What Does God Do With Imperfect People?
Contemporary Questions • Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 20 viewsETS: God called Simon to follow Him in-spite of Simon’s imperfections. ESS: God calls imperfect people and transforms them. OSS: Individuals will accept God’s grace and mercy in salvation. PQ: Will God accept imperfect people to become followers of Christ? UW: facts
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Luke 5:1-11
1 One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God.
2 He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets.
3 Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon, its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there.
4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.”
5 “Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.”
6 And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear!
7 A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking.
8 When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m such a sinful man.”
9 For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him.
10 His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed. Jesus replied to Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!”
11 And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus.
INTRODUCTION:
Have you ever found yourself thinking, “Surely God can’t use me. I keep on making a mess of my life.” Have you ever felt that your sins are “too big” for God to be willing to use you?
Personal experience - Thought God had “put me on the shelf.”
The life of Simon (in our text) serves as an encouragement to people like you and I.
T.S.: Notice some encouraging facts from our text:
I- GOD WILL TAKE YOU WHERE YOU ARE - HE DOES NOT REQUIRE YOU TO BE PERFECT. (Luke 5:1-3)
I- GOD WILL TAKE YOU WHERE YOU ARE - HE DOES NOT REQUIRE YOU TO BE PERFECT. (Luke 5:1-3)
1 One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God.
2 He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets.
3 Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon, its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there.
A- He knows where you are in your personal relationship with Him.
A- He knows where you are in your personal relationship with Him.
1- He knew all about Simon.
2- He knows all about you.
B- He knows how strong your faith really is.
B- He knows how strong your faith really is.
1- Simon’s faith was small at this time.
a- He required only a couple of small acts of obedience.
2- Your level of faith is directly related to:
a- Whether or not you have trusted Him as savior.
b- Your level of personal intimacy with Him.
c- Your personal spiritual growth level.
C- He does not require you to perform above your level of spiritual growth.
C- He does not require you to perform above your level of spiritual growth.
- Parents don’t require an infant to feed itself or a young child to make complicated decisions.
God gears His requirements to where we are spiritually.
1- Jesus did not require Simon to walk on water here.
2- This is a good principle to remember with fellow believers.
(Ephesians 4:1-3)
1 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.
2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.
3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.
(Galatians 6:4)
4 Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else.
II- JESUS WILL TAKE YOU PROGRESSIVELY THROUGH TESTS THAT ARE DESIGNED TO HELP YOU GROW IN MATURITY. (Luke 5:4-9).
II- JESUS WILL TAKE YOU PROGRESSIVELY THROUGH TESTS THAT ARE DESIGNED TO HELP YOU GROW IN MATURITY. (Luke 5:4-9).
4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.”
5 “Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.”
6 And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear!
7 A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking.
8 When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m such a sinful man.”
9 For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him.
A- He begins with simple commands for the infant Christian.
A- He begins with simple commands for the infant Christian.
1- He began with simple commands for Simon. Or were they?
a- It was inconvenient to leave dock.
b- May have cost him money for his employees.
2- His second command was more difficult.
a- He called for Simon to disregard earlier failure and Simon’s own knowledge as a fisherman.
b- He called for Simon to trust Him.
B- He continues by leading on to progressively more difficult tests of faith.
B- He continues by leading on to progressively more difficult tests of faith.
1- Over the years, Jesus led Simon (and the others) into more difficult tests.
a- Feeding of the 5,000. (John 6:1-13)
1 After this, Jesus crossed over to the far side of the Sea of Galilee, also known as the Sea of Tiberias.
1 After this, Jesus crossed over to the far side of the Sea of Galilee, also known as the Sea of Tiberias.
2 A huge crowd kept following him wherever he went, because they saw his miraculous signs as he healed the sick.
3 Then Jesus climbed a hill and sat down with his disciples around him.
4 (It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration.)
5 Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of people coming to look for him. Turning to Philip, he asked, “Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?”
6 He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do.
7 Philip replied, “Even if we worked for months, we wouldn’t have enough money to feed them!”
8 Then Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up.
9 “There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?”
10 “Tell everyone to sit down,” Jesus said. So they all sat down on the grassy slopes. (The men alone numbered about 5,000.)
11 Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward he did the same with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted.
12 After everyone was full, Jesus told his disciples, “Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted.”
13 So they picked up the pieces and filled twelve baskets with scraps left by the people who had eaten from the five barley loaves.
b- The test at sea. (Matthew 8:23-27)
23 Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples.
24 Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping.
25 The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”
26 Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm.
27 The disciples were amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked. “Even the winds and waves obey him!”
c- Told Simon to walk on the water (Matthew 14:32-33)
32 When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped.
33 Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.
d- Simon’s test in the Courtyard (Matthew 26:58, 71-75)
58 Meanwhile, Peter followed him at a distance and came to the high priest’s courtyard. He went in and sat with the guards and waited to see how it would all end.
71 Later, out by the gate, another servant girl noticed him and said to those standing around, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
72 Again Peter denied it, this time with an oath. “I don’t even know the man,” he said.
73 A little later some of the other bystanders came over to Peter and said, “You must be one of them; we can tell by your Galilean accent.”
