Participants: Lynell LaMountain
Series Code: FC
Program Code: FC000341
|
00:31 Welcome to Faith Chapel.
00:33 My name is Lynell LaMountain the Speaker 00:34 and Director of Life Ignited 00:36 and I am so happy that you are join me here today. 00:38 In a study today we are going be to studying 00:40 Luke Chapter five. Before we get into that 00:42 I would like to have prayer with you so that God bless 00:44 our time together. Let's pray. 00:46 Father in heaven we thank you so much for 00:47 being here among us today. 00:49 I pray Lord as we open your word 00:50 and we study what you teach us about 00:53 how to live and be happy with your holy spirit 00:55 and blesses and we see clearly for the first time 00:57 Lord that we can trust you. The life of happiness is 01:00 ours just waiting to be claimed, so Lord bless us 01:02 now as we open your word and study 01:04 it together in your name we pray. Amen. 01:08 A cold wind blew across the lake. 01:10 The sky was golden red as the sun flamed upward. 01:13 The odor of slippery fish, musty sails 01:16 and brownie water filled the air. 01:19 The time for rebuilt boat rocked as lazy waves 01:21 rippled by. It would have been a perfect morning 01:24 for these fishermen who have been for the empty 01:26 nets. They had fished all night long then 01:28 have anything to show for it, not even a 01:29 minnow to take to the fish market later. 01:32 It was one of those mornings when you find 01:33 yourself asking, what's the point. 01:37 Must life be this hard, does it get any better, 01:40 is this all that there is? Does it have to be a 01:43 constant struggle? It's a morning fill, 01:46 but empty hopes, empty dreams, empty pockets 01:49 and empty nets for these guys nothing to 01:52 take with them to earn their keep for the day. 01:55 Simon Peter and the others were alone where their 01:57 thoughts headed for the shore to mint the nets 01:59 and to clean the sails. They were very, 02:01 they warned and they were wounded from their 02:04 forth fruitless night of toil. Although nearly been a 02:06 year since Jesus had asked them to follow him. 02:09 They hadn't still fully committed to be 02:11 his disciples. They were taken the wait 02:14 and see attitude. You know what I am talking 02:15 about plan A was to give Jesus a chance to see 02:19 if he is worthy of following. 02:20 Plan B well was to keep fishing just in case things 02:24 don't workout and this morning it seemed like 02:27 both plans were not working out. 02:29 They weren't succeeding as part-time fishermen 02:32 or as part-time disciples. Since the time Jesus 02:36 had first called them they had seen him turn water 02:38 into wine. They saw him supernaturally vanish 02:40 from an angry mob that's about of through him 02:42 over a cliff to his death. They saw demon 02:45 shrieking terror as Jesus expelled them for 02:47 people's lives. He healed the blind. 02:49 He healed the deaf. He healed leprosy fathers 02:52 giving dads back to their kids, 02:54 what more to Peter need to see. 02:56 What more did they need to hear. 02:57 What proof were they waiting for? 03:02 What would it to take for these men to stop 03:05 wavering between fishing and following? 03:07 Each day for nearly a year they had wavered. 03:11 They held back and they found some reasons, 03:12 some excuse not the fully answered God's call, 03:15 but also Peter want to know what else, 03:17 did he need to know. Well if you asked him for 03:20 starters from his point of view. He wanted to know 03:22 if his faith would be any different than John A 03:24 Baptist his close friend. Despite Christ promising, 03:28 raise a power. He certainly had in help John very much, 03:31 these last few months. The very one who had 03:33 baptized in, in fact, and then there was a failed 03:36 mission to Judea and lets not forget about the vivid 03:38 hatred of the Priest and the teachers, 03:39 and the Rabbis. Peter could list for more 03:42 reasons for not following Jesus than fore-following 03:45 him. Troubled followed Jesus everywhere they went? 03:48 There is often times ahead of them when they got 03:51 there waiting for them. Follow me, follow him 03:55 where, follow him into an empty dungeon cell 03:58 beside John A Baptist, follow him into the middle 04:00 of blood thirsty mobs, follow him into open 04:03 confrontation with Church leaders. 