Invite
Luke 5:1-11
Wonderful things happen when we invite Jesus into the routines of our lives:
1. Jesus uses our routines for His higher purposes
2. We get a fresh glimpse of who He is
Confronted with the wonder of God, we more clearly see our own frail and flawed humanity
Being overwhelmed by the grace of God should do at least two things: (build)
Break us
Propel us
3. Our past experiences can become fresh opportunities.
Story about invitation…Back in 1998, Sue and I received an invitation to the inauguration of George Bush as Governor of Texas. It was pretty neat. Then two years later when he was elected president, we got an invitation to his presidential inauguration. Didn’t go, but I heard it was cool. No body took notice that we were in Austin in 98 or weren’t in Washington in 2001. But-- what if we had invited Bush to come to our house for some burgers and dogs and he and Laura had come—now that, my friend, would have made the news.
Turn to Luke 5:1-11 as we continue our series entitled “Wonders”. One of the saddest things that can happen in the life of a believer is that they get caught up in all the madness and chaos of living in the 21st century and miss out on the wonder and the splendor of Jesus.
Last week we talked about the necessity of faith; that if you want to see and experience the wonder of Jesus in your life, you’ve got to bring your faith. When you bring your faith into a trying or difficult circumstance, then you begin to see the power and wonder of Jesus in that circumstance.
This morning we take a look at a passage of Scripture reminds us about inviting Jesus into the routines of our lives.
Read Luke 5:1-11 (On screen)
This is not the first time Peter had met Jesus. Jesus had already healed Peter’s mother in law. Peter was already recognizing that there was something different about Jesus. But now Peter finds himself in a situation where Jesus presumably asked to get in Peter’s boat and Peter invited Him in.
If you can imagine the scene: Peter, Andrew, James and John have been fishing all night on the Sea of Genessaret. (pic) Also known as the Sea of Galilee and the Sea of Tiberias. It’s really just a large fresh water lake, about 8 miles wide at it’s widest point, and about 13 miles long. They hadn’t caught a thing. When we were in Israel, we went to a museum of a boat that had been discovered in 1986 in the mud, cleaned up and put on display. (pic of discovery, pic of museum display, and pic of what it would have looked like in Jesus time). Dates back to the time of Jesus. The way they fished was not with rod and reel… but with a net. Not like in Alaska…dip netting/fish netting (http://cdn.c.photoshelter.com/img-get/I0000dsSCA7fh7pw/s/750/600/dipnet-salmon-fishing-0006.jpg) But fishing with a net (http://thepaintedone.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/fishing_net3.jpg) Describe process. At night, the fish couldn’t see the net coming, even though they could sense it, and so the fishing was better at night usually.
So here they are, on the shore, cleaning their nets to get all the moss and algae and stuff like that off the nets, then hang them up to dry so they wouldn’t rot. And Jesus was teaching real close to them—and the crowd kept pushing him back toward the water, so Jesus asks if He can get into Peter’s boat. So Jesus gets in, then Peter and another guy, probably Peter’s brother Andrew get in the boat and push a bit out into the water so Jesus could continue to teach.
Finally the teaching ends, the people leave, and Jesus says go out a bit further and fish some more. Then the miraculous happens and the power and wonder of Jesus is on display all over again.
You know something? Wonderful things happen when we invite Jesus into the routines of our lives:
1. Jesus uses our routines for His higher purposes
Jesus gets into the boat, right? He commandeers it. And in the process, He uses the boat and the men for His higher purposes.
Q: Have you invited Jesus into the routines of your life? To take over your boat? Or do you live a duplicitous life; you know, at church get the happy clappys and all praise the Lord and thank you Jesus…but then Monday morning you get up, and go through the week, trudging through and MISSING the splendor and the wonder of God in your job or school?
Are you seeing God at work at work?
Brad Wilemon—guy he’s been witnessing to
Vincent Anderson
Kim Vann, a teacher, prays for her children and calls on God to draw him to herself.
