June 25, 2016

"Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him."  Luke 5:5-11

Four steps, or phases or stages of following Jesus are portrayed in this dramatic story of the call of His first disciples. I have been tracing those steps!

First there is the listen and learn phase. Scores of people gathered on the shore of the Sea of Galilee to listen to Jesus and learn from His teaching. Among them were four fishermen who would become followers; Peter, Andrew, James and John.

The next step was illustrated when Peter agreed to loan Jesus his boat so Jesus could use it to preach from. This moved Peter from a passive listener to a participating partner in the ministry of Jesus and all it took was a minor inconvenience on Peter's part.

In yesterday's post I shared the third step, doing what you always do but doing it Jesus' way. Peter went fishing during the say after not catching anything the night before and did it only because Jesus wanted Him to.

So, follow begins with hearing truth, then taking some time, using your talents and then by turning it all over to Jesus!

That brings us to today's episode of the story!

When Peter decided to do something he had never done before and something he had serious doubts about - cast his fishing nets into the lake in broad daylight out of obedience to Jesus - he experienced a miraculous catch of fish!

It took two boats to haul in the catch and they barely made it to shore!

Wow! Who saw that coming?

Peter didn't! He went from worry to wonder in a few minutes flat! When he saw the "scale" of the catch he simply fell at the feet of Jesus in surrender!

It was the goodness of God that brought Peter to repentance!

This is where Peter became a follower. This was the beginning of a life-changing relationship. He left his nets, he left his boat, he left the only life he had known and turned over the business to his family.

So, that's how following happens! Step by step!

What is your next step?

Go Fish With Jesus

Following Jesus is a walk of faith. As a walk of faith, it happens in steps.

Those steps are revealed in this familiar story told in both the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke.

The first step is to listen and learn.

The second step is to loan your boat.

That leads to the third step which is to go fishing with Jesus.

“When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”  Luke 5:4 

A couple things are going on here. First, I think Jesus wanted to repay Peter for letting Him use the boat. But more importantly, He wanted to reveal more of Himself to Peter. So, He asked Peter to do something he had done thousands of times but to do it in a little different way – HIS WAY!

Here’s Peter’s challenges with it, he had just finished cleaning his nets which is no small task after an entire night for fishing.

To make things worse he had fished all night when you are supposed to fish and caught NOTHING – so now this Rabbi wants him to go during the day?

"Simon answered, 'Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything." Luke 5:5a

Peter was feeling like a failure because he just got ten shut out and here Jesus has drawn a large crowd so everyone would be watching this fishing boat going out to fish during the day – they would think he’s crazy. And then when he came back in with wet nets and no fish it would ruin his reputation.

THIS WAS PRETTY HUGE BECAUSE WHAT WAS HANGING IN THE BALANCE WAS WHETHER PETER WAS WILLING TO TRUST JESUS IN THIS ONE THING! WAS PETER WILLING TO DO THIS ONE THING HE HAD DONE A THOUSAND TIMES BUT DO IT A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY BECAUSE JESUS SAID SO?

But Peter had listened to the sermon and had loaned out his boat so why not trust this Jesus in this one thing just one time?

"But because you say so, I will let down the nets." Luke 5:5b

Peter decided he would take a chance this one time and risk looking foolish just to see what would happen.

Again, think about what hung in the balance as Peter made this decision. We only know who Peter is today because he decided to trust Jesus this one time by doing something he always done but doing it Jesus' way because Jesus asked him.

Just as this was crucial for Peter it is also huge for you because maybe this is where you find yourself this morning as you consider your next step in following Jesus. Maybe He is calling you to trust Him to do something in a new way - His way.

Peter went fishing with Jesus.

What will you do?

June 23, 2016

"One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat." Luke 5:1-3

Jesus calls you to follow. 

What does it mean to follow?

Following involves steps. If I were to follow you or if you wanted to follow me it would require keeping in step with the one you're following.

So, when Jesus calls you to follow Him He is not expecting a leap of faith but simply a series of steps that are indicative of a desire to follow.

