“THE GIVE IT UP GOSPEL”: FAITH AND THE SURRENDERED LIFE
Luke 5:4-11, 27-32: LIFEWAY WINTER QUARTERLY 2020/21 SESSION 9
Do you remember “Show and Tell” when you were in grade school? I think the teachers enjoyed it more than the students because it was an “open window” for them into the students’ world and what was important to them. Bits of string, whatever little boys carry in their pockets, a picture they colored- any little thing could work that is until they grow up and go to Baylor University and take Communications 101… Then “Show and Tell” gets VERY interesting!!! Our Communications Professor had people bringing all sorts of stuff to explain a hobby or past time for their “method speech”- from loading spear guns to stripping down assault rifles (guys at Baylor just out of the Army) to yes- bringing a full sized cow into the classroom that a student had groomed and shown at 4H! My class was no different, we had just had 3 girls (Southern Belles’ raised in Dallas) show us how to do Macramé, painted ceramics, and set an 18 piece formal place setting for a banquet and now it was “Bubba’s” turn! Bubba was from outside Elgin- somewhere off “the paved road”. He removed his Cowboy hat and put on safety goggles and latex gloves to keep the Professor happy. He then pulled out a tied gunny sack with two “things” squirming wildly inside. He spun it quickly over his head and whacked it with great force on the hard oak lectern a number of times. The bored look on our Professor’s face started to turn towards “curiosity” and those 3 girls eyes were getting wide with terror… Bubba had a big broad smile on his rugged face as he proudly announced: “I caught these right off of campus, and too-day, we are all going to learn how to skin a couple bunnies and make Grandma’s Rabbit Stew! With that he pulled out a huge hunting knife and jammed it point down into the Professor’s lectern. He grinned at us and winked at the girls, “It’s a little messy ladies and gentlemen, but I guarantee you it’s gonna be great!” The Prof came over and gently placed a hand on Bubba’s shoulder before he opened the sack and said: “You know Bubba, we can hardly wait- but this is going to take too much time for today- you can finish your “method speech” for me after class!”
Everyone, every Believer has something worthwhile to share- show and tell with The Kingdom of God, whether its 18 piece banquet settings, or Rabbit Stew! We all have something to contribute- something to bring to each other, to bring to Jesus! The question isn’t the “things” we bring but “what (in total)” and how much we are willing to bring to Jesus. What are we willing to surrender for the sake of His name, the glory of His Kingdom, and the love of God and our neighbor? We will find that Jesus doesn’t want us to “give away” ourselves, our talents, abilities, livelihoods, finances etc. as much as He wants us to “give it ALL up to Him.” The Gospel of Our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ is “The Give it Up Gospel” A Living Word illustration of what it means to have faith and live the surrendered life of a Christ Follower because Jesus by His love gave His all for us. We will see four categories we bring to Jesus: We bring “what we do,” we bring “who we are,” we bring “what we have,” and we bring “who and what we know” then Jesus does the miraculous, the wonderful, the joyous, peaceful and the unexpected with our Faith! Let’s take a look…
Bringing Jesus What You Do: Luke 5 begins with Jesus teaching the people and procuring a fishing boat and its Captain- Simon the Fisherman to make safe room for the large crowds. When the message is over Jesus tells Simon to put out from shore and cast his net into deep water. Simon offers an explanation (v.5) of why this wasn’t a good idea but ends his reluctance with faith and trust instead of disobedience and casts out his nets. Simon was a “professional” he knew the fishing trade, Jesus was a Carpenter. What would a Carpenter know about fishing that the fisherman doesn’t? Other than the fact that Jesus was the Creator of the fish as well as of the Captain trying to catch them and make a living! What most people do for a career or job is very important to them if for no other reason than it at least provides a livelihood for them. Fishing was Simon, James, and John’s livelihood but rather than explaining to Jesus that they knew more, that they knew their livelihood Simon listened and obeyed. Simon (poor, simple, gung-ho impulsive Simon) shows his first act of faith in Jesus by entrusting Him with what he does… And what happens? But before the miraculous catch we need to understand that Simon had no expectation of a miraculous catch, let alone even a “little- small fry” catch- Luke makes that VERY clear. It was a simple yet profound act of Faith on Simon’s part and a testing of Simon’s seedling of faith on Jesus’ part (see James 1:3-4, Hebrews 12:2). All Simon and the Disciples’ “immature” “Ye of little faith” needed was a starting point to grow into the mature, bold faith they would display in Acts (See Acts 2)and it all started with the most basic but necessary part of any adult’s life then or now… entrusting what you do to Jesus.
