SPEAKER_00: Hi, Church.
SPEAKER_00: How are we doing?
SPEAKER_00: Hi.
SPEAKER_00: You guys are boisterous this morning.
SPEAKER_00: Hey, welcome to church.
SPEAKER_00: So glad that you're here.
SPEAKER_00: I have to say, you are like the holier chosen people this morning because you came on a holiday weekend.
SPEAKER_00: So God has something mighty in store for you all this morning.
SPEAKER_00: But hey, so glad that you're here.
SPEAKER_00: If I haven't met you yet, my name is Rachel.
SPEAKER_00: I'm the young adults pastor here at Central.
SPEAKER_00: And man, it has been a wild ride with young adults.
SPEAKER_00: I just want to uh take a moment and celebrate what God is doing and invite if you are between the ages of 18 and 25, I would love to personally see you Monday nights.
SPEAKER_00: Um, Tempe Campus, 7 o'clock is when we do our young adults.
SPEAKER_00: And man, it has been a blast.
SPEAKER_00: Um, the worship, the community, um, and just the relationships forming and the depth of faith that young adults are diving into.
SPEAKER_00: Um, since January, as when I was asked to kind of relaunch our young adults ministry, um, we've seen over 160 brand new faces walk through our doors in Tempe, which has been so fun.
SPEAKER_00: Um, and they're coming back a second time, which is great news that is a place that they want to be, and God is doing some cool things there.
SPEAKER_00: Even just yesterday morning, a group of us um woke up early on July 4th and went to go serve um in our Acts Ministry at our Mesa campus, um, people living in homelessness that come to that campus.
SPEAKER_00: And I literally got just like first seat view of young adults like sitting with people living in homelessness and praying with them and just listening to their stories and being present with them.
SPEAKER_00: And I'm like, man, God is moving and doing something in the lives of our young adults.
SPEAKER_00: And then in a couple weeks, as you heard, um taking them co-leading a group, and we're headed to Kenya to continue that partnership with Mohi.
SPEAKER_00: And so, yeah, God um is just doing really cool things, and it's all for his glory, and I'm super grateful for that.
SPEAKER_00: So that's what's going on in young adults.
SPEAKER_00: But now I have a question for you.
SPEAKER_00: Have you ever trusted God with something that doesn't make sense?
SPEAKER_00: Something you did out of faith in him, and you're like, man, God, this is kind of crazy.
SPEAKER_00: I don't really know about this, but okay, I'll do it.
SPEAKER_00: Or, man, even if it's something where you didn't feel like doing it, or you didn't feel like going to church or a Bible study or anything that will probably help you in your walk with God, but you did it anyway, and you're like, man, I'm so glad that I went.
SPEAKER_00: I'm so glad that I did that.
SPEAKER_00: More times than not, when our feelings and emotions get in the way of us not wanting community with each other or with God, if we push past it and show up any way, more times than not, God usually shows up in a pretty significant way.
SPEAKER_00: Because he knows you better than you know yourself.
SPEAKER_00: I've wrestled and struggled with God a lot of my life, and I still do a lot, constant, because he's asked me to do things that just don't make sense.
SPEAKER_00: Some of you may know my story that my years of ministry and work life don't really make sense.
SPEAKER_00: I'm not your average pastor.
SPEAKER_00: How I got here doesn't make sense, but it ended in, all right, God, you're a little crazy.
SPEAKER_00: This is insane, but okay, I'll do it.
SPEAKER_00: And there's a lot of times that I said, God, this is crazy, I'm not doing it.
SPEAKER_00: And I've closed the door on him.
SPEAKER_00: I shared a while back that I got thrown into a ministry with a group of women that would take cupcakes into strip clubs.
SPEAKER_00: And we would just love on the women that were there.
SPEAKER_00: Love on them in a way that was very different in the world of strip clubs.
SPEAKER_00: And I said, God, this is crazy.
SPEAKER_00: I don't know if I'm cut out for this.
SPEAKER_00: And he said, You are, go.
SPEAKER_00: And it changed my life.
SPEAKER_00: I became a pastor with no degree and no experience.
SPEAKER_00: I said, God, this is crazy.
SPEAKER_00: I'm not equipped to do this.
SPEAKER_00: And he said, I will equip you.
SPEAKER_00: Go.
SPEAKER_00: And it changed my life.
SPEAKER_00: I went to Sedan with Central over eight years ago.
SPEAKER_00: And so many people were like, Are you sure that's safe?
SPEAKER_00: And I said, God, are you sure that's safe?
SPEAKER_00: And God said, You'll be fine.
SPEAKER_00: I'll protect.
SPEAKER_00: Go anyway.
SPEAKER_00: I moved to Australia for a few months when I was 20.
SPEAKER_00: Without knowing anyone, with not a whole lot of money.
SPEAKER_00: I said, God, this is kind of crazy.
SPEAKER_00: I don't know if I should do this.
