JP13: DEEPWATER FAITH: WHERE COMPLACENCY ENDS AND LIFE BEGINS

I once thought of myself as an expert user of Enable and Harvard Graphics. Have you ever heard of them?  They are ancient predecessors of modern word processing and presentation apps. Due to my experience and familiarity with these tools, I reacted smugly when our “know-it-all” IT guru transitioned the entire organization to an upstart app.  I protested and resisted, but it was soon apparent to everyone that Microsoft Office was far superior.  

Pitfalls of Tradition and Experience

We can rely too much on our experience and tradition, especially when God opens new doors for us.  Our comfort and familiar routines serve as anchors that keep our faith bogged down in stagnant water.  We genuinely want a faith that quickly responds to Jesus’ leading us into the deep waters of faith, but years pass, and we find ourselves lodged and longing for more.  

How to shift from rhythms of complacency to a life of radical purpose and deep meaning is a lesson we learn from Jesus as he teaches Peter and his fishing friends.  

One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” Luke 5:1-10

Things change when Jesus shows up in our life situations.  Such was the case for Peter, James, and John after fishing all night with no catch.  The men were tiredly cleaning their nets so they could rest and try another day. After teaching the large crowds from Peter’s boat, Jesus prepares to deliver a valuable faith lesson to the experienced fisherman.  He instructs Peter to “put out into the deep water and let down the nets for a catch.”

Along with James and John, Peter was a master fisherman, and nothing about Jesus’ instructions made sense - practically.  We can’t blame Peter for being hesitant.  They knew Jesus as a carpenter, not an experienced fisherman.  The time was not right, and the fish were not known to gather and feed in the deep.  The two crews had been fishing all night, likely trying every fishing trick they learned.  

Deepwater Faith Echoes Into Eternity

Tired and weary from hauling up empty nets all night, Peter and his companions push off and carry out Jesus’ instructions.  Peter devoted his life to fishing, and his family relied on income from the trade.  But, he chose to focus on the command of Jesus by casting nets into the deep water when he was tired and skeptical. Setting aside his experience and pride, he left his comfort zone for the deepwater faith zone.  

Like Peter and his fellow fishermen, we receive transforming power from God’s throne when we leave the comfort zone for the deep waters of the faith zone.  Following Jesus produced a result that was far beyond Peter and his friends' experience or imaginations.  They saw the glory of God revealed when they exactly did what Jesus asked and rowed into deep water for a miraculous catch.  Their obedience echoes into our lives today and into eternity.

Following Jesus can be summed up this way: hear, trust, and follow.   Avoid allowing temporary, earthly concerns and past failures to delay you.  Move quickly to follow King Jesus and watch him fill you with new devotion and purpose.

As we consider new commitments and life rhythms, will there be room in our lives to make following Jesus our top priority? We can pursue many things in life, but people are the object of God's love.  People matter for eternity.

As Christ-followers, Jesus leads us into a life of overflowing love for people.  Are we willing to be inconvenienced by following Jesus at any time and place he calls us to act? Are we ready to cast our nets into the deep and go all-in to love our neighbors, coworkers, and friends?

In other words, is there room for Jesus in our boats?  Let us make room for Jesus to captain our ships and allow him to sail us out of stagnant complacency into a radical life of deepwater faith in every neighborhood, workplace, and gathering place in our city.  The results will echo for all of eternity.

Prayer for Today:

Lord Jesus, you are so good to me.  You meet me where I am and when you do, I find that you are holy.  I see how I’ve trusted in my tradition and experience and have neglected the new ways you want to teach me.   Thank you for inviting me, just as I am, into a life of loving others and serving my city.  I want to learn new ways for how to love well.  By your grace, I will not be afraid when you ask me to cast my net into the deep waters of serving for the sake of others.  I trust you to guide me and will be sure to leave the results up to you.  Amen.

Shifting From Complacency To Deepwater Faith:

1. Realize that faith is a gift that flows by grace through faith in Jesus.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

2. Choose to center yourself on Jesus, finding your satisfaction and approval from him alone.

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

3. Expect the Holy Spirit to interrupt your life routine for the good of your neighbors, coworkers, and friends.

The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. (John 3:8)

4. Evaluate your current life rhythms.  Do you find established patterns of thinking and living that eliminate faith by default?  Is your life so full of personal dream maintenance that there’s no time for others? If so, ask Jesus to disrupt your perspective by his powerful grace.

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? (Luke 9:23-25)

5. Be willing to leave life as you know it behind to follow Jesus, realizing that time is short compared to eternity, to make the most of our one life for His Kingdom.

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6:33)