Sunday, February 8,
2015, 6:00 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “He Touched My Mouth.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Luke 5:1-11 (NIV).
Out Into Deep Water
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.”
Some people like to paint the Christian life as all fun and
games. They think the meetings of the church, which now targets the unsaved of
the world, too, should be entertaining, fun, comfortable, non-threatening and
appealing to the unsaved world. They avoid words such as sin, repentance,
obedience, judgment and hell. They teach that coming to Christ is merely saying
a prayer or just asking for forgiveness, but they leave out the part that
requires that we die with Christ to sin and that we walk in purity and
righteousness in the strength of the Lord, and empowered by the Spirit. They teach
that God is pleased with us no matter what we do, and so people get the idea
that they can have the hope of heaven and still live like they did before,
except maybe some things might change. This type of teaching gives free license
to continue in willful sin. The Word of God, though, does not.
When I think of Jesus saying to Peter, “Put out into deep
water,” I can’t help but see a spiritual parallel to this story, especially
since this story ends with a spiritual parallel. Ultimately Peter and the other
disciples were being called to fish for humans, in the sense that they were to
share the gospel of Jesus Christ so that people could come to true faith in
Jesus Christ. So, if we think of fishing in these terms, what would it mean if
Jesus told us to “put out into deep water”?
Symbolically speaking, deep water can mean a difficult or
hard-to-handle situation. Deep water can also involve hardship, distress or
trouble. As well, the word “deep” can mean well below surface level, serious,
complex or profound. When we think “surface level,” what comes to mind? I think
of those who are shallow, pretentious or superficial or those who choose to
deal with life at an external level only because they don’t want to get too
serious or because they like life to be about just having a good time. So, they
don’t really dig deep down into thinking or talking about or considering serious
matters of the heart and conscience. As well, they don’t want to think or talk
about sin, repentance or obedience, because they want to keep things light and
fluffy so that no one is offended.
Spiritually speaking, though, when Jesus sends us out into
the world to make disciples of Christ of people of all nations, and he sends us
out as sheep among wolves to be his light in the darkness, and to call people
to repentance, so that people can be set free of their prisons of sin, he is
sending us out into deep water. This is not light and fluffy stuff. This is not
surface level stuff he is sending us out to share. He is asking us to tell
people about sin, judgment and hell as well as to tell them about salvation,
freedom and heaven. And, we will not be liked and even hated because we tell
people the truth, and because it makes them uncomfortable. So, are we willing
to get deep and to go beyond the surface level and to endure persecution,
rejection and betrayal for the sake of sharing the gospel of Christ?
A Great 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.
Jesus wanted to perform a miracle in Peter’s life and in the
lives of these other fishermen. Yet, Peter’s first response was to think in
human terms. How often do we do that? How often does God ask us to do something
or tell us what he wants to do through us but our response is to look at the
situation through human eyes and to see the impossibilities rather than the
possibilities? We see all the reasons why it won’t work instead of believing
God to make a way where there seems to be no way. We focus on the external
rather than the eternal. Or, perhaps we initially respond with faith, but when
things don’t happen the way we expect or as fast as we had hoped, we easily give
up and withdraw. I know I have been guilty of this, have you? Why is it that we
get in our minds that if we can’t see a way for it to happen then it can’t
happen? Our God is the God of miracles. Amen!
Yet, Peter did not stop at just looking at the circumstances
on a surface level. Even though he didn’t see, from a human standpoint, how
anything would change, yet he trusted the Lord, and he did what he said on
faith, just because Jesus said so. So, what keeps us from having that type of
faith? We don’t have to have all the answers. We don’t have to see how
everything is going to be worked out before we step out in faith. Faith is
believing in what we cannot see with our natural eyesight. And, it is believing
in the God of miracles, trusting in his power, might, grace and mercy, and
believing that when he says he will do something that he will do it, even if it
looks impossible from a surface evaluation. Faith is going out into the deep,
not knowing what will face us out there. It is believing God for the
impossible, and it is a willingness to step out in faith even when all looks
hopeless.