SPEAKER_00: And God said, I will provide, go, and it changed my life.
SPEAKER_00: I took a different ministry job a few years ago and said, God, this is crazy.
SPEAKER_00: I never wanted this.
SPEAKER_00: I'm in a really broken and messy spot.
SPEAKER_00: And you're asking me to do something really big.
SPEAKER_00: I don't know if I can do this.
SPEAKER_00: And he said, I know.
SPEAKER_00: But you'll be okay.
SPEAKER_00: Do it anyway.
SPEAKER_00: And it changed my life.
SPEAKER_00: And then I took another job change six months ago.
SPEAKER_00: And I said, God, this doesn't make sense.
SPEAKER_00: I don't know if I'm ready for this.
SPEAKER_00: And God said, You are.
SPEAKER_00: So I went and it changed my life.
SPEAKER_00: And it's breathing new life into me as we speak.
SPEAKER_00: I mean, you get it.
SPEAKER_00: My struggles with God have just been a series of things that He's challenged with me, left and right.
SPEAKER_00: And it's really hard.
SPEAKER_00: And there have been tears of grief of leaving things behind or people behind, saying goodbye to seasons of life.
SPEAKER_00: And then there's been tears of joy and finding a new hope and a new joy in him and realizing, man, he may have something better for me than I thought.
SPEAKER_00: And you see, saying yes and saying no to God are really hard things, no matter which one you've done, or if you're like me and you've done both.
SPEAKER_00: You see, becoming a Christian, it doesn't cost you anything.
SPEAKER_00: It doesn't cost you anything.
SPEAKER_00: Why?
SPEAKER_00: Because Jesus paid it all.
SPEAKER_00: It's freely given.
SPEAKER_00: You get a choice to believe in God.
SPEAKER_00: You don't have to, but if you choose to, if you choose to believe in God and accept him as your Lord and Savior, it doesn't cost you anything because that cost was already paid on the cross.
SPEAKER_00: But being a disciple, it costs you everything.
SPEAKER_00: It costs you everything.
SPEAKER_00: And this is the biggest difference between being a Christian and actually following Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: I know plenty of people in my life that believe in God, but a lot of them are not disciples of Jesus because to do that, you must learn.
SPEAKER_00: A disciple is a dedicated follower, learner, or apprentice who believes in the teachings of a leader or philosophy, and this is the key word, actively tries to live according to those principles.
SPEAKER_00: A disciple means to be a pupil or a student to learn.
SPEAKER_00: And when we learn things, it shapes who we are.
SPEAKER_00: And we tend to change our thoughts and how we see things, and it affects how we live, it affects how we respond and how we react.
SPEAKER_00: We change.
SPEAKER_00: I'm a firm believer, and people can change.
SPEAKER_00: But the thing is, you must have to recognize that you need to change.
SPEAKER_00: And then you have to choose to change, and then you have to do the hard work of changing your ways.
SPEAKER_00: Our passage today is a fun one.
SPEAKER_00: Um, it's one I've known for, man, like a long time.
SPEAKER_00: Read it a lot, and I've never thought there's much depth there until today.
SPEAKER_00: Until I was writing this and it was rocking my world.
SPEAKER_00: Luke chapter 5 is where we're going to be.
SPEAKER_00: So if you can find your way there.
SPEAKER_00: So let's talk about Luke for a minute.
SPEAKER_00: Luke is a gospel, right?
SPEAKER_00: There are four gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John.
SPEAKER_00: They all tell the same story, which is the story of Jesus' life, but in different ways, in different perspectives.
SPEAKER_00: Why?
SPEAKER_00: Because they are four different people.
SPEAKER_00: They saw different things, all similar journeys, but saw and experienced different things.
SPEAKER_00: Let me paint this picture for you.
SPEAKER_00: This can be a fun picture to paint.
SPEAKER_00: Um, I am a huge World Cup fan.
SPEAKER_00: Any World Cup people out there?
SPEAKER_00: Uh uh.
SPEAKER_00: I know it's not football, all right?
SPEAKER_00: Like, uh, but this is my for all of you NFL like Super Bowl people, this is my Super Bowl.
SPEAKER_00: I love the World Cup.
SPEAKER_00: I live and breathe for it, I watch so many games.
SPEAKER_00: It's so fun.
SPEAKER_00: Um and it's quick.
SPEAKER_00: It's like an hour and a half, hour forty five.
SPEAKER_00: Football is like five hours long.
SPEAKER_00: And they yeah, anyway.
SPEAKER_00: Um I love the World Cup, but here's the thing.
SPEAKER_00: The USA, they're incredible, by the way.
SPEAKER_00: They're doing such a good job.
SPEAKER_00: It's like first time ever, maybe, that they're uh doing a really great job in the World Cup.
SPEAKER_00: Um, but they are not my number one team.
SPEAKER_00: They're not.
SPEAKER_00: Um England is my number one team.
SPEAKER_00: Go England.
SPEAKER_00: I know.
