Mission in John 21
Message on John 21 at North Coast Church 13/3/22
(You’ll need to have a Bible open at John 21 to follow along)
Love makes us do things we don’t realise.
I think this is what is at the heart of mission. I’ve been asked to come and talk about mission but you can’t talk about mission without talking about love. They are inseparable, which you’ll see in this passage. Mission must go hand in hand with love. Because what do you get if you have mission without love? Legalism. It comes from a place that’s judgmental. It often ends up in discrimination. But if you are all about love without mission, you’ll be irrelevant. It’s ultimately pointless.
But there’s a more personal reason than that. It’s actually practical. What do I mean? I suspect the reason mission doesn’t happen is not because we don’t know enough or that we don’t have enough courage. It’s simply because we don’t love enough. Or that we love other things. How many wives out there have to remind their husbands to watch the footy? If he’s in love with the game, he’ll even arrange his calendar such that he will not miss a single game. You can always tell when someone is in love or really loves something. It could be the footy, it could be their career, it might be money or their kids, or new experiences, food and drink. Someone who genuinely loves running would have no problems talking about it. It’s getting them to stop that’s the problem. It’s exactly the same when it comes to mission. If we love God and love people as we ought, we wouldn’t need to be reminded or encouraged.
Mission without love is legalism. Love without mission is pointless. We need both, and that’s what I want to show you here in John 21. Mission and love. But first, what do I mean when I say mission? What exactly is mission here at North Coast?
Mission is Fishing and Shepherding
You don’t need to take a very close look at the passage to see two pictures in this chapter. Even if you just glance at it for a second and you’ll see two very obvious pictures – catching fish and looking after sheep. Jesus uses these two pictures to illustrate evangelism and pastoral care. A fisherman and a shepherd. Helping people become Christian and following them up. So in a broad sense, that’s what mission is. It’s not just evangelism. It’s also the discipleship and the care. And it’s not just about what happens on a Sunday. Look at verse 1.
1 After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
Sounds like me whenever I go fishing. But there is something so unremarkable and so profound at the same time here. Because v.1 tells us the risen Jesus revealed himself in this way. What would you expect to read next? Thunder and lightning? At the very least I hope we get to see some angels – that’s what you would expect. Then we get verse 3.
3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
This must be the easiest bible verse to memorize – I’m going fishing see ya! Oh we’ll come with you. Put that on your fridge.
It’s unremarkable isn’t it? The disciples fell back into their old routines, going back to what they’ve always done for the last 20 years. But it’s profound because it teaches us an important truth. Jesus reveals himself in the normal, ordinary, mundane. The Monday mornings on the train to work.
That’s what mission is – it can happen anywhere. So whether it’s at the after work drinks on Friday, or at the side of netball court Saturday morning. Or at home with your kids. Mission doesn’t happen only after you go to bible college and then go to a third-world country and do mission. Mission can happen anywhere anytime because Jesus can reveal himself anywhere anytime. Even though I’m preaching this, to be honest it’s easier said than done.
So as you would know perth only just recently opened up its borders which means for the first time in a long time, there are international students at our universities. Part of what I do is to lead the mission on campus at ecu Joondalup. I say to Christian students look, God hasn’t brought you here just to get a degree. Open your eyes and see the next 3 – 4 years as you being on mission. There are hundreds of people in your course, thousands everyday on campus. This is a mission field. But the best part is I get to talk to many non-christian students.
In fact, just a few weeks ago I met a student who’s a muslim from a majority muslim country. We just started talking about random things, comparing life in Perth to where he’s from and where I’m from. Turns out we both have kids who are around the same age. It was a little awkward but I said to him hey man, would you be keen to meet up regularly, I’d love to hear what you think about God and especially who Jesus is. And we’ve been doing that since. And we’re going to start reading the Bible together this week.
I know what most of you are probably thinking. That sounds great Ewen, but I don’t think I can do that. I haven’t got the right personality or gifts to be able to do something like that. I don’t have what it takes. If that’s you, you are 100% correct. You don’t have what it takes. Neither do I. and guess what, neither did the disciples. That’s our point today.
Only Jesus can make mission possible
4 Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” 6 He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. 7 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. 8 The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off.
Don’t forget that Peter, James, and John were fishermen by trade. They grew up fishing, but as skilled or gifted as they were, even working through the night they could not catch a single fish. Jesus comes along and says cast your net on the right side of the boat – it’s hard to imagine what the point is. As if these professionals haven’t already tried that or as if it makes a difference whether it’s left or right. Why not just turn 180 degrees? What’s the point? That the disciples hear Jesus’ voice and obey. All of it is a deliberate picture teaching us that we can do nothing apart from Jesus. Without Jesus, they would have caught nothing. Without Jesus, no one will be converted. Without Jesus, there is no mission. Only Jesus can make mission possible.
Do you feel like you don’t have what it takes? That’s ok, because we don’t need to have what it takes. It’s only after the disciples worked all night and caught nothing, probably thinking to themselves I’m not cut out for this. I don’t have what it takes. It’s at that point where Jesus reveals himself.
