Following The Right Leader Part 2

One reason for us to Jesus. From Peter's journey of faith again when Jesus told him, a fisherman for the resulting catch proved that obedience to Jesus was the key. Peter would learn that the power of Jesus to save men is as total as his power to draw fish into an from the Moody Church in Chicago. This is going to win with Dr. Wendell Sir who is clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line, pastor, loser, we are studying the life of Peter, a man chiseled by the Masters and in Luke chapter 5, Peter sees a great catch of fish and falls to his knees in the presence of Jesus, and you know Dave, I can't think of a passage of Scripture that is more encouraging when it comes to witnessing.

I've often thought about this because the Lord Jesus Christ who brought fish from various parts of Galilee and made sure that those fish were swimming right into Peter's net is the same Lord Jesus who asks us to fish for men and that means he's the one who brings them to faith. Of course we are the conduit. That's why think that this series of messages is so encouraging.

I want to thank the many of you who support the ministry of running to win. If you are blessed, it's because other people have invested in this ministry, would you consider becoming an endurance partner that someone who stands with us regularly with their prayers and their gifts. Now of course you need info. Here's what you can do.

Go to RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com. And of course when you're there, click on the endurance partner button. Call us at 1-888-218-9337 and now let us learn to fish for men. As Jesus put it, it is because when God really comes to town. And when people really begin to see the glory and the one error of Christ, all of us then find within our hearts in excusable sin in excusable sin.

We are suddenly revealed for who we really are up against the holiness of 01 address blessed your God, and that is very uncomfortable moment is that was in that pitiful I mean here is a disciple of Jesus Christ, saying, depart from me, for I am a sinful man, old Lord, going through a lot of existential guilt answers know this is not a pitiful moment. This was Peter's finest hour of hope it's as finest hour of hope because only when we see who we are in the presence of the risen Christ.

It is only then that we can finally be forgiven of our sins and we can be hearing the voice of Christ say you are forgiven, but our age does not like this. Someone sent me a cartoon which I have on my door of a pastor pointing to his congregation and saying you know what the problem with Kane was Cain's problem was low self-esteem. I can imagine someone saying you know that's why Peter did this he suffered from low self-esteem. I tell you something. It is only when we are willing to finally give up all of the gameplaying and see who we are in Christ's presence and we can hear him tell us were cleansed and forgiven and belong to him. But now let me answer your question, I was talking to you about witnessing about sharing the good news of the gospel. Why should we do that, why should we cast out our nets into the deep.

Why should we let our witness be made known in our offices in our home and in our communities.

First, because of the power of Christ the power of Christ as I've already mentioned, it is because of Jesus that the fish came in to these nets. In effect, Jesus said to the fish a fish see those nets go for it and so you have hundreds of fish going for the net.

I want you to know that the same Christ has the hearts of the world in his hands. You say well it's one thing for Jesus to command the fish to go to Annette. It is quite another for Christ to command the men and women to believe, but I want you to know that Jesus today is the Jesus of power, he has first of all power to convict when the Holy Spirit of God is come into the world, he will convince the world of sin and of righteousness and judgment. You and I can't do that. We really can't three times in my life I have met people who have actually looked me in the eye and told me that they weren't sinners. Could you imagine that one even had the nerve to say that in the presence of his son. Thankfully, the boy corrected him, how can we convince men and women of their need for Christ. We can say the words.

We can present the truth but unless God breaks into the soul and takes them apart. It is only when that happens, they will say I am a sinful man. Jesus has the power to convict and he has the power to convert as the father raises up the dead and Quicken at them. Even so, the song the Quicken whomever he wills and we can have the best net and we can have the best skiing to catch fish. But unless Christ is in the middle of it unless Christ speaks the word we can toil all night and come up empty, but thankfully Christ can save and don't you ever say who he can say or who he can't save.

Don't ever say will you know I have this uncle who is so hard he may be, but Christ has saved some rather unlikely people.

Remember Mel Trotter's story of how he was such an alcoholic that when his little girl died he went into the funeral parlor and looked at her little body in the casket and took off her shoes so that he could sell those shoes for drink, but Jesus saved him and he went up and down the country telling people that there is a Christ who can change and save individuals. Remember that Christ's power. Remember in the Hebrews it says that he is able to save on to the uttermost those that: to God to buy him and of the uttermost may be interpreted as a length of time. That's why my translation translates that he is able to save forever those who: to God by him, but another possibility is to say that the word has to do with the depth of their sin he is able to save on to the uttermost. We could say onto the gutter. Most those who call unto God by him, Christ has power. That's one reason why we can witness with confidence. Secondly, we do it because of his command. Peter's little Lord. This is crazy, but nevertheless add to your word. Based on your bearer command, not because it makes sense, but because you said it. We will let down the net. Do you think that they expected fish. I don't think so. I don't think so, but because they were obedient to Christ and therefore Christ honored that obedience and he did a miracle because they obeyed. Sometimes we may witness and we don't necessarily have a lot of faith. We may not think that someone will believe but don't ever underestimate what Christ might do in the human heart, simply because people have heard of the strength and the power of the gospel. It may well fall on the soil that has been prepared and grow and change people forever.

