Archive for July, 2006
Get Deeper
Get a little deeper
Luke 5
The Calling of the First Disciples
One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, he saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.
When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”
When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.
Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.
Being used of God is not necessary being deep with God
So Many think that since they serve God in some form they are close to the Lord. We fall into the trap of being busy for God but losing an intimate relationship with Him. More than God wants me to teach Sunday school, give in the offering, sing a special He wants my heart. It is easier sometimes to do things for God instead of with God.
To Get deep Go past the Message
James 2:17
In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
We must be willing to be a seeker of the Lord outside of Church. We must go past the Sunday message Amen’s, and Live a life devoted to everyday Christianity. God loves it when we go to CHURCH. God loves it when we are alone and there is no choir, no preaching, no pews, Just you and God. In solitude you will find the deep things of God. Getting deep with God brings a deep repentance
Isaiah 6
Holy, Holy, Holy!
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Master sitting on a throne—high, exalted!—and the train of his robes filled the Temple. Angel-seraphs hovered above him, each with six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two their feet, and with two they flew. And they called back and forth one to the other,
Holy, Holy, Holy is God-of-the-Angel-Armies.
His bright glory fills the whole earth.
The foundations trembled at the sound of the angel voices, and then the whole house filled with smoke. I said,
”Doom! It’s Doomsday!
I’m as good as dead!
Every word I’ve ever spoken is tainted—
blasphemous even!
And the people I live with talk the same way,
using words that corrupt and desecrate.
And here I’ve looked God in the face!
The King! God-of-the-Angel-Armies!”
Then one of the angel-seraphs flew to me. He held a live coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. He touched my mouth with the coal and said,
”Look. This coal has touched your lips.
Gone your guilt,
your sins wiped out.”
And then I heard the voice of the Master:
”Whom shall I send?
Who will go for us?”
I spoke up,
”I’ll go.
Send me!”
Isaiah in this passage has a deep experience. His deep experience demands that he has a deep repentance. He said woe is me for I am a Man of unclean lips. Peter in our first passage says a similar phrase away from me for I am a sinful man.
A deep encounter with God will bring the worst out in you. But it must if you’re to stay deep. Have you ever seen a bottle sink? The air in the bottle must be pushed out with the water for the bottle to sink. I can see that so many are spiritually puffed up and God must push the air out of us if we are to get deeper with Him.
A deep repentance Brings a Deep Calling
Isaiah received a deep calling of God on his life after his encounter so did Peter. One that would make Peter leaves everything He had to Follow Christ. I wonder if so many Christians are falling away because we are shallow in our callings. Our commitments are good as long as it is not uncomfortable. When the trials come there is not depth in our faith to make us stable and so we are tossed to and fro.
I ask you to join with me in a challenge:
Go Deep
Go deep in prayer
Go deep in God’s word
Go deep in your repentance
Go deep in your Calling
Let us not be shallow Christians who have no answer for the deep problems of this world.