So what’s stopping you today from giving missions a go? It can happen anywhere anytime. It doesn’t depend on us. Don’t let yourself believe the lie that because you don’t have what it takes, you can’t do it. God always chooses the weak, the lowly, and those who don’t have what it takes, to show that the surpassing power belongs to him, not to us. Only Jesus can make mission possible.
Only Jesus can make love known
15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.
With just 3 questions Jesus humbles Peter. In fact, you could say Jesus humiliated him. Why? Because if you can remember what happened the night of the last supper. Jesus had told the disciples that one of them will betray him. Peter, always one to speak before he thinks, proudly and confidently claimed that even if all fall away on account of you, I never will. Of course, that same night, Peter denied Jesus 3 times. I don’t know who that is. I’ve never met him. I don’t follow him. And so do you see what Jesus is doing here? He is breaking Peter down to build him back up again. He does that by refocusing Peter not on what he did but who he loves. Jesus asks do you love me. He doesn’t ask why did you deny me?
I remember hearing a story once, which I don’t know if it’s real or not but I think it illustrate this perfectly. There was a little girl about 8 or so who had a precocious faith. From a very young age she seemed to already have a genuine faith and worships God and loves Jesus. And so ever since her parents bought her her own bible, she would carry it around even in school. Because she’s a little girl she would draw in her bible, put little stickers and highlight everything in different colors, pink, light pink, dark pink, reddish pink, and blue. Because they always come in a pack. One day in school she’s sitting reading her bible when she gets up to go to the loo or get a drink and when she comes back she immediately notices a group of girls gathered around a table looking at something. They were laughing and seemed really amused. As she walked closer she realised they were looking at her bible and all the silly drawings she had done. They thought it was dumb and seeing her approach, the group of girls asked oh is this yours? And she said no and walked away. Her father would later say that she went home inconsolable. She was sobbing because she felt like she had betrayed Jesus. In a moment of weakness, without thinking, she denied him. And now she’s broken. She tells her father, I don’t think I can be a Christian anymore, how could I have done that? How can I say I love Jesus when I’ve done what I did? Am I really a Christian after I’ve done what I did. To which her father replies, no you’re crying not because you don’t love Jesus, you’re crying because you do. You do love Jesus, that’s why you’re cut to the heart with what you did. You’re hurt because you do love him. And Jesus knows it.
Now if you were the dad, wouldn’t you say the same thing? Put yourself in that situation, you would know that your little girl is 8 years old. She’s just a child. It was a moment of weakness because let’s be honest, school can be very intimidating. So no. You’ve not lost your faith. This moment of weakness doesn’t define you. Jesus knows you do love him. But what if instead of an 8 year old girl, it’s a grown man? And instead of getting laughed at, you face the real prospect of being arrested and killed? What if it’s not a moment of weakness, but 3 moments of weakness? When you’ve let Jesus down, how do come back? How do you know that this time isn’t the last straw and God is done with you? It’s over. We need someone who knows more than we do. Just like how the father knew more than his little girl.
This is why Jesus asks Peter, Simon, son of John, do you love me? Why does Jesus ask that? If Jesus is God and God knows everything, surely he already knows since he can look into our hearts. So why does Jesus ask that? So that Peter will know. You’re crying not because you don’t love Jesus, but because you do. So that we will know that our sins do not define us. Love does.
I’m sure if you’re a Christian this morning, you know what it’s like to let Jesus down. Whether it’s a sinful habit you keep returning to, or the moments when your anger just seems to take over you, it’s always after that the guilt and the shame comes. When that happens we need to be reminded that we are not defined by sin, but by love. Peter needed to realise that before he could go on to feed the sheep. This is what we need to know.
Look at how our passage ends.
18 Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” 19 (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”
Jesus tells Peter he will be crucified – that’s what Peter can look forward to if he accepts the mission. And after saying this, Jesus said to him, follow me. Think about this with me. You can only follow someone if he is in front of you. If he’s gone ahead of you. And that’s exactly what Jesus did.
At the end of his life, Jesus had his hands forced open and nails driven through them. Jesus had his clothes taken from him. He was led outside the city, tied to a cross and lifted up as a display for the world to see. It is on the cross that love was displayed for the world to see. It was Jesus who made love known.
That’s why we do mission, because he loves us and we love him.
You might be listening to this as someone who isn’t a Christian, or maybe you’re just on the fence about God. But this is what Jesus offers you. A love that knows our guilt but is unwavering. A purpose in life that despite our weakness will never fail. If you’re unsure about anything, we’d love to sit down and chat with you.
And for those of us at North Coast, what does this mean for missions? Mission is like digging a well. You either tie a rope around yourself and go down, or you hold the rope for someone who goes. Either way, your hands are going to get scarred. You’ll get blisters, it’ll hurt. But it must be done, and it’ll be worth it.
The work that’s done at ECU, the gospel stand, is not my mission. I’m not there by myself. There are people holding the rope and it is our mission together. And we are only one small part of this church which is only a small part of the body of Christ. I can’t tell you exactly what your role might be. And we all go through seasons where sometimes we’re at the front, sometimes we’re the back. But as long as we keep our eye on Jesus, and follow him where he’s already gone before, it will glorify God and that will be enough.