주일 설교 do you love me more than these?

[봄비..]

do you love me more than these?

The title of sermon: do you love me more than these? (John 21: 1-17)


There are 4 points I want to share with you from above scriptures:

According to these scriptures of Bible, the Lord Jesus Christ has resurrected from death and appeared to his disciples, Jesus Christ also told the mission to them, that is: ?ll authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.?

The first point and the second point are:

After Jesus told them this mission and gave them authority, you can see here what Peter said to other disciples firstly, ? am going fishing.?the first point) Sure, Peter thought: ?es, I am a fisherman, right? I must go fishing, otherwise what should I do? What should I do to feed myself? For the mission of Jesus, yeah, I will do it, when? When I caught a lot of fish, and then I will go! After Peter said this, other disciples including Thomas, Nathanael, said: ?e will go with you. And then They went out and got into the boat, but what happened next? They worked whole night, but they caught nothing! (the second point)

At present, there are many many Christians who love Lord, so much be revived in Christian camp, cries heavily and pray strongly in front of Lord, have huge plan to sacrifice himself or herself to kingdom of God, but after graduated from school or attend working post in society, or establish his or her family, most of them say goodbye to Lord! Goodbye to mission given by Lord. Where did they go? Like Peter, ? am going fishing,?I am going playing, I am going enjoying this world, going enjoying the freedom, I want to do my private issue, ah! The life in church is so boring, every Sunday face the same preacher, sing the same song, no interesting, what I want most is pleasure and excitement! This is what I need most, because I am young, like peter ?? am fish men.?If I do not to go to enjoy this world, what should I do? My dear sisters and brothers, if you read bible continually, what peter caught, he caught nothing, absolutely nothing! Any person losses faith in Christ and goes to seek this world, that only leads to empty and perish, The world-known theologian Augustine said: ?ord, you made us for yourself, our heart are restless until we rest in you!?

The third point is:

After daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach, and no very far from their boat. According to the bible, it is after daybreak when Jesus appeared to them in the third time, Jesus just stood in front of them and saw them, but peter and other disciples paid their all attention to catch fish, they did not know it was their lord Jesus Christ who was standing opposite to them. Even they maybe saw a person standing on beach, but they do not care who is he due to the most important now is to catch fish, fish, fish!

I believe God has his own purpose to write this chapter in the last chapter of Gospel John, which is also the most important one among 4 gospel books. God want to remind the people: ?ven the disciples of Lord Jesus Christ, they saw, talked with, touched the Lord personally, but they also have the time that they put their all attention to their own needs that they forgot or even failed to do the job or mission given by God.?And then Jesus appeared to him, and told peter and disciple: ?ast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some. Even in this time, they did not know it is their Lord who is speaking to them, but they did what Jesus told them, what happened next? So they cast the net, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. Full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn.

My dear sisters and brothers, you see the difference? When they just focus on the fish regardless of everything even Jesus standing by, they caught nothing, but when they come back to Jesus again, and do what he told, they caught a lot of fish even the net can not hold all of them. 

John 15:5-8

I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If any one does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father? glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

The last point:

Now this is the critical moment of today? sermon: the disciple? eye was open; they know it is Lord himself, ?h! It is my Lord!?peter jumped into the sea, and came to his Lord. Jesus is a good shepherd, he knew his disciples did not sleep, worked so hard to catch fish, but there is no one fish after they were busy for whole night, so our lord prepared coal fire, with fish on it, and bread, said: ?ome and have breakfast.?When they had breakfast, Jesus asked Peter, ?imon Son of John, do you love me more than these??Jesus?first question is not that ?eter, do you love me??he know Peter love him, he means: ?eter, do you love me more than this fish? ?eter, you can go fishing, you can do something for your life, for feeding yourself or your family, but do you love me more than these??my dear sisters and brothers, you can enjoy your life, You can go to see movie, attend the party, spend your time in entertainment or relaxation, but do you love our Lord Jesus Christ more these? 

My dear sisters and brothers, if today, in this moment, Jesus came to you and ask you, how do you answer? God created human for himself, and also God created everything in this world, but God put every thing in this world under Human? management, if our soul always look at the God, under His mighty guidance, we will enjoy the things created by God, but if our soul focus on the thing created by God, forgetting Him or even use these to replace our lord, these things will become our curse.