Feed My Sheep

Let's look at Luke's Gospel chapter 9. Most will know this is the Mount of Transfiguration, as Luke gives it to us in his gospel. Let's read at verse number 33. And it came to pass as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here, and let us make three tabernacles, one for thee and one for Moses, and one for Elias or Elijah, not knowing what he said.

While he thus spake, there came a cloud and overshadowed them, and they feared as they entered into the cloud. And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved son, hear him. And when the voice was passed, Jesus was found alone.

And they kept it close and told no man in those days any of those things which they had seen. Now let's go over to John's Gospel. I'll ask you to read firstly in John's Gospel and in chapter 20.

John 20, and for sake of time, because I do hope to divide the time this morning, leave time for a brother. John's Gospel, chapter 20, verse 11, for context. Mary stood without at the sepulcher weeping, and as she wept, she stooped down and looked into the sepulcher, and she sees two angels.

Look with me at verse number 15. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, said unto him, Sir, if thou hath borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus saith unto her, Mary.

She turned herself and saith unto him, Rabboni, which is to say, Master. Now look down with me at verse number 26. And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them.

Then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands. Reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side, and be not faithless, but believing.

And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed. Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

Now chapter 21, please. Some will know where I'm going with this reference. Chapter 21, you know that the subject is that the disciples have been fishing.

Keep that in mind, because we'll come back to it. Verse number 15. So when they had dined, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He said unto him, Lord, yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee.

He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He said unto him, Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. He saith to him, Feed my sheep.

He saith to him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said that to him the third time, Lord, lovest thou me? And he saith unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things. Thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

Now the Lord blessed to us these beautiful references from the Holy Scriptures. I'm guessing that we sing it together, but I wonder if the truth of it has ever impacted us. I mean, from the hymn book that we use, we sing, Master speak.

Thy servant heareth, waiting for thy gracious word, longing for that voice that cheereth. Master, let it now be heard. But I really wonder now, I want to challenge our hearts in this ministry session this morning.

I really wonder how many of us ever sing that and mean it. Don't forget, beloved saints, it's as bad to sing a lie as it is to tell a lie. And I've got to admit to you, there are some verses in that hymn book, and when the hymns are given out, personally, I don't sing them.

Hymns of consecration. Take my life and let it be. Consecrate it, Lord, to thee.

Really, brethren, do we mean it? Do we sing that and just sing it glibly, just words to us? Or does this have an impact on our lives? And so we speak and we sing. Master, speak, thy servant heareth. Let me just ask you now, I really want to ask the young believers here among us.

Let me ask you, when you came to this conference, just before leaving home, or even when you got to the conference, who among us got down on our knees and asked God, we have come to the conference, and now we would like God to speak to us. Did you ever do that? Ever on a Wednesday night before you go out to that Bible study, ever get down on your knees, and you ask God, I'm going out to the Bible study tonight, Lord. I would like God to speak to my heart.

Let me just assure you, if you did that, that would change meetings. It would actually revolutionize meetings amongst us as God's people. I would judge now, I don't want to be throwing stones.

I want to try to be encouraging as I deal with the scriptures, which I have read, but I would judge that this would change our lives. And this would impact our assemblies for God. If we would change things a little bit, and if we would be on our knees before the Lord, and if we would ask him to speak to our hearts, that's what I want to speak upon.

I want to use Luke's gospel really as a base point this morning, because you will remember what we read about in Luke's gospel chapter nine. You know, it's the Mount of Transfiguration. Whatever mountain it was, we're not exactly sure.

I have my own view on that. If you want to ask me after the ministry, I might share that with you. Perhaps not.

We know it was most likely a snow covered mountain, and that might give us a little indication of what mountain it was. You know, Luke presents to us, it's six months before the cross. We're aware of that.

We know that what Luke tells us is this, that they went up onto the mountain one afternoon. They actually stayed overnight upon the mountaintop, and they came down from the mountain the next day. Now that explains, brethren, for us why that the disciples were sleeping.

I'm sure you young people have read that and asked yourself, how is it that these men that were on the mountaintop with the Lord Jesus, how is it that they were sleeping? Well, it was an overnight scene. It was a night scene. And during the night, the Lord Jesus was transfigured.

