Fully Devoted Disciples

“Fully Devoted Disciples”

The other day, my daughter saw a middle aged man on a motorcycle and said, “Dad, you should get one of those motorcycles, and I can hop on behind you.” I said. “Do you know that motorcycles are dangerous? Are you saying you want me to go to heaven sooner?”

I’m reminded of the five-year old boy who was very, very intrigued with motorcycles. One day, when he was playing with his friend at his house, he began to simulate riding a motorcycle, when he blurted out, “As soon as I can drive, I’m getting myself a motorcycle!” Dad was walking by and heard that comment, and said, “Over my dead body - I’m not gonna let you get a motorcycle.”

So, the little boy turned to his friend and said, “Well, as soon as my dad dies, I’m getting a motorcycle.

The scene: Jesus has already been crucified. In fact, He has already risen. Peter had already denied Christ and was feeling ashamed. Confused. Troubled. Was this man, Jesus, the One I spent the last three years with truly the Son of God?

John 21:1-25

1 Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Tiberias. It happened this way: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. 3 "I'm going out to fish," Simon Peter told them, and they said, "We'll go with you." So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

4 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.

5 He called out to them, "Friends, haven't you any fish?"
"No," they answered.

6 He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some." When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.

7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, "It is the Lord," he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. 8The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. 9 When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.

10 Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish you have just caught."

11 Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." None of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.

Jesus Reinstates Peter

15When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?"
"Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."

16Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?"
He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."

17 The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you."

Jesus said, "Feed my sheep. 18 I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." 19Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!"

Fully Devoted Disciples . . .

1) Lead by example

Peter was a leader. v. 3"I'm going out to fish," Simon Peter told them, and they said, "We'll go with you." So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

When Peter said, “I’m going fishing,” the other guys followed.

If you are a disciple of Jesus Christ, then you are called to lead.

Paul said in I Corinthians 11:1, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”

We are called to lead by example. Brothers and sisters, there are times that your example speaks more to a non-believer than all the words you can say. They check you out. They know whether you walk the walk. You have a calling to lead by example.

A while back a dad approached me to tell me that he was convicted. He said, “God convicted me of failing to be an example to my son. For a couple of years, I would drive my son to youth group on Wednesday nights, drop him off and go home. I expected him to be spiritual when I was unwilling to be at church myself. I told him that he needed to go to church, I was not willing to go myself. I had to ask my son to forgive for being a poor example.” Some dads tell their children, “Do I as say, but don’t do as I do.”

We are called to lead by example. LeBron James was hailed as the new hero of the NBA. Of course, he and the Cleveland Cavaliers fell short – way short – of winning this year’s NBA championship.

During the playoffs, the announcers mentioned that he and his girlfriend (not his wife) are parents of their second baby.

I couldn’t help but think of how the world adores and worships this basketball superstar who openly is living in sin. The world doesn’t seem to care that their hero is having sex outside of marriage. I am sorry, but this is not the kind of hero I want my kids to have. Someone who openly sins against God and thinks nothing of it.

Lessons in Baseball. Chick Moorman writes the following:

As an 11-year-old, I was addicted to baseball. I listened to baseball games on the radio. I watched them on TV. The books I read were about baseball. I took baseball cards to church in hopes of trading with other baseball card junkies. My fantasies? All about baseball.

I played baseball whenever and wherever I could. I played organized or sandlot. I played catch with my brother, with my father, with friends. If all else failed, I bounced a rubber ball off the porch stairs, imagining all kinds of wonderful things happening to me and my team.

With this attitude, I entered the 1956 Little League season. I was a shortstop. Not good, not bad, Just addicted.

Gordon was not addicted. Nor was he good. He moved into our neighborhood that year and signed up to play baseball. The kindest way to describe Gordon's baseball skills is to say that he didn't have any. He couldn't catch. He couldn't hit. He couldn't throw. He couldn't run. In fact, Gordon was afraid of the ball.

I was relieved when the final selections were made and Gordon was assigned to another team. Everyone had to play at least half of each game, and I couldn't see Gordon improving my team's chances in any way. Too bad for the other team.

