I have a soundtrack in my music collection of children’s ‘church’ songs that the boys (my twin grandsons) love to listen to; they call them the ‘God Songs’. One of them tells the story how ‘Peter, James, and John in the sailboat...’fished all night and caught no fishes’. This of course taken from the story I mentioned in yesterday’s message as we were taking some time to see what we could draw and learn from in Peter’s 'stumbles'.

I hear it often. In fact... it was mentioned in a sermon I heard this past weekend...how people ‘find comfort’ in realizing that even someone like Peter, who walked close with Jesus for three years...still...had his epic moment when he denied knowing Jesus, when it mattered most. Somehow...we convince ourselves that we too...will continue to have epic failures and fall short...and disappoint God by falling back into sin. Friends...nothing could be more misconstrued and misunderstood... if that is your take-away from what happened to Peter.

We sure don’t see that wishy-washy, double-minded portrayal of Peter...after the day of Pentecost when he was filled and empowered with the Spirit of Almighty God along with the other 120 followers (Acts 2). Something miraculous and supernatural is suppose to take place within us...”IF indeed...the Spirit of God truly dwells in us” (Rom. 8:9-11; &  1 John 3:9).

The point I was trying to make in yesterday’s message was this ongoing struggle we find ourselves in...’toiling all night’ as Peter did, and still ‘coming up empty’, especially when it comes to living out His word that declares...we ‘ought to be walking as Jesus walked’.

“Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.” (1 John 2:3-6)

Peter was, of course... a skilled, experienced fisherman and ‘knew how to do it’; sort of like so many professing ‘believers’ today think they have it all figured out. And still...most will admit they continue to stumble, fall, and even ‘sin daily’. Why is that? Why do we still fall so short in walking the way the Bible clearly teaches...we ‘should be’ walking as. “Whoever abides in Him no longer sins”, we are told. (1 John 3:6,9; 5:18; 1 Pet. 4:1-2).

As I finished up with in yesterday’s message...three years had gone by since Peter’s first encounter with Jesus, when he was instructed by Jesus to try casting out his nets one more time...despite the repeated failures from the night before. Now...Jesus has died, been raised from the dead and is preparing to return to heaven...and Peter finds himself back out on the water...doing all he’s ever known to do - fishing. (John 21:3-4)

If you are like most people, you probably have your own personal ‘Hall of Shame’, where you’ve stored those memories of momentous times in your life where you just flat out...blew it. John would later write: “If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.” (1 John 1:10). Peter certainly knew about his own major blunders; in fact it was recorded in scripture for all the world to read and know about. But friends...that was not written down for us to point to and justify our own, ongoing failures and sins and shortcomings, as if that would somehow make us feel better to be in such miserable company. Far from it. And that is the lesson we can learn in this last chapter in John’s gospel. 

At one point, Peter had grand visions, no doubt...as to how he might have been used in the kingdom of God. And yes...he knew Jesus forgave him for his miserable night when he denied knowing Him- three times in a row. But the memories of those failures can continue to sting...when we allow them to linger; and it is no help to be convinced that you will probably do it again...at some point in the future; that is...if you believe what the modern ‘gospels’ seem to teach and promote. So there he was...fishing in a boat loaded with painful memories, and zero fish. Once again... he was ’out all night and he caught no fishes’ (John 21:3)

Then...Peter hears a familiar voice from the shore: “Have you caught any food?” (5). They answer Him, ‘No”, and now here we go again, as Jesus instructs them: “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.”(6). Sure enough...they let their nets down as instructed...and here comes a multitude of fish. And this time, the nets don’t break (11). Three years have gone by and it seems like ‘déjà vu’ as they make their way to shore and find Jesus waiting on them...with a meal already prepared.

As we read on, we are told they finish eating breakfast, and then...Jesus turns to Peter and asks the most serious and profound question that any of us will ever be asked of, by Jesus.

“Peter...do you love me?” Three times...those words grace the lips of a loving Shepherd, and three times...you can feel the painful wincing in Peter’s heart as he responds: ”Yes Lord, you know that I love you”, wanting to reassure Jesus that in spite of his past blunders, he truly did love Jesus and probably wanted nothing more than to ‘prove it’, but unsure if God could still use a ‘washed up fisherman’. And three times...Jesus commissions Peter...to then ‘feed His sheep’ (15-17). God was not done with Peter, and he was using this tender, yet raw moment to drive home this point...essentially saying - You are going to have to do this My way, Peter... if you ever expect to see any lasting fruit. Now please read and underline vs. 18-19, where Jesus continues on:

“Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you dressed yourself and walked where YOU wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not wish.” This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And after He had spoken this, Jesus said to him, “Follow Me.”

I will finish up with this later instead of trying to ‘cram in at the end’ so much more I feel compelled to say, so perhaps you can ‘review’ this once more before you begin reading what I will share with you here tomorrow. But for now, I leave you with this: What I believe God was saying to Peter back then on that early morning by the shore of that lake...is what He’s still saying to so many of us today: 

 “I’ve watched you do it...your way...long enough. Are you ready...to try doing it...My way now? It will involve you ‘laying down your life’ and surrendering to My leading as you ‘stretch out your hands’ and follow Me. This is the ONLY way in which you will ever experience true life...and bring glory to God.” (John 15:1-8). 

See you tomorrow?