[0:00] Now, turning back to the chapter that we read, chapter 21, in the Gospel of John, and we can look at the verses that we have from verse 15 to verse 17 in the chapter.
[0:17] Chapter 21, verses 15 to 17. When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon son of John, do you love me more than these? He said to him, Yes, Lord, you know that I love you. He said, Feed my lambs. He said to him a second time, Simon son of John, do you love me? He said to him, Yes, Lord, you know that I love you. He said to him, Tend my sheep. He said to him the third time, Simon son of John, do you love me? Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, Do you love me? And he said to him, Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you. Jesus said to him, Feed my sheep. And even though we are choosing, even though we are looking at these verses, we can dig in most, or we can dig in really the whole of the chapter in the sermon, what the chapter is leading up to. And we can first look at things old and things new. And secondly, looking at resurrection, a new creation. And thirdly, looking at a new commission. A new commission. Things old, things new. A resurrection, a new creation, and a new commission. And firstly, coming to things old and things new.
[1:41] So, supposing you and I, supposing you and I said to a person, to anybody, supposing we said to anybody that Jesus came into this world to bring to us a new world and a new life. Then that passion would be right to point out to me and you that there is now over 2,000 years since Jesus was born into this world and nothing much has changed. Nothing much has changed.
[2:25] We think of the wars that are still going on. A very devastating war going on in Syria at the moment. We think about the suicide bombings that have claimed the lives of thousands.
[2:45] We think of the settlements and the refugee camps that are scattered throughout our world. And coming closer to home, we think about the beggars from the homeless people on the streets of our own cities and towns.
[3:01] And also, we know that there are areas within our cities where even the police themselves try to be sent. Simply because lawlessness rules.
[3:16] And you see, we live in a world full of divisions. And it is real hatred of one another that is the reason behind most of these divisions. And therefore, we find ourselves struggling for answers.
[3:44] And especially, supposing we say to the people who are questioning us, supposing we say to them, well, that the evil that haunts this world was dealt with by Christ on the cross.
[4:09] And your answer would probably, the answer that would come back to you would probably be, well, that happened over 2,000 years ago. And yet the world is still full of evil.
[4:26] The world is still a world that is full of evil. Well, in this chapter, in this chapter, I think we have, or we can find the beginnings to an answer for these questions.
[4:47] In this chapter, this chapter of one, we said very carefully, it brings before us, it brings before us, the newness that God's love brings to one's life, into one's life. The newness that God's love brings into one's life.
[5:13] And in this chapter, we find a new hope, a new start, restoration, and we find fruitlessness being replaced by fruitfulness.
[5:33] Fruitlessness being replaced by fruitfulness. And what we have here before us in this chapter is a new creation, a new creation.
[5:52] Peter and some of the other disciples have decided to go back to the old life. We do not know why they did this.
[6:06] Scripture doesn't explain it to us, why they did it. But many of us, many of us do things, and we do not know why we do that.
[6:19] But the amazing thing is, that God still meets with us in such situations. And here they were.
[6:29] Here we find them. They had been toiling all night long. And they had absolutely no reward for the labor.
[6:47] There was no reward for the labor. They had found nothing. We can easily imagine. It's easy for us to imagine their frustration, their tiredness, and their utter helplessness in the face of the situation in which they were finding themselves.
[7:07] And out of the blue, out of the blue, Jesus appears on the shore at daybreak. Exactly when the sun would be rising, dispelling the darkness of the night.
[7:27] And they, the disciples, Peter and the disciples, had been laboring in the darkness of the old life. And this passion tells them to put the net out on the right-hand side of the boat.
[7:48] And they catch more fish with that one cast than they had caught for the whole of the night. Jesus is present.
[8:03] And suddenly, very suddenly, things begin to be turned around. It's amazing the difference His presence makes.
[8:25] and as as as as as putting it in one of his writings, he said, we do not or we should not come to judge to comment on the eloquence of the preaching of the lack of it.
[8:47] We come to hear God's voice. to come to hear the voice of God. And it's amazing the difference His presence makes.
[9:03] Here they were laboring in the darkness of the night being reminded through that labor of the frustrations that were attached and that are still attached to the old creation.
[9:32] What a difference what a difference the presence of Jesus brings into any given situation into any given situation.
