I’m Going Fishing

00:00:00 Speaker 1: That disciple whom Jesus loved, therefore said to Peter, it is the Lord. When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. John twenty one seven. Heavenly Father, despite our past regrets, our hesitations, and the weight of our shortcomings, help us to jump with faith into the embrace of your mercy. Lord, in those moments when we recognize your presence, your call, your opportunity for redemption, embolden us to not hold back. May we, like Peter, cast aside our fears and inhibitions and leap towards you with a heart full of faith, knowing that your love is greater than any mistake we've made. Grant us the courage to always move towards you, to seek your grace, and to immerse ourselves in your transform of love. May our leap of faith bring us closer to you, to a life renewed and a heart restored. In the loving name of Jesus Christ our reason to leap. Amen, Thank you for praying with me today. You're listening to the Jesus Podcast. Stay engaged to be immersed in the dramatic story of Jesus. Follow this podcast on whatever platform you're listening to. Doing so will keep you updated, but also help us get discovered by more people. We want the story of Jesus to be known throughout the world. Thanks for making that possible. Regret was the sickness that consumed Peter day and night. It was like a knot in his stomach that could not be untied. The memories of denying Jesus flashed in his mind like a nightmare. Although Jesus was alive, he did not have the courage to speak to him when he first appeared. 00:02:06 Speaker 2: How could I possibly face Jesus after what. 00:02:09 Speaker 1: I did, Peter thought to himself. A gentle wind came in from the Sea of Tiberius. Peter sat on a ledge overlooking the waters. The sun was setting, creating a burnt hue over the glassy horizon. It was perfect sailing weather, and the evening was the ideal fishing time. Peter gripped the dirt underneath him and winced. Peter once had lofty dreams of being at jesus right hand, bringing the glory of God to all Jerusalem. Those were just dreams, he knew his place now. Peter sighed, m leave the Kingdom of God to braver Sous. His whispers trailed off with the evening breeze. Jesus, who never want me? I'm just a fisherman. 00:03:04 Speaker 2: How many chances does God give people to repent and return to him? The answer is countless. There are countless second chances given to us through grace. The real question for us to consider is whether or not we're willing to receive that grace. This is the Jesus podcast Stories of Redemption. If this podcast has offered any value to your faith, share it with a friend. We want the transformative power of the Gospel to be known throughout the world. So far, we have followed Peter on a heart wrenching journey. He is paralyzed by his shame, unable to pick up his feet and run into Jesus's arms. Shame is a heavy burden to bear, and Peter doesn't believe he's worthy to receive the grace of God. This episode is part one of Peter's restoration back to Jesus. At the beginning of this episode, Peter is still wallowing in regret. Will he be able to pick himself out of this rut. Let's find out now, stay for the end, and the woolen pack themes of regret, disappointment and inaction. Let's begin. 00:04:06 Speaker 1: Peter stood and dragged his feet back to the house where Nathaniel, Thomas, James and John were polishing their fishermen's tools. Without a word, Peter gathered some of the newly mended nets, a lamp, and two pieces of bread, and walked out the door. 00:04:23 Speaker 2: Peter, where are you going. 00:04:27 Speaker 1: John shouted. Peter didn't look back. 00:04:30 Speaker 2: I'm going fishing, he yelled back. 00:04:33 Speaker 1: It's it's all I'm good for. The others stopped what they were doing, gathered some more supplies, and ran after Peter. They knew better than to let him go alone. A depressed man alone on the open waters was a bad idea. Peter barely acknowledged them. He was lost in a sea of his own thoughts. The five pushed the boat out and let out the sails. The wind caught it immediately, and Peter took hold of the tiller. Once they were sufficiently out, they cast their nets out for a catch on the left side of the boat. Peter stared blankly into the dark water, reflecting the faint lamplight. Memories of Jesus returned to him, pleasant memories, terrifying memories, confusing memories He thought about when he walked on the water and sank beneath the waves, Jesus caught him. Jesus always caught him. Peter was not known as a man of wisdom or tact. His brashness and inability to think before he spoke had always gotten him into trouble. But with Jesus, Peter always felt better, like there was more potential within him than he could ever imagine. Even though he eventually fell under the waves, Peter still walked on the water. How many people could say that hours passed and there were still no fish. Tugging at the net, They shifted locations several times to no avail. They cast, tugged, recast, and repeat nothing. The others barely noticed the time passing. They were too caught up in laughter, sharing memories of Jesus and dreaming about the future. However, for Peter, each moment without fish was another affirmation of his failure to do the right thing. Peter pressed his forehead against the side of the boat. 00:06:41 Speaker 2: Ugh, I can't even fish, he groaned, What good am i. 00:06:46 Speaker 1: Peter lay on some of the broken nets and looked at the starlit sky. His jaw quivered slightly and his throat tightened. 