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Can we sing #224?
Nsnoise.
Phone call back in Laura ha ha ha ha ha.
Ha.
Lord Jesus may have been much occupied with Thy love in these meetings and.
This has been a a subject that has felt and encouraged our hearts, yet we know that it brings with it a tremendous responsibility for us, and we just pray that that would help us to remember Thy love and to show it out.
To return it to the but they show it to one another.
And also to a a dying, perishing world.
So we just ask that I help with that. We ask that I help too. If we opened I work, we pray if I would again feed us. So you consider these wonderful things.
Followings I Resurrection.
Things of the things that I would speak to us. So even things that we have need of today in our lives. We pray that we read this chapter before us that that would exercise each one of us too, as to, uh, what we take up. If that would bring out in the ministry, uh, those special things that I spirit that would meet our needs. So we ask it Lord Jesus and that it would be.
With I praise and my glory we ask it in thy name. Amen.
00:05:07
Shall we go on? Just write to Chapter 21, John 21.
Johns Gospel, chapter 21.
After these things, Jesus showed himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias.
And on this Wise showed He himself there were together Simon Peter and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathaniel of Cana and Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples. Simon Peter saith unto them, I go fishing.
They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth and entered into a ship immediately.
And that night they caught nothing. But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore, while the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No. And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore. And now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord.
Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his Fisher's coat unto him, for he was naked, and had cast himself into the sea. And the other disciples came in a little ship, for they were not far from land, but as it were 200 cubits, dragging the net with fishes.
As soon then, as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon and bred. Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught. Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land, full of great fishes, and hundreds, and 50, and three, and for all. There were so many, yet was not the net broken. Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine, and none of the disciples Durst asked him.
Who art thou knowing that it was the Lord? Jesus then cometh and taketh bread, and giveth them.
And fish likewise. This is now the third time that Jesus showed himself to his disciples. After that he was risen from the dead. So when they had died, Jesus saith the Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas. Lovest thou me more than these?
He saith unto him, Yeah, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him again the second time. Simon son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yeah, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time. Simon son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me?
And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things, thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdest thyself, and walkest whither thou wittest. But but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee and carry thee, whither thou wouldest not This Bay key signifying by what death he should glorify God.
And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me. Then Peter turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved, following, which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is? And said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee?
Peter seeing him, saith to Jesus, Lord, And what shall this man do? Jesus saith to him. Unto him, if I will that he tarry till I come, What is that to thee? Follow thou me. Then went the saying abroad among the brethren, that that that disciple should not die. Yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die. But if I will that he tarried till I come, what is that to thee? This is the the disciple which testifieth of these things.
And wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true.
And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written everyone. I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.
It's interesting the.
Testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ, your resurrection.
He no longer dispute with the Jews.
The sign that he gave the Jews back in.
John chapter 3, his death and resurrection.
00:10:05
Bursit sorry about chapter 2, verse 18. Then after the Jews and said, What sign show us no unto us, saying, they'll do these things. And Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it again. And the Jew said forty and six years, and was this temple in building, and we'll now rear it up in three days. And then John gives us one of those helpful little interpretive notes that he he does and he says, but he spake of the temple of his body.
And so the Lord Jesus Christ gave, shall I say, that ultimate sign to the nation of Israel. And in resurrection that was enough. He does not.
Dispute anymore with the Jews. In fact, I think it's really his next testimony for the one of the Jews will be when he when they say to him, what are these wounds in thy hands but the focus of the Lord in resurrection?
Here is his own people.
And the other thing is of course, that when he appears, he doesn't appear like the umm, like he does so on the mountain transfiguration. He doesn't appear like he does to UMM, to Paul on the road to Damascus. Paul wasn't a believer then. At that moment, Paul needed waking up. Paul needed a, a bit of a shock, shall I say.
But we seem.
Really continuing his upper room ministry.
What we see is the man who when he began his ministry.
Meltdown and washed his disciples feet. We've seen him him in lonely grace in the previous chapter.
He could have been mistaken for the gardener.
To those going to Emmaus, their eyes were hold and they didn't actually recognise him, but he was just another traveller.
And so here we find him as a man.
On the beach with a fire, cooking a meal, a very ordinary, shall say domestic scene. And I think there's a, a, perhaps a lesson for us here. If we wanna minister to somebody, we don't do it from a position of superiority. He came down and he as man and as man, he communicates with his own. The other thing is he wants them to feel comfortable if you're minister to somebody.
They've gotta feel comfortable in your presence and so.
The Lord looks at these disciples and they've been fishing all night for court. Nothing. What did they need? Well, they needed a bit of food. And so we find that he, he prepares a meal for him. He comes out and serves them. And so we see the Lord as that lowly servant serving his own so as he can minister to them. I've been impressed at this conference. You know, they didn't make us go hungry, did they? Or what? For three days?
There was many loving hands produced that food, and when the temperature was gonna get too hot, well.
There were some, perhaps some effort to produce an air conditioning system. Wonderful. The Lord will have us.
Comfortable in his present, shall I say, in order that we might be ready.
Able to absorb the ministry that he's given us, that we see him in lowly grace.
He didn't call him like or reveal himself in shining garments like he did in in in on the mountain. Transfiguration.
Orange light that was brighter than the sun, as he did to Paul, but in lowly grace he reveals himself just as a man.