74 Peter swore, “A curse on me if I’m lying—I don’t know the man!” And immediately the rooster crowed.
75 Suddenly, Jesus’ words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.” And he went away, weeping bitterly.
C- The goal of the tests is to help you become like Christ.
C- The goal of the tests is to help you become like Christ.
(Romans 8:28-29)
28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
(Ephesians 3:16-19)
16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.
17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.
18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.
19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
D- He will use you in amazing ways along the path of growth.
D- He will use you in amazing ways along the path of growth.
1- He used Simon Peter along the pathway of growth.
a- He used Simon Peter to make the bedrock confession of faith.
(Matthew 16:16)
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
III- JESUS WILL LEAD YOU TO THE PLACE YOU NEED TO BE. (Luke 5:10-11)
III- JESUS WILL LEAD YOU TO THE PLACE YOU NEED TO BE. (Luke 5:10-11)
10 His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed. Jesus replied to Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!”
11 And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus.
A- The place of absolute surrender to Himself.
A- The place of absolute surrender to Himself.
1- Willing to suffer for Christ.
(Acts 4:1-20)
1 While Peter and John were speaking to the people, they were confronted by the priests, the captain of the Temple guard, and some of the Sadducees.
2 These leaders were very disturbed that Peter and John were teaching the people that through Jesus there is a resurrection of the dead.
1 While Peter and John were speaking to the people, they were confronted by the priests, the captain of the Temple guard, and some of the Sadducees.
2 These leaders were very disturbed that Peter and John were teaching the people that through Jesus there is a resurrection of the dead.
3 They arrested them and, since it was already evening, put them in jail until morning.
4 But many of the people who heard their message believed it, so the number of men who believed now totaled about 5,000.
5 The next day the council of all the rulers and elders and teachers of religious law met in Jerusalem.
6 Annas the high priest was there, along with Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and other relatives of the high priest.
7 They brought in the two disciples and demanded, “By what power, or in whose name, have you done this?”
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of our people,
9 are we being questioned today because we’ve done a good deed for a crippled man? Do you want to know how he was healed?
10 Let me clearly state to all of you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the man you crucified but whom God raised from the dead.
11 For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, ‘The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’
12 There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”
13 The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.
14 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing right there among them, there was nothing the council could say.
15 So they ordered Peter and John out of the council chamber and conferred among themselves.
16 “What should we do with these men?” they asked each other. “We can’t deny that they have performed a miraculous sign, and everybody in Jerusalem knows about it.
17 But to keep them from spreading their propaganda any further, we must warn them not to speak to anyone in Jesus’ name again.”
18 So they called the apostles back in and commanded them never again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus.
19 But Peter and John replied, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him?
20 We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.”
(Acts 5:17-28)
17 The high priest and his officials, who were Sadducees, were filled with jealousy.
18 They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail.
19 But an angel of the Lord came at night, opened the gates of the jail, and brought them out. Then he told them,
20 “Go to the Temple and give the people this message of life!”
21 So at daybreak the apostles entered the Temple, as they were told, and immediately began teaching. When the high priest and his officials arrived, they convened the high council—the full assembly of the elders of Israel. Then they sent for the apostles to be brought from the jail for trial.
22 But when the Temple guards went to the jail, the men were gone. So they returned to the council and reported,
23 “The jail was securely locked, with the guards standing outside, but when we opened the gates, no one was there!”
24 When the captain of the Temple guard and the leading priests heard this, they were perplexed, wondering where it would all end.
25 Then someone arrived with startling news: “The men you put in jail are standing in the Temple, teaching the people!”
26 The captain went with his Temple guards and arrested the apostles, but without violence, for they were afraid the people would stone them.
27 Then they brought the apostles before the high council, where the high priest confronted them.
28 “We gave you strict orders never again to teach in this man’s name!” he said. “Instead, you have filled all Jerusalem with your teaching about him, and you want to make us responsible for his death!”
2- Willingness to die for Him.
According to church History, Peter was crucified upside down.
See also John 21:18-19
18 “I tell you the truth, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked; you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will dress you and take you where you don’t want to go.”
19 Jesus said this to let him know by what kind of death he would glorify God. Then Jesus told him, “Follow me.”
B- Jesus will use you even though you falter and fail tests along the way.
B- Jesus will use you even though you falter and fail tests along the way.
1- Peter failed some tests along the way:
a- Peter began to sink in the water when he tried to walk to Jesus on it.
b- Peter denied Jesus in the courtyard.
c- Peter reacted in fear to the Jews and had to be corrected. (Galatians 2:11-16)
11 But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong.
12 When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile believers, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision.
13 As a result, other Jewish believers followed Peter’s hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.
14 When I saw that they were not following the truth of the gospel message, I said to Peter in front of all the others, “Since you, a Jew by birth, have discarded the Jewish laws and are living like a Gentile, why are you now trying to make these Gentiles follow the Jewish traditions?
15 “You and I are Jews by birth, not ‘sinners’ like the Gentiles.
16 Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.”
2- God will not cast you away, but will lift you up. (John 21:15-19)
15 After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.” “Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him.
16 Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love me?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love you.” “Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus said.
17 A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep.
18 “I tell you the truth, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked; you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will dress you and take you where you don’t want to go.”
19 Jesus said this to let him know by what kind of death he would glorify God. Then Jesus told him, “Follow me.”
CONCLUSION: