March 26, 2008
Launch
Out Into the Deep
When He had stopped
speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into
the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” Luke 5:4
Do you have a Greek or Jewish mindset that needs to be renewed? These two mindsets can keep us from knowing our precious Lord. In 1 Corinthians 1:22-25 it says, “For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” The Jews were expecting their Messiah to have secular power, wealth, and influence. This sign did not appear in Christ; for he was a humble, poor servant therefore they rejected him. The Greeks were men of reason and intellect. They thought what hope could there be to be saved by one that could not save himself? How could one trust in one who was condemned and crucified by such a cursed death! Death to them was defeat not victory. This gospel made no sense to either the Jew or Greek. They expected their Messiah to set up a Kingdom on Earth, but Christ came to establish the Kingdom of Heaven in Earth—earthen vessels that is.
Sometimes we fall into these two mindsets. God does not fit
into our understanding or our reasoning so we have doubt and unbelief. But these
mind-based gospels put God in a box keep us from living out our faith. There is
no power in these mind-based gospels, but 1 Corinthians
4:20 says, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.” Paul
said we preach Christ crucified. It is in the cross and death of Christ where we
find the power we need to change our lives. Unless we fellowship in His
sufferings we cannot fellowship in His resurrection! There is a cost to living
out the Word of God not just mental assent to it. Jesus paid the ultimate cost
and the Jews and Greeks could not understand or comprehend it.
John
3:14-16 says, “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of
Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever
believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” The
analogy is used because those who looked to the snake were healed—those who
didn’t died. We all have the same opportunity today. If we look to Jesus for
our salvation, we will have eternal life. Many think of eternal life as having
entrance into heaven after we die. Though this is also true John
17:3 explains what is meant by eternal life:
“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and
Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”
We must know God not just know about God. How do we do that?
Eternal life is in the deep. Psalm 42:7 says, “Deep calls unto deep.” Job 11:7 says, “Can you search out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limits of the Almighty?” The most learned cannot comprehend because they search for God through the telescope and in a lab, but that is not how you get to know a person. First you must be introduced. Most of the time, someone said, I want you to meet my God who changed my life. Then we must get acquainted with the person. In our walk, we begin to read the word to learn about Him. We begin to pray and speak with Him. Once we are acquainted, we begin to spend more time with the person and increase our fellowship with one another. You don’t meet a person and say, “Can I get a piece of your hair so I can study your DNA to get to know you better?”
John 4:24 tells us that God is Spirit and Romans 8:9 tells us we are in the Spirit, so we must connect with God in Spirit not in our intellect or mind. Finally according to 1 Corinthians 2:10, God reveals things to us through the Spirit and the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.
How
deep you go with the Lord depends on you. To get to know the ocean you must get
past the shoreline and walking out along the edge. You will only get to know
about God by stepping out too. As you step out into the ocean, you will begin to
feel the power of the waves the ground beneath your feet. If you move out into
the water up to your waist, you will begin to taste the salt of the ocean as it
splashes you in the face. Do you want to taste and see that the Lord is good? As
you move out over your head, you can begin to swim and discover a whole other
life in the deep of the ocean. So it is with God. He has a whole other eternal
life waiting to share with you.
Will you give up the safety of the shore?
Will you give up your fear of the unknown?
Will
you give up your need for control?
Jesus died so
you could have eternal life and get to know God. Step past knowing about God.
Launch out into the deep!
Janet Fairbrother