00:06:55 Speaker 2: What good am I? 00:06:57 Speaker 1: He whispered again. The others, wanting to get Peter's space without leaving him totally alone, continued to cast and recast the nets. Eventually they gave up hope. Peter remembered the first time he witnessed the graciousness of Jesus. He had fished all night and caught nothing, Yet Jesus wanted to go out for a catch. Anyway, Peter obeyed. That day, they caught more fish than their boat could handle. Peter remembered the feeling of shame he felt in jesus presence. He was a lonely fisherman. What right did he have to stand before the son of God? Yet even so, Jesus accepted him and gave him purpose. Peter closed his eyes and let the boat gently rock him asleep. The sound of creaking wood and splashing water was a familiar lullaby. That night, Peter dreamt of Jesus. He remembered the smile on his face when he hurled in that large catch. He remembered the flashes of Jesus glory on the Mountain of Transfiguration and Peter's heart of hearts. He longed to be restored to his side once again, but there was still too much shame holding him. Captain Dawn broke over the glassy water, and Peter awoke to the sound of gulls flying overhead. Morning's first light gently touched his cheek, prompting him to rise, and turned his face toward the sun. He breathed deeply, filling his lungs with the fresh morning air, and began pulling in the empty nets from the water. The others awoke and helped. Groggy and discouraged, they grabbed the paddles and started rowing back to shore. As they drew closer to the shore, a figure, silhouetted by the sun called out to them from the beach. My children, the voice called out, did you catch any fish? Expecting him to be a fellow fisherman or a beggar wanting some food. Peter yelled back no, he was short and irritated. 00:09:12 Speaker 2: Try casting your nets on the other side. 00:09:15 Speaker 1: Of the boat, the man shouted back to them. The five disciples rolled their eyes. They were tired and discouraged. But perhaps this man knew something they didn't. Perhaps the tides had shifted somehow, so they unenthusiastically cast their nets on the right side of the boat. The water was flat and still. They waited in silence for something to happen, mostly expecting nothing. A few moments passed and Peter was growing frustrated. Just as he was about to grab the nets to pull them back in, he could hear the sound of tugging rope. The men stood back as the nets stiffened and pulled against the side of the boat. The side of the boat began to lean to the right, and the men leaped for the nets, trying to pull them back in. John shouted the nets were ripping from the sheer weight of fish. Anxious laughter came upon them as they struggled to pull them back into the boat. When they finally heaved the catch in, they were overcome with weary excitement. John turned to the shore to thank the man. He placed his hands over his forehead to see clearer. That's when John's jaw nearly fell to his feet. It's him, John said, with excited breath. It's the Lord. Peter stood over the bow and squinted for focus. On the shore. Waving to Peter was Jesus, the rays of dawn's light behind him. This was the third time Jesus had appeared to Peter. Was he going to remain stuck in shame for a third time. Peter took a few steps back and paused. He looked down at his feet, thinking about all the times he had missed the opportunity to embrace Jesus. He looked forward. Jesus was there, smile beaming like the sunrise, beckoning him to come. Peter drew a deep breath and tightened his fist. What was the resurrection for if mistakes kept him down? Peter looked ahead, planted his feet, and threw away his inhibitions. He sprinted forward, leaping out and diving into the water. He pulled at the water and kicked with his might, desperate to get to Jesus. He wasn't going to hide in shame anymore. He refused to allow regret to anchor him any longer. He needed Jesus. Peter swam with all his might, not wanting to waste another moment. There is something sad about this ineffectual and half hearted return to fishing. I don't know it really sits with me. After everything the Disciples had seen and done, there seems to be this sigh of defeat, followed by aimlessly throwing their nets out again. This sad image is important to pay attention to because I think it's where many of us find ourselves as believers. Like the Disciples, there's this arch that many of us have to begin to follow Jesus. We initially begin with excitement, curiosity, and we're willing to take risks because it's new and exciting. Then we transfer to intimacy, relationship and growth with Jesus. 