Often we humans are too busy to deal with reli\u00adgious mat\u00adters. We keep a safe distance and hide behind what we alre\u00ada\u00addy know and can do. But Jesus Christ wants to meet us and he does. He dis\u00adturbs our busyn\u00adess. But the know\u00adledge of the holy evo\u00adkes resis\u00adtance in us. For we are any\u00adthing but holy. Yet we reco\u00adg\u00adni\u00adse that we want the encoun\u00adter with the holy. So we are in a ten\u00adsi\u00adon like Peter was. On the one hand, lon\u00adging at the feet of Jesus, on the other, in a defen\u00adsi\u00adve atti\u00adtu\u00adde \u00abGo away from me!\u00bb. But Jesus Christ accepts us none\u00adthel\u00adess \u2013 this is pre\u00adcis\u00ade\u00adly the glo\u00adry of grace: that God says yes to us despi\u00adte our unwort\u00adhi\u00adness as human beings.<\/p>\n
Today we want to look again at the encoun\u00adter of the Holy One. This ser\u00admon has been on my mind for at least two months. On the one hand, I was very much loo\u00adking for\u00adward to it, but on the other hand, it is also a very exis\u00adten\u00adti\u00adal ques\u00adti\u00adon for me. We want to take a clo\u00adser look at Peter. Peter was the lea\u00adding disci\u00adple of Jesus Christ. He expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adced a lot and was very for\u00adma\u00adti\u00adve. His sto\u00adry is full of ups and downs. In the Bible we get a deep insight into his inner life and the path he took along\u00adside Jesus. This path ulti\u00adm\u00adate\u00adly led him to his own death. But today we want to look at his voca\u00adti\u00adon as a fol\u00adlower of Jesus. \tHow busy are you? Whe\u00adre in the sto\u00adry would you place yours\u00adelf? More on the frin\u00adges like Peter and busy with work or one of the peo\u00adp\u00adle who lis\u00adten to Jesus Christ and flock to him? We humans are often too busy to deal with reli\u00adgious mat\u00adters. We keep a safe distance and hide behind what we alre\u00ada\u00addy know and can do. But Jesus Christ wants to meet us and he does so. He dis\u00adturbs our busyn\u00adess. But the know\u00adledge of the Holy One evo\u00adkes defence in us. Becau\u00adse we\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":7539,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[79],"wpfc_sermon_series":[90],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":{"0":"wpfc_preacher-cedric-bruegger","1":"wpfc_sermon_series-heilig-heilig-heilig","2":"wpfc-sermon-single","3":"post-7524","4":"wpfc_sermon","5":"type-wpfc_sermon","6":"status-publish","7":"has-post-thumbnail","8":"hentry","11":"wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"},"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t
\nToo busy to fol\u00adlow Jesus Christ
\nPeter grew up by the Sea of Gali\u00adlee. He and his brot\u00adher Andrew were fisher\u00admen by trade and made their living this way. Befo\u00adre Jesus appeared in public, John the Bap\u00adtist appeared on the sce\u00adne. He drew people\u2019s atten\u00adti\u00adon to the coming of Jesus Christ. The\u00adre were a few peo\u00adp\u00adle who fol\u00adlo\u00adwed John and sought his com\u00adpa\u00adny. One day, as John was bap\u00adti\u00adsing in the Jor\u00addan, Jesus came by. Two men who had been tra\u00advel\u00adling with John until then now fol\u00adlo\u00adwed Jesus. \u00abAndrew, Simon Peter\u2019s brot\u00adher, was one of the two men who had fol\u00adlo\u00adwed Jesus becau\u00adse they had heard what John had said about him. He imme\u00addia\u00adte\u00adly sought out his brot\u00adher Simon and told him: \u00abWe have found the Mes\u00adsiah\u00bb (mea\u00adning the Christ). Then Andrew took Simon to Jesus. Jesus loo\u00adked at him careful\u00adly and said, \u00abYou are Simon son of John \u2013 but you will be cal\u00adled Cephas\u00bb (which means Peter)\u00bb (John 1:40\u201342 NLB<\/span>). So Peter had alre\u00ada\u00addy come into cont\u00adact with the Holy One, but it had not yet chan\u00adged his life. Peter still remain\u00aded at a safe distance.