SPEAKER_00: It's all right.
SPEAKER_00: I'll take it off.
SPEAKER_00: Um, but here's the thing for context, it's not because I don't like the USA, like they're my number two, like I will root for them unless England and USA play.
SPEAKER_00: Um, but I love England because my parents are British.
SPEAKER_00: All my family's in England, I'm like English to the core, grew up in the US, obviously.
SPEAKER_00: Um, but I grew up watching English soccer, English football, because that's the correct term.
SPEAKER_00: Um and uh I love it.
SPEAKER_00: So I've always been Team England.
SPEAKER_00: So put it in perspective: if me, my husband, my dad, and my best friend who is a diehard USA soccer fan went to a World Cup game where England and US played against each other, we all would have the same experience, but we would walk away with different perspectives.
SPEAKER_00: For one, me, Cloud9.
SPEAKER_00: This is the greatest day of my life.
SPEAKER_00: I'd be the most obnoxious England fan in the world, screaming and shouting, and then even more so because England would win if they played the US.
SPEAKER_00: Um I would just be having the best time of my life, and that would be my experience.
SPEAKER_00: And then my husband would walk away from that game being like, all right, soccer's cool.
SPEAKER_00: He's not a big sports guy, so everything is like, but whatever.
SPEAKER_00: Um, wish the US would have won.
SPEAKER_00: Soccer fans are crazy, um, don't like big crowds.
SPEAKER_00: That would be his experience.
SPEAKER_00: My dad wouldn't make it through, he'd leave at halftime, maybe even before then, because loud noises, obnoxious crowds are not his things, and he would be out of there.
SPEAKER_00: So he'd only see half the game.
SPEAKER_00: And then my friend, who's a USA soccer fan, would just be grieving the loss of the US and would be like, man, that was great.
SPEAKER_00: But if you've ever seen soccer fans lose, um, their team loses, it is emotional.
SPEAKER_00: Like, it is a bad day.
SPEAKER_00: They are they are passionate people, and uh, so they would just be grieving.
SPEAKER_00: So, again, this is where we're at with these four people Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
SPEAKER_00: They were all there.
SPEAKER_00: They had similar things to say and to share, but had different perspectives and experiences.
SPEAKER_00: So Luke pretty much skips the entire first year of Jesus' three-year ministry.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus spent his first year of ministry just going around and getting as many people to believe in him as possible.
SPEAKER_00: Then the start of his second year was him picking a few believers to teach and train them to be who?
SPEAKER_00: To be his apostles, to be his disciples.
SPEAKER_00: So Jesus' first year was all about gaining believers, and years two and three were all about turning them into committed and faithful disciples.
SPEAKER_00: So this was the purpose of Luke.
SPEAKER_00: He wrote this gospel to help believers, to help those that were already Christians become committed followers of Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: Luke, this is super interesting.
SPEAKER_00: Luke is not an evangelistic book, it is a discipleship book.
SPEAKER_00: The Gospel of John is an evangelistic book.
SPEAKER_00: That's why it says about a hundred times in the Gospel of John that God gives eternal life to anyone who believes in Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: We know this because of John 3:16, one of many.
SPEAKER_00: So if you're trying to help someone understand who Jesus is, man, John is your go-to book.
SPEAKER_00: But now, Luke, Luke is the discipleship book.
SPEAKER_00: And in chapter five, we see Jesus calling some of his men who have believed in him during the previous year to come and follow him.
SPEAKER_00: So let's jump in, verse one.
SPEAKER_00: One day as Jesus was standing by the lake of Genneseret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God.
SPEAKER_00: He saw at the water's edge two boats left there by fishermen who were washing their nets.
SPEAKER_00: He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore.
SPEAKER_00: Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.
SPEAKER_00: Okay, we're gonna stop.
SPEAKER_00: This is our first look at what it means to be a disciple of God.
SPEAKER_00: Point number one disciples love to hear and know the word of God.
SPEAKER_00: Seems simple.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus was at the water's edge.
SPEAKER_00: People were crowding around him, literally trying to get closer and closer to him, and it pushed him to the water's edge.
SPEAKER_00: People were so hungry for the word of God.
SPEAKER_00: They wanted to make sure they understood.
SPEAKER_00: They longed to hear more.
SPEAKER_00: This is what it means to be a student, to be a disciple.
SPEAKER_00: You want to learn about God.
SPEAKER_00: Not just believe in him, but get to know him, to spend time with him, always learning and growing, and it cannot just stop at believing.
SPEAKER_00: James, the book of James talks a lot about this.
SPEAKER_00: There's a verse in there, 2.19.
SPEAKER_00: It says, You believe that there is one God.
SPEAKER_00: Good.
SPEAKER_00: Even the demons believe that and shudder.
SPEAKER_00: You believe in God, good for you, pal.
SPEAKER_00: High five, right?
SPEAKER_00: That's how I read this.
SPEAKER_00: Even the demons believe in God, basically saying, You think that's it?
