Wednesday Night Bible Study John 21

John’s Distinct Focus on the Deity of Christ

We're gonna be in John chapter 21 tonight, and this is Those you don't know this is a as of right now a seven-year project that we've done every Wednesday night for the last seven years Starting in Genesis going through chapter by chapter All the way through hey Scott, and we have made it to John 21 the last chapter in the Gospels so Next Wednesday and next Wednesday.

We will be back Whitten and we'll be in Acts chapter 1 theophilus. I just had a While we're waiting for everyone to get here. I just had probably one of the most awesome things I've never done this before I've done a lot of stuff, but I've never done this.

I had a young man from our congregation who is Being promoted to second lieutenant in the army asked me to pin his Insignia rank insignia on him at a ceremony next Friday and May I tell you what that's pretty humbling that's pretty humbling hey Heather a mere mono De uh Joe Joe's tape Indiga Car my brains not working.

So yeah, man, I'm gonna get to do that. I meant a lot to me. I've known this young man for a long time now and He is probably One of the finest young men I have ever met and it's truly an honor. It's a privilege as far as I'm concerned, it's a privilege For me to be able to do that.

So looking forward to doing that Looking forward. I can't wait to be back. Yes, ma 'am Wanna it is Sean to be sure it is Keith. You got it, you know, and it's funny This kid is the most I shouldn't say kid.

It's hard for me. I Still call my 25 year all my 25 my 20 year olds and 30 year olds My congregation. I still call them kids and they're not. But it's amazing. You know There is some truth to the hyperbole of You know, our generation now is massively different than the World War two generation and There is more entitlement and there is more to be sure and But I'll tell you what When I hear people say something like if God help us we ever go to war again.

Because we'll lose because this generation can't hack it. I got to take exception there. I Got several young men who've returned from war in our congregation and Hopefully some not going back but They have acquitted themselves with great honor and It's a privilege to know it really is hey Rebecca Dios te bendiga and the same to me my brother see me a spaniel is muy bueno muy bueno.

Yo kiddo taco bell, all right well I have to write a note to call somebody. Okay, all my little thing. Hey, Carrie all my little things when I get phone calls and when I Not phone calls green texts and whatever they pop up here at the top of the screen.

And I got to write notes cuz I'll never remember. All right. So hey, Sue All Right, so John 21 just a couple of things about reviewing. Okay now we're gonna do. Remember there's difference between preaching and teaching.

Okay, we're gonna do a little bit of preaching but hopefully a lot of teaching tonight. Hey brother Rodney. And I wd -40'd my chair. Someone actually two people said man your chair was squeaking. Well, it's because I'm fat.

And there's not really I called 1 -800 Jenny and they hadn't called me back so I don't know what the deal is. But hey miss Linda. But we're gonna do hopefully a little bit more teaching today and hopefully the chair won't be as distracting me the brother Rodney.

Peter’s Return to His Old Life and the Miraculous Catch

But Here's here's the other thing. I want us to do. I want us to do just a little review. Remember that John is An anomaly the Gospels the Good News or Matthew Mark Luke and John. John stands alone in the Gospels and that's why Matthew Mark and Luke are called synoptic because they basically have kind of a Symmetry about them and talking about the ministry of Jesus Christ.

John is really different in the fact that it it really hones in on it really focuses on the deity of Jesus Christ and So In its conclusion here. Jesus has has been crucified. He has died. He has risen again, and he's been appearing and he had just got finished Appearing to the disciples in the last part of chapter 20 and this is where Thomas makes that great Declaration.

It actually says here in chapter 20 Verse 28 it says Thomas responded him to my Lord and my God people say, you know Doubting Thomas and I always kind of try to defend that because I mean name me a disciple who didn't doubt Thomas was just the one bold enough to say it.

But you're gonna see him demonstrate this again, and I want you to understand this gives me such great peace as a believer. Because guys I'm gonna let you in on a secret. I'm a pastor, but man I am such a jacktard sometimes I Get so lost in the high grass sometimes.