04:06 Follow him away from the safety and security 04:08 of a sleepy fishing business into a murky future of 04:11 permanent uncertainty. Is that where is 04:13 he leading us to? Hey if Jesus were a Messiah 04:18 they would follow him no questions asked, 04:20 no problem, but as far as Peter was concerned 04:23 the jury was still out on that one and until Jesus 04:26 who gave them more reasons to say yes 04:27 than they say no, then he would gladly choose 04:30 the occasional empty fishing net over 04:31 imprisonment or dismemberment or death, 04:33 because if things kept going this way it wouldn't 04:36 be long until they found himself strung up 04:37 on one of those crosses the Romans were so famous for; 04:40 follow me, not today buddy thank you very much 04:44 I have got plans. In fact Peter did have the plans. 04:48 His day time was already full. He needed to go home 04:50 clean the sails, I mean the nets, sleep, 04:52 eat and get back out under the water 04:53 and fish all night again to make-up for the poor night 04:56 that they just had had. His wooden boat drag 04:59 along the sandy bottom as skimmed ashore, 05:02 and who be the first person he saw standing there 05:06 but Jesus, doesn't figure and behind Jesus 05:09 descending the hill there is large crowd of people 05:11 coming toward them. The masses were looking for a 05:13 hope, that's why they all was gathered around 05:15 Christ they needed some one to promise 05:17 that they might pass the point of no return, 05:18 they need to some one to seal the promise was 05:20 something more than just empty words they 05:22 needed someone to take their pain away, 05:24 they make it stop, pain that was caused by 05:26 malfunctioning bodies, malfunctioning beliefs, 05:29 and malfunctioning hearts, malfunctioning dreams, 05:32 they needed to someone to drive there tears 05:33 and calm their fears and sue the spirits. 05:35 They longed for redemption, 05:37 may be this not word they would use 05:39 but they were searching for that's 05:41 why they came around where the Jesus was. 05:43 He wanted to hear the words again from Christ mouth, 05:45 but how God valued them because that was news 05:48 to them good news in fact, Christ presence invigorated 05:52 them. His eternal law has restored them and his 05:54 grace ignited the hearts with the joy they push 05:58 forward, they pressed in, they closed around him 06:00 wanting to be as near to him as they possibly 06:02 could get. Says in Luke chapter 5:1:33 06:07 and I m reading the new king James version 06:09 it says, so it was there is a multitude pressed 06:12 about him and hear the word of God, 06:14 that He stood by the lake of Gennesaret, 06:16 and saw two boats standing by the lake; 06:18 but the fishermen had gone from them 06:20 and were washing their nets. Then He got into 06:22 one of the boats, which was Simon's and 06:23 asked him to put out a little from the land. 06:25 And He sat down and taught the multitudes 06:27 from the boat. Peter was anxious to get home 06:32 and go to back, he didn't want to go backyard under 06:34 the water again, put yourself in his shoes 06:37 he was a exhausted he was disappointed 06:40 he was gloomy and he was big crumpy 06:43 he had even had time to home grab a glass 06:45 of orange juice and now Jesus wants him to 06:47 put boat out of ways. So Christ could have some room 06:50 to sit down and teach the people who were pressed 06:52 along shore. Peter shoved the boat away from shore. 06:57 He got into away Christ, he gazed at the crowd. 07:00 It was a motley group, old men with drooping 07:03 shoulders, would perish their spirits in the mud 07:05 while leaning forward gazing at Christ. 07:07 There are people dressed in precious silks, 07:10 enemy side people wearing tighter ropes, 07:12 blue collared workers were standing beside white 07:14 collared workers. Among the crowd where there 07:17 are sick and lame and the abandoned, 07:19 there were the blind, the deaf and the diseased, 07:21 there were and priests and scribes who were there too 07:24 along with spies that have been sent to see 07:26 what Jesus was doing, what wrong he was doing. 07:29 And many of Peter's colleagues were in the 07:31 crowd too, fishermen who also had just come in off 07:33 the sea that night, they wanted to see what Jesus 07:36 had to see and say, Jesus appealed to everyone 07:39 that's what Peter noticed wasn't just to a certain 07:41 group of people, it was to everybody, 07:43 everyone came to this man who spoke words of hope. 07:48 The boat rocked and swayed admits the rolling 07:50 waves as Christ, the creator of the heavens 07:52 and the earth sat and taught people 07:53 how to live and how to be happy, 07:55 is the message that everybody is wanted 07:57 to hear since the beginning of the world, 07:59 how can I live and be happy. Tell anybody wants. 