SPEAKER_00: That might be the first step.
SPEAKER_00: Yes, belief.
SPEAKER_00: But following Jesus takes action, it takes faith, it takes learning and changing your old ways.
SPEAKER_00: So these people were ready for more.
SPEAKER_00: They wanted what Jesus was sharing.
SPEAKER_00: So Jesus gets to this point where he looks back and he sees these boats.
SPEAKER_00: He's like, all right, I gotta make moves because they're pushing me literally into the water.
SPEAKER_00: So he gets on, jumps on a boat where one of his disciples is, Simon Peter, and asks him to push the boat out so he can teach from there.
SPEAKER_00: Okay, more context about this boat situation that's going on.
SPEAKER_00: These men had just finished a long night of fishing.
SPEAKER_00: They're cleaning their nets.
SPEAKER_00: It's been a long night.
SPEAKER_00: But they obviously do Jesus' bidding because he's Jesus, right?
SPEAKER_00: Um, but they're still cleaning up as he's teaching, right?
SPEAKER_00: They're like working while listening to this, which is cool they get to do that, but ultimately they don't stop working because they just want to get out of there.
SPEAKER_00: Now remember, Peter just came from a year's worth of learning from Jesus in his first year of ministry.
SPEAKER_00: And while that was awesome, he needs to get back to the reality of providing for his wife back home.
SPEAKER_00: And listening to sermons and following Jesus didn't really put food on the table.
SPEAKER_00: And I'll be honest, if we can get creative with Peter's thinking here, he didn't get, he didn't catch anything after that long night.
SPEAKER_00: There was no fish.
SPEAKER_00: He was tired.
SPEAKER_00: He was cleaning up so that he can get home.
SPEAKER_00: I would go as far to say that he really just did not want to be there.
SPEAKER_00: Let's keep going.
SPEAKER_00: Verse 4.
SPEAKER_00: When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, Put out into deep water and let down the nets for a catch.
SPEAKER_00: Simon answered, Uh, Master, we've worked hard all night and literally haven't caught anything.
SPEAKER_00: But because you say so, I will let down the nets.
SPEAKER_00: Remember earlier when you have those moments where you don't feel like going to church or Bible study or youth group or having God-centered community with friends.
SPEAKER_00: But if you choose to say yes, God usually shows up in a really powerful way.
SPEAKER_00: Man, I'm a product of this.
SPEAKER_00: My parents, um, well, they didn't grow up in a Christian home.
SPEAKER_00: And uh, my uh mom, let's see, 19 and 22 is when they got married.
SPEAKER_00: Um, so they were young, um, didn't know God, didn't really care to know God.
SPEAKER_00: My dad had a coworker that soon became a friend that would not stop bugging him about coming over for dinner.
SPEAKER_00: Like, well, come over.
SPEAKER_00: They knew that he was a believer and he wasn't pushy, but just man, just persistent and consistent.
SPEAKER_00: And uh, my mom was always just like, Well, let's not go.
SPEAKER_00: I don't want to, I don't want to, I'll be uncomfortable, blah, blah, blah.
SPEAKER_00: And then finally, he would not stop asking.
SPEAKER_00: And my parents were like, All right, let's just go to shut him up.
SPEAKER_00: Like, this is ridiculous.
SPEAKER_00: Like, let's just go over, let's get this dinner over with, let's go over to his house.
SPEAKER_00: And so they went.
SPEAKER_00: And uh, I have like a visual of this in my mind because I've heard it so many times.
SPEAKER_00: But my mom was like, Your dad went off and like was talking with him, and some God stuff started coming up, and she's like, I was just bored out of my mind.
SPEAKER_00: She was sat down on a couch and she looked over to the table next to her, and there's a Bible sitting there.
SPEAKER_00: So she's like, I'm bored, whatever.
SPEAKER_00: She picks it up, starts reading it.
SPEAKER_00: They left that house hours later, completely changed.
SPEAKER_00: And I look at this and I said, Man, that guy has changed the trajectory of their life and my life because my parents said yes.
SPEAKER_00: You see, this is where Peter is at.
SPEAKER_00: He said yes to Jesus, and if he didn't, he would have deeply regretted what came after.
SPEAKER_00: Verse 6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.
SPEAKER_00: So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them.
SPEAKER_00: And they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
SPEAKER_00: This is where we find our second point, being a disciple of Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: Disciples obey when it doesn't make sense, or when you don't feel like it.
SPEAKER_00: So not to hate on Jesus in this moment, but he was a carpenter and a teacher.
SPEAKER_00: He was not a fisherman.
SPEAKER_00: And Peter was like, What does he know?
SPEAKER_00: Like, I know you're the son of God and everything, but like, what do you know about fishing?
SPEAKER_00: Jesus is asking Peter to throw his nets back in in the middle of the day.
SPEAKER_00: Every fisherman knew that in the middle of the day you wouldn't catch anything because this style of fishing, fish hide from their predators in the day, and they go out at night.
