Droughts

For a large part of 2010 and 2011 our area experienced a major drought. In fact, it was the most severe in about 50 years.

Rainfall was well below the seasonal average for both years, with long stretches of 90+ degree days and almost that high for the lows.

There was a record stretch of triple digit days during this time.

All small lakes were either dry or mere mud puddles.

The earth was scorched.

No grass or hay for livestock.

Ranchers had to reach out for hundreds of miles to get hay. Sometimes as far as Florida.

Ranchers couldn’t water livestock, much less afford to feed them year ‘round.

So, naturally, they began to sell off their cattle, literally in droves.

It just so happened that Lisa and I bought a feed store the year before!

One definition of drought is: A prolonged absence of a specific thing.

Today’s message is titled Droughts and centered around Luke chapter 5 and John chapter 21.

Last week I asked “Am I the fear-filled Spirit void Peter denying Christ, or the Holy Spirit filled Peter proclaiming the gospel of Jesus”?

Have you ever had droughts of Jesus in your life?

Stand with me as we honor God while reading His word.

Luke 5:1-11 and

John 21:1-4 read both from my bible

You’ve heard me say before, that God works on the messenger, while the messenger works on the message.

Several weeks ago, Lisa and I were talking and these two passages from Luke and John came up.

We both had our “a-ha” moments about this scripture @ different times, but essentially, we thought it was the same story recorded by two different writers.

Spoiler alert: It’s not!

This message came about as a result of this conversation, and a series of conversations Roman and I had about a week ago.

So, just be warned, a conversation with me, is prone to be turned into a sermon!

But, I’m confident in saying the sermon won’t be directed AT you!

Today, I’d like us to examine these passages with the purpose of mainly focusing on our role as the church, but also our relationship with Jesus.

Considering, how these passages are similar, how the differ, and a little bit of how it’s translates into our lives.

But first: Did ya?

Did you read something this past week new in God’s word?

Or a familiar passage with new eyes?

I know I did!!!

Let’s go to the Lord.

Father, thank you for your living Word

That breathes fresh into our lungs every day

May we take your Word, and use it to glorify you and changes the lives of those we touch.

May we speak life into dry bones

May we make disciples, that make disciples

Amen.

re-read the two passages.

Let’s begin with the similarities:

The means in which both miracles came about

They fished all night and caught nothing

Christ’s presence created the miracle

Our weakness is made strength through Him

Y’all have heard me tell fishing stories, but my fishing was recreational.

For many of the disciples, fishing was their living.

I’m sure they smelled like fish, all the time.

I worked at the Black-eyed Pea Restaurants for years, and my clothes smelled like chicken fried steak!

Their clothes probably wreaked of fish, but even more than that, their hands reflected hard work.

If you were to put my hands and Ashley’s hands side by side, it wouldn’t take a genius to figure out who made a living with his hands!

In this first instance of similarities between the two passages, the fishermen were fishing. They were doing their part.

They weren’t sitting in their boats waiting for the fish to just jump on in!

They were casting and dragging their nets.

But prior to that, they made sure their boats were sea worthy, and nets in proper condition to catch fish.

So, this first similarity of both passages is they were prepared to work hard and were working hard!

Do you realize that is what is required of us as fishers of men?

2. Both passages, we see they fished all night.

1st passage: “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing (not a few, but nothing)

2nd passage: Jesus asks “Children, have you no meat?” Their reply “no”.

Was this outcome as a result of lack of skill? No

Were they lazy? No. They toiled all night

Lack what my mom calls “stick-to-it-ness”? No. They toiled all night.

Lack of fish in the sea? No. We see that as soon as Jesus appears, they caught more fish than they could handle.

As Christians, have we experienced this same drought?

Applied skills/gifts

Worked hard

Persevered

Plenty of fish in sea

Maybe we were doing for our glory, not His.

3. Christ’s presence created the success or the miracles.