And Peter wakes from his sleep along with the others. And you can see Peter rubbing the sleep from his eyes. And he looks at the majesty of Christ being transfigured before them.

You know Matthew and his gospel. Matthew says, Matthew says his raiment was like snow. You're aware that Mark says in his gospel, Mark says, it was like light.

So as no fuller, no person that dyes garments, so as no fuller can whiten his garments. You know in Luke's gospel, Luke says, it was like lightning. It seems to be.

Luke gives the idea as they looked at him, shining forth from his presence. It was like lightning, blasts of lightning coming forth from his glorious person. And is it any wonder then, is it any wonder that Peter says he looks and he sees Moses there, the founder of Israel.

He sees Elijah there, the reformer of Israel. And Peter says, Lord, he says, as Moses and Elias are receding out of his sight, he says, Lord, it is good for us to be here. He says, let's make three tabernacles.

Did you ever ask yourself, what's that all about? Why make tabernacles? Well, Peter was aware of what the Feast of Tabernacles stood for. From the book of Leviticus now, Leviticus 23. If any of you young believers want to get handle on prophetic truth, go to Leviticus 23.

The Feast of Tabernacles, it speaks of the millennial kingdom, the coming glory of the Lord Jesus. And Peter knew that. And Peter says initially and immediately, you know what Peter thought? The kingdom is here.

The thing that we've been waiting for, it's here in all of its manifestation. Now he's the man that has come. Now he's being transfigured in all of his glory.

And Peter says, we will make three tabernacles, Lord, one for thee, one for Moses, one for Elijah. And just at that moment, there's a cloud that overshadows. Moses and Elijah disappear.

And the voice comes out of the cloud and the voice says, this is my beloved son. Hear him. That's what I want to do this morning now, just to use that as a base for John's gospel.

Because I want you to consider with me three people in John's gospel and they heard him. And mark it well now, brethren and sisters, for them, it was a very special thing when they heard the Lord Jesus. You say, what do you mean by that? Well, he actually spoke to them.

And not only did he speak to them, but he used their name. And so he appears to Mary and he says to Mary, he called her by her name and he says, Mary. And the same day he appears, sorry, not the same day.

He did appear the same day, but eight days later, he appears to a man in an upper room and he called him by his name. And he says, Thomas. And then a little while later, he appears to these men that had gone fishing and he steps onto the shore and he speaks to a man by name must have been a wonderful thing.

Those other disciples knew the failure of Peter. They were aware of his failure. And the Lord Jesus speaks to a man by name three times.

And he says, Simon, Simon, son of Jonas, love us done me. And so I want to deal with these three contexts of scripture and bring them into our experience here. Him.

This is my beloved son. You hear him, Mary, Thomas and Simon. And so the first one, then I want you to, to look with me at the disappointments of life.

You know, the, the, the setting of John's gospel chapter 20, we're at the sepulcher and you're aware of course, what has happened. The women have come to the sepulcher, the sepulcher early. And when it was just getting light, it was yet dark.

It says in John's gospel chapter 20, verse number one, it was yet dark. And as the light is breaking, they come to the sepulcher and something tremendous happens. You know, as they are coming to the sepulcher, an angel descends from heaven.

And as they're coming, they were asking the question, who shall roll away the stone? And they get to the sepulcher and an angel, he comes from heaven. He moves that two ton stone from the door of the sepulcher. He sits upon the stone and he says to the women, who are you seeking? He says, who are you seeking? He's raised from the dead.

Come see the place where the Lord lay. You know, it reminds me of a story. This is not my story.

You will know by now that preachers steal quite a bit, beg, buy, borrow, steal, but whatever you do get. Well, the story was told of a dear Indian brother, and he was visiting relatives in India, and he met a friend who wasn't saved. And that friend said to him, you know, he said the founder of our religion, his sepulcher is here.

Would you like to see it? And the Christian friend said, sure, I'd love to see it. And so he's taken along to see this sepulcher. He never seen anything like it.

It was so ornate. As you went in, there were pillars just at that door of that sepulcher. It was garnished with gold.

And that dear Indian looked at his Christian friend and he said, what a sepulcher is this? He says now, he says, the founder of your religion, does he have a beautiful sepulcher? Does he have a beautiful tomb? You know what the Christian said? Oh, he says he had a beautiful tomb. And the Indian friend said to him, really? He said, have you ever been to his tomb? No, no. He says, you know, the shame about the founder of our religion is he did have a beautiful tomb, but he only used it for one weekend.