Jesus says, “Hey, as important as your job is, there is something much more important, and that is to YOU experience me doing amazing things in you and through you at your job.. I’ve placed you in your job to be a tool in My hands to amaze people.” I will make you a fisher of men.
Is that you? Have you invited Jesus into the routines of your life so that you and others will be amazed?
Outside the home—inside the home—Ruth Graham above sink (before dishwashers): “worship services conducted here 3 times a day.”
Do you look at your job as only a vehicle to earn money, or do you see it as a place to experience and display the wonder of Jesus? Why your routines are—routine? Not on mission. When you invite Jesus into routines of your life, your job, your school, your recreation, your home life—then you begin to see the wonder of Jesus all the time.
2. We get a fresh glimpse of who He is
In all His power and glory
After Peter & his pals catch all these fish, what does Peter do? He falls down and says, “go away.” Why? “Because”, he says, “I am a sinner”.
Confronted with the wonder of God, we more clearly see our own frail and flawed humanity. Our little grandsons are hilarious. Been playing in the dirt and it’s time to eat and We’ll say, “Go wash your hands.” They go into the bathroom, don’t turn on the light, stick their hands under the faucet for a second or two, then come to the table. “Let me see those hands”. In the light, their lack of cleanliness is obvious.
The closer we are to Him, the more we see His glory and wonder, the more clearly we see our frail and flawed condition.
Peter was overwhelmed with the wonder and holiness and glory of Jesus. When was the last time you were overwhelmed by the wonder and holiness and glory of Jesus?
A couple of weeks ago, Sue and I were in Portland coaching up and encouraging some church planters and pastors up there. There in Portland for a week—Portland is a beautiful city. Also very spiritually dark. So after church that Sunday, we drove to the coast about 50 miles to the west. Canon Beach—55 at night; 65 during day—the week it was 105 here!. (pic of haystack rock) Stood on the shoreline looking over the pacific; watching the waves, the seagulls, the tides, the setting sun, then the stars, thinking about this incredible creation called the Universe, and I was once again blown away at wonder of Jesus.
And then to think that the Creator of all that is sought me and bought me with His own precious blood. I became overwhelmed by His grace—that He would love me and give Himself for me.
Being overwhelmed by the grace of God should do at least two things: (build)
Break us —Holy Spirit brokenness… ends up in worship and praise.. Time at FBC Houston, John preaching about the grace of God, guy in Choir cried out “Yes, Yes, Yes”
Propel us—to engage in the lives of people in our daily routines so that they might know the grace of God
3. Our past experiences can become fresh opportunities.
Peter had just spent the last 8-10 hours fishing without any positive result. And yet, at the word of God, he did two things: Peter went out deeper and he cast his nets again.
He didn’t stay stuck in his past; he didn’t let his past experience of failure keep him from trying again--trusting again. The word of God compelled Him to try and trust again. And the result was amazing. It was remarkable. It was wonderful—i.e., full of wonder.
Is your past keeping you from a wonder-filled present and future? Past sins that you think Jesus can’t forgive?. A broken marriage that you think Jesus can’t repair? A debilitating addiction that you don’t think Jesus can deliver you from?
At the bidding of Jesus, Peter tried one more time…and so should you.
Notice how the narrative ends v.11 “Then they brought the boats to land, left everything, and followed Him.” They left everything. Doesn’t mean they never fished again. In fact, after the resurrection, Jesus met them on the northern shore where they had been fishing. The emphasis is on the fact that they abandoned everything to follow Him. Nothing else was as important; nothing else held 1st place; they abandoned themselves to Him and His service.
Two questions this morning:
Have you invited Jesus into your life? (Build) Share gospel. Declared moral bankruptcy and begged for His grace? Can right now. Pray.
Have you invited Jesus into the routines of your life? If you do, you will begin to see God work in you and through you and around you in ways that will fill you with wonder.
Prayer
Put the ask on for children’s workers..follow me to the Family Theatre