I really do. Man, I get Unfocused and I get frustrated or I'm out in left field not doing what I'm supposed to be doing or to quote Paul Why am I doing the things I know I should not do and not doing the things I know I need to do.

Oh wretched man that I am but of course that declaration in Romans 8 1 there's therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. Well Thomas is the same way and so is Peter and so are the rest of the disciples and we're gonna see that Jesus just appeared to him.

Thomas just touched his nail-scarred hands and Jesus tells him. Hey, man I Got some plans for you guys and boof. He's gone and then we open up in John chapter 21 verse 1 after this Jesus revealed himself again To the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias and he revealed himself in this way.

So they had just seen the resurrected glorified son of the Living God. Just seen him. Okay, just seen him and Here's how they respond. Jesus leaves in verse 2 Simon Peter Thomas Nathanael from Canaan Galilee Zebedee's sons and two other disciples were together.

So, you know here these guys they're hanging out together these disciples. They just had seen Jesus. They had obviously know he raised from the dead and this is what they do with that information. Peter says and of course, he's the default leader because he's rash.

Peter says I'm going fishing. I Going fishing now in our Colloquial understanding of us here in the southern part of the United States when you say I'm going fishing. It's a leisure thing. All right for Peter.

This is what he's really saying. He's he's not going to fish to take his mind off of things. He's going back to his old life. Peter is going back To be a fisherman again, he has seen the risen God he was told by Jesus That you are gonna do this.

You're gonna be my witnesses. You're gonna do this. You're gonna do this. You're gonna do this. You're gonna do this. Peter said gotcha Lord I'm going back to my old life. Mmm, have you ever done that Christian?

Got fired up for Jesus. You're going back to that old life, you know puts us in good stead. Not as an excuse and don't use this as a validation. To stay laying on the mat you take one on the chin you mess up.

You get up and you get moving back. Peter and the rest of the boys. They're Disillusioned they don't know what's going on. But they know they've seen Jesus and their answer is let's go back to our old life and go back fishing.

Now wasn't just Peter. Okay, one just Peter we're coming with you they said they went out and got into the boat but that night they caught nothing. Okay, it's a setup. It's a setup. All right. So verse 4 when daybreak came Jesus stood on the shore.

However, the disciples did not know. It was Jesus really hiccups again, um. So they went fishing they didn't catch anything. They didn't catch Anything now if you'll remember at the beginning of the Gospels this had happened before Jesus said hey guys throw your nets on the other side.

They threw their nets and if they had a big haul and Then Jesus called them to be disciples. So now it's three and a half years later Jesus ascend or hasn't ascended. I'm sorry. Jesus wasn't with them.

He appeared to them. They went back to their old life. Jesus shows up on the beach. All right. And hadn't caught anything and they didn't recognize the guy on the beach and Then Jesus verse 5 said men.

You don't have any fish. Do you and they said no we didn't catch anything today. And verse 6 well cast the night and the net on the right side of the boat and you'll find some so they did and They were unable to haul it in because the large number of fish.

Someone just went ding. Because you read there in verse 7 therefore the disciple the one Jesus loved we're talking about John. Hold on one second Jeremiah. I'm sorry guys. I'm gonna drive y 'all crazy.

Come here, man. I got the hiccups man. I'm alive on will you give me some water? Sorry guys. I know I'm supposed to be all mr. Professional pastor and all that but dude, I'm just Jeff. I got the hiccups.

My boy's getting me some water. So anyways. Right, so they caught fish now John. You need some peanut butter. That's old school. So John Said to Peter it's the Lord John immediately because he had thanks son.

I love you John. Had been it there the first time this happened and as soon as all the fish came up He looks at Peter goes it's the Lord. Then when sonnet Peter heard it was the Lord he tied his art or outer garment around him for he was stripped and Plunged into the sea, but since they were not far from land about a hundred yards away.

