(Jul 14, 2018) THE DISCIPLE (Part 1): The Call, The Character, The Cost

[Music] so this is a section of Scripture that I was really really reading while I was away and I thought I was reading it personally but I think according to the Spirit of God the best as I can discern that it wasn't just for me it was for us and since it's in the Word of God I got to believe it's for everybody anyway I just wanted to make sure of its timing it's gonna be in three parts maybe four maybe two you know that's up to the Lord but we're not gonna get through it all today and I have good news and bad news the good news is the third part is excellent the bad news is we got to get through the first two parts to get there so why don't we go to the scriptures and take a look at these eleven verses that we're going to be dealing with over the next three weeks and the crescendo is verse 11 it says one day as Yeshua was standing on the shore of Lake Kinneret with the people pressing and around him in order to hear the word of God he noticed two boats pulled up on the beach left there by the fishermen who were cleaning their nets he got into one of the boats the one belonging to Shimon and asked him to put out a little way from shore then he sat down and taught the people from the boat when he had finished speaking he said to shamone quote put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch continuing shamone answered quote we've worked hard all night long rabbi and having caught a thing but if you say so I'll let down the nets and quotes they did this and took in so many fish that their nets began to tear so they motioned to their partners in the other boat to come and help them and they came and filled both boats to the point of sinking when he saw this shamone Keifer fell at Yeshua's knees and said quote get away from me sir because I'm a sinner continuing for astonishment has seized them and everyone with him at the catch of fish they had taken and likewise both Yaakov and Johan on Shem owns partners quote don't be frightened you she was said - shamone quote from now on you will be catching men alive and this is this is the key this is what will take care of probably week three Lord willing and as soon as they had beached their boats they left everything behind and followed him okay we'll break down we'll try to get through maybe to verse five and then maybe next week we'll do verse six through ten and then we'll finish with verse eleven because that's really the crux of it that's really the message let's do four the first three verses for a moment it said one day's issue was standing on the shore of Lake Kinneret it's it's not ultra important but it's not the Sea of Galilee by definition it's not a sea it's a lake and it's fed by the Jordans coming out of mount hormone the headwaters so is that important I don't know you know what I don't know but you know some people think I'm technical or I deal with semantics but you know words are very important one little word can change anything just as Charles taze Russell of the Jehovah Witnesses in the beginning was the word and the Word was with God and the Word was a isn't that amazing one letter changes the whole Messiah so on if I seem a little technical or if I seem a little uptight at times maybe I'm uptight maybe you're too loose I don't know it all depends on perspective I'd rather have God say to me man you took this too seriously then you didn't take it seriously enough just my humble opinion so it's a lake canary is the harp and it why is it called Lake Kinneret cuz it looks like a harp so somebody said hey that looks like a canary let's call it Lake Kinneret with the people pressing around and why were they pressing and look he was the son of God and he had the anointing like nobody will ever have he received it without measured at all times he was full of God completely like if you went into his Tabernacle there was no room for anything else he was chock full of the Holy Spirit and God would press him out and it would come out so powerfully that he had such an EXO sia an authority about him that people were convicted every single time he spoke if you came in his presence you either wanted to follow him and give him your life or take his life that was the effect that the anointing that he carried had on people which is really good because where there's no change of mind there's no change of life if there is no conviction I know that nobody likes that word but if there is no conviction then there will be no repentance if there's no repentance there's no change so can you imagine like walking with the Lord and saying where I am right now Lord this is where it's gonna stay I ain't changing I'm a little like you but I don't want to be anymore like you think of how I don't know what word to use okay that's one of them I mean it's I think it's beyond dumb it's crazy because a whole a whole objective is to be like you schewe that's the objective it does not matter what denomination you you you you run in it doesn't in the sense that every single disciple of the Lord is to be discipled and to become more like Yeshua and if you're not growing more like your shoe I have a newsflash for you you're going away from your shoe because there's no moment frozen in time you can't stay where you are because God's on the move so if you're not moving with him guess what even if you stay still you're moving away is that possible absolutely it's the truth it's the truth the enemy doesn't want you to know that you're good right where you are go push don't push the envelope you're all right you know face it and and this this this obsession of yours look nobody likes you so is that the way you want to go through life just calm down relax the world's changing you're still safe mistake first of all the mistake is listening to the enemy why are you conversing with him you think anything good to the matter that you think you're gonna get him to repent his fate is sealed leave me alone talk to God so they wanted to hear the word of God they were pressing in man people listen we're not going to ever have well we have 10,000 people probably listening but we're not going to be that congregation where people are we can't compete anyway with the churches in Macon we worship on Saturday with Messianic God didn't bring me here to compete God brought me here to bring the Word of God and so we are going to attract I think people that are hungry for the word of God now I'm not saying that the other church is off maybe God's called them to be more seeker friendly and and be more evangelistic I just know what God's called me to do and I'm gonna respond