Beginning next Sunday we are to be involved in a four day “Faith Encounter.” The purpose of this event is to encourage and strengthen your faith through a series of special services. The services will be planned around strong preaching and meaningful worship. This will be a time for us to come aside for a little extra nourishment which is outside our normal routine. It is a time of concentrated seeking after God. I think all of us would agree that meaningful faith encounters are the key to a vibrant spiritual life. Unless you have encounters with Jesus Christ your spiritual life will be anemic and void of substance. I am not limiting this concept to spiritual encounters at church. I refer to any encounter when you experience Jesus Christ and He reveals himself to you.
In Luke 5:1-11 we find the record of a story when Jesus disciples experienced a meaningful encounter with Jesus Christ. “So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, 2and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. 3Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat. 4When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” 5But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” 6And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. 7So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” 9For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; 10and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.” 11So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.”(NKJV) Jesus took an ordinary experience and transformed it into a life changing faith encounter. He took some tired, discouraged fisherman and transformed them into victorious disciples. This encounter changed them forever. That is the Lord’s desire for you and I. He wants to transform us. It begins with a meaningful encounter. I want to take this text and identify some clues as to how you and I can experience a meaningful faith encounter with Jesus Christ.
I. The first truth that strikes me is you must be in the right place to have an encounter with Jesus. Being in the right place is important!
Ask any deer hunter and they will tell you that selecting the right place for hunting is important. Deer hunters go scouting to find the right location in which to place their deer stand. They do not randomly select a hunting spot. They know you must be in the right place.
Fishermen recognize this same principle. There are some locations where the fishing is better than others. Fisherman must seek out the best place to fish. They go out into Mobile Bay or the Gulf and search out the hot spots.
The Eastern Shore is known for its Jubilees. When the fish, shrimp, and crab start coming to the surface you do not randomly start filling your ice chest. You must be in the right place.
When ladies go shopping they are careful to go to the right place. They might have to visit fifteen stores in order to find the right place that has the dress or blouse they are seeking.
Jesus disciples discovered the importance of being in the right place. Let me acknowledge a principle that is not easy for a preacher to acknowledge. You do not have to be in church to encounter Jesus Christ. Jesus disciples were on a fishing trip. All of the fisherman would appreciate this truth!
Joke: I heard about a farmer who was notorious for missing church in order to work his fields. One day the pastor said something to the farmer about missing church. The farmer said “I would rather be in the field thinking about the church than be in the church thinking about the field.”
With all that being said let me acknowledge a couple of teaching points. These people had a meaningful encounter with Jesus because of two things.
A. They had a desire to be fed. They sought to hear the word of God. They were hungry to receive a word from Jesus. When I think about being hungry for the word, several passages come to mind.
In Mt. 5:6 we read Jesus words “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.” In the Greek language the word for hunger is the word used to describe an intense hunger. One Bible scholar said this word describes the person who is on the border line between hunger and starvation.
The Psalms contain another passage that describes the proper hunger for God. “As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my food day and night, While they continually say to me, “Where is your God?’’ (Ps. 42:1-3 NKJV)
The important question for us is this, Am I hungry to hear God and to be taught by Him? We get hung up on rules and rituals. God is concerned with the heart. He is looking for desire.
B. They went aside. They went out to a quiet place where Jesus fed them truth. Jesus regularly practiced this principle. He would go aside to quiet places where He would pray and talk to God. Let me ask you a couple of thought provoking questions.
- Do you have a special spot where you regularly go to meet God?
- Do you regularly set aside a time to meet God and hear from God? We sometimes call this a quiet time.
- Do you occasionally set aside a time for a spiritual retreat…Men’s retreat? Conference? Special worship service?
- Are you involved in a prayer group?
2. Another thing involved in having a meaningful encounter is to be given a convincing experience. There are two vital warnings that accompany this truth. A faith encounter with Jesus is a gift. When Jesus filled the nets of those disciples he did it as an act of grace. He did not have to do it. He was not asked to do it. He did it out of the goodness of His heart. Your relationship with God is a gift of God’s grace. God gives spiritual life because He pursues you. He loves you and wants a relationship with you. You do not have to beg for God’s love. He wants to share it with you.
