You know that feeling you have in life when you know it's right? It's usually when two people feel the same way. I'm thankful for you. I'm thankful that you loved me. I'm thankful that you love my family. Sometimes I think you love my family more than me, which is good. I recognize that a month ago, it was maybe difficult to pay attention to what I said. But one of the things that I said, I try to rank order them. So after my salvation, after my wife, and after my children, this has been one of the greatest honors of my life. And I mean that with great sincerity and thanks. Now, with that said, give me just a second because I do want to preach. All right. This is the sermon I struggled with and found myself in an awkward position on campus Friday night. As I'm going around introducing myself to the different students, I wasn't sure what to call myself anymore. Still a preacher. That's not ending, ever. Thank you for that reminder. But my role as pastor here is coming to an end. And so with one student in particular, I shared that with because I felt like I should. And they said, well, that must be hard. And I said, it's very hard. They said, what are you going to preach about Sunday? I said, I have no idea. And the more I thought about that, the more I felt that that was going to be the title. No idea. So let me take you back real quick to early May 2006. I got up early. and put on a very, very new police uniform. And I got in a car with a field training officer named Kevin Krogan. And early in the morning, we got a call of an injury accident. I think there'd been a rollover or something. It was pretty bad. And he was training me how to do my job. And I'm still scared to death to drive, lights and sirens and all that going on, trying to make sure I do everything right. And he says to me, have you worked an injury accident before, and are you nervous? I said, no, and yes. I was very nervous. And I remember he said to me, listen, when you get there, you're in charge. And everyone will look at you. You know the basics. Figure it out quickly because you will set the tone. He said, I'm here if you need me. I don't remember a lot more about that situation other than as nervous as I was and as much as I didn't know what to do, I got out of that car and I did what I knew how to do. That wasn't the first time that I had no idea what I was doing. And it hasn't been the last, and it won't be in the future. I don't want to make this sermon about me, so I'm going to start with me and then end on the only topic that matters. But I want to set the stage by saying there's been many times in my life I had no idea what I was doing. I had no idea when I walked through that door March 18, 2018, that I'd become your pastor. I was just looking for a church to join. I had no idea what to preach about when I was asked to come and deliver sermon here, April 9th. I chose Lazarus, but I don't remember why. I had no idea what to do when Cody and Silas said they wanted to join the church. I wasn't even the pastor yet. No idea what to do. I had no idea what to do when the church elected me, May 27th. Now that one I'll come back to. I had no idea what was in store for me in August of 2018 as my other job kicked into gear and I had to experience what it was like to be bivocational. I had no idea what to do when in the course of 30 days, 30 days, I was ordained. performed my two first baptisms, gave the first communion I'd ever given, and presided over the first funeral I'd ever had to do. And for each and every one of those, I remember thinking to myself, I wish I had paid closer attention to how people did this before, because I had no idea. No idea what I was doing. I'd not done any of those things before. I had no idea what to do on the Sundays when I would come here and the sermon that I had either prepared or when I was unable to prepare and I was supposed to preach but didn't know what on. No idea what to do. Had no idea what to say when Shelby and Cody came to me and said, we really want this other person to do our wedding. But he's not feeling too good. Would you do it if he can't?" I had no idea, and I said, sure, why not? Really should have paid attention at weddings a little bit more. But we got through it, and you're married, so there you go. I didn't know what to do when Brother Jim was in such poor health. He said, I want to preach again, but I can't get there. So we packed up this pulpit and the church and we went to his house. I didn't know what to do with myself when I took my first Sunday off June 30th, 2019. That was well over a year later. And I had no idea what to do on March 15th, 2020. COVID was hard. We called off that Sunday. I didn't know what to do the next, but I wasn't going to call off again. So we did Zoom church for a few weeks. I had no idea how to maintain the community that is so important here and the spirit of the Lord during COVID, but we got through it. I had no idea how to get folks back to church after COVID. June 7th on a Sunday night, we gave it a shot. I had no idea how to baptize somebody during COVID, so we went to the river, which also I had no idea how to do. I had no idea what to tell Sister Bula. at 95 years of age when I held her in my arms. And she said, why my daughter and not me? There have been many, many events at this church in the last six and a half years. I've had no idea what to do. And perhaps, and the reason I do want to share this with you for a minute, is I think the lesson that I learned back in 2006 when I was at a different job, I've carried forward to some degree. It may look on the outside that I had complete control and I knew exactly what I was doing. I had no idea. I had no idea how to pastor. I knew how to preach, that was about it, but I had to learn that before. I had no idea how to pastor. I had no idea how to help