You know, brethren and sisters, it's the truth, isn't it? He was placed into that tomb, I judge, on a Friday evening. And then Sunday morning, never forget, God raised him from the dead. And yet now you think of these women, they start and they're asking themselves, what has happened? They actually go back and they meet some of the disciples and they say to Peter and John, something has happened.

Something has happened at the sepulcher. And of course, you know the story. I hardly need to deal with the context, but Peter and John start running.

And of course, John, he outruns Peter and he gets to the sepulcher first and he takes a glance in. Now you know what preachers normally say. They normally tell us that Peter was an older man than John.

And the consequence of being an older man is this, that John was able to outrun Peter. Imagine, where did you ever get that? Do you ever think that maybe John was just a faster runner than Peter and was able to get to the sepulcher first? Well, maybe Peter was a little bit older, but I let you think about that. I run with Simon Peter to the tomb.

Feel in my hair the racing wind go by. Those muttered doubts, the mingled blight of gloom. And yet there rings within my ear a cry, born of the whispers that the women made.

The tomb is empty, where our Lord was laid. And you can see the scene now. The women have told the disciples, John and Peter arrive at the tomb.

John takes a glance in, Peter goes right in and he comes out again. And of course, you remember what it says about John. John went in and he saw and he believed.

And now you know what happens. They leave the tomb and Mary is standing alone and she's standing weeping. I would judge, brethren and sisters, personally, I can only speak from my own heart subjectively and personally.

This for me is one of the most outstanding passages of Holy Scripture. There's a woman standing and the tears are flowing down her face. In fact, she is so sorrowful she doesn't even see angels that are standing there.

And the angels speak to her and they say, woman, why weepest thou? And through her tears, she begins to tell them about the Lord Jesus. And just as she does that, she's looking at them and she catches them. Do you ever speak to someone and as they're speaking to you, you know that they're looking at something behind you? Ever get that feeling? As you're talking to them, you can see them and they look like this.

And you know they're not looking at me, they're looking behind you. And she turns because she understands there's someone behind me. And as she turns, she sees a person standing behind her and she supposed him to be the gardener.

And he says to her, woman, why are you weeping in the disappointments of life? She says, listen, she says, they've taken away my Lord. In fact, she says to him, if thou has borne him hence, this is one of the most amazing statements of Scripture. She says, sir, if you have borne him hence, you tell me where you've laid him and I will take them away.

And he just said one word to her, just one word. All he said to her was this, Mary. Now you look at John 20 with me for a moment.

Look at verse number one. You see, if you're looking at verse number one in the Greek texts, that's the Greek word. The first day of the week cometh Maria.

Look at verse number 11, but Mary, that's the same Greek word, but Maria. You see, when you get to verse number 16, Jesus says unto her, Mary, even in the Greek texts that has been preserved, do you know what he said to her? Maria. And as soon as he used that name, she knew this is he.

In fact, the text should maybe be changed in verse number 16. She turned herself and said unto him in Hebrew, Rabboni, my master. She used the highest term that she could use for a teacher for him.

You know, she could have called him a rab. She could have called him rabbi. She doesn't do that.

She uses the highest term. Do you know what she calls them? My teacher, my master, turning herself to him. You know, fellow saints this morning, let me just speak to our hearts.

Now, as we are gathered together, I would judge that there are some of the dear saints here and they have known tears coursing down their faces and they have faced things in life that they never thought they would face. Never forget that here's a woman and she's facing things in life that she never, ever anticipated that she would ever face. She's feeling better tears rolling down those cheeks that she never, ever thought she would fail.

And she's standing in the disappointments of life. And yet he speaks to her soul. You know, let me just say to our hearts this morning, as I move from this very quickly, let me just say to our hearts this morning, never forget there's one who can speak to us in the better disappointments of life.

Never forget that there's one that can bring joy to the hearts of his people. As we are facing trials, as we are facing trouble, as we are facing the tribulations of life, there's one that can move into those better experiences. And as he speaks, he's able to say this, Mary.

