pastors notes for-Loved and called by God (John 21:4-17)

Pastors notes

Have you ever found yourself going back to what’s familiar when life doesn’t unfold the way you expected? Maybe it’s returning to an old habit, job, or routine—anything that brings comfort in uncertainty. it’s not necessarily sinful just a way for you to kill time and enjoy yourself for a while trying to forget the things that are stressing you out. maybe your tired and there is nothing wrong with down time but I know first how how that down time can extend into just lazy time and procrastination time.

its interesting because we find Peter in a similar situation.. After walking closely with Jesus for years, witnessing miracles, and even experiencing the resurrected Christ. You would think Peter would be out sharing the gospel leading people to faith in Christ. but we find him and some other of the disciples in a familiar setting. back before they knew Jesus, they had gone fishing.

John 21:4-17
4 At dawn Jesus was standing on the beach, but the disciples couldn’t see who he was. 5 He called out, “Fellows, have you caught any fish?”  “No,” they replied.  6 Then he said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get some!” So they did, and they couldn’t haul in the net because there were so many fish in it.
7 Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic (for he had stripped for work), jumped into the water, and headed to shore. 8 The others stayed with the boat and pulled the loaded net to the shore, for they were only about a hundred yards from shore. 9 When they got there, they found breakfast waiting for them—fish cooking over a charcoal fire, and some bread.
10 “Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,” Jesus said. 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to

the shore. There were 153 large fish, and yet the net hadn’t torn.
12 “Now come and have some breakfast!” Jesus said. None of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Then Jesus served them the bread and the fish. 14 This was the third time Jesus had appeared to his disciples since he had been raised from the dead.  15 After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”  “Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.”

“Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him.  16 Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
“Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love you.”  “Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus said.
17 A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”  Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.”  Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep.

Do you see anything here that is out of place?  Peters, gone fishing. He’s hasn’t just gone fishing like for himself for his friends like this is just for the day.  He caught a 153 fish. How much do you think that’s worth? How many people is that gonna feed . he’s going to work, but is that what God called Peter to do? No, no, Jesus commissioned all of them to go out and spread the gospel. , nothing wrong with fishing. But that’s not what God called them to do.

There’s nothing wrong with hard work, the question is….are you where God wants you to be?

Meditation #1 “Am I where God wants me to be right now?

• Now, why do you think peter was a fishing rather fulfilling the commission that Jesus gave him preaching the gospel, being a fisher of men, not a fisher of fish
• I think Peter still didn’t feel worthy of the call that got put on his life. He remembered how he betrayed his lord even though Jesus had forgiven him,. I think he was still struggling with feeling worthy. I think he was still struggling. with what he had done.
• Shame can be good or bad.  if we feel ashamed for the bad things we’ve done. It caused us to turn around to continue to do good instead of evil. However if we feel shame even though we have been forgiven that holds us back from serving God

Meditation #2 “Is shame holding me back from serving God”

• Have you ever done something or said something that you just couldn’t forgive yourself for even though you know Gods forgiven you⁴, and maybe it’s hindering you from doing what gods calling you to do or just to live out your Christian life?
• Sometimes it’s not necessarily about a particular ministry often. It’s just our regular Christian lives. We don’t want to go back to church because, well, we haven’t been there in a while. And we feel ashamed, until we don’t go back or maybe find some place else to go
• Often people won’t assemble together in the church because they feel the shame from falling back into old sinful patterns. So the devil lies to them, and they isolate themselves, one of the very thing they should be doing is getting encouragement from other Christians that would help them live the kind of life that they desire. To live
• It’s a tactic. I see often used by the devil. He guilts Christians into avoiding the fellowship.
• He tells you that if you uh, go to church and you try to do all the right things, you’re just a hypocrite, because it doesn’t match. How you feel inside but what do we always say? Feelings aren’t facts feelings, don’t determine the truth.

Mediation #3 “How do I define loving God in my life”

• The word love in the English language is kind of silly because we say we love pizza, we love ice cream and we love people, hopefully those are two different things. some people love ice cream more than people.  and thats a whol other issue.
• John records Jesus’s conversation with peter using 2 Greek words. There’s 4 Greek words for love. eros, storge, phileo and agape   Agape, is unconditional love and phileo, which is a brotherly or an emotional, felt love how we feel about somebody
• When jesus asked peter “do you love me” he was saying do you love me unconditionally
• When Peter said “You know I love you” it was a deep emotional love like very close friend or a brother.
• Peter was getting hurt because Jesus was looking for something beyond just feelings.
• Years ago a book came out called the 5 love languages. i think most people are familiar with the concept now. but people receive love in different ways whether its words of “saying I love you” touch like hugs, receiving gifts, …ect. 
• Well Jesus love language is obedience
• John 15:10 When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. 
• He wanted to get peter to obey him and feed his sheep.

I whatever you might be struggling with today, wherever you might be. Maybe you’re still searching. Maybe you have found Christ, and maybe you’re just wondering where do i go from here?  Maybe God is calling you step out out in faith and do something you don’t think you’re worthy enough to do. We’re often the one that gets in our own way. Because we think it’s, i’m not gifted enough or worthy enough but God isn’t necessarily calling you to do one big thing for him but maybe just to start doing one small thing each day. when you walk in obedience he will reveal more along the way. we jsut need to take that first step and believe.

Jesus asked him three times do you love me