↑When Jesus Calls Again – wp.krigline.com

A look at the many stages we go through in our walk with Jesus. ⇔

by Michael Krigline, April 24, 2016. www.krigline.com ⇔

This is a longer version of a speech given at River Grace Church in Mongkok, Hong Kong; the speech started with a reading from the Bible: Luke 5:1-11 (You can find other messages I’ve delivered at www.krigline.com–look for “things we have written.”)⇔

Today we are going to look at how Peter was “called,” and just as importantly, we want to think about how WE are called. DOES God still “call” people? While you think about that, I hope you can understand the humor in this opening recording, but imagine what would happen if God called you at work….

Radio skit: God called, you have been busy (from Lifeline Productions) [Basically, a busy business man returns from lunch, and his secretary tells him about important phone calls, including one “from God,” who wants the man to know that He has been ‘trying to reach you, but you’ve been too busy; I’m here for you when you need me.’]

Sometimes I wish that God would pick up the phone to “call” me, but God’s “callings” don’t happen like that, do they? As a result, some believe that God doesn’t really “call” us anymore, but nothing could be further from the truth. I believe He constantly calls us; we’re just normally too busy, or distracted, or doubting… to pay Him the attention He deserves.

You know, when we read about God’s call to Simon-Peter and his partners in Luke 5, it is easy to marvel, because it sounds like they meet, see a miracle, and then immediately (in the words of verse 11) “they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.” But there is actually a lot more to their story, and I think a careful examination of the scriptures shows that Peter responded a lot like most of us: cautious and interested at first, with his commitment to Christ growing from basic spiritual hunger to loving devotion. Likewise, we see that Jesus didn’t just call Peter to “follow Him” one time—Jesus called several times, and accepted whatever level of commitment Peter was willing or able to give at that moment, which is also a lot like what happens to most of us.

My favorite way to read the Gospels is in chronological order. Thomas & Gundry’s Harmony of the Gospels* was a favorite book even before it became one of my textbooks in graduate school. These conservative scholars have put the life of Jesus in chronological order, using extensive research to fit the pieces in from all four accounts. By reading it this way, we find—to be specific in relation to today’s passage—that Peter had several encounters with Jesus before that fateful day when “he left everything” and followed.

To look at those encounters, I’ve created a seven-step framework. Many people go through these phases in their approach to and walk with Jesus. The first four steps look like a series of questions, leading up to statements of faith. As we talk about them, maybe you’ll see yourself, or a relative or friend, somewhere along this path.

An abbreviated look at all seven steps

1. I seem to be “missing something.” Could there be a god?

2. There is something attractive about Jesus and/or Christians. Could this be the path I’m looking for?

3. I’m willing to “believe.” Could these facts about the historical Jesus be true?

4. I’ve started to see Jesus in His followers. What do they have that I don’t have, and how do I get it?

Faith is then exercised, and the questions give way to commitment in three more steps (expressed here in the form of prayers).

5. I’m a sinner. Jesus, please forgive me and give me Your peace.

6. I’m a disciple, permanently and publicly! Our Father and King, Thy will be done. Mold me and use my life to build Your Church.

7. I’m in love with You, Lord. I have embraced my cross, “leaving everything to follow You.”

To save time, I showed the scriptures on screen, but those looking at my website can read the verses on-line. (I recommend www.biblegateway.com).

Peter’s journey

Step One. Here is the complete version of a description of phase One.

1. I seem to be “missing something” and the answers I’ve found fall short. Could there be a god? If so, how do I find out?

For Peter, we see Step One in John 1:35-42.

John 1 describes a time many months—maybe even a year—before the passage in Luke 5. Peter and his brother Andrew are both away from home, listening to a fiery young preacher named John the Baptist. How do we know they were away from home? John baptized in the Jordan River, no where near Peter’s home in Capernaum by the Sea of Galilee. To me, their presence with John shows their spiritual hunger, as if they are looking for more answers than what their Jewish upbringing has provided. John points Andrew to Jesus, calling Him “the Lamb of God”, and Andrew is so impressed that he finds his nearby brother, and (according to John 1:41) Andrew brings him to Jesus by saying: “We have found the Christ.” Jesus gives Peter a new nickname, so there’s clearly some interaction between them, but I think Peter is a long way from the commitment we find in Luke 5.

2. Jesus and/or Christians are attractive to me. Could this be the path I’m looking for? Why do I find Christ or Christians attractive?

3. I’m willing to “believe”—to get to know Jesus through His Word and His people. Could these facts about Jesus be true?

We can see Steps Two and Three in several places, as Simon-Peter starts following Jesus around in an off-and-on sort of way, as his work permits.

Immediately after Peter and Andrew become among the first to “follow” Jesus, John (2:2) tells us that “both Jesus and his disciples were invited to a wedding…” in Cana (north of Nazareth). Peter and Andrew are not specifically mentioned, but they are ‘half’ of the names John gives us in chapter 1, so isn’t it logical to assume that they are among “the disciples” John has in mind in chapter 2?

