John 21: 1-19

This morning I’d like to look at the latter part of today’s gospel reading from verses 15 to 19 first, and then go back and look at the earlier verses – and hopefully you’ll see there’s method in my madness.

So, the risen Lord Jesus, having cooked breakfast for the disciples draws Peter aside to have a little chat with him.  And he asks him three times if he loves him.

Peter answers in the affirmative and each time Jesus gives him an instruction in return – feed my lambs, tend my sheep and finally feed my sheep.

So Jesus is saying to Peter because you love me – I want you to express that love by building up and taking care of my church – my sheep, my beloved children.

Peter’s love for God is to be expressed by his actions and the work he does to build up and establish God’s church.

And of course this is the same for all Christians. Any person who professes to love Jesus should express that love by their actions and by seeking to help build up God’s church and to extend God’s kingdom.

It’s all very well to come to church and say that we love God – but the evidence of our love is shown by what we do for God and how we serve Him. 

In short it’s shown by the fruit we bear.

The reason Jesus called us wasn’t just so that we can get to heaven - but to bear fruit. Jesus said “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit - fruit that will last.”

Every single Christian is called by God to be fruitful. There are no exemptions.

And as I said a few months ago, fruitfulness is one of the hallmarks of a genuine Christian. One of the ways a Christian can be recognised is by the fruit they bear.

Let me define what I think Jesus means when he talks of fruit. Fruit is simply God working through our words and actions to touch people’s lives and extend His kingdom in the world.

Fruit is produced as the Holy Spirit works through us to help people come to know Jesus and also as the Holy Spirit works through us to build up and encourage fellow Christians.

So we can produce fruit through our prayer lives as we pray for people to come to know God and as we pray for the extension of God’s kingdom in the world.

We can produce fruit as we seek to share our faith with others as God takes our words and actions and uses them to draw people to himself.

We can produce fruit as we care for people and show them the love of God and as a result they are drawn to Him through this.

We can produce fruit as we pray for people to be healed and set free from the powers of darkness.

And we can produce fruit as we work behind the scenes to help in the donkey work of church life – doing the catering and helping to organise and set up events – as an expression of our love for God.

Fruit is produced as we play some part in helping to extend and build up God’s kingdom in the world.

So the first question I want to ask this morning is – if we consider ourselves to be Christians – what are we doing to bear fruit? How are we serving God?

Of course the answer to this question will depend on what we believe God has called us to do - and the gifts and talents He has given us.

Like Peter, each Christian has their own unique calling and role to fulfil. So what is your role? What is God asking you to do? What gifts and talents do you have – and how are you using them to serve God?

One of our roles is to share our faith with our family and friends – and to pray for their salvation.

God wants to save our families so we should be praying for them and doing all we can to encourage them to seek God.

But we also have a role in the church and in the world. You may be an intercessor – someone who is called to pray for the church and for the world.

You may be called to work with children and young people – in the creche perhaps? You may have a musical gift – the ability to play an instrument or to sing and lead worship.

You may have administrative gifts. You may have a gift for hospitality and be called to open your home to host events or a study group.

You may have an empathy for those in prison or for persecuted Christians or for the poor or homeless and be called to help them in some way.

You may have a heart for the people of a specific continent like Africa or nation like Israel. You may be a budding preacher or vicar.

If you’re unclear, ask God to show you what it is that He wants you to do – in order that you might bear fruit.

I said at the beginning of this sermon that I wanted to start with the second half of the passage first – which as I’ve tried to illustrate is about our calling to serve God and to be fruitful.

I’d now like to go back to the first part of the passage as this deals with the secret to being fruitful and serving God successfully.

Peter and some of the other disciples who were professional fishermen, have 

just spent the whole night using their knowledge and expertise to catch nothing.

Jesus then tells them to try it his way - and to cast their net on the right side of the boat – and hey presto they catch loads of fish – 153 to be precise.