So, what was the result of Peter’s faith? They caught so
many fish their boats were not able to hold them all. So, what if we all did
like Peter? Jesus has sent us into the world (our deep water) to catch fish,
i.e. to make disciples of Christ of people of all nations. What if we all took
Jesus at his word and did what he said just because he told us to do it? I
believe so many people would come to genuine faith in Jesus Christ that we
would not have enough places to meet to hold all those who put their faith and
trust in Jesus Christ. That would be a wonderful problem to have. So, what
keeps us from putting out into the deep? Are we afraid of rejection and
persecution? Are we afraid of what he might ask us to do? Are we just lazy and
self-centered? Or, do we lack concern for the lost? Is there something the Lord
has asked you to believe him for, but you have given up because it looked too
hard? Will you choose to trust him today and say with Peter, “Because you say
so I will…”?
A Sinful Man
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.
Peter was humbled by this miracle Jesus performed on their
behalf. He realized he was not worthy to have the Lord do such a miracle in his
life. None of us are. We are all born into sin. There is no one righteous in
himself or herself. We have all sinned and come up short of attaining God’s
approval. We can do nothing to earn or to deserve such a great salvation. It is
only by the grace of God (the miracle Christ performed on our behalf in dying
for our sins) and through faith in Christ that we can be forgiven of our sin
and have the promise of heaven. Peter just needed to believe and then to act on
that faith by doing what the Lord said, and Jesus performed the miracle. It is
the same way with our salvation. Jesus died so we could be free from bondage to
sin. This is a miracle of God’s grace to us. He asks that we forsake our lives
of sin and that we follow him in obedience. This is faith.
Jesus said that if anyone would come after him, he must deny
himself, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin and self) and follow him (in
obedience). He said if we hold on to our old lives (of sin) we will lose them
for eternity, but if we willingly die to our old lives (of living for sin and
self) we will gain eternal life (See: Lu. 9:23-25). Some people think these
words no longer apply to us, and yet they are repeated by the apostles. A
parallel passage is Eph. 4:17-24 where it teaches us that coming to Christ
means forsaking our lives of sin, being changed in heart and mind of the Spirit
of God, and putting on our new lives in Christ, “created to be like God in true
righteousness and holiness.” Paul taught that coming to Christ meant no longer
walking according to the flesh, to gratify the cravings of our sinful desires,
but to now walk in the Spirit, living to please God (See: Ro. 6-8; Gal. 2:20).
So, if we want the miracle of salvation, we have to do this that Jesus said to
do, by faith.
When Peter humbled himself before the Lord, and he
recognized his own unworthiness to be the recipient of Jesus’ miracle, Jesus told
him what he wanted him to do next. He was to fish for people, i.e. to share the
gospel so people could be saved. Yet, this calling is not just for a select
few. Jesus wants all his followers to be lights to the world and to be the salt
of the earth and to lead others to follow Jesus Christ with their lives,
teaching them to obey all his teachings and instructions (See: Matt. 28:18-20).
Will you go? Will you share the gospel of Jesus Christ to a world who needs
him? Will you believe God for a miracle in people’s lives? Will I? I pray God
will renew my faith to believe him for miracles of grace in other’s lives so
that they can be his followers, too. And, I pray I will be willing to go
wherever he sends me.
He Touched My Mouth / An Original Work /
June 13, 2012
Based
off Isaiah 6:1-8; Jeremiah 1:4-9
Oh,
I saw the Lord
Seated
on His throne,
High
and lifted up;
Holy
is the Lord!
The
earth is full
of
His glory.
“Woe
to me,” I cried,
“I’m
of unclean lips.”
My
Lord touched my mouth
With
His cleansing pow’r;
Removed
all my guilt,
Paid
for by His blood.
He
asked, “Whom shall I send;
Who
will go for us?”
I
said, “Here am I.
Send
me!”
Before
I was born,
God
set me apart;
He
appointed me
To
His servant be.
I
said, “I don’t know
How
to speak.
I
am but a child.”
Then,
the Lord replied:
“Do
not say to me,
‘I
am but a child.’
You
must go to all,
And
do what I say.
Do
not fear them,
For
I’m with you.”
My
Lord touched my mouth;
Gave
me words to say.
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