\nAnd this is whe\u00adre the actu\u00adal sto\u00adry that today\u2019s ser\u00admon revol\u00adves around beg\u00adins. \u00abOne day when Jesus was prea\u00adching by the Sea of Gali\u00adlee, many peo\u00adp\u00adle crow\u00added around him, all wan\u00adting to hear the word of God. He noti\u00adced two emp\u00adty boats on the shore. The fisher\u00admen had aban\u00addo\u00adned them and were clea\u00adning their nets\u00bb (Luke 5:1\u20132 NLB<\/span>). Jesus was a popu\u00adlar pre\u00ada\u00adcher. Peo\u00adp\u00adle flo\u00adcked from ever\u00ady\u00adwhe\u00adre to hear what he had to say. But the fisher\u00admen were unim\u00adpres\u00adsed. They were tired from the exhaus\u00adting night and just wan\u00adted to put ever\u00ady\u00adthing back in order and then rest. They kept their distance. But the crowd was get\u00adting big\u00adger and big\u00adger. \u00abJesus got into one of the boats and asked the owner of the boat, Simon, to push off from the shore. Then he taught the crowd from the boat\u00bb (Luke 5:3 NLB<\/span>). Peter allows hims\u00adelf to be invol\u00adved. Alt\u00adhough he keeps his distance, he is open to being approa\u00adched and included by Jesus Christ. Peter does push the boat away from the shore, but I can well ima\u00adgi\u00adne that he did not neces\u00ads\u00ada\u00adri\u00adly do this with gre\u00adat joy. He was cer\u00adtain\u00adly tired. He had been tra\u00advel\u00adling all night \u2013 and in vain. They did\u00adn\u2019t catch a sin\u00adgle fish. He was pro\u00adba\u00adb\u00adly worried about his liveli\u00adhood. But Jesus has long been awa\u00adre of all this.
\nJesus first pre\u00ada\u00adches from the boat to ever\u00adyo\u00adne, but this is fol\u00adlo\u00adwed by a ser\u00admon spe\u00adci\u00adfi\u00adcal\u00adly tail\u00ado\u00adred to Peter. Jesus, who was a car\u00adpen\u00adter by trade, chal\u00adlenges Peter, a pro\u00adfes\u00adsio\u00adnal fisher\u00adman, to cast the nets again. They had final\u00adly finis\u00adhed clea\u00adning and men\u00adding the nets and now someone who has no idea comes and asks him to cast the nets again. If they don\u2019t catch any\u00adthing again, which is the logi\u00adcal con\u00adclu\u00adsi\u00adon on the day, then it will all have been for not\u00adhing. \u00ab \u00abMas\u00adter,\u00bb repli\u00aded Simon, \u00abwe work\u00aded hard all last night and caught not\u00adhing. But if you say so, I\u2019ll try again\u00bb \u00bb (Luke 5:5 NLB<\/span>). Pro\u00adba\u00adb\u00adly reluc\u00adtant\u00adly, per\u00adhaps even curious\u00adly, Simon casts the nets again. What hap\u00adpens next? The nets are so full that they start to tear. You have to visua\u00adli\u00adse this situa\u00adti\u00adon. First the pro\u00adfes\u00adsio\u00adnals are at work \u2013 but catch not\u00adhing. Then an ama\u00adteur, who has only caught a few small fish pri\u00adva\u00adte\u00adly if at all, comes along and points them out \u2013 and they make the catch of their life. The catch is so big that they even have to call in ano\u00adther boat. They have caught so many fish that both boats are almost in dan\u00adger of sin\u00adking. Peter initi\u00adal\u00adly kept a safe distance from Jesus, which gave him a sup\u00adpo\u00adsed sen\u00adse of secu\u00adri\u00adty. But the encoun\u00adter with Jesus Christ chan\u00adges everything.
\nRea\u00adli\u00adsa\u00adti\u00adon leads to defence
\nThe reac\u00adtion to his clo\u00adsen\u00adess to Jesus Christ is not long in coming. \u00abWhen Simon Peter rea\u00adli\u00adsed what had hap\u00adpen\u00aded, he fell to his kne\u00ades befo\u00adre Jesus and said, \u00abLord, don\u2019t bother with me any more \u2013 I\u2019m too much of a sin\u00adner to be with you\u00bb \u00bb (Luke 5:8 NLB<\/span>). What hap\u00adpen\u00aded here? The more Peter rea\u00adli\u00adsed who he had in front of him, the more uncom\u00adfor\u00adta\u00adble and unwor\u00adt\u00adhy he felt in the com\u00adpa\u00adny of such a per\u00adson. He felt like too gre\u00adat a sin\u00adner. Sin means being sepa\u00adra\u00adted from God. Ano\u00adther word is miss\u00ading the mark. Peter rea\u00adli\u00adsed at that moment that his inner self was too far away from the Holy One who was reve\u00ada\u00adled to him in Jesus Christ at that moment. Peter lies at the feet of Jesus and at the same time rejects him. The Luther Bible trans\u00adla\u00adtes from the Greek: \u00ab[\u2026] Lord, depart from me! I am a sin\u00adful man\u00bb (Luke 5:8 LUT<\/span>). This poin\u00adting Peter away shows that Peter had inward\u00adly reco\u00adg\u00adnis\u00aded that he was deal\u00ading with some\u00adthing com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly dif\u00adfe\u00adrent. \u00abFor he was fil\u00adled with awe at the sight of the abun\u00addant catch, and the others felt the same way\u00bb (Luke 5:9 NLB<\/span>). Peter was awestruck.
