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Anyone Else?

Paul Harvey’s “For What It’s Worth…”  Paul Harvey said, Our “For What It’s Worth Department” hears that Speedy Morris – basketball coach for La Salle University – was shaving when his wife called out to tell him he was wanted on the phone by Sports Illustrated.

Speedy Morris was so excited by the prospect of national recognition that he nicked himself shaving with his razor and ran, with a mixture of blood and lather on his face, he even fell down the steps.

But, he got to the phone.  And the voice on the other line said:  “For just seventy-five cents an issue, you can get a one-year trial subscription.”

I am sure Speedy Morris was shocked and thought to himself, “anyone else?”

There’s the story of the man who slipped and fell off a cliff while hiking on a mountain top.  He was indeed lucky that he was able to grab a branch on his way down.  The man holding on for dear life, looked down only to see a rock valley some fifteen hundred feet below.  When he looked up it was twenty feet to the cliff where he had fallen.

The man panicked, and yelled, “Help!  Help!  Is anybody out there?  Help!”  A booming voice spoke up.  “I am here, and I will save you if you believe in me, let go of the branch and then I will save you.”

The man hearing what the voice said, looked down again.  Seeing the rock valley below, he quickly looked back up and shouted, “Is there anybody else up there!”

How would you respond if Jesus were to ask you to leave your chosen profession and order you to become a traveling evangelist?

Would you not agree, for most of us, full-time ministry of any kind is not God’s will.  Perhaps you, would also respond, “anyone else!”  However, for Peter, this was in God’s plan before He created the world.

Due to Jerusalem not being warm, nor accepting Jesus.  Jesus returned to Galilee (Mark 1:14).  It was in Galilee Jesus performed His breath taking miracle with the huge “catch of fish” and taught Peter his great lesson in humility, and then called him to leave the fishing business

(Luke 5:10b).

Here Peter was to take on a new role.  You see when Jesus met Peter in Bethany; he was president of a fishing business.  Now Jesus is calling Peter to lead a group of men who would “fish for men.”  Peter’s brother Andrew, and his friends, James and John, had been partners.  You see, Zebedee, the father of James and John owned this very large lucrative operation where as Peter had been hired to be his CEO.  Therefore, the infrastructure for this new mobile “organization” was already in place.  This was brilliant strategy that shouldn’t surprise us in view of who called them to this role.

I have heard it said, “Sometimes God has to break us in order to restore us.”

For the Apostle Paul, it was his Damascus Road encounter.  God really got his attention (Acts 9).  Paul became a full grown man that day.  Formally, he thought of himself as the best of the best.  “A Pharisee of the Pharisees.”  “A Hebrew of Hebrews.”  “When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child.  When I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways.”  (I Corinthians 13:11)

Job, the man whom Satan attacked his character, property, family members, health, and even his three friends who were of no help to him.  One friend told Job he had sinned.  Another friend told Job he had need to repent.  They thought that they could console Job, but Job knew that there was someone else he needed to help him (God).

Both Paul and Job were broken and bewildered.  But their stories do not end in brokenness.  Their stories end in restoration.

When was the last time you really felt broken before the Lord?  For Peter it happened following his “three time” denial.  Ironically, it took place on the Galilean seashore in the same general area where Christ taught him his first lesson in humility almost three years earlier and then called him to leave the net and fish for men.

We are creatures of habit and are soon to return to old habits.  Following Jesus’ death and resurrection, Peter was confused and bewildered.  Embarrassed, Peter retreated to his old fishing territory with his old friends.  Something he hadn’t done in nearly three years.  As always, Peter offered that kind of leadership.  Though discouraged and disillusioned, he once again rose to the occasion.

There they were!  After fishing all night long, but had caught nothing.  Once again, Jesus Himself appeared and asked them if they have caught anything.  However, they did not know it was Jesus until He told them to throw their net “on the right side of the boat.”  When they obeyed Him, it happened once again!  They caught so many fish, they were unable to pull in the net.

Little fish, large fish, small fish, huge fish.  Fish of every sort were in the net.

Peter once again couldn’t deny what he saw.  Who could forget the words?  Peter couldn’t contain himself.  He jumped into the sea. (JH. 21:8)

Jesus to their surprise already had cooked some fish but invited them to add theirs.  This was an awkward but incredible reunion!

Jesus used this reunion to ask Peter three times, “Do you love me more than these?” (21:15)  Pointing to the next boats and fish.  He was reminding  Peter that three years earlier, Peter had decided to leave the boats, nets, and fish.  Then, Jesus reminded Peter of his bold statement.  That if all the apostles forsook Christ, he would not (Matt 26:33-35).

Yes, it was Jesus’ final question that brought Peter to tears.  Acknowledging that Jesus had predicted his denial, Peter said, Lord, you know all things; you know I love you (21:17).

Peter was truly a leader, for he once again publicly failed, and was able to go forward.  He did not seek to cover up his failure.  Yes, Peter was on his way to becoming one of the greatest leaders of all time.

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