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Sermon: What’s Next?...2

CONNIE: Are you fishing in the right pond? Today we look at a biblical fisherman who was fishing on the wrong side of the boat, and in the wrong pond. Stay tuned, there's a lesson here for all of us.

Giving God’s trumpet a Certain Sound for more than 70 years, this is the Voice of Prophecy.

CONNIE: Hello, I’m Connie Jeffery,

LONNIE: and I’m Lonnie Melashenko.

CONNIE: Lonnie I’ve got to admit something to you. When it comes to fishing I must be fishing, in the wrong place, don’t know where they are, never caught a thing, what about you?

LONNIE: I’ve been fortunate having grown up for a few years in the islands of Bermuda where you just dropped a line over, you didn’t even have a rod, you just dropped a line over and they’d come, it was just wonderful.

CONNIE: Well that must be a good feeling. Whenever I’m I drop that line in, nothing ever happens

LONNIE: I think that’s luck sometimes. I remember going fishing, with a gentleman, in Paradise California, Bill Vanorder. Wanted to take me to me out to Paradise reservoir. He’d been a long time fisherman. I hadn’t fished in 20 years. He caught nothing. I got five of them within the first twenty minutes.

LONNIE: Well, whenever you go fishing, it's wise to first find out where the fish are.
CONNIE: That can be a bit challenging--especially at popular fishing spots. I've heard of fishermen who'd send a stranger to all the wrong places--just so they wouldn't catch any of the prize fish in the best fishing holes.

LONNIE: In the case of Peter, whose story we look at today--he wasn't fishing in the wrong place because of wrong directions. In fact, Jesus had given him very good directions. But he just wasn't following them.

CONNIE: But to me the great thing about the story is that Jesus didn't give up on Peter, even when he went the wrong direction. He continued to care about Peter, and to give him directions until Peter finally got it right.

LONNIE: That's right. And Jesus wants to do the same for us. Sometimes we get off on a wrong track, but He doesn't give up easily on us. He's given us good directions in the Bible, but sometimes we don't understand, or we get our signals mixed up just like Peter did. Especially when it comes to understanding some of the prophetic portions of the Bible. And that's why we've invited a leading expert in biblical prophecies to join us today to share some insights into how to keep from misinterpreting God's word to us.

Dr. Hans LaRondelle is Professor Emeritus of Theology at Andrews University--his classes on prophetic interpretation have always been some of the most popular in the seminary there, and he spoke with Ken Wade about prophecies and getting our interpretations right.

KEN: Dr. Hans LaRondelle, welcome to the program.

DR.HANS: Thank you.

KEN: This is our second time to speak. As we’re dealing with the series of topics called “What’s Next” and of course we’re looking at prophecy, and our last discussion we were talking about the disciples, John the Baptist and how their expectations of Jesus weren’t fulfilled. They hadn’t really read the prophecies in the right light. I think the key that we came to, Dr. LaRondelle, wasn’t it, what does our key of prophetic interpretation need to be centered on?

DR.HANS: According to Jesus in John 5. The Old Testament scriptures all have their center in messianic prophecies, so that he could say, “these are they which testify of me.”

KEN: yeah! That’s so important. I think when you read the story in Luke; I think its in chapter 28, where Jesus is walking with the men in Emmass. They look at the Bible and what sections of the bible does he point them to.

DR.HANS: He points them to Moses, the psalms and the prophets.
KEN: What does he tell them from those?

DR.HANS: He explains from all these books, what the prophecies and the types of what we’re focusing on and that was not in Israel, but on the mission of The Great Divine Messiah.

KEN: I think Dr. LaRondelle that’s one of the major contributions that you’ve made to my understanding of prophecy. The idea as we read the prophecy we shouldn’t focus on what’s going to happen to America or what’s going to happen to Germany or what’s going to happen to Mexico or wherever. The prophecies center on Jesus.

DR.HANS: That is the plan of redemption, in the Bible.

KEN: Now, of course, today we have a lot of schools of prophetic interpretation and all the time I get letters from people saying, “I’ve studied the Jubilee’s” or “I’ve studied this text in Daniel,” and I can tell you exactly when Jesus is going to come back again. There’s a danger in that, isn’t there?

DR.HANS: We can learn from history that all the date setters have been proven false.