A service looking for those that maybe are going astray a little bit.
Speaking to gather them around himself.
And we see his grace here too, don't we, in dealing with these ones that had fished all night and caught nothing. If this was me, I would have stood on the banks and said, look, you just had some wonderful experiences. You've seen the Lord in your midst. He's revealed himself to you. He said peace be unto you and so on. And now what are you doing? That's not what He did. I think it's so beautiful to see even in resurrection in those days that the Lord Jesus remained on earth, how he dealt with his own in spite of their situation.
The two on the way to Emmaus, yes, they needed to be reviewed, but I hear the tenderness in the voice of the Lord when he says, O fools and slow of heart. I don't think he said that harshly. You know, we don't always get the intonations of the voice in Scripture from the printed page, but sometimes in taking up the life of the Lord Jesus tried to sense what the sound of the intonation of his voice was when he said to his mother, woman, what have I to do to the with thee I don't.
00:15:29
Think it was in the tone of voice. We sometimes think it was in, I think it was all in the tenderness and all the tenderness and love that the Lord Jesus could, uh, could say it in. And so I, I think it's beautiful to see here as he deals with the disciples collectively in the ship, then with Peter's complete restoration, with, uh, Peter's impulsiveness at the end, looking at John and saying, well, Lord, how are you gonna take care of John? What's he gonna do? Lord Jesus handles it with such love and grace and compassion.
And I know, brethren, we've all experienced it, haven't we, in our own lives? There's lots of ups and downs in our lives. You know, we think of the disciples in the chapter before us. We've had gathered around the Lord Jesus, the wonderful experiences that they had there in the Upper Room. Do you know, we've had a wonderful experience this weekend. We've been gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus. We've had this little time sheltered here from the world with the person of Christ and before us.
With the happy fellowship of one another, you know, we're gonna leave here like the disciples. We don't always, if I can put it this way, for our purposes, we don't always stay in the upper room, do we? You know, there's the, there's the responsibilities of life. We have to go out and carry on with the things we left when we got here on on Friday. But, you know, isn't it wonderful? The Lord doesn't change and he's interested as we separate and we go different ways after this conference, the Lord is interested where we wherever we are.
Maybe there'll be some failure, maybe we'll forget some of the things we've heard, maybe we won't always do the things that we should. But as it were, he's right there on the banks. He's standing right there, and He's ready to bless when we recognize who he is and we obey His voice.
Uh, give, uh, some brother a review or something like that. Uh, because they're straying off the path. Many, uh, beautiful examples of how to go about it, don't we?
Well, I've sometimes said, Paul, that there's a way to admonish one another without scolding one another. I I believe there's a difference. We can admonish one another and we can do it in love and with grace. We don't have to scold one another. And the Lord Jesus often gave admonishments. He even gave rebuke, but again, he did it with the utmost tenderness and love.
This whole chapter really is about the restoration of Peter, isn't it? And you and I may have given a couple of paragraphs after Peter denied his Lord three times and so on. And he said, well, it's not worth suffering for this man.
But the Lord was going to mightily bless him. He had been his sovereignty picked up Peter and he was going to use them in blessing. And so the whole chapter really is about the restoration of Peter. And then he gives us this little type, little picture of how it ought to be done. As a brother said in verse 12. It's interesting how I'm I'm skipping a lot there, but it says Jesus saith unto them, come and dine. None of those disciples durst ask him, who art thou knowing that it was the Lord?
And really, we're never going to be able to be a help to our brother and to anyone that's really disheartened or turn outside aside from a path of faith in any way if we don't feed them in the natural things of life before we deal with those things that have to do with the spiritual side.
You know, I just take an encouragement during the last four years, it took me to paint my house. I'm weighing up and it rains when I get there and all that kind of stuff. But umm, one day I, I had a, the N wall to paint to scrape. It's a dirty, filthy job. And so I, I got there and I started in the morning and, uh, you know, in Hammer Bay, we all live in the same neighborhood. So it doesn't take long when before you got a crowd of people around wondering what you're doing and what the project is. And so, umm.
Here I was scraping, had a Sander 36 grit sandpaper on my sanding belt and just taken down the house that's filthy and brother comes down and umm, he says uh yeah, I got another scraper.
So I went down the basement. I got another scraper, sharpened it up.
He took it started, he said show me how to sand this thing. So he sanded some more siding. Anyway, make a Long story short, we got the N wall sanded, prepared, painted all in one day.
00:20:09
But there's a bond between that brother and I that didn't exist before.
Sometimes there are hard feelings, sometimes hard, difficult things that took place before in the past.
But they couldn't, they just don't exist anymore. Because He sat where I sat and I sat where he sat and, umm, I think of how there was something that took place here between Peter and the Lord that, uh, is a private thing. But he said them first. And there was restoration. There was a work of restoration between the Lord and Peter himself. But I think there was evidence between the others that were there. The fellowship that they had was a sweet thing.
So it might be helpful to just note before we pass on with this chapter that sometime between.
Peter denying the Lord and the Lord rising from the dead. And this chapter there had been a private, uh, interview with Peter. We know he was seen of Cephas and so on. And the two on the way to Emmaus said that. And, uh, the apostle Paul in the 15th chapter, first Corinthians confirms that. And there was a, so there was a private interview. And evidently in that private interview his conscience was reached. But in this chapter, the Lord's going to reach his heart because both had to be reached.