to what he wants nothing more nothing less that's all I could be responsible for so these people wanted to hear the word of God he noticed to boot boats pulled up on the beach left there by fishermen who were cleaning their nets why are they cleaning their nets because nets are made out of rope and after a long day at sea with the salt water and the fish oils and everything else they tend to harden stiffen and shrink and then they can't be used they'll break so they're just finished the day they finish the day of fishing probably got out there at 4:00 in the morning the commercial fisherman is what they do for a living if you've ever been on the lake and eret there are it is there is so much fish it's unbelievable and so they're there doing their thing and they're done and their boats beached and they're cleaning the nets and they're ready to call it a day they got to get up again at 3:30 in the morning tomorrow you know they're gonna sell some of their catch because that's what they do for a living they're gonna take some of their catch because that's how they feed their families and that's all it's very normal they're the human beings just like we are then he gets into one of the boats the one belonging to shamone obviously he knew which boat he wanted to get into and asked him to put out a little way from shore then he sat down and what did what is what is this is what Yeshua did in his whole ministry sat down and taught sat down and taught didn't have a rah-rah-sis-boom-bah didn't tell people how they can be prosperous didn't tell them how they could be better husbands and better employers and you know how they can raise their children he taught the Word of God look I don't mean to be mean somebody asked me that they rabbi what do you think of Joel Osteen this is what I said he seems like a really nice guy I'm I bet you he's a good husband I bet you he's a good father I bet you he has a good heart he is incredibly motivating but he is no minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ period they said how can you say that I said because it's the truth if he was sitting right here I'd say you seem like a great guy and you're incredibly motivating you're not preaching the gospel of the kingdom of heaven I'm okay with that he's a motivational speaker beautiful who are you are you called to be motivating are you called to preach the gospel of the kingdom of heaven so he taught the people this is what I get from this Yeshua used Peters boat as a Beamer well for some of you that don't know Bhima is this as a Bhima it's a raised platform Ezra got on a beam and preached the Word of God pulpit if you more comfort with that he used his boat as a pulpit my take is whatever we yield to the Lord he will use it let me show you a few gifts that Romans 12 speaks about these are not spiritual gifts these are more administrative gifts everybody here and I'm not blowing smoke up your dress is gifted everybody has some gift some multiple talents but when God made you and he was knitting he was knitting gifts into your DNA make no mistake now the list that I'm going to show you is not exhaustive it's just suggestive it's not like well I've got to find one of my gifts I'm one of the sick no there's many more gifts it's just the stuff the Bible small doesn't have enough room for all the gifts but this gives you some idea it's just a smidge but the point is that as believers we're responsible to use our gifts for the glory of God never ever ever ever ever for self-glorification never our giftedness whatever God has given we have to give back to him it says here we have gifts that differ and don't you know I think that's really important don't make your gift somebody else's I I don't look I can barely deal with me I don't want to deal with anybody like me Wow somebody gonna be laughing all the way home huh we have gifts that differ and which are meant to be used according to the grace that God has given us just whatever measure it is and don't be jealous if anybody else is gifting we're a community we're a family we need all the different gifts desperately be excited that when God brings somebody in with another gifting in our in our key lot if your gift is prophesying it to the extent of your trust a prophet today is one who declares the mind of God and is real revealed in the Bible he's not one of these guys on TV that tell you that you're gonna work with AIDS patients let me send you a cup that I prayed over send me $39 that is somebody who's working for a non-profit organization you follow they're not we don't need people for telling us the future we have prophets that did that you see you figure out Revelation you have enough to work on and make sure you know your future and where you're gonna end up that's crucial because it might come sooner than later if it is serving use it to serve a servant serves and whatever capacity they're called to serve we're not talking about a measure we're all servants in a way which I'm not somebody who has the gift of service there are people out there they love to serve you think golly how could they enjoy pulling weeds thank God they enjoy pulling weeds because most of you hate it a servant's heart I meet them all the time beautiful because it's such a humble being to deal with the servant if you are a teacher use your gift in teaching a teacher is one who explains the Word of God and applies it to the hearts of the hearers you follow you you just not anybody can be a teacher now but he has the gift of teaching everybody can teach at times but there is a gift of teaching there is an office of a teacher there is an office of a servant this is crucial if you are a counselor use your gift to comfort and exhort a counsel is one who stirs up the Saints to desist from every evil and press on to achievements for the Lord if you are someone who gives now everybody gives but that's not that's not what I'm talking about until not someone who has the gift of giving a person with the gift of giving has a divine gift which inclines and empowers him or her to be aware of the needs and to fulfill those needs and help those needs they're always looking who needs who needs and looking to give that's a giver do it simply they'll make a federal case and be generous if you are in a position of leadership everybody's deleted to an extent a leader is associated with being an under Shepherd the reason why when I sign things Rabbi Greg small or big G is because I work for the big rabbi I'm just an under shepherd so a leader is associated with being an under chef in a congregation in this context that talking about not just the leader at home