But after Matthew 28, we come to John 21. Their high didn't last very long; they came down from the mountain. I must confess that I like John 21 much better than Matthew 28, because according to my experience I am not always so high. Many times I am not in Matthew 28, but John 21. In Matthew 28 we have a mountain, while in John 21 we have the seashore. Where are you in your experience now—on the mountain or on the seashore? If you are honest, most of you will admit that you are presently on the seashore. The seashore in John 21 was not so good; it was not the place appointed by the Lord. The Lord appointed a mountain, not the seashore. The sea was a place to which the disciples backslid. Peter took the lead, and they all went to the sea—it was their choice.

The fishing in John 21 does not have positive significance, but negative. If you have come to this country just to make a living, if you are in any place merely for your living, that is the fishing mentioned in John 21. You don't care for the Lord's commission; you only care for your living. The Lord commissioned you in Matthew 28, but you couldn't stand the test, you gave up His commission to care for your living. You said like Peter, "I go a fishing."

For people to make a living is according to the natural law. God created man, and man must live; so God has prepared the things for man's living. To make a living is all right; but as a child of God, a disciple of Jesus commissioned with His authority, we should not be here for our living. Are you? We must be here for the Lord's commission in Matthew 28. We must not be here for fishing, but for "churching."

We have already seen how the disciples fished through the entire night and caught nothing. Then when morning came, the Lord Jesus was there. It is quite interesting. In Matthew on the mountaintop, the disciples were waiting for the Lord, but here on the seashore the Lord Jesus was waiting for them. I do believe that when Peter and the others went to the sea, the Lord was there already. He was always with them. Whether they were in a building or in the open air, whether they were on the mountaintop or at the seashore, wherever they were, He was there. When they were casting the net, He was there also. In fact, He was managing the situation so that they caught nothing. It was not under their hand, but Jesus'. And then He manifested Himself to them and showed that He had the food prepared and it was already cooked.

If we do mean business that we are here for the Lord's commission, the Lord will take care of our living. Everyone may be jobless, but we will still have bread. People today are so greatly concerned about the unemployment problem, but we may forget it. That has nothing to do with us; we are not here for making a living. Whether fish can be caught or not, we don't depend on the sea. We depend on the living Christ; He has all the fish in His hand. The worldly people do not have Christ; they must depend on the sea. But not us. If you are one who is for the world, you must be concerned for your living, you must put your trust in your employment. But if you are one of the disciples commissioned by the Lord Jesus, forget about your living. Just be honest and faithful to His commission. You will even save your cooking. The Lord said, "Come and dine." Don't worry about eating—He will take care of that.