The conscience always has to be reached, and when there's failure or sin, if there's going to be restoration, the conscience must be reached.
But if there's going to be a following on in the path of faith, if there's going to be the carrying out of the instructions, follow thou me.
The heart has to be reached as well because I think as we've already said in these meetings, where the heart is, then the feet will will follow. So I would like to just say this as we launch out on these first few verses because I think there's probably some young people here who are saying what's wrong with fishing. You know, we know some people who make a very good living. I know some people who make a very good living at different types of fishing. Now, I never fit, never fished much. I couldn't sit still in a boat that long. And so I'm not a fisherman.
But there's nothing wrong with fishing. But when Peter said I go a fishing, he was really going back on the Commission that the Lord had given him.
When he first called him as a disciple at the beginning of the Lord's public ministry.
Because when the Lord called Peter, he said, Henceforth thou shalt catch man.
He said, I will make you fishers of men. The Lord had called Peter to a higher and more noble calling.
And to go back to his old occupation was a little bit like it, says he that putteth his hand to the plough and turneth back is not fit for the Kingdom of heaven.
And so for Peter to go back to his old profession was to go back on the call that the Lord had given him.
And it's very interesting that when Peter said I go a fishing, he didn't ask the others to go with them.
Isn't that interesting? He never asked the others to go with him, but he simply made the statement, I go fishing. And such was the influence of Peter that the others that were with him immediately said, we also go with the, you know, I believe what one of the things we learned from this, brethren, is that Peter being the one who was very prominent amongst the disciples during the Lord's public ministry, held an influence and a sway over the others that perhaps he himself didn't even realize.
And I believe it's a word to all of us that we would pray for those who God puts in a place of leadership.
And influence amongst his people, whether it's in the local assembly, whether it's on a on a broader sphere, because the enemy knows very well if he can get to, he can trip up those in a place of influence and responsibility, a place of leadership amongst the Lord's people. Not only do they miss the path themselves, but they usually take others with them. It's interesting that it wasn't somebody quiet like Andrew who said I go a fishing.
If Andrew had said it, he might not have had the same influence, but it was the one, it was the one who was often the spokesman for the disciples, the one who took, as I say, this prominent place. And so when he says it without even asking the others, they, they go with him. Just to finish my thought, you know, it's a very sad thing when those in a place of influence and leadership missed the path and take others with them because often they are restored, but they rarely bring their followers back. Now there's a happy story here because we find that in Peter's restoration.
00:25:05
The others have the Lord before them too, but it is very solemn thing to think about.
This is the third time that the Lord showed himself his disciples after His resurrection.
In the first two times we saw the church and its privileges and then Israel.
Finally brought into blessing, having not refused to believe the first time, but this little portion here through 14th verse.
Is a picture of the Lord and uh, taking up Israel to use them again for His purpose and blessing in the millennial Kingdom.
And so as you look at this chapter, it sounds very familiar, doesn't it?
Sounds very familiar to Matthew, Mark, and Luke. And you get the boat and you get the net and you get the fishers and the fishermen and on the, uh, sea, and they're not catching any fish and they're toiling all night. And it's as if everything's going back to the beginning again. It's like we're starting all over at the beginning of the gospels and the Lord calls them and so on. But it's really a picture of the fact that the Lord is going to renew his associations again with Israel.
And a coming day and where they failed, he's going to pick them up. But in his power, everything in the millennial day is going to be manifested as the power of the Lord to bring in blessing. Israel was not going to bring it in under their own power. The Lord was going to do it. And so you don't get a broken net. You don't get a boat that's sinking. You don't get fish gathered into the boat. You know, they throw out the bad ones like you get in the similitudes of the Kingdom.
Where the good are put into vessels and the bad thrown away. You, you, everything is just imperfection. But that toiling through the night and not catching anything is a little picture of them coming through the tribulation, laboring so hard and producing nothing. But when the Lord appears, that's when the blessing begins to flow, and that's when the fruit comes in and it pictures the great millennial hall for God out of all nations.
And he's going to use Israel to carry out the gospel of the Kingdom, to produce that Great Hall of fishes. With that net. They're numbered exactly. Not one's lost.
Not one is lost in that count. Just wanted to give that brief outline because I think it's very profitable to go on with Peter and, uh, the Lord's work and his soul. But I don't want to miss the fact that it says this is the third time. There's a point that the Spirit of God is making here. It's a picture to us as well as a factual account.
And there's some odd things in this chapter #1 it seems like the previous chapter was the end of the book and could almost take it that way the way it ended.
And also. But it's not. There's more to it and it's a new beginning.
Also the use of the word Tiberius.
Siberia has didn't come along for another 40 years after this actually happened. Click.
And so.
Given as a present event, but there's something right off the bat that is that is different with the timing and it puts up more universal. It puts in a gentile character right off the bat and also at the end of the chapter.
They end up in verse 22 They're.
Uh, Jesus said unto him, if I will that he tarry till I come. What is that to me follow thou me again. There's a sense of of time warping, I guess is an OK work that that it's that there's a coming, but but it's a it's a matter of following the Lord and who they are on the seashore or the lakes actually.
And and it's, it's just out there on the shore. And the Lord, we might say in our mind's eye, we see him walking off in his disciples, following them.