SPEAKER_00: So here we are when Jesus is asking us to do something that doesn't make sense, that's not the plan, that's not how we do things, that strays away from everything you've ever known.
SPEAKER_00: And you're supposed to just say yes and follow it.
SPEAKER_00: Pretty much.
SPEAKER_00: And I love Peter's response because it's so real.
SPEAKER_00: He's like, literally, Jesus, I'm only doing this because you said to.
SPEAKER_00: This is a dumb idea.
SPEAKER_00: I don't understand it, but whatever, I'll do it.
SPEAKER_00: Even if I'm tired, even when I don't feel like it, even if I just want to go home, even when it doesn't make sense.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus, I trust you.
SPEAKER_00: And I'll do it.
SPEAKER_00: Man, what a statement of obedience from Peter.
SPEAKER_00: I love him.
SPEAKER_00: Obedience always results in blessings.
SPEAKER_00: God wants to bless you, God wants to work through you, but you have to be like Peter and say and be honest, right?
SPEAKER_00: God always wants you to be honest and say, God, this doesn't look great.
SPEAKER_00: The odds are against me.
SPEAKER_00: This is kind of crazy, but okay, I'll do it.
SPEAKER_00: And what happened?
SPEAKER_00: He saw it firsthand when those nets filled up, to the point he needed help from the other boat to carry the load.
SPEAKER_00: So good.
SPEAKER_00: All right, let's finish up 8 through 11.
SPEAKER_00: Verse 8 says, When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, Go away from me, Lord.
SPEAKER_00: I am a sinful man.
SPEAKER_00: For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken.
SPEAKER_00: And so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon's partners.
SPEAKER_00: Then Jesus said to Simon, Do not be afraid.
SPEAKER_00: From now on you will fish for people.
SPEAKER_00: So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything, and followed him.
SPEAKER_00: Okay, and the third point, being a disciple, disciples of Jesus are aware of their own sinfulness.
SPEAKER_00: So Peter's response is actually really beautiful.
SPEAKER_00: But let's be honest, would you respond like this if Jesus did a miracle for you?
SPEAKER_00: Probably not, right?
SPEAKER_00: Like we would celebrate and be so grateful and so humbled that God would do that.
SPEAKER_00: But instead, Peter does the exact opposite.
SPEAKER_00: He fell to the ground.
SPEAKER_00: He tells Jesus to leave him because of how sinful he is.
SPEAKER_00: Why?
SPEAKER_00: Now remember, he just spent a year in Jesus' ministry, following him and learning from him.
SPEAKER_00: So what he made was not an abundance for living.
SPEAKER_00: Like Jesus provided his needs, but it was just that.
SPEAKER_00: It was his basic needs.
SPEAKER_00: So Peter went back to fishing after that and leaves Jesus, decided to work, because you know a guy's gotta work.
SPEAKER_00: That makes sense.
SPEAKER_00: So he did it.
SPEAKER_00: I need to carry on with my life and work, but let's be honest, most of the time, Peter wasn't catching much fish.
SPEAKER_00: They didn't enjoy it much anymore.
SPEAKER_00: Sometimes the things that make sense are not what we actually need.
SPEAKER_00: And now Jesus shows up on the shore, teaches, and then Jesus blesses Peter with an abundance of fish, a record number, and Peter realizes in this moment that God will supply all of his needs.
SPEAKER_00: If he follows Jesus, he will not go without.
SPEAKER_00: He realizes his own proud and arrogant self-sufficiency.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus asked him to follow him a year before, and now here we are.
SPEAKER_00: He had chosen to go back to fishing.
SPEAKER_00: Because he lost sight of what was important in his life.
SPEAKER_00: There's nothing more important than following Jesus in this life.
SPEAKER_00: And I hate to say this, but making someone or something else in our lives more important than following Jesus is what?
SPEAKER_00: Is sin.
SPEAKER_00: Okay, what is sin?
SPEAKER_00: Let's talk about that for just a minute.
SPEAKER_00: You can do a lot of theological discussions, but something as simple as this sin is when we miss the mark.
SPEAKER_00: Sin is when we have missed the target.
SPEAKER_00: Sin is when we have failed to reach a goal.
SPEAKER_00: Peter missed the mark.
SPEAKER_00: Our goal being living like Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: Peter missed the mark and idolized something other than Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: This is what he realized.
SPEAKER_00: Now you're like, wait a minute, providing for his family is a sin.
SPEAKER_00: Not necessarily.
SPEAKER_00: It is vitally important, but in this context, it is.
SPEAKER_00: It must still come after the supreme priority of becoming a disciple of Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: Providing for his family, his work, his purpose, and that.
SPEAKER_00: It took him off course.
SPEAKER_00: Because he missed the mark of keeping his eyes on Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: Nothing more important than following Jesus, but nothing is more rewarding either.
