1 00:00:00,680 --> 00:00:03,920 Speaker 1: And straightway. Coming up out of the water, he saw 2 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:07,840 Speaker 1: the heavens opened, and the spirit like a dove, descending 3 00:00:07,920 --> 00:00:11,160 Speaker 1: upon him. And there came a voice from heaven, saying, 4 00:00:11,880 --> 00:00:16,600 Speaker 1: thou art my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased, 5 00:00:17,520 --> 00:00:21,800 Speaker 1: Mark one, ten and eleven. Lord, when you were born, 6 00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:25,119 Speaker 1: you took on the likeness of sinful flesh, and for 7 00:00:25,239 --> 00:00:29,720 Speaker 1: thirty years lived in obscurity before you began your ministry. 8 00:00:30,960 --> 00:00:33,760 Speaker 1: When the time came to start your father's work, you 9 00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:38,479 Speaker 1: sanctified your flesh by submitting in obedience to water baptism. 10 00:00:39,479 --> 00:00:43,080 Speaker 1: When you submitted to being born of water, God smiled 11 00:00:43,159 --> 00:00:46,320 Speaker 1: from heaven and sent his Holy Spirit in the form 12 00:00:46,400 --> 00:00:49,479 Speaker 1: of a dove to announce to the world his pleasure 13 00:00:49,520 --> 00:00:53,559 Speaker 1: with you. I pray the Holy Spirit will empower me 14 00:00:54,480 --> 00:00:58,000 Speaker 1: and smile on me with pleasure as I seek to 15 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:01,880 Speaker 1: be obedient to your plan for my life, cleanse me 16 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:05,360 Speaker 1: of all sin, and purify my life. So why can 17 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:10,759 Speaker 1: be close to you? Amen? Thank you for listening to 18 00:01:10,760 --> 00:01:15,000 Speaker 1: today's daily prayer. For more inspiration and an incredible message 19 00:01:15,040 --> 00:01:18,160 Speaker 1: from our feature pastor, stay tuned to prey dot COM's 20 00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:23,360 Speaker 1: Sunday service. Welcome to Prey dot COM's Sunday Service sponsored 21 00:01:23,360 --> 00:01:26,520 Speaker 1: by our trua health Share. Follow this podcast and listen 22 00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:30,199 Speaker 1: weekly to receive godly wisdom and practical advice for daily living. 23 00:01:30,680 --> 00:01:33,720 Speaker 1: Stay tuned for Sunday service coming up after a quick 24 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:38,480 Speaker 1: word from our sponsors. There's an innovative, better way to 25 00:01:38,480 --> 00:01:41,920 Speaker 1: find healthcare. We're our True a health Share, an affordable 26 00:01:41,959 --> 00:01:44,600 Speaker 1: and flexible way to take care of your family. We're 27 00:01:44,640 --> 00:01:47,960 Speaker 1: a community of like minded, health conscious individuals who share 28 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:50,960 Speaker 1: in each other's medical needs, and you can customize your 29 00:01:50,960 --> 00:01:54,200 Speaker 1: healthcare your way. Without True health Share, you can build 30 00:01:54,200 --> 00:01:56,400 Speaker 1: your membership based on your season of life and your 31 00:01:56,400 --> 00:01:59,960 Speaker 1: family's needs. Head to my share dot org to find 32 00:02:00,240 --> 00:02:03,840 Speaker 1: out more. That's my share dot org. Out to a 33 00:02:03,880 --> 00:02:15,480 Speaker 1: health share where we care for one another. An employer 34 00:02:15,520 --> 00:02:17,760 Speaker 1: one day he sent out a memo to his employees 35 00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:21,280 Speaker 1: to let them know that there was a United Fund 36 00:02:21,360 --> 00:02:24,679 Speaker 1: drive and he wanted all of his employees to participate 37 00:02:24,720 --> 00:02:29,160 Speaker 1: in the fund drive. He wanted one hundred percent participation. 38 00:02:31,120 --> 00:02:35,720 Speaker 1: One of employees let his supervisor know he was not 39 00:02:35,840 --> 00:02:39,120 Speaker 1: going to participate. He did not want to participate in 40 00:02:39,200 --> 00:02:42,480 Speaker 1: this fund drive. He was not going to participate. The 41 00:02:42,520 --> 00:02:45,680 Speaker 1: word got back to the owner of a company that 42 00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:48,280 Speaker 1: there was this one employee who was not going to 43 00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:51,760 Speaker 1: participate in this fund drive that the employer wanted one 44 00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:55,960 Speaker 1: hundred percent participation, and so he called the employee to 45 00:02:56,120 --> 00:02:58,920 Speaker 1: his office. He said, I hear it as a problem. 46 00:02:58,960 --> 00:03:02,200 Speaker 1: He said, yeah, I don't want to participate in this 47 00:03:02,400 --> 00:03:04,960 Speaker 1: United Fund giving drive. I know it's for a good 48 00:03:05,040 --> 00:03:09,520 Speaker 1: charitable purpose, but I don't want to participate. The employer said, well, 49 00:03:09,639 --> 00:03:12,360 Speaker 1: then we have a little dilemma, don't we, because you 50 00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:15,160 Speaker 1: don't want to participate and I need one hundred participation. 51 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:20,280 Speaker 1: So it seems like they are two options here. Option 52 00:03:20,400 --> 00:03:24,040 Speaker 1: number one is you can participate. Option number two is 53 00:03:24,080 --> 00:03:26,240 Speaker 1: I can relieve you of your responsibility so that I 54 00:03:26,280 --> 00:03:30,600 Speaker 1: have a one hundred percent participation. He said, which would 55 00:03:30,639 --> 00:03:37,320 Speaker 1: you like to do? Employee said, I'll participate. Employer said, well, 56 00:03:37,320 --> 00:03:39,720 Speaker 1: why are you now participating? He said, because nobody ever 57 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:45,800 Speaker 1: quite explained it to me like that. How you hear 58 00:03:45,880 --> 00:03:52,040 Speaker 1: things and how you understand them often affect what you 59 00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:57,720 Speaker 1: do when it's explained a little different. Sometimes we catch 60 00:03:57,760 --> 00:04:02,400 Speaker 1: it a lot better. Today. I want to explain as 61 00:04:02,440 --> 00:04:07,160 Speaker 1: best I can why God wants to bless you, Why 62 00:04:07,280 --> 00:04:12,760 Speaker 1: God wants to bless you. Now we know everybody wants 63 00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:16,440 Speaker 1: to be blessed. Everybody wants to be blessed. It is 64 00:04:16,520 --> 00:04:21,960 Speaker 1: the in Christian word, I want my blessing. How you 65 00:04:22,040 --> 00:04:26,960 Speaker 1: doing today, I'm blessed. It's the end thing to say 66 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:33,040 Speaker 1: I'm looking for my blessing and make it mean a multitude, 67 00:04:33,160 --> 00:04:37,520 Speaker 1: a plethora of things by that statement, I want to 68 00:04:37,560 --> 00:04:42,040 Speaker 1: be blessed. They may want a financial blessing or relational blessing, 69 00:04:42,720 --> 00:04:47,039 Speaker 1: career blessing, blessing of a new house, new car, new clothes, 70 00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:53,120 Speaker 1: it could be a whole assembly of things. But everybody 71 00:04:53,160 --> 00:04:55,640 Speaker 1: wants to be blessed, and that's not bad, that's not wrong. 72 00:04:56,440 --> 00:05:01,080 Speaker 1: The Bible talks about the blessings that God gives, but 73 00:05:01,160 --> 00:05:05,520 Speaker 1: what we often don't hear is God's side of the blessing. 