And that is his story of of the budget. He came into this world and he was rejected to begin with.
00:30:02
Who really spent the time to follow him? Not very many. It seemed like a lost work in many ways from our human point of view.
But it's not. He's out there on the shore again, and he walks and they follow.
And the the tranquility, the certain comfortableness from the peace fact is, is here the misunderstanding that they're smoothed over. Follow me. And it's as you say, you take them right into the volume and actually to the door of eternity when we finish this book.
This book is This chapter is almost.
It almost seems detached, doesn't it? From the rest And, uh.
And I think that.
For me and this, this chapter just for me personally, has always seemed to illustrate the way things are during this church period for his followers. I know my tendency. You know, they were going back as, as Jim said, to their old occupation.
Going out there, working hard and getting enough.
And then they come and they see him and he's there on the shore and he's got what they were trying to get.
He's not only got it, but he's got it on the fire ready to eat.
And, uh, there's just some beautiful things to see in this character. And I, I think about this a lot of times when I come to the Lord's Table.
I've been working all week and I've been trying to, you know, satisfy myself and, you know, and make a living and, and all the things with drudgery that we do. And, and I've, I've come up pretty empty and I come to the Lord's Table and in a sense he's got what I've been trying to get all week.
But he's not.
As has been pointed out, the the beautiful thing about this chapter is the Lord's character. I mean, it is just beautiful.
He doesn't tell them, you know, first of all, he gives them a word and and makes them successful. He doesn't say, well, I mean, make sure you don't catch any fish. You shouldn't be out there doing that anyway.
Instead, he blessed, he really blesses their their efforts.
But then when they come and he's already got fish prepared and everything.
Doesn't ignore what they did, does he?
It's beautiful, he says. Bring some of the fish you've caught, too.
He he's not gonna make him. He's not gonna belittle them and he's not gonna make them feel like what they did was worthless.
He says bring some of the fish you caught also, right? He does say that.
And, uh, it's just beautiful as, as it's been pointed out, the tenderness and the way he handles them. And what I'm saying is this is the way he handles us.
In his resurrection in this time and and it's to be honest, it's it's the reason I called him 224 because I'm I'm reminded of those words and that him.
You know when we reflect how apartment to turn the eye from thee.
They were turning away. They were going back, as Jim pointed out.
But it says and yet to finally still the same.
They came on shore.
And they found the Lord still the same.
They, you know, we change, he changes not. So there's just, you know, a part. Again, this chapter is kind of lifted out in a part and, uh, and speaks to us of all these things that are both the, uh, the dispensational aspects and just the, the aspects of his character and our character and the way we are. And, and then after we come together in meeting, you know, you find Peter looking at his brother, you know.
So we do that too and just see the way the Lord handles us. This is the way He handles us.
The key to their blessing here was their obedience, wasn't it? They had gone at the word of Peter that he was going fishing. They'd gone out and they toiled all night and caught nothing. And again, it wasn't that it was wrong activity, but activity. But when we carry out activity without the sanction of the Lord and what we do, that's all it is. It may be good activity, maybe nothing wrong with it, but that's all it is.
But when we act under the constraint and guidance and obedience of the blessed Lord, then that activity is going to turn into fruit and blessing. And when I read this, it always amazed me. The boys can understand this little bit always amazed me that the fish were only on one side of the boat. Who was in control of the fish? It was the Lord. He was the one that upholds all things by the word of His power. And so when they acted in obedience to cast their net on the other side.
00:35:24
Normally when you go fishing, if there's a school of fish around, it doesn't matter where you cast the net, they're all swimming around and moving around and so on. But when they cast the net on the other side, then it was full. But I would, I, I would, I wanna go back to what Steve said before we pass on with perhaps some more practical applications. And that is that, as Steve said, the number here is given to us, the exact number of the fish. And I believe it fits with the little picture that Steven has Steve has brought before us with the larger numbers in Scripture. You have to break them down.
Numbers in Scripture are very, very significant, and we often miss something if we don't take heed to the significance of the numbers that are given to us. God doesn't just number things randomly, there's always a significance to it. And so there were 150 and three fish. You'll find in Scripture that 100 the the number 100 often denotes complete salvation.
I'll give you 3 examples if we were to go back to Nehemiah chapter 3 where you have the building of the wall.
The first gate that was set up was the Sheep Gate, and we understand why. It's the basis of all blessings and the tower that was over against the sheep Gate with Mia, and Mia means 100.
It denotes complete salvation, and then it says, what man of you having 100 sheep, if he lose 1, does he not go and leave the 90 and nine and go and find it and so on. It's another indication the Lord spoke of the wheat it would bring forth 3060 and 100 fold. 100 is a full head of wheat, complete salvation. And I believe that's what's denoted here in the number of 100. Because, brethren, there's a day coming when there's going to be complete salvation for the nation of Israel.
They're going to be saved. They're going to have to realize through the tribulation that they can't do it on their own.
You know, they're trying to save themselves nationally today. They're trying to line up with the United States and the allied forces and peace pacts and summits and negotiations. They're going to come to a point so excruciating will be their circumstances and the tribulation. They're going to come to a point where they realize they can't bring about their own deliverance, their own salvation. And then they're going to cry to the Lord and he is going to come in with complete deliverance, complete salvation for them.
