Title: Precious Encounter (Luke 5:1-11)
Contents
precious meeting
Luke 5:1-11
For people, meeting is very important. Because depending on who you meet, your life can be completely different. We can see around us how happy wives who have met their husbands and husbands who have met their wives are living happily ever after. And how many are the other way around? Nowadays, if three couples get married, one couple gets divorced, right? If you listen to them, what they each say is that they met the wrong husband and wife. American Scottie Wolf is said to have been married 29 times and divorced 28 times. Do you know what the reasons for the divorce were? The wife said that she forgot sunflower seeds in bed, and that she brushed her teeth with her toothbrush.... This person is listed in the Guinness Book of Records for having many divorces. How pathetic is this? Interestingly, his 23rd wife is also listed in the Guinness Book of Records for divorce among women. Meetings are precious. The thing that can never be taken carelessly is a meeting.
In the words of the Bible, we can see many stories of people whose lives have been completely changed through good encounters. They don't know how lucky they are. How can people who have never been so supportive change so nicely through just one meeting? How the hell do you change your life when you meet someone? That is Jesus. People who met Jesus in the Bible changed their lives. A person who was a sinner, a person who had an incurable disease, a person who was mentally ill, a person who was a prostitute, and a person who was a fisherman changed the moment they met Jesus and became the most blessed person in the world. A representative person among them is a person named Peter, the main character we will consider today.
Everyone, in order to change our lives, we must meet Jesus. There is a proverbial saying that we heal the eight, but the way we heal the eight is to meet Jesus.
Everyone, thank you. You have already met Jesus. So, what blessings do we receive when we meet Jesus?
1. Let them discover the problem.
By meeting Jesus, we discover what our problems are. Do you know the difference between a good doctor and a bad doctor? It's about how well you find the cause of the disease. A good doctor will know exactly what the patient's disease name is. Occasionally, you can see people who develop diseases rather than see an incompetent doctor and cure them.
When Peter first met Jesus, he was catching fish. I've been catching fish all night and haven't caught any How sad is this? At that time, the fishermen were poor. These are people who worry that they will live for a day if they can't catch a fish. Peter's heart must now be filled with sorrow. “How are you going to spend your day today?”
What do you think is Peter's biggest problem? It's just that they didn't catch a single fish. Many people these days are living with this problem. Isn't it harder than the IMF these days? You don't know how many people suffer because of financial problems. (People who commit suicide) People who suffer because of their children's problems, people who suffer from health problems... Aren't these the biggest problems?
But folks, these are not the real problems. Every disease has a cause. It is only by knowing the cause that the disease can be cured. All of our suffering is caused by some primordial problem. If you don't find the real problem, no matter how much money you have, no matter how healthy you are, you are bound to be unhappy.
Now, Peter met Jesus and caught a lot of fish. When he obeyed the command to go deep and cast his net, he was able to catch enough fish to tear the net. Doesn't it seem like the problem is all solved now? However, this is not a real problem solving. You should not be satisfied here. When you meet Jesus, you discover the real problem. It makes me know what disease I have. What is that problem?
Verse 8: “When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at his knees and said, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinner.”
I don't know how many people are forgetting this issue. Especially those who have been in the faith for a long time tend to forget this issue. They say, “I am a sinner,” but in reality, you can see many people living just like the Pharisees of old. No, I can't live like that myself. Do you know what these characteristics are? It's always someone else's fault. It is the president's fault that the country is wrong, the husband and wife are the ones who are having a difficult family, and the fault of my ancestors that I am suffering this much...
We must discover that it is all because of our sins. When a disease is discovered, it is now curable. No matter how good medicine is and how advanced medicine is, if the disease is not found, it cannot be cured. Even if you have cancer, don't you think that if you find it at an early stage, you will live? Have you met Jesus? Through that meeting, I hope that you will be able to discover my biggest problem, the problem of sickness...sin.
