Here Am I Send Me

Theme: Here am I send me

Text: Is. 6:1-8; 1 Cor. 15:1-11; Luke 5:1-11

Today is Bible Sunday and on this special day each one of us should reflect on the importance of the Bible and on how we could help make it available to the many people who are without one. The Bible is without doubt the greatest book that has ever been written because it is God’s Word. It is the Creator speaking to His creation. Many people, however, do not believe that the Bible is the Word of God because according to them many different men were involved in writing it. Although this is true the writers were only channels used by the Holy Spirit “for all Scripture is given by inspiration of the Holy Spirit”. God controlled, directed and communicated with the spirits and minds of the men who wrote the Bible and every message and revelation in it originates with God Himself. How can we fail to understand this when men are able to send satellites into space millions of miles away and still communicate with them through radio, radar and electronic waves? Scientists working at the space centre NASA are communicating with two rovers or robots, spirit and opportunity, that have landed on different sides of mars and are transmitting clear pictures from the red planet. When the memory of the computers on spirit became overloaded and its transmissions could not be evaluated, the NASA scientists were able to correct the problem from earth. If men can achieve such results how can we deny that God is able to create human beings with mental and spiritual faculties that He can control, direct, and communicate with. God has never stopped communication with men and women and is still looking for those who are prepared to do His will and are ready to say “here I am send me”.

The Word of God reveals the truth about God. It reveals His nature and character, His sovereignty, glory and holiness. We cannot receive a revelation of the glory of God and not fall down in worship as the angels did crying “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts”. The Word of God also reveals the truth that man is a sinner. When Isaiah was confronted with the sovereignty, glory and holiness of God he saw himself as he really was. He saw his need for cleansing and cried out “woe is me for I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips”. In a similar manner when Jesus confronted Peter he also immediately saw the truth about his sinful condition and fell at Jesus’ knees saying, “Go away from me Lord; I am a sinful man!”

God has given us a book that reveals the truth and is able to transform lives and make the world a better place to live in. This book needs to be taught and studied. Its teachings need to be applied and everyone should have a copy. This book is able to meet the physical and spiritual needs of all mankind and is vital for the solution of life’s problems. But God needs people and the resources He has given them “to make disciples of all nations”. When Jesus needed a platform from which to preach He got into Peter’s boat and asked him to put out a little from the shore. Peter offered his most valuable possession, his fishing boat, for Christ to use as a platform to preach the good news. From the gospel of Mark we learn that the lesson Jesus taught from the boat was the parable of the Sower. This parable was a lesson in sowing seed and the importance of sowing in good soil. The farmer knew what to expect from the seed that fell on the wayside, from the seed that fell among rocks and from the seed that fell among thorns. He also knew what to expect from the seed that fell on good soil. The four soils could represent four different types of people or they could represent four different ways people respond to God’s message or they could represent how willingly we receive God’s message in some areas of our lives and resist it in others. We may respond like good soil to God’s demand for worship but like rocky soil to His demand to give to people in need. Are we responding like good soil to God’s command to preach the good news to all people? Sowing in good soil will always reap a harvest. Jesus as if to illustrate His point told Peter to fish once more this time in deeper water. Peter had planted in good soil. He had invested into the ministry of Christ and he reaped a harvest that met more than his need. Are you sowing in good soil? Are you scattering your seeds on the wayside, among rocks and among thorns and surprised that you are not reaping a harvest? Sowing to make the Word of God available to all people is investing in the ministry of Christ and obeying His command to us “to make disciples of all nations”.