And when he speaks, maybe the disappointments are still there, but when he speaks, everything is different now. Beloved saints, this is my beloved son. Hear him, Mary.

I want to move then very quickly to John's gospel chapter 20, just the latter part of the chapter. And I want you to notice now it's a man called Thomas. I want to use this as a picture of the assembly.

Now I'm fully aware, I'm very aware that when it comes to the New Testament church of God, the first assembly was not brought into being until Acts chapter two. I'm aware of that. And yet they gathered together.

And so just for young believers, just so that you understand the first breaking of bread took place in Acts two, they gathered together. John 20 will prove that the disciples and believers were gathering. They were gathering on the first day of the week.

Acts chapter one will prove the same, that they were gathering together and they were holding prayer meetings. But never forget, it wasn't until the Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost that two things were formed. Two things were brought into being on that day of Pentecost, a Sunday in Jerusalem that had never been in being before.

The church, the dispensational church was formed that Sunday in Jerusalem when the Holy Spirit came. Now, just so that you're aware, when we speak of the dispensational church, it was brought into being on the day of Pentecost and it is composed of every born again believer from the day of Pentecost until the moment of the rapture. But there was something else brought into being that day.

It's called the church of God. Let me refer it now as the assembly. If I use the term assembly, I would judge that you and I would be more familiar and aware of that term.

But let me use this as a picture. And so here's the first Lord's day. Thomas is not there.

He should have been there. I hope you understand that. He should have been there, brethren and sisters.

And of course, the Lord Jesus comes and he stands in the midst. The doors are bolted. The disciples are afraid for fear of the Jews.

And then comes the Lord Jesus and he stands in the midst. And you remember what he says. He says, peace be unto you.

In fact, twice over that Sunday morning or that Sunday, he says to them, peace be unto you. Now he appears. Thomas says, these disciples go and find Thomas.

And they say to Thomas, excuse me, we have seen the Lord. You know what Thomas said, except I see in his hands, the print of the nails, except I put my hand into that spear wound. I will not believe.

Now the next Lord's day, the disciples are gathered together again and Thomas is with them. And you say, must have been quite a thing when he appeared. Let me just break into the narrative for a moment.

You see, here's a man and he wasn't there at the assembly meetings. Let me just ask you now, I don't want to be presumptuous and ask some of the older saints here, but you younger ones, I hope you attend your assembly meetings. If you're in fellowship now, don't forget when you come into fellowship, I hope it was impressed upon you the responsibility of fellowship.

You know, part of the responsibility of being in fellowship in a local church is to bear the testimony. Part of bearing the weight of testimony is when that assembly is gathered together, you are there. Well, you say sometimes, you know, there are, there are, there are lots of brethren to help and participate.

I'm aware of that. You say, you know, sometimes I'm, I just don't have the ability that some of the other brethren have. I'm not saying about ability, but I do hope you're there with your presence.

You know, one of the things that we are facing, and I'm not here to throw stones this morning, but one of the things which we are facing is this, we are facing a generation and they, they just don't seem to understand the unique dignity of God's assembly. Never forget there is nothing like this on the face of planet earth. Some are leaving and they're going to other fellowships.

And it seems to be that they think that other fellowships are on the same basis as God's assembly. Let me just say to you this morning that that is not so. God's assembly is unique.

The church of God is distinct and nothing in Christendom bears the same import, bears the same impact, has the same unique distinction as the assembly of God. In fact, in the new Testament, unashamedly this morning in the new Testament, there is only one thing, one thing in many places, and you know what that is. That's a unique, distinct gathering place, which is called the church of God, the assembly of God.

I hope we value it now. You young man this morning, you get into this book and you put your feet fully and wholly upon this fact that God is only one thing. It is not that everywhere else that we could go are gathering centers which are of equal value as the assembly.

That is not correct. There is only one place where God has placed his name and that is where you say, how do we know that? Well, I said I'd leave time here and I apologize about this. That clock, we're going to have to do something about that clock in Mount Sterling.

Okay. Thank you, brother. Take the clock down.

Well, let me just assure you how that we know. If you go to first Corinthians chapter three, we learn this. Paul says, I have laid a foundation.

What does that mean? That means that Paul moved into Corinth and through the preaching of the gospel, he laid a foundation in Corinth, which had never been there before. Now, by him, him laying a foundation, people were saved. When people were saved in Corinth, God manifested.

