Page 129 - Fundamentals 7 ebook 1-16-19_Neat

How long would you wait if Jesus didn’t show up? Would you
wait a week? Would you wait a month? Would you think you
were in the wrong place? They waited and waited and waited
and finally Peter said, “I’m going fishing.”

Many commentators think that when Peter said, “I’m going
fishing,” that he was quitting his life as a Christian. When he
first met Jesus he left his boats and his nets. Some think, “Now
he’s going back to the old vocation.” But we know why he was
there. He came to see the risen Christ. If Matthew was the
spokesman and said, “I’m going back to tax gathering,” I would
think that maybe he was giving up on being a Christian. If the
Apostle Paul was there and said, “I’m going back to persecuting
Christians,” I would understand that he was giving up.

I think when Peter said, “I’m going fishing,” it was different. I
think Peter was saying, “That’s all I know. I’m a fisherman.
That’s what I do. That’s my life. That’s my trade. From a little
child I was brought up as a fisherman.” Peter might have said,
“I don’t know if this is the right place. I don’t know if this is
the right day. I don’t know if this is the right time. I have no
idea when He is going to show up. So, I’m going fishing.”

I think what he had in his mind is that he was going to be who
he was. He wasn’t giving up on the Lord and He wasn’t going
back on the Lord. He knew he was forgiven but I think in his
heart he felt disqualified to ever be used by the Lord again. He
had denied the Lord. Jesus told him that someday he would be
a fisher of men. I think he gave up on that. But in his heart he
had come to see the risen Savior. He loved the Lord Jesus. So,
he says, “Until He shows up, I will just do what I do.”

Brothers and sisters, what are we supposed to do until Jesus
shows up? Let me give you the first answer to the Great
Commission; go fishing. In other words, just live. Be
yourselves. Fishing represents Peter. Until the Lord shows
Himself to you, be who you are. God has ever only wanted two
things. He wants you to be you and He wants Himself to be