Sermons
Going Back to Galilee
Link to sermon video: Going Back to Galilee - T Siverd
GOING BACK TO GALILEE
Sermon Outline By Terry Siverd / Cortland Church of Christ -- November 17, 2024
Larry & Linda Siegle arrived a year ago from Hawaii. Larry preached his first sermon with our congregation on 11/12/23.
What a blessing! Many believe that Larry's decision to join us was actually God's providence in answering our prayers.
Larry & Linda are on a week-long get-away with Keith & Linda Chopic, vacationing in Virginia' s Shenandoah Valley.
In Larry's absence, I'm delighted to preach today. If all goes according to plans Larry will return to the pulpit next Sunday.
As we begin this sermon, let me invite you to open your Bible to the opening verses of the last chapter of Mark's gospel - - Mk.16:1-8. This text records events immediately following our Lord's crucifixion and resurrection.
When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome, brought spices, that they might
come and anoint Him. And very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.
And they were saying to one another, 'Who will rolll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?'
And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away, although it was extremely large.
And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe; and they were amazed.
And he said to them, 'Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified.
He has risen; He is not here; behold here is the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples and Peter,
He is going before you to Galilee, there you willl see Him just as He said to you.' And they went out from
the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had gripped them; And they said nothing to anyone for they were afraid.
John's gospel divulges a somewhat unexpected turn of events during this same time period. Jn.21:1-3 records - -
After these things Jesus manifested Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias.
There were together Simon Peter and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee,
and the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples. Simon Peter said to the, 'I AM GOING FISHING.'
Those of us who are familiar with the gospels will readly concede that we frequentlly find Peter to be outspoken.
He has a boldness (zeal) about him that often borders on brazeness. Staying with the “b” words, Peter could be brash.
We can aptly describes Peter as a disciple who was not only brave and bold, but also occasionally brazen and brash.
These last two words, in particular, are often euphemisms for being hasty and impudent (cocky and rash).
Now, even though we might be inclined to expect the unexpected when it comes to Peter's words and deeds,
we still find ourselves perplexed by Peter's declaration: I'm going fishing!
Under the circumstances Peter's actions almost appear misplaced, if not outright irreverent.
Before The Byrds put it to music (1965), King Solomon proclaimed, to everything there is a season... (Eccl.3:1).
At first glance it seems inappropriate that Peter would be interested in going fishing under these circumstances.
Today we think of fishing as a viable sport - - a popular form of recreation and relaxation.
In Pensacola, my maternal grandpa enjoyed fishing with a cast net in the the gulf of Mexico.
My grandma derived great pleasure in dropping her cane pole into quiet bayous or smaller fresh-water ponds.
My brother-in-law, Mark, finds it calming to fish (from a boat in Mosquito Lake or creekside in Orangeville).
In our day, many look to fishing to provide a source of centering - - an escape from the hustle and bustle.
In Peter's day and age, fishing was more a commercial untaking not likely to qualify as a sport or recreational event:
more a vocation than a vacation. While Peter may have needed a “get-away”,
it is doubtful that that was the primary aim of Peter's yearning to go fishing.
In the aftermath of Jesus' crucifixion and supposed resurrection, the Scriptures paint a picture of the
followers of Jesus as ones gripped with fear, trembling and astonishment - - shaken to their very core.
Who among us would not have been equally devestated by the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus?
Notwithstanding the trauma Peter had witnessed and personally experienced (not only the Lord's horrifying
crucifixion, but also his own shameful denial of Christ - - not once, not twice, but three times / cf. Mt.26:69f),
I don't believe Peter's desire to go fishing was an exercise in escapism.
Like Jonah (Jonah 1:3), Peter could have fled westward to Tarshish.
Or, like Elijah (1Kgs.19:1ff) he could have hastened to the wilderness of Horeb.
Peter could have gone into hiding, but that's not what we see here in John's text.
Remember the Scripture we read to open this morning's semron - - Mk.16:7, the women told Peter - -
(Jesus) is going before you into Galilee; there you whall see Him, just as He said to you.
Mt.28:7 & 10 is even more emphatic in conveying the precise words Jesus spoke to the women at the tomb) - -
Do not be afraid; go and take My word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there you will see Me.
The goal of my message this morning is to offer Peter's determination as a prototype for our own predicaments.
In the course of a lifetime of discipleship is it easy to get tangled up in our problems.
We too have fears and frustrations. Not unlike Peter and the apostles, we too find ourselves asking,
“What has happened to my world?” and even more pointedly at times, “Where is the Jesus I thought I was following?”.
It is not uncommon for us to wonder what the future holds (for us, for our household and for our church family).
I want to urge us to not hestitate in going back to Galilee.
And perhaps I need to add, that this journey is not likely to be a “one and done” excursion.
We often face roadblocks. Many of us encounter entanglements on a semi-regular basis.
We frequently find ourselves not sure where to turn for answers or where to go for re-direction.
Peter practiced what the apostle Paul referred to as the obedience of faith (Rom.1:5 & 16:26).
He could have opted to go his own way in his quest to figure things out,
but instead he chose to simply obey (not always a simple resolution) the words of Jesus to GO BACK TO GALILEE.
For Peter and for us as well, taking the trip back to Galilee was a return to where it all started.
Mt.4:18-20 tells us that it was here on the shores of Galilee that Jesus first called His disciples, Follow Me,
and I will make you fishers of men. The text adds - - And they immediately left their nets and followed Him. cf. Lk.5:10.
Luke's gospel tells the story of another post-resurreciton appearance of Jesus to two of His disciples.
Lk.24:32 notes they said to each other - - were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road...
The book of Revelation opens with brief messages given to the seven churches of Asia. To the church at Ephesus
we read a stern admonition and direct exhortation (Rev.2:4) - - I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first...
Rev.2:7 further emphasizes: He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches..
When we think of our first profession of faith, it is almost always accompanied by thoughts of zeal.
Our hearts were burning for the Lord. How we loved our time together with the saints (our church family). praying, singing, communing together in the Lord's supper, eager to give of our means, turned on to Bible reading and searching the Scriptures (Acts 17:11), and ever ready to let our light shine so that others could see Christ living in us (Mt.5:16).
Peter practiced the obedience of faith and it took him back to Galilee for a wondeful time of renewal.
Read Jn.21:15ff and note how Peter's return to Galilee brought him back to Jesus for a much-needed rededication.
Let us all determine that we will not let our anxieties and difficulties get the best of us.
Let us resolve, as Peter did, that when the going gets tough, we will go back to Galilee.
The hymn-writer William Cowper captures this story so powerfully with his choice words - -
Where is the blessedness I knew when first I saw the Lord? Where is the soul-refreshing view of Jesus and His word?