My presence is there. Now on that basis, an assembly was formed on the basis of gospel testimony, on the basis of souls being saved, on the basis of those souls being saved. Paul recognizes God is manifesting.

We're in first Corinthians three. Let me just repeat what I've been saying there. What Paul was saying is this.

He laid the foundation in gospel testimony. Through that gospel testimony, souls were saved. Paul recognized by that, that God is manifesting his presence here.

So it wasn't, you know, how now the churches set up a new organization in a place they decide, well, we have no organization in this place. They set up a focus group through that focus group. They say, well, if we build a church here and we put a minister in place, so many will come along to the church.

That's not what God does. Do you know what God does? God sends men to preach the gospel. Through the preaching of the gospel, souls are saved.

Through that preaching of the gospel, souls being saved, God manifests his presence in an area. And through that, assembly testimony is commenced. Now here's a man and he wasn't there.

And you can imagine the joy of the other disciples. They come back and they say to Thomas, Thomas, we have seen the Lord. Now what I would have done would likely have been a little bit different.

I would have likely taken the big stick to Thomas and said, Thomas, why weren't you there? You know, it was the assembly gathering yesterday morning. You know, we were there for the breaking of bread. Why weren't you there? These disciples didn't do that.

You know what they said to the man? We have seen the Lord. And such was the impact of the manifestation of the presence of Christ in the midst of these men that Thomas said to himself, he says, you know, I should be there. Now let's go to the book of Hebrews.

Not, I'll just reference it. You remember what the writer to the Hebrew says? He says, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is. Now some in our gathering will know that that word gathering of ourselves together there is only used twice in the new Testament.

It's used in second Thessalonians and in chapter two, I beseech you by our gathering together unto him, his coming and our gathering together unto him. You know, brethren and sisters, let me say, it would be a tragedy to miss our gathering together onto him on earth and to be with him at our gathering together onto him in the air. He's given us a unique privilege.

I want to stress this this morning. He has given us a unique privilege. Do you know what that privilege is that we are gathered together in his name as saints of God upon planet earth in assemblies gathered onto the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ alone, where he is in the midst.

It was my old grandfather. Some of, I think I told this in Rose Isle. So some of my friends from Rose Isle, you could switch off and have a sleep for 30 seconds, but it was my old grandfather.

He got saved. Just after he got saved, he starts to read the new Testament. And as he's reading the new Testament, he finds out that I should be baptized.

So he goes to the minister of the church where he was attending and he opened the scriptures and he said to the minister of the church, he said, look, he says, I have found that I should be baptized. You know what the minister said? We don't do that here. It's a short time later.

He's reading in Peter and other parts of the new Testament. And he found out that there was a priesthood of all believers. And he goes back to the minister again.

And he said to the minister, look, he says there's something in scripture called the priesthood of all believers. A one man ministry is unscriptural. And obviously the minister didn't like that bit.

A short time later, he goes back to the minister again and he says to the minister, look, he says, there's a gathering center. You look at what happens in Jerusalem. You look at what happens in Acts 11 at Antioch.

He says, you look what happens right through the book of the Acts. The gospel is preached. Souls are saved.

Those souls are baptized. Then they are gathered unto the name of the Lord Jesus. He says, God is a gathering center.

We're doing this wrong. You know what the minister said to him? That minister said to him, if you believe that you should go and join the brethren. My grandfather didn't know what he was talking about.

Never heard of the brethren. And obviously, you know, I'm putting that in quotation marks there. He was walking along to church one Sunday morning and it was raining and he stepped into a doorway hoping that the rain would ease.

And there was a little note there. And it simply said this Christians gathered onto the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. My grandfather thought to himself, you know, some Sunday morning, I should come here and see what they do.

The rain comes on heavier. And he thought maybe I'll just go in this morning. And he walked up those stairs.

He went in one of those overseers, greeted him, showed him into the seat of the unlearned. And now my grandfather is wondering, where is the minister here? Where's the pastor? And suddenly a man steps up, gives out announcements, and then called to him. My grandfather said, this must be the minister.

That man sat down. Then another brother over here, he steps forward and he gives thanks to God for his son. And now my grandfather's looking around and he's thinking, what is this place? Another brother over here gives out another him.