but a leader in a congregation who stands in front of the flock and leads with care but passion passion if you don't have a zeal how can anybody else have it it's trickle-down spirituality it gets diluted when it comes from here so you better have power-packed because it's only gonna dilute when it gets to the crowd and by the way a leader in a congregation doesn't drive the sheep they lead the sheep they lead by example what they say is what they do and then it says here if you are one who does acts of mercy well everybody should be merciful it just means tender loving but there are people who have the gift of mercy you ever meet them man a person with a gift of mercy has this supernatural capacity and talent to aid those in distress they can empathize when they're crying with you they are feeling your pain some people have multiple gifts there many other gifts but whatever gift you have man use it for the glory of God use it for the glory of God it's not just about addition and subtraction with the Lord a lot of times it's about multiplication the gifts doesn't have to be spectacular you know we're so influenced by the world that we think it has to be something tremendous it doesn't look at the little boy who just had two fish and five loaves do you haven't notice why the Bible says barley loaves why did they just say loaves what's the big deal barley was such a cheap grain it was the grain of the poor it was animal feed God showing even if you give me junk if you give it to me watch what I do with it whatever you have you know when I first got into ministry I had nothing I had no degree I didn't know anything and I told God I have nothing all I have is my heart and I give it all to you and he said that's all I want watch what I do the bottom line is I still don't have anything to give up my heart and that's all God really wants of any of us love me with all your hearts if we yield our property and all possessions to the Lord it's wonderful how he uses them and rewards us I don't think any lover of God gives to get I wouldn't think I just wouldn't think that would even be right but we do get rewarded don't we it's never a one-way street with the Lord it's always mutually beneficial and more often than not we always get back more than we give by doing this by giving the Lord our talents we end up glorifying God when the blessing others and we end up doing good to ourselves has anybody ever heard in the world it's not a win-win in the world it's always win loose somebody's always taking advantage in business they got a win got a win got a win got a win sometimes people I know people that a billionaire they don't need a dime they still want to win it's about the deal I want to win hey I won I won you know what with God it's not just a win-win it's a win-win-win who's ever heard of this God gets glorified people get blessed and you get blessed yourself well it wouldn't what an economy he's running you know I just want to be part of that man I detest the world and everything about it I just don't want to be part of it and I don't want the world to influence me or my family or Beth yushua now there's a side note here you know one of the things guys that always amaze me and I've said it many times so I'm sure that you've heard me so this might be redundant forgive me but people do learn from repetition don't they sometimes we tell our kids something over and over again and what do we say how many times do I got to tell you I'm telling you if you put your ear to heaven you're gonna hear how many times I got to tell you but with that being said the reason why you know I'm the mayor of simpleton and I need things very very simple and I know when Yeshua taught he was teaching two very very very uneducated people and he was using you know basic agricultural terminology that any five-year-old would understand so everybody got the message clear and concise there was no confusion in his message and that's something I need I like simplicity I don't like complexity and if you're intelligent here today I applaud you but clearly you're intelligent enough to understand the simplicity know you can understand the simple yes see if you're super intelligent and I speak with you know seven syllable words then the simple might not understand it but if you're super intelligent surely you can understand simplicity so it works for everybody there is contrast in the Bible there is no gray area you know there are too many choices today way too many I liked it better when somebody needed a pair of glasses right you had the choice between the black frame or the black frame remember the Clark Kent glasses and now if you go I don't wear glasses but but I know that they go we'll pick a frame you like what and that drives you crazy when there's too many choices with God there's always two choices you can choose to build your house on the rock or the sand there's no other material you can choose to take a narrow road or a wide road you can choose the holy or the profane there's no intermediary choice you can choose light or darkness you can choose to be humble or proud you can choose to be first or last you could choose to be a sheep or a goat and you could choose to be a saint or you ain't but what I notice for the first time can we go back to row Luke 5 one through three for a sec if I may it says that he noticed there were two boats and I just you know maybe I'm maybe I'm reaching maybe I'm maybe I'm just imagining something here but I just think it's an either all with the boats the boat that hugged the shore caught nothing you feel me and the boat that went into deep waters caught so many fish that the Nets tore apart you ever see forgive me I'm gonna be 60 this year so I'm not young but you ever see elderly people at the beach they go in about their ankles and they do this you ever see kids did you ever see any kid at the beach ever going to ankles and splash water on them unless unless I could always tell the kid that's raised by the paranoid parent that's the kid that does that the Panda watch out be careful what they're on the beach you know when jaws came out in 1975 you remember that iconic movie do you remember the fear you know I'm out I'm out Long Island nobody went into the ocean when that movie came out there were certain people that was so paranoid they wouldn't take a bath a bath like a great white sand to show up in their bathtub but that's how it played on people's minds it changed everybody's thinking going into the ocean but when you see a little kid when they get to the beach they don't even they don't even put your sunscreen they're running into the ocean who's having fun who's having fun guys I'm telling you when it comes to the Lord how do I say this nicely you're missing out on so much when you hug the shore plus you'll never know where your faith is if you hug the shore see faith that's not tested it's not faith it's a philosophy right I mean burnin at 9:00 we were dating you know she was a lot easy to get along with so let me let me try to put in something that you can understand when we were dating it was fun right she lives where she lives I live where I live all right let me try it again okay when you're dating and you're seeing somebody once a week right once a week you've got your own life they have their own life and you get together on Saturday night you go to a movie in Chinese it's it's easy it's easy and it's so easy to say I love you then you know you get married you have children you have you mishaps you have issues you'll find out if you love that person or not as time goes on see why you were dating your love was never tested it has to be tested has to be proven it's the same thing with faith and if you hug the shore how are you gonna ever find out if God's faithful if you stay in the boat you'll never know all you'll have is philosophy you'll have theology you'll have scripture to quote but you will never know if God is faithful you'll have stories about somebody else who experienced God's faith but you'll have no story for yourself so 5:3 says that he told shamone to put out from short man let's let's go out let's get out of here you know these people are just listening to me come on let me teach you something so that takes us to the next verse Luke 5 verse 4 it says when he had finished speaking he said to Simon put out into deep water deep water not just a little bit not just you know whoa put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch let me show you another section Romans that I think is spectacular Romans 5:1 through 4 and this this shall the great Apostle Paul is speaking here about the benefits in Romans 5 he started speaking about the benefits of being saved the benefits of being justified okay he says so he's gone over what it means to be justified now he's encouraging them saying Wow do you have any idea how stupidly blessed you are and 2,000 years later I'm asking you the same thing nothing's changed the Word of God you don't have to you don't have to doctor up the Word of God we don't need nothing new God's doing a new thing really you know God's the same yesterday today forever so langt defying souls disciple in souls and he's coming back to save them eternally doing the same thing I know it might be boring to you but I love it so since we have come to be considered righteous I'm telling you now he's gonna get into the benefits by God because that I would trust let us continue to have Shalom with God through our Lord Yeshua the Messiah also through him and on the ground of our trust we have gained access to this grace in which we stand so let us boast he's a man you should be pretty pumped about the hope of experiencing God's glory but not only that and this goes on I'm just giving you a smidge four verses not only that let us also boast in our troubles uh-oh Oh am i in America this ain't gonna work sorry I should have stopped it too because we know that troubles produce endurance endurance produces character and character produces hope all right let's break this down a little bit and then we just have one more section of Luke and we are home free Romans 5:1 so since we have come to be considered righteous by God through our trust let us continue to have Shalom a peace with God through all Lord Yeshua the Messiah guys the first great benefit of being saved is we have peace with God the war's over our soul is no more war with the Spirit of God we have been changed from foes we will foes yes yes enemies of God foes look at the contrast to friends by the miracle of grace we go from foes to friends by the miracle if somebody say hallelujah Romans 5:2 it says also like that would be enough right Diana okay I'm good let's leave huh not so fast I'm gonna grind you too you hit your knees and say man what did I ever do to deserve this also through him not so fast Paul saying on the ground of our trust we have gained access what in which we stand second benefit we're not just acquitted we're accepted and loved and now enjoy intimate fellowship with God I'm gonna take a little secret on my little prayer walk I only heard one thing personal but it brought me to my knees the second time I said gotcha show up today and he said son I'm your father don't worry here for a guy that had a great dad and he left when I was 15 and I was never the same we've gained access to this grace can you imagine we can come in boldly dad Abba crazy they didn't have that in the Old Testament shivering coming in now don't come in and throw your feet up and slap them in the back of the head and say what's up pops don't pull that don't abuse the grace but you can go into his presence Almighty God and call him Abba Father somebody say hallelujah [Applause] so it says so let us boast we're no longer strangers with sons and it says experience in the hope meaning one day we're gonna be manifest in glory I know you don't worry nobody can understand that nobody but the least you could do is say that's the least you can do and then we get to the tough part 5-3 but not only that see everybody's like wow rah rah you know it's a funny thing we all want to praise the law and have the party and get the blessing both another harrah's turn to crucify him but nowhere to be found right we're nowhere to be found so they're all pumped all right this sounds great not so fast not only that now I'm good with that Diana Diana let's stop it - come on pull put a period he says but not only that let us also boast in our troubles look I preached one time in May in Orlando when I went to preach at that Chinese underground Church these are people that came out of the persecuted Church in the 70s and late 60s they were in Orlando all Chinese Church had an interpreter and these are people who they used to pray in China for persecution now I know that's a little over the top I'm not initially telling to do that but that was their prayer constantly because they knew that the gospel would expand through persecution not through comfort like they got the first century they were living the first century faith because they were being persecuted they were being killed if you told them oh don't worry there's gonna be pre-trib rapture they'd be like we getting killed now dude that's what happened in China a bunch of nice Southern