SPEAKER_00: Some of us chase after a bigger paycheck, a relationship, a place to live, better place to live, a newer car, nicer clothes, a better university, a better career.
SPEAKER_00: They are not nearly as valuable as what Jesus offers Peter next.
SPEAKER_00: After he recognizes his sinful nature of wanting things more than Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: Verse 10, I want to read it again.
SPEAKER_00: He says, Do not be afraid.
SPEAKER_00: From now on, you will fish for people.
SPEAKER_00: Man, Jesus gave them the best day of fishing, a miracle.
SPEAKER_00: And then he said, But if you're up for it, I have something more in store.
SPEAKER_00: Now you will fish for men, you will fish for people.
SPEAKER_00: And the fourth point disciples are fishers of people.
SPEAKER_00: You see, the value of a single human is greater than a boatload of fish.
SPEAKER_00: If its disciples are able to turn someone away from their old ways, from the ways of the world, and help someone return back to the Father, that catch alone is of infinite and eternal value.
SPEAKER_00: In other words, when all the fish die and run away, when all the earthly things of this world die away because they will, that human being will live on and on and on for eternity.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus is inviting the disciples to make a catch that will last for eternity.
SPEAKER_00: And man, I think about my dad, my mom in this moment meeting with this coworker that would not let no be an answer and kept pushing them.
SPEAKER_00: He changed the trajectory of their life for eternity so that they know Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: And now that has changed my life for eternity.
SPEAKER_00: I would not be standing up here today if it wasn't for him.
SPEAKER_00: This is what it looks like when we say yes to God.
SPEAKER_00: He's given a choice.
SPEAKER_00: They can continue to be fishermen.
SPEAKER_00: Being a fisherman makes sense, or they can fish for people, catching and changing lives that last for eternity.
SPEAKER_00: Which doesn't make sense when you make a profession out of it without getting paid.
SPEAKER_00: But they trusted God when it didn't make sense.
SPEAKER_00: And that is what he's asking of us.
SPEAKER_00: I read in a book I recently read called Garden City.
SPEAKER_00: If this sounds familiar, it's because Sean and Cal literally have quoted this book like I think in the last two months.
SPEAKER_00: We haven't all just like read it around the same time.
SPEAKER_00: And I was like, hey, I'm gonna talk about that book too.
SPEAKER_00: So let this be another reminder to read this book.
SPEAKER_00: It's really good, it changed my life.
SPEAKER_00: But John Mark Comer says this we can glorify God by doing our work in such a way that we make the invisible God visible by what we do and how we do it.
SPEAKER_00: John Mark Comer continues to have this conversation.
SPEAKER_00: He talks about, man, I hate it when people answer this question.
SPEAKER_00: We ask this question all the time.
SPEAKER_00: What do you do for work?
SPEAKER_00: And when people answer, oh, I do ministry, he's like, okay, cool.
SPEAKER_00: What the heck are the rest of us doing out there then?
SPEAKER_00: As if to say, does ministry only belong in a church or Christian organization?
SPEAKER_00: Man, I don't care if you are a barista, an engineer, a server, a mechanic, a fast food worker, in retail and sales, a nurse, a CEO, a stay-at-home mom or dad, a student with no job, maybe a babysitting here and there.
SPEAKER_00: God has placed you there with purpose and with meaning.
SPEAKER_00: And a place where you literally get to go be a disciple of Jesus if you have chosen to follow him.
SPEAKER_00: And I get it, all these jobs put food on the table, food in your belly, gas in your car, but nothing is of more value than the human beings that he has placed in your life around you so that you can fish because you are capable, you are called, you are blessed when we are obedient to the calling he has on our life to be fishers of men.
SPEAKER_00: And I know you're sitting there and you're like, man, that's scary.
SPEAKER_00: I don't know what to say.
SPEAKER_00: You don't know the people that I work with, you don't know my boss, you don't know my family, you don't know my friends.
SPEAKER_00: And I get it.
SPEAKER_00: That's normal.
SPEAKER_00: That's okay.
SPEAKER_00: Literally everyone feels like that.
SPEAKER_00: Except there's an exception.
SPEAKER_00: There's there's uh a young adult in our ministry.
SPEAKER_00: Um, everyone knows him because he literally lives and breeze his stuff.
SPEAKER_00: I make a joke that Gabe like came out of the womb literally talking about Jesus and just yapping and had no problem doing that.
SPEAKER_00: But for the rest of us, how do you do it?
SPEAKER_00: By following and being a disciple of Jesus, you guys.
SPEAKER_00: Nobody becomes a fisher of men naturally.
SPEAKER_00: Nobody becomes it by me just saying, go and do it, because that's what Jesus said.
SPEAKER_00: That's what you're supposed to do.
SPEAKER_00: You become a fisher of men by following Jesus and choosing to be a disciple, to learn, to be a student, to change, to grow.
SPEAKER_00: If you follow Jesus, your life should look drastically different than before you were following Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: And man, if you decide to follow him down the path of discipleship, he will make you fishers of men.