The other disciples came in the boat dragging the net full of fish when they got on land. They saw a charcoal fire there with fish laying on it and bread only a wooden baby. Done. All right. So here's here's a couple of things to note John immediately.

From the nostalgic memory of what transpired in the past. He turns to Peter and says hey, it's the Lord Peter Gets dressed. All right. Now I want you to find the logic in this now, especially in the King James.

It's kind of funny. Because it kind of says he was naked. And what that means is he really had a breach cloth on but notice Peters Intelligence he's fishing in his underwear. Let's say and then he puts his clothes on to jump in the lake.

You know what? This means it means he knows he knows all of this is going on and he is like He didn't know which way to go he didn't know what to do he feels guilty. Because remember man, you know, he's seen Jesus, but they hadn't talked about him denying him three times, right?

He feels guilty. He feels shame. He feels and when you're busted you sometimes do that you you panic. Well, that's what Peters going through. He's going through a moment of panic. So he's fishing and he gets dressed and goes swimming, but I also want you to notice this.

It's a hundred yards away now. When I was a young man. Most of y 'all do not know this but I was actually on a swim team. Believe it or not. I was on a swim team in Peachtree City, Georgia that Peachtree City Pacers.

I think is what they were called. But I was a little feller and I Was a pretty good swimmer. I really was. I learned to swim on a military base in the canal zone but. Yeah, I mean I was pretty powerful swimmer.

In fact one time when I was up in Michigan, I swam across a pretty large body of water. I was pretty powerful swimmer, but let me tell you something a hundred yards isn't a joke. Okay hundred yards, man.

That'll that'll tear you up. That'll get you a little tired. Yeah, I'm not a Navy SEAL a hundred yards is gonna be a pretty good swim right now. It'd be death but you know back then it was still a pretty good swim.

So Peter swims the lake where the rest disciples do well. They you know, pull in the tight pull get the fish and they're gonna sail the boat in they're not gonna jump in the water. So they're sailing their boat in Peter swimming.

He gets up on the shore and he looks and there's Jesus and this is what Jesus is doing. He's on a pulpit behind a podium with a King James Bible in his hand and a finger like this saying Peter you Godless heathen scum-sucking pig.

How could. No Peter gets to the shore and Jesus is sitting there. Small fire. There's fish already cooking. Nothing said. No damnation. No, you're a loser. No, you screwed up again. I mean cuz remember this isn't Peters first screw-up.

Basically Peters three-year walk with Christ was one mess up after another. You see there's grace on that beach. Just like there's grace for me and you. It's very special to me anyways. So Excuse me.

So verse 19. So Jesus said bring some of the fish you just caught. Jesus told him. So here's what now Jesus is already cooking breakfast. Okay, he's already cooking breakfast and he goes and tells Peter.

I go get some more fish. So what's Peter do? I guess Lord it. Call you George, you know, like little dog in the cartoon. Okay. Okay, George. Okay, and he runs over to the net now. It's taking the boat and every other guy to get the fish up on the shore.

But watch this Peter verse 11, so Peter got up and hauled the net ashore full of large fish 153 of them. Even though they were so many the net was not torn. Coming to have breakfast Jesus told him so here's Peter again.

And once again Christians this gives us such hope and gives us such peace and knowing first of all that this isn't some. You know Hyperbole storybook like Aesop's fables. You really see the human dynamic.

I can see myself acting like this. Jesus says hey Peter go get some fish. Oh, man. He's talking to me. Oh Man, he's not yelling at me. Okay Lord and Peter just runs over and grabs the whole net. Jesus wouldn't Peter's like man.

He wants fish. I'm gonna grab all 153 of them. I'm just gonna bring the whole net up on shore. I'm gonna go pick out two or three. I'm just gonna bring them all cuz Jesus said bring some of the fish so that means bring them all and this is that impetuous nature that sometimes we have as Believers that we see so much in Peter and the rest of the disciples so Peter gets some fish and Then Jesus says to him come and have breakfast okay, so Jesus says go get fish and Then Peters brings them up on shore and you could just kind of see Jesus and I don't know this.