After two weeks of practice, Gordon dropped out. My friends on his team laughed when they told me how their coach directed two of the team's better players to walk Gordon into the woods and have a chat with him.

"Get lost" was the message they delivered, and "get lost" was the message that was heard. Gordon got lost.

That scenario violated my 11-year-old sense of justice, so I did what any indignant shortstop would do. I tattled. I told my coach the whole story. I shared the episode in full detail, figuring my coach would complain to the league office and have Gordon returned to his original team. Justice and my team's chances of winning would be served.

I was wrong. My coach decided that Gordon needed to be on a team that wanted him - one that treated him with respect, one that gave everyone a fair chance to contribute according to his own ability.

Gordon joined our team. I wish I could say Gordon got the big hit in the big game with two outs in the final inning. It didn't happen. I don't think Gordon even hit a foul ball the entire season. Baseballs hit in his direction (right field) went over him, by him, through him or off him.

It wasn't that Gordon didn't get help. The coach gave him extra batting practice and worked with him on his fielding, all without much improvement.

I'm not sure if Gordon learned anything from my coach that year. I know I did. I learned to bunt without tipping off my intention. I learned to tag up on a fly if there were less than two outs. I learned to make a smoother pivot around second base on a double play.

I LEARNED A LOT FROM MY COACH THAT SUMMER, BUT MY MOST IMPORTANT LESSONS WEREN'T ABOUT BASEBALL. THEY WERE ABOUT CHARACTER AND INTEGRITY.

I LEARNED THAT EVERYONE HAS WORTH, WHETHER THEY CAN HIT .300 OR .030. I LEARNED THAT WE ALL HAVE VALUE, WHETHER WE CAN STOP THE BALL OR HAVE TO TURN AND CHASE IT.

I LEARNED THAT DOING WHAT IS RIGHT, FAIR AND HONORABLE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN WINNING OR LOSING.

It felt good to be on that team that year. I'M GRATEFUL THAT MAN WAS MY COACH. I WAS PROUD TO BE his shortstop...and HIS SON!

By Chick Moorman from A 4th Course of Chicken Soup for the Soul

We are called to lead by example.

2) Live with purpose

Here’s the scene. Peter is leader, but he is a confused leader. He chose to go back to his familiar territory. Fishing.

For three years, Peter had a purpose. He was a disciple. He was at Jesus’ side when the Lord performed miracle after miracle.

He was Jesus’ right hand man when Jesus needed something. He was a leader of the twelve. He had a purpose.

But now, the purpose seemed to disappear. Because, Jesus was now gone. And when Jesus left, so did Peter’s purpose. At this point, Peter was not a fully devoted disciple.

Your purpose is your future. If you have no purpose, then you have no future. A man without a purpose will always return to his past.

Let’s look at the story here in John 21

6He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some." When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.

7Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, "It is the Lord," he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. 8The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. 9When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.

10Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish you have just caught."

11Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. 12Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." None of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord. 13Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish.

Why did Peter suddenly jump in the water and swim toward the shore? Why was Peter so anxious to get to Jesus? Because he wanted his purpose back. He wanted his future back.

You see, when Peter had no purpose, he went to all he knew he could do on his own strength . . . fishing.

When a criminal is on the run, the first place an investigator goes to look for him where he used to hang out. Because a criminal on the run is a man without a purpose (future).

Peter had denied Christ. And he ran. Where did he go? Peter went back to his past. Fishing.

But when he saw Jesus again, Peter regained his purpose. He knew that he had a greater calling than just sitting in a boat.

At that point, Peter got his purpose back, and nothing else mattered. Have you lost your purpose? Are you in a spiritual dry spell? Have the things of life distracted your spiritual growth?

Jesus is calling. Jesus wants to give you back your purpose. Live with purpose!

3) Love without conditions

Quote: Let God love you through others and let God love others through you.
D.M. Street

Peter’s love for the Lord was now going to be questioned.

John 21: 15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love (AGAPE) me more than these?"
"Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love (PHILEO) you."
Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."

16Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love (AGAPE) me?"
He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love (PHILEO) you."
Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."

We are all pencils in the hand of a writing God, who is sending love letters to the world.
— Mother Teresa