Baptist pastors went over and was teaching pre-trib rapture and Corrie ten Boom was there and they pulled Corrie over and said please tell them I know they're well-intentioned but we're dying now go go with me to India and tell the people that are being persecuted and beaten killed don't worry about a thing gonna be fine it's American religion it's not necessarily biblical so I'm preaching and preaching it's kind of funny and I'm I'm in my third hour of reaching easy could've been there and they wouldn't flinch and let me go back to my point earlier that when you're dating you see how everything comes full circle for you in the back didn't hear what she said she said they used the persecution so anyway I'm on my third hour and jeremy's with me in the back and he's like like five years old he wanted to come with me and I wanted him to experience the reality of God so I would take him anywhere that I knew God was gonna show up and he's in the back and all of a sudden he's in the back row it's like 11 o'clock at night and he starts walking up and I'm like this is it he is hearing from the Lord I was wanted to do prophet and he's gonna give me a word for these people and I'm gonna be done and he comes walking and everybody's watching everybody's watching comes up to me and he I bend down and he said dad are you almost done I'm really hungry [Laughter] and so obviously you know where he gets it from the apple doesn't fall far from the tree by getting back to our text I'm not asking you and I don't think the Bible's asking you to boast in your present discomforts the Bible says be thankful in all circumstances not thankful for all circumstances that would be crazy for God to ask you to say thank you that my daughter a son was in a car accident they're never gonna walk hallelujah that's that's an extreme fundamental person who doesn't understand and has no common sense but listen to me I'm telling you you have to be thankful for their eventual results if you don't learn how to do this look at me sweet pea you're gonna struggle with incredible tension your life is gonna be one where part of your heart loves God and part of your hearts constantly saying what the heck is going on do you know what tension that's like to be half-hearted it's poison trust me everybody goes through it but listen to what your rabbi is telling you you have to figure out how to get wholehearted this is the objective it's not gonna happen right away when you get saved and it's not gonna happen overnight but if you never work towards it it will never happen we need to develop endurance or a loyalty to faith did you hear what I said we have to be loyal to the faith that we say we believe in and we can't question in the dark what we once proclaimed in the light this takes a lot of effort and it's a lifelong process and this is what it means to be a Christian all faith has to be practical just not theoretical if all life were trouble-free we would never be able to develop endurance and because Yeshua said in this world you will have do you follow yes in a perfect world there would be no need for endurance and when he comes back a we go we're glorified there's no need for endurance the fight is over but until that you're in this world so could it be that God is lovingly sending these things alway each one has a different level of what they can endure only to strengthen them for the next battle that arises could it be that God is doing this as a loving father could that be a possibility that's what the Bible is telling us that's what he's lovingly preparing us in helping us to be overcome as in the next trial how do I know this look at the next verse it says endurance produces character and character produces hope now when God sees us bearing up under the trials and looking to him to work out his purposes through them we get his good endurance seal of approval listen I know that was a little bit of a distraction but I needed to hear this when God sees us bearing up under our trials and we look to him it's it's sometimes there horrific just horrific I'm not judging anybody it's it's some things are difficult sometimes there's certain people little things exist go so it's my difficulty might not be yours so you are you I am me but when we when we bear up under it and we look to God we say I don't really understand it's killing me I love you I love you and if you permitted this to promote this and I don't understand that I'm struggling I love you when he sees that you get his good endurance seal of approval because you were tested and you're approved and the sense of this approval fills us with hope which is the anchor for our soul for the next storm knowing he is working in our lives and developing our character proven worth gives us confidence that he will finish the work now let me show you this word hope because I was talking to a friend of mine he's a pastor of 46 years he's watching hey Chuck and he told me he did a paper on this for his doctorate in Bible College so he loves this word there's two meanings one is the expectation of good for the believer and two is a joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation look one the expectations are good we choose to believe through our trials that God is going to somehow someway bring good out of it no matter how messy it appears if anybody can make lemonade out of lemons it's our Lord even if it's to teach us a lesson even if it's to change us even if it's to humble us all those things are good as far as God's economy is concerned the joyful and confident expectation I Got News fear people say they believe so much in eternity I wonder if they do I think a lot of people today even believers believe in the idea of it they're hoping but we need more we need to believe so we can keep going toward that finish line and that's what this does when God sees us bearing up under these struggles he empowers us with the Holy Spirit the journey may be turbulent at times but I'm telling you the landing is going to be like a butterfly touching down with sore feet [Applause] faith has deep waters today we're a mile wide and an inch deep especially in the body of Messiah deep holds out too deep not shallow too shallow deep waters is where we're gonna find our faith faith has depth so does suffering so does sorrow and so does loss let me ask you something when everything's going right don't you get silly don't you get goofy but when you're struggling you find yourself on your knees crying out to God desperation is not a horrific thing in the kingdom of heaven I gotta tell you it's in these things suffering and sorrow you ask any great theologian past