[9:45] and I hope that you yourselves over the past few days will remember them because you were aware of the presence of Jesus throughout these last few days.
[10:03] Which brings us to the second thing that we have here resurrection and new creation. Now we we talk about resurrection.
[10:16] We talk about resurrection and when we do we usually talk about especially those of us who are in Christ who have come to faith we talk about resurrection we talk about our bodies being raised in the resurrection that is unto life and there is nothing wrong with that that is true enough.
[10:38] We talk about life after death and how the resurrection of Jesus guarantees this to his people and that is also true that is also true however we miss the point we miss the point of what resurrection truly means if we confine it simply to that we confine it simply to that resurrection you see is a new world a new creation a new beginning and a victorious life a new world a new creation a new beginning a victorious life and this world itself this world in which we live in which exists so much joy and yet so much pain a world that is full of contradictions where you and I can admire the beauty of creation and yet at the same time we know that it is a world permeated with violence this world itself will emerge from the present age into the new heavens and the new earth of the age that is to come and the resurrection of Jesus from the dead is simply the beginning of God's new world order he is the firstborn from the dead and that is very important he is the beginning of God's new creation resurrection of God's new creation
[12:48] Jesus' resurrection is a revelation to me and to you that love is stronger than death and that God has not left this world to the ravages of sin and death that is what the crosswork of Jesus and his resurrection reveals to us God has intervened and God has not left this world that he created to the ravages of sin and death now everyone everyone who has come to faith in Jesus Christ sees this world in a new light to the way that day were beholding the world before many of us
[13:51] I don't I'm not saying that all of us but if you remember when you first came to Christ how you were seeing this world differently to the way that you had seen it before I remember the morning after I was I had come to Christ myself and going up to the end of the house and looking across there to see view and up to Eugenicium but all I couldn't believe what I was seeing the greenness of the grass and the beauty of the sky it was as if it was new as if everything was new and as if I was seeing the houses and the fences and everything that was done with man's hand seemed to be ugly compared to the creation that came forth from
[14:52] God's hand and some of us can follow that when we came to Christ maybe not all of us but that's the way it is we see the word in a different light to the way that we were seeing it before and you see when one is in Christ once we come to Christ we are new creatures we are no longer what we were we are new we are new creatures old things have passed away behold all things have been made new why why for this reason that we have been lifted from the grave of the old life and know we are experiencing the newness of a resurrected life and that is why that is why we see things differently we are experiencing the newness of a resurrection and here
[16:02] Jesus here on the shore Jesus invites his disciples to a meal of celebration every other meal that he had with them up until this point had been tinged by the darkness of the shadow of the cross house and through the earth know they had the light of a new creation the light of a new creation they had a cause to celebrate they had a cause to celebrate and although we find no singing or dancing here yet there was a joy that was deeper than any dancing or singing and taking part in the singing taking part in this meal with them was a man who was broken a man who was broken a man who needed healing and that man as we all know was Peter he had denied his Lord three times and although he had already although he had already met with the risen Christ yet he would still have been full of self-doubt and he had been prevented by this self-doubt from coming to fully experience the newness of the resurrected life self-doubt would have been preventing you which brings us to the third and the final thing that we have here and that is that is a new commission how did Jesus restore this man how did he restore him he restored him by giving him a new commission he was to turn by he was to turn his back on the old life which was fishing and he was to become a fisher of men he was to feed the lambs and look after the sheep of this new flock that belonged to his Lord and Master to his Lord and Master and it was not just the fact it was not just the fact that Peter had denied his Lord three times but the Lord had forgiven Peter and that in itself would have been breaking
[19:19] Peter you go back to you go back to your own experience well some of us anyway maybe not all of us but you go back to your own experience when you first became aware of your sins and the first thought that came into your mind was probably well I am now beyond the forgiveness of God but then you came to experience that forgiveness and what did it do to you it broke you it broke you and here was Peter once again face to face with the risen Lord and this time it was not just forgiveness but a new commission with Jesus fully trusting Peter to carry out this task and this is what resurrection is all about this is what it is all about if this was good news for Peter and for the rest of the disciples it was good news for the world it was good news for the world they were not to keep this news to themselves and without this new commission the resurrection would have been fruitless without this new commission the resurrection would have been fruitless and this is the way this is the way