In this seaside story of Jesus calling His first disciples we are able to discern the steps these fishermen took to become followers.

Yesterday, I pointed out the first step which is listening and learning.

With this lesson a second step is identified. The second step was Jesus asking Peter to loan Him his boat.

What is the significance of this next step?

First, there was a practical reason for asking to use Peter's boat. The crowd was large and growing larger by the moment. There were no public address systems and speaking over water amplified His words. So, by getting into boat more of the people were able to hear better what Jesus had to say in His sermon.

But there was another reason Jesus asked Peter to loan Him his boat. He wanted to see if Peter would trust Him with something as precious as his fishing boat.

Peter was exhausted since he had fished all night and then spent a couple hours cleaning his net. I'm sure he was looking forward to a meal and a nap. Now, this Rabbi needed his boat.

Out of respect to the Rabbi Peter let Jesus into the boat and pushed out a little distance from the shore.

Do you think Peter would be willing to trust Jesus with his life if he couldn't trust Him with his boat? I don't think so!

I can't speak for you but for me trusting Jesus happened one step at a time.

Step one is listening to Jesus and learning. When you listen to Jesus you learn more about Who He is but you also learn about who you are.

Step two is loaning your boat. Jesus will challenge you to trust Him in some small area. He will invite you to give faith a try.

That's how Peter began following Jesus! One small step at a time!

What is your next step?

Seaside Story

"One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets." Luke 5:1-2

I love stories about Jesus!

Don't you?

Never has there been a more compelling person on planet earth!

This is one of the captivating stories from the early years of Jesus' ministry because it records the calling of His first followers.

If you are a follower of Christ or if you are investigating what it means to follow Jesus you will find this seaside story particularly helpful.

Here's an important truth to get your heart and mind around. FOLLOWING JESUS ALWAYS BEGINS WITH LISTENING AND LEARNING!

The Apostle Paul later wrote to the believers in Rome:

"Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ." Romans 10:7

Jesus has no interest in people following Him out of blind faith. "Blind faith" is a euphemism for "ignorant faith". That is apparent from the very beginning of His earthly ministry as we see in Luke's account.

On the contrary, God has done everything He can to make His truth available through the Bible and through the history of the Christian faith to enable us to make an intentional and intelligent decision to follow Him.

So, Jesus was teaching along the edge of the Sea of Galilee to a large crowd of people who came to LISTEN and to LEARN about this new Rabbi from Nazareth. On the edge of this expansive gathering were several fishermen who were cleaning their nets after a night and early morning of fishing. While they worked they also listened and Jesus noticed.

Isn't it amazing that Jesus calls people like you and me to follow Him?

Aren't you glad?

And isn't it encouraging to know that before He calls us He speaks to through the Bible, through sermons, through Bible studies, through the testimonies of others AND through the Holy Spirit?

So, as you begin this day, will you listen? Will you learn? That's how He leads!

June 21, 2016

"As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”  At once they left their nets and followed him. Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him." Matthew 4:18-22

Maybe this has never bothered you but I have had a hard time with it.

These four fishermen (professional fishermen) just dropped their nets, docked their boats and walked away from their business just because this young Rabbi asked them to follow Him.

History records that they made a great decision in deciding to follow Jesus. But think about it, at the moment He called them and Peter, James, John and Andrew made an immediate career change.

When I think about walking away from a family business and leaving it just because some young popuae rabbi invited them to follow Him. So, you tell me - doesn't that sound impulsive or even irresponsible? I honestly don't know 

There must be more to the story than just what is written in this account from Matthew. I've a feeling that I'm missing something here. And sure enough, I WAS missing some important details about this story that Luke included in His account of the calling of the first disciples.

Here's the story:

"One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God.  He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets.  He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch. ”Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.”  So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him." Luke 5:1-11

Oh! Well that makes sense!


Look what preceded His call to follow Him:

1) He built their faith
2) He built up their financial reserve so the business would survive without them
3) He called them to fish for men.

Jesus doesn't expect you to follow blindly but He does call you to follow!