The best illustration I have of this is the life of Truett Cathy- the founder of Chick-Fil-A Restaurants. Truett’s simple but radical idea of a boneless fried chicken sandwich on a buttered bun with 2 pickles had taken off until 1983 when the company faced its first major losses and the shutting down of some of its restaurants in shopping malls… Other CEO’s would have panicked, would of trimmed the company and laid off people but not Truett. You see Truett wasn’t obsessed with profit or even with the restaurants he had started, or “forming a Christian Business”. Truett was obsessed with serving God and how best what He did for a living could serve Him- and the community. Steve Robinson the former Marketing Officer for Chick-Fil-A explains it this way with the company’s mission statement: “But how does one glorify God? Looking again to Truett for guidance, we realized he saw everything that he owned, whether possessions or relationships as a gift from God and thus belonging to God. So if God owns everything then Truett was simply a caretaker. A steward looking after God’s possessions that He had put temporarily into Truett’s and our hands. Therefore we glorify God by being faithful stewards of all that God has entrusted to us… business does not glorify God unless it is built upon the great stewardship of the assets, talents, influence and relationships entrusted to us. We are not a “Christian Business” but instead a business where the leadership attempts to aspire and attempt to live out biblical principles.”
Simon’s and the Apostles stewardship of the early church would first be developed through the mustard seed of faith of entrusting what they did to God. If Jesus is pleased to “move mountains” with a mustard seed of our faith (like Simon’s) what do you think He is pleased to do with a growing beanstalk of and mature faith? (hint read John 14:12 and Acts) How about,“The very keys of the Kingdom!” (Matt 16:19) the GREATER THINGS, THE GREATEST THING IN ALL THE WORLD… The Love of God at work in and thru our lives! (1 Cor 13). But what does one do if our profession is not “God honoring”? How do we know the difference between making it God honoring, or finding something else or a “greater thing” that is? How do we live up to Jesus’ calling? How do we know if we are being called deeper into old livelihoods for God’s glory or further away abandoning the old and called into the new instead like the Disciples? That’s where Simon Peter’s response to the catch and the calling of James, and John and Levi (Matthew) have something to show us…
Bringing Jesus What/Who you Are: Verse 8 is a BIG transition for Simon, Luke no longer calls him “Simon” the Fisherman. He is called Simon PETER (PETRAS- THE ROCK) and Mark 3 which relates the calling of the Disciples calls James and John (the Sons of Thunder). The same faith with which Peter trusted Jesus to catch a miraculous load of fish is prophesied to grow and mature in boldness, trust and obedience because of Christ’s and the Holy Spirit’s power around and in him to catch men; from “fisherman” to spiritual “fisher of men!”(v.10). But as all the Gospels remind us through their accounts- spiritual maturity for Jesus’ Disciples then and today is a long process and it takes time for faith to grow and it takes His on-going presence through the Holy Spirit leading, guiding, directing and obedient living in response to make it and the Great Commission happen! Peter has an easier time trusting Jesus with his livelihood at this moment than with his life and the calling God had placed upon it. The roots of his faith had to grow a little deeper for the showing seedling to stand a little taller! Peter was rightly convicted of his “unworthiness” as a “sinful man” but he also had to be convinced that Jesus knew what He was doing in calling Peter to be a disciple. I can almost physically hear the kindness and calm reassurance of Jesus’ grace filled voice to Peter: “Don’t be afraid, I WILL MAKE YOU Fishers of men!” Peter brought Jesus himself as a “sinful man” and tried to push Jesus away but Jesus would have none of it! Levi (Matthew) got up before Jesus as a despised “tax collector” (someone his fellow Jews would view as a traitor) but left it all behind to follow Him.
