What is Your Passion

I had planned to preach out of Ecclesiastes this morning, and felt like that is where God was leading me and had my sermon just about completed. I was wrapping it up last night, when I was looking at one of my resources, and I came across some notes I had written from a sermon I heard preach a while back.

And I read over the notes and God spoke to me, and honestly the other sermon just was not coming together, it just was not working out.

When I write a sermon, I have to feel God speaking to me or I keep studying, keep praying, keep searching Scripture, until He does speak to me, because if He is not speaking to me then how can I expect Him to speak through me to others.

Therefore, this morning I will be preaching on What is Your Passion, as we look at Luke chapter 5, In chapter 4 Jesus went through the temptations in the wilderness after 40 days and nights of fasting in the wilderness. He then went to Galilee and then was rejected in Nazareth His hometown, where he makes the statement in verse 24 of chapter 4.

Luke 4:24 CSB

24 He also said, “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in his hometown.

He then goes into Capernaum and drives out a demonic spirit in a man in the synagogue on the Sabbath, and then enters Simon’s house and heals Simon’s mother-in-law of a high fever.

The next day He went out into the desert to make His way to other towns and cities to preach the gospel, He said in verse 43 of chapter four that he was sent for this purpose to preach the good news about the kingdom of God.

That brings us to our text of chapter 5 this morning, and if you are able will stand with me in honor of the reading of the Word of God.

Luke 5:1–3 CSB

1 As the crowd was pressing in on Jesus to hear God’s word, he was standing by Lake Gennesaret. 2 He saw two boats at the edge of the lake; the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, which belonged to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from the land. Then he sat down and was teaching the crowds from the boat.

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I. Pressing In

Luke 5:1 CSB

1 As the crowd was pressing in on Jesus to hear God’s word, he was standing by Lake Gennesaret.

When I looked at these verse last night this first verse God spoke to me hard, list to it again, as the crowd was Pressing In on Jesus to Hear God’s Word.

When was the last time that you were pressing in to hear God’s Word, I mean I know we have the term back row baptist and all, but really, just in the last two weeks I have heard a couple of excuses as to why people sit in the back rows of this church. And the problem is some of yall cant even hardly hear and do not even get half of what is said from up here.

But that is not even the start of it, are you pressing in during Sunday school, are you studying you lesson, or do you just wait until you get here for Ed or Wayne to teach it to you. How about Wednesday night Bible study I give out hand outs, do you take those home and review the Scriptures that are on there, check my references.

Better yet, are you pressing in a quite time, having a time when you are reading your Bible each day, even if it is a verse or two a day, its better than nothing. I shared last week or week before you get an app on your smart phone called you version, that will alert you to do your Bible reading, and has reading plans for you.

Verse one there said the people were pressing in on Jesus to hear the Word of God, they were hungry for the Word of God, what would happen to this nation if we as American would press in on Jesus to hear the Word of God, if the Christians of this nation were truly HUNGRY for the Word of God. I mean Honestly, we have election this Tuesday. If we as Christian Americans would press in on Jesus as He is our mediator going between us and God the Father in prayer, things would truly change in this nation.

But what is your passion?

What are you pressing in on?

See there is nothing wrong with fishing, Hunting season has started, there is nothing wrong with it, or nascar, or football, baseball, basketball, golf, tennis, art, reading, rodeo, gardening, gaming, binge watching T.V. shows, or whatever you are caught up in. The thing is have you left room for God, do you still have a passion for God, are you still pressing in on God and His Word.

And I am not talking about an hour o two on Sunday mornings, and an hour on Wednesday night, but truly spending time with Him, truly desiring to get to know Him more.

Because see, I can enjoy fishing and use fishing to do it. Jesus got into Peter’s boat and had him cast off a little bit so the crowd couldn’t keep getting so close and He could teach.

Then He performed a miracle.

Hunting, a seen something yesterday I have never seen before, it was an ad on Facebook for a church in GA, that is having an event this coming Saturday that is called Big Doe contest, they are having give away’s and a meal and door prizes and all kind of things. Pretty neat deal, and I bet they are going to share the gospel message.

We have the kids rodeo that will be this coming Saturday, the gospel will be shared at, everyone is invited and encouraged to come out and meet people and talk to people, get to know people, build relationships with people.

Rodeo may not be your thing, I get that but it is not about the rodeo, it is about God, it is about bringing glory and honor to God. You may say well Pastor how do I bring glory and honor to God by being at the rodeo Saturday, Well let me tell you, come help in the concession trailer, come meet people and talk to them, invite them to the church, work a gate if you are able, you may just be there to talk to people or just being there. God sees it. It is a step, next month you make another step, do a little more, and the next a little more.

See that Rodeo ministry is a ministry that God has blessed this church with, and this church needs to grasp it and needs to get into that mission field and work that field.

II. Deep Waters

Luke 5:4–7 CSB

4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 “Master,” Simon replied, “we’ve worked hard all night long and caught nothing. But if you say so, I’ll let down the nets.” 6 When they did this, they caught a great number of fish, and their nets began to tear. 7 So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them; they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

In verse 2, the fishermen were washing there nets, Peter was still in his boat, as Jesus asked him to push off from shore just a little in verse 3 and now in verse 4 Jesus tells Peter to put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch.

Now this goes against everything Peter knows about fishing. One they did not fish during the day time as the fish sough deep water where it was cooler, and two they did not fish in deep waters as it was to deep for their nets to catch the fish.

They fished at night in shallow water, as that is when the fish would feed and they would come up into the shallow waters along the sea shores to feed making it easier for the fishermen to catch the fish.

Peter and his crew, his friends had fished all night and had not caught anything, and now Jesus say go out deeper.