74 00:05:06,520 --> 00:05:10,880 Speaker 1: Now we know our side. The word blessed means to 75 00:05:10,880 --> 00:05:17,280 Speaker 1: dispense favor or goodness, So to be blessed is to 76 00:05:17,320 --> 00:05:23,400 Speaker 1: receive from God his favor and good things at his hand. 77 00:05:24,480 --> 00:05:26,839 Speaker 1: That's what we want. We want the favor of God 78 00:05:26,920 --> 00:05:30,880 Speaker 1: and we want good things coming our way from the 79 00:05:30,960 --> 00:05:36,000 Speaker 1: hand of God. That's our side because that's what we want. 80 00:05:37,800 --> 00:05:39,960 Speaker 1: But I want to look at it just a little 81 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:43,200 Speaker 1: differently this morning, and I want to try to answer 82 00:05:43,240 --> 00:05:48,200 Speaker 1: the question why God would want to do it. Now 83 00:05:48,200 --> 00:05:52,599 Speaker 1: we know why we want it because it makes life better, 84 00:05:52,640 --> 00:05:57,320 Speaker 1: It makes life easier, it makes us happier, it gives 85 00:05:57,400 --> 00:06:02,120 Speaker 1: us joy. There is the human benefit of having been blessed. 86 00:06:03,400 --> 00:06:07,159 Speaker 1: But I want to answer the question why God wants 87 00:06:07,200 --> 00:06:10,760 Speaker 1: to do it in the first place, because if we 88 00:06:10,839 --> 00:06:15,520 Speaker 1: can ever connect the what with the why, perhaps we 89 00:06:15,560 --> 00:06:19,600 Speaker 1: will understand this concept of blessing a little bit better. 90 00:06:19,680 --> 00:06:23,760 Speaker 1: In the well known story of Peter and the Capturing 91 00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:28,960 Speaker 1: of Fish, Jesus have come to the Sea of Galilee, 92 00:06:29,040 --> 00:06:34,560 Speaker 1: also called the Lake of Genessaret. He sees two boats 93 00:06:34,680 --> 00:06:38,000 Speaker 1: verse two lying on the edge of the lake. The 94 00:06:38,080 --> 00:06:41,320 Speaker 1: fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets. 95 00:06:42,640 --> 00:06:46,240 Speaker 1: Jesus gets into the boat, which was Simon's Peter Simon 96 00:06:46,320 --> 00:06:48,960 Speaker 1: Peter and ask him to pull out a little way 97 00:06:49,000 --> 00:06:50,720 Speaker 1: from the land. He sat down and began to teach 98 00:06:50,760 --> 00:06:53,800 Speaker 1: the people from the boat, so we basically have a 99 00:06:53,880 --> 00:06:59,159 Speaker 1: Bible study. Jesus calls for a Bible study, and he 100 00:06:59,240 --> 00:07:05,080 Speaker 1: pushes the out from the ashore where it had been docked. 101 00:07:05,080 --> 00:07:08,440 Speaker 1: The fishermen had come in from their work to create 102 00:07:08,480 --> 00:07:12,720 Speaker 1: a distance so that he could speak, teach, preach, sermonized, 103 00:07:12,720 --> 00:07:16,640 Speaker 1: so that he could give spiritual truth to the people 104 00:07:17,200 --> 00:07:22,320 Speaker 1: from the boat. So he's preaching his sermon, and the 105 00:07:22,400 --> 00:07:26,880 Speaker 1: people are listening to the greatest preacher and the greatest 106 00:07:26,920 --> 00:07:30,720 Speaker 1: teacher who has ever existed, Jesus Christ, the Son of 107 00:07:30,720 --> 00:07:36,840 Speaker 1: the Living God. Now the sermon is over, the service 108 00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:42,239 Speaker 1: has ended. It is time for the benediction to be given. 109 00:07:43,840 --> 00:07:49,239 Speaker 1: And Jesus, when he had finished speaking verse four, said 110 00:07:49,400 --> 00:07:54,360 Speaker 1: to Simon Peter, put out into the deep and let 111 00:07:54,360 --> 00:07:59,960 Speaker 1: down your nets for a catch. Push out into the deep, 112 00:08:01,560 --> 00:08:05,960 Speaker 1: let down your nets for a catch. Now follow me here. 113 00:08:06,560 --> 00:08:10,960 Speaker 1: We have started with a generic sermon to the multitudes 114 00:08:11,520 --> 00:08:16,360 Speaker 1: from the boat. We have now gone from a sermon 115 00:08:16,560 --> 00:08:22,440 Speaker 1: to everybody to an instruction to somebody. We've gone from 116 00:08:22,480 --> 00:08:27,520 Speaker 1: a message to the masses to a message to the individual. 117 00:08:29,080 --> 00:08:34,680 Speaker 1: We've gone from something everybody is to something only one 118 00:08:34,720 --> 00:08:40,880 Speaker 1: person hears. Peter, it's one thing to come to church 119 00:08:41,040 --> 00:08:48,160 Speaker 1: and hear a generic message for everybody. Whatever you're hearing 120 00:08:48,320 --> 00:08:51,560 Speaker 1: right now, your neighbor is hearing right now, and that 121 00:08:51,679 --> 00:08:54,520 Speaker 1: neighbor is hearing right now because there's only one sermon 122 00:08:54,559 --> 00:08:57,960 Speaker 1: being preached to. However, many people have gathered here this morning. 123 00:08:59,160 --> 00:09:03,640 Speaker 1: It's a whole of a ball game for the sermon 124 00:09:03,800 --> 00:09:09,120 Speaker 1: to be over for everybody, and you get a message 125 00:09:09,360 --> 00:09:14,320 Speaker 1: with your name on it. It's the difference between hearing 126 00:09:14,920 --> 00:09:19,040 Speaker 1: the word of God preach to all and a word 127 00:09:19,200 --> 00:09:26,520 Speaker 1: from God spoken to you. Now, it takes me twelve 128 00:09:26,600 --> 00:09:30,880 Speaker 1: to fifteen hours to prepare a sermon for everybody. I 129 00:09:30,920 --> 00:09:36,040 Speaker 1: am under no delusion that after this twelve to fifteen 130 00:09:36,080 --> 00:09:41,760 Speaker 1: hour preparation and forty five minute message that by Tuesday 131 00:09:41,880 --> 00:09:45,880 Speaker 1: of this week, ninety five percent of it will have 132 00:09:45,960 --> 00:09:50,960 Speaker 1: been forgotten. I am not. I can't think about it 133 00:09:51,000 --> 00:09:55,360 Speaker 1: too long because it's frustrating, because that's what happens week 134 00:09:55,400 --> 00:09:58,040 Speaker 1: after week. We hear a sermon. You may even buy 135 00:09:58,040 --> 00:09:59,840 Speaker 1: a tape that you may or may not listen to, 136 00:10:01,760 --> 00:10:06,200 Speaker 1: and that's after fifteen hours. But let me tell you 137 00:10:06,240 --> 00:10:11,040 Speaker 1: what sermons you won't forget, And that's the one that 138 00:10:11,120 --> 00:10:14,480 Speaker 1: has your name on it. Now, you may forget the 139 00:10:14,520 --> 00:10:18,920 Speaker 1: general one that had y'all's name on it. But he says, Peter, 140 00:10:20,080 --> 00:10:23,040 Speaker 1: I've talked to everybody, but I have a specific thing 141 00:10:23,160 --> 00:10:28,320 Speaker 1: for you. I want you, Peter Simon, to push out 142 00:10:28,320 --> 00:10:31,600 Speaker 1: from the bank, and I want you to go into 143 00:10:31,679 --> 00:10:38,920 Speaker 1: the deep, and I want you to make a great catch. Now, 144 00:10:39,000 --> 00:10:42,559 Speaker 1: let me tell you about this specific message, this applied sermon. 145 00:10:42,679 --> 00:10:47,560 Speaker 1: He tells them where to go into the deep, what 146 00:10:47,840 --> 00:10:52,439 Speaker 1: to do cast out your net, and what to expect 147 00:10:52,480 --> 00:10:57,760 Speaker 1: a great catch. He gives him a very specific message. 148 00:10:58,600 --> 00:11:00,960 Speaker 1: I don't know what his general sermon was, but his 149 00:11:01,120 --> 00:11:05,520 Speaker 1: specific message had Peter's name on it. He was called 150 00:11:05,559 --> 00:11:09,440 Speaker 1: by name. It's like the difference between a person after 151 00:11:09,440 --> 00:11:12,400 Speaker 1: a servant saying good service, pastor and the person who 152 00:11:12,400 --> 00:11:16,040 Speaker 1: comes and says, you were talking to me, say message, 153 00:11:16,800 --> 00:11:19,880 Speaker 1: but one heard their name. Didn't just hear a message. 