The next number is 50 because that speaks of Jubilee. You remember the 50th year was the year of Jubilee for Israel and brethren when they looked to the Lord and He comes in on their behalf. What a jubilee it's going to be for Israel.
It's going to be complete deliverance and complete joy for Israel when he establishes them in their land in that day.
But what's the basis of it? The number three, that's death and resurrection. And we've had before us that they are going to have to recognize both the Ju, the, the godly remnant, the Jewish remnant, and Israel as a nation. They're going to have to realize in seeing those wounds in his hands and in his feet and in his side, they're going to have to realize that if there's any blessing, any salvation, any jubilee for them, it is based on what took place.
At Calvary's cross long ago. So I think it's helpful to see that the number is not only specific, but the number itself has significant.
Another possible significant.
Uh, back in the time of Elijah, uh, the wicked king.
Since captain in the 50s.
To get Elijah.
And there are three such companies.
And that's 153.
There is judgment, but then there was grace administered when the captain went up the hill and fell asleep. And so again there will be that time, whether or the there will be the recognition of judgment having come into this world, but there will be those that will fall.
At the feet of the Lord and will be ushered into blessings.
00:40:01
So maybe that's another figure of 153.
Just a suggestion.
We're talking about the significance of numbers. Does anyone have any thoughts on the 200 cubits?
And they saw brother, not so much the numbers that they weren't far right at the end of the Tribulation. They're not far from that point where they're going to be brought into blessing.
Couple of things too that are interesting, one with John and one with Peter.
As the brother mentioned, there had been an interview between the Lord and Peter sometime earlier and Peter had been restored to the Lord.
And so when he hears it to the Lord, he's not afraid to be near him. This isn't the first time he's seen the Lord. He's not afraid to be near him, but he's not going to be near him in a way that would be unseemly, because Grace teaches us to walk in a way that's pleasing to him.
But the other thing is John, the one who was closest to the Lord, you know, he sees what's happened. What does he say? He says it's the Lord.
Yeah, it's a wonderful thing in our lives to be so close to the Lord's heart that when we see the circumstances around us, that may be whatever the Lord allows me to say, Oh, that's the Lord. I know even though he's far enough away I can't see his face. John says that's the Lord. That's the Lord. He recognized him by what was taking place. He says that's the way the Lord works.
He was familiar with his heart. I just think that's a lovely, lovely state to be in.
Be able to see and what the Lord allows in our lives. Oh, that's the Lord.
I was just wondering too in connection with your question not being a far off. When we were dead and trespassed and sinned we couldn't see a far off and when we get away from the Lord we couldn't see it far off. But they were near enough they could see, they recognized who their Lord Savior was.
I was thinking too when John said that, uh, it is the Lord. What does Peter do? He, he was naked. He, he, he hurt himself. Uh, so the cold jumps into the water.
And what he had done.
He had backstage his back from his Commission and the old man had taken charge, so to speak. And because of that, there was.
He was naked, uh, those who are with him, they couldn't see him close with the, with the clothes, with the Rover righteousness because he wasn't doing anything with glorifying the Lord. He was just doing that looks for the old man.
And oftentimes, uh, and I was thinking of the same, same thing in connection with seeing our character in here, is that, uh, when we realize that, you know, we not only have gone back ourselves, but we've taken others back with us, that, uh, we feel exposed. We suddenly realize that and we feel the light shining upon us, right? And, and we feel naked in a, in a, in a moral sense.
And uh.
So what is he doing? Cast himself in the sea? He clothes himself, but he casts himself in the sea. And I think it's a beautiful picture. We don't, of course, get baptized again, but what baptism means can come home fresh to us again.
We deserved, you know, death and, uh, and our feeling is that we should just be, we should just be cast into the sea. Umm, so it's a kind of a picture of what our reaction is in that, uh, in that circumstance, I just say, brother Ted, if you look at the, uh.
The next verse and the other disciples came, and a little ship Peter got there first.
That there wasn't any. Peter didn't want to peer naked in the Lord's presence. He he wanted to be there in a way that was suitable to the Lord. But he got there first. Isn't that Peter? Impetuous Peter. He threw himself into the sea. I'm gonna wait for the boat to get there. That was too slow. He wanted to be right there.
You know, we think we'd want to be the other way and swim out in the middle of the sea and hope we just drown rather than have to be the Lord's presence after denying them. But there had been that restoration. He wanted to be there first. And, uh, but there was another work, as mentioned.
00:45:07
Uh, previously that had to take place. And what does he find when he gets there? There's a call of fires. Where did he last see a call of fire?
Caiaphas Hall.
Last time he was at a coal of fire, he saw the Lord turn and look on him.
You went out what, bitterly?
And he comes again, and here's a call of fires.
It's gonna be at work. It's gotta be rough before the Lord can commit the most precious thing to him in the hands of Peter.
It's interesting that there's no rebuke here, is there? The Lord in grace, He doesn't have to rebuke.
And if there's been failure in our part, then we get into the presence of the Lord, it becomes pretty evident to us where we've gone wrong. Uh, these disciples, it says that they, umm.
None of the disciples just asked him, who art thou knowing that was it. They were it was the Lord. They've been brought into the presence of the Lord and all of a sudden they had to say how stupid we were. Why did we spend a night of fishing when the thought could have given us the boat pull in, in, in in 5 minutes. And so it is when the Lord is so gracious in this respect, he doesn't have to rebuke. Just getting into his presence makes the whole thing clear and they and and they judge what they've done.
