“The Ministry Of Availability”
INTRODUCTION: God has a ministry for every one of His children … NOT JUST the Pastor. EVERY Christian has a ministry … every one of YOU!
Not all will be great soul-winners … BUT … we all have a part in leading others to Christ. We are ALL a link in the chain … THOUGH … not all are the LAST LINK. For some, it’s inviting … bringing … personal testimony … teaching … praying … Nursery … Children’s Church … V.B.S.
This morning, I want to talk to you about the “Ministry of Availability”. Whatever ministry God has given you (and He HAS) … you need to be AVAILABLE to DO it.
Before God will use anybody, they have to be AVAILABLE to be used … AMEN? NOBODY was consistently and mightily used of the Lord in the Bible … UNLESS … they were first willing to be made AVAILABLE.
EXAMPLE:
• SAMUEL - 1 Samuel 3:4 – “the Lord called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.” SAMUEL was mightily used of God. WHY? BECAUSE … he was AVAILABLE.
• MARY – She was the mother of Jesus. There were 1000’s of virgins in Galilee … perhaps hundreds in Nazareth. BUT … Mary was the one who went down in history. WHY? NOTICE what Mary said when the angel told her of her chosen ministry - Luke 1:38 – “And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.” In other words, “I’m available!”
• JESUS – He walked perfectly in the will of God. WHY? Jesus was AVAILABLE. As the Son of God, He wanted ONLY to do the will of God. His 1st recorded words showed His availability - Luke 2:49 – “Knew ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?” In other words, “I’m available!”
• DISCIPLES – They were mightily used … BECAUSE … they were AVAILABLE. Matthew 4:22 – “And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.”
• PAUL – When God called him, he was the worst sinner around … killing or putting into prison as many Christians as he could get his hands on … a blasphemer. How could God use him so mightily? LISTEN to what he said after his confrontation with Christ - Acts 9:6 – “And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” He made himself AVAILABLE to Jesus.
“But” … you may say … “I’m no Samuel, Mary, Jesus, Disciple or Paul. I’m just ME! God can’t use ME like that! I’m a nobody!” Sure He can! Just like Jesus used the little boy to feed 5000 people. What did the boy have? All he had were 5 biscuits and 2 sardines! He didn’t have MUCH … BUT … all he did was make it AVAILABLE for Jesus to use. Jesus took what he had, multiplied it, used it … AND .. there were 12 basketful left over!
TURN with me to our text this morning – Luke 5:1-11 (don’t read yet). NOW … let’s look at the END RESULT … the salvation of souls. READ 5:10b.
OUR STORY – Jesus had just healed Peter’s Mother-in-Law. He had healed the sick & cast out demons. The next day He went to a deserted place to rest. The people flocked to hear Him. Jesus then went to the cities of Galilee to preach. They flocked to hear Him there.
NOW … He’s at the Sea of Galilee.
5:1 – “to hear the Word of God”. Is that why you’re here this morning? That’s my MISSION … that’s the GOAL … that’s the means to SPIRITUAL GROWTH … the means to SALVATION. Romans 10:17 – “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” That’s why we invite people to church … tracts … witnessing … Sunday School … It’s so they can hear the Word of God.
How does God get the Word out to a lost & dying world? ANSWER: He uses whatever source is AVAILABLE. What did Jesus find here?
5:2 – Jesus was being pushed into the water by the crowd – 5:1. They were thirsty for the Word of God. To a preacher, that’s like saying “Sick-em!” to a dog! Everybody wanted a front row seat. They must not have been Baptists! Jesus needed a pulpit. He sees a boat … in the boat He could be both seen and heard.
5:3 – Jesus uses Simon’s boat. WHY? BECAUSE … it was AVAILABLE! It was ready for the Master’s use. Simon was willing to give of what he had … EVEN IF … it was a dirty, smelly, old fishing boat. God will use whatever we make AVAILABLE to Him.
NOTICE – Jesus didn’t DEMAND the use of the boat. He didn’t just TAKE it … He “prayed” … i.e., he ASKED. Peter could have refused. Jesus doesn’t FORCE us to be an instrument in the process of leading others to Christ. We are supposed to be a link in the chain … NOT … the “missing link”. He may make us wish we HAD yielded to His will … BUT … He won’t force us. He uses only what is made AVAILABLE to Him.