[21:14] Jesus brings this new world to us by sending forth ordinary people like Peter to share the good news of the resurrection with the world this is the way he brings it to us Peter Peter was no superhero he had betrayed denied his Lord three times he was a sinner like you and like me like you and like me and it is such it is such that Jesus sends forth to share the good news of the resurrection for the rest of the world to share this news of the resurrection to share this news of the new world that the resurrection of Jesus
[22:25] Christ of which the resurrection of Jesus Christ is a guarantee is a guarantee why what why was Peter given this commission to feed the lambs and to feed the sheep this new flock that belonged to his Lord and Master Peter was to equip them to prepare them for the new world and to prepare them to equip them for going out with this good news and to share it with the rest of the world that's why he was to feed the lambs and the sheep to prepare a people for this new world this new creation and you see there is a world out there that is full of need and Jesus commissions us to go out to those who are oppressed by the rule by the tyrannical rule of sin to go out to those who are hungry for love and those who have forgotten how to love he commissions us to go out to those who feel as if they have been trampled upon and who are past anger and who are past told we are to share this good news with those who feel let down by a world who does not seem to care and you see he shares the world's pain and we as a people who have been delivered from darkness and death ought to share this pain with them and if we don't if we don't then we are to then we are of no use in a service we are of no use in a service and take note of Peter's answer three times take note of his answer three times the answer was the same
[25:01] Lord you know that I love you and we are to prove our love for him by obedience to his word Peter did that Peter did that and Peter's reprises are still feeding the lambs and the sheep of the flock we are to prove our love in the same way by obedience to his word we are to speak this love live out this love and be light bearish of this love to the rest of the world and if you were blessed by the presence of you Lord over the past few days what better way to express your thankfulness than to do just that speak this love live out this love and be light bearish of this love to the rest of the world if you are here this evening and you are outside of Christ you are still outside of
[26:19] Christ well remember that he died for you and that he lives for you and when you come to meet with him you meet with a God who created you who is yearning for your fellowship because remember what God says he is willing that none should perish but that all should come to repentance and once you come to meet with the Lord you will then be a bearer of good news to the rest of the world what better occupation could you be employed in and to carry the good news of the resurrection to the rest of the world be blessed to us these few thoughts let us pray oh gracious and ever blessed
[27:21] Lord I grant us to be bold in our witness and to truly go forth in the strength of all that you have done on our behalf and all that has been accomplished and we can truly say that all has been finished and that we are now to carry this torch to the rest of the world and Lord help us to do so showing forth our praises for the great deliverance that you have brought within the lives of each and every one of your people and Lord let us not keep it to ourselves we know it is difficult we know it is not easy and we know that it is not an easy commission that you are giving to your people yet Lord let us not despise the gospel of Jesus Christ or your work on the cross on our behalf or the fact that you are risen and that you are at the right hand of the majesty of high
[28:30] Lord let us not let you down and let us be bearish of this love to the rest of the world forgive us for our sins and all that we ask that we would do so in Christ's name and for the sake amen let us conclude by singing to God's praise from Psalm 84 in the same psalms Psalm 84 in the same psalms Psalm 84 verse 5 blessed are those who strength is in you those who have a pilgrim's mind course from autumn rains refresh them springs in Baker's Vale they find strength increasing signward they go on their way to God hear my prayer Lord God Almighty and receive the plea I make listen to me God of Jacob hear me for your mercy sake look upon a shield and bring favour to your chosen king mix
[30:14] Strength in faith as real divine. Strength and preaching high on board.
[30:30] They go on their way to God. Hear my prayer, Lord God Almighty.
[30:43] I receive the plea I gave. Listen to me, God of Jacob.
[30:57] Hear me for your mercy's sake. Learn how all our shield I bring.
[31:12] Favor to your chosen King. One day in your course is better.
[31:26] But I'll caution days elsewhere. Let me sit in my God's temple.
[31:40] Let me be a door, my name. Brother, Lord, my happiness.
[31:52] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. For the Lord is grace and honor, God will be a shield and sun.
[32:14] Even of His boldest blessing from the just and shameless one, Lord Almighty, great and true, bless the one who comes in you.
[32:44] May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us now and forevermore. Amen.