people. I had no idea what I was doing. And I assure you, there's lots of times even today I have no idea what to do. And while more experienced than I was when I first started, in many ways I still just have no idea what I'm doing. Then a few months ago, The Lord very clearly told me that I was to be completed here, and I had no idea how to do that. I wrestled with it for a few months, and I shared with you a month ago it was time. This brought a whole new group of questionings. Most common is, what will I do next? I have no idea. Who will become the next pastor? I have no idea. How will my family deal with it? I have no idea. What's the summary of all this? I want to transition because this isn't about me this morning. It really isn't. Listen, I have no idea, but I know the one who does. I have no idea, but I know the one who does. And just in case you think this is somehow new, do you think Abraham knew how to build an ark? Not Abraham. See, this is why you should have just quit while I was ahead. No idea. Oh, my goodness. Do you think Noah had any idea how to build an ark? And then I was going to say, do you think Abraham had any idea where he was going? He didn't. Do you think Moses had any idea how to free his people? Do you think Ezekiel had any idea whether those bones could live? Do you think Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had any idea how the Lord would rescue them? They didn't even know that He would. They just said, Our God is able. And even if He doesn't, it's not going to change their minds. They had no idea it was coming. Nicodemus had no idea how a grown man could be born again. Elijah's servant had no idea the army of God was around them. Andrew had no idea what five little loaves of bread and two fish could feed. Over and over and over through almost every page of the scripture, it is filled with the accounts of men and women who had no idea what was coming next. had no idea what to do, who had no idea how God would rescue them, who had no idea how they would possibly fulfill the task that God had given them. They had no idea. But we serve a Master who does. We serve a Master who does. You see, the reality is we're not expected to have an idea. I think that's actually where we get it wrong. I know this is where I get it wrong. Because my old nature takes over and I just try to push along. When in reality, what I need to do more often is to go to the one who does have an idea. You as a church, you as a body of believers, you are expected to story in a nuanced way that I started with, you are expected to know the basics and then you are expected to be obedient and to remember that when you have a question, the great trainer is right there with you, right? He'll answer your questions. Let me go back to the question I skipped. What do you do when a church elects you as pastor? I really had no idea. I don't think I can make that clear. One thing I know is you can't fake it till you make it. You can do that and other things in life sometimes. But when you are ordained by a body of believers and you were voted on by a body to stand here and to have the authority given by God to say the things that He wants you to say, there is no faking involved. It has to be reliant on God. There's no other way. If I was faking it, you would have known it. And I'm not being self-critical, but hear me just for a minute. There have been some Sundays when I've not been aligned with God and you knew it because I was going through the motions. It's okay to shake your head. There's been other Sundays when I have been able to preach with the power and authority that only comes from God because I have been relying on Him because I had no idea what I was doing. I've never been to seminary. I have no idea if they teach you how to do funerals and weddings, if they train you on what you're supposed to say. And you stand there as your loved ones pass away? I don't know. It doesn't matter. I haven't been. I have no idea what I'm doing. We need to say we have no idea more often in our lives because we really don't. We can think we know the ends or the means of the future, but we don't. We can think that we're in control, but control is a complete illusion. We have no idea what we're doing and what we're supposed to be doing. And we would be better off as a people if we would admit to that more often and turn to the one who does know. So that brings me back to this little church voting me as your pastor and giving me the key to love you. One Wednesday afternoon in June after everyone had left, I sat right down here in this front seat by myself and I stared at this pulpit and I began to pray. And I told God, I have no idea what I'm doing. What am I supposed to do next? What am I supposed to do next? There is one singular thing that came over me. I know it was of God and I know it was the right answer. And the following Sunday I preached a sermon about it. Just love Jesus. You see, that is the answer to every question. When I think about what am I supposed to teach? How am I supposed to teach? I need to think about Jesus. When I think about how I'm supposed to love you, I need to think about Jesus. When I need to think about how I take care of you and take care of my family, I think about what Jesus did at the cross. When I think about how I have another job and take care of this one, think about Jesus being a carpenter. Everything in my life, every question I've ever had, every question I'll ever have, every time that I have the guts to say, I don't know, the answer is always, just love Jesus. And so I'm going to do something I haven't done much. I'm going to give you part of that sermon again. Turn to the very last chapter of the book of John for a few minutes. I'm going to make it a little bit quicker today. The very last chapter of the book of John. I'm going to