FEED MY SHEEP!
John 21:3-21:11
Home Coming - Come and Dine!
One
of my favorite memories as a child was when I would be playing and mom
would call me home for supper! I love the words to that that old song,
'Come home it supper time.'
When I was but a boy in days of childhood
I used to play 'til evening shadows come;
Then, winding down an old familiar pathway
I heard my mother call at set of sun:
CHORUS:
Come home, come home, it's suppertime-
The shadows lengthen fast--
Come home, come home, it's suppertime-
We're going home at last.
Years later by her bedside I was kneeling,
And angel-wings were winnowing the air;
She heard the call for suppertime in Heaven-
And now I know she's waiting for me there.
CHORUS
In memory I can see her standing yonder,
And her familiar voice I hear once more;
The banquet table's ready up in Heaven;
It's suppertime upon that golden shore.
CHORUS
One day there will be a great call from heaven, saying it is
suppertime. What a day that will be.
I.
We must work for the Lord while it is time putting His commission first.
John 21:3 Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a 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.
(Moses at age 40- his own strength)
A. People today are following other people out of the timing of God. God
will always have a timetable. (Jews are God's spiritual clocks)
1. Many people run beating the air and nothing is
accomplished.
a. Story of Bob Momfort in 1960 with the 50-cent
piece.
2. Churches are being built, but where are the new converts.
II. Jesus appears on the scene.
- John 21:4 But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore:
but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.
A. Men are blind of Jesus today
B. The world needs to see Jesus in us.
- John 21:5 Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They
answered him, John And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side
of the ship, and ye shall find.
C. God's plan can look foolish to us. We think we know better. How can
you catch fish in the broad daylight.?? Thick ropes??
1. Is fish not supposed to be brain food?
2. The disciples obeyed.
3. Took Jesus at His Word.
- John 21:6 They cast therefore, and now they were not able
to draw it for the multitude of fishes.7 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 did cast himself into the sea. 8. And the other disciples
came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were
two hundred cubits,)
III. ( The God of abundance. 3 John 2, John 10:) dragging the net
with fishes.
- John 21:9 As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of
coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread.
A: God really does not need us, we need Him. He can get along with out us
but we can not get along with out Him He already had fish and fresh
bread to boot.
- John 21:10 Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now
caught.
- John 21:11 Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great
fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many,
yet was not the net broken.
B. Again the God of Abundance is moving.
- John 21:12 Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the
disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord.
-John 21:13 Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and
fish likewise.
IV. What was Jesus teaching them?
(Mat 4:19 KJV) And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you
fishers of men.
A. I have said often that the great task of the Church is the Evangelism
of the World.
B. The world has more winnable people than ever before ... but it is
possible to come out of a ripe field empty-handed. Donal McGavran
C. Soul winning is the nearest and dearest work to God.
D. You've got to save your own soul first, and then the souls of your
neighbors if they will let you; and for that reason you must cultivate,
not a spirit of criticism, but the talents that attract people to the
hearing of the Word. George Macdonald
V. The most important lesson was to follow breakfast.
15 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of
Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord;
thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.
A. If we really love Him we will win souls and feed them the Word of God.
-16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest
thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He
saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
1. Important He asks about the mature sheep. We need to
care for the Church of Jesus Christ. How to help build it not tear it
down. The anti Christ forces are at work in this nation because we have
tried to evangelize the world sending forth missionaries and workers to
many parts of the world and the devil hates it.
- 17 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.
B. Please do not get tired of being faithful. The call of Jesus requires
us to keep on loving the sheep no matter what.
VI. He wants to make you and I 'FISHERS AND FEEDERS OF HIS SHEEP!'
(Mat 4:19 KJV) And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you
fishers of men.
A. Story of the chocolate cake and the calling of God on my life.
1. Surely there can be no deeper joy than that of saving
souls. Lottie Moon
2. Our Lord was never impatient. He simply planted seed
thoughts. ... We get impatient and take men by the scruff of the neck
and say, "You must believe this and that." You cannot make anyone see
moral truth by persuading his intellect. "When he, the Spirit of truth,
is come, he shall guide you into all truth" (John 16:13).
My wife Marge has traveled and ministered with me for over 46 years in
over 125 countries in the ministry of soul winning. Sometime get tired
but we remember the words of Jesus to go ye into all the world and
preach the Gospel. We have tried to preach and feed the Word of God. We
have slept in over 4,000 beds. Sometimes the words to the song come to
us. 'When I make my last move'.
I've been traveling for Jesus so much of my life
Been traveling o'er land and on sea
But I'm planning on taking a trip to the sky
That will be the last move for me
When I move to the sky up in heaven so high
What a wonderful time that will be
I'm ready to go washed in Calvary's flow
That will be the last move for me
I've seen wonderful sights as I travelled afar
How little, how empty they seem
When I make my last move to that city of gold
That will be the last move for me
Here I'm bothered with packing each time that I move
And carry a load in each hand
But I'll not need one thing that I've used in this world
When I move to that heavenly land
Everything that I'll need will be furnished up there
Not even my song books I'll bring
Or the precious old Bible that showed me the way
I'll not need when I stand by my King
