TEXT: LUKE 5:1
And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret,
OPENING REMARK
Praise the Lord. I welcome everyone reading this message . And I pray that the Word by His grace and Spirit will bear fruits in our lives in Jesus name.
INTRODUCTION
We are looking at Luke 5:1. The people pressed on Christ to hear the word, the audience, general and common people were rushing, they wanted and desired the word and their interest was on it. Whatever the word, topic, explanation, they didn’t know how it would affect their traditional beliefs. They did not know how it would pinch or pierce them, all they knew was “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). They knew that the word became flesh and dwelt among us, and He came from heaven. All that they knew of the Scriptures were going to be reviewed again and new interpretations and applications will be given to them. that they needed the word. The word became flesh and dwelled among us, and we behold His glory.
Some of the words He spoke to them they have heard before, but He came with different interpretations and application that they said they never heard such words before. He spoke with authority, not as the Scribes and Pharisees. He said he who hears His word and does them are like the one who built his house upon the rock, but he who hears it and does it is like the one who built his house on sinking sand. The wind and storm will blow and beat vehemently against the house and it will fall on a day when repairs or refurbishing won’t be possible and it will collapse and they will be lost for all eternity.
The people were not tired of hearing him even though they have heard much words He spoke to them before now. Yet, they came, pressing upon Him, leaving the Pharisees and Saduccees. They were not rebelling and reacting against the word because God the Father has said He would send to them a Prophet like unto Moses and He would reveal to them things which have been hidden from the foundation of the world. And whosoever rejects the word He would require it from their hands.
The people were not concerned about the mob. Some people preach what the mob out there wants to hear, but He preached the word in truth and in spirit. He spoke about repentance, that except the people repent, they shall all likewise perish. He told them to repent and believe the gospel. The people knew that the Pharisees didn’t talk about all that. He preached restitution, that if you bring your gift at the altar and remembers that someone has ought against you, go first and settle with the person, then come back and offer your gift.
He spoke about righteousness, that except their righteousness exceeds that of Pharisees and Sadducees, they will in no wise enter into the kingdom of God. The people saw a difference and afreshness about everything and pressed and desired to hear more.
He spoke faith, that except they believed in Him, they cannot be forgiven of their sins. He told them about faith which transforms and changes us. He said they should have faith in God and have the faith of God. He spoke to them about a new life, a change of life and being born again, anew, afresh, from above. It is not enough to come to worship, the new birth experience is of great importance. There must be a time and a day when they must be saved. Nicodemus wondered how an old man could be born again. Jesus told him that as the wind blows and we don’t see it, so it is with the conversion experience which may not be physical but the effect will be seen. As the man who is born again, there is a transformation that are seen.
He preached about marriage – one man, one woman, until death does them part. No man can send his wife away because she cannot cook like his mother, or iron his clothes well. Moses told them what he did because of the hardness of their hearts but from the beginning, it was not so. God made them male and female, and brought them together.
God does not a man ana a man, a woman and a woman, or a eunuch and another person who has a complete body.
Preach the word, be instant in and out of season,reproof,rebuke and exhort them with sound doctrines even as they will not like to hear it. God does not join a man who is a eunuch to a woman who is complete and wants to have a happy and pleasurable marriage.
He preached holiness, sanctification, He said sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth. He told the people the truth and they didn’t run to another church where none of these things are preached. He preached conditional security, that because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold any will lose their first love and go into compromise, but he who endures to the end shall be saved.
Jesus stood strong and preached the word of God to the people who were used to the old ways, He didn’t ask them what they want. Doctrines of the Bible are not decided on the streets, or by fleshly or carnal people. It is not decided by weak, prayerless, and graceless people. Jesus came with the word and even though thousands said the words were strange, who can hear it and many of them went back, He did not change the word He brought. He did not change His word because of the reactions of the people. He asked the twelve if they would also go away, but Peter answered that they had nowhere to go because Jesus has the word of eternal life.
Jesus said He chose twelve, to train so that they will take the word of life to the people, but one of them was a devil. One out of 12 is a little bit more than 9%. 90 out of a thousand, 900 out of 10,000 and 9,000 out of hundreds of thousands. Despite the reactions from the percentage, Jesus would not change His word because half gospel or half truth will not change anyone. He came to seek and save that which was lost, and He has committed it into our hands, we are to preach the good news to everyone. He who believes and is baptized shall be saved but he who does not believe shall be damned. “Teaching them all things that I have commanded you.” They should learn, observe and obey it until the end of the world.