154 00:11:20,760 --> 00:11:24,320 Speaker 1: See when you come to church, don't just come for 155 00:11:24,440 --> 00:11:28,320 Speaker 1: the word of God. Come for a word from God, 156 00:11:29,320 --> 00:11:33,280 Speaker 1: so that he calls you by name through what's being said, 157 00:11:33,840 --> 00:11:36,199 Speaker 1: and you know he was talking to you, not just 158 00:11:36,240 --> 00:11:41,800 Speaker 1: to us. Now, he tells Peter, push out from the bank, 159 00:11:43,320 --> 00:11:47,480 Speaker 1: go to the deep, cast down the net, expect the 160 00:11:47,559 --> 00:11:53,040 Speaker 1: blessing a great catch. Peter has a response to this instruction. 161 00:11:54,320 --> 00:12:00,520 Speaker 1: Peter's response is, Master, we worked hard all night and 162 00:12:00,679 --> 00:12:10,400 Speaker 1: caught nothing. Master, let me explain something. We have been 163 00:12:10,440 --> 00:12:15,960 Speaker 1: out here all night long, we lionel Richie all night long. 164 00:12:16,280 --> 00:12:25,200 Speaker 1: We have been out here all night law, and we 165 00:12:25,280 --> 00:12:30,760 Speaker 1: have caught nothing. Simon Peter is part of a business, 166 00:12:31,920 --> 00:12:37,599 Speaker 1: the Zebedee Fishing Corporation. Now you laugh, but that's what 167 00:12:37,760 --> 00:12:42,520 Speaker 1: verse ten tells us. Verse ten says, and also were 168 00:12:42,679 --> 00:12:47,400 Speaker 1: James and john sons of Zebradee, who were partners with Simon. 169 00:12:49,120 --> 00:12:54,720 Speaker 1: This is a company business. They fish for a living. 170 00:12:56,559 --> 00:13:00,920 Speaker 1: This is a business venture that has part partners, that 171 00:13:01,000 --> 00:13:08,160 Speaker 1: makes a profit, and they know fishing. Jesus is a compenter. 172 00:13:10,840 --> 00:13:15,560 Speaker 1: He makes furniture. He grew up making furniture with his father. 173 00:13:16,000 --> 00:13:19,679 Speaker 1: He makes tables and chairs, and he makes he makes 174 00:13:19,760 --> 00:13:23,480 Speaker 1: bedpost and anything having to do with carving and shaving wood. 175 00:13:23,920 --> 00:13:27,120 Speaker 1: That's what Jesus had done for a living up until 176 00:13:27,360 --> 00:13:30,160 Speaker 1: he was thirty years old. So we've got a compenter 177 00:13:31,960 --> 00:13:36,720 Speaker 1: trying to tell a professional fisherman how, when and where 178 00:13:37,120 --> 00:13:42,120 Speaker 1: to catch fish. So Peter wants to set him straight. 179 00:13:43,800 --> 00:13:51,640 Speaker 1: He wants to explain something. Jesus, I don't go into 180 00:13:51,720 --> 00:13:56,320 Speaker 1: your wood shop trying to tell you how to compenter. 181 00:13:57,840 --> 00:14:01,040 Speaker 1: Let me explain how we fish the sea of Galilee. 182 00:14:01,679 --> 00:14:06,800 Speaker 1: You see on the Sea of Galilee. Fishermen with net 183 00:14:07,320 --> 00:14:10,240 Speaker 1: fish at night, not in the day. That's why he 184 00:14:10,280 --> 00:14:14,800 Speaker 1: says we've been out all night, because that's when you 185 00:14:14,920 --> 00:14:17,839 Speaker 1: fish with nets on the Sea of Galilee. You do 186 00:14:17,920 --> 00:14:20,320 Speaker 1: not fish in the daytime with the net. Now, if 187 00:14:20,360 --> 00:14:22,680 Speaker 1: you take a line out there, that's something because you're 188 00:14:22,680 --> 00:14:24,840 Speaker 1: trying to catch one fish. But if you're trying to 189 00:14:24,840 --> 00:14:27,000 Speaker 1: get a whole school of fish, because you're trying to 190 00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:29,120 Speaker 1: catch them in a net, you have to do that 191 00:14:29,200 --> 00:14:31,760 Speaker 1: at night. And let me tell you something else. You 192 00:14:31,880 --> 00:14:34,640 Speaker 1: have to do it near the shore where they gather 193 00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:38,320 Speaker 1: because way out into the deep, they don't gather that 194 00:14:38,360 --> 00:14:41,320 Speaker 1: way high enough to the surface for you to put 195 00:14:41,360 --> 00:14:44,400 Speaker 1: out a net to catch a gray catch because it's 196 00:14:44,520 --> 00:14:48,920 Speaker 1: daytime and they are too deep way out in the deep. 197 00:14:48,960 --> 00:14:51,520 Speaker 1: You gotta get them at night, when they've come closer 198 00:14:51,560 --> 00:14:55,080 Speaker 1: to shore, when they've gathered together in schools, in order 199 00:14:55,120 --> 00:14:58,760 Speaker 1: to get a gray catch. So what Jesus asked Peter 200 00:14:58,920 --> 00:15:04,200 Speaker 1: to do go against the rhyme and reason of Peter's reality. 201 00:15:05,120 --> 00:15:09,080 Speaker 1: Peter has been doing this for years. His company has 202 00:15:09,120 --> 00:15:11,560 Speaker 1: been in business for years. And you don't run a 203 00:15:11,600 --> 00:15:17,120 Speaker 1: successful business if you're not catching fish. So he goes 204 00:15:17,160 --> 00:15:22,200 Speaker 1: about to explain to Jesus Christ how your fish in 205 00:15:22,280 --> 00:15:25,560 Speaker 1: the Sea of Galilee, and Jesus how we fish and 206 00:15:25,640 --> 00:15:31,680 Speaker 1: what you said don't match what you're talking about, and 207 00:15:31,920 --> 00:15:38,040 Speaker 1: our reality is not the same. Please let me explain 208 00:15:38,160 --> 00:15:40,360 Speaker 1: something as I try to answer this question why God 209 00:15:40,400 --> 00:15:43,520 Speaker 1: wants to bless you. In fact, I'm gonna give you 210 00:15:43,560 --> 00:15:46,880 Speaker 1: even a bigger hint. I'm gonna tell you when you 211 00:15:46,960 --> 00:15:53,840 Speaker 1: can know a big blessing is on the horizon, the 212 00:15:53,920 --> 00:15:57,360 Speaker 1: two ways you can know when there's something special on 213 00:15:57,400 --> 00:16:02,120 Speaker 1: the horizon. Now, I'm not talking about regular stuff. The 214 00:16:02,200 --> 00:16:05,240 Speaker 1: regular stuff we appreciate, but it's regular, so we get 215 00:16:05,320 --> 00:16:07,280 Speaker 1: used to it. You know, we thank God for the 216 00:16:07,320 --> 00:16:09,520 Speaker 1: air we breathe. We thank him. You know he woke 217 00:16:09,560 --> 00:16:11,720 Speaker 1: us up this morning and sent us on our way. 218 00:16:11,960 --> 00:16:14,440 Speaker 1: We thank him. You know our bed was not cooling board. 219 00:16:14,520 --> 00:16:17,320 Speaker 1: And you know we we thank him for the regular. 220 00:16:17,480 --> 00:16:21,360 Speaker 1: And the regular is very good. I mean, in fact, 221 00:16:21,640 --> 00:16:24,280 Speaker 1: we only tend to thank Him for the regular when 222 00:16:24,320 --> 00:16:27,200 Speaker 1: something goes wrong with the regular, when we can't breathe, 223 00:16:28,160 --> 00:16:32,080 Speaker 1: when we are sick, When the regular has been interfered with, 224 00:16:32,560 --> 00:16:36,880 Speaker 1: then God becomes important. But for the regular stuff he does. 225 00:16:37,120 --> 00:16:39,840 Speaker 1: We recognize it and we pay homage to it. But 226 00:16:39,880 --> 00:16:42,320 Speaker 1: it doesn't really, it doesn't really zing, it's not it's 227 00:16:42,360 --> 00:16:45,800 Speaker 1: not what we call a zinger. How do you know 228 00:16:45,880 --> 00:16:50,000 Speaker 1: when God is ready to do something unique, out of 229 00:16:50,040 --> 00:16:57,280 Speaker 1: the ordinary, not regular, a sense of special favor or goodness. 230 00:16:58,200 --> 00:17:03,400 Speaker 1: Number One, he allows all your efforts to be unsuccessful. 