08:03 Peter listened to the words of Christ he felt 08:07 an unseen power tugging at his heart. 08:10 What would it be? Would it be his precious desires 08:13 or God's destiny? His preference, 08:16 or God's prophets? In his life would it be his 08:20 comfort or God's commission his convenience 08:23 or God's cosmic adventure to which he have been 08:25 called almost a year ago. Would he keep doing 08:28 his own thing? Or begin doing Christ's thing, 08:31 which would it be? Fishing or following? 08:36 After Jesus had finished unfolding time his wisdom 08:38 to the truth thirsty crowd he turned to Peter 08:41 and he said, take this out into deep water. 08:45 Luke Chapter 5 Verses 4 and 5 says 08:49 When He had stopped speaking; 08:50 He said to Simon, Launch out into the deep 08:53 and let down your nets for a catch. 08:54 But Simon answered and said to Him, Master, 08:56 we have toiled all night and caught nothing: 08:59 nevertheless at your word I will let down the net. 09:04 There was a good reason why fishermen fished 09:07 at night. Fishermen who use nets always fished at 09:10 night because the darkness made impossible 09:13 for the fish to see the nets, nobody, no fishermen in 09:17 his right mind ever would even think 09:19 or consider taking the boat out and dropping 09:21 those nets into the water during the brilliant rays 09:24 of the sun because the fish, they would see it from 09:26 a mile away and here Jesus says he is telling 09:30 Peter this seasoned fishermen, this man who was 09:32 successful as a fisherman, he saying go out drop 09:35 your nets in the water and not only that, 09:37 it would be one thing if, Jesus was telling Peter 09:39 to do this when no one was there watching 09:43 but there is a crowd on the shore watching 09:46 and in that crowd are seasoned fishermen, 09:49 and Peter know, he knows what they are thinking, 09:52 he is wondering if he is actually going to do it 09:54 and he is probably little bit embarrassed 09:56 and he tries to talk Jesus out of it. 09:58 But Lord we didn't have any success last night, 10:00 just wasn't good and you know I am pretty sure 10:02 that we didn't have any success last night at all 10:04 our fishing wholes that we had a lot of success that 10:06 before if that didn't happened last night really 10:09 probably not the best investment of time 10:12 and energy to take the boat out and nets all 10:13 right now, may be we should wait for later, 10:15 may be tonight. Jesus didn't say anything keeps 10:19 looking out toward the wild blue yonder. 10:23 So Peter launches the boat out takes Christ out 10:26 that's where Christ wants to go the nets 10:28 that's where he is going to take Christ. 10:32 Peter takes Jesus out into deep water 10:34 and casts the nets just as he has been asked 10:36 and no sooner he had casts the nets into the water 10:39 and the water began roiling and swirling 10:41 and stirring as fish were jumping into the nets, 10:44 in broad daylight, this does not happen. 10:49 It is impossible, must a fish or couple of fin short, 10:52 of a full deck of fins they don't just jump into 10:55 empty nets. Bible tells us about it in 10:58 Luke Chapter 5 Verses 6 and 7 I am reading 11:01 from the New King James version starting the 11:02 Verse 6, And when they had done this, 11:05 they caught a great number of fish, 11:07 and their net was breaking. 11:08 So they signaled to their partners in the other 11:10 boat to come and help them. And they came 11:12 and filled both the boats, so that they 11:14 began to sink. Instantly the nets were full, 11:18 it didn't make sense, it was an irrational result 11:21 in fact, it was impossible. Peter and the others 11:24 grab the nets that were breaking and they 11:26 divided the fish between the boats, 11:27 there are so many fish that the boats were in 11:29 danger of sinking, does that ever happen 11:32 when you fish? Never happens when I fish. 11:36 Fish were splashing around even popping up 11:39 and smacking Peter against the cheeks, 11:40 slapping him on his arms and snapping about 11:42 the bottom of the boat. And Jesus, I can just 11:45 I just imagine him sitting there in the boat watching 11:49 it all take place, can't you just imagine Jesus 11:52 of beaming from ear to ear with his unchangeable smile, 11:55 this joy that he can't contain as he is watching 11:59 Peter being swatted on the knees by these fish 12:01 that are slapping about in the bottom of boat, 12:05 and then it happened. Peter while standing knee 12:09 deep in fish slimy slippery scaly fish he starts 12:16 putting to and two together. 