present and future these are the things that bear much fruit and fill our nets I'll tell you something we were in Israel about maybe two years ago I forget which trip it was and my friend my good friend who were best buddies who tours with us he said rabbi would you people like to go to a friend's winery it's a little boutique winery in the Golan and the Golan they're producing some of the best wines in the world now because of a lava rock and I said I heard sly I don't really drink I mean let me let me just ask let me ask it was like 80 people and about 74 hands went up and I knew the other six was some about this I know they didn't have to tell me so I went with them into into the little into the little gift shop and we just sat and talked about how good it is not to drink wine anyway it's it's not biblical I don't want to get into what I taught it I build zillion times I think I toured a couple of months ago but that doesn't mean you know beers of Barolo wine is a mocker but it's not it's just not biblical it's just a man-made religiosity and it happened that way it said but it happened that way and that's the way it is anyway so I took the boat so I said alright just bring him so we go to this winery guys father was in Mossad he was one of the nicest sweetest guys I'm thinking you know for me anything without the Holy Spirit I mean out the Word of God is boring and that just doesn't mean in Israel it means like anywhere my kids won't to ask me a question because no matter what they asked me hey Dad is this the way to screw things in well the sheep go to the right you know they're gonna get a biblical lesson so they don't ask me anything anymore they just walk around and if in the house like you know headphones oh and then if they have any questions like you have a question no no no no we're good we're good so if you ever get tired of your kids and you don't want to talk to him anymore just teach him a lot about the Bible and they'll stay away from you like the plague but the guy was really really sweet and I'm sitting at this giant table to all these people here and and he's gives them four little glass of wine it was like 10 bucks of nothing but unlike lord help me out here there's got to be a lesson there's a lesson in everything every every bush is ablaze but it's only people that are looking for it that take off their shoes God's everywhere and he's in everything I'm not talking pantheism I'm talking about one God who is omnipresent and so I asked the young man I said may I ask a question he said sure rabbi I said I noticed you don't have any irrigation here and yet your wine is winning awards what are you doing time to drought he said that's by design we don't have irrigation I said how come he said because the grapevines that have to dig and dig and penetrate to find the water produce the best grapes and I looked at everyone I said I'm done here I'm gonna go hang out with about this you follow I'm saying if things are given to you on a silver platter they have no value when you have to dig and dig and thirst and hunger for righteousness and you find it it has value and when things have value you treasure it you want to have your business run into the ground just give it to your kids if they don't have to work for it they will sell it and buy a Ferrari and all those years you drive around that clunker ain't that something last but not least Luke 4 through 5 of chapter 5 and we're done it says when he had finished speaking he said to put out into deep water we went over that but I wanted some context verse five shamone answered we've worked hard all night long rabbi and I haven't quote a thing but if you say so I'll let down the nets now I don't think shamone you can read into this anyway you like it doesn't it doesn't give emotion but I don't think he was being sarcastic now he's being called in this section to be a disciple and on our last lesson we're gonna learn what it is to be a disciple because I have a newsflash for you every disciple is a Christian but not every Christian is a disciple and we are called to be disciples not Christians and we're gonna against us and this is gonna railroad your thinking but I'm gonna show you scripturally well you should use the word disciple 200 times he never used the word Christian the first time the word Christian was used in acts 11:26 when it was a derogatory term and I'm gonna show you why you should be a disciple that's later on that's in two weeks okay but for now he did have a relationship with him back in John just so you know from Luke for 13 to 14 a year had passed and you'll find that year in John chapters 2 through 5 where you shouid ministered in Judea this is like his second year in ministry but this is way he's he's not saying hey I just want students to listen to me see some of you will listen to me some of you aren't even listening to me but that's not what I want God wants disciples and so at this point he's saying hey I've been teaching you like it you know everybody likes it right it's cool and doing some healings like a dog and pony show right that woman bent 2 over she straightened up now I'm giving you free fruit hey anybody got some barley loaves you can eat free everybody let's free food right and they love a show but when push comes to shove he was looking for not people who would you know walk with him out of curiosity but died with him if need be he was looking for disciples and at this point this way he's like Peter we have a little bit of relationship but do you want to be my disciple he's now he's calling him to be a disciple ok Peter is a fisherman he's probably in his 20s here he said his father was probably a fisherman usually the trades are generational so he's probably been fishing since he's 2 or 3 years old now you know I know nothing about fishing I was just on Lake Sinclair last week meeting with somebody and I was talking to him and he's this guy's a good old boy you know what I mean I mean like I mean he's he's rich and everything but he's a good old boy you know it came from nothing he's a good old boy and I'm on Lake Sinclair the last time I was on Lake Sinclair's when Bernadette and I moved here yeah the you know the store the story is that God brought us to Macon preach when I came to preach he said would you leave everything for me and come to Macon so we got the coal overnight to come here we had no house you know no house we were in studios plus on Riverside Drive which by the way should be called studios - but that's another story we were in there it was rainy it was November it was cold I knew nobody nobody understood me I didn't understand anybody