231 00:17:07,800 --> 00:17:14,399 Speaker 1: We have worked all night and have caught nothing. You 232 00:17:14,480 --> 00:17:18,480 Speaker 1: have done everything you're supposed to do, everything you know 233 00:17:18,760 --> 00:17:21,719 Speaker 1: to do, and you have gone over time doing it. 234 00:17:21,960 --> 00:17:27,320 Speaker 1: We have worked all night. Other nights have not been 235 00:17:27,320 --> 00:17:30,439 Speaker 1: a problem. Last night with a big problem, because we 236 00:17:30,560 --> 00:17:33,440 Speaker 1: work all night. When you're supposed to work where you're 237 00:17:33,480 --> 00:17:40,080 Speaker 1: supposed to work and nothing is panning out. Now, it 238 00:17:40,119 --> 00:17:43,640 Speaker 1: feels bad when you've exerted yourself and it's not working out. 239 00:17:44,720 --> 00:17:48,280 Speaker 1: It feels bad when you've done everything you can and 240 00:17:48,440 --> 00:17:53,720 Speaker 1: all you've got the show for it is zero. It 241 00:17:53,720 --> 00:17:56,960 Speaker 1: feels bad when you've gone job hunting and everybody has 242 00:17:57,000 --> 00:18:01,160 Speaker 1: turned you down. It feels it's bad when you've worked 243 00:18:01,200 --> 00:18:05,160 Speaker 1: the numbers and none of them are working out. It 244 00:18:05,200 --> 00:18:08,280 Speaker 1: feels bad when all night long you have gone over 245 00:18:08,600 --> 00:18:12,920 Speaker 1: and over, you've tried, and you've tried and it's not working. 246 00:18:13,040 --> 00:18:17,640 Speaker 1: While it may feel bad, but I'd like to suggest 247 00:18:17,640 --> 00:18:21,040 Speaker 1: to you it's not a bad spot to bed. Now. 248 00:18:21,119 --> 00:18:23,720 Speaker 1: Let me tell you the second way you know you're 249 00:18:23,760 --> 00:18:29,240 Speaker 1: in the vicinity of something special. One is God is 250 00:18:29,280 --> 00:18:34,919 Speaker 1: not allowing anything you do to work. Yet what he 251 00:18:35,119 --> 00:18:40,280 Speaker 1: asked you to do. Does it make sense go out 252 00:18:40,359 --> 00:18:43,199 Speaker 1: into the deep for a great catch. You don't go 253 00:18:43,240 --> 00:18:46,400 Speaker 1: out in the daytime to the deep water to catch 254 00:18:46,440 --> 00:18:52,200 Speaker 1: a great catch with a nat Here it is. What 255 00:18:52,359 --> 00:18:59,880 Speaker 1: Jesus asked Peter to do contradicted his experience, contradicted his knowledge, 256 00:19:00,960 --> 00:19:06,520 Speaker 1: contradicted his history, contradicted his background. Let me use another word, 257 00:19:07,240 --> 00:19:13,919 Speaker 1: contradicted his instincts. What Peter knew and he really knew it. 258 00:19:13,960 --> 00:19:17,760 Speaker 1: He knew when the fish. What Peter knew contradicted what 259 00:19:18,240 --> 00:19:22,000 Speaker 1: God said. What God said and what Peter knew were 260 00:19:22,080 --> 00:19:27,080 Speaker 1: not on the same page. So he goes about to 261 00:19:27,240 --> 00:19:35,080 Speaker 1: instruct Jesus on why his word won't work, because we've 262 00:19:35,080 --> 00:19:37,560 Speaker 1: been out all night when you're supposed to be and 263 00:19:37,600 --> 00:19:44,000 Speaker 1: they're not biting. Have you ever done that? Now I 264 00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:46,440 Speaker 1: know you're doing real spiritual Even like Peter. He said, Master, 265 00:19:49,960 --> 00:19:52,960 Speaker 1: I'm gonna respect you in all, but you don't know 266 00:19:53,000 --> 00:19:56,800 Speaker 1: fishing and go back to corpentry or don't know fishing master. 267 00:19:57,800 --> 00:20:01,119 Speaker 1: I'm gonna respect you and all, but you don't know. 268 00:20:01,320 --> 00:20:05,800 Speaker 1: You don't know this area. We said all the time 269 00:20:05,840 --> 00:20:07,840 Speaker 1: when God said something and we put up the word button. 270 00:20:09,520 --> 00:20:12,640 Speaker 1: See were throwing the word but we're saying, yeah, but 271 00:20:12,640 --> 00:20:21,760 Speaker 1: but my reality, my situation, my circumstance. Button. Let me 272 00:20:21,760 --> 00:20:25,760 Speaker 1: say a word about your instincts and mine. All of 273 00:20:25,800 --> 00:20:33,760 Speaker 1: our instincts are flawed, the flawed You and I are distorted. 274 00:20:35,240 --> 00:20:36,960 Speaker 1: You know, like you're going to a three D movie. 275 00:20:37,000 --> 00:20:40,120 Speaker 1: You need those glasses because without the glasses you don't 276 00:20:40,119 --> 00:20:43,960 Speaker 1: see clearly. You need something to clear up the distortion. 277 00:20:45,680 --> 00:20:48,800 Speaker 1: The fact that you were raised this way, this was 278 00:20:48,840 --> 00:20:53,680 Speaker 1: your background, history, experience, personality, all those things, All those 279 00:20:53,720 --> 00:20:56,120 Speaker 1: things are real. I'm not denouncing any of them. I'm 280 00:20:56,119 --> 00:21:00,760 Speaker 1: saying all of them are distorted. They've been distorted by sin, 281 00:21:00,880 --> 00:21:03,680 Speaker 1: your sin or the sin of somebody else's. They've been 282 00:21:03,720 --> 00:21:08,919 Speaker 1: distorted because of lack of information. How many things times 283 00:21:08,920 --> 00:21:10,359 Speaker 1: that we think something was one way, we got a 284 00:21:10,400 --> 00:21:14,960 Speaker 1: little bit more information, we said, oh, so we operated 285 00:21:15,000 --> 00:21:17,320 Speaker 1: on what we had, but it was distorted because what 286 00:21:17,359 --> 00:21:23,280 Speaker 1: we had didn't bring everything else into account. So you 287 00:21:23,400 --> 00:21:27,840 Speaker 1: have to understand that because you and I have distortion 288 00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:31,520 Speaker 1: in our lives, our minds, our souls. Our souls are distorted, 289 00:21:31,560 --> 00:21:35,119 Speaker 1: which is your emotions, your mind, and your will. Those 290 00:21:35,160 --> 00:21:38,920 Speaker 1: things have all been affected negatively, so they can never 291 00:21:39,000 --> 00:21:43,400 Speaker 1: be fully trusted. Now you do not ignore them, don't 292 00:21:43,400 --> 00:21:47,560 Speaker 1: misunderstand me, but you can never fully rest in them 293 00:21:47,800 --> 00:21:53,040 Speaker 1: in and of themselves. You need to pay glasses because 294 00:21:53,080 --> 00:21:59,280 Speaker 1: distortion has occurred in Peter's mind. His history, background and 295 00:21:59,480 --> 00:22:03,400 Speaker 1: knowledge had given him enough to be able to tell 296 00:22:03,720 --> 00:22:07,120 Speaker 1: the Son of the Living God he was misinformed with 297 00:22:07,160 --> 00:22:11,520 Speaker 1: his instructions. Jesus, you don't know this field. I know 298 00:22:11,600 --> 00:22:17,159 Speaker 1: this feeld you stick the preacher let me take a fish. 299 00:22:17,200 --> 00:22:22,200 Speaker 1: He gives them this instruction. But out of respect, Peter says, 300 00:22:22,600 --> 00:22:27,680 Speaker 1: but because you asked me to, I'm gonna go ahead 301 00:22:27,680 --> 00:22:30,760 Speaker 1: and do it. I'm gonna show you I know what 302 00:22:30,800 --> 00:22:34,679 Speaker 1: I'm talking about. I'm gonna give you some respect, Master. 303 00:22:37,160 --> 00:22:38,920 Speaker 1: But my point was we're gonna get to that in 304 00:22:38,920 --> 00:22:41,480 Speaker 1: a moment. My point was one of the ways you 305 00:22:41,520 --> 00:22:43,320 Speaker 1: know God wants to do something special if he doesn't 306 00:22:43,400 --> 00:22:45,679 Speaker 1: let what you're doing work through the natural process that 307 00:22:45,720 --> 00:22:48,200 Speaker 1: you're used to. And the second way is he asked 308 00:22:48,240 --> 00:22:51,159 Speaker 1: you to do something that does not make sense to 309 00:22:51,240 --> 00:22:55,000 Speaker 1: your background, history, instincts, emotions. It doesn't does not rhyme 310 00:22:55,040 --> 00:22:59,000 Speaker 1: or reason. Remember Martha, Mary, when Lazarus was dead, Jesus 311 00:22:59,000 --> 00:23:03,080 Speaker 1: comes and he tells mar removed the stone. She has 312 00:23:03,119 --> 00:23:06,200 Speaker 1: removed the stone. You know what, Martha said, he'd been 313 00:23:06,200 --> 00:23:09,879 Speaker 1: dead for days and he thinks he'd been dead for that. 314 00:23:09,960 --> 00:23:12,360 Speaker 1: He didn't ask her for a discussion and mortual worth science. 