John Chapter 21:7-10

Do you think your happiness is going to come from a better job or better payer, better house or better course and quit believing the law is, even when you get those things. You can find out that the really empty if you don't have Jesus.

But if you pursue Jesus if you follow Jesus you find happiness or to find the Lord the best things in life aren't things that I know this sounds really un-American done nonconsumer edge. That's the reality that we need to understand there is a multi-billion dollar industry to make you discontented with your life. You understand that when you watch television and those commercials come on, do you think they're trying to make you feel good and happy about where you are in life right now know because you can be sitting there watching television before you can be perfectly content with what God is. Give me, but also in you want to 32nd commercial. You will lose and something that you didn't need before now.

You're unhappy that you don't have welcome to cross the bridge with David McGee. David is a senior pastor of the bridge in Kernersville, North Carolina. As followers of Christ. It's important to understand that we need to live for more than just ourselves today.

Pastor David McGee discusses why this is so important as he continues in the Gospel of John, chapter 21.

Here's David McGee with part three of his teaching, fishers of men that were in John 21 and if you remember what was going on in the start of John, the disciples were supposed to be up in the mountain went on Jesus. Well he ended up on the Sea of Galilee fish and then Jesus shows up in the universe is a God's wedding to catch and they you have to admit they've got nothing and then Jesus tells them to cast the net on the other side of the boat and also they've gotta net full of fish and so that's, for context sake.

That's what's going on and let's pick it up when in verse seven, John 21 verse seven. Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, it is the Lord 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 ever say.

But the other disciples came in the little boat, for they were not far from land but about 200 cubits, dragging the net was fish.

This is curious to me and Peter jumped out of the boat, but working to see and verse 11 is it Peter does help with the harvesting. It kind of shows us something. I wonder there were any disciples that were in the boat that just kind of sat there and didn't do anything, sat there and said okay we all the fish in all item but I'm not going to help you get now I don't think there were why well, that's just not a kingdom mindset that's not kingdom mentality we need to understand that we need to lose the worldly mentality says look out for number one and begin to it.the kingdom mentality that says were all in this together and we want to reach as many people as we can while we can. And that's a different thing for all of us because we've been taught from a young age. Look out for number one. It's a doggy dog and all these things, the word called by the word of God to serve with one another and see this is a thing we've gotten into spectator Christianity. We got into what we might call it armchair Christianity, you know there's armchair quarterbacks. These are the guys that you watch football games on Sunday and you come up with what he should have done and what he could've done and it probably little easier to think what you're sit in your armchair than it is with 350 pound guys bearing down on you, but we have all these neat ideas about how they should have done these things well Christianity has a lot of armchair Christians and that they sit back and leg criticizing it. Don't actually do anything. The gift of criticism. If it's a gift at all. Is it is a cheap gift, and is very, then what the Lord desires is for us to engage into be involved seeing the world is looking on and they hear what were saying about Jesus but they're looking for us to be engaged in active in serving the Lord. They're looking for this love that we talk about their looking for the reality of Jesus and what we do in the way we live caring about one another. Caring about the Lord Jesus put it like this. Matthew chapter 9 verse 37, 38, he said to his disciples, the harvest is so great but the workers are so few prayed to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest and ask him to send out more workers for his fields. Pray for these workers in the harvest Matthew question. Do you pray like this, Jesus is giving the instructions here and say hey listen, if you feel like it.

If you have the time. I do not do anything else and pray this prayer that it says in that loop 10 passages. These were his instructions to them just as a typist. I think it's to all of us to be pray this prayer. If you haven't, let me encourage you to pray this prayer Lord send out more workers into the harvest because there's not enough workers is Jesus didn't say pray for the harvest that more people would come.

He said pray that more people would be workers in the harvest may encourage and pray this prayer. But also, let me explain what will happen as you pray this prayer as you pray the prayer Lord send out more workers in the harvest you're going to begin to realize that. Guess what you are a worker in the harvest season.

The Lord wants to use all of us, not just me as pastor, staff or elders or deacons or whatever he wants to use all of us and we need to reject this well 5% of the people are called actually do some for God no were all called to do something for God. You realize everyone of us is in full-time ministry.

Everyone of us. I know we look at people who you know our own staff at a church or in ministries. We look at them full-time ministry we use that term we throw down your professional Christians and stuff and but you know God desires to work through all of our lives each and every person in here.

He can do it. He wants to do and he's looking for eyes partner with him so I encourage you to pray that prayer he says in John 435. Do you think the work of harvesting will not begin until the summer ends four months now. Look around you. Vast fields are ripening all around us and are ready now for the harvest the harvesters a paid good wages in the fruit they harvest his people brought to eternal life. What joy awaits both the planter in the harvester ally be the father, help us to realize that we are workers in the harvest.