Okay, this is I want to make this clear. This is my supposition. Okay, this is is purely a Subjective idea. It's not an objective fact as found in Scripture, but I can almost see one of the dad smiles.

You know Peter runs over the net. Instead of grabbing three or four fish he's dragging the whole thing up there and you can see Jesus sitting there by the fire going. That's my boy, that's that's my son.

Peter son stop. Come sit down son eat some breakfast. So Peter goes over there now, you know. His stomach is doing somersaults in his guts. You know, he is absolutely one nervous puppy. So no, so the disciples come over.

Peter comes over. They're all sitting around a fire and you want to talk about awkward silence, okay? Because they're busted. They're busted. Jesus told him this is what I need you to do and they're out fishing.

Jesus didn't want him to go be fishers, right? He told him three years ago put your nets down. I'm gonna make you fishers of men not fishers of fish no more. You're done with that. Come and follow me.

He leaves and because everything's there's been changes. Oh, okay. Well, we got to go back to that old life. We're afraid. We don't know what to do. So they go back so now they're sitting around a fire on a beach and Jesus is sitting there and You know, the only sound you're hearing is Jesus eating because she had them other guys.

They're probably holding it, but they're not really probably that hungry at this point you can hear the lay the waves probably lapping up on the beach a little bit and It's dead silence because no one wanted to speak.

And of course it says that here Jesus told him come have breakfast. None disciples dare ask him who are you because they knew it was the Lord. So what they're pretending is they're pretending that they don't know that Jesus doesn't know that he knows that they know that it's him.

But they're pretending like it's not him so that they don't have to come face to face with their own failures. So they're living in plausible deniability with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and the sovereign God who created everything.

Yeah, Jesus was really fooled, right? That's why he was there. So they're sitting there. They're not saying thing and then verse 13 Jesus came took the bread and Gave it to them. He did this the same with the fish.

So, you know now Jesus Watch this pastors. Come here. Jesus is serving them again Christian. Out of this two weeks or three weeks or guys it's been longer debt two months. That you we've been talking if you take nothing away from anything.

I've said take it away from this. With all the disciples failures with all their cowardice with all their backsliding. Jesus is the risen King now. Completed his duty is still in the business of serving his children.

He serves them breakfast. Serves and bread and serves the fish and it was not the fish they caught. Jesus didn't have a microwave. Okay, it was the fish. He had already cooked in. Other words, they didn't bring anything to the table again, and Jesus provided everything.

Welcome to grace. Welcome to grace and no matter how many times you falter or fall. No matter how many times you mess up. He'll still be there waiting and he's still there to serve so Verse 14. This was now the third time now read this carefully the third time Jesus had appeared to the disciples.

After he was raised from the dead. This wasn't the first time now this this John is actually there and he is actually writing about this years Later, and he's indicting himself. He's really indicting himself.

Hey, Sammy. Hey Kyle. Hey Isha. Sorry. I'm not keeping up. Hey Tamra. Hey, baby so. This is the third time now the reason John wrote this is to make it crystal clear how powerful God's grace is. How powerful it is?

I know some preachers say well. This is the third time because Peter denied him. That was a solo event. Peter denied Jesus three times. You gotta remember the rest of the disciples there why this is the third time is because he's already showed him twice.

Physically that he was risen from the dead. They should have been in the streets, right? I mean, that's what we think they should be doing. They should be in the streets preaching Jesus Christ alive. What did they do?

They went back. Hey Casey. How are you doing, baby? Don't say peachy. Don't say peachy. I love you. Hang in there, sweetie. So John is writing this and he's saying Hey. Yeah, he had showed us twice already that he was live and what do we idiots do we go back and do the same stupid? things we were doing before.

