- The Spectators?
- The Players?
The plays are more invested because they “SKIN IN THE GAME”
- Bodies on the line
- Future hopes and dreams riding on every game
Fans have VERY LITTLE “skin in the game”
- Switch team
- New season
- “Building Season”
The Problem:
Many Christians believe in Jesus, eternity, and sin but gloss over GOD’S KINGDOM MISSION FOR THE WORLD
What is God’s KINGDOM MISSION?
The advancement of God’s reign, redemption, and restoration in the world through the activity of his followers through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit
To put it another way:
Christians participate in the mission of God through every activity of life that expresses God’s creativity, sustains God’s creation, and cooperates with God’s redemption.
That should not be new for us, but it often is because.
Most Christians believe we are saved “FROM” something…
- Saved from hell
- Eternal fire insurance
As Christians…
We are saved “FOR” something
- For the work of God’s kingdom
- For God’s Glory
THE GREAT INVITATION
- Invitation to move from Spectator to Participator
Luke 5
1 As the crowd was pressing in on Jesus to hear God’s word, he was standing by Lake Gennesaret. 2 He saw two boats at the edge of the lake; the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, which belonged to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from the land. Then he sat down and was teaching the crowds from the boat.
4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”
5 “Master,” Simon replied, “we’ve worked hard all night long and caught nothing. But if you say so, I’ll let down the nets.”
6 When they did this, they caught a great number of fish, and their nets began to tear. 7 So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them; they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’s knees and said, “Go away from me, because I’m a sinful man, Lord!” 9 For he and all those with him were amazed at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, Zebedee’s sons, who were Simon’s partners.
“Don’t be afraid,” Jesus told Simon. “From now on you will be catching people.” 11 Then they brought the boats to land, left everything, and followed him.
Jesus comes out of the Dessert testing and heads to Peter’s hometown
- Begins to do ministry
- Healing people
- Driving out demons
By that afternoon, Jesus ends up at Peter’s House
- Jesus NEVER does anything by mistakes
Jesus heals Peter’s mother-in-law
A short time later, we find Peter:
- Trying to get home from work
- Been on the night shift fishing
- Washing his nets
- Just wants to go to bed
Jesus is in the area preaching
- Morning time = Full of energy
- Surrounded by a crowd
Peter Probably thinking…
- It must be nice not to have a job where you DON’T HAVE TO WORK all night and can come listed to a preacher
- Somebody’s got to “FEED THE PEOPLE
Jesus works his way over to where Peter is…
- Again, Jesus is in Peter’s space
- Again, Jesus never does anything by accident
Jesus decided to get into one of the boats
- WHO’S BOAT?? PETERS!
>This leads us to the first thing this account teaches us…
1: Jesus’ invitation meets us where we are
The worst subject in school was MATH
Such a struggle
Eventually found a teacher who could help me understand
A great teacher always meets a student where they are and then LEADS them UP
- NEVER say “You have to meet me where I am”
What we see is that Jesus Meets people where HE IS
Didn’t say…
- “Peter, I can only use you if you seek me out!”
- I’m trying to save the world over here, Come find me!
Jesus keeps invading Peter’s space
- His Home
- His Work
How does that look for us?
The Drawing of the Holy Spirit
John 6:44
44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up on the last day.
What is this like?
A SENSE
- That something in your life is not right or good for you
- That you should do something/help someone
A CALLING
- That you are meant for something
- A deep feeling that God has something for you to do
A DESIRE
- To seek God more
- To pursue His plan/truth for your life
>>>Back to Peter…
After taking over his boat for a stage, Jesus GIVES Peter a ridiculous command
- Go back and do what you’ve been doing all night
Peter was probably thinking…
- Never let a stranger on my boat
- Never trust a preacher again
- Never letting my Mother-in-law get healed again
- Just want to get home and rest
“This is a really INCONVENIENT TIME FOR ME!”
- “Been fishing ALL NIGHT and CAUGHT NOTHING!”
>This leads us to the 2nd thing this account teaches us…
2: Jesus’ invitation is never CONVENIENT
Learning responsibility as an adult
- Family
- Job
- Friends
- Health
Responsibility is doing the right thing when it’s not convenient
- That’s when your priorities get checked
Jesus’ outrageous request of Peter ultimately was about PRIORITIES
- Who would Peter ultimately fulfill
Jesus knew that what He asked INCONVENIENT for Peter
- That was the whole point
Jesus is NOT looking to make you COMFORTABLE
- Do you think he saved you FROM something or FOR something?
We often never see God really move in our life because the MIRACLE is on the other side of OBEDIENCE
Never trust a preacher again
- GET OVER YOURSELF!
- Your personal priorities
- Your Agendas
Change your thinking to…
The INCONVENIENCE is an INVITATION
>>>Let’s finish Peter’s Story…
So Peter does what Jesus commands
- Throws out his nets
- Bring is a catch that almost
Peter is overwhelmed
- Falls before Jesus
- Recognizes that he does not deserve Jesus’ attention
- But Jesus says…
Luke 5:10-11
“Don’t be afraid,” Jesus told Simon. “From now on you will be catching people.” Then they brought the boats to land, left everything, and followed him.
>The 3rd thing this account teaches is…
3: Jesus’ Invitation is to something BIGGER
A Life of Regret
- “I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.”
- “I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.”
- “I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.”
- “I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.”
- “I wish I had let myself be happier”
The saddest thing for Christians is to live a SMALL life
- Just barely following God
So many Christians have NO SKIN IN THE GAME
- They never really let God do something BIG
- They settle for Mediocre
I’m so glad that Peter ACCEPTED Jesus’ invitation for more
>>At the end of his life Peter Wrote this to the Christian church…
1 Peter 2:9
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
Does that sound like God called you to be MEDIOCRE?
Does that sound like God just saved you FROM something?
Or did he save you FOR something?!
Today, I’m reminding you of Jesus’ invitation to MORE in your life
- More Excitement
- More Adventure
- More Daring
Only will come by making MORE OF HIM and LESS OF YOU
To be the church we NEED TO BE
- We need people who will say YES! to Jesus’ invitation