KEN: It’s happened over and over again. The problem is that they’ve become focused on certain texts in the bible and not on Christ.

DR.HANS: Exactly! Before Jesus departed to Heaven they asked, “Lord are you going to at this time, going to restore the kingdom to Israel.”

KEN: They expected it right then didn’t they!

DR.HANS: (chuckle) they had the same interest that the Christians have today.

KEN: We see a very popular series of books out there right now, that has caught my attention, all focusing on one idea, that there’s going to be a seven year tribulation and a rapture before that.

DR.HANS: That is based on a false premise. That in the book of Daniel, chapter 9, that the 70 weeks that were cut caught off and the Jewish times would be divided up with a gap of 2000 years between and 7 years would be shifted to the end of time. That is a false assumption.

KEN: Yes, I think it was Dr. William Shea your colleague that I was speaking with on the program a few weeks ago and he said, “You know, if it’s that way, it’s not a 70-year prophecy it’s a 2070 year prophecy.
DR.HANS: yes---indeed

KEN: The problem with that, as I think you mentioned last time, it’s an overly literalistic literalism.

DR.HANS: Now there is the root of the whole problem, and that is exactly the Jewish principle of interpreting the prophecies. They had a strictly literalistic application of the terms, Israel and the Jews in the prophecies. Instead of understanding that they are called to be a spiritual Israel.

KEN: That’s why there’s so much interest in what’s happening in Jerusalem, the thought of re-building the temple there. This is all based on a literal understanding of Israel. As where the New Testament points us to a spiritual Israel.

DR. HANS: Yes, and that is because Jesus determines who is and belongs to Israel. He says whoever is gathering with me will gather, otherwise he will scatter. Jesus is the decisive norm of gathering or scattering in the Bible.

KEN: We see that over and over again in the New Testament that Jesus is taking and making an Israel built of those who as in John 4 he says, “those who worship God in spirit and in truth rather then from a literal physical decent.

DR.HANS: That is the emphasis for Jesus. He wants the spiritual people who worship Him alone and follow Him wherever he goes.

KEN: Dr. LaRondelle, I really appreciate you sharing your knowledge of prophecy and your take on it and for particularly pointing us to Jesus and saying, the center of the prophecies has got to be Jesus not a certain group of people or a certain country, city or anything.

DR. HANS: No geography and no ethnic groups, but Christ alone.

KEN: Christ alone. ----Thank you very much Dr. LaRondelle.

DR.HANS: Always helpful and willing to help.

KEN: Thank you, and bye now.

LONNIE: We here at Voice of Prophecy believe that we are living in the days just before Jesus' second coming, and we want to be sure we get our signals right as we seek to understand the Bible's prophecies about the end of time. Dr. LaRondelle will join us again in two weeks as we continue with this topic.

CONNIE: Right now let's listen to a favorite Advent song about the hope of Jesus' soon return. The song is "How Sweet Are the Tidings," sung by Merilou Luthas.

“How Sweet Are the Tidings”, Merrilou Luthas, from The Midnight Cry CD,

LONNIE: Amen! Jesus is coming back to this earth again! And I'm looking forward to being among those weary pilgrims who go to glory with Him!

CONNIE: I'm looking forward to that day as well Lonnie. But you know, based on what Ken and Dr. LaRondelle talked about, and on some other things I've seen recently, I think there's quite a lot of confusion these days about the prophecies and what we should expect to be happening as we approach the time of Jesus' return.

LONNIE: Well, when you consider that even the disciples were pretty hazy in their understanding of what Jesus predicted, it's important to study carefully and to keep that Christ-centered focus to really understand what God has planned for our planet.

CONNIE: Today we have a special gift for you--and it's hot off the press. It's been published by Signs of the Times magazine in response to people's questions about just what will happen before the Second Coming.

LONNIE: You may be familiar with the book Left Behind and the other books in that series. They are based on the idea that there will be a Rapture of God's saints prior to the Second Coming. But is there a good biblical basis for that belief? Or are the authors perhaps misunderstanding Jesus' predictions?

CONNIE: If you've had questions about the Second Coming and the Rapture, you'll want to read The Rapture--A Second Look. This brief booklet pulls together some of the best articles on the topic of the Second Coming from the well-known journal Signs of the Times. You'll find articles by Marvin Moore, Ralph Blodgett, and Samuele Bacchiocchi, all focusing on how we can best understand the important prophecies that point to the time and the manner of Jesus' return to earth.

LONNIE: There's a lot of confusion about what the Bible really says about the Second Coming. The articles in this booklet will take you right into the Bible and let you study the matter out for yourself and draw your own conclusions.

CONNIE: The Rapture--A Second Look is our gift to you. Just call us at 1-800-872-0055 and request it. But right now, let's listen as Lonnie shares today's message, "What's Next--Part 2."

What's Next--2

Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We are going with you also." They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing (John 21:3, NKJV).

Can you picture the sign on the door of a company called "Christian Apostles, Limited"? It's the middle of the day--on a weekday, but the door is closed, the lights are off, and hanging from a little hook above the window is a hand-lettered sign: "Gone Fishing."

Now, the text I read is found in the last chapter of the Gospel of John. It's the introduction to the last story in the book--a story about what happened after the resurrection of Jesus. And it comes right after the story John tells about Doubting Thomas in chapter 20.

You probably remember the story of Thomas. When the other disciples told him they had seen Jesus, He didn't believe them. He said, "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe" (John 20:25, NKJV).

Because of that, he has gone down in history as "Doubting Thomas." But he wasn't the only disciple who had to see things with his own eyes before he would believe. If you heard our program two weeks ago, you'll remember that after the crucifixion, all of the disciples hunkered down in an upper room, staying in Jerusalem instead of heading out to Galilee. If they'd had faith in Jesus' words, they would have immediately left Jerusalem and headed north to Galilee to meet with Him as He had instructed them.

Throughout the day of His resurrection, Jesus sent messages to them, telling them to go to Galilee, but they stayed put in Jerusalem. That afternoon Jesus even joined two of His followers as they walked westward toward Emmaus, and talked with them, explaining the prophecies about Himself. And those two men hurried back to Jerusalem and reported to the disciples that they had seen the Lord alive.

But still the disciples didn't believe. Finally Jesus Himself entered the room and stood before them, but they were terrified when they saw Him, thinking they had seen a ghost. Even when He showed them His wounded hands and feet, they still wouldn't believe He was really alive, until He ate a meal with them.

So, you see, Thomas wasn't alone in doubting--in wanting to see and touch Jesus before he would have faith.

Now, the amazing thing to me is that, after ten of the remaining eleven disciples saw Jesus, they still remained in Jerusalem for another week, instead of going to Galilee as He had instructed. But stay they did, and it was the following Sunday when Jesus appeared to them again. This time Thomas was present, and quickly he lost all his doubts when he saw and touched the living, resurrected Jesus.

Now, if you read the Gospel of John and then go read the other Gospel accounts of what happened after the resurrection, you'll quickly recognize that John left something out of the story. Because the next story John tells us is about Peter's fishing expedition. And notice, it says "They went out and immediately got into the boat."

What boat? Where?

It was Peter and Andrew's boat on the Sea of Galilee.

But it takes several days to walk from Jerusalem to the Sea of Galilee. How did they all-of-a-sudden end up in Galilee?

Ahh…we need to go to Matthew's Gospel to find the answer to that.
Matthew's account of what happened after the resurrection is very brief. He doesn't tell about the trip to Emmaus. He doesn't mention Thomas and the others encountering Jesus in the upper room. He skips over all that and tells us. Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them (Matthew 28:16, NKJV).

And do you remember what happened when they arrived there? Here it is in verses 18-20--the last verses of Matthew: And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen (Matthew 28:18-20, NKJV).

When the disciples finally went to Galilee--as Jesus had instructed them to do--He met with them up on a mountaintop and gave them the great Gospel Commission. "Go--spread this message everywhere, baptize people everywhere--and I will always be with you."

Now, here's the amazing thing.

What did the disciples do in response to that great commission?

That's where the story we started with today fits into the picture.

Imagine it. You're Peter, or John, or Thomas. You've seen Jesus in Jerusalem. You've been to the mountaintop with the resurrected Lord of the universe. He's come to you there, and spoken with you, and given you a commission to spread the gospel to the whole world.

What are you going to do next?

What did Peter and the other disciples decide to do next?

Go fishing. . . .

Go figure.

They were going back to their old way of life--back to doing the things they'd done before they ever met Jesus.

But notice: that night they caught nothing (John 20:3).
Maybe they'd lost their knack as fishermen.