12:19 Under the canopy of darkness he had caught 12:21 nothing with those nets, those very same nets 12:25 but now under the brilliant noon day sun he had 12:29 the biggest catch of his career and this was one 12:32 for the record books, he had always dreamed of 12:34 catching this many fish and it never had happened 12:37 until now and he begins wondering what made the 12:41 difference? What's change since last night? 12:48 Jesus, Jesus that was a change since last night, 12:54 apart from Jesus Peter's efforts have been fruitless, 12:56 they have been pointless, they have been worthless. 12:58 With Jesus he had success beyond his wildest 13:01 imagination and then it really hit him. 13:04 What had just happened was impossible, 13:08 impossible but Jesus said, he had somehow managed 13:12 to manifests Peter's nets full of fish; 13:14 Jesus did that in broad day light, in clear water, 13:19 nets abundantly full of fish. Peter knew that 13:25 if Jesus can manifest this then there wasn't anything 13:29 he couldn't do and there wasn't anything that 13:31 Jesus couldn't make happen in his life and then 13:34 he realize the kind, loving, patient God who had been 13:39 with him nearly a year now waiting for him to make 13:41 a decision are you going to fish or you going to 13:45 follow? That patience and that grace, 13:47 and that kindness that bear down upon him. 13:52 And in that moment he felt unworthy, 13:54 he felt unworthy to be invited by God who was 13:57 so loving, A God who was so kind, 14:00 A God who was so forgiving and A god 14:02 that was so giving. The Bible says in 14:05 Luke 5 Verses 8 and 9, When Simon Peter saw it, 14:11 he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, 14:13 Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord. 14:16 For he and all who were with him were 14:17 astonished at the catch of fish which they had 14:19 taken. Peter was overcome by the greatness 14:23 of Christ he was ashamed of his unbelief, 14:26 he was overwhelmed with the gratitude that Christ 14:28 had come to him but he felt insignificant in the 14:31 presence of such power, now though he asks 14:33 Jesus Christ to leave Jesus stayed there, 14:36 Peter mattered to Jesus or else Christ 14:39 wouldn't have happened to just been by the sea 14:41 that morning when Peter came off from his night 14:43 of fishing. Luke 5 Verses 10 and 11 starting with 14:47 the second half of verse 10 says this, 14:50 And Jesus said so Simon, Do not be afraid. 14:54 From now on you will catch men. 14:56 So when they had brought their boats to land, 14:58 they forsook all and followed Him. 15:02 Peter realized that up until now he had been 15:05 thinking too small, his dreams had been too small, 15:08 his goals had been too small, his faith had been 15:11 too small and his worry had been too big. 15:14 There wasn't any need to doubt Christ 15:16 because there wasn't any need that Jesus Christ 15:18 could not supply, not after performing this miracle, 15:21 this Peter was sure of, if anyone could cram 15:23 fish into nets during broad day light then they 15:26 could do anything. So they came to shore they 15:29 sold all their fish and left everything behind in 15:30 order to follow Jesus Christ. This time he didn't 15:33 have to ask him, he couldn't keep them 15:35 away from him this time and Peter would follow 15:38 Jesus Christ until his dying breath, 15:39 Peter's dying breath, he wouldn't follow him most 15:42 perfectly but he would follow him perfectly in 15:45 Christ because of Christ. Peter moth-balled 15:49 his boat and his fishing here and he was now a 15:51 fully devoted disciple to Christ he was fully 15:54 committed, he was fully his, he had a new mission 15:57 now and his mission was to fish for souls. 