SPEAKER_00: This is how you do it.
SPEAKER_00: This text.
SPEAKER_00: We learn, we grow, we are transformed by this.
SPEAKER_00: When we read this, our life should look different after we read this.
SPEAKER_00: That's the most transformational thing about the Bible is how it changes us.
SPEAKER_00: I mean, read Luke.
SPEAKER_00: It's literally a gospel written for disciples.
SPEAKER_00: We'll close with this last verse again.
SPEAKER_00: So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything, and followed him.
SPEAKER_00: Peter just had the best fishing day of his life.
SPEAKER_00: They could sell all this fish and probably have enough to live on for a year.
SPEAKER_00: So many family vacations, nice clothes for his wife, new house.
SPEAKER_00: But Jesus called him to go after something bigger and more valuable.
SPEAKER_00: And they trusted that.
SPEAKER_00: They were obedient and they left their boats, they left their fish, for they knew if Jesus could provide this kind of fish, he would meet our every need as they come.
SPEAKER_00: So they left it all behind.
SPEAKER_00: Like I said earlier, becoming a Christian is absolutely free.
SPEAKER_00: There's no cost because Jesus paid it.
SPEAKER_00: But being a disciple, it will cost you.
SPEAKER_00: But the reward outweighs it.
SPEAKER_00: Peter and his friends were already believers, but now Jesus said, Hey, you want more than just belief?
SPEAKER_00: You want to be my disciple?
SPEAKER_00: And they answered, yes.
SPEAKER_00: Are you willing to give up your schedule and your priorities and make listening to God's word a priority?
SPEAKER_00: Are you willing to give up what you think you know about life and success and just obey Jesus no matter what?
SPEAKER_00: Are you willing to give up your top priority, whatever that may be in your life, and make Jesus the priority?
SPEAKER_00: One of our core values at Central is Jesus first in everything, literally, not just here and there when it's convenient, not trying to be rude, but showing up to church twice a month doesn't make you a disciple of Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: Are you willing to give it all up, all your plans for your life, and let God use you to bring people into his kingdom?
SPEAKER_00: Give up your wealth, your possessions, not to call us out again.
SPEAKER_00: But man, when was the last time you trusted God with your finances?
SPEAKER_00: And tithed or gave generously to something or someone.
SPEAKER_00: You want to start with surrendering your life to Jesus?
SPEAKER_00: Man, it starts with generosity.
SPEAKER_00: It starts with money.
SPEAKER_00: Our culture, yes, you and me have such an unhealthy relationship with money.
SPEAKER_00: That's why the Bible talks about it over 2,300 times.
SPEAKER_00: Because God saw this and said, man, this is going to be an issue for them.
SPEAKER_00: So we're gonna talk about it.
SPEAKER_00: And I'm grateful we're a church that talks about it, even though it's uncomfy, and you start stressing out about it already that I've mentioned it.
SPEAKER_00: Man, something happened to me and my family a couple months ago.
SPEAKER_00: I had this moment where I was like, man, God, I I thought I surrendered to you long ago about this.
SPEAKER_00: And I was reminded that I literally have to wake up daily and surrender things to God that I'm still clinging on to.
SPEAKER_00: I have it's a constant struggle.
SPEAKER_00: I have it's really beautiful, but man, it's a struggle.
SPEAKER_00: A couple months ago, a payment came up, an unexpected payment.
SPEAKER_00: Didn't account for it, something to do with my daughter's school.
SPEAKER_00: And um, man, I was just wrestling through this and I was like, man, God, what do I do with this?
SPEAKER_00: I mean, we could do, we could get creative, we could do this, we could do this, we could come back here, you know, like just trying to, but but it's the same amount as what we tithe to central, to this church, to this place.
SPEAKER_00: You guys, I've been, I'm vulnerable with you.
SPEAKER_00: I've been tithing for 15 plus years because I love this church.
SPEAKER_00: I love what it does, I want to be a part of it.
SPEAKER_00: I get firsthand to see what it does with our students and our young adults and like our the homeless ministry, our acts ministry.
SPEAKER_00: Like, man, I want to be a part of it.
SPEAKER_00: I wanna, I wanna give to it.
SPEAKER_00: But it still doesn't come easy to me.
SPEAKER_00: It's literally a choice to surrender every day.
SPEAKER_00: But I had this moment where I was like, God, you get it.
SPEAKER_00: This is the same amount as what I give monthly.
SPEAKER_00: What if what if we what if we just like skip to paint, skip, skip to diet, right, and put it towards this, we'll be okay.
SPEAKER_00: You understand, right?
SPEAKER_00: Hi guys, I wrestled with this for like a day.
SPEAKER_00: I was like, it makes sense.
SPEAKER_00: It makes sense.
SPEAKER_00: God, you get it, right?
SPEAKER_00: Just trying to justify it.
SPEAKER_00: And everything that kept coming back, I was just sitting there.
SPEAKER_00: I like vividly remember this day.
