Dancing with Jesus

The Livingroom Church
Pastor Keith King

2/25/2010

Re: Dancing with Jesus

A few years ago, before the amazing ministry that we are in now, my wife and I knew that we were to reach out to other young adults. I specifically remember trying to lead up Thursday evening gathering where my wife and I made and purchased a lot of food and thought we had it well planned out, but we ate by our selves as no one showed up.

We knew that it was what God placed on our heart. We knew that what we did was in the upmost perfect intention. But looking back, I know that what God was doing was teaching the lesson that He and He alone leads and we follow. It is a dancing lesson that I am still learning.

“One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God. He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon, its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.” “Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.” And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! (Luke 5:1-6 NLT)

Simon had probably fished this area his whole life and knew what time and what place was the best to fish in. He had just had a horrible fishing trip and now a carpenter tells him how to fish.

I really like Simon's reply. He did not go directly in obedience, but he did what most of us would do. “But God, this or that, but if you say so...” It is as we have to have our opinion on the matter heard for some reason.

But after Simon follows through with Christ's instructions, after he does what Jesus tells him, when he tells him to do it, Simon's sees the fullest potential when he does what God says and when he says to do it. One of the main things that I have learned under Pastor Jon Spellman is that God's will outside of God's timing, ceases to be God's will. This not only pertains to waiting to long, but also for jumping in too early.

This is the same Simon that asks Christ to allow him to walk out on the water. Simon had never walked on the water before, why would he want to now? Simon knew that this was a God given moment to do something spectacular, something supernatural.

“Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!” But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!” Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.” “Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. (Matt 14:24-30 NLT)

In these two special moments in Simon Peter's life, Jesus shows us that there are those moments in life when we will have to step out of the boat and do something that we have never done before, no matter how large the storm is or have much we are afraid of drowning. Jesus also shows us that sometimes he wants us to go back to the same thing that we have done a thousand times before with out any luck, but when He sends us and when we are in His timing, He will take care of the results, rater it be one fish, or thousands.

As far as me, I believe that it is a dance. I will move with Jesus. When he says to the left, we go to the left, to the right, then to the right. I'm dancing with Jesus....He leads, I follow.

Created about 2 years ago