That was why people came to Jesus. And if you came here and you are worshipping or serving here, that is why you came and serve. Jesus stood firm, erect, looking at the people. He wasn’t timid and cringing, He had what the people did not have, so, He stood firm and gave the word to them. When you come, you will hear the word of salvation, repentance and restitution, you will accept the word and not be judging the Preacher, the Word and the doctrines, you will be judging yourself.
As you come, you hear the word of righteousness, blessed are those who hunger after righteousness, they shall be filled. When you hear the word of God, you don’t react but respond, you go on your knees, or stand and make the necessary commitment and devotion to God – that is how we get saved, and He fills our hearts with righteousness. If you come to hear the word of God, you will accept, ingest, and digest the word of holiness and pray. You are not here as an external examiner to evaluate the word of holiness, or considering whether you should accept or not. You are not here to influence others not to accept and obey the word of God.
Holiness and righteousness will be preached in the clearest of terms and you will accept and believe it. Profitable personal response to the word of God. May God give us soft hearts, and willing minds so that we carry out the word of God, otherwise, we become a nominal and superficial church which does not obey the word of God. By the grace of God, the gates of hell will not prevail against the church. The gates of hell does not like practical doctrines, preaching, and preaching that will stir up repentance, restitution in the Bible. It will like to frighten, silence the preacher of the word that takes people to heaven. It does not appreciate correction and revelation, so, it will try to bury and stop them.
Gates of hell, we are here to confront you and let you know that Christ died on the Cross of Calvary not to raise a nominal or superficial church, but the bride of Christ that will do the word of the Bridegroom. The best we can do is to profitably respond to the word.
We are looking at three points in the message:
- ABSOLUTE, FULL SURRENDER TO THE WORD OF CHRIST
- Peter’s Surrender of Ship and Substance to Christ (Luke 5:1-3; Mark 10:28-30; John 21:15-17)
Peter and his colleagues have not caught anything that night, but their situation did not hinder them from surrendering their ship to Christ when He came to make the request. They didn’t say no money, no fish, no food, this is not the right time to make this request. People who want heaven more than food surrender what they have to God fully. That was how Peter got saved. This is how we get saved. You have to surrender whatever is in your hands, even profitable things, whatever you are selling to make money that is not godly – cigarettes, alcohol, your body and all things that brought gains and money.
Let me ask you, you say you are born again and belong to Christ, at the point of salvation, what did you surrender? Have you left or abandoned anything for Christ? What did you give up? I know what I surrendered and gave up. In my former church where I was before I became born again, I was doing something for them, I was known and appreciated, and I surrendered it all. Have you surrendered anything?
- Profitable Surrender of Sin and Self to Christ
At the point of salvation, there must be definite things you forsook. As you come to the Lord for sanctification, there must be things you surrender to Christ. Although you are born again, some things must go at sanctification. We call it consecration in the heart, mind, nature and depraved minds. At salvation, all external sins are gone, but self is still dominating and competing with the Saviour of the soul and Sanctifier of the Spirit, and we have to come again to surrender self. Have you surrendered anything beyond the point of salvation? Think about it. Self – having it your own way, on your own terms, wanting to beat down anyone who will not agree with your self-centeredness.
At salvation, we surrender every sin and things that used to bring profit to us. At sanctification, self must not be in competition with the Spirit. Have you given away your self-centeredness? Does self rule everything in the church, in the homes, with our domestic staff, in the places of work? Are you a master controlling everyone? At sanctification, we surrender everything at the feet of Christ.
- Perpetual Surrender in Sacrifice and Service to Christ (Luke 5: 14:33)
Jesus told Peter to throw His net to a direction after toiling all night without result. He did and caught a lot of fishes. At the word of the Lord, despite all his personal efforts. When you come to Christ, it is no longer how you feel, or what is comfortable or convenient, what you are used to, by your training, but at the word of the Lord. That is Christian service, anything beyond that is not acceptable to the Lord.
You should always say, “Not my will, or way, but Thine will be done”. They caught a lot of fish, the greetest number they ever caught in their fishing career.
Then Jesus said, follow me and they forsook that. He didn’t say he wanted to sell the fish first, after all, He gave them the blessing. No
They left all and followed Him. What have you left without carnal comparison with other people who have not left anything? Have you left your own ways, profits, your own mind – always wanting to say and show them your mind, and way? Jesus says whosoever does not forsake his all – opinions, ideas, ways cannot be His disciple. Surrender at the points of salvation, sanctification and service.
You bring your service to the Lord, and you want others to do same. You don’t want to be a model, a pattern of reaction to the word of God. You will not join a conspiracy to react to the word of God, but to respond profitably to it.
