Grace and a Boat

Jesus used what was available to proclaim the gospel. In Luke 5 Jesus used a fishing boat to do three huge things.

Luke 5:1-3

On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on Him to hear the Word of God, He was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, and He saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, He asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the people from the boat.

Jesus uses whatever is available to share God’s Word.

Jesus uses the boat as a platform to teach the Word of God. Jesus taught the Word of God in many different locations. He taught in a boat, on a hillside, in synagogues, in the Temple courts, and as He walked along roads in Israel. Jesus didn’t follow tradition or religious rituals in teaching God’s Word.

We can follow Jesus’ example by using what God puts at our disposal to share the Gospel of Jesus. We have media in our hands that can be used to share the Gospel. We have groups and organizations by which we can share the gospel. We have community events we can use to share the gospel. We have above everything else personal relationship in which God can use us to share the gospel.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is using all things to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus.

Luke 5:4-7

And when He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at Your word I will let down the nets.” And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. They signal to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink.

Jesus uses the boat to give a great blessing to Simon and his fishing partners.

The normal way of fishing in that time was to go out in the evening in the shallow water. They had done that and spent all night fishing and caught nothing. But only because Jesus told Simon to push off from the land and let down the nets did Simon do it. Simon was not expecting to catch anything. They caught so many fish that their nets were breaking and that it almost sank the two boats.

Jesus wants to bless us. He will not always do it the way we anticipate and never the way the world expects it to be done.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is receiving blessings from Jesus in His way and in His timing.

Luke 5:8-11

But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him.

Jesus uses the boat to show Simon and the others their sinfulness, His power, and the call to follow Him.

Before we can really follow Jesus, we have to acknowledge our sin.

Before we can really follow Jesus, we have to experience His power to forgive our sin and remove it from our lives.

Before we can really follow Jesus, we have to leave everything.

Following Jesus is not a part time thing or a thing we do when it is convenient or comfortable. Following Jesus is a 24/7, 365-day focus.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is being willing to leave everything so we can 100% follow Jesus.

All that Jesus does in this passage is based in grace. Neither Simon nor anyone else asked Jesus to teach God’s Word or bless Simon and no one asked Jesus if they could follow Him. Jesus did all this by His grace.

Jesus wants to use us, His people, to share the Gospel of His Grace with the world.

In God’s Grace, Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls,

                                           Joe