And then brethren start to worship God for his lovely son. You know what my grandfather said? This is the place. This is what I've been reading about in the new Testament.

I have read about a gathering center. I have read about the place where Christ is in the midst. I have been reading in first Corinthians of a place where Jesus Christ is acknowledged as Lord.

And here's Thomas. And Thomas wasn't there. This is my beloved son.

Hear him. Am I speaking to anyone this morning? And you have been gradually moving away from the gathering of the saints. Beloved saints, this morning, can I say it's time to get back for that Bible study now on Wednesday evening.

What night is your Bible study here, brother Wayne? Wednesday evening, everyone in Mount Sterling. I realized most of them are working in the kitchen or quite a few now, but I hope on Wednesday evening to come that you're here in the Bible study. And you know, as I look at beloved saints from Canada here and beloved ones from the United States, whether it's Jackson or wherever we have come from this morning, I hope I can challenge our hearts that we will with renewed impetus, put our back into the things of God in local assembly testimony onto the coming of the person of the Lord Jesus.

This is my beloved son. Hear him, Mary, Thomas. Let me move very quickly then.

And some brother will have time. John's gospel chapter 21 in John 21. I want you to consider with me the third occasion and it's Simon verse number 15, when they had dined.

Now I would judge that most of us, we know the background. If you were reading at the early verses of John 21, you will know this, that these men were waiting for the appearance of the Lord Jesus in Galilee. And of course, you'll know that Peter is the man in verse number three.

Simon Peter says unto them, I go a fishing. Now you know what some have told us. Some have said to us that Peter was a disappointed man.

Peter was out of touch with God. I can see some of my friends smiling at me and they know that I believe this. So, but anyway, some fail that Peter's disappointed.

Peter is denied the Lord Jesus. Peter is out of touch with God. And as such, Simon, Peter says here, I go a fishing.

I don't believe that at all. Personally, I can see you're shocked, Anna, but I don't believe that at all. Well, you say, what do you mean by that? Don't forget now that Peter had already been privately restored on the resurrection day.

The Lord had appeared to various saints. He appeared to the two on the road to a mess. He appeared to Mary that we've already read about.

There are five recorded appearances of the Lord Jesus on the resurrection day. And one of those, he had appeared on to Cephas personally. I believe that Peter had been privately restored by the Lord Jesus when the Lord appeared to him that resurrection day.

And here Peter simply was a hungry man and he knew we're going to need breakfast in the morning. So Peter looked at these men and Peter says, I go a fishing. And of course they say to him, we also go with a, now, you know, the story, you know, that that night they fished and they caught nothing.

And the morning is dawning. And as the morning dawns, they're drawing near to the shore and now they're disappointed because they haven't caught anything for breakfast. And as they're drawing near to the shore, there's a stranger standing on the shore and he calls across the shore to them.

And he says, children, have you any mate? And of course they hadn't. He says to them now, he says, drop the net, cast the net verse number six on the right side of the ship. And ye shall find, and they cast it and they draw forth.

And you know what they drew forth such a cast of fish. And John's the man that's looking and John's the man that's watching. And John looks at this stranger on the shore.

And you know what John says? It is the Lord. And Peter hears him saying it. And as soon as John says it to Peter, it's the Lord.

There's only one person with power who's able to do this. Peter girds his fisherman's coat about him and he jumps over and he makes his way to the shore. And that's something of the background of John, John 21 verse number 15.

As I've mentioned, this is not so much as private restoration. This is his public restoration. You know, I hope we still believe beloved saints in restoration.

Who of us here this morning haven't needed it? Never forget Psalm 23. He restores my soul. Every one of us needs it.

And Peter had already been privately restored, but you know what would happen. Now you're aware of what happens among Christians. It would never happen in Jackson.

I know that. And it would never happen in Winnipeg or Rose Isle. I'm aware of that as well, but I do know, you know, I come from the East and I know what would happen there.

I know that people would look at someone that's been privately restored and they would say, don't you remember what he did? You say Christians would never do that. Well, sadly, sadly, fellow saints, I think they would. And yet here's a moment.

And these disciples watched must have been a wonderful thing for Peter. It also must have been a wonderful thing for the other disciples. They look and the Lord Jesus says to Simon, Simon, son of Jonas, love us now me more than these.