5:4 – NOTICE – 5:3 = “out a little from the land”. 5:4 – “Launch out into the deep.” LESSON – When we make available what LITTLE we have … He will lead us into deeper & greater things. Don’t give up if you’re not winning 10 people to the Lord a day … or every month … or every year. Don’t give up even if you’re NOT TRYING to win people to the Lord. Jesus won’t ask you to “Launch out into the deep” … UNTIL … you first go out “a little from the land”. Jesus will lead you one step at a time.
Every Christian here would LIKE to lead 10 people to the Lord every day. BUT … maybe your ministry isn’t to be the LAST link in the chain … the REAPING part. MAYBE … the very thought of leading someone to Christ makes you say, “I just can’t do it!”
WHAT IS THE KEY? You’ve got to make yourself AVAILABLE first with what you HAVE … THEN … you can go deeper and further with Him. BUT … what do you have to do FIRST? FIRST … you have to let Jesus into your boat.
Too many Christians haven’t let Jesus into their boat. He’s still on shore. You’re glad to let Jesus save you & take you to Heaven. BUT … you don’t want Him in the boat with you. You don’t want Jesus to get too involved in your life. You don’t really want Jesus as the LORD of your life. You FIRST have to come to the point where you’re willing to be AVAILABLE … to be WILLING for Jesus to use you. You must be AVAILABLE to be a link in His chain.
NOTICE what Jesus told them to do – 5:4 – “Let down your nets for a drought.” If you want to catch fish … you have to let down your nets. Fish don’t usually jump into the boat. If you ignore the lost condition of those around you, the lost won’t get any closer to Heaven.
What did they have AVAILABLE? NETS! Jesus didn’t tell them to use what they didn’t have. SO … Jesus tells them, “Put what you have AVAILABLE to use.” MAYBE … you don’t have very much. “Preacher, now you’re talking to me!” FINE! BUT … put what God HAS GIVEN YOU to use. Make it available to Him. PRAY! Do what you can.
Mark tells the story of a woman who took an alabaster box of perfume, and poured it on the head of Jesus. Some of the Disciples rebuked her, saying that she could have sold it and given the money to the poor. LISTEN to what Jesus said - Mark 14:8 – “She hath done what she could.” If you don’t do what you CAN DO … you’ll never “launch out into the deep” to do MORE.
Don’t cry over what you CAN’T DO … do what you CAN. What if I said that I won’t preach at all, because I can’t preach like Billy Graham? What if a High School quarterback said that he wouldn’t play football, because he can’t play like Brett Farve? Well, we can’t! BUT … instead of doing NOTHING … do what you CAN … AND … do it the very best you can!
5:5a – This is a verse where DOUBT tries to sneak in. Up to this time, there has been GROWTH. They got into the boat … they went out a little way … they launched out into the deep. As we grow in the Lord, we become better & more useful witnesses.
The Disciples cited a previous experience … “worked all night … caught nothing”. At NIGHT, the fish were closer to the surface. LESSON – Perhaps you have failed Christ in the past. Don’t let that keep you from a ministry NOW. This is a new day … November 7, 2004. This is the first day of the rest of your life. This is the first day of the rest of your Christian ministry. Don’t let past failures keep you from going on.
NOTE: “nevertheless”. Here is where VICTORY comes. “In spite of the fact that I can’t see what good it will do … I can’t see how it will work … I can’t see how God can use me … I’ll do it!” WHY? Because Jesus says so!
BUT … Peter still didn’t go all the way. 5:4 = “nets”. 5:5 = “net”. Peter’s still holding back a little.
5:6-7 – BECAUSE he gave to Jesus WHAT HE HAD … BECAUSE he made himself and what he had AVAILABLE to Jesus … SEE THE RESULTS! It’s interesting to note that IF he would have cast in ALL his nets (like he was told to) … they would not have broken – 5:6.