It's not for you and me to decide where we should fish and with whom the gospel should be shared when it comes to catching real fish.

I am not a fisherman. I just marvel at the patience of some people who can spend an entire morning drowning worms that does take some ingenuity.

But one day on Lake Michigan. Perhaps 15 years ago I was on a boat and this man had several different lines that he was running and he said to me.

Let this one be your line, and eventually the fish bit and I actually saw it but you know something. If you are really a fisherman and there are some like that who apparently are perfectly normal in other ways if it's really just is deep within your soul and your just committed to being a fisherman.

There are people who even continue to fish where, after they have a bad day. There are ever going to a fisherman mean a true fisherman, not me that a fisherman and you say, did you catch anything. Note what that means that you'll never be going out again right now know know know know where would you get that idea yet so often when it comes to catching men and women we say you know I tried it and it didn't work.

I explained the gospel to somebody. I expected him or her to believe they didn't and therefore I'm finished. Wait a minute, wait a minute, at thy word. You do it again and again and again and in God's good time fish will result. I noticed something else in the text that is very encouraging.

You know, since Jesus did a miracle here. He could have done it without the disciples he could've done it without the net, he could've simply said now what I want you to do is to get into the boat and go and you'll have some fish and Jesus, who is king of the earth, one who has all things in his hands could have very easily cause the fish to come up and just jump into the boat.

Why bother with nets. In fact, why bother with a fisherman he could've brought them all to sure he's God all he could've, but he didn't. What he said was I want to make you partners in this miracle you go out let down the nets and all. Take care the rest you know that Jesus could do without, as he would not need our witness to save anybody he could save people, just like he converted the apostle Paul on the way to Damascus, a light comes out of heaven and there's a revelation from God directly and Paul get zapped instantly.

He believes that he recognizes Jesus as the son of God. Christ could do that to people today because he's God.

Did you know that Jesus doesn't need our money always beware of somebody who says you know without my money, that place would collapse a come on come on, what an insult to the Almighty.

He does need our money. But you know what God says. He says I want you to be partners in my ministry on earth I want you to be letting down nets. I want you to be giving generously, and contributing because in the process. I will reveal myself to you because we will be cool workers: fisherman on earth.

What an incredible privilege to have a partnership with Christ in ministry to know that we been chosen by him to play a role in what he is accomplishing in the world.

Someone is said that today we are not fishers of men. We are keepers of the aquarium that we are more comfortable only here with those who belong to us and who are a part of our fellowship and we have that comfort zone that we protect but I want you to know today that sometimes we can find fish in the most improbable places, at the most inappropriate time, and even among impossible people. Here's what I want you to think about think about someone whom God has placed in your path, to whom you will have the opportunity of sharing the gospel result right now to do it and I might say that I say this also to myself and I already know exactly who it is that God has brought to my mind, with whom I might share the good news of the gospel let down the net. Christ's word something else you may be here today and you've never believed on Jesus you can be a fisherman because if we may use the analogy you are today still a fish. Your fish you're out there swimming around and what you need to do is to be caught.

You need to be one to saving faith in Jesus Christ. Through his work on the cross. You need to be brought to believe in him. Maybe as I was speaking there was something that resounded in your heart when you recognize your sin. That's a good place to begin. Like Peter, you perhaps cry up as all of us have occasion to part O Lord, because I'm sinful. You've seen me. I remember the words of David and the Psalm he said, oh Lord rebuke me, not according to thine anger, neither chasing me in thy heart, displeasure, behold, I am vile.

He said I will lay my hands upon my mouth that is not a terrible state to be in. It is terrible only if you don't go on to believe in a Christ who came to save big sinners, big sinners. Have you believed in him you know here at the Moody church. If you go up into our Sunday school area you come to a whole and that whole happens to be named after John Harper. It's called Harper whole. Some of you seen it up there back in the days when the Titanic left Europe for the United States. John Harper was on the Titanic and route to Moody church and remember how that big ship went down. My daughter became very interested in the Titanic last summer reading books, seeing a movie that has been made on it. That is absolutely awesome when you think of what took place on the Titanic because it sank over a period of hours John Harper's name by the way, is in one of those books we looked at the back and found out that he traveled second-class just wanted to check out these pastors to see how they book themselves on these big ocean liners, but as he was going down in the water there he was bobbing in the cold water.