Or maybe they just weren't in the right place at the right time.
Morning dawned on a cold, discouraged, and hungry bunch of disciples hunkered down in their little fishing boat, wondering where to go, what to do next.

And then they spotted the Man on the shore. And he called out to them and told them to try fishing on the other side of the boat.

A silly idea if I ever heard of one--if there are no fish on the left side of the boat, why would there be fish on the right side? Still, they had nothing to lose, so they gave it a try, and suddenly the net was full of fish. And it was then that they realized the Man on the shore was none other than Jesus. And when they arrived at the shore with their catch, they discovered He'd already fixed breakfast for them.

He'd promised to be with them always. He'd promised to take care of them. But they'd gone off fishing, bent on caring for their own needs.
After breakfast, Jesus pulled Peter aside and asked him: Do you love Me?--He asked it three times, and each time Peter responded, Jesus laid a challenge before him: If you love me, then you ought to be taking care of the flock I've given you. "Feed My sheep," He said. "You ought to be sharing the good things I've given you with everyone. I commissioned you to be a fisher of men, not a fisher of fish."

It was a gentle, loving rebuke. Jesus was saying "Peter, what are you doing here? You have a commission and a mission to fulfill in all the world. I'll go with you. I'll provide for all your needs. But you must tackle the task I've given to you."

Peter and the rest of the disciples almost missed out on the greatest opportunity of their lives, because they failed to listen carefully to Jesus. They failed to understand the prophecies about Him. They failed to even follow the most basic instructions about what to do after the resurrection. They almost failed to carry out the greatest commission ever given to humanity.

But notice, friend. Jesus didn't give up on them. He followed them. He continued to speak to them. He continued to provide for them. Until they got it right. And soon they went out and began to spread the gospel. And today the gospel has been spread to almost every corner of the world.

It's a testimony to the love, the patience, and the perseverance of Jesus.
He has a commission for you and me too, friend. A commission to be fulfilled before He comes again. He's waiting to meet us again, just as He waited by the shores of Galilee for Peter and his friends. But there's a mission to be fulfilled. Here's what He said would happen before He returned, it's found in Matthew 24:14: "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come" (NKJV).

He promised that the Great Commission He gave to Peter and the disciples would be fulfilled. And you and I have a part in fulfilling it! For we, too, can feed the Lord's sheep. We, who know the gospel--who know Jesus, can take His message to all the world.

If we'll listen to Jesus.

If we'll take Him at His word, and take His word with us to the hungry world.

“Reach Out and Touch”, Charles Haugabrooks, from God's Touch Through You

CONNIE: It's our privilege to reach out and touch people with the good news of the gospel--to help prepare the world for the second coming of Jesus. That Was Charles Haugabrooks singing "Reach Out and Touch"

LONNIE: And you know, Connie, I can't help but think that the Second Coming will be soon. But I think my views of what is going to happen before Jesus returns may be in the minority among evangelical Christians today.

CONNIE: How's that?

LONNIE: Well, as the booklet we're offering as a gift today points out, just in the past 50 years or so, Christian interpretation of prophecy has taken a drastic turn. Something no one believed in until just recently has caught the popular imagination. It's the idea that there will be a rapture of the church before the Second Coming.

CONNIE: That isn't what most people believed 50 years ago, is it?

LONNIE: No, it's a modern development--and one that's not too well founded in the Bible. But most people don't realize that, and we wish they did. That's why we're offering this booklet The Rapture--A Second Look free today.

CONNIE: Please give us a call at 1-800-872-0055, or write to us at Voice of Prophecy, Box 53055, Los Angeles, 90053. Again: Box 53055, Los Angeles, 90053 in Canada write to Box 2127, Oshawa, Ontario L1H 7V4, and request your copy of The Rapture--A Second Look.

LONNIE: Please take the time to study this matter out for yourself. It's important that we let Jesus speak for Himself, rather than just believing what everybody else seems to believe.

CONNIE: The toll-free number again is 1-800-872-0055. And The Rapture--A Second Look is our gift to you, just for the asking.

LONNIE: Thanks for joining us today. We hope you'll tune in every week at this time. And now as we close,

May the Amazing grace of the Master, Jesus Christ,
The extravagant love of God,
The intimate friendship of the Holy Spirit,
Be with all of you.
Amen.