Can any Christian out there identify with that. I can. I can. So here we go. You ready? So verse 15 when they had eaten breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter. Simon son of John. I like King James better. Simon son of Jonas.

Do you love me more than these? Peter answered. Yes, Lord, you know that I love you and he said feed my lambs. Second time he asked him Simon son of Jonah. Do you love me? Yes, Lord. He said to him, you know that I love you shepherd my sheep.

Are you really doing wonderful Casey or did you just lie to your pastor? Because I'll excommunicate you tomorrow just you're out of there. Now I want you to understand when he Sits there and calls Peter.

He actually calls him if you'll notice and looked he calls him Simon now. Remember what Simon was? Simon was Peter's old unconverted name. He calls him Simon Peter son of Jonas he says Simon son of Jonas.

So in other words, it's a dig. Yeah. Guys, remember this grace is in some of you people who are spying to be parents. Well, you hang in there Casey some of you people are aspiring to parents. Listen to me.

Listen to me on this. I might give you a parent lesson. Walk hand in hand with a kick in the butt. Okay. People talk about disciplining your children. Spankings are not disciplining your children. They are a tool of disciplining your children.

Disciplining your children Means instilling them within them the character and integrity to do what's right when you're not there. That's what it means and to do that. It is a consistent endeavor every hour of every day of every week and Don't don't be one of those parents who comes and sits in my office in 20 years and go Pastor.

I raised him up in church. God didn't tell you to raise him in church. God told you to raise him in the Word of God. If you're not living it if you're not leading it if you're not repeating it, they're not gonna get it.

Okay Jesus is now for the third time. Coming to them. All right, and he has shown grace. There's no doubt about it. But God also says he chastens those he disciplines those whom he loves and he's digging it Peter here a little bit.

He's digging it Peter here a little bit. Hey scrub. Hey third stringer. You're on the starting varsity team. Why'd you go back to the JV squad? Because you were scared. Because you didn't want to hit because you didn't want to spend the hours.

You didn't want to do you want to do what you wanted to do? So Simon, do you love me? And then Simon Peter says yes, Lord, you know I love you and then Pete then Jesus responds. He says feed my lambs and the second time Jesus asks Peter Hey, do you love me son?

And Peter says Lord, you know that I love you and then he says this he says shepherd my sheep we'll get to that in a second and Then a third time if you look over here verse 17, he asked him a third time Simon son of John Do you love me?

And then it says this Peter was grieved that he had asked him the third time. Do you love me? He said Lord, you know Everything, you know that I love you. Alright, so now watch this when Peter answered this time.

There was a little bit of tension in his voice now. There was a little bit of grief in his voice now. You could almost hear his voice cracking just a bit. You could almost hear the guilt and the shame Busted out on Peter.

Because yeah here in the solo act of Jesus addressing Peter, okay Peter denied Jesus three times. Jesus turned around and asked Peter three times. Do you love him now? Let's talk just for a second about Jesus's response when Peter says yes, Lord, you know, I love you.

Okay, I Want you to note? What Jesus's response was When Peter said I love you, okay, and I need you to wrap your head around this for a second when someone says I love the Lord and They say it because they are emotional or energetic.

Because of a sermon or a song that has touched them. That is good. But it is childlike. Okay the mature Christian Demonstrates love by obedience to the call of Jesus Christ. Your maturity in Christian life cannot be measured by the fact that you don't have tattoos.

It can't be measured by the fact of your church attendance. Okay. You should be God's very clear when he says do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together. He means you need to go be part of a church family.

Okay, there's no ifs ands or buts about that and if you're one of them dumb rednecks who says I can worship God on The lake like I can in a building. You're an idiot. Okay, because it's not about you worshiping God.

It's about you Serving God's people if you're one of those people that want to find a church. And the first thing you ask is what can the church do for me? How's y 'all's children's ministry? What's your youth program like you are a very immature?

