08-28-16 Equipped for Deep Water Fishing!

Scripture    Isaiah 6:1-8

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory."

4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. 5 "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty."

          6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for."

          8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?"  And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"

         

About the time that King Uzziah died (having reigned 52 years since age 16), Isaiah saw this vision of God upon a throne; for when an earthly king dies, the Lord reigns forever. Israel's king dies, but Israel's God still lives. King Uzziah died under a cloud, he was a leper till the day of his death; basically died in a hospital, but the King of kings still sits upon his throne.

When the kingdom looks bleak – that is because we are looking at the wrong kingdom. Look past this world to the one that is to come. Imagine life as a slave – things could not be worse – but many of them looked beyond this world to a greater one where the King of glory reigns on high which is why we have great and hope spirituals sung form despair into hope.

John 12:41  Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus' glory and spoke about him.

Now Let Me Fly which references the biblical story of Ezekiel's Wheels. The song talks mostly of a promised land. This song might have boosted the morale and spirit of the slaves, giving them hope that there was a place waiting that was better than where they were. Go Down Moses, a spiritual that depicts the biblical story of Moses in Exodus leading his people to freedom, is believed by some to be a coded reference to the conductors on the Underground Railroad. The oppressor in the song is the pharaoh, but in real life would have been the slave owner. Swing low…

What is the single most important thing about spiritual fishing? About fishing for people? About fishing because Jesus said from now on you will fish for people? The single most important thing is Jesus!  If you don’t have a relationship with Jesus – then having a boat doesn’t matter – knowing how to hoist the sails doesn’t matter, knowing how to catch the wind doesn’t matter. Properly mending your nets doesn’t matter. Washing your nets doesn’t matter. Knowing when to fish; where to fish; how to fish just doesn’t matter if you don’t know WHY you are fishing. You are fishing because Jesus wants EVERYONE to be caught by His spirit so that every fish might be forgiven of their sins (living the opposite way from how God created you to live [STOP sidebar: not from how God says you have to live or because God made rules and laws to follow – but because God created you to live in a way that not only is pleasing to Him but is ABSOLUTELY BEST IN EVERY WAY for you! Heavenly Father does know best.]

WHY FISH? So that someone may have their sins forgiven which means they will also get ETERNAL LIFE. Fishy fishes are caught to be killed – people fish are caught to be given Abundant and Eternal life.

Even before Christ walked the earth – Isaiah understood what was important – there are few people who are neutral on the upcoming presidential election – they either feel strongly about one candidate or the other – love or hate – or they feel strongly that neither candidate is a good one…KNOW WHAT? Jesus is my president – he is my king – Jesus was way less interested in who ruled the land than he was in who ruled people’s hearts. If the heart is submitted to king Jesus – the other stuff will be in place according to his will. God voted for a theocracy where HE is King – the people demanded an earthly king and the world has known nothing but government strife ever since.

How do you know if you have a relationship with Jesus? I’m not asking if you are saved – the bible does say

1 Corinthians 3:10-17

By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. 14 If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.

16 Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? 17 If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple.

So, to become the best possible fishermen for Jesus – you first need to work on your foundation – knowing Jesus – be careful to never have pride that you are a better Christian or know Jesus better than someone else – that is called pride (Uzziah pride went into the temple to burn incense – 80 priests followed and ushered him out because the Lord struck him with leprosy for disobedience and his son took over his reign)

How do you know if you have a good personal relationship with Jesus?

How do you know if you have a good personal relationship with anyone?

)   1)Be interested in that person’s life (triumphs and tragedies)       Bible Study

   2)    Spend time together (Intentional and casual time together)     Fellowship

   3)    Honor that person (Gifts and Encouragement)                        Worship

   4)    Share your life with that person – honestly (triumphs and tragedies)Prayer

   5)    Introduce that person to other people in your life (Family & Friends)Fishing for People

ACTS 2:42

They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.  Acts 2:46-47  Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. (Fishing for people) And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

VIDEO:  FAITH AT SCHOOL

08-21-16 Put out into Deep Water! 2016 Theme Introduction

Scripture   Luke 5:1-11

PIC 01) Put out into deep water

THEME 2016: Put out into Deep Water / Sermons are DESCRIPTIVE or PRESCRIPTIVE

PIC 02) Sea of Galilee

D E S C R I P T I V E

The Sea of Galilee, also Gennesaret, or Tiberias is the lowest freshwater lake on Earth 686’ below Sea Level. Its main source is the Jordan River which flows through it from north to south. It is approximately 13 miles long, and 8 miles) wide.

PIC 03) Depth of the Sea of Galilee  Its maximum depth is approximately 141 feet (43m).

Luke 5:1-11

1 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, 2 he saw at the water's edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.  (I love this picture of Jesus sitting in the boat-teaching)

4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water,    and let down the nets for a catch." (Notice the “comma”. It is one thing to put out into deep water – I love boating, I am not a huge fisherman. I prefer deep water so I don’t hit bottom. But it is an entirely different thing to ALSO let down the nets – not just let them down for a fishing exercise, let them down FOR A CATCH – Jesus knew Peter was going to get a great catch of fish.)

          5 Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. (Isn’t that just like us? No Jesus, I have already tried that – I don’t need to do it again – you know what they say…”do the same thing and get the same results.” Moses didn’t want to follow God, Jonah tried running away from God. Mark abandoned Paul and Barnabas mission work – BUT Peter acquiesced and said:) But because you say so, I will let down the nets. (NO CATCH)"

          LESSON: That is exactly what Moses, Jonah and eventually Mark did – in fact – that is what Jesus did “Father, I don’t want to drink this cup of suffering – please take it away – but if you say so, I will do it.”