\nMany peo\u00adp\u00adle are at the same point as Peter. They reco\u00adg\u00adni\u00adse that the king\u00addom of God is daw\u00adning. They noti\u00adce that peo\u00adp\u00adle around them, per\u00adhaps even here in the church, are chan\u00adging. Per\u00adhaps some look jea\u00adlous\u00adly at what is hap\u00adpe\u00adning in some people\u2019s lives. But most are pro\u00adba\u00adb\u00adly hap\u00adpy and reli\u00ade\u00adved that the spot\u00adlight is not on them. Becau\u00adse that would bring things to light. Things that would pro\u00advo\u00adke the same reac\u00adtion as Peter. Name\u00adly the rea\u00adli\u00adsa\u00adti\u00adon that a per\u00adson has lost not\u00adhing in the pre\u00adsence of God. Many long for an encoun\u00adter with Jesus Christ, but pre\u00adfer\u00ada\u00adb\u00adly only from a distance. Jesus as a role model is more than accep\u00adta\u00adble today. His call to love one\u2019s neigh\u00adbour, his com\u00admit\u00adment to the mar\u00adgi\u00adna\u00adli\u00adsed, his love for the oppres\u00adsed. But always from a distance. The Ame\u00adri\u00adcan theo\u00adlo\u00adgi\u00adan R.C. Sproul puts it like this. \u00abPeo\u00adp\u00adle app\u00adre\u00adcia\u00adte moral per\u00adfec\u00adtion as long as it remains far enough away from them\u00bb (Robert C. Sproul). But the encoun\u00adter with the sacred does not take place at a distance. Even the pro\u00adphet Isai\u00adah, who lived a few hundred years befo\u00adre Peter, wro\u00adte the fol\u00adlo\u00adwing about his encoun\u00adter with God: \u00abThen I said, \u00abI shall suf\u00adfer ter\u00adri\u00adble things, for I am a man of unclean lips among a peo\u00adp\u00adle of unclean lips. I will peri\u00adsh, for I have seen the King, the LORD<\/span> Almigh\u00adty!\u00bb \u00bb (Isai\u00adah 6:5 NLB<\/span>).
\nWhat Peter rea\u00adli\u00adses at the moment of the mira\u00adcle of the fish is his ina\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty com\u00adpared to the power of God. Ever\u00ady\u00adthing Peter can bring to God as a human being falls away. He brings the expe\u00adri\u00adence of being an expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adced fisher\u00adman and a loving son-in-law. In both of the\u00adse are\u00adas he can do some\u00adthing. But when his mother-in-law is sick, Jesus Christ heals her (Luke 4:38\u201339). After they had caught not\u00adhing for a who\u00adle night, Jesus helps them to the grea\u00adtest catch \u2013 and this in the day\u00adti\u00adme. Until now Peter had been taken with the man Jesus. But this fish mira\u00adcle chan\u00adges ever\u00ady\u00adthing. Peter rea\u00adli\u00adses that Jesus Christ has power over ever\u00ady\u00adthing \u2013 even over his two are\u00adas of exper\u00adti\u00adse. Peter has abso\u00adlut\u00ade\u00adly not\u00adhing to offer. Ins\u00adtead, he reco\u00adg\u00adni\u00ads\u00ades hims\u00adelf as the per\u00adson one would pre\u00adfer to hide. Name\u00adly as a sin\u00adner, a per\u00adson who is sepa\u00adra\u00adted from God. Peter can\u00adnot help but capi\u00adtu\u00adla\u00adte to Jesus. This point is cru\u00adcial, espe\u00adci\u00adal\u00adly in times of social media, whe\u00adre ever\u00ady\u00adthing is always trim\u00admed to a high gloss. It is about our dark side, which we are usual\u00adly very good at kee\u00adping under wraps and if at all, only the peo\u00adp\u00adle clo\u00adsest to us know. Often they get the most of it.