16:00 In the Greek fishers of men literally reads catch 16:04 men alive. Jesus taught Peter that men were 16:10 languishing dead in their sins and he would reach out 16:13 with a net of grace and he would catch those men 16:15 and in the process of catching them, 16:17 they would come to life he would catch men alive 16:20 grace brings people alive spiritually grace gives 16:23 them hope, Peter would now catch people alive 16:25 in the nets of grace offering eternal life to them in 16:30 Christ's. That day on the lake Peter learned to 16:33 how to live and to be happy he learned 16:35 how to be happy by doing this. 16:40 By surrendering his ambitions to Jesus, 16:43 by surrendering his desires to Jesus by 16:45 surrendering his goals to Jesus, 16:47 because Christ's ambitions for him were bigger, 16:50 Christ's goals for him were bigger; 16:52 Christ's longings for him were bigger. 16:56 Peter surrendered his goals; 16:57 he surrendered his ambitions to Christ, 16:59 he surrendered his life to Christ, 17:00 because Christ's life for him was bigger 17:02 so big in fact that would take eternity for 17:05 Peter to live out the life that Jesus Christ 17:07 had now given him, on that day on the lake 17:10 Peter saw that Christ could manifest for him 17:13 anything that he wanted that whatever Christ 17:16 could manifest was much bigger than 17:17 what Peter could manifests. Jesus tries to comes 17:21 to us like he does to Peter and to like 17:22 he did to the disciples whoever we are he meets 17:25 us there if we were lonely, he meets us there 17:27 if we were discouraged he meets us there, 17:29 if our relationship are in shambles 17:30 he meets us there if we feel all as well 17:33 and that we don't need anything 17:34 because we are getting along pretty good 17:36 in life he meets us there. In those time, 17:39 when we feel like we are need of nothing, 17:41 wherever we are Jesus finds us. 17:43 He finds us on our beliefs and in our disbelief, 17:46 he comes to us he finds us knee deep in our failures 17:50 and in our sins, he meets us where we are 17:53 and he invites us to follow him. 17:54 He invites us to leave the darkness 17:56 and to walk into the light, he invites us to leave 17:58 those, to leave lives of meaninglessness 18:00 to leave the lives and live a life of truth, 18:03 he invites us to leave our life lessening habits, 18:05 life lessening attitudes and our life lessening 18:08 beliefs and to embrace life and to be filled up 18:10 over flowing abundantly with life, 18:13 he invites us, follow me. Are you fishing? 18:17 Doing your own thing or you following, 18:20 doing Christ's thing for you? Are you busy trying to 18:25 manifest small dreams? Are you busy trying to 18:28 make your dream life happen? 18:30 Have you heard enough of this lately dream life, 18:33 dream life, dream life. Everybody is teaching 18:35 you had a have a dream life, 18:38 or you have been captured by Christ 18:41 and the dream life that he has for you. 18:42 There are two dreams you can have. 18:44 You can have your own, or you can have his. 18:46 In the lot of times he is just scary 18:49 because it takes us to places where may be 18:51 we wouldn't choose to go at least for the short 18:54 term, but in the long term we are going some 18:57 place that even the mind cannot begin to imagine 19:00 how great it is. They make any mistake, 19:02 the disciples, they started living their dream 19:04 life in Christ but it wasn't easy, 19:06 What Jesus lead him through, according to 19:09 Church tradition here is what happened to the 19:11 disciples once they started following him completely, 19:13 once they put their entire trust in him, 19:15 this is their faith, this is what happened. 19:18 It says Mathews suffered martyrdom by being 19:20 slain with a sword at a distinct city in Ethiopia. 19:24 Mark died at Alexandria after being cruelly 19:26 dragged to the streets of that city. 19:28 Luke was hanged upon an olive tree in the 19:31 Classic land of Greece. John was put in a 19:33 caldron of boiling oil but escaped death in a 19:36 miraculous manner was afterward banished to 19:38 Patmos. Peter was crucified upside down 19:42 and he was crucified upside down 19:44 because he felt he wasn't worthy to be 19:45 crucified in the manner that Jesus was crucified, 19:48 so by request they crucified him upside 19:50 down. James the greater, Jesus' brother was 19:54 beheaded at Jerusalem, James, the lesser, 19:57 was thrown from a lofty pinnacle of the temple, 19:59 and then beaten to death with a fuller's club. 20:02 Bartholomew was flayed alive. Andrew was bound 20:06 to a cross, whence he preached to his 20:07 persecutors until his dying breath; 20:10 Thomas died by a lance being pushed 20:12 through his body, Jude was shot to death 20:16 with arrows. Matthais was first stoned 20:19 and then beheaded him Barnabas of the Gentiles 20:22 was stoned to death at Salonica. 