Between Forgiven and Forever

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8

As a Christian it is natural to be excited about how God has forgiven you and set you free from your past. I think most Christians get excited about that.

And Christians get happy about the future God has provided for them through the grace of Jesus Christ. 

So believers have forgiveness and freedom for their past and they have forever in their future.

It seems to me that where Christians struggle the most is in the present. What is a Christian supposed to do between his spiritual "birth" and his physical death? That can be a period of fifty or sixty years. How should those years be spent?

Jesus had a definite idea about what His followers should be doing. They are to be witnesses.

What is a witness? What does a witness do?

First, a witness tells what he knows.

So, what do you think a Christian should know?  

A Christian should know God and know Him well!

A Christian should know God's Word and know it well.

If you were called to witness what you know about your faith, what would you say?

Second, a witness tells what he has seen.

A Christian should be able to tell about the changes he has seen God make in his life.

A Christian should also be about how he has seen God work in his family and in his church.

If you were called as a witness what have you seen that you could tell others about?

Third, a witness is loyal to what he knows and what he has seen.

In Greek, the word for witnesses is "martures,' from which we get the English word martyr. It means being loyal to Jesus no matter the cost and speaking up for him even when others oppose you. 

Are you able to do that? 

What is a Christian supposed to do between "forgiven" and "forever"?

You are to be a witness - His witness.

June 19, 2016

"Follow my example as I follow the example of Christ" I Corinthians 11:1

The Apostle Paul was one of the best Christian leaders ever because he was one of the best Christ followers of all time!

There can be little debate about that!

But the encouraging news implicit in this invitation to follow Paul's example is the realization that you can follow Christ just as Paul did!

Get your mind around that for a moment!

It seems the appropriate to ask, "How should I follow?"

Here are four facts of how Paul followed Christ.

#1 - Paul looked at Jesus so he could love Him!

If you intend to follow someone you will need to focus on where he is and where he is going! You can't follow without focus!

Paul wrote later, "fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:1

Jesus said that if a man puts his hand to the plow and looks back he is not worthy of the kingdom of God.

When you love someone you can't take your eyes off of them!

#2 - Paul looked at Jesus so he could learn of Him.

Paul's walk with Jesus began with a supernatural vision of Christ on the road to Damascus. Once he saw Jesus and learned Who Jesus is, Paul never stopped looking and Jesus and never stopped learning.

Paul was the only Apostle who did not look upon Jesus in the flesh (which was one of the criterion for being an apostle). But being a very devout student of the law, he quickly surpassed the others in his knowledge OF Jesus and ABOUT Jesus.

How do we know Paul learned about Jesus, because he wrote most of the New Testament! Most of what you know about Jesus you know because Paul learned of Him and wrote it down!

Paul couldn't learn about Jesus without looking at Jesus. Neither can you!

#3 - Paul learned of Jesus so he could live like Him.

You have heard the old saying, "You life is the only Bible some people may ever read!"

That was literally true of Paul!

As I previously mentioned, there were only a few Old Testament books available in his time and the Gospels hadn't been written yet. So, if you wanted to know what it was to be a Christian you had to study the life of a Christian! Fortunately, there was no better Christian life to look at than the life of Paul because he daily and diligently learned of Jesus!

Now you understand why Paul said, "Follow my example!"

Can you say that?

#4 - Paul lived like Jesus so he could lead like Jesus.

Leadership guru, John Maxwell says, "Leaders are readers." 

Paul was a leader not only because he was a reader but because he was a looker (focused on Jesus) and a learner, and he lived the life.

Maxwell also says, "Leadership is influence" and Paul lived to influence people for Jesus.

Every church he planted, every epistle he wrote, every sermon he preached, every Timothy he discipled and every prison guard he was chained to was profoundly influenced by Paul.

You have been and are being influenced by him even as you read this! I am being influenced by him as I write it.

The question is, will we be influenced enough to look upon Jesus, and learn of Jesus, and love Jesus so we can lead people to Jesus?