Another warning concerning your faith experience, do not base your faith on experience alone. If you make this mistake you will end up worshipping the experience rather than placing your faith in God. Some people jump from one experience to another. Faith is not a feeling (or experience). After sharing these two warnings let me describe what it means to have a convincing experience with Jesus.
A. A convincing experience with Jesus is personal. Notice verse 5 of our text. Jesus spoke individually to Simon. He had something personal He wanted Simon to experience. Jesus develops us in the same way. He works with us as individuals.
B. It will be practical. Jesus instructed Simon to launch out into the deep and lower his nets. What could have been more practical than asking a fisherman to lower his nets? When Jesus gives you spiritual experiences he makes them practical in such a way that they apply to your personal life.
Illustration: I mentioned to you that back in the early 80’s I served as a bi-vocational pastor. Our church income was not sufficient to support our family so I sought a part time job. As I was in the process of seeking a job a mail carrier came to my door and asked if I would be interested in a part time job. What could be more practical than God offering me a part time job? God gives us practical experiences to reinforce spiritual truth that He is teaching us. In our text Jesus teaches truth from a fishing boat. After completing His teaching he guided Simon as he filled his nets. Notice verse 6 “when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.” What could be more practical for a fisherman than a net full of fish!
C. It will be profound. Notice verse 8-9 “When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus knees, saying, ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!’ For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken.” There is an old gospel hymn entitled “I Stand Amazed at the Presence of Jesus The Nazarene.” That hymn speaks of the profound experience that God desires to give you. We need profound experiences that confirm our faith. When you have a true encounter with Jesus He will give you experiences that confirm your faith. Last weekend the young adults in our Sunday school class asked a profound question. What is the difference between Allah, the god of the Muslims, and the God of the Bible? My simple answer to them is reality. The God of the Bible is alive. The difference between Jesus and all other religious leaders of history is that Jesus is alive. His life represented a profound word from God. The word became flesh and dwelt among us. We need a profound word from God.
Illustration: Most of you know that our youngest song, John, recently moved to Chicago. John was looking for God’s direction as to where he should plant a church. He visited Wisconsin and was invited to plant a church in that state. He did not sense that to be God’s will. He later visited Chicago. He sensed that to be God’s will. The trip to Chicago was expensive because it came at a time when gas prices were extremely high. John asked for confirmation of his Chicago decision. He asked God to help him cover the cost of his gas for the trip. John met a stranger that gave him a check for $200. That was profound! That action did something for John’s faith.
All of us need personal, practical, and profound experiences that are a gift from God. Those experiences become the glue that holds our faith together as we follow Him by faith. Jesus disciples listened to Jesus teachings and responded in faith. He gave them the gift of a personal, practical, and profound experience.
III. Finally, a meaningful faith encounter will give you new passion. Notice verse 10. Jesus said “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.” Jesus moved his disciples from being reserved, fearful, and insecure to being confident leaders who were bearing fruit. That is the goal of a faith encounter. The mission and purpose of a disciple is to bear fruit for Jesus Christ. When Jesus moved toward the cross his disciples were reserved, fearful, and insecure. However, his dealings with them brought them out of their shell. They became bold and confident followers. Why!
A. They discovered a new confidence. I have been reading Dr. David Jeremiah’s book “What In The World Is Going On?” In that book Dr. Jeremiah discusses prophetic events such as the re-emergence of Israel in world events, the oil crisis, Islamic Terrorism, and the coming rule of the anti-Christ. Such books can be un-settling and can raise fear in the hearts of people, except for one truth. We know who will write the final chapter of world history. We do not know what the future holds but we know who holds the future. That gives us a new confidence.
B. They discovered a new enthusiasm. You and I were placed in this world to bear fruit for Him. Whenever you experience a meaningful encounter with Jesus it will turbo-charge your faith. We saw this occur when Jesus rose from the grave. When you read the accounts of Jesus resurrection you see this truth at work. The first people to visit the empty tomb left the tomb faster than they went in. The resurrection of Jesus Christ gave them a new fire and enthusiasm.
I pray that you will experience a life changing encounter with Jesus Christ. He is looking for you!