20:24 Paul, after various tortures and persecutions, 20:27 was at length beheaded at Rome by the 20:30 Emperor Nero; such was the fate of these men 20:33 who were living their dream lives. 20:36 They were where they needed to be at the time 20:39 and they were following Jesus Christ no matter 20:41 what their lives in this earth were irrelevant 20:43 to them. It didn't mean anything to them 20:45 because where they were now compared to where 20:48 they were going, it was a decision they made easily, 20:52 can give it all for Christ. Christ dreams are 20:55 much bigger than our dreams and his dreams 20:57 don't square with the dreams the world has, 20:59 when he says manifest your dream life, 21:01 it's a dream life that involves eternity 21:03 but some times the row between here 21:05 and eternity is not the easiest one to walk 21:07 but you walk it gladly with joy 21:09 because we are going endure with Jesus 21:10 face to face forever, in his presence, 21:12 experiencing eternal satisfaction. 21:14 Where we are, Jesus finds us and he offers us 21:17 life, a life that defies rationalization 21:20 he finds us knee deep in our failures 21:22 and our sins, he meets us where we are 21:24 and he invites us just to follow him, 21:25 he invites us to leave the darkness 21:27 and walk in the life he invites us to leave 21:29 the lives and live in truth, he invites us to leave 21:31 our, life lessening habits and our life 21:33 lessening attitudes and our life lessening beliefs 21:35 and he invites us to embrace life in his full nets, 21:39 he invites us, follow me. In the question 21:42 I have for you, in the question I have for me 21:44 is the question I ask myself everyday 21:46 am I fishing? Or am I following? 21:48 Am I fishing doing my own thing 21:50 or am I following doing Christ's thing for me? 21:53 How we busy trying to manifest our dreams 21:55 or are being captured by Christ in giving the dream, 21:57 the eternal dream. All people wanted to do is live 22:01 and by happy, I am convinced of that, 22:03 alright. They never feel fully alive 22:05 or fully happy or fully free though apart from 22:08 Christ, apart from the one who gives that 22:10 live the one who gives that eternal life 22:11 into their souls places eternity in their hearts, 22:14 they may have dreams, we might have desires, 22:16 we might have ambitions, but without Jesus Christ 22:21 they fall apart. They mean nothing 22:24 and I guess the thing I am really trying to say is 22:26 they leave us totally unsatisfied apart from Christ. 22:31 Jesus Christ created us, he knows what it makes, 22:34 what it takes to make us happy, 22:36 he knows what it takes to make us feel full 22:38 of life he knows what thrills us in our divine 22:41 partnership with him he will supply all of our 22:43 needs no matter where we go no matter 22:44 what we need, he fulfills us with the eternal 22:46 satisfaction and abundant life. 22:48 Would you like to be completely his? 22:51 Would you like to be fully committed him? 22:55 Would like to be fully happy? Would you like 22:58 to feel fully alive and fully free? 23:03 Back in world war II at night there are planes 23:09 started flying over city and dropping bombs 23:11 the air raids were blaring, buildings were on fire. 23:16 A father took his son and he started running 23:18 through the streets to escape the bombs 23:20 trying to find cover trying to hide trying to 23:23 survive yet another attack on their town, 23:25 they couldn't see there were no lights 23:27 all they could see was a light that was caused 23:30 by the flames and they did run and a bomb that 23:33 dropped in they had fall down and the dirt 23:35 would scattered and they get up 23:36 and run somewhere and finally the father had 23:38 an idea probably the best place to hide with 23:41 his son, the best chance that they had a 23:43 survival would be to, find a bombed out hole in 23:47 the middle of the street and so he took his son 23:52 he ran down the street he found a hole 23:54 and he jumped in, his son was standing at 23:57 the top and father held out his arms 23:59 and he said jump, son jump and the son was 24:04 at the top and he was looking into the darkness 24:06 and he said I can't see