TRY, TRY, TRY AGAIN

KEY SCRIPTURES: 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. 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 signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 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. ~ Luke 5:1-11 (ESV)

… but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven. ~ Matthew 10:33 (ESV)

In the story from Luke chapter 5, Jesus has just blessed these weary fishermen with an abundance of fish - clearly a supernatural sign, as they’d been fishing all night and had caught nothing! When Peter realizes WHO it is he’s in the boat with, he says to Him, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” 

Oh…. how I can relate to Peter! *deep sigh*

So often in my life, I am ashamed to call myself a Christian.

Jesus said, “…whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven,” and I don’t want THAT! It’s not that I’m ashamed of Jesus at all… I want EVERYONE to know WHO He is and what He’s done!

I’m ashamed…  of myself.  Of my thoughts and my actions… my words and my deeds.

Sometimes I don’t want ANYONE to know I’m a Christian, only because I don’t want them to think Jesus, (or even His followers!) are anything like ME!

It’s times like these when I want to fall on my knees like Peter and cry, “Depart from me, oh Lord. I’m soooo sinful!”

But if I read on in this same passage, Jesus says to Peter, “Fear not…” and goes on to tell him of His plans for his life… that Jesus will make him a fisher of men.

Jesus KNEW who Peter was. 

He KNEW what he’d done. 

And He KNEW what he was GOING to do. 

Peter would DENY Him. (More than once!)

And yet Jesus says, “Fear not…”

Why???

I believe it’s because Jesus KNEW Peter’s HEART.

Just like He knows mine.

Just like He knows yours.

He knows WE will deny Him, (more than once… probably daily!) in our behavior, actions, words or deeds. 

And, this is why He taught us to pray DAILY, “forgive us our sins…” 

The key is, He knew Peter would run out of the courtyard weeping after denying Him. 

THAT is a repentant heart.

And THAT is what He wants from us.

More than us wearing a cross or having a fish symbol or a “Jesus Saves” bumper sticker on our car or us asking every person we meet if they have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He wants a broken and contrite heart.  He wants a heart that WANTS to obey. In 1 Samuel we are told that God wants obedience more than anything else. He wants our heart.  

HE wants a personal relationship with US.  

Even if we have to repent over and over and over again.

And THAT is how we show people Who Jesus really is. 

Not that WE’RE perfect, but that HE is… and that He is loving and gracious and forgiving, and that if He can forgive someone as messed up as ME, then He can and will forgive someone as messed up as them as well.

Does this mean we can just do whatever we want because we KNOW we’ll be forgiven? Of course not. (Romans 6) It means when we slip up, the grace of Jesus is there to catch us and set us back on our feet so we can try again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

And again. 

Thank God!

In Jesus’ name.

Amen.