I looked at Bernadette I said let's go home she goes we don't have a home anymore Greg sold the house we're moving here I said let's just go home we'll come back next week she goes you're putting off the inevitable what coming here God's called us we're coming here I said but we've been looking for an apartment we can't find one all day long we looked then I said the stupidest thing well I said if God really wants us to move here let him find the place for us Bernadette did the phone ring how soon after I said that did the phone ring she answers the phone she's talking to somebody I'm not really paying attention she goes hold on a minute she goes Joan up it's for you honest the guy gets on the phone he says hello my name is so-and-so he's pretty well-known in town he doesn't never went to all conversation he said I heard about your situation your plight I understand you have nowhere to live he said I have a house on Lake Sinclair I'd like to give to you I said sir we have no money I'm not in a position to rent the house in Lake Slade he said I don't think you understand why I don't need money it's all furnished bills everything's taken care of for you I said why are you doing this he said it's okay he met us he said it's right on the lake there's a dock you have little children he gave me $40 at that time we had two little children Jeremy was a little and he said his four dollars I said what's this voices by two lifejackets of him I said why are you doing this he said it's okay we went up there in the middle of night never knew what it was like but the whole basement of this house had fishing rods now I'm a city slicker I'll admit it but I said how hard can it be now some of you some of you a serious fisherman I know butch is a serious fisherman I know Ben's a serious fish when you guys fish like you know what you're doing so I go to a store that said bait I walk and I said I need some worms they said what kind of said there's more than one they had been spins and bins of worms and I said yeah I whatever you think he is what are you gonna catch and I went I said what what what can you catch he said well there's some good crappie I said that's like an oxymoron how could crappie be good cuz I'm thinkin crappie anyway gives me some worms and I go and I don't want to put you know I asked Jeremy put the worm on the hook and he's a little skittish but he puts it on and I put it out and I catch something but I don't want to touch the fish so so I grab the rod and I slept swingin the rod and and the things not flying off so I put the rod down on the dock I go inside and say Bernadette do you have a dish towel so she gives me a dish I put it on the fish and I guess maybe it was a catfish something but I kind of jimmied it off the hook but then he he was stuck on the dish cloth so I'm banging the dish towel on the dock just as I'm doing it a guy in a John boat you know both like this bigger you know the kind white beard suspenders a t-shirt that looks like some general wart and the Confederate Army you know it's like 200 years old and it comes up because were you from that's the conversation so I said well we just moved here from Florida goes no no we're from and I said New York City went uh-huh and I bet you he's somewhere in a bar right now telling that story I guarantee you so Peter is a commercial fisherman he he knows how to fish Yeshua is a carpenter a landlubber he has no he's just he's not being sarcastic saying we fished all night all night and caught nothing seriously I don't think he's my sarcastic but look what he said this is this is money man he says but if you say so but if you say so there's not a lot of logic sometimes with the Lord trust me he has told me so many wacky wacky when you walk up somebody in a Burger King and God says tell him bread and you say bread and they start whaling because they were interviewing for a job at a bakery and they didn't know if they should take it that's what a key and I'm just dumb enough to go with it what's the worst that could happen I mean bread arrest him he said bread [Laughter] but if you say so listen to me guys very very important point and then we're done the Lord knows where the fish are running he created them they obey Him he knows where they are leaning on our own understanding no matter how smart you may be is futile when it comes to the kingdom of heaven the secret for success in God's economy is to hear and obey what you hear period putting all doctrine aside we all agree mostly about doctrine but when God tells you to do something you're not gonna necessarily find it only in the Bible you're gonna have to hear and respond to his voice if you say so I'll let down the net shows and Incred the incredible value of being available and teachable and most importantly faithful and obedient look at proverbs 3:5 trust in the Lord with all your heart it's not just a good bump a stick or something you put on your fridge or something your kids learn in a Vacation Bible School this is an out and out command God knew what he was saying three thousand years ago when he said this nobody can refute this there must be a full commitment to the Lord not just for our salvation if you think that's where it ends that's where it begins for the direction of our lives there must be a commitment without reserve and listen a healthy distrust in ourselves some of us are in the medical profession in the business profession IT restaurant business whatever it is you are very good at what you do you have learned your craft but don't think you know so much about the kingdom of heaven you have to be dependent on the God you have to have a healthy distrust in yourself I don't trust me you shouldn't trust you trust the Lord we have to just admit at times I don't know what's going on here but if you say so I'll let down my net if you say so if you say so I'll let down my net the next verse and we're done with Scripture today proverbs three six in all your ways acknowledge him then see if you acknowledge him if you seek his face if you ask them then he'll direct you if then you're not going to get the then unless you do the if there's a human side and a divine side to this equation if you check with the boss he will lead you in the direction that you need to go God is saying in this verse that every area of our lives must be turned over to his control again is this easy no there's something progressive about it but if you don't even look at this as an objective you'll never get there our one and only desire is that we should know his will for all life his will for your life is different than his will for my life how one way