Stepping Into His Story Dave Holden
Jesus steps into the stories of people’s lives so that we step into His story. The way He relates to his disciples is the way He relates to the church – put your faith and your actions in the work of Jesus. Your life should become less and less about yourself, slowly becoming more and more about Jesus.
Challenges from the Miraculous Catch
Luke 5:1-11 tells the story of the miraculous catch, as Jesus, a carpenter, tells a bunch of professional fisherman to let out their nets. The result is a miraculous catch that fills their nets almost to bursting – he gives them as much as they can deal with.
Dave drew out three challenges from this passage:
1. The challenge of faith
Jesus tells the fishermen to lower their nets in the same place they’ve been fishing all night. This meant that they had to row back out, following the words of a carpenter, and respond in faith. Simon gets why though: “At your word I will let down the nets.” He looks at the one who made the promise. Sometimes we have to pursue, doggedly, the vision of God even in the face of supposed “failure.” We have to keep rowing out, keep casting our nets. A lot of evangelism is based on faithfulness. Always be ready for a big catch, even in dryer times.
2. Faith is followed by action
You have to do something. You have to let down the nets. Promises require action. Look at the examples given in Hebrews 11 – all of their faith is followed by action. Noah BUILT an ark. Moses LEFT Egypt. Joshua STEPPED INTO the Jordan Rive. Seek creative ways to reach the people of the area.
3. Expect sudden miracles of God.
Live in expectation that God can act suddenly and unexpectedly, in miraculous power. Don’t let life now become the norm – don’t settle for this amount of the Spirit, for this amount of miracles. THIS IS NOT IT. God has more for you, for church. Seek the miraculous, chase revival, pray it into being.
We need it, God can do it.
Questions:
Do you have any testimonies of waiting in faith and God answering after a long time?
How do you maintain faith when you’re being faithful but not seeing much fruit?
What actions can we take to respond in faith to the calling of Jesus?
Are we seeing miracles in our evangelism? In church? What can we do to see more of them?
Are you ever tempted to treat your Christian faith as being somehow complete? Or are you not prepared to settle, always seeking more?