Page 133 - Fundamentals 7 ebook 1-16-19_Neat

I’m certain that in Peter’s heart he felt disqualified and said, “I
will never be a fisher of men. I’ll still love the Lord and I know
I’m going to heaven but as far as service, I’ve disqualified
myself.” I want you to notice how the Lord Jesus deals with
Peter as he swims to shore. At first, I thought it looked a little
cruel, what Jesus did. He begins to bring up things that Peter
didn’t want to think about. I already told you that the whole
miracle with the fish was a refresher course. The first time is in
Luke 5:8, “But when Simon Peter saw that, he fell down at
Jesus; feet, saying, ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O
Lord!’” The first time God did that miracle, Peter said, “Depart;
I’m a sinful man.”

Listen to John 21:9, “And so when they got out upon the land,
they saw a charcoal fire already laid, and fish placed on it, and
bread.” When Peter got to shore, the first thing he saw was a
charcoal fire. I can’t prove it but I think his heart sunk when he
saw a charcoal fire. John 18:18, “Now the slaves and the
officers were standing there, having made a charcoal fire, for it
was cold and they were warming themselves; and Peter also
was with them, standing and warming himself.”

There’s only two times in your New Testament that you read
about a charcoal fire. The last time Peter saw a charcoal fire he
was denying the Lord. Now he swims to shore and that memory
comes back of the charcoal fire. Jesus did that on purpose. I
say, “Lord, why are you doing that to that poor man?”

John 21:15, “So, when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said
to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than
these?’ He said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord, You know that I love You.’
He said to him, ‘Tend My lambs.’” Don’t read that “la, la, la”.
Peter was already suffering when he saw the charcoal fire and
now Jesus speaks to him for the first time and he calls him,
“Simon”. That was his name before he got saved. Jesus isn’t
calling him “Peter”. He’s calling him “Simon”. I think that was
painful.