Luke 5:1–11 ESV

1 On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, 2 and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3 Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4 And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” 6 And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. 7 They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” 9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, 10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” 11 And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him. This is the Gospel of our Lord! Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ!

Encountering the Holy: Our Response to God’s Call

Imagine a kid who just found out they can dip their hands into a paint container and make a masterpiece. As joyous as that child is, they don’t realize that colors have properties—they can stain! So it is with God's holiness; it inspires our creativity but also teaches us to be careful. Our response should be joyful creation with awareness of His purity, much like crafting art while respecting its medium!

We, over the last couple weeks have been journeying through our Calling, given by God Himself. Today’s journey takes us on a deeper dive into His Holiness. Be forewarned. Dipping into the “paints” of God’s Holiness oftentimes makes a “mess” of the lives that we thought we were supposed to live. It changes everything.

As we begin today, I want to give you this insight:

“Holiness on the one hand creates distance between him and mankind, on the other hand his holiness creates a renewing fellowship between God and mankind.” S. H. Widyapranawa

“Holiness on the one hand creates distance between him and mankind, on the other hand his holiness creates a renewing fellowship between God and mankind.” S. H. Widyapranawa

We first must recognize that it was God’s Holiness that caused Adam and Eve to want to cover their nakedness. They recognized their sin and desired greatly to cover it up in some sort of effort for God to “miss” the sinful act of rebellion to God’s Command. Likewise, it is also God’s Holiness that we are offered because of the sacrificial work of Jesus Christ on the Cross!

Today, my deepest desire is that we all jump into the deep end of God’s Holiness and we allow Him to paint our lives into the beautiful tapestry of His Handiwork. I promise it will be worth it! Mess and all!

As we have been doing, we are going to use God’s Word and allow His Word to speak to us.

I want to look at a very familiar passage in Isaiah 6. Keep in mind that in these days, the prophets were very influential in the political realms of their times. Here, Isaiah is finding his call ~ remember last week’s message that in our calling, we will face trials, tribulations and troubles? Let me tell you, if you read Isaiah, you will see some harsh prophetic word to the Nation of Israel that certainly would not put him at the top of anyone’s Christmas Card list!

Let’s read this: from

Isaiah 6:1–8

Isaiah 6:1–8 ESV

1 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” 4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” 8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”

1. Awed by Holiness

Isaiah saw The Lord!

Isaiah 6:1 ESV

… I saw the Lord…

The description is more regal and awe inspiring than ANY king on earth in the entirety of history.

In God’s Holy Presence, His Holiness is Declared by the Seraphim and at the voice of the Seraphim, the foundations shook and the house was filled with smoke.

In the Holiness of God, Isaiah recognized his depravity and recognized his utter sinfulness in comparison to the majestic holiness of the Lord Most High!

God’s mercy was extended to Isaiah

And the call of God was extended to Isaiah.

What was the response of Isaiah to the Lord?

~ Did he hesitate? or waffle on the answer? No! HIs answer came swiftly and resolutely!

What was the response of Isaiah to the Lord?

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…Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”

Imagine yourself transported to the very throne room of God Almighty. How do you think you’d react?

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The Word of the Lord came to Isaiah and the directive wasn’t what most would want to declare to anyone. Let’s go further in

Isaiah 6:9-13.

Isaiah 6:9–13 ESV

9 And he said, “Go, and say to this people: “ ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ 10 Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.” 11 Then I said, “How long, O Lord?” And he said: “Until cities lie waste without inhabitant, and houses without people, and the land is a desolate waste, 12 and the Lord removes people far away, and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land. 13 And though a tenth remain in it, it will be burned again, like a terebinth or an oak, whose stump remains when it is felled.” The holy seed is its stump.

2. Answering a Hard Call

So, we think we have it rough?

Isaiah had the privilege of preaching death and destruction to the Nation of Israel.

Certainly the most popular guy in town I would think!

What about the message that we are called to preach?

We often hear people reminding us to follow the “Golden Rule” So, OK…

Matthew 7:12-14.

Matthew 7:12–14 ESV

12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. 13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

We often cite verse 12 like we’re Jesus Himself, but fail to place the context of the following verses along with it. We want people to be nice to each other.’

In society today, “being nice” is making sure that everyone has a comfortable life with no conflicts.

Let’s be honest. “…the way is EASY that leads to destruction…”

“…the way is HARD that leads to life…”

Don’t tell me to give up my sinful life, Jesus said, “be nice…”

Think about the message of Matthew 7:12-14 and compare it the message of Isaiah 6. Take these passages home with you and write how these messages apply to our lives today.