And there I've always had the sense when it says no one endures asked him who he was, knowing it was the Lord that they.
Even though Peter was anxious to get right there with him, as he approached him, I believe he began to slow down. And I think I may be reading this into it, but I've always had the impression they were somewhat speechless. Like it started to hit them, the whole situation, how gracious the Lord was, how unfaithful they had been, and, and yet how gracious he is. And, uh, and again, related to the Lord's table. I often feel that way that you get to the Lord's table and you realize.
How faithless you've been, and how faithful he is and unchanging, and how gracious he is.
And it leaves you speechless. You know, I I so appreciate our brothers giving a thanks at the table that it was it was short, it was very brief. And you just had the sense that he felt like nothing else but.
What can I say?
Except thanks, you know, I mean, what do you, what can we say to these things?
What can we say to these things when we realize all that he is and all that he's done for us?
You know what? What shall I render onto the Lord for all his benefits toward me?
I'll take the cup of salvation. We're just receivers. We really, we really don't feel we can offer anything back.
The work of restoration is really a process. Isn't it beautiful to see it in connection with Peter? Because in the chapter before we noticed that when they were told that the tomb was empty, they rose up to run and Peter started out first. But the other disciple whom Jesus loved ended up out running Peter because he was the one who was in the enjoyment of the Lord's love. But here is our brother Steven said we find that Peter, when he recognized his.
Who the Lord is. It's not John that gets there first, it's Peter. Because again, between the two instances, there had evidently been this private interview and the work of restoration had already begun.
If I can just put it this way, it's because we have two times in this chapter the expression the disciple whom Jesus loved. And there's it's five times, I think we've already mentioned it, but you have John in this gospel referring to himself five times as the disciple whom Jesus loved. But Peter perhaps styled himself more as the disciple who loved Jesus. And he did love the Lord. He really loved the Lord, but he had to learn his own heart and.
This was this work was going on, but the Lord now in this interview that he's going to have with Peter in this chapter, he really draws out Peter's heart and there's a restoration that is completed. But it's interesting as we go down these verses to notice that Peter no longer really styles himself as the disciple who loves Jesus. He just says, Lord, you know, he did love the Lord, but he leaves it to the Lord's assessment. And what I want to say, brethren, is I believe that what is going to preserve us in the path of faith and service and in following the Lord.
00:50:14
Is not so much to be occupied with our love for the Lord, but to be occupied with His love for us.
And it's interesting, at the end of it all, the Lord says twice to Peter to follow him.
He never says that to John, you know, he never had to because John what? And and I know John shouldn't have gone fishing either. And but John's the one that was quickest, had the quickest perception to see who was on the shore. But he never says to John in this chapter, follow me. He says it twice to Peter. He didn't have to say it to John. John was the disciple whom Jesus loved, but Peter needed to have his heart brought out and he needed the reminder to follow the the Lord Jesus.
But I think it's beautiful, as I say, to see that Peter no longer is boasting or trusting in his love for the Lord like he was earlier, though all deny that. Yet will not I deny thee? No, he just says, Lord, you know what's in my heart. You assess it for yourself.
When therefore they had dined, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon son of Jonas, Lovest thou me more than these?
He says to him, Lord, thou knowest that I am attached to this.
He says to him feed my lounge.
He says him to him again the second time. Simon, son of Jonas. Lovest thou me? He says to him gay.
Now now is that I'm attached to it.
He says to him, Feed my sheep, shepherd my sheep, he said to him the third time Simon son of Jonas, half hour attached to me.
Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, Art thou attached to me?
And he said to him, Lord, thou knowest all things, Thou knowest that I am attached to thee. Now notice that word la, which is umm appears in the English version. It's translated or this. There's actually 2 words in the Greek. One is the agape, which is sure, I call it divine love, and the other one is Philo, which is a word used for friendliness or brotherly love.
And we see that the Lord uses the Word for divine love the first two times he's talked to Peter, but Peter cannot respond at that level.
Now, first of all, it's it's notable that he takes Peter up on the basis of his profession.
But Peter says they all will deny thee, I won't. And so first question is Peter, do you love me more than these others? And Peter can't reply at that level of divine love. And he says, you know, you know I'm attached to it. He uses the Philo word and then the Lord just doesn't. Some I say use the comparison with others. He says just simply, do you love me? And he uses that word agape.
And Peter has to reply again and he says, well, he uses the Philo word, you know, I, you know, I'm a friend of yours, but he can't quite rise to that. And then of course, the Lord uses the Philo word to Peter. And that gets Peter upset because Peter knew it was so important that the Lord loved him. He knew that that he wanted not just the Lord, shall I say, to be a friend, but he wanted to pull his bee in the full light of divine love. Now, when we think of that word as arcade.
It's the word used to describe the love of the Father to the Son.
If that's the measure, and if you go back to John 17, I think it's important here to get that connect, get the connection.
John 17.
I think it's the Oh dear, I can't find it now.
Yes, first 23.
End of the verse. Thou hast sent me, and hast loved them as thou hast loved me. You know, we're enjoying the thought of God's love this morning. But how do we measure God's love? What's the measure of God's love to live? It's the measure of his love to his own Son, the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
00:55:13
You know.
