DEEP WATER
Scripture: Luke 5:1-4,5
1 And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, 4 Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. 5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.
Background
„h It was on the back side of the Roman Empire.
„h In the sweltering, fly infested inconsequencial land of Palestine.
„h In the Northern remote region of Galillee. Along the southern curvacious slopes of the Lake of Geneserrat.
„h Where the Earthly ministry of Jesus, was launched into the turbulant atmosphere of human history.
Jesus
„h As I purroosed the pages of the bible, several things leeped out and said say something about me.
„h And I asked myself Why these people pressed so hard to hear Jesus?
- (Lost love on) Rose from the grave ?
- (beatup) horrible beating he was given ?
- (deserted) Disciples forsook ..in the Garden Gadsemane?
- I don¡¦t know
- The itenerate preacher from Nazareth, possesed many remarkable qualities.
- He was young, full of vim, vigor and vitality.
- But not only was he young, he was a Rabi, although he had never attended any rabinical school. --- Not only that but he possesed a unique winsome, charismatic, magnetism that caused people from
all wlks of life to gather around him.
- Nobody had his personality. Everybody rushed to here Jesus. Have you ever been around those elitous type folk? Who look down their selfrighteous nose at folk and act like you don’t belong in their class... Not so with Jesus, Jesus had that uncanny ability to make every body feel like they were somebody. That’s why the bible says that the common people heard him gladly. Jesus was somebody speacial. So everybody rushed to hear Jesus.
Crowd
„h All I know is in verse 1 the bible says they ran around the lake to meet him.
„h And when they got there the Bible says they were pressing!
„h They were pushing,
„h they were positioning,
„h they were posturing, t
„h hey were gyrating around Jesus.
„h They PROBABLY wanted to elbow one another so that they could get in a better position to hear what the man from Nazareth had to say.
Church Gets Good
„h Now we ought not to be too hard on them because they were acting a little funny.
„h Because, those of us of african american descent, we know that when church gets good WE tend to act a little funny.
„h CHOIR is singing folks goto nodding your heads and
„h patting your foot, putting your hands together WHEN CHURCH GETS GOOD, we tend to act a little funny.
„h And then when the preachments are heralded from the pulpit, and the word of God is being declared, when church gets good somebody way back there will say AMEN!
„h Somebody over there will say sho nuff;
„h Somebody over there will say talk sir; and
„h Somebody way back there will say you are preaching here now!
„h Somebody will stand up and shake a fanger’ at you;
„h Somebody might stand up and hit you on the back ..
„h You you just never know what might happen when CHURCH GETS GOOD!
„h Well on the back side of the Roman Empire. In the sweltering, fly infested inconsequencial land of Palestine. In the Northern remote region of Galillee. Along the southern curvacious slopes of the Lake of Geneserrate CHURCH GOT GOOD!
THIS BRINGS ME TO VERSE 4 (Pause)
Simon (Paraphrase)
„h When Jesus finished preaching and the crowd was dispersed he turned and said hey Simon I want you to launch your boat out into the deep.
„h Now Simon is good friend friend of mine we have alot in common. So I talked with him about the text and he told me some things about his character that I want to share with you.
„h You see Simon was always that person who spoke his mind. because of his impetuosity he was always running out in front of every one.
„h And simon said to Jesus was, we toiled all night night and caught nothing.
„h So what he wanted to say to Jesus was Jesus you are a carpenter by tradeand I’m a fisherman. Now you respect me and I’ll respect you. Now when I need a house Jesus I will give you a call, because you know about that.
„h But you must understand is that i was born on this lake I know this lake from center to circumference, and even at that Jesus ..Fish don’t bite at this tim of the day.
„h That’s what he wanted to say. However, there was something so miraculous,mysterious and magnetic about Jesus that he held his peace.
„h And what he said in the King James was nevertheless, at thy word.
Nevertheless
„h Nevertheless, is a swing word that helps you get from one point to another.
„h When you don’t understand what God is doing in your life and God is making no sense at all sometimes you just have to say nevertheless.
„h When you are well aquainted with Electric Co.; Car Co.; and you don¡¦t know who to pay.
„h When you are looking at your bills and you want to put your tithes in (ANY MINY MINIE MO)
„h Marriages would be a whole lot better when some spouses will learn to say NEVERTHELESSS !!!
„h God said it and that settles it!