\nThe glo\u00adry of grace
\nPeter does say \u00abDepart from me!\u00bb but his actions show that his heart felt some\u00adthing else. Peter lay down at the feet of Jesus Christ and spo\u00adke this sen\u00adtence. It shows the ten\u00adsi\u00adon of rea\u00adli\u00adsing his own ina\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty and the desi\u00adre of Peter\u2019s heart. How does Jesus react? Does he say \u00abYes, you are not worth it! Go away from me!\u00bb or does he say \u00abWhat do you want from me Peter? Go away!\u00bb All of the\u00adse reac\u00adtions would have been abso\u00adlut\u00ade\u00adly jus\u00adti\u00adfied, but Jesus Christ reacts quite dif\u00adfer\u00adent\u00adly. His ans\u00adwer is not a rebu\u00adke, but a pro\u00admi\u00adse. \u00ab[\u2026] Jesus said to Simon: \u00abDon\u2019t be afraid! From now on you will fish for peo\u00adp\u00adle\u00bb \u00bb (Luke 5:10 NLB<\/span>). The\u00adre is a lot in this reac\u00adtion. The\u00adr\u00adein lies the pain\u00adful but at the same time heal\u00ading truth. God does not need us humans \u2013 but wants us. We humans need God \u2013 but do not want Him. In his holi\u00adne\u00adss, God does not need us, but he wants us. This ten\u00adsi\u00adon bet\u00adween not deser\u00adving and yet wan\u00adting and wort\u00adhy is shown quite meta\u00adpho\u00adri\u00adcal\u00adly in a pro\u00admi\u00adse to the peo\u00adp\u00adle of Isra\u00adel. \u00abYou poor worm Jacob, you sad bunch of Isra\u00adel, do not be afraid, I will help you, you have my word for it. Your rede\u00ademer is the Holy One of Isra\u00adel\u00bb (Isai\u00adah 41:14 NLB<\/span>). This is exact\u00adly how we humans stand befo\u00adre God. We are poor worms, a sad bunch, we have every reason to be afraid. But the Holy One says \u00abFear not!\u00bb. We are rede\u00ade\u00admed from this sta\u00adte of miss\u00ading the mark.
\nThe call of Jesus Christ demands ever\u00ady\u00adthing from us. But only becau\u00adse he has also given ever\u00ady\u00adthing for us. He has plans for us that we would never have dared to dream of. The respon\u00adse of Peter and the other fisher\u00admen was shown in their lea\u00adving behind ever\u00ady\u00adthing they had and fol\u00adlo\u00adwing Jesus Christ (Luke 5:11). We would have heard not\u00adhing from them if they had stay\u00aded with their boats. Much depends on the decis\u00adi\u00adon for the Holy One! The fisher\u00admen left their ances\u00adtral pro\u00adfes\u00adsi\u00adon at the moment when things were going best.
\nWe can quick\u00adly focus on the disci\u00adples\u00bb ren\u00adun\u00adcia\u00adti\u00adon in this sto\u00adry. On the fact that they left ever\u00ady\u00adthing behind to fol\u00adlow Jesus Christ. But this is not the main focus of this sto\u00adry. It is not about show\u00ading uncon\u00addi\u00adtio\u00adnal obe\u00addience, but the focus is on the glo\u00adry of grace as the theo\u00adlo\u00adgi\u00adan Adolf Schlat\u00adter had said. Grace can only show its\u00adelf in all its full\u00adness when I have also rea\u00adched the point whe\u00adre I reco\u00adg\u00adni\u00adse that I can\u00adnot stand befo\u00adre the holy and yet abso\u00adlut\u00ade\u00adly need the holy. This is pre\u00adcis\u00ade\u00adly whe\u00adre the glo\u00adry of grace lies: that God says yes to us despi\u00adte our unwort\u00adhi\u00adness as human beings.
\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small group
\nRead the Bible text: Luke 5:1\u201311<\/p>\n
\n\tWhat area of your life do you most want to hide? What are you most proud of? How clo\u00adse do you let Jesus Christ get to you?
\n\tCan you grasp how much you do not deser\u00adve to meet Jesus Christ? But can you also grasp how much he wants you?
\n\tDo you know the ten\u00adsi\u00adon of \u00abGet away from me!\u00bb and lie down at the feet of Jesus Christ?
\n\tHow do you reco\u00adg\u00adni\u00adse the glo\u00adry of grace in your life?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"