315 00:23:13,760 --> 00:23:16,320 Speaker 1: He says he's been dead for days and he stinks. 316 00:23:16,840 --> 00:23:18,879 Speaker 1: In other words, what you're just asked to do remove 317 00:23:18,960 --> 00:23:21,639 Speaker 1: the tomb off of the stone doesn't make sense. Jesus. 318 00:23:22,080 --> 00:23:24,080 Speaker 1: Guess what Jesus said to her? And didn't I say 319 00:23:24,119 --> 00:23:29,840 Speaker 1: to you? Didn't I say to you? Until you believe, 320 00:23:29,920 --> 00:23:37,960 Speaker 1: you won't see see. Martha was from Missouri. Martha said, 321 00:23:38,000 --> 00:23:41,760 Speaker 1: if I see, I believe, Jesus said, But didn't I 322 00:23:41,800 --> 00:23:45,320 Speaker 1: tell you you won't see till you believe. And you 323 00:23:45,440 --> 00:23:47,879 Speaker 1: don't know you believe till you move the stone. You 324 00:23:47,880 --> 00:23:50,400 Speaker 1: don't believe because you're getting in the believing mood right now. 325 00:23:51,200 --> 00:23:54,800 Speaker 1: Your belief must be moving the stone. That ridiculous thing 326 00:23:54,840 --> 00:23:57,000 Speaker 1: I just ask you to do that did not make 327 00:23:57,080 --> 00:24:03,879 Speaker 1: logical sense to your history, background, emotions, though instincts. So 328 00:24:05,520 --> 00:24:09,359 Speaker 1: he pushes out into the deep. What I'm talking about 329 00:24:09,480 --> 00:24:11,720 Speaker 1: is why God wants to bless you. Stay with me. 330 00:24:14,080 --> 00:24:17,760 Speaker 1: When they had done this, notice that when they had 331 00:24:17,760 --> 00:24:20,360 Speaker 1: done this, not when they had a meeting to discuss it. 332 00:24:21,720 --> 00:24:26,280 Speaker 1: When they had done this, they enclosed a great quantity 333 00:24:26,359 --> 00:24:34,320 Speaker 1: of fish, and their nets began to break. Do you 334 00:24:34,440 --> 00:24:37,080 Speaker 1: know how many fish it takes to break a fisherman's net. 335 00:24:38,200 --> 00:24:42,000 Speaker 1: To understand, they use deep nets. They've caught as many 336 00:24:42,040 --> 00:24:45,080 Speaker 1: fish as the nets can hold. So can you imagine 337 00:24:45,119 --> 00:24:47,720 Speaker 1: not only the amount of fish, but the size of 338 00:24:47,760 --> 00:24:51,800 Speaker 1: these babies, because the fish are gonna break net because 339 00:24:51,840 --> 00:24:56,280 Speaker 1: of their weight. You got so much fish that what 340 00:24:56,560 --> 00:25:02,040 Speaker 1: they're naturally had to handle them couldn't hold them. It 341 00:25:02,200 --> 00:25:08,760 Speaker 1: says their nets began to break, Verse seven. So they 342 00:25:08,880 --> 00:25:12,800 Speaker 1: signaled to their partners in the other boat. So this 343 00:25:12,960 --> 00:25:15,120 Speaker 1: is a big company. They got Peter, James, and John, 344 00:25:15,160 --> 00:25:17,840 Speaker 1: and then they got other partners. So they signaled to 345 00:25:17,880 --> 00:25:20,440 Speaker 1: their partners in the other boat for them to come 346 00:25:20,480 --> 00:25:23,760 Speaker 1: and help them, And they came and filled both the boats, 347 00:25:23,840 --> 00:25:29,720 Speaker 1: so that the boats began to sink. I think if 348 00:25:29,760 --> 00:25:35,000 Speaker 1: Paul were here, Paul would say exceedingly abundantly above what 349 00:25:35,200 --> 00:25:40,280 Speaker 1: you ask or ever thought was gonna happen, or in 350 00:25:40,320 --> 00:25:43,720 Speaker 1: the words of Delfonics, didn't not blow your mind this time, 351 00:25:46,520 --> 00:25:50,840 Speaker 1: did not did not do something beyond what you were expecting. 352 00:25:53,760 --> 00:25:57,400 Speaker 1: But they only got to see God blow their minds 353 00:25:57,760 --> 00:26:01,440 Speaker 1: when they were doing something that they, on their instincts, 354 00:26:01,600 --> 00:26:09,440 Speaker 1: seemed ridiculous. It says nets are breaking and ships are sinking. 355 00:26:11,160 --> 00:26:17,640 Speaker 1: Now I call that a blessing. The first reason why 356 00:26:17,760 --> 00:26:21,800 Speaker 1: God wants to bless you is to let you know 357 00:26:22,240 --> 00:26:30,960 Speaker 1: he knows more than you see. We either think God 358 00:26:31,080 --> 00:26:33,560 Speaker 1: doesn't know or he only knows a little bit more 359 00:26:33,560 --> 00:26:37,240 Speaker 1: than we know. And you the way I know we 360 00:26:37,359 --> 00:26:40,800 Speaker 1: think that is we always will counteract what he says 361 00:26:40,880 --> 00:26:46,400 Speaker 1: by what we think. So Jesus asked them to do 362 00:26:46,520 --> 00:26:50,360 Speaker 1: something that goes beyond their instincts and then shows them 363 00:26:50,600 --> 00:26:53,600 Speaker 1: I know where the fish are, I know how to 364 00:26:53,640 --> 00:26:56,600 Speaker 1: get to them, and where they are, and how you 365 00:26:56,680 --> 00:27:00,080 Speaker 1: get to them. You would have never thought of You 366 00:27:00,119 --> 00:27:03,440 Speaker 1: would have never thought of this because your experience says, 367 00:27:03,560 --> 00:27:07,399 Speaker 1: at night in the shallow my knowledge, says, the babies 368 00:27:07,440 --> 00:27:09,080 Speaker 1: are sitting out there waiting on you to do what 369 00:27:09,160 --> 00:27:16,199 Speaker 1: I said, and you won't get the catch until you 370 00:27:16,280 --> 00:27:20,399 Speaker 1: do it. Meeting on it, having the meeting about it 371 00:27:20,440 --> 00:27:24,600 Speaker 1: won't give you the catch. Praying about it won't give 372 00:27:24,600 --> 00:27:27,960 Speaker 1: you the catch. Prayer is important, but it can't replace 373 00:27:28,240 --> 00:27:34,840 Speaker 1: following through. God wants you to know something about him, 374 00:27:34,960 --> 00:27:40,000 Speaker 1: and he wants you to know that he knows. And 375 00:27:40,119 --> 00:27:42,680 Speaker 1: in order to that you know he knows, he puts 376 00:27:42,680 --> 00:27:45,159 Speaker 1: you in a situation where your knowledge is not working 377 00:27:45,720 --> 00:27:48,080 Speaker 1: fished all night, and where he asks you to do 378 00:27:48,240 --> 00:27:51,119 Speaker 1: something that doesn't seem consistent with what you think you know. 379 00:27:54,119 --> 00:27:59,200 Speaker 1: He contradicts your natural reasoning. Because now when you discover 380 00:27:59,359 --> 00:28:01,360 Speaker 1: he knows what he knows and I don't know as 381 00:28:01,400 --> 00:28:06,680 Speaker 1: much as I thought I knew, he has made himself 382 00:28:06,760 --> 00:28:11,040 Speaker 1: more trustworthy to you so you can trust him for 383 00:28:11,080 --> 00:28:13,199 Speaker 1: something else because of what he just showed you that 384 00:28:13,280 --> 00:28:16,760 Speaker 1: he really knows that you didn't think he knew because 385 00:28:16,760 --> 00:28:20,000 Speaker 1: you were the expert in the field. It was your 386 00:28:20,040 --> 00:28:25,520 Speaker 1: field fishing. He wants to show you that he knows 387 00:28:25,600 --> 00:28:28,919 Speaker 1: so that you can trust him more. It's like the 388 00:28:28,960 --> 00:28:30,720 Speaker 1: man who fell over the ravine and he caught a 389 00:28:30,760 --> 00:28:33,480 Speaker 1: branch before he fell to his death, and he screamed, 390 00:28:33,480 --> 00:28:37,200 Speaker 1: how somebody out there? Help? How? How? And a voice 391 00:28:37,240 --> 00:28:43,320 Speaker 1: came out of heaven. You called holp saved me, saved me? 392 00:28:43,680 --> 00:28:46,240 Speaker 1: The voice said, well, do you believe that I can 393 00:28:46,360 --> 00:28:50,360 Speaker 1: save you? Said yes, yes, Do you believe that I 394 00:28:50,400 --> 00:28:54,160 Speaker 1: want to save you? Absolutely saved me, save you? Do 395 00:28:54,240 --> 00:28:57,400 Speaker 1: you believe I will save you? Yes? The voice said, 396 00:28:57,440 --> 00:29:10,640 