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Now let’s look at David for a moment. Understand that David, yes was a king. He was an ancestor of Jesus. He also lived a life that was full of difficulties.

Some because the Lord allowed them so David would become “the man after God’s heart” as he was described

Some because David did some dumb things. ~ just like you and I.

Let’s look at some of Psalm 138.

Psalm 138 ESV

1 I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise; 2 I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word. 3 On the day I called, you answered me; my strength of soul you increased. 4 All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O Lord, for they have heard the words of your mouth, 5 and they shall sing of the ways of the Lord, for great is the glory of the Lord. 6 For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly, but the haughty he knows from afar. 7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me. 8 The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.

3. Adoring with Praise

Psalm 138

We all know that David was a worshipper - That is one of the reasons God loved him so much.

God proved Himself faithful and true to David all through his life

The Lion

The Bear

Goliath

Saul

Sin

Absolom

How has God demonstrated His Goodness to you?

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How many times in our lives has God demonstrated His Goodness to us?

Like David, we have opportunity to offer our praise in response to God’s faithfulness. When we recognize God’s goodness on a consistent basis ~ possibly in small mundane things and then with revelation understanding of the magnitude of God’s goodness, we become empowered like David and Isaiah to fulfill the calling of God on our lives.

Challenge: List 5 simple things that you can easily recognize as God’s goodness extended to you:

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Now, list 5 miraculous things that you recognize as God’s faithfulness being made manifest to you:

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As we begin to see God’s working in and through our lives, we become emboldened by the power of Christ’s resurrection power. Let’s look at the words of Paul to the Corinthians ~ mind you written from a Roman prison cell.

I Corinthians 15:1-4

1 Corinthians 15:1–4 ESV

1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,

4. Assured by Resurrection

Paul certainly understood the faithfulness of God in difficult situations.

Paul was originally Saul - a chief persecutor of the Church

Paul was blinded by the Glory of God on the road to Emmaus and was gloriously saved.

Paul spent many years -Scholars say about 14 years ~ just serving and learning about God and growing trust between him and the Church whom he had previously persecuted before he embarked upon his first missionary journey.

Paul was arrested, beaten, shipwrecked, imprisoned and ultimately martyred for his faith in Christ.

Paul’s Gospel ~ and the Gospel which we preach was/is based upon three simple facts: Christ’s Death, His Burial and HIs resurrection.

It is not only that Jesus lived that transformed Paul’s life, no more than ours. The mystery of our faith has its very foundations upon: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again!

The Mystery of our Faith

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How did the “Mystery of our Faith” affect Paul’s life and ministry?

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How does it affect Yours?

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Finally, we read earlier the text in Luke where Jesus encountered Simon on the shore washing his nets.

Simon was done for the day ~ he was washing his nets and Jesus had Simon put out a little from land so Jesus could teach the people. ~ just sat down in the boat and started teaching.

Then this in

Luke 5:4

Luke 5:4 ESV

4 And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”

5. Answering with Obedience

Simon was done for the day ~ washing his nets

Jesus sat in his boat teaching people

Keep in mind, Simon wasn’t yet ~YET, a follower of Jesus. He was a fisherman. Just doing his job.

He was tired from a full day of fishing ~ probably had been up since very early in the morning.

Jesus tells him to go out again deeper.

Simon at first complains then complies and caught so many fish that two boats had a net breaking, boat sinking catch.

I love Simon’s response:

Luke 5:8

Luke 5:8 ESV

8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” 8 … “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”

Simon has now encountered the Holiness of God. God’s Holiness will impact those who experience it with repentance.

True, Godly Repentance brings about the simple, yet profound response of those affected, with answering His call though obedience.

Isaiah 6:5 ESV

5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” 5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” 5 …“Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”

The Prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 6:5

King David in Psalm 51:10

Psalm 51:10 ESV

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

Paul:

Saul who later became the Apostle Paul in Acts 9:3-6

Acts 9:3–6 ESV

3 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. 4 And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” 5 And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.”

Simon

Simon who later became Peter - Luke 5:8

Luke 5:8 ESV

8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”

Coming into contact with a Holy God leads us to repentance followed by obedience:

Jesus’ call to Simon Luke 5:10-11

Luke 5:10–11 ESV

10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” 11 And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.

What was your reaction when you first came in contact with the Holiness of God?

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Now, one question remains.

~ Will we surrender to the Holiness of God?

Now, one question remains:

~ Will we surrender to the Holiness of God?