through reading the Bible make no mistake if you want to know the will of God for your life as a disciple as a believer you must read his word some of you didn't read the word today yesterday last week or the whole month that little verse that you're getting on your phone the little verse of the day the little you can do all things you're doing yourself a disservice not God God is God you will not change him whether you read or not read you must get in the word okay stop listening to music all day long and read the Word of God for God's sakes that's one way second ways to the advice of and let me let me highlight godly counsel make sure somebody is wise that you're speaking to make sure somebody is proven a proven commodity that they operate in the wisdom of the Lord godly counsel also through the inward peace of the spirit what do I mean about that darkness about going is light about staying when you have no peace it doesn't mean you're not gonna have hurdles but when you have no peace about doing something that is the Holy Spirit saying don't do that something darkness about going don't get emotional I think maybe God's just no peace has to be the umpire of your heart when you're making decisions about your life especially when God's in it and let us not overlook the amazing converging of circumstances you know Samuel wrote to me I just spoke to him this morning when he wrote to me he wrote to a lot of people he wrote to a lot of people help nobody responded who would who would would you would you send money to some guy sitting in an internet cafe in India who you never saw sight unseen would you send them money of course you wouldn't come on be honest you delete that email so quick you would delete it so quick you wouldn't even entertain it why don't you trust in the Lord with all your heart lean not on your understand they want you acknowledge him in all your ways and he'll direct your paths that's all I know how to do I don't know if the guy's legit or not I'm just Greg so I asked the Lord the Lord said yes right back to him okay Samuel there's Greg Hertzberg got email what can I do for you his he knows long that was my email right I said lord help me understand if this is a view because I'm still not getting it you told me to write back but what does he need he said he needs a hundred Bibles in his language Sam Lee writes back dear rabbi Greg I need a hundred Bibles in Telugu yes or no boom converging circumstances then the Lord tells a couple of weeks later go see him go see him go to India right after my massive surgery can't even walk right go to India go to a place that you don't know where you're going you never heard of it murim andhe of village and southeast India go so what happens a lady comes in the congregation and she's wearing Indian garb it to me you know you know when you have a relationship with God you know what he's telling you something okay I get it I'm on my little van going over there from groom I sit next to this middle-eastern woman and she's very nervous because this is you know right after we had all this terrorism stuff go on you could see she's very uncomfortable air conditioning is right on her in the van I take a coach he's trying to get her on I said may I help you ma'am I put a coat on her she's like she's nervous and then she says I said what's your name and she told me her name and said what's your name I said well today I'm Paul from Tarsus and she said I live in Tarsus so I'm like this is gonna be a heck of a trip look what I would have missed down on if I hug the shore if I deleted that email we now have 200 village congregations with 200 pastors look at what I would have missed if I hugged the shore and just through the water on me and played it safe if we really big if want God's will for our lives and we intend to obey what we hear God will make the direction so obvious and so clear that to refuse him would be positive disobedience now if you really want God's will for your life I'm gonna ask you to pray a prayer with me but listen to me I'm not trying to scare anybody it's a covenant God is a covenant maker and a covenant keeper not like us Lord in sickness and in fullness and health well whatever it is covenants over not with God he takes it very seriously this is what I said to God many years ago Lord I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed but I'm no bowling ball either if you make it clear to me I'll do it if that's you and you want to repeat that with me feel free Lord I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed Lord I'm know bowling ball either if you make it clear to me I'll do it let's stand together you got plenty of time to study you've got a hundred and sixty six hours in which you can study Luke five the rest of it versus six to ten we'll go over next week and then the crescendo or the big left hook will be verse 11 where it says leaving everything behind and we'll get into what it means to be a disciple it should be a doozy I really think so I'm really excited about the Lord's word and as always be good to God and be good to each other that's really what it's all about and and and listen to his voice and guys obey it because he's crazy about you absolutely crazy about you and I know a lot of people say to me well rabbi sometimes I don't know sometimes I don't know you know I got to be honest with you you know God goes to his go to people and if you have a lot of unfinished business with the Lord sometimes he'll just find somebody else if if you know the Jewish people were gonna leave Persia and if the book wasn't cold esta it would've been cold Miriam that's what Mordecai said hey you know he's gonna get somebody to do it you want to be his guy don't you want to be that guy that when your name comes up in heaven God says I could depend on that guy you want to be this guy so when you hear his voice just do it just be flagrant be nuts I mean no matter what it cost you because when it's over you're gonna be like and you're gonna hear well done now middle Lord bless you and keep you middle Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious aren't you and middle of lift up is very countenance upon you and give you his peace in the name of the Prince of Peace eschew evil annoy face my wrath your Illinois point of Alessa then you saw I don't know hoy por novela ha they are sama ha ha Oh [Music]

Channel: Getzel

Views: 8,029

Rating: 4.85641 out of 5

Keywords: disciple, talmud, Yeshua, Lake Kinneret, Shim'on, boat, nets, fishing, sinking, Kefa, Ya'acov, catching men alive, followed

Id: EBVNMaMuZgk

Length: 65min 29sec (3929 seconds)

Published: Thu Jul 19 2018