begin with verse 2, chapter 21 of John. This is after Jesus Christ has been crucified and resurrected. Verse 2, "...there were together Simon Peter and Thomas Calditimus, and Nathanael of Canaan and Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples. Simon Peter said unto them, I go with fishing. And they say unto him, where go with thee? And they went forth, and entered into a ship immediately. And that night they caught nothing, But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore. The disciples knew not that it was Jesus. When Jesus had said unto them, Children, have you any meat? They answered, No. And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and you shall find. They cast thereof, and now they were not able to draw it in for the multitude of fish. Therefore that disciple, whom Jesus loved, saith to Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat around him, for he was naked, and did cast himself into the sea. And the other disciples came in a little ship, for they were not far from land. as it were 200 cubits, dragging the nets with fish, the net with fishes. As soon as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and a fish laid thereon and bred. And Jesus said unto them, Bring the fish which you have now caught. And Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land full of great fish, a hundred and fifty-three. And for all there were so many was not the net broken. And Jesus said unto them, Come, and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that he was the Lord. Jesus then cometh, and taketh the bread, and giveth them, and the fish likewise. This is now the third time that Jesus had showed Himself to His disciples, after that He was risen from the dead. So when they had dined, Jesus said to Peter, Simon son of Jonah, Lovest thou me more than these? And he said unto him, Yea, Lord, thou knowest I love thee. And he said unto him, Feed my lambs. And he said again unto him the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Yea, Lord, thou know that I love thee. And he said unto him, Feed my sheep. He said unto him a third time, Simon son of Jonah, lovest thou me? And Peter was grieved. He had said unto him a third time, lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things. Thou knowest that I love thee. And Jesus said unto him, feed my sheep. Let me just put the first part of this into context. Jesus had already come back and has appeared to his disciples. and he'd given them a task. He said, go and wait in Galilee. And so they went and I guess Peter got bored. So he decides to go fishing. Anybody ever got bored waiting for the Lord? Go ahead and admit it. Got antsy? Peter decided, even though he wasn't supposed to, that he was going to go fishing. We have to be careful about being Peter because Peter took a lot of other people with him who weren't supposed to be fishing, they were supposed to be waiting. You can listen to my sermon on that from a few weeks ago. Peter says, I go a fishing and his influence and brought other people with him and they go out and they were what? Unsuccessful. You see when we do the opposite of what God tells us to do we are unsuccessful and unfulfilled. Peter should have waited. but God was gracious and God literally showed up in Jesus Christ and He calls out to them and He says, put your nets on the other side. Now listen, these were professional fishermen and some random person on the shore says, well, just put your nets on the other side. Has God ever told you to do something that didn't seem to make sense to you? Something not intuitive? like putting nets on one side of the boat or the other. I'm not a fisherman, but I really don't think that's a thing. Now, they'd experienced that once before. But what'd they do? Well, they were obedient. Why not? I'm sure they were sitting there all night long before he showed up thinking, well, we have no idea what to do. And they were willing to try what they thought was a stranger told them. Many times in our life, Christ will appear to us and tell us to do something and it's our job to be obedient to Him, just to love Him and to be obedient. As soon as they put their net on the other side, it became so full of fish, they couldn't even put it back into the boat. The Apostle John recognizes this is Jesus. He says, it's the Lord. And Peter, being his brash self, puts his coat on and jumps into the water. You recall Peter got in the water once before, except he walked on it that time. If you go back and actually compare these two stories, the way that it's written, you'll see that Peter gently got out of the boat the first time. This time it was reckless abandon. I'm going to do enough to get myself decent and I'm going to go see Jesus. They dove in the water. Can you picture it? Picture it. Imagine how Peter would jump off a boat to go see Jesus. I bet it wasn't pretty. Peter swims to shore. The rest of them bring along a boat, dragging a net with them. And they get there and Jesus is already there, ready to feed them. He tells Peter to bring that net ashore. What does Peter do? Now, mind you, this was the net that was so full that six or so fishermen couldn't pull it into a boat. Peter apparently drags it onto the beach. I made a note when I preached this over six years ago. We lack power in ourselves if it's not for God. I cannot drag you into salvation. I cannot assist you as a human being. I must rely fully on God's empowerment and the Holy Spirit if anything will be done spiritually or supernaturally. I have no ability, I have no idea what I'm doing other than to rely on God and when God is in whatever it is that's going on we can do anything through Him. So Peter drags the They sit around in the seminary, they talk a whole lot, and then Jesus begins to talk to Peter. Now, as I told you, I didn't go to seminary, I'm