And as we see the fruit in the harvest coming in here. We need to begin to do just that and I think there was a moment in this boat. I think they were out they were fishing. So what were they that they were looking for fishing and found many, but then they found the fish. Jesus is Centered on the net on the other side you get much fish and I think there was probably a moment in in time with the disciple said okay go much fish and where that used to satisfy. It didn't anymore to something to changed some of us can relate to that because maybe we were engaged in the pursuit of success or whatever before, maybe even after we were Christian and we tried to go back to that. We tried to live according to those same things that we used to think and we used to believe it was very empty as some of you may have found success, and when you got it is like what's… Empty is not what I do now, got a dog chasing a car, what is he do with it when he catches it at me and that's the way success is to some of us in our version and the Lord is saying you not forget about all you because you know it you're not going to just be happy with fish anymore.

If you think your happiness is going to come from a better job or better payer, better house or better car and quit believe in the law is, even when you get those things. You can find out that the really empty if you don't have Jesus. But if you pursue Jesus if you follow Jesus you find happiness or to find the Lord, that the life lesson here the best things in life aren't things the best things in life aren't things that I know this sounds really un-American done it nonconsumer edge, but that's the reality that we need to understand there is a multi-billion dollar industry to make you discontented with your life. You understand that when you watch television and those commercials come on, do you think they're trying to make you feel good and happy about where you are in life right now know because you can be sitting there watching television even before you can be perfectly content with what God has given me, but also in you watch 1/32 commercial. You will have one of those looking to get five I get a deal and something that you didn't need before now. You're unhappy that you don't have, that's what they do and is very effective in imposing her heart done it here that the telephone commercials are just a few years ago.

If you can.

30 seconds people that you don't know paid actors and at the end of 30 seconds you're getting tearful as she called home to show you that it's very effective and nothing will.

And this whole industry is set up around you been discontented with your life so that you bother product but we have a God that loves us so much he doesn't want to search cheaply satisfied and he tells us how we can find true joy and happiness and find the real meaning of life.

The question is will we listen that he lays it out very plainly. Matthew chapter 1038 says if you refuse to take up your cross and follow me. You not worthy of me and mine.

If you cling to your life you will lose it, but if you give it up for me. You will find it. Matthew 16 says it again another way, if you try to keep your life for yourself. You will lose it, but if you give up your life for me.

You will find true life and how do you benefit if you gain the whole world lose your own soul in the process is anything worth more than your soul again.

Luke 1733 whoever claims of this life will lose it, and whoever loses this life will save it. Are you winning or losing. Are you given yourself away.

Are you trying to live for you. That's an unchristian like way of life is not a follower of Jesus who lives for himself, a follower of Jesus looks for opportunities and looks for ways to express themselves that gives himself away is not the exception. This was to be the rule think a lot of us try to figure out how we can get God to fit into our life. That's backwards what we should be asking is God when you want me to do, how you want me to serve you. How can I begin to make a difference in people's lives. That's what were supposed to be asking is not about living the good life. It's about live in the godlike. That's next life lesson. Don't be satisfied with the good life.

But with the godlike. As a follower of Jesus. I want to see what the Lord wants me to do. It's it's not like a cosmic salad bar that you show up and you begin the pick and choose what got God give me that Grace Berger but please hold the humble servant thing that leaves a bad taste in my mouth to his first the work and somehow we've begun to think that the Lord wants to come into our life and straighten everything out nice neat and tidy what he wants to do you realize one of his first things in our life is to come over and turn some tables over because it's like all I didn't belong there. What's this doing dinner.

Has that ever happened.

Anybody else or is it just me that's what the Lord wants new one because we set it up all wrong and he was to come in and make it right and he says here's one of the ways you do that member how your life used to revolve around you can do that anymore is not way a follower of Jesus does somehow again we get into this live in the good life and God wants to bless us know mistake what I'm saying but there's a matter of priorities that Jesus is establishing with these guys and we can take encouragement because guess what these guys are spent three years with him think okay I got it whenever they don't have it. He was just gone for a little bit. Guess what, they fell apart and we will do only what you are looking for. They need to be reminded, and Jesus did just that. He wanted to send them on this glorious adventure 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 nine and then as soon as they had come the land they saw a fire of coals air and fish laid on bread. Jesus had what they were looking for.

He wanted to give them what they were looking for but again he needed to remind them of priority. See, we've gotten that this twisted thing is thinking that God is this crusher of dreams, and that God wants you to do something that you would just be miserable doing many times have you heard something like that will go. I hate the cold so I asked God what he want to do in my life. He probably sent me to Alaska. We've adopted things like that and that's far from the truth. That's far from the truth of what this word to Ephesians 326 now to him who is able to do exceedingly of nondeadly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us as a sound like a dream crusher. The new living translation. In this verse is not. Glory be to God by his mighty power. Work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask your help. That's our God, not a dream crusher, a dream giver and the Lord is probably given some people here dreams about things they might accomplish form and the Lord wants to fulfill those dreams when out pastor where you get this dreams and vision stuff from the book of acts chapter 2 verse 17/18 is this this is what I will do in the last days, God says I will pour out my Spirit on everyone your sons and daughters will proclaim my message. Your young men will see visions in your old man will have dreams. Yes, even on my servants, both men and women. I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will proclaim a message but awesome couple versus and who's that promise to what's everybody talks about young men talked about old man talks about men, women, if you give your mandatory young man or boy should raise your wagon to anything were originally in circuit okay and it talks about women.