Speaker 1: let go? The man said, anybody else up there? Because 397 00:29:10,680 --> 00:29:18,080 Speaker 1: sometimes when God seems like he's requesting the ridiculous, because 398 00:29:18,080 --> 00:29:24,320 Speaker 1: it goes against our natural bent, our personality, history, background education, 399 00:29:24,440 --> 00:29:30,560 Speaker 1: training instincts. No, you know what he's doing. He's setting 400 00:29:30,600 --> 00:29:34,040 Speaker 1: you up for something supernatural. And that's why he's not 401 00:29:34,200 --> 00:29:40,920 Speaker 1: let you catch anything. Nothing's working that you're trying. Verse eight, 402 00:29:41,080 --> 00:29:47,040 Speaker 1: When Simon Peter saw what happened, fish breaking nets and 403 00:29:47,080 --> 00:29:53,280 Speaker 1: sinking boats, he fell down at Jesus's feet, saying, go 404 00:29:53,520 --> 00:29:58,080 Speaker 1: away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man. 405 00:29:59,520 --> 00:30:03,440 Speaker 1: Now made him tell God Jesus go away from me? 406 00:30:04,160 --> 00:30:07,360 Speaker 1: What made him say how sinful he was? Verse nine? 407 00:30:07,800 --> 00:30:12,920 Speaker 1: For amazement had seized him. So what amazed him? The blessing? 408 00:30:14,200 --> 00:30:19,040 Speaker 1: The blessing So blew his mind and the mind of 409 00:30:19,080 --> 00:30:22,560 Speaker 1: his companions at the catch of the fish which had 410 00:30:22,640 --> 00:30:27,920 Speaker 1: been taken. He was so overwhelmed with the blessing that 411 00:30:28,080 --> 00:30:31,120 Speaker 1: he says, depart from me, I am a sinful man. 412 00:30:31,280 --> 00:30:34,600 Speaker 1: Let me explain why God wants to bless you. He 413 00:30:34,680 --> 00:30:37,120 Speaker 1: wants to bless you so you can discover that He 414 00:30:37,160 --> 00:30:41,040 Speaker 1: knows what he knows, and he wants to bless you 415 00:30:41,200 --> 00:30:45,040 Speaker 1: so that you can come to the realization that in 416 00:30:45,280 --> 00:30:50,680 Speaker 1: his presence you are a sinful man. He wants you 417 00:30:50,760 --> 00:30:55,760 Speaker 1: to understand his righteousness, his holiness, his purity, matched against 418 00:30:55,840 --> 00:31:01,560 Speaker 1: your sin by your blessing. See, most people look at 419 00:31:01,560 --> 00:31:04,360 Speaker 1: that blessing as a confirmation of how good they are. 420 00:31:05,920 --> 00:31:07,960 Speaker 1: I must have been real good to be blessed like this. 421 00:31:09,960 --> 00:31:13,160 Speaker 1: And that's not what Peter said. Peter said, I must 422 00:31:13,240 --> 00:31:18,840 Speaker 1: be real sinful to be blessed like this. I must 423 00:31:18,880 --> 00:31:21,400 Speaker 1: be real sinful. Now what was this sin? I don't 424 00:31:21,480 --> 00:31:25,760 Speaker 1: I don't see where he did any great sin. Oh 425 00:31:25,840 --> 00:31:31,320 Speaker 1: he did, He said, Jesus, you don't know what you're 426 00:31:31,360 --> 00:31:35,920 Speaker 1: talking about. We fished all night. That's a sin. When 427 00:31:35,920 --> 00:31:38,200 Speaker 1: you tell God he doesn't know what he's talking about. 428 00:31:38,600 --> 00:31:43,920 Speaker 1: That's not like a compliment. That's a sin. You don't 429 00:31:43,920 --> 00:31:48,239 Speaker 1: know what you're talking about. But we're gonna placate you. 430 00:31:48,280 --> 00:31:50,640 Speaker 1: We're gonna give you a little religious stuff. We're gonna 431 00:31:50,680 --> 00:31:56,760 Speaker 1: just row out there. It says he was amazed. Why 432 00:31:56,880 --> 00:31:59,080 Speaker 1: was he amazed? He was amazed because anything, nothing was 433 00:31:59,120 --> 00:32:04,040 Speaker 1: gonna happen, at least nothing like that, not just breaking 434 00:32:04,120 --> 00:32:10,760 Speaker 1: nets and sinking boats. You know, God really does want 435 00:32:10,800 --> 00:32:15,040 Speaker 1: us to know how different he is than us. Listen, 436 00:32:15,440 --> 00:32:18,560 Speaker 1: whenever in the Bible people really came face to face 437 00:32:18,600 --> 00:32:20,960 Speaker 1: with God who had a heart for God, they saw 438 00:32:21,000 --> 00:32:27,400 Speaker 1: their sinfulness, They saw that sinfulness. I there said, woe 439 00:32:27,520 --> 00:32:34,120 Speaker 1: is me, I am undone. See when God manifests his 440 00:32:34,240 --> 00:32:36,479 Speaker 1: goodness to you, were talking about a blessing that we're 441 00:32:36,480 --> 00:32:41,040 Speaker 1: talking about a great catch of fish. It's not to 442 00:32:41,040 --> 00:32:45,440 Speaker 1: show you how great you are. It's to show you 443 00:32:45,600 --> 00:32:51,120 Speaker 1: how different you are than he is. That the sin 444 00:32:51,200 --> 00:32:56,920 Speaker 1: of even questioning his word because it didn't fit our 445 00:32:57,040 --> 00:33:04,680 Speaker 1: intuition and our instincts, history, background, nor experience. It says 446 00:33:04,720 --> 00:33:09,960 Speaker 1: Peter was seized, he was enraptured, he was caught. He said, 447 00:33:10,040 --> 00:33:15,000 Speaker 1: depart from me. I am not worthy to be in 448 00:33:15,040 --> 00:33:19,240 Speaker 1: the same vicinity as you, because now I know who 449 00:33:19,280 --> 00:33:23,440 Speaker 1: I'm dealing with. I'm not dealing with just a polite God. See. See, 450 00:33:23,720 --> 00:33:25,760 Speaker 1: there may be some folk in here who came to 451 00:33:25,880 --> 00:33:29,320 Speaker 1: church today to meet a polite God, just just somebody, 452 00:33:29,360 --> 00:33:33,440 Speaker 1: a nice deity. And you don't understand that yet we're 453 00:33:33,440 --> 00:33:37,400 Speaker 1: not even in the same ball game. My ways are 454 00:33:37,440 --> 00:33:39,800 Speaker 1: not your ways, My thoughts are not your thoughts. As 455 00:33:39,880 --> 00:33:42,440 Speaker 1: high as the heavens, all above the earth, that's how 456 00:33:42,520 --> 00:33:45,840 Speaker 1: different I am. And I will even show you that 457 00:33:45,880 --> 00:33:52,560 Speaker 1: by blessing you. By blessing you so. One reason God 458 00:33:52,600 --> 00:33:54,520 Speaker 1: blesses you is to let you see how much he 459 00:33:54,560 --> 00:33:57,200 Speaker 1: really knows. He really doesn't know what he's doing, even 460 00:33:57,240 --> 00:34:01,080 Speaker 1: when it doesn't make sense. Second reason, he blesses you 461 00:34:01,440 --> 00:34:04,080 Speaker 1: so that you can see that he and you are different. 462 00:34:05,600 --> 00:34:11,000 Speaker 1: He's different than us and his purity rings, which reveals 463 00:34:11,080 --> 00:34:16,239 Speaker 1: our impurity. I am a sinful man. Depart from me. 464 00:34:18,120 --> 00:34:23,480 Speaker 1: I watched this this is sweet verse ten and so 465 00:34:23,560 --> 00:34:26,000 Speaker 1: also where James and john sons of Devity, who were 466 00:34:26,040 --> 00:34:30,719 Speaker 1: partners with Simon and Jesus, said that Simon, do not fear. 467 00:34:31,160 --> 00:34:34,399 Speaker 1: From now on you will be catching men. When they 468 00:34:34,400 --> 00:34:37,000 Speaker 1: had brought their boats to land, they left everything and 469 00:34:37,040 --> 00:34:40,680 Speaker 1: followed him. Okay, watch this man, this is this is sweet, 470 00:34:43,920 --> 00:34:46,360 Speaker 1: it said, Do not fear. Because they up there trembling, 471 00:34:46,880 --> 00:34:50,640 Speaker 1: They say, who who is this? They did this another 472 00:34:50,640 --> 00:34:53,000 Speaker 1: time when he called the seed? They say, what manner 473 00:34:53,040 --> 00:34:56,080 Speaker 1: of man is this? That even the winds and the 474 00:34:56,160 --> 00:35:01,440 Speaker 1: seal bed? Who are we dealing with him? Do you? 475 00:35:02,760 --> 00:35:06,000 Speaker 1: Do you understand who you're dealing with With Jesus Christ. 