Getting the Bible open and listening to what God wants to say to us... 

Over the next five weeks we’re going to recap over the theme of the evening meetings at Sports Plus, titled - ‘Encounters with Christ: Jesus meets ordinary people and transforms them in extraordinary ways.

 

Last week – The shepherds and the angels

This week – Jesus and Simon Peter.

 

Read – Luke 5v1-11

I wonder if you’ve ever been asked to follow anyone?  I remember at my junior school we had class elections where each term we would vote in our favourite person to be head of the class and represent us in a monthly meeting with the teachers.  Every term we would have a day when the candidates would try and rally up as much support as they could in order to get your vote.  Most of the campaigning went something like this –

Billy - ‘hey lancs, who you gonna vote for’

Lancs – ‘Dunno’

Billy ‘Why don’t you follow me and belong to my group’

Lancs ‘why should I?’

Billy ‘Coz I’m gonna make sure they sell chomps at the tuck shop this term’

Lancs ‘Great – you’re on, I’ll follow you’

 

Now here’s the point.  You’re not going to passionately follow someone unless you know who they are and you know what they can do for you!

 

Lets pick up the story:

In Luke 5 Jesus is busy teaching the people about the kingdom of God (check out Luke 4 v43-44).  After teaching to the many, his focus turns to a fisherman who is by the shore washing his nets.  He gets Simon Peter to take his boat a little from Shore into deeper waters and let down his nets for a catch.  Notice Simon Peter’s reaction:

 

V5 – ‘Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything but because you say so, I will let done the nets for a catch’

 

Simon Peter, addresses Jesus with respect, ‘because you say so’.  You can imagine him looking at Jesus strangely, shrugging his shoulders and thinking okay I’ll give it a go but I could be doing other things.

How often do we view our life following Jesus like this?? ‘Ah, I’ll do it if I have too, could be doing better things but out of respect I’m going to do it!

That’s all wrong!  Its not what following Jesus is all about at all!

 

The story goes on about the greatest catch that Simon Peter has ever caught

V8 – When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus knee’s and said ‘go away from me Lord for I am a sinful man’.  Simon came face to face with the all powerful, all loving Jesus.  His reaction is extraordinary! 

Instead of crying out – ‘what a catch, thanks Jesus’ he cries out ‘get away from me Lord for I am a sinful man’.  When he comes face to face with Jesus, Simon recognises who he himself is – a wretched man in need of help.  He then recognises who Jesus is and what he is able to do for him as he v11 – leaves everything and follows him!

 

Wow – so much stuff in there.

Here’s some big questions for you to ask yourself this week

1 – Do you know who Jesus is?

2 – Do you recognise your need for him today?

3 – Do you acknowledge that Jesus can do something about your need?

4 – What does it look like for you ‘to leave everything and follow Jesus?

 

You see, you’ll only passionately follow someone when you know who they are and you find out what they can do for you!

 

Will you follow Jesus passionately this week as you play your sport?  Because he is the Lord and he is the only one who can do something about your sin!!

 

Follow him this week friends!

 

The Youth Department