6 When they had done so (put out into the deep & let down the nets), they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. (that could make you mad – what was Peter doing at the beginning of this story – or often doing? Washing and/or mending his nets…now they are breaking.  This is a sign of the church on Pentecost – so many new converts so quickly – what do we do with them? I would love to see that happen in our day. WHAT DID THEY DO? Asked for help!) 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. (Following Jesus may cause your nets to nearly break and your boat to nearly sink – when I have nearly sunk my boat my family was not happy about it – imagine the disciples shouting for joy, barely noticing the boat getting lower in the water for the joy of the catch of fish like they had never seen – esp after a long night of catching -0- fish.)

          (The real response;)

          8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!" 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon's partners.

          Then Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid; from now on you will catch men."  11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

In Mark’s account (1:16-20) and Matthew’s (4:18-22) the fishermen who follow Jesus leave their nets and their father; in Luke, they leave everything. Discipleship is a powerful, compelling call to a new life: a call away from routine to new purpose. The commissioning of the disciples was by giving then a great haul of fish – Jesus’ last word to them in John 21 was telling them where to put their net and giving them a great catch of fish and telling them to fish for people! There are some fish that will jump into a boat, but for most you have go to where the fish are – in the deep or on the other side of the boat.

CONCLUSION

P R E S C R I P T I V E

04)  VIDEO: “In Here Out There” from Right Now Media

08-14-16 Don't Give Up the Ship!

Scripture:  Philippians 3:7-14

http://bible.com/events/78662

Phil 3:7   But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ — the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

          12   Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

THE FLAG

James Lawrence was an American naval officer. During the War of 1812, he command-ed USS Chesapeake in a single-ship action against HMS Shannon.  His dying command to those in his charge was: “Don't give up the ship!", which is still a popular naval battle cry, and was made into a flag flown by his personal friend, Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, less than a year later on Sept 10, 1813, during the Battle of Lake Erie as he faced the British fleet in the Western end of Lake Eire.

ADONIRAM JUDSON

Feb 6, 1812 (170 before Kim and I got married) Judson was ordained.

Feb 5, 1812 Married Ann Hasseltine

"I have now to ask whether you can consent to part with your daughter early next spring, to see her no more in this world. Whether you can consent to see her departure to a heathen land, and her subjection to the hardships and sufferings of a missionary life? Whether you can consent to her exposure to the dangers of the ocean; to the fatal influence of the southern climate of India; to every kind of want and distress; to degradation, insult, persecution, and perhaps a violent death? Can you consent to all this, for the sake of perishing immortal souls; for the sake of Zion and the glory of God? Can you consent to all this, in hope of soon meeting your daughter in the world of glory, with a crown of righteousness brightened by the acclamations of praise which shall redound to her Savior from heathens saved, through her means, from eternal woe and despair?"

Sept 6, 1812 Baptized (4 months to travel to India – Bible Study led them to become Baptist)

July 13, 1813 in Burma

June 26, 1819 First Convert = Maung Nau

June 8, 1824 Prison = 30x40’ by 5’tall 100 people male & female nearly naked, little food, never cleaned, 5 pair of fetters on his ankles; at night a bamboo pole raised his feet in the air with shoulders resting on the floor – 21 months. Ann gave birth to a son who got small pox as did she- and got permission to get Judson out with a guard as they went thru the streets begging a Burmese mother to feed their child.

2 wives died – 3 children died – the church scattered while imprisoned. BUT, Within a few years he finished translating the bible and distributed tracks everywhere sending out people 2x2 into small jungle tribes with the gospel.

Oct 15,1845 With 3 surviving children he came to America and could barely speak above a whisper and had difficulty speaking in English – married again, left children in America and returned to Burma.

                         By his death Judson had hoped to see one church and 100 converts – instead there were over 7000 converts, 63 churches 163 missionaries and native pastors. He was directly responsible for the creation of a foreign Missions board for the Congregationalist and the Baptist in America which influenced the same among Episcopalians, Methodists and Presbyterians.

April 12, 1850 on a ship to regain health – he died and was silently lowered into the sea without even a prayer being said.

          The ship gave up Adoniram Judson, but Judson NEVER gave up the ship!

          Much like the Apostle Paul who NEVER gave up the ship!

2 Cor 11:24-28

Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.   Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.

          The world’s religious landscape is changing for Christians. A century ago, 80 percent lived in North America and Europe, compared with just 40 percent today. Christianity is thriving in many places in Latin America, Asia and Africa.

          Lucas County: Religions Adherents In 2010 Catholic: 21% Evangelical Protestant: 9% Mainline Protestant: 9% Black Protestant: 3% Other: 3%  None: 55%

          You may be called to go overseas or just across the street…no matter where you are, In Burma, In Africa, in Latin America, in the USA, in the greater Toledo area or in Oregon Ohio join Paul in saying, I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

CONCLUSION

Serving Jesus never allows us to rest on our achievements of the past or be held back by our failures – as a church or an individual:

"I am not tired of my work, neither am I tired of the world; yet, when Christ calls me home, I shall go with gladness." Adoniram Judson

          The Apostle Paul writing a letter to the one who would pick up his ministry where he left off – his spiritual son Timothy:

1 Tim 1:15-19

Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners — of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

          18 Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith.

In other words, “Timothy, DON’T GIVE UP THE SHIP!”