476 00:35:07,080 --> 00:35:09,959 Speaker 1: We're not just talking about a great man. In fact, 477 00:35:10,280 --> 00:35:12,719 Speaker 1: to call Jesus a great man is to insult him. 478 00:35:13,960 --> 00:35:17,719 Speaker 1: That's an insult Jesus. You great people people. People do 479 00:35:17,760 --> 00:35:20,080 Speaker 1: all these respectful things to Jesus Christ and think he 480 00:35:20,080 --> 00:35:24,360 Speaker 1: feels good about it. You just devalued him. He is 481 00:35:24,400 --> 00:35:27,160 Speaker 1: the son of the living, eternal God. He's not just 482 00:35:27,200 --> 00:35:30,279 Speaker 1: a great man and a nice example. He is that. 483 00:35:30,480 --> 00:35:35,240 Speaker 1: But but to put a period there, you've insulted him. 484 00:35:35,400 --> 00:35:38,960 Speaker 1: What manner of man is this? Depart? I don't even 485 00:35:38,960 --> 00:35:42,759 Speaker 1: deserve to be in the same space. Depart from me, 486 00:35:43,719 --> 00:35:46,040 Speaker 1: he said. But then he calmed them down because they're shaken. 487 00:35:46,040 --> 00:35:47,680 Speaker 1: The ain't never seen a kid like this in their lives. 488 00:35:47,880 --> 00:35:51,319 Speaker 1: He calms them down and says, it's okay because from 489 00:35:51,320 --> 00:35:55,760 Speaker 1: now on, you're gonna be fishing some men. The third 490 00:35:55,760 --> 00:35:59,520 Speaker 1: reason God blessed him and the served reason he blesses you. 491 00:36:01,560 --> 00:36:04,560 Speaker 1: He blesses so number one, you get to know that 492 00:36:04,640 --> 00:36:08,600 Speaker 1: He really does know. Number two, you get to see 493 00:36:08,640 --> 00:36:10,400 Speaker 1: who you are in the faith of who He is. 494 00:36:12,120 --> 00:36:15,600 Speaker 1: But number three, the reason that God blesses you is 495 00:36:15,640 --> 00:36:19,879 Speaker 1: so you can be a blessing to somebody else. I'm 496 00:36:19,920 --> 00:36:24,799 Speaker 1: gonna make you a spiritual blessing to others. I will 497 00:36:24,880 --> 00:36:28,720 Speaker 1: make you fishes of men. Remember the definition of a blessing. 498 00:36:29,480 --> 00:36:31,279 Speaker 1: We gave it the numbers of times here it is 499 00:36:31,280 --> 00:36:35,640 Speaker 1: the blessing is enjoying, experiencing, and transferring the goodness of 500 00:36:35,680 --> 00:36:39,759 Speaker 1: God in your life. If there is no transference, you 501 00:36:39,920 --> 00:36:44,960 Speaker 1: prostituted the blessing. And that's the problem with this emphasis 502 00:36:44,960 --> 00:36:47,480 Speaker 1: on blessing today. The problem is not that there's an 503 00:36:47,480 --> 00:36:51,040 Speaker 1: emphasis on blessing. Is they define it only in terms 504 00:36:51,080 --> 00:36:54,799 Speaker 1: of what I get. God bless me with a new house, 505 00:36:54,840 --> 00:36:56,640 Speaker 1: bless me with a new car, bless me more money, 506 00:36:56,719 --> 00:36:59,080 Speaker 1: bless me, bless me, bless me, bless me. Not wrong 507 00:36:59,080 --> 00:37:02,200 Speaker 1: with God blessing you with that. But God's blessings are 508 00:37:02,320 --> 00:37:07,359 Speaker 1: always designed to have a transfer element, and if there 509 00:37:07,480 --> 00:37:11,239 Speaker 1: is no transfer element, then what you have done is 510 00:37:11,320 --> 00:37:16,480 Speaker 1: prostituted the term. God told Abraham, I'm gonna bless you 511 00:37:16,800 --> 00:37:19,839 Speaker 1: so that through you all the nations of the earth 512 00:37:19,880 --> 00:37:24,560 Speaker 1: will be blessed. That's why one of the greatest prayers 513 00:37:24,600 --> 00:37:26,680 Speaker 1: you need to pray when you ask God to bless you, 514 00:37:26,680 --> 00:37:29,200 Speaker 1: which is a legitimate prayer to ask God to bring 515 00:37:29,239 --> 00:37:31,480 Speaker 1: his favor and goodness upon you, is to let him 516 00:37:31,520 --> 00:37:33,239 Speaker 1: know how you're going to use it also as a 517 00:37:33,320 --> 00:37:37,600 Speaker 1: mechanism of transfer. How you gonna be a blessing while 518 00:37:37,600 --> 00:37:41,280 Speaker 1: you're receiving one. He says, I'm gonna make you fishers 519 00:37:41,280 --> 00:37:45,760 Speaker 1: of men. I watch this. Now, Jesus knows more about 520 00:37:45,840 --> 00:37:48,799 Speaker 1: Peter's occupation than Peter, who's been working the occupation all 521 00:37:48,800 --> 00:37:51,799 Speaker 1: of his life. Jesus has never been a fisherman, yet 522 00:37:51,840 --> 00:37:54,600 Speaker 1: he knows more about where fishing hanging out than Peter does. 523 00:37:56,920 --> 00:38:00,319 Speaker 1: And now he says, I'm gonna use your occupation because 524 00:38:00,320 --> 00:38:02,799 Speaker 1: you know how to catch stuff, and I'm gonna let 525 00:38:02,800 --> 00:38:06,120 Speaker 1: you do what you did with fish with people. He 526 00:38:06,320 --> 00:38:11,879 Speaker 1: uses the natural vocation as an opportunity for ministry. I'm 527 00:38:11,920 --> 00:38:15,200 Speaker 1: gonna make you a minister, because you're gonna be catching 528 00:38:15,280 --> 00:38:20,439 Speaker 1: man like your caught fish. And I watched this now, 529 00:38:20,640 --> 00:38:24,320 Speaker 1: it says in verse eleven. If it wasn't so serious, 530 00:38:24,360 --> 00:38:27,839 Speaker 1: it'd be funny, he says in verse eleven. And they 531 00:38:28,040 --> 00:38:37,440 Speaker 1: left everything and followed him. Now, can I be Can 532 00:38:37,480 --> 00:38:42,840 Speaker 1: I be just raw honest with you? I'm not sure 533 00:38:43,040 --> 00:38:47,160 Speaker 1: that would have been my I'm not sure I would 534 00:38:47,160 --> 00:38:53,160 Speaker 1: have rolled like that. I know in my carnality, in 535 00:38:53,280 --> 00:38:59,120 Speaker 1: my flesh, I think. I think if I had nets 536 00:38:59,120 --> 00:39:03,320 Speaker 1: of fish, they were breaking the net boats that were sinking. 537 00:39:04,560 --> 00:39:08,080 Speaker 1: Because Jesus knows where to fish are, I would have 538 00:39:08,280 --> 00:39:14,640 Speaker 1: offered him a percentage of the company. I would have 539 00:39:14,680 --> 00:39:20,239 Speaker 1: told Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, you can add we're presenting the 540 00:39:20,360 --> 00:39:24,440 Speaker 1: company you want. How much of the Zebite Fishing Corporation 541 00:39:24,960 --> 00:39:27,719 Speaker 1: do you want to have? And you don't have to 542 00:39:27,719 --> 00:39:29,520 Speaker 1: work that hard? That hard. You don't have to work 543 00:39:29,560 --> 00:39:31,600 Speaker 1: hard when we come to work in the morning. Just 544 00:39:31,800 --> 00:39:36,279 Speaker 1: tell us where to fish are. That's all you got 545 00:39:36,280 --> 00:39:41,040 Speaker 1: to do, g man, Just tell us where the fish are. 546 00:39:43,760 --> 00:39:46,480 Speaker 1: I would have I would have made that a monster 547 00:39:47,040 --> 00:39:51,680 Speaker 1: presentation to Jesus. I wouldn't miss look Jesus would say, 548 00:39:51,719 --> 00:39:56,520 Speaker 1: follow me. I would say, Jesus, you follow me, because 549 00:39:56,560 --> 00:40:01,759 Speaker 1: we can build something here we got I can use you. 550 00:40:04,760 --> 00:40:07,560 Speaker 1: I can use you to build my company. I can 551 00:40:07,719 --> 00:40:10,560 Speaker 1: use you to build my wardrobe. I can use you 552 00:40:10,640 --> 00:40:13,800 Speaker 1: to build my transportation. I can use you to build 553 00:40:13,880 --> 00:40:16,840 Speaker 1: my future. I can use you to build my retirement. 554 00:40:17,040 --> 00:40:20,040 Speaker 1: And that's what's going on under the name of blessing today. 