Christian the way you find a church is this is how you find it not what suits you. But where is there a need for the kingdom of God? And what are you gonna do to fill it? That is the level of maturity that a Christian needs to obtain.

But we're so wrapped up in Polity and politics and what can you do for me lately done on today? I can't sing it. But anyways, you get my point every time Peter said I love you Lord. Jesus says, what are you doing now?

Also second thing notice this Jesus didn't say what are you doing for me? Jesus said what are you doing for my people first? He says lambs then he says shepherd the flock then he says feed the sheep. Yes, Peter was a going to be a pastor absolutely absolutely.

But guys being a pastor and being a preacher are two completely different things. Okay, one of the greatest failures the church has had In the last couple of generations is we have failed to prepare people for real life.

We've taught them little Bible stories, you know the little Plastic Noah's Ark with the giraffes and elephants sticking out at the top. You know, I just heard that a minute ago. You know, we've told him about little David with his little sling and shouldn't lie.

You shouldn't steal God be careful little eyes what you see and then we're amazed because the maturity level of what we're teaching and more importantly the maturity level that we are exhibiting is Not enough to prepare them when they're in high school in college.

Guys you we know that we lose people. In the flock in the congregation when they go to college, you know why because we failed we failed we failed. You got to feed them. You got a shepherd them. Okay, and and guys there's just some realities about shepherding man.

I'm writing a book about this. What a pastor as a shepherd should look like what he should be doing and it ain't. Preaching preaching is part of it a very small part of it. Preaching is a very small job of being a pastor if it's your main focus if it's your main focus.

Mmm. You need you need to step the game up a little bit, okay. Homolytics 101 102 103 104 are great and I'm glad you went seminary and learned that but the same time. There are Samaritans laying all over the road and we're passing him by with our nose and the latest Charles Spurgeon book or Danny Akin.

Feed your sheep feed them and you need to feed your sheep where they start developing Muscle of their own. Where they start developing the ability and the desire to feed other sheep. And then when you do that, you actually start having a New Testament Church.

Not of just wheat growing in a field that's going to be blown whichever way the winds blowing, but you're gonna have Roots tree oak trees that are generational in strength. And if you have failed to do that pastor, it's okay because listen listen to me.

It's okay because Jesus still gonna sit with you. He's still gonna feed you. He's still gonna wash your feet so you can go watch somebody else's the power of God's grace the power of God's Salvation. Isn't that I don't go to hell or I'm forgiven to my sin.

It's that I get to glorify God by serving his people. That's that's the greatest glory. I can give people so I don't know pastor praise and worship. Listen to me. Do you actually think that your praise and worship as a sinful human being here on earth can equal?

The praise and worship if you are to glorified state in heaven if that's all God wanted was praise and worship. He just take us all home right now. We are plan a for God to be glorified here on earth, we're plan a there ain't no plan B.

We are plan a people say. Oh, well the Holy Spirit. Hey dork. Where do you think the Holy Spirit lives in? Us we are the vehicles in which the Holy Spirit is taken to a lost and dying world. Quit playing church games.

Quit playing religious games and start feeding some sheep. All right. So verse 18. Now Peter tells I mean Jesus now looks at Peter and he gives him a warning here. He says I assure you when you were young you would tie your belt and walk wherever you wanted.

But when you grow old you will stretch out your hands and someone else will tie you and carry you where you don't want to go. He said this to signify, but what kind of death he would glorify God. Glorify God what we were just talking about.

After saying this he told them follow me. All right. We'll stop we'll stop there for right now. But let me let me tell you the rest of the story. What was that guy's name? Paul Harvey now for the rest of the story some young guys have no idea.

What's really cool about this is when John was written This hasn't transpired I don't believe yet. But anyways long story short Peter Went out man, he started helping the church in Jerusalem and a few years later man He was traveling.

He was preaching he and Paul kind of had some Head button there, but Peter eventually ended up in Rome. No, he was not the first Pope Actually was a guy named Linus believe it or not, but anyways Peter ends up in Rome.