- ASTONISHING FAITH SURPRISES IN THE WORK OF CHRIST (Luke 3:12-13,17-26)
As Peter and his friends did what Jesus commanded, they were provided for, cleansed, saved, and healed in their bodies, skin and hearts. Salvation is the work of Christ, what they used to be, they were no more. A leper by birth, life, and style, you come to Christ and He clears everything away, and cleanses everything at His word. If any man or woman is in Christ, he/she is a new creature, not even a spot or stain of the old leprosy of sin remains. He clears everything.
Tell me about your salvation and cleansing. He cleanses us from all sin as He cleansed the leper, and the cleansing was visible. Is the cleansing visible and knowable in your own life? That all stains and spots of adamic nature, defilement and depravity are no more there. That is the astonishing faith surprises in the work of Christ, that when He cleanses us, all spiritual leprosy vanishes away and as the leper and all around him could tell. When Christ cleanses us, He removes leprosy from your system, makes us every whit whole and everyone around us can see and know. If you say that you are saved and sanctified, we are still seeing the leprosy in your soul and system, you have to go back to Christ, to Calvary because the sin will not allow you to go and live with the sanctified, pure and holy in heaven.
Luke 5:12 “And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.” Check up, in the old Testament, in Israel, no one was cleansed of leprosy, apart from Miriam who was cleansed. Maybe you’ve never seen anyone washed of his sin, and adamic nature and washed to become whiter than snow, or totally sanctified, and made holy with the stains of depravity taken away, you can be the first person. You need to check up where the stain of leprosy is in your life. You can come to Christ and surrender the thought, idea, and statement of impossibility. He has the power to wash and make you every whit whole. Neighbours around you will know that enthroning self has gone, and reactions to correction and rebuke is totally gone. The blessedness of pure hearts will be yours.
- AFFECTIONATE FULLER SUBMISSION TO THE WILL OF GOD
There are many types of submission – a case of bending down externally and internally, you are still standing up. No, this is not right. When you are saved, you are supposed to be fully and totally submitting to the will of God and influence others around us to do like Levi who invited his fellow publicans to hear the word of God. He was surprised at how Christ saved him from grabbing coverously and tenaciously and nobody could take any of those things from him. He was at the seat of customs, and Jesus came to Matthew, not lining up or paying obeisance to him like others. He spoke to him with authority of Saviour, Master and King and told him to follow Him. He left all and followed Him.
He left all and followed Him. He didn’t do it out of compulsion, being forced or on a temporary basis, neither did he procrastinate. Then he went after his publican friends and invited them to come and hear the word of life. He didn’t have the capacity to preach to them himself, but he knew that the same Christ who saved him and took covetousness out of his life can change them too. After leaving to follow the Lord, he didn’t fear that His demand would be too much, he didn’t keep the word of God away from others, he brought them to the Lord. We must allow the word to flow to others so that they will be saved and converted.
Some people are lenient on other people’s sins. They feel the word we preach are too hard, so they direct people to other places. Not Matthew. He brought them and they were served the same word of life he benefited from. The Pharisees complained that Jesus went to eat with sinners, but He didn’t just go to eat, He also preached to the people the word of God. He came to seek and save sinners. The major, central, and most important thing is sharing the word. He said he didn’t come to call the self-righteous, but sinners to repentance. This is what He came to do. He has given us the same ministry – to preach the gospel of salvation to all men. To excel in this, we must be filled with the Holy Spirit.
First of all, you are saved and you do your restitution – anything you need to restore you do with all sincerity of heart, with your life clean, and the Spirit bearing you witness that you are a child of God. The life of self-centredness that is within and expanding. Come to the Lord and surrender, lay it all in the altar. You are sanctified and cleansed thoroughly and then, you are able to bear the vessel of the Lord rightly. And the way you live will not be determined by the street mob who does not want holiness or accept the word of God. If they are not supporting the doctrine of Christ, move on and away from them.
Ignore anyone who is saying that the word is not important enough for you to hear. To get to heaven, go away from them and press in to the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God suffers violence. Do away with anyone that will hinder your surrender to the Lord. As the Lord used Peter, He will use you. Be like Paul, let those things which are gains to you become like dung, count them as loss for the sake of the gospel.
On the way to Damascus, with a letter in Paul’s hand, Jesus came met and called him and he was born again. He came to Damascus, praying and fasting for three days. He never used the letter with him again. He surrendered his all to Christ.
Bow your head and talk to the Lord in prayer.
