The Call to Surrender

Introduction

ILLUST - one of the best cartoons - Bugs and Thugs - 1954

Bugs finds himself in a situation he didn’t expect as he accidentally takes a ride in a getaway car of two bank robbers, Rocky and Mugsy

Bugs is trying to get away from these two.

- find themselves in a cabin

Bugs pretends the police have arrived. Offers to hide the two . . . in a stove

Bugs plays the officer

— Alright, where is Rocky? Where’s he hiding?

— Not in this stove.

He’s in the stove, huh?

— “Would I turn on the gas if my friend Rocky were in there?”

— “You might, rabbit, you might.”

— Would I throw a lighted match in there if my friend Rocky were in there? BOOM

Then the police really do show up

— Same questions, but Rocky and Mugsy are not that commited to being criminals anymore and give themselves up to the police.

The questions increased in intensity and cost in order to test Rocky and Mugsy’s commitment to their call of being a criminal.

In today’s passage we will explore what it means to be called to follow Jesus.

I want you to ask yourself, “Is there a limit to my commitment to follow Christ?

Ex, “Would I still follow Jesus if. . .”

Would I still follow Jesus if people at work or school make fun of me?

“Well, you might Christian, you might.”

Would I still follow Jesus if it costs me my Sunday mornings?

“Well, you might Christian, you might.”

Would I still follow Jesus if means changing my language, my habits, and hobbies?

“Well, you might Christian, you might.”

Would I still follow Jesus if he asked for the one thing you've never been willing to put on the altar?

“Whoa.”

Would I still follow Jesus if following him looked nothing like the plan you already had for your life?

“Ummm.”

Would I still follow Jesus if he never explained why?

The hindrance we have in understanding this question well is the fact that in our country and culture, it costs us very little to say we are a Christian.

For many of us, the initial call to follow Christ (at VBS, youth camp, church service) was a question we could answer with very little cost.

We have made it very easy to say we follow Jesus with very little need to back up that claim.

However, when the issues of life set a match to what we expected, we may find ourselves questioning our commitment.

Whether you’re exploring whether Jesus is worth following, or you have been following Him for decades, this message will show us that Following Jesus at all means surrendering . . ALL.

We’re going to take a look at a story where a some men were called to follow Jesus though it would cost them each a fair amount.

Scene takes place on the lake of Gennesaret — Sea of Galilee

two boats — avg fishing boat = 20-30 ft long - back from night fishing — they would fish at night and sell the fish at the market in the morning (no Capn Crunch or Dunkin)

Washing their nets and stretch them out to dry to keep them from rotting and breaking

As Jesus had been teaching the crowds, they began to press in wanting to hear him teach them.

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.

Gets into Simon (Peter)’s boat and pushes off a little from shore

Sea of Galilee makes a natural amphitheater

What was he teaching?

Word of God

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.”

Strange request for two reasons:

Too late in the day

too far from shore — most fish were caught in the shallow waters where the dragnets could easily catch fish.

More than this:

1 — Jesus is a carpenter and itinerant preacher telling a fisherman how to fish

2 — Jesus is asking Peter to do something that makes no sense.

We’ve already read ahead, but I want us to feel what Peter was likely feeling:

(What would others think? What would the other fishermen on the shore say as Peter did something so silly as to try to fish in the deep during the day?)

Have you ever questioned what Jesus is calling you to do?

Perhaps especially when it doesn’t seem to make sense?

What will others say / think?

Jesus, I know my own life pretty well. I’m the one who is going to need to deal with failure or fallout if this doesn’t work.

Jesus, what you are asking me to do makes no sense.

What was Peter’s response to Jesus?

At Your Word.

Jesus calls us to take him at his Word based on his character. Sometimes all we have to go on is God’s Word and promises.

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.”

I love how it doesn’t say “When Simon Peter saw it he . . . did a little dance

— screamed, Do it again!

— Instagrammed it with #Iminthemoney.

he recognized he was in the presence of God.

In the presence of God he realizes his own sinfulness and recognizes he doesn’t deserve to be in the presence of God and asks Jesus to leave him (where was he going to go?)

When you see Jesus for who He is you will see yourself for who you are.

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.”