2. The problem is solved.
Finding a problem is of no use if you can't fix it. In life, there are many problems that seem to be impossible to solve. There are so many things that humans can't control, and it makes us hard. What are some things we can't solve? The biggest thing, I think, is probably the problem of death. Everyone in the world wants to avoid death. But there is no one in the world who does not die. I am standing upright like this and speaking to you, but at some point, death will come upon me. Many of the people I knew as a child are not here now. Some of you will be gone because they have moved and left, but many of you have passed away, so you won't be able to see them. How can I solve this problem? Qin Shi Huang wandered in search of the immortality drug, but eventually died. If medicine is so advanced, why can't it even cure cancer?
There will be times in your life when you suffer from some kind of problem that cannot be solved like this. Children's problems, health problems, financial problems, and problems that cannot be solved at all are piled up in this world. The problem is visible, but there is no way to solve it. Then you give up.
How can we solve the problem of our sins? In the Old Testament times, whenever a sacrifice was made, a lamb was sacrificed as a sin offering. Only then could we be forgiven for our sins even a little. But it is limited. After sinning in the Garden of Eden, there is no way for man to be freed from sin. So I'm afraid. Why are you afraid of the dark night? Why are you afraid of cancer? Why are you afraid of death? Because we are sinners. Sinners are servants of the devil. The devil gives us fear.
But who is our Jesus? “Do not be afraid” Old Testament No. 16, New Testament No. 8
That's right. Jesus tells us not to be afraid. In the Bible, we are told not to be afraid 82 times in the Old Testament and 23 times in the New Testament. See you today. Because Peter is afraid, he says, “Do not be afraid.” What is this talk about? Our Jesus can solve our sin, the cause of our fear. with what? It is through the blood of the cross. Our Jesus solves problems that no one in the world has been able to solve.
I have seen people rejoice even as they die of cancer. Despite the great pain, his face still glows brightly. How the heck can I understand this? He rejoices with the assurance of salvation because Jesus has solved his sin problem.
In this world that is in fear these days....If you meet Jesus, everything will be solved. Everyone, I hope that you will be able to introduce the Jesus you met to the world.
3. You will do great things.
When we meet Jesus, now we become great people. Just like the fisherman Peter turned into a fisher of men.
Many people who care about me are worried because I am coming here from Suwon. What can you do in a small rural church? But, everyone, even a large city church is of no use unless Jesus is with us. On the contrary, I believe that even a small church like this can do great things if Jesus is with us.
Isn't the book of Acts well documented about what Peter did? When Peter laid his hands on his hands and prayed, the sick were healed. The crippled man got up. Thousands of people a day listened to Peter's sermon and were saved. It is as if this Peter was doing the same thing that Jesus did. Galilee is a rural area. Galilee is such a humble place that people say, “Can anything good come out of Galilee?” However, the Galilean villager met Jesus and became the chief disciple among the disciples because of the incident in today's text. And when that ignorant man preached, people listened and were saved. It is said that the sick person was healed as long as he prayed to him. How can you even imagine?
Ladies and gentlemen, do not be discouraged that our Daechi Methodist Church is a rural church or a small church. Our church is by no means a small church. Our church can be small, but like Peter, who did great things. A church where people who have met Jesus gather, a church devoted and loyal to God's work, a church that loves each other...
I believe that our church is a much better church and a beautiful church than Yeouido Full Gospel Church, Kwanglim Church, and any other church in Suwon where I have been. Our church will surely be able to do great things.
Yeah it's not what other people will do. That's exactly what I do. “I am old, I am poor, I am sick…” No. Our Lord lifts up the weak and puts the strong to shame. Among the praises is this praise. I want you to be Peter, those who think that “I am weak and I am strong” I can do nothing. I hope you meet Jesus. Through our encounter with Jesus, we will be able to become the greatest disciples of the Lord in the world.
We have already had a very good meeting. I am grateful to our Lord for allowing me and you to meet like this. Lord, who allowed such a good church, the grace to meet Jesus and enjoy the love in this good church... We will be able to meet Jesus through Daechi Church, discover problems, solve problems, and do great things is.