Now I know that some believe that's the fish. I don't believe that at all. Peter had left the nets long ago.

You say, what are the, these in question? The, these are the other disciples. You remember what Peter said? He said, Lord, do all these deny thee yet? Well, not I. And the Lord turns and he says, Peter, thou must tell me more than these men. And Peter says, yay, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee.

The Lord Jesus says to him, you feed my lambs. He says the same. The second time to him only, he says, feed my sheep.

And of course, the third time, the three full restoration answers. To the three times that Peter denies the Lord Jesus. And the last time we read it there in the, in the narrative, Peter was graved.

One of the most amazing statements of scripture. He's graved. You know what Peter says? He says, Lord, thou knowest all things.

Now, any of our brethren who have studied John's gospel, you know that in John's gospel, the omniscience of Christ is seen in every chapter. You remember chapter one, when thou was done to the fig tree, I saw the, you remember chapter two, he knew what was in man. You remember chapter three, there's a man, Nicodemus, and he says to the Lord Jesus, we know.

And the Lord Jesus makes it clear that he didn't know, but the savior knew because the omniscience of Christ is seen in every chapter of John's gospel. You remember John chapter 19, one of the high marks of the gospel. You remember Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled Seth.

And here, here is maybe the touchstone of the omniscience of Christ in the gospel. Peter says, Lord, thou knowest all things. Thou knowest that I love thee anyone here.

And you have felt that you need the touch of Christ in restoration. Never forget beloved saints. Thou knowest thou knowest that I love thee.

One thing I do want to touch just before I leave this. And just before I sit down this morning, did you notice that the lambs and the sheep here, they're not divided. Never forget now, just as a practical note, I know frequently in assembly testimony, we will do this and we'll say, well, what we can do is we can have a woman's meeting.

Maybe, maybe we could have some of the men could get together. I know that the trend at the moment is young people's conferences and young people's meetings. Some of our young people are going to think I'm a dinosaur this morning, but believe it or not, I'm not as old as you think.

Someone asked me yesterday, how old are you by the way? But anyway, let me just say, just for your information, I would judge that those kinds of meetings are not biblical. There's no such a thing in the new Testament as a young person's meeting. There's no such a thing as a sister's meeting.

There's no such a thing as a gentle man's meeting when just the men come together. Well, you say, who should it be? Well, the lambs are here and the sheep are here. And you go, you go to parts of the new Testament.

Let me prove this now from the doctrine, which is given to us in the new Testament epistles. You read in first Timothy. And if you're reading in first Timothy chapter five, Timothy is told to charge the old man.

And he's told to speak to the young man. He's told to charge the older women. And he's told to charge the young women.

In other words, all of these will be seen together in the gathering of the saints. There will be older men there. There will be younger brethren there.

There will be older women there. There will be younger sisters there. Now, listen, all are vital.

I hope you get that. It's vital for assembly testimony that we've got older brethren. It's vital for assembly testimony that we've got younger brethren.

It's vital for assembly testimony. Let me say beloved older sisters this morning. It is so wonderful to see you at a Bible conference and to see you at Mount Sterling this weekend.

Do you know the reason why older sisters are vital to pass on their experience to younger sisters? And it's wonderful to see our younger sisters here and the whole thing being born out to see the energy of the young and to see the experience of the old gathered together for the glory of God in local assembly testimony. I leave it this morning. There will be 10 minutes for another brother.

I leave it. And as I sit down and return to my seat, listen, this is my beloved son. Hear him.

I hope we've heard him this morning. Maybe in the disappointments of life, there's a beloved sister and she has heard him say, Mary, maybe there's someone here and you've been getting away from the Lord and from assembly testimony that you have heard him say, Thomas, maybe there's someone here and you have felt the need of restoration like so many of us have felt the need. And you have heard him say, Simon, son of Jonas, love us down me.

Never forget where they were. They were on the shore. You know, someday we will reach the eternal shore going to be quite a day.

We'll all gather home in the morning on the banks of the bright Jasper sea. We meet the redeemed and our loved ones. What a gathering that will be.

And on the eternal shore, he's going to speak to us. And you know what he'll say, children, have you any meat and he'll feed us for all eternity. God bless his word.