you, the father says, 24:09 jump I will catch you and the son started to cry, 24:12 he said but I can't see you and the father 24:15 he looked up and because of the flames 24:17 burning the buildings he could see a faint orange 24:20 hue and his son silhouette against the hue 24:23 and that son said I can't see you but the 24:25 father said jump because I can see you 24:27 and so his jumped into his arms and that's 24:32 what Jesus had been saying these disciples 24:34 for a year jump I can see you, I will catch you, 24:39 trust me but I believe we hold back. 24:42 We hold back because we question whether 24:44 or not he knows what it makes what it takes 24:46 to make us happy we don't really think that 24:49 he has our best interests of heart, 24:51 we really don't think that he is on our side, 24:53 we really don't think that he knows what thrills 24:56 our hearts, now will take care of that Jesus, 24:58 give us a little time we are going to work 25:00 little harder, we are going to make little bit 25:01 more money, we get things of a control 25:04 we got our organized out and how mapped out 25:06 now, we are going to take care of this, 25:08 I want to tell you today, if you really want 25:12 to live and be happy and there is one thing 25:14 you have to do and that you have to hand 25:17 over your dreams to Jesus. 25:20 You have to hand over your ambitions to 25:21 Jesus Christ, you and I, we think too small, 25:26 we think in terms of all waterfront property 25:29 and there is nothing wrong waterfront property 25:31 but you realize that in Christ who is gone 25:32 ahead of us to heaven, he has built a mansion 25:34 there just waiting for you to occupy 25:36 that you already have waterfront property 25:38 looking out of window there is a river of live 25:40 just streaming by down below. 25:42 You can have a house in the ocean or a house 25:44 overlooking the river of life, which would you choose. 25:47 We think too small whatever you go through here 25:49 is no big deal. It's just going to last a little 25:52 while, but then forever starts and then that 25:55 forever is eternal satisfaction. 25:57 But I want to say something too, 25:58 eternal satisfaction just doesn't start 26:00 when Jesus comes and we start living with him. 26:03 When Christ comes into your life 26:05 when you allow him to come in when you start 26:06 following him satisfaction begins in that moment 26:09 and you feel fulfilled like you never were fulfilled 26:12 before that's how the disciples felt, 26:14 that's why they followed him, that's why 26:16 they followed him to their deaths 26:17 because he made them feel fully alive 26:19 he made them fully alive, so today I ask you 26:23 and I ask myself are we fishing or are we following? 26:26 Do you take your plans to him? 26:31 What is that that you trying to work out in 26:32 your life that you not trusting him with. 26:36 Why do you afraid of? I know sometimes you get 26:38 beaten down by life and you feel like 26:40 I can't take this anymore, if I can just work it our 26:43 or I can save little money pay few things off 26:45 or may be go buy a house somewhere 26:47 I will move or relocate and then things will start 26:49 working out great man then I will be happy. 26:52 There is one thing in this world, there is one thing 26:55 about this world nothing makes us happy 26:58 and those who had everything find out 27:01 sooner or later, satisfaction comes from Christ. 27:05 Remember hearing Jim Carrey the comedian 27:07 say once he says ,I hope everybody gets 27:08 what they want he says I hope they go 27:10 and they get famous and they get rich 27:11 and they call the money they buy all the things 27:13 that they want to buy may be and they get 27:14 all important, he said because they all learned, 27:17 that none of that makes you happy, 27:21 these disciples waiver between fishing 27:23 and following for almost a year and then they 27:28 put their hearts in line for Christ they gave him 27:30 everything to him and Jesus took it and he made 27:34 them happy. Romans 8 Verses 1 and 2, 27:36 the Bible says put yourself on the alter offer yourself 27:39 as living sacrifices, this is real worship, 27:42 now is a real worship putting yourself on the 27:44 alter offering yourself as a living sacrifice to 27:46 Jesus Christ giving him your desires your goals 27:49 and your ambitions that is a secret 27:50 being fully alive into being happy forever. |
Revised 2014-12-17