You see Jesus calls you right where you are (in and or out of your livelihood) and right as “who you are right now” but loves you and this world too much to leave you that way. If you will take the step of faith, the step of obedience to follow Him whether He leads you to another position, or livelihood, or your “retired” and He deepens the position or crisis you’re in now nothing about your life is the same (we worry so much about being in the “right place” with God instead of trusting and surrendering daily to Him that we ARE and that HE WILL MAKE US AND PLACE US EXACTLY WHERE HE WANTS US TO BE when we trust Him. You and I {we} are here as salt and light from sinners by His grace for such a time as this!) You are His, and Jesus wants all of you. He will accept nothing less.
When I lost my leg the seminary I was attending said: “don’t come back till your well.” I couldn’t take basic care of myself. I was shell-shocked and afraid to leave my house. I felt like a burden to everybody. My faith felt shallow and weak. I was angry, vengeful at the drunk driver who hit me and despairing. I lashed out and pushed away the very people who loved me the most and wanted to help me. I was a “sinful” man. I not only felt abandoned by God but I think I pushed him away like Peter when He was still calling and near and doing the “miraculous” in my life. BUT (as our passage shows) Jesus is a friend of Sinners! He was and is my faithful friend and Master! He never gave up on me! Thank you LORD! And my friends He will not give up on you- so have the faith to not give up on yourself or the plans He has for you! The little faithful acts of these uptight, weak, despised “sinful” Disciples should “dumbfound” us when we see THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES in God’s mighty power! I am convicted and convinced that those acts are still around today and God wants to do them through us! How about you? Bring Him all you are. He loves you too much to leave you that way and He will guide you- your faith isn’t in where you serve near as much as how you serve (your act of worship in Spirit and Truth Jn 4:24, Prov 16:3, Col 3:23)… He will do the rest and place you where you’re needed most! (The joy when you get glimpses of it is indescribable!)
Bringing Jesus What You Have and Who You Know: Bringing Jesus what we have is tied closely to bringing Jesus what we do. Simon Peter brought his fishing boat to Jesus. Simon Peter cast out his net because Jesus told him to and there was a miraculous catch of fish! But at the end of the day, what did Simon Peter have to do? Leave it behind! What’s with that? Why the catch for the 3 fishermen? Levi left the tax booth behind to follow Jesus but not much later brought the people who hung around his booth to Jesus. Levi left the booth but Jesus wanted to hang around it a little longer? What’s going on?
Jesus may or may not ask us to give away everything we have… but He will certainly ask us in faith to give it all up to Him and for the Kingdom (remember Truett Cathy and stewardship?). That is what the fishermen did and Jesus met their needs.Did you ever wish you could “win the lottery?” Why do people always want more money? We believe and have been taught money brings us security and “peace of mind” but only following Jesus will bring us true peace of mind. Only listening and doing what He tells us to do in faith by grace will make us content. The men had families to support but who provided for their families with a miraculous catch of fish while the Disciples followed Jesus? We don’t ever have to be afraid to follow Jesus- is it scary? Yes. Does it LOOK doubtful? Yes. Will you suffer and have “self-righteous” Pharisees misalign your name and persecute you? Yes. Will it cost you everything? Yes. Is it worth it? Scripture says that it is worth it (Matt 19:28-30). I can testify in my own life that it is worth it. And the Promises of God and His ongoing love at work in us say it is worth it! When we tell people to “give Jesus their heart” what are we really telling them? The heart is the central control center of the life- of the will. We are saying, give Him everything. Give Him what you do. Give Him who you are. Give Him what you have. And give Him who you know. This is more than but not less than a life decision, and a daily commitment- it is our growing walk of faith in Him, knowing He will provide, knowing He will be at work, knowing He will not only transform us individually but use us individually and corporately to transform others through the spheres of influence and life relationships He has placed us in- and that is amazing and can only be attributed to God! My prayer for all of us is that we would understand “the Give it up” Gospel and surrender our everything to Him and that as a result we would experience the life that is beyond all we can ask for, hope or imagine!
May God bless you this week! All the Best, Darrin.