00:12:41 Speaker 2: But before we can fully step into our calling, before we can find hope for the future and dreams for what's ahead, many of us go through a rut. If our faith is like running a race, then this point in time is what runners call the wall. Hitting the wall in a marathon usually happens right away around the middle, where people feel like they need to give up. They can't keep going. They can physically do it, but there's a mental hurdle for them to overcome. This rut can be caused by many things. It can be slipping back into a past sin, or it could be suffering. For Peter, it was a few things. One he made a fool out of himself. He fell asleep when Jesus told him to pray. He cut off a man's ear and Jesus had to put it back together. He retreated and ran when Jesus needed him most. He denied Jesus three times, and now he has been unable to pick himself up and follow after Jesus and receive the new life that's ahead of him. Luke twenty two tells us that right as he was denying Jesus a third time, he locked eyes with him. Could you imagine that type of shame? So right now Peter's hitting a wall. His journey is not unlike many of ours. We see, we believe, we follow, We celebrate, and we dream of a beautiful future, never actually factoring in that hardship is a normal part of life. Life trials hit, and so sometimes we shrink back, we retreat, We deny what we had just been so excited about in the first place. In these times of doubt, we can feel vulnerable, so we keep ourselves safe by keeping our faith hidden from others. And after this crisis of faith occurs in us, we return to the comforts of our old, mundane and ineffectual habits. For Peter's case, it was fishing. But this is all a divine moment, orchestrated by God himself. Do you remember what Peter was doing when he first met Jesus. He was fishing. Going back to fishing is an admission of defeat for Peter. This is something many of us do when we are hiding in shame. We return to safe, yet ultimately fruitless endeavors, or perhaps it's leaning on bad habits again, going back to an unhealthier, toxic relationship, or indulging in selfish ambitions. There is safety and predictability in the monotonous, the sinful, the indulging. For Peter, there's safety and predictability and the monotonous casting of the nets, even if you weren't catching anything. So here Peter is right back where he started. Then Jesus calls out to him. Peter cast the net, and immediately it's filled with fish. Jesus is recreating the miracle that initially brought Peter to repentance in the first place. You see, when Jesus first called Peter, Peter was skeptical of Jesus's nature. He was doubtful that Jesus was who he said he was, But really Peter was caught in a cycle of shame and brokenness. But when Jesus helped Peter catch an entire boatful of fish, Peter fell onto his knees and he said, depart from me, I'm a sinful man. Peter's first moment of repentance with Jesus was inspired by this miraculous catch of fish. Jesus right now is setting the stage for Peter. He's recreating the miracle that initially brought him to repentance. In order for Peter to be brought out of a place of shame, Peter needs to be reminded of the simple goodness of the embrace of Jesus. Jesus is communicating to Peter that it is safe to come near, and that shame doesn't need to keep him at a distance. So will Peter take the invitation and jump right in. Jesus has appeared to Peter twice now, and both times he hasn't ran to him. He hasn't flocked to his presence, isn't bowed in knee and ask for forgiveness. But will he do it now. Our episode ends with Peter leaping into the water. This impulsive plunge into the water signifies a moment of decision for him, a refusal to be paralyzed by past failures. His swim towards Jesus is symbolic of our own spiritual journey towards God, where we must actively choose to move past our shame and guilt to embrace His grace and forgiveness in our moments of failure and despair. Remember that these experiences do not define us. Like Peter, we have a Savior who meets us where we are and offers us restoration. He is giving us the invitation to make that leap. Let us be inspired by Peter's bold move towards Jesus, reminding us to cast aside our shame and head visitations and wholeheartedly pursue the one who offers true redemption and purpose. In our next episode, Peter's restoration will be complete and a new era of power will be ushered in. Thanks for joining us for the Jesus Podcast, You know what to do. Make sure to follow, subscribe, and share this podcast so that everyone can experience the joy of Jesus. See you next time,