We need to remember that John’s gospel is an eye witness account of Jesus’ life and John records the number of fish that they caught as a sign to us that this event really did take place and he was there. After his death and resurrection Jesus really did appear to his disciples and share time with them.

But this little episode illustrates - that if we want to be successful and fruitful in our service of God we need to do things His way – not our way.

There is a difference between what I call good works and God works. It is quite possible for Christians to rush around spending time doing loads of stuff for the church but bearing very little fruit in the process – because they’re not actually doing what God wants them to do.

At my previous church there was a lady who was incredibly energetic and enthusiastic and who was involved in just about everything. But she completely overstretched herself and in time learnt that she was much better off concentrating on what she was good at and enjoyed doing and fitted her talents.

We shouldn’t overload ourselves and we shouldn’t take on roles which we’re not suited to. Sometimes it can be really helpful to listen to those around us who may be able to help us see where our particular talents lie or not.

So the best thing to do is to offer ourselves in service to God and to ask Him to show us what He wants us to do. And as we are obedient to this we will find that we are successful because He will always help us to do the things He asks us to do.

When I first felt called to preach I was highly dubious about my ability to do this because I’m not a confident public speaker; I do get nervous and I’m certainly not a bible scholar.

But this means that I have to rely on God to help me – and as long as I do my part and study and pray and remain humble - He does help me.

And He’ll do the same for you as you seek to do what He has asked you to do. It may be something you feel weak in your natural self about doing – but don’t let this put you off – because He will provide you with all the resources you need to carry it out.

Of course as Christians we are members of the church of God here in Brenchley. We are the physical body of Jesus to the people of Brenchley and God wants to reach out to the people of the village through us.

But again if we’re going to be successful – we need to discern God’s way of doing this – because He knows what will be most effective.

Like Peter and the other disciples we can have good ideas and spend all night fishing for converts – but we’ll only be really successful when we do things God’s way.

Let me illustrate what I mean. About 20 years ago Mary and I and the children went to a Christian camp in Peterborough where the main speaker was a young Argentinian pastor from Buenos Aires called Hector Gimenez.

At that time Hector ran what was estimated to be the second largest church in the world. He had a congregation of around 250,000 people and he was holding I think it was 7 services each sunday in a football stadium.

Hector explained how his church had come into being. He had a real heart to reach the people of Buenos Aires with the gospel so he decided he’d preach to people on street corners.

So he took his guitar and a bible and spent 3 months trying to share his faith. He told us that during these 3 months not one person was converted and he became very despondent.

God however then said to him - Hector you’ve tried it your way – why don’t you now try it my way. And he described how God had led him to walk into a local radio station at night where a very surprised and slightly drunk station owner had offered him an early morning radio slot.

Hector wasn’t overly pleased with this slot which was between 2 and 3 in the morning but God told him it was the perfect slot because the people who’d be listening couldn’t sleep and were open to hearing the gospel.

After a few months on air - God told Hector to hire a local theatre and invite his listeners to a service. He was obedient although he didn’t expect many people to turn up.

However, to his great surprise around 200 people turned up and as he talked to them about God’s love – God’s presence descended on the service and numerous people were healed and converted – and this is how his church 

started.

So to conclude - the key to both individual and corporate fruitfulness is to offer ourselves to God in service - and then to do what God asks us to do.

As individuals we need to be asking God to help us walk in the footsteps which he has already marked out for us – because as we walk in these footsteps, we’ll find that this is where God’s blessing and success lie.

And as his body here in Brenchley, we need to be praying and seeking to discern His strategy for our Church to grow – and as we are obedient, God will bless our efforts.

Let’s pray. Father God thank you for your great love for all people and your strong desire to reach out to them through us.

Lord we pray that you will help every single one of us here today who believes in you to discover and come to know what it is that you are asking us to do. Help us to see clearly the role you want us to play so that we can be fruitful.

And Lord we pray that as your body of people here in Brenchley, you will put your thoughts and desires and strategies for growth into our hearts - so that in time like Peter’s net – this church may be filled to overflowing with new members.

We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.