You recall the story because some of you have heard it, how that someone that came near him hanging onto a life raft and Harper shouted to him, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved and they drifted off into the ocean and then they came together again, and Harper said, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.

This went on a couple of times and that man hanging onto that life raft believed in Christ and was saved 6 miles above the bottom of the Atlantic Harper went on down. By the way he drowned, and soon he disappeared you. So how do you know that the other man believed it's because years later in Toronto, Canada. He stood up and told the story that I am telling you because his life was spared and he said I was John Harper's last convert. But there in desperation he believed disabled today. I'm not drowning.

I'm not going under him to live until tomorrow. Don't be too sure.

By the way, but secondly, let me tell you this. If God has responded to you if you have sensed his work in your heart. Would you today be saved because it is pointed out, your sin, it shows that you need him to be your savior, thou art guilty.

Thou art self righteous Christ is saying to you today. He says you can be cleansed, forgiven, changed, accepted forever and let us pray. Father, we want to thank you today for Peter. Thank you that in your good time and according to your grace.

He understood how sinful he was and then he believed we pray that you might help those who do not know you. A Savior today to come to saving faith and they they believe even at this moment and then for those who know you we think father of the lost opportunities and we blush for shame, for we are guilty. Oh God, at thy word. Let us let down the nets bring to mind those to whom we must share the good news of the gospel and trusting the results holy to you, the miracle worker, and thank you for the privilege of making us coworkers with you in the great task of fishing. In Jesus name, amen. My friend, this is Pastor Luther how I think some much that you are partners together with us in the great task of fishing is always wonderful to read stories about people who have come to saving faith in Jesus Christ. As a result of the ministry of running to win.

I'm holding in my hands a letter that is just a little different from that. This is from a young woman who's in college who says that she has struggled with constant lies from the enemy.

Thoughts of self-hatred, doubts about her salvation and she says as a result of running to win. I'm learning to resist the enemy. My friend, you have a part in testimonies just like this and when people come to know Jesus Christ as Savior. It's because together we are making a difference in this ministry as possible. Would you consider becoming an endurance partner that someone who stands with us regularly with their prayers and their gifts and of course the amount that you give is entirely your decision. Here's what you do you go to RTW offer.com. Let me give that to you again RTW offer.

Of course, that's all one word RTW offer.com when you're there, click on the endurance partner button or if you prefer you can call us right now at 1-888-218-9337 go to RTW offer.com. Click on the endurance partner button and we trust that we shall hear from you. It's time again for another in virginity for you the listener to ask Pastor licks her a question you may have about the Bible or the Christian life. Today's question comes from Jack and Jack lives in North Carolina.

A number of churches and radio stations in our area have switched from hymns with piano, organ, orchestra, to contemporary Christian music accompanied by guitars, drums, base, and so on. My question is what would our Lord have us do. According to the Bible with regard to Christian music when you know Jack, I am smart enough not to give a very specific answer to your question because as you know, the matter of music has been a point of sharp contention among Christians, and I'm not really qualified to adjudicate all of these matters, but I do have two extremes. I think we should avoid. First of all we should avoid the notion that the only hymns in the only music that should ever be played on Christian radio is the kind that we like. I think that we have to recognize that taking a stand like that is wrong. There were other people who may enjoy a different kind of music in a different kind of singing and we have to recognize that we are not the standard by which all music should be judged. And then secondly I think it's important to realize that Christians should not always be pushing the envelope and I think that that is a very important point as well because there is no doubt that sometimes they sound as if they are simply imitating the world. Now it is somewhere between those two extremes that we need to be very cautious and I pray that God will give us wisdom to know exactly how to respond to modern music and fortunately fortunately, there radio stations that have such a variety that you can choose what you like to listen to.

Maybe at the end of the day that will help us in resolving this dilemma.

Thank you Dr. Luther for your discernment in this very controversial area.

If you'd like to hear your question answered. Go to RTW offer.com and click on ask Pastor Luther or call us at 1-888-218-9337 that's 1-888-218-9337. You can write to us running to win 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago, IL 60614 one thing Peter and the disciples weren't real fast was that Jesus was no ordinary man. He had command of the laws of nature, something they've never seen and never would have believed possible. Next time I'm running to win.

Peter takes one small step for man on the sea. Don't miss while walking on water by saying running to win is sponsored by the teacher