no Greek scholar, but I have the same tools that you do. And if you go and look at these verses carefully, you will notice something very peculiar. There's a couple different words for love. Two in particular that are important. We only have one, which is really a shame because we misuse it. There's agape love, which means unconditional love. And there's philo, which is where we get Philadelphia. It's a brotherly love. It's the idea that the love that we share for each other is brotherly in a sense. Now, I'm going to change that slightly because we have no better way to do this. And I'm going to use the word love. And instead of philo, I'm gonna say like, okay? Listen to what happens. Jesus looks at Peter. He says, Peter, do you love me unconditionally? And Peter says, I like you, Lord. I like you like a friend, love you like a friend, like a brother. And he says, feed my lambs." Jesus asked him again the second time and he said it the same way, do you love me unconditionally, Simon? And Simon said, I like you. You're my brother. He said, feed my sheep. Then he asked him that third time and this time Jesus changed the word and he got down to Peter's level. He said, Peter, do you like me? Do you love me like a brother at least? And Peter says, yes, I love you like a brother. There's a lot of deep meaning within those verses that we miss in the English translation. Maybe Peter was trying to be too humble and say, well, I could never love you unconditionally. And you know what? He's right in that sense. We can't love God unconditionally. It's not within our power to do. We are fallen, we are sinful human beings. But I think Jesus was teaching all of us a lesson. Because Peter was getting ready to be left alone. Jesus would return. shortly after this. In fact, very soon. And Peter would be left standing there as he saw Jesus come and he was going to have to admit to himself, I have no idea what I'm supposed to do. And he'd have to remember, just love Jesus unconditionally. Feed the sheep. take care of the lambs. He says in verse 19, very last thing Jesus says, follow thou me. When you love someone with all of your heart, soul, strength, and mind, you talk to them. You listen to them. You commune with them. You spend time with them. You are obedient to them. And this is how you just love Jesus. How do you individually and specifically do the work that God has for you? I have no idea. I don't know where He wants you to go, what He wants you to do. But I know He just wants you to love Him. And the rest will be revealed to you. How do you find your next pastor? I have no idea, but he does. And for now, and until you do, and after the next man of God comes and stands here, just love Jesus. What will happen to me next Sunday morning when I wake up and I don't have you to care for? I don't know. I just love Jesus. That's the thing. That's all of it. To all the questions you have in life, all the times you have no idea, The answer is just to love Jesus. I have tried the best that I could, when I didn't know, to feed and to care and to love you. Because I have tried, and although failed in many ways, I have tried to just love Jesus, knowing that when I sat there and God revealed that to my life, that I didn't have to come up with any great plans. There's no outline for the future. I was just to love Jesus. What are you to do individually? What are you supposed to do next? I don't know. I have no idea. Just love Jesus. Next time you say, I have no idea, And I hope you say it more often because it is the truth. We have no idea. Know that you know the one who does. And know that you must love Jesus. The next time you feel, for those of you who have never been saved, that you need to be, I don't know what to tell you. I've told you everything I know to tell you. Just love Jesus. Next time you have a loss in your life, I don't know what to tell you other than to love Jesus. Next time you have a really good day and you don't know what to do with yourself, love Jesus. You see that's the answer? Do you see how that's the answer to everything is to just love Him? So let me close this way and tie this together. Remember the police officer I told you about? Let me speak directly to you, church. I have tried for some of you for six and a half years, for some of you it's been a little less, to teach you the basics. The basics. That you have to love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, strength, and mind. That you love your neighbors yourself. That you have to love the world of Christ. I have tried the best that I can to teach you the basics. And you know what? I think you know the basics. And now it's time for you to quickly figure out what you don't know. Because you set the tone. God's people set the tone. God's people have to walk into catastrophe knowing that Jesus Christ is with you, knowing that you can stand tall and say, well, I have no idea specifically what to do. I know generally what to do, and that is to love Jesus Christ. And when you walk into your family that way, when you walk into your school that way, when you walk into your home, when you walk into your friend group, when you walk into church with the understanding that you know the basics, and their admission that you really don't know what to do other than to love Him and you get yourself out of the way, God will rush in in an amazing way and assist you so that you do know what to do. You know the basics. Figure it out quickly. Everyone will look to you. Remember, you set the tone. And remember, I'm here if you need me. I love you all. Thank you. Thank you for the opportunity to love you. Thank you for the opportunity to spend my life with you. And to my knowledge, I'm not going very far away. So if you need me, I'm here, but I have confidence that you know the basics. So step up and just love Jesus.