If the Lord had asked me that question, I don't think I could use the agape word either.
We have to say we are sometimes seeing our love is some of times love and joy still absent, but peace with him remains the same. No change. Jehovah knows. I don't think I could use that agape word. It would've been and but nevertheless when I'm told to love my brother, it's the agape word and it's only the Holy Spirit working through my new Mon new nature. But it makes being able to love my brother in price.
So as far as posting of my love for the Lord, could I use the agape word? I, I, I I'd have to leave that to my predator comment on that, but I I I sympathize with.
Peter Sweetness, shall I say.
It was the measure of God's love to us it.
The measure of God's love to come, something. He loves me that much, as much as He loves His own Son, He did love towards me. Can I respond well through the Holy Spirit, through my new nature? Yes, I can respond in the measure. But can I respond to that extent? I have to leave that.
And so it's illustrated, isn't it, with the bride and the Song of Solomon? I know it's often been mentioned, but.
What is it that's going to give us a deeper appreciation and understanding of that love that our brother David's been Speaking of?
It's not to try to generate that love within ourselves, but or to be occupied with our love for the Lord, as we've been saying. But I've appreciated with the bride. You know, the bride was asleep. You know, Peter had failed.
The bride was asleep, and we find in the Song of Solomon, as the dialogue progresses between the bride and the bridegroom. I know there are some others that cut in the daughters of Jerusalem and the friends of the bridegroom, but it's basically a dialogue between the bride and the bridegroom. And the bridegroom seeks to awaken the bride in her affections. But as the bride wakes up and she's drawn to the bridegroom, what is it that deepens her affections for the bridegroom?
Not worrying about what had just happened, that she'd fallen asleep and wasn't in the enjoyment of his person and love.
Know as she is occupied with the qualities and beauties of the bridegroom and his love for her, she becomes less and less occupied with her response and what she is, and more and more occupied with himself and his love. And at the end of it all, she says he is altogether lovely. And you get the definite sense, don't you, that as you come to the end of that dialogue.
Her love is far deeper for the bridegroom than it's ever been before.
Why? Because she tried to generate that response within herself. No, occupied with himself and his qualities and his love for her, there has been an unconscious awakening of her heart like she has never experienced before. And brother, and I believe that's the way it is with us. As we've been saying in these meetings, the more we appreciate and understand that divine love and that relationship of love between the Father and the Son and then His love toward us.
It will unconsciously deepen that love for himself.
Peter had denied the Lord three times.
Three times the Lord asked them that question.
But why in front of his brother? Why in front of the other disciples?
Because.
There was not only a work in Peter's heart, but there was a work that had to go on in their hearts too.
And the Lord would not only restore Peter to useful service, but he would do it in a way that his brethren saw that too.
And could appreciate it.
And so it was a difficult thing for Peter to go through for that restoration.
But he had boasted in front of all the others, and the Lord needed to restore him in front of all the others as well.
And the other disciples had said the same thing too. At the time, you know, we focus on Peter and Peter's the one that did deny the Lord three times with those in curses. But when he made the boast initially it says, and so said all the disciples. And I believe the other disciples had to learn not only what was in Peter's heart, but more particularly perhaps what was in their their hearts as well. The other reason I believe there were had to be public restoration is because Peter.
01:00:22
Was going to be given a public service in ministry in uh, in the early church, but it's beautiful. Our time is slipping by and I don't want to miss this when the Lord gives this Commission to Peter, the Lord could have said feed my flock or shepherd my flock and that would have included everyone. He didn't do that. He said shepherd my lambs, shepherd my sheep. You know, when I read this, I think of what it says in the.
In Isaiah it's chapter 40, I think it's verse 11, it says he shall feed his flock like a shepherd. He shall gather the lambs in his arms and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
And I believe from that verse, what we learn is that the Lord Jesus as our shepherd understands that there's various needs amongst the the sheep. I've never cared for sheep. My father did in his younger days.
And he told us that a Good Shepherd takes up the sheep on an individual basis, where they are in their growth and their present need. And so a shepherd recognizes there are lambs. They need a different kind of care and a different kind of food than the sheep. There are some who are perhaps injured, some who are weary, some who are tired, some who are not quite as strong as others. The Lord Jesus, he looks down into this room this weekend. He knows all the different individual needs as well as the collective of each of his sheep. We've had our children with us, our young people.
Some who are perhaps just saved, some who haven't got very far in their Christian life, others who are further along and more mature and spiritual things. And the Lord Jesus as our shepherd delights to take us up and feed us and care for us where we are. He knows some of us need to be LED. Maybe some of us need to be carried as well. But I believe Peter needed to learn this lesson because Peter, who was given the responsibility of shepherds.
Shepherding the flock of God after the Lord Jesus had departed from the scene, he needed to learn that like the Good Shepherd, the great Shepherd, that there were going to be individual needs. And brethren, if we're going to care for the sheep, we've got to realize that we can't give the lambs adult food. We sometimes we need to carry our brethren. Do we know what it is to carry our brethren? You know, we like to be leaders.
But do we know what it is to carry our bread? It's a lot harder to carry someone than to just lead them. You know, sometimes said, I believe, brethren, that in the local assembly there are those who perhaps they're never gonna learn to walk on their own. They're gonna need to be carried. And that's OK. We need to take them up and learn to carry them. And I believe that every one of us, Peter, had a special place as a shepherd. Yes. And there are still those that are called elders or shepherds, whatever word you want to use.