Serve your woman raise your hand or younger, I should praise God that includes you Naveed and raise your hand either time.

We need to talk to Sirs will try to help you through this thing, but here we have men and women and cuts is I will pour out my Spirit on bring visions and dreams. The past and he doesn't say out might do this is as a swing on the this is what will do in the last is so how did we ever come to the twisted place that will Lord if I step out and serve you. I'm just gonna get punished. Lord, if I step out and serve you in and begin the put you and others at the ceremony life that things are just not go well is not the truth. Fact is God's is when you do that you going to find out what it's all about and until your unwilling to do that. That joy in that piece is probably going to lose your wife, because see the deal is if you come to Jesus to ask you to ask him to forgive you of your sins life changed. It's different. It's forever different.

You can never be satisfied with old things again. God loves you too much and he wants to begin to change your life. He wants to do and if you're dragging your feet and your straddling the fence and brothers and sisters women to your novel fund and enjoy their as a matter fact you may be more miserable than before you got saved Rothwell before you get saved you know that you're supposed be living for the Lord and given your life away once you come the Lord and say forgive me, a messenger start digging in this word in Jesus as your give your life away and you know you'll never be cheaply satisfied again, and it can start your Christian growth. If you keep yourself at the center of your life is not the plan of Jesus's plan is for you to give yourself away makes it very plain that is the way that Jesus loves a woman, think of what he could've said and what he could and you know he shows up there doing some analysis to be known there in a place they're not supposed to be in Jesus shows up and just gently, reminds him that's what he does. The you come in here sending ranges, gently remind you heat the hidden River Arena in the way he's coming now if I was Jesus and this is probably all the proof that you meet that I'm not sure if I was Jesus had been there for another out the mellow guy hey guys, what you doing were visionaries would be fishing the bottom of your boat is not there anymore as it did just need to dig a little lesson nine in doing that tells them how to catch fish to find what they're looking for when they come back and he's got coals there and fish on bread and again this is far of coals. That's an interesting turn on My Own Pl. in Scripture we find it is in the place that Peter was around the fire of coals when it denied the Lord and notice what he doesn't say to Peter Bader see these goals remind you of anything here and say that in fact the bulk of this chapter will get into this next week is Jesus restoring Peter publicly look what he says in verse 10 Jesus said to them, bring some of the fish which you would just call again, the mercy and grace of God, look what he doesn't say that I know you get from others and get anything for a healthy but then I hope you got much fish want to bring those fish can say that he does bring the fish which you've just call centers that there's a mystery to me. The Lord wants to partner with us to bring in a harvest was to partner with you to bring in a harvest many looks anxious to finish what you call somehow gives us credit gives us eternal rewards for just simply doing what he's asked us to do. Man this is good stuff. The fish which you just call and I now notice at what point in this fishing process. Do you think they clean the fish. It was after they called him ever try to clean the fish forgot he had that work very well, you understand some people purge Christianity like that. They tell people hey you know what you need to get quite cleaned up. You get things together after you get things going come to church and got a question for you get no we catch the fish God cleans the fish to understand that God never put us in Georgia claimant. We can't do it. You can't do in your own life if you'd be honest, God got asked to help each and every one of us. That's the reality that the fishing thing, falls apart in one place. The sea in in fishing in real life, what you do is you catch a lot of fish and then you what. As you bring it in.

You kill it right. Well, let's go back and see what we can do is we get to catch a dead fish we could see them brought back to life. That's what we get the sea and that a cooling it's even more than that.

You see, God wants to work in our lives to accomplish that. You understand that it's not just that he saying that you guys could do this he thing I want were going to do this.

I'm in a working member when he said that to the disciples follow me and I will make you become fishers of men and absolutely need to study fish and you get one. There was radar things and some kind of fish smell later or something you know and then and then you know he says follow me and as a byproduct. What can happen here to become fishers of men to ask you why you were here.

A lot of people would have a lot different answers. He made me she made me a parents may make him kids may make it came because my neighbor was just bug me to death. The following men in an ear here because God is at work in your life. That's why you're here. Whether you know him yet or not. Maybe you're here this morning. You never asked him to forgive you of your sins you're here because God's work in your life.

God is drawing you to himself that he's done that this morning.

The Bible puts it this way.

In Philippians 212 and 13 says therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and treatment that verse used to scare me to death. Philippians 212 because whenever I would share with you my hey, I am struggling with this or I got from other sites at work after own salvation verdure. It was actually years later, the reverse 13.

This is for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for his good pleasure.

Anything with that same even the fact that you want to do right is not you that's God. The fact that you wanted to be here this morning is not you, Scott and Lemaster questions which are you going to get. This is really this is liberating. If you grab a hold of this. Which one are you going to get more excited about the fact that you might've done so a little something good for the fact that the living God, Creator of the universe is active in your life that not only is he going to give me the willpower. But the power to do the things that he's asked me to do friend. You know for sure that your sins have been forgiven. You can know right now only Jenna 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 it 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'd 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 from Pastor David to the word of God with his email devotional life lessons to consider daily reading plan 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 McGee continues teaching verse by verse in the gospel of God