555 00:40:20,239 --> 00:40:24,360 Speaker 1: People want to go and use Jesus to keep the 556 00:40:24,480 --> 00:40:30,239 Speaker 1: nuts full, the nuts breaking and the ship's sinking. But 557 00:40:30,440 --> 00:40:34,359 Speaker 1: Jesus flips the script. Jesus said, I bless you so 558 00:40:34,440 --> 00:40:37,680 Speaker 1: much so you would follow me, not so I would 559 00:40:37,719 --> 00:40:43,880 Speaker 1: follow you. The reason why Jesus blesses you is so 560 00:40:44,000 --> 00:40:47,960 Speaker 1: that you can succumb to his lordship, so that you 561 00:40:48,040 --> 00:40:54,040 Speaker 1: will follow him to the next step he has for you. 562 00:40:54,040 --> 00:40:55,600 Speaker 1: You know what I would have been doing in my 563 00:40:55,640 --> 00:41:00,640 Speaker 1: flesh and in my carnality. I would have been discussing 564 00:41:00,680 --> 00:41:04,320 Speaker 1: my condo on the Galilee. It's side for me to 565 00:41:04,360 --> 00:41:06,959 Speaker 1: build a second home on the Galilee. All is fish 566 00:41:07,160 --> 00:41:10,000 Speaker 1: biggest catch in my life. I would have been discussing 567 00:41:10,040 --> 00:41:13,200 Speaker 1: four ones and four three bes, and I would have 568 00:41:13,239 --> 00:41:18,120 Speaker 1: been discussing investments and CDs and mutual funds, and I 569 00:41:18,120 --> 00:41:21,160 Speaker 1: would have been discussing all of the new opportunities that 570 00:41:21,280 --> 00:41:24,280 Speaker 1: have come to me personally because I had the biggest 571 00:41:24,360 --> 00:41:28,080 Speaker 1: catch of my life. But verse eleven says they were 572 00:41:28,120 --> 00:41:31,560 Speaker 1: so impressed, not with the catch, not with the blessing, 573 00:41:31,640 --> 00:41:35,920 Speaker 1: but they were impressed with the blesser. They were so 574 00:41:36,160 --> 00:41:41,319 Speaker 1: blown away with Jesus Christ that Jesus said, follow me, 575 00:41:41,440 --> 00:41:50,200 Speaker 1: and they said let's go, and they left everything. My question, 576 00:41:50,320 --> 00:41:56,799 Speaker 1: hath God's blessing caused you to follow him? Or are 577 00:41:56,840 --> 00:42:02,520 Speaker 1: you spending so much time counting fish? How many fish 578 00:42:02,520 --> 00:42:05,000 Speaker 1: did God give me the day? God show being good 579 00:42:05,000 --> 00:42:08,400 Speaker 1: to me today? Are you spending so much time counting 580 00:42:08,480 --> 00:42:13,200 Speaker 1: fish that you've forgotten the one who knew where they 581 00:42:13,200 --> 00:42:18,600 Speaker 1: were located? Now? I do have a I do have 582 00:42:18,680 --> 00:42:20,960 Speaker 1: a question. I can I ask you? Can I ask 583 00:42:20,960 --> 00:42:24,120 Speaker 1: a question? I got a question? I got a question. 584 00:42:24,120 --> 00:42:26,960 Speaker 1: In closing because this bothers me. This, this, this one 585 00:42:27,000 --> 00:42:37,560 Speaker 1: bothers me. What about all them fish? See? See? This 586 00:42:37,719 --> 00:42:40,719 Speaker 1: bothers me. This bothers me because I'm struggling with this 587 00:42:40,800 --> 00:42:46,000 Speaker 1: because they got the biggest catch of their lives and 588 00:42:46,200 --> 00:42:53,840 Speaker 1: they left everything to follow him? Did he bless the 589 00:42:54,080 --> 00:42:56,440 Speaker 1: fish for him to throw the fish away. I mean 590 00:42:56,920 --> 00:43:01,279 Speaker 1: they left everything. What about all these fish? Well, the 591 00:43:01,320 --> 00:43:07,919 Speaker 1: way fishermen make their money is they catch fish, sell 592 00:43:08,000 --> 00:43:14,520 Speaker 1: it the market, get the money, go fisher again. The 593 00:43:14,600 --> 00:43:19,160 Speaker 1: Bible says that the disciples went around with Jesus with 594 00:43:19,200 --> 00:43:24,719 Speaker 1: a bag of money that they carry the money. See, 595 00:43:25,080 --> 00:43:28,040 Speaker 1: Peter is married. Peter has a wife. The Bible says, 596 00:43:28,680 --> 00:43:32,520 Speaker 1: so Peter has a family to support. The question is 597 00:43:33,760 --> 00:43:36,279 Speaker 1: how am I gonna feed my family? His mother in 598 00:43:36,360 --> 00:43:38,360 Speaker 1: law lived with him. The Bible said, how am I 599 00:43:38,400 --> 00:43:40,040 Speaker 1: gonna take care of my family and my mother, pay 600 00:43:40,120 --> 00:43:44,000 Speaker 1: my house and follow Jesus? How am I gonna do that? 601 00:43:47,920 --> 00:43:53,840 Speaker 1: May I use some sanctified imagination. May I suggest to 602 00:43:53,880 --> 00:44:00,080 Speaker 1: you that God blesses you in order to provide for you, 603 00:44:00,080 --> 00:44:04,960 Speaker 1: you the mechanism so He can use you for his 604 00:44:05,120 --> 00:44:10,760 Speaker 1: purposes by funding his purposes, by means of his blessing, 605 00:44:11,840 --> 00:44:13,760 Speaker 1: that they were able to have a bag of money 606 00:44:14,040 --> 00:44:18,319 Speaker 1: because there was the hoisting of fish. There was the 607 00:44:18,360 --> 00:44:22,600 Speaker 1: biggest bonanza because God is getting ready to use them 608 00:44:22,640 --> 00:44:25,680 Speaker 1: for the biggest ministry. So they were able to start 609 00:44:25,680 --> 00:44:29,080 Speaker 1: out with a bag. Because while they left the fish behind, 610 00:44:29,640 --> 00:44:34,760 Speaker 1: they did not leave behind the sale of the fish, 611 00:44:34,800 --> 00:44:37,400 Speaker 1: so that they were able to carry on their ministry 612 00:44:37,680 --> 00:44:41,520 Speaker 1: and pay their bills and still serve the Lord. God 613 00:44:41,600 --> 00:44:44,640 Speaker 1: is not asking you serve me and not pay your bills, 614 00:44:45,000 --> 00:44:48,440 Speaker 1: serve me and not take care of your responsibilities, serve 615 00:44:48,520 --> 00:44:51,000 Speaker 1: me and not be able to feed your family. But 616 00:44:51,040 --> 00:44:54,960 Speaker 1: I'm gonna bless you so you can serve me. I'm 617 00:44:54,960 --> 00:44:57,520 Speaker 1: gonna bless you, not so that you have less time 618 00:44:57,640 --> 00:45:00,240 Speaker 1: for me. I'm gonna bless you so you have more 619 00:45:00,239 --> 00:45:02,839 Speaker 1: time for me. I'm not gonna bless you so you 620 00:45:02,880 --> 00:45:05,480 Speaker 1: can't pray. I'm gonna bless you so you now you 621 00:45:05,560 --> 00:45:08,399 Speaker 1: know the power of prayer. I'm not gonna bless you 622 00:45:08,600 --> 00:45:10,920 Speaker 1: so that you can't spend time in the word. I'm 623 00:45:10,920 --> 00:45:13,239 Speaker 1: gonna bless you because you know when you spend time 624 00:45:13,280 --> 00:45:15,600 Speaker 1: in the word, you're gonna get a word that's gonna 625 00:45:15,600 --> 00:45:18,719 Speaker 1: bring a greater blessing. I'm gonna bless you so you 626 00:45:18,719 --> 00:45:26,719 Speaker 1: can follow me. So God wants to bless you, but 627 00:45:26,800 --> 00:45:28,640 Speaker 1: he wants to bless you for more than the blessing. 628 00:45:29,880 --> 00:45:31,800 Speaker 1: He wants to bless you so you see how much 629 00:45:31,880 --> 00:45:35,279 Speaker 1: he knows versus what you go, how holy he is 630 00:45:35,360 --> 00:45:38,560 Speaker 1: versus how sinful we are. He wants to bless you 631 00:45:39,040 --> 00:45:45,640 Speaker 1: so that you can be a blessing as you follow him. 632 00:45:45,680 --> 00:45:48,680 Speaker 1: The podcast The Bible in a Year with Jack Graham 633 00:45:48,800 --> 00:45:52,120 Speaker 1: is a moving and inspiring Biblical audio experience that will 634 00:45:52,160 --> 00:45:55,200 Speaker 1: help you master wisdom from the world's greatest book. In 635 00:45:55,280 --> 00:45:59,920 Speaker 1: each episode, you'll learn to apply Biblical principles to everyday life. 636 00:46:00,040 --> 00:46:02,959 Speaker 1: Each cinematic episode is a journey through the Bible's most 637 00:46:02,960 --> 00:46:06,439 Speaker 1: profound stories that will strengthen your appreciation of the Word 638 00:46:06,680 --> 00:46:10,920 Speaker 1: and inspire you to keep learning. Listen to The Bible 639 00:46:10,960 --> 00:46:13,560 Speaker 1: in a Year with Jack Graham on the iHeartRadio app 640 00:46:13,680 --> 00:46:15,319 Speaker 1: or wherever you get your podcasts.