SPEAKER_00: And God was like, Rachel, you chose to surrender this to me long ago.
SPEAKER_00: But today, in this moment, are you still gonna choose that same thing to surrender this to me?
SPEAKER_00: I said, Alright, God, this doesn't make sense, but I'll trust you.
SPEAKER_00: The next day, I was talking with my husband.
SPEAKER_00: He goes, Hey, by the way, um, there's a check coming in, a check that I uh I didn't account for.
SPEAKER_00: Um, I I thought it was already paid and it kind of surprised me, but it's like I was like, great, like how much is it?
SPEAKER_00: Now, for context, my husband um is an incredible worker.
SPEAKER_00: He works so hard at his job.
SPEAKER_00: He's a he's a business owner, he's a small business owner, he's a woodworker, metal fabricator, welder, um, and he makes really cool stuff, like furniture and like stuff all across the valley and restaurants.
SPEAKER_00: Um, he actually made this table.
SPEAKER_00: Isn't it so pretty?
SPEAKER_00: Um, but he uh, but if you're a small business owner, you get this.
SPEAKER_00: The the seasons, the ebbs and flow of money, it's just weird sometimes.
SPEAKER_00: It's really great in some seasons, and then some seasons you're like, all right, we gotta sell some stuff or you know, make some changes in our lifestyle.
SPEAKER_00: And uh so this check coming in, I'm like, great, like how much is it?
SPEAKER_00: And he tells me, and I said, Ryan, that's the same amount as this unexpected payment that we had to make yesterday.
SPEAKER_00: The same amount.
SPEAKER_00: Guys, I can't make this stuff up, and this is such a specific thing to me.
SPEAKER_00: Will this happen to everyone?
SPEAKER_00: No, I don't know, but the point was, God was teaching me something in this moment of surrender.
SPEAKER_00: Whatever it may be, it doesn't have to be finances, it could be anything.
SPEAKER_00: But man, when we choose every day to surrender, the thing that's holding you from being a disciple of Jesus, that's holding you back, from being a fisher of men, a fisher of people.
SPEAKER_00: Man, God is just asking you to say yes to him.
SPEAKER_00: To just surrender it so he can use you, so you can change and learn and grow.
SPEAKER_00: Because that's the point of following Jesus is to be transformed by his word.
SPEAKER_00: So we learn and we change and we wrestle and we struggle, and God meets us in that space every time.
SPEAKER_00: But it looks different for everyone.
SPEAKER_00: Listen, Peter was willing and he gave it all up.
SPEAKER_00: It not only changed his life, but it changed eternity.
SPEAKER_00: Are you willing to give it all up?
SPEAKER_00: To be a disciple, to do things that don't make sense so that the invisible God can be made visible wherever you are.
SPEAKER_00: One thing that I struggle with in church is like when we hear these messages, we hear the word of God, and then we just don't do anything about it.
SPEAKER_00: So we're gonna respond in this moment.
SPEAKER_00: Don't go anywhere.
SPEAKER_00: You got nowhere to be.
SPEAKER_00: It's a holiday weekend.
SPEAKER_00: We're gonna sing another song.
SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna pray, we're gonna sing.
SPEAKER_00: May I invite you into this moment?
SPEAKER_00: What are that earthly crown that you are wearing?
SPEAKER_00: Would you just take it off and would you just surrender it to God in this moment?
SPEAKER_00: Because He wants to use you.
SPEAKER_00: He wants to change you, He wants to transform you so that we can be fishers of men, so that we can offer people an eternity with Him.
SPEAKER_00: Because that is of far greater value than anything on this earth.
SPEAKER_00: So as we sing together, may you lay it all at His feet for that one thing that you haven't yet given Him today.
SPEAKER_00: You may think you did 10 years ago, but maybe not today.
SPEAKER_00: Let's pray.
SPEAKER_00: And then we'll sing.
SPEAKER_00: God, man, we're so grateful for this space.
SPEAKER_00: God, thank you for this place, this church.
SPEAKER_00: This church that you've given us to take care of, God, to live in community with.
SPEAKER_00: God, to be disciples.
SPEAKER_00: God, even to make disciples of all nations, being fishers of people.
SPEAKER_00: But God, in this moment, may you call out the things that we need to surrender to you.
SPEAKER_00: God, for me personally, I know what it was in that moment.
SPEAKER_00: I know what it continues to be in these moments of surrendering my finances to you, God.
SPEAKER_00: Of looking for an eternal outlook, not just a temporary outlook.
SPEAKER_00: So, God, may you move our hearts to be transformed by your word.
SPEAKER_00: And we give you these next few moments in praise and glory and our worship.
SPEAKER_00: And God, we thank you for who you are, for what you're doing in this place, what you're doing in our hearts and our minds.
SPEAKER_00: And we love you so much.
SPEAKER_00: Thank you, thank you for loving us.
SPEAKER_00: In your name we pray, and everyone said.