But…Obedience

 

Luke 5: 1 – 11

 

Story of the boat.

 

  1. Jesus does not climb into every boat.

 

This can lead to two ideas and both can be dangerous.

 

  1. Hope he climbs into my boat and we try to make ourselves appealable to Jesus.
  2. Know there is no way he is going to climb into our boat, I mean look at us.

 

Correct response.

 

John 1: 14 The Word became flesh and made His home among us….

 

Tabernacled with us.  residence or dwelling place.

 

This is not his first contact with Peter.  In John 1; 40 – 42 Andrew, who was a disciple of John the Baptist, starts to follow Jesus and goes and gets his brother Simon.  Jesus meets Simon and changes his name to Peter which means stone

 

In a sense, we don’t invite Jesus into our boat.  He comes and we respond.

 

EXAMPLE: we don’t pray for more of Jesus anymore than we ask to have more of my wife.  I just spend time and yield so I get to know her better.

 

He prepares a banquet for us, we don’t offer him anything.

 

2. Jesus demands obedience.

 

Reasons not to do this.

  1. Tired, we were out all night
  2. The fish are not active because we didn’t catch anything
  3. Really sore from tossing net all night.
  4. Everyone is here and looking.  What would they say if a boat goes out at this time of day with the sun shining.

 

The victory is right here in this one word that answers all the excuses  “But” if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.

 

1 Samuel 15: 22 What is more pleasing to the Lord:  your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice?  Listen! obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams….stubbornness as bad as worshipping idols.

 

3. Obedience is not a bargain.

 

Peter’s nets were full and we get the illusion that all obedience is joyful.

If I obey you, I better come back with full nets. God just commands us to obey.

 

  1. Invite that atheist neighbor
  2. Forgive that relative
  3. Stand up and walk.

 

We get so depressed if things didn’t turn out the way we thought because we obeyed.

 

EAMPLE:  God is not a mother who doles out equal parts of the candy bar.  Sometimes he gives the whole candy bar to one person and then tells us to rejoice that they have it.

 

Later Peter is going to be called to obey and he is going to hang upside down on a cross.  He demands to know what is going to happen to John and Jesus tells him to be quiet and just follow.

 

It is that BUT that is going to change us because only then will we see what God can do in and through our lives.

 

4.  Obedience brings us to awe.

 

Awe does not come from the fish, but from the one who is creator of all and has come to tabernacle with us.

 

  1. Isaiah was undone at presence
  2. Daniel could not eat for days after a vision he had.
  3. Sampson’s parents, we are dead because we’ve seen God.
  4. Peter, “I am a sinful man”  I am suppose to die in your presence

 

Where did this revelation come from?  an act of obedience.

 

  1. David Davis Atheist, drunk Broadway play actor and director felt empty and started looking for God thinking he should become a minister.  Tried to write a play of Pentecost but not even being a christian made it hard.  The word burned in his mind was it still alive for us today.  A student waited outside his office all afternoon and at 5:00 he saw him.  I know where you can find what you are looking for. Went to a prayer meeting of actors who were worshipping God He was saved.  Now large church in Carmel ministering to Arabs, Jews, setting them free from Drugs.
  2. Story of Jarret Treu.

 

 

We are always looking for the Awe of God, but the awe came through and act of obedience.

 

EXAMPLE: In Acts we try to act like the apostles and Paul.  They are really just examples of what happens when someone is obedient to the Tabernacle of the Holy Spirit who lives in them.

Last thing.  When they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus.