to you the desire to live for him playing comfortable but to follow Jesus and the step outside the and you know what I think you'll find it incredible joy in serving the Lord.

No matter what you choose to do some to jump out the boat go to Jesus.

Pastor David which timeout sounds fairly radical yeah it it it does and understand that to be honest, I've never been impressed with church as usual and asked the world what you think the problem with Christianity isn't in the hotel. You know what many people not living what they say they believe part of living what we say we believe is following Jesus to serve others decent love one another, serve one another. If you want to gain your life lose it you will lose your life.

Try to hold onto it.

Put yourself at the center. Everybody in here has a choice. I'm just not speaking to people who haven't yet asked the Lord to forgive your present.

I met him speak and everybody here you have a decision. The choice is yours, nor the choice is very clear this morning.

Everybody in here and you can no longer say when you get to have Jesus what you catch catch anything. I know are supposed be catch anything, will ask you who who is your pastor never told you that you're supposed to be serving and playing a part of the body. I don't want that only sodomy anymore. Don't you you have a choice to make to follow your own way to follow Jesus friend you know for sure that your sins have been forgiven. You can know right now own Legion. A short simple prayer simply telling God you're sorry and asking him to help you to live for him. God wants you to pray this prayer so much that he died to give you the opportunity and the ability to ask him to forgive you.

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 sent 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 to 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 in 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 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 continues to verse by verse in the Gospel of John