They have a special office of responsibility, but I believe there's something to say to everyone of us here, brothers and sisters alike. We can all seek to shepherd and care for the people of God, but we can't do it unless we get down where they are, in the enjoyment of the Lord's love for us and the understanding that each one of them has. Each one of the lambs and the sheep have an individual need.
We have spoken about the conscience.
We've spoken about umm, our appreciation, the love of the Lord and Peter. He needed to have his conscience touched and I just wonder how the resurrection relates to the conscience.
Sometimes we have guilt in our hearts, and Peter had guilt because he had denied the Lord.
And the Lord was working on him. He had that private discussion with Peter and he worked at Peter's conscience and he was able to take that guilt away. And how does the resurrection affect our conscience? If you look in Romans chapter 4.
In verse 25.
Verse 24 and 25 we see that God raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead.
01:05:00
In Jesus our Lord, who is delivered for our offenses and was raised again.
For a justification raise, for a justification, you may say, well, I thought we were RA. We were justified by his blood. We're justified by faith. Yes, we are justified by his blood, but.
There has to be the resurrection. Without the resurrection, our faith is in vain. And so the Lord Jesus resurrection was able to help us imply the guilt, to be able to to apply the blood, to take away our guilt, to give us that good conscience so we can come into the presence of the Lord like Peter was able to come freely into the presence of the Lord there around the coals of fire.
And then his conscience needed to or his then he needed his heart to be touched too. And if you look in Romans chapter 8.
Verse 29 talks about being conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first born among many brethren. There the first born brings in the resurrection.
And then you go on down to verse 343033. Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justify it. There is a justification again that touches the conscience. Who is he that condemneth?
It is Christ that died here rather that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God.
Who make its intercession for us and so the Lord Jesus has been raised. He's been seated at the right hand of God and he's there to make intercession for us and when we and he's able to be our advocate. So bring us back into a relationship that touches our heart, helps us to appreciate the love of the Lord, what he's done for us and makes us fit for his service. And in verse 35 it says who shall separate us from the love of Christ.
But we get the answer later in the chapter. Nothing can separate us.
From the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. And so I like to compare those that the resurrection with the justification and the intercession that we have both for our conscience and for our hearts.
Will never feed the flock of God, will never be able to shepherd the sheep if we don't maintain a good conscience and a tender heart.
There are two things that are absolutely necessary. You want to go home and be a blessing in your local assembly after these meetings. You must first of all maintain a good conscience before God, and you must maintain a tender heart, and God can use you in much blessing.
I'd like to mention something to the end towards the end of the chapter before we close.
As we get the disciples, as their brother mentioned, just kind of walking off into the sunset, so to speak, down the shore with the Lord. But the Lord speaks of John and he says, if he tarries till I come, what is that to thee? He told Peter how he was going to die. He was going to follow the Lord to prison and to death as he said he would. And he did by the grace of God and glorified God in a martyr's death. But John continued on.
In time, Paul was raised up. In that wonderful truth of the mystery was unfolded a wise master builder.
He laid the foundation and the building was erected, so to speak, doctrinally and Paul's epistles.
And then Paul died of martyrs death too. Both of those disciples, both of those apostles were told by the Lord they were going to die. They were the exceptions. All the rest expected the Lord to come, and as we do too.
But that house was built, so to speak. But John continues on. And we finally find John in Revelation, and he's in that little Isle of Patmos for the Word, for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
And where is he looking? He's looking out over Asia, where Paul's sphere of ministry has been. Peter's gone. That sphere is closed. Paul's gone. And what's left, He's looking out over those assemblies where Paul's ministry has been and he's watching over. And that's what John's ministry does today. You know, down in twin orchards where we had the flood last year, there's you can go through. It looks kind of nice in the day, but go through at night and there's a lot of houses with no lights in the windows.
There's no life you know you can have the house as the wise master builder built, but John's ministry is the life that's in it.
01:10:04
Polite in the windows.
And right at the end of Paul's life, just before he died, that martyr's death in two Timothy chapter one, the last epistle he wrote, Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, according to the promise of life, which is in Christ Jesus, if there's anything precious in this day of ruin.
On the sight of God. It's the life of Christ manifested in his Saints down here below, and without it, the house is dead. It's empty. We need John's ministry. We need Paul's too. We need Peter's. But John is left, as it were, finally the last, looking out over everything else. We can't forget John's ministry.
Jesus, my Saviour, thou art mine, the Father's gift of love divine.
All that has done and all there are now the portion of my heart I'm 193.
Amongst our own beginnings on.
Ourselves and I'm going to go to the.
Dial Frankie.
Stop.
Around.
And.
You try, our blessed God and Father, how thankful we are for that which has been before us of the Person of Christ, from these two chapters that we have taken up in these readings, and that which has been before us as to practical exhortation as well. And now, as we have come to the end of these meetings, our God, we would seek grace that we might be doers of the Word and not hearers only. We pray that our hearts might go out more to the Person of Christ.
So we might follow that exhortation given to Peter so long ago. Follow thou me. So he asked thy blessing, and look to thee for the gospel to follow. To asking this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and for his glory. Amen.