Sermon Tone Analysis

When Did Jesus Show Up

Jesus has a way of showing up in our lives at very distinct times.

Many people in this room have a story of surrender.

When you came to the realization that you could no longer live like you have been living.

Many of our lives resemble the fishermen Simon, Andrew, John, James and Zebedee.

We keep casting nets hoping to catch something worth keeping.

The nets of life are broken, we toiled all night and we are tired and nothing is changing, yet we keep trying the same thing looking for different results.

Eventually we get tired of casting that net of life over and over again, the net has been mended, we are tired of being in the boat, and here we are, Jesus shows up.

Some of us are at church right now, because we are at our surrender moment.

We are tired of casting nets and coming up empty.

We are looking for a different path, and I’m here to tell you Jesus is here pleading with us to drop these nets of temporary sustenance and follow him for a sustainable future and a peace and joy that can never run out.

Our issues are the fact that we are wasting our time collecting fish when Jesus is trying to show you how to change the world.

It’s evident as well, that the gifts and skills we have that we use on a daily basis for the world that Jesus is saying, I can show you how to use those same skills to change the world.

Some people teach daily, we need teachers in the kingdom, some people work in talent acquisition and human resources, have great organizational skills, musically inclined, these gifts and talents that God gives us, we have to be transitional enough to be able to use these skills and gifts for the kingdom.

Jesus shows up in a number of ways prior to chapter 5, in chapter 4 verse 38 we see Jesus show up at Simon’s house and he heals Simon’s mother.

Pay close attention to the exchange in this part as we make our way to when the first disciples were called.

Jesus enters the house, heals the sick mother and immediately she arose ans served them.

Understand that Jesus is not healing you, or showing up so that you can relax, he’s healing you so you can serve.

He does not just show up because he wants to help us, but Jesus helps us so we can help others.

The question is when did Jesus show up in your life?

Or, when he does show up, will you surrender and follow him?

Historically we see Jesus provide a personal invitation at two junctures in people’s life.

He approached the rich man in a place of prosperity, but he also approaches us in the midst of brokenness and emptiness similar to these fishermen.

In , Jesus providing in the midst of emptiness shows us how much power he has, the ability to make something out of nothing!

verse 4 states, “He said to Simon, Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch”

Simon answers Jesus, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net”.

Many times our life is similar, it’s not about how many times we have cast our nets, but who is with us when we cast that net.

And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.

Jesus has the ability to meet us in our emptiness and help us see that he can provide more than we could ever imagine.

Jesus has the ability to meet you where you are.

You might even ask why fisherman?

If you look at the attitude and disposition of a commercial fisherman they embody the attitude that it takes to be a disciple.

Fisherman were a distinct class of individuals.

The work was strenuous and not always rewarding, Sometimes ministry can be tough work and at the end of the day it is just you and God.

Understand that Jesus is not just asking them to follow him but discipleship often times required martyrdom, statistics show that if you are afraid of dying being a fisherman is not for you.

Today, the rate of death on the job of a fisherman is 26 times more dangerous than the average job.

Let’s look further, Jesus was not just witnessing to random people.

He evangelized his family first.

If we can’t reach anyone else it should be our family.

We should be able to share the gospel with our children, encourage them to come back to church, speak with our siblings about Jesus.

The question is where is our family, as much as we want to knock doors, as much as we want to develop innovative evangelism ministries what about your own family?

We see the example throughout the bible, Lydia and her Household, Zebedee and His two sons, Mary, Martha and Salome and many other people who were related to each other during this incubation period of Jesus’ ministry.

It’s better to share the gospel with your family now, or be reminded of the story of the Rich Man, even in torment he wanted to share this news with his brothers on earth.

This was bigger than Jesus finding followers, these were the people that would be at the cross and at the tomb when Jesus was violently murdered.

You do not just want folks that are going to ride with you when you are making the Jerusalem 5 o’clock news because you fed 5,000 people, you need some folks that’s going to be there during the crucifying moments of your life.

You need some people that are going to be there when God rises you us from the ashes of persecution to let everyone know that you are no longer down for the count.

“And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.

7 So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them.

And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink”.

Sometimes Jesus reveals the power he has to us, and sometimes we have to leave our current situation because what Jesus is about to bless us with is too big for the boat we are currently in.

This is what hinders us, Jesus is calling us to something greater but we are so stubborn because we want Jesus to bless us in the emptiness we are already in.

Jesus meets us in the Middle of the Mend

“Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets.

He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.

“

Sometimes Jesus approaches you on the mend.

He shows you what he can offer in your period of brokenness.

Jesus does not always show up when you have your life together.

Sometimes he shows up when you are mending your livelihood.

Sometimes he shows up in the middle of a family crisis, sometimes he shows up after you have lost a loved one, sometimes he shows up when you’ve been up all night, haven’t got a good nights sleep in weeks, sometimes he shows up while you working on something else and says drop what you are doing and follow me.

Jesus says ya’ll are out here trying to catch fish, I’m going to show you how to change lives.

They forsook all to follow Jesus, they left the boat, the net and the fish.

Jesus has something better in store.

They left their families, they left their jobs, what are you willing to walk away from?

When Jesus shows up do you have the faith to drop your net?

Just in case their might be any doubt, Jesus will fill up your net during a time of emptiness just to show you what he has the power to do.

Sometimes Jesus showing up in brokenness is the miracle we need to see to surrender to him.

Understand the power of the immediate response.

Waiting for things to change without Jesus is like casting that net out there again, knowing without him you aren’t going to catch anything.

Tomorrow is not promised, you do not have time to think about following Jesus he’s calling you now.

He desires you to follow him despite our imperfections, our brokenness, our prosperity, our failures, our missteps, our inadequacies, our delinquency, our foolishness.

Jesus is saying drop your net and follow him.

Drop your net of grief, drop your net of anger, drop your nets of abuse, drop your net of addiction.

Jesus has a new net for you that is going to save and change the lives of the world.