You can read the familiar story, where Jesus turns water into wine, in John 2:1-12. Maybe it was miracles (water into wine) that made Jesus more and more attractive to Peter—for many of us, its answered prayer. That’s stage 2; but “wonders” are rarely enough to really make someone a disciple.

“Belief” is stage 3; we just saw that John (2:11) wrote that “His disciples believed in Him.” These earliest disciples “believe” and perhaps are even willing to follow this charismatic teacher around in “phase 2 or 3,” but the life-changing commitment is still in Peter’s future.

As we just read, the next verse (2:12) puts Jesus in Capernaum (Peter’s hometown) for a few days, before Jesus heads south. In the next chapter, John 3:22-23, we find “Jesus and His disciples” baptizing, likely near Salim (again, far from Peter’s home in Capernaum)—but I think it’s logical that Peter and Andrew were still among these unnamed disciples, for hadn’t they started out with John the Baptizer?

After this, Thomas & Gundry show Jesus continuing to travel around, but we don’t see the names of those who are with him. There’s no direct indication that Peter went along, or how long he stayed with Jesus, but the next time he is mentioned, Peter is back in his boat, fishing on the Sea of Galilee. But this would be typical of the “on and off” relationship common in Steps Two and Three. “I’m attracted; then I believe” (but remember, even the demons “believe”—James 2:19—but belief must be joined with submission to bring about change).

A few more touches are found in things that happen around Peter’s town, things that someone who had already met Jesus was surely to have heard about. In John 4, Jesus is back in Cana (with no sign of his disciples), but while there Jesus heals the Royal Official’s son in Peter’s town (Capernaum), by long-distance prayer no less (see John 4:46-54). This miracle was probably the “talk of the town” in Capernaum, so I can’t imagine that Peter and Andrew didn’t hear about it! Soon after that, Jesus was rejected in His own hometown (Nazareth) and “settled in Capernaum” (Luke 4:16-31/Matt 4:13-16); could it be that Jesus chose Capernaum because he had already had a connection with several people there, including Peter? (Having “a royal official” in Capernaum who felt grateful to Him couldn’t hurt either!)

Mark 1:15 tells us that Jesus’ core message was “Repent and believe in the gospel”; Peter must have known this, for why else would he soon thereafter feel the need to fall down before Jesus, saying “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”? But at this point, I don’t think he was quite ready for that radical commitment; he was now in stage 4.

4. Now that I understand a bit about Jesus and have come to know some of His followers, what do they have that I don’t have, and how do I get it? And is it worth it?

This is where Peter is, spiritually–on the verge of a permanent commitment, but lacking one important element: namely repentance. Yet, according to Thomas & Gundry, it is at this stage where both Mark and Matthew recall Jesus’ first formal “call” for Peter to follow. Here’s the account, according to Mark 1:16-18:

And as Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” They immediately left their nets and followed Him. –Mark 1:16-18–NIV-UK

Of course they did, for they had already passed Steps 1 to 3: they were spiritually hungry, had found Jesus attractive, and had heard enough to be willing to become “followers/believers” by this point. And now they wanted “more”—that’s stage 4: “Hey Christian, whatever you’ve got, I want it.” But will this level of commitment last, when family pressures and other needs arise?

The text says they followed Jesus, and in the next section (Mark 1:21-28) they see Jesus cast out demons who call Him “the Holy One of God”. Peter, you may recall, calls Jesus this later (John 6:69), and we know Peter was there because the very next passage (Mark 1:29-34) has Jesus following Peter to his own house! There, Peter sees another miracle—indeed, in his own family!—for Jesus heals Peter’s wife’s mother (Mark 1:29-31).

This brings up an interesting side-point: for many people, there is a struggle between the call to follow Jesus on one hand, and family responsibilities on the other hand. Did Peter’s wife or in-laws keep saying to him, “Stop following this preacher around and get back to work!” We don’t know, but it is a real possibility. I like to think that it was Peter’s mother-in-law that was doing this nagging, and Jesus takes advantage of her illness to change her mind about Himself! It’s hard to say bad things about someone who has healed you! Speculation aside, Mark 1:39 has Jesus preaching throughout all Galilee, and the disciples are not mentioned, but Peter is fishing again when he next encounters Jesus in Luke 5:1-11).

Let me digress for a moment to talk about the chronological order of the Luke 5 passage. Thomas & Gundry put Luke 5:1-11 between Mark 1:39 and 1:40 because 1:39 is “parallel” to Luke 4:44 while Mark’s next verse (Mark 1:40) is “parallel” to Luke’s passage 12 verses later (Luke 5:12—with the “extra calling” in between!). In a footnote (p 52), the scholars also explain: “The sequence of Luke’s account, along with several