He's a pastor in Rome and a Great persecution breaks out. It's it's it's the whole persecution after the fires of Nero 64 AD Nero I'm gonna get nerd out and I don't want to but 64 AD the Roman Emperor Nero burnt Rome to the ground.

Of course there that is some people call it speculative. I believe it with all my heart. But anyways to get out of it, he blamed the Christians and He was brutal man brutal, but anyways this persecution lasted for several years.

Paul was killed in Rome around 66 -67 AD. Okay. Well Peter was killed along that same line. Now the difference was Peter was not in jail at this time and Church tradition now, this is not in Scripture, but church tradition tells us and it could be wrong.

But it tells us that the deacons and the leaders of the church grabbed Peter the pastor and said man, we got to get you out of town and The the the story goes that as Peter was walking out he made it out of the city and they were walking down the road and Peter stopped and says I Can't do this.

I can't do this. How am I gonna turn my back and walk away when Christ died for me? I can't do it and Peter turned back around and went back into Rome. He was subsequently arrested and was taken to a public arena and I Don't it's not the Colosseum Anyways taken to the public arena and they were they were killing Christians wholesale.

So they were crucifying him in this public arena and Peter said he actually said to The guards there. He said I'm not worthy to die in the same manner as my Lord. And so in a fit of macabre Irony and attempted humor they crucified Peter upside down.

They also killed Peter's wife too. They crucified her as well. He was actually Shouting encouragement to her as they both were on the cross. And he was preaching while he was hanging upside down on that cross Jesus said hey when you were young you could do what you wanted to do, but I'm telling you when you grow old They're gonna bind you up.

They're gonna stretch your arms out and you're gonna give glory to God in this way through your death and Peter died. Now I tell you that to say this I Don't think I'm going to be a Martyr for Jesus. I know some people are in bunkers right now with hand-cranked radios and a bunch of ammunition in the King James Bible thinking it's the end of the world as we know it.

Yes. The song just went through my head. I don't think we're in that Timeframe right now, I could be wrong, but I just I just don't believe it. There's still too many things that prophetically I think need to happen, but I believe the time is very near.

And so I'm sitting here and I'm thinking to myself, you know, I'm probably not going to die a martyr's death in the United States of America as a Christian. I think I think I'm gonna die an old man or well If I make it that long.

But let me tell you something about martyrdom. I Believe to a certain degree it's it's a gift to die as a martyr polycarp if you if you Let me recommend a book to you. Every Christian should read this book at least once a year.

It's called Fox's Foxes book of martyrs. Fox's book of martyrs. It was written. I think in the 15th century. I could be wrong about that. But it's basically the historical account of The martyrs from the time of Jesus now, they've abridged it.

And I think it actually goes all the way through 1994 and of course, it's not all of them. It's not an exhaustive list, of course, but it's it's a great great great encouragement. Because what it did for me.

If those people can endure that under pain of death. Am I really gonna whine? Am I really gonna have a bad attitude? Because I've got to go do this. I got to serve on a committee. I've got to teach the Children's Department.

I've got to go watch the nursery or whatever. Task you feel is so detrimental to your comfort. It does inspire just a little bit. So maybe we will never go maybe this generation will never be crucified or killed for our faith.

In the mass manner that they were. I mean, obviously there and I'm talking within the United States, of course. But at the same time there is a call I must decrease so that he can increase I. There's an old Japanese saying that says something like this.

I taught it to my children and my students as well. Hey, Jonathan. And my stance as well is look for an opportunity to die every day. Look for an opportunity to die. And of course, we have Luke 9 if anyone wishes to follow after me let him deny himself pick up his cross and follow me daily guys if you fail daily.

Grace still is available daily the question becomes. At what point are you willing to let go and let yourself die that Christ may be glorified through that death. That's all right, Jonathan. I Hope you were encouraged tonight and I look forward to talking to you again.