Deep Water (3 reason SIT DOWN)
„h God does not want you in shallow water, because there is no challenge in shallow water.
„h Now shallow water is where you will find most Christians today.
„h God wants you in deep water because there is little commitment required in shallow water.
„h I am amazed to day that most Christians have a commitment but the strength of their commitment is that they are committed to being uncommitted.
- You see most Christians are watchers. In shallow water you can be a watcher.
- In shallow water you can be an observer. In shallow water you can be a non-partici-pat-or,
- In shallow water you CRITIQUE THE CHOIR , Preaching.
- But in deep water you don’t time to critique!
- You have to get busy about the business of God rather than observing how well somebody else is -serving God .
Seee in shallow water you can ¡K.
- Step in or you can Step out.
- In shallow water you can jump in or you can jump out.
- In shallow water if you like what’s going on you can ¡K(jump in ), if you don’t like what’s going on you can just (jump out).
- If like what the Pastor is saying you can just ¡K but if you don’t like what he’s saying you can just. - When the sun is shinnig you can ¡K but when it gets dark you can just¡K
„h No commitment in shallow water. In shallow water you can in and out based on how you feel. But your life can not be directed by how you feel when you get in deep water. If you Jump out there based on how you feel in deep water you are gone be in trouble! Your feeling have got to Subject itself to some facts.
NOT MUCH CHANGE
„h God wants you in Deep water because not much change is required in shallow water. In shallow water you can just take of your shoes and your socks, and roll up your pants-leg. The most radical change you have to make in shallow water is putting on a bathing suit. But you see when you get in deep water you have to do some radical changing.
- That’s why a lot of people don’t pray. Because you can not pray and stay the same.
- See you can’t pray and stay your old mean ugly acting,
- filthy mouth having,
- hating your enemy SELF!
- Cause if you pray, pray will bring your behavior in line with your beliefs. You have to make some changes in your prayer life.
- See in shallow water it’s like thank ya for this and thank ya for that and Lord gimme gimme gimme and see ya later Lord ! In shallow water there is not much to the prayer life.
„h Sometimes folk stand up and talk about how God has blessed them with material things. Now god does and will bless you materially..
- but every now and then.
- Somebody ought to say God has done something to my sprirt and has changed my attitude.
- God made put the bottle down and
- God made me throw the Needle away,
- God made me go home to my wife,
- God made me love my children,
- God made me love him a little more.
- He is more than just a physical God! He blesses us with true riches.
The problem with being in shallow water is when you come out there is very little evidence that you have ever been in! ¡K.
„h On Monday morning and you go back to work. Where is the evidence that you have been in deep water? ¡K¡K
„h You just took off your shoes and socks and put them back on there is NO EVIDENCE.
„h But in Deep Water, it requires a radical change.
„h You have to take off some stuff and put on some stuff.
- When you get in deep water you have to put on deep water garments.
- See the only radical change for shallow water is a bathing suit.
- But see a bathing suit is for showing off yourself. ¡K But you can’t show SELF off in deep water. - Cause you need a uniform !
- you need the HELMET of salvation,
- the BREASTPLATE of righteousness, and
- the girdle of truth, and SHOES sharred with the gospel of peace.
- You’ve got to have the shield of faith and the sword of the spirit.
- IT’S NOT ABOUT YOU IN DEEP WATER ITS ABOUT HIM! It’s about him!
- Not about how I can preach, its about him! Not about ho good you look its about him!
- Not about how much money you have it’s about him! I can tell if you are in deep water just LISTEN TO WHAT YOU BRAG ABOUT ¡K
„h GET OUT OF THAT SHALLOW WATER! Get out, get out, get out!
„h You still going to church like you live in the country.
„h First and Third Sunday..Shallow water! You need to praise him every week.
„h Don’t let there be a fifth Sunday NOBODY wants to come¡K shallow WATER!
„h You ain’t in the country anymore. Grow up ¡KShallow Water!
„h You’ll sing Jesus But you won’t share Jesus..Shallow water!
„h You’ve been through the Bible from cover to cover but the Bible has never gone through you ! Shalow water!
„h You’ll PRAY BUT WON’T PAY ..Shallow WATER!
„h God is calling his church to deep water. He wants us to be a deep water church. You can’t have a deep water church without deep water members¡K.
„h (Chicken and Hog) We need some spiritual hogs today.
