BECAUSE HE LIVES!!!!
Rev. Scott Epperson
4/1/07
(Mar 1:16) Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.
(Mar 1:17) And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.
(Mar 1:18) And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him.
TO HAVE PRUPOSE
Here we find the Lord walking down by the wayside and here he finds two men which we know now is Peter and Andrew. They are fishing here in the ocean and I don’t know how well they were doing but no doubt at there best they were the least among men.
Notice the Lord said, “I will make you fishers of men”, I don’t know if they understood what that meant but notice they did not hesitate to as the bible says,” forsook their nets and follow him”.
This was their lively hood and for them to so quickly forsake it would tell us a lot about what they thought of their life at this point.
Christ knew their hearts and knew that without him they had no purpose.
THE PARALLEL
This text is a great parallel of how Christ found us. We were the least among men even at our greatest moments whether we thought we had the biggest catch or not we were empty and without purpose.
Thank God that the Lord walks by the wayside in life to catch the lowliest of men. He took you and I who were fishing for something, really we were fishing for anything that would bring happiness or peace to our lives, but seemingly every time we got a big catch it got away. He took me and you and gave us purpose and identity, he said, I will make you fishermen of men”. Just as Simon Peter we have purpose and identity. It doesn’t matter what comes my way, what I may gain or lose in this life because I know now why I am here, I know now who I serve and I know him personally.
WITHOUT PURPOSE
(Joh 21:3) Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately: and that night they caught nothing.
Now suddenly the man has changed. He was so happy and content and full of life and purpose, but now he is ready to go back to the old life of emptiness again. What has made this difference? Christ has been crucified and now it seems that once again life is the winner and once again his life is pointless and without purpose. He is going to go back to fishing again back to the only thing he knows, just existing.
I thought about this scripture and I think I can understand were Simon is coming from. You know with out Christ I can see how :
A man who has just lost everything, his wife , kids, might set down and consider suicide. The only thing that gave him purpose in life is gone and there is no reason to think he might ever have it again.
A person who lives for their job, a person who has allowed their job to be the center of their life might set down after losing it all and think . Why try? I will just end it all.
Why work your whole life for something, or somebody , suffer and toil through trial after trial and trouble after trouble only to one day lose it all or even if you did keep it, you would one day die and rot with no hope or eternity beyond the grave. That is what the world lives for and thinks like. But thanks be to God that we can have purpose and hope for our lives and our eternity. Why? Because he lives!!!!!!!!!!!
(Mar 16:5) And entering into the sepulcher, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.
(Mar 16:6) And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.
(Mar 16:7) But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.
GO TELL PETER
If Christ wouldn’t have rose from the dead, Peter would have just been nobody and nothing, just existing and no reason no point, but because he rose again Peter had hope, and reason, and potential.
Church we need to go tell the world that Christ has risen and there is life and life abundant.
(Joh 10:9) I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
(Joh 10:10) The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
NO END
Some have said,” all good things must come to a end”, but I tell you today all things may die but not all things must end. If you are in Christ there is no end, for Christ is eternal.
When a seed is planted it must first die, but after it dies a plant springs forth from it, and life is more abundant for that seed than ever before.
I want to tell you in the world all good things come to a end, but in Christ there is life and life more abundant. You may lose your job, but that just means life is coming,
You may lose your family but get ready for God to make it better than it ever was.
You may lose a loved one but they are not ended but beginning in eternity.
Death is death to the unbeliever but to the saint of God it is a separation from dead things to eternal living things.
Why? Because he lives.
(1Co 15:53) For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
(1Co 15:54) So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
(1Co 15:55) O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
I know even people that are paraplegic persons, handicap and to the world and naturally to themselves worthless, and without point or purpose, but to the paraplegic in Christ their life has not ended but broadened. There are no limits or end to the children of God no matter who you are or what your circumstances are. Because he lives!!!!
(Joh 16:33) These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
Every crisis and every circumstance.
(Rom 8:28) And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Christ saw your problem and your circumstance from the foundation of the world and has already walked your road and your path and made the way so you don’t have to do anything but follow his steps.
You have purpose and life because HE LIVES!!!!!!!!!!