Not only does Jesus NOT leave, he gives Peter a new role and purpose.

Following Jesus will redefine your purpose in your life. Following Jesus means no longer forging your own path; instead, it means following His path.

11 And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.”

Here it is. They FOLLOWED Him. Here is where it all starts.

Now I want you to see what all it takes. Not much, really. Just EVERYTHING.

To follow Jesus you must be willing to give up everything.

everything means everything.

not only the big stuff but even the small stuff

not just the Sunday stuff but also the Monday stuff

not just the spiritual stuff but also the “secular” stuff

C.S. Lewis (Mere Christianity)

"Christ says, 'Give me All. I don't want so much of your time, so much of your money, so much of your work: I want You. I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it. No half-measures are any good.'"

There is no “casual Christianity.” There is either a Jesus-first, “He owns every area of my life” or there is hypocrisy.

It doesn’t say, “They were so moved they commited to read the Torah a little more.” OR “They promised to tithe a tenth of the fish.”

They left:

Their job

Family

Friends

A huge pile of fish

They surrendered EVERYTHING to follow Jesus

We’ll take a look at four realizations that are necessary in order to fully surrender that we find in this story.

Jesus, as LORD, both deserves and demands your surrender.

(6 min)

Deserves

Everything was wrong in the fish-catching scenario, yet they caught so many fish their nets were breaking! They filled both boats until they were both sinking!

20-30 foot boat - not small!

This was not the work of a good fisherman — he could get maybe a few fish where another cold get none. This was the work of the One who makes the fish!

Shows Jesus as LORD

Luke 4:31-37 — Exorcises demons at Capernaum— Lord over spiritual realm

Luke 4:38-39 — Heals Simon’s mother-in-law — Lord over sickness and physical health (And family)

Luke 5:1-11 — Miraculous catch of fish — Lord over creation (and job)

We know want Jesus on our side, but we are not sure we want to surrender to him. We want Jesus as our buddy but not our Lord.

Anything left out? See any of the areas of control in your life that fits under Jesus’ Lordship?

Demands

Luke 9:57–62 (ESV)

57 As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 And Jesus said . . . .

For those who would follow Jesus, he demands complete surrender — and by virtue of being the Lord of all Creation, he deserves it!

In calling us to surrender, the miraculous catch of fish shows us we can be assured that Jesus can take care of the details.

You can’t surrender all to Jesus and attempt to control some.

(6 min)

This one is for all of you control freaks:

raise your hand — or as a control freak raise someone else’s hand.

Control is an illusion.

Sometimes we need to have our bad theology deconstructed before God can reconstruct our theology to something that matches what he has revealed in Scripture.

Bad theology is that we think we actually can control our future.

James 4:13–16 (ESV)

13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogance.

This is not determinism which would say that we have no free will — that we are unable to make choices

It is speaking about the arrogance of making plans and choices without acknowledging and considering God who is in control of our very lives.

Peter was reminded of how little he controlled on this particular morning as he fished all night and had nothing to show for it.

Expand this to the rest of life — What REALLY do you control?

job — downsize tomorrow

health — one phone call can change that

financial future — can quickly go

safety — no guarantees

Too many people are trying to supplement life with Jesus when Jesus is calling for surrender.

Proverbs 19:21 (ESV)

21 Many are the plans in the mind of a man,

but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.

When we feel we are losing control, we tend to attempt to gain more control

Two reasons we don’t surrender to Jesus:

We don’t believe he has the power to take care of whatever we feel we need to control

We don’t trust his goodness.

First is usually realized when the thing we want to control is wrenched from our white-knuckled grip

The second can be harder to realize especially if we’ve been abused or when someone has assumed control of an area of our life that they shouldn’t have or neglected to care for us in an area they should have. We feel we need to control it so we won’t get hurt again.

Look at how Jesus showed this to Peter through blessing him with the catch of fish.

Look at what Peter and the brothers gave up in their everything to follow Jesus.

Their self-made identity’

as fishermen

Their future plans

When Jesus called them to follow him, where was he going?

Surely, they had no idea it may (and eventually) would cost them their lives

Is God calling to you full-time ministry? As a missionary? To live missionally?

Me: I would SO go to Africa as a missionary IF God called me BBUUTT I know he is not, so I’m good to continue to make my own plans for my life.

(How I test my own heart):

If God were to call me to stop serving as a pastor and to move into a house on ________ Street in South Bend, in order to live missionally (for the purpose of the gospel), would I do it?

Be honest. Would you?

That’s crazy!!

No less crazy than dropping the net and following Jesus.

Or are we too busy chasing the “American Dream” to arrange our lives to advance God’s kingdom?

Their control

They were comfortable

You can’t hold onto the net while holding onto Jesus!!

What area of your life are you still trying to control or (listen) unwilling to give up?

DROP THE NET.

Their relationships

They were giving up the relationships they knew everyday and following Jesus with . . . tax collectors?!

Who has Jesus been asking you to journey with as you follow him?

Jesus was taking them into Gentile lands to meet “unclean” people!!

Their view of “success”

That was probably the most amount of fish these men had ever caught.

(Modern Ex.) You are struggling to make ends meet, you pray, and God provides (through an inheritance, etc) then Jesus calls you to leave it all to look to him for your daily bread

You’ve been working hard to finally be noticed at work, you receive the promotion, you’re now SOMEBODY, and Jesus calls you to start a new career you feel completely unqualified for.

What is the most you’ll give up for Jesus?

Important: As we speak about giving up everything for Jesus, we are speaking of giving up CONTROL of everything in our lives, not necessarily giving up all the physical objects in our lives.

Poverty does not equal piety. It’s not about bank account but about heart attitude.

I have nothing therefore I am holy - incorrect

I have given this “big thing” therefore I gave alot to Jesus - but I’m holding onto all the rest

Remember, Peter’s response was not simply to leave the fish on the sand, it was to bow in worship.

Surrender to Jesus is not a loss, it’s a gain.

(6 min)

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.

Gained fish — left fish — gained Jesus. Peter must have believed that Jesus was worth more than what was his largest paycheck in a while if ever.

Jesus is worth it!!

The only way this makes any sense is if Jesus is worth more than what is left behind.

Philippians 3:12–15 (ESV)

12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let those of us who are mature think this way,

What do you gain?

There is nothing that you give up for Jesus that you will not gain in greater measure.

You can give up everything for Jesus because you gain everything with Jesus.

Let’s start with:

Eternal life / eternal plans

If this were it, this would be enough!!!

2 Corinthians 4:17 (ESV)

17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,

New Identity

Fishers of men

New power (for the loss of control)

From riding the waves to walking on them

New relationships

Willing to die for

Jim Elliot

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."

What did Peter gain by surrendering everything to follow Jesus:

Salvation - guarantee that it will end well.

New purpose in life.

Peace

Did not receive:

material blessings

easy life.

What would you give to find peace and freedom from those things which feel out of control?

Surrendering to Jesus is not simply a one-time event.

(6 min)

Even after the initial call, there were so many moments for Peter and the disciples that made them think I should be able to control this. They needed to surrender again and again, even as they followed.

Discipleship is a moment of surrender followed by a state of constant surrender.

“followed him”

term of discipleship

but we know Peter tried to control things, didn’t he? (Examples)

Luke 9:23 (ESV)

23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

Real faith is evidenced in the followthrough.

Conclusion

Even after being with Jesus for some time, Peter needed to be reminded to surrender:

John 21:3–7 (ESV)

(AFTER THE RESURRECTION)

3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. (SOUND FAMILIAR)

4 Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” 6 He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. 7 That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea.

Jesus goes on to remind Peter of his new purpose that Jesus had given him

John 21:19 (ESV)

And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”

What is Jesus asking you to surrender? You’ve probably known it during this whole message. He’s been preparing you.

You’ve been sitting in the boat, listening to God’s Word, but now Jesus is asking about YOUR surrender.

Family

Job

Health

Everything changing my language, my habits, and hobbies?

asked for the one thing you've never been willing to put on the altar?

looked nothing like the plan you already had for your life?

he never explained why?

You can give him the reasons why surrender won’t work:

“Master, we toiled all night and took nothing!

Now it’s time to respond

But at your word I will . . .

*PRAY