Why do we sometimes feel like we have a HOLE in our nets? We try to WITNESS … hole in our net. We try to TEACH … hole in our net. We try to LIVE the Christian life … hole in our net. We see our inadequacies … our short-comings … our inabilities … our weaknesses. BUT … NOTICE that … with all Peter’s faults, failures and even his disobedience … EVEN with a broken net … HE STILL CAUGHT FISH! 5:7.
WHY? 5:5 – “Nevertheless, at thy word, I will let down the net.” He made himself available to Christ … with what he had … to do what he could. Let’s see what happened next.
5:8-9 – “he was astonished”. You will be AMAZED at what God can do with your broken net … with your inadequacies … with your weaknesses. You just need to make them AVAILABLE to Him to use.
This experience HUMBLED Peter – 5:8. Peter realized he was NOTHING … that Christ was EVERYTHING. He knew he couldn’t have done it … he tried and failed. BUT … he found out that … if you give to God the NOTHING that you have … the NOTHING that you are … THEN … Jesus can make you into SOMETHING for Him!
Peter knew that he wasn’t fit to be in the same boat with Jesus. Neither are we. BUT … Peter WAS in the boat. Peter knew the boat wasn’t a worthy pulpit for Jesus … BUT … it WAS a pulpit. You & I are unworthy to be a PULPIT for Christ … BUT … that’s what Jesus wants from us. AND … He’ll use us … IF … we make ourselves AVAILABLE to Him. THEN … He will give us the OPPORTUNITY to be used of Him.
CONCLUSION: 5:10-11 – Jesus had better things in store for them … to CATCH MEN! Jesus wanted them to go from LITTLE things … to BIGGER things. He wanted them to go from fishers of FISH … to fishers of MEN.
Look at what they did:
• PETER – On the Day of Pentecost, 3000were saved.
• ANDREW – Went to Asia with the Gospel.
• BARTHOLOMEW– Went to India with the Gospel.
• SIMON ZELOTES – Went to Africa with the Gospel.
They became fishers of MEN!
They learned some valuable LESSONS in the boat that day:
• When Jesus speaks … you listen.
• Where the Lord leads you … you go.
• What the Lord gives you … you make available to Him.
Is Jesus in your boat? OR … are you sailing through life alone? CHRISTIAN … you’ll never be blessed, unless Jesus is the Lord of your life … AND … you’re in the boat with Jesus. You need to give you’re your TIME, your TALENTS … and your DEVOTION. LOST … Don’t leave Jesus on shore. If you do, you’ll be sailing alone, and you’ll end up ship-wrecked on the shores of eternal Hell. Invite Jesus into your life this morning.
STAND – PRAY
OUTLINE FOR HANDOUT:
“The Ministry Of Availability”
Luke 5:1-11
INTRODUCTION: We need to be AVAILABLE to do the ministry that God has called us to do.
- God uses those who make themselves AVAILABLE to Him.
5:1 – Through the Word comes salvation & Spiritual growth – Romans 10:17 – God uses AVAILABLE sources.
5:2 – They were thirsty for the Word of God.
5:3 – Simon Peter’s boat became AVAILABLE for Jesus to use.
- Peter could have refused … Jesus doesn’t force us.
5:4 – When we make AVAILABLE what little we have, He will lead us into deeper and greater things.
- Jesus will lead you one step at a time.
- You have to let Jesus into your boat.
- If you want to catch fish, you have to let down your nets.
- Don’t do nothing, because you see all that you can’t do.
- Jesus wants you to do what you can – Mark 14:8
5:5 – Don’t let failure in the past keep you from a ministry now.
- Victory comes when we do what Jesus says.
5:6-7 – If Peter had obeyed completely, his nets wouldn’t have broken.
- We look at our inadequacies & inabilities, and see holes in our net.
- Even with a broken net, Peter still caught fish.
5:8-9 – You will be amazed at what God can do with your broken net.
- Make your weaknesses AVAILABLE for Christ to use.
- If you give Jesus the nothing that you are and have, He will make you something for Him.
- We aren’t worthy to be a pulpit for Christ … but we are.
CONCLUSION:
5:10-11 – Jesus brought them from doing little things, to doing great things.
• When Jesus speaks … you listen.
• Where the Lord leads you … you go.
• What the Lord gives you … you make AVAILABLE to Him.
Make sure Jesus is in your boat!