Now we can say well, the rodeo is my cup of tea, it is not what I am in too, and we have not really seen anyone come to church from it so why waste my time, and you know I have heard the same thing about the food ministry, I don’t have time for all of that, its not really my thing, or we have not gotten anyone to start attending the church from it.

Well first the rodeo ministry God has blessed this church with the Rodeo, in going on 7 years I guess, the church has not really put anything out, God has provided everything back there, yes, He has used donations from business, people and other ways, but He has provided it.

The Food ministry yes the church has put money out, but we are told to feed those that are hungry, Matthew 25:34-35

Matthew 25:34–35 CSB

34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 “ ‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger and you took me in;

Are these ministries that are our cup of tea, maybe not, but Jesus did not say to Peter if this makes sense put out into the deep water. He just said pout into deep water, now Peter did, hesitate a little if you will, he says, in verse 5, Master we fished all night long working hard and we aint caught anything.

He is like we did not just piddle around, we really got after it all night Master, and did not come up with anything, like there was nothing in our nets.

Now last night when I was studying this I thought, maybe God made it work out like this, that these guys work their butts off all night long, and not a thing. Peter then says to Jesus But if you say so, I will let down the nets.

Now Peter just listened to Jesus teach on the front of his boat, for however long, but he has probably heard of the miracles that He has been performing also by this time too.

Peter lets down his net, and we must remember they did not fish during the day because the fish would go to the bottom of the deep if you will were it was cool at. But it says, they caught a great number of fish, and their nets began to tear.

After fishing all night and no fish, now they have so many fish their nets are about to rip open they signal for their partners to come help and they fill both boats and they both began to sink.

Because Peter was obedient to something that did not make sense, God showed up and showed out. He overloaded not only Peter’s boat but Peter’s partner’s boat to the point that they were about to sink.

When we press in on God, when we turn our passion toward God, we may love to fish, or hunt as its hunting season turn that passion of hunting toward God, press it in on God. See Peter was a fisherman, Jesus took fishing and showed him the power of God through fishing. We can take hunting and show our hunting buddies the love of Jesus, the power of God through hunting, if we will press in on the Word of God, and go into the deep waters with Jesus.

The rodeo this Saturday, again I get it is not for everyone, but you have to get past that, and see what it really is, it is not about the rodeo it is about serving God, glorifying God, and reaching people for Jesus. Once you press in on that, hey I am going to go out and meet people at the rodeo and see how I can talk to people about Jesus today. Allow Jesus to take you into deep waters, and see how that net comes up full.

III. Follow Him!!!

Luke 5:8–11 CSB

8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’s knees and said, “Go away from me, because I’m a sinful man, Lord!” 9 For he and all those with him were amazed at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, Zebedee’s sons, who were Simon’s partners. “Don’t be afraid,” Jesus told Simon. “From now on you will be catching people.” 11 Then they brought the boats to land, left everything, and followed him.

See here what Peter does after the catch, he fell at the knees of Jesus, Peter recognizes his unworthiness, he says go away from me, because I am a sinful man, Lord.

This reminds me of Isaiah’s vision of the Lord on the throne, with the Seraphim around Him calling out Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Armies. Found in Isaiah 6 but what Isaiah says in verse 5 is what I am reminded of.

Isaiah 6:5 CSB

5 Then I said: Woe is me for I am ruined because I am a man of unclean lips and live among a people of unclean lips, and because my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Armies.

Both Peter and Isaiah, recognized their sin and unworthiness and in the presences of the Lord of lords and King of kings, the Lord God Almighty. We too, must recognize that the only way we can find righteousness is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, and without His blood we doomed to the pits of Hell, and it is only through His blood that we can find righteousness that can get us salvation and entrance into paradise with Him one day.

It was not just Peter, but also James and John, that day that was apart of this great catch and recognizing who Jesus was, and their unworthiness. We know that Peter, James, and John make up Jesus’ inner-circle, His three main guys.

Jesus tells them do not be afraid, to many times we allow the fears of this world, and in reality the father of fear is Satan, therefore, we allow Satan to put these lies into our head, so that we do not do what we are supposed to do.

See we know we need to go to that Rodeo and talk to people, but Satan tells us, oh Chris that is not your cup of tea, Chris you got other things that you need to be doing today, Chris you are shy you cannot talk to those people, they will reject you, they may laugh at you, what will you even talk about, what will you say, what if they ask something that you do not know, what if, what if, you cannot do it, you are not good enough, you did it wrong, you should not say that, you should not act like that.

Jesus said to Peter, James and John, From now on you will be catching people, or thou shall catch men. Another words do not fear, do not be scared, I got you, just rely on me, allow me to use you, trust in me, Jesus is calling them.

He is also calling you to trust in him, to rely on him, to allow him to use you.

Verse 11 tells us that when they got their boats to shore, they left everything, the KJV, says forsook all, and followed him.

Jesus may not be calling you to forsake or to leave everything behind, but He is calling you to follow him, and you may say well I am a Christian, okay but are you following him, are you pressing in on His Word, are you going into the deep waters with him. Are you trusting him with all your heart.

Proverbs 3:5–6 CSB

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight.

Are you doing that, because if not then you have too, because if not you have not made Jesus the Lord of your life. When you follow Jesus in faith, trusting in the Lord with all your heart and not relying on your own understanding it can be scary, but He is always there, He will make your paths straight, He will provide the way and He will take care of you.

I can say I could not face this life without Him.

But this world, this nation, this state, this county needs Christians that will press in on Jesus to hear the Word of God, to go into deep waters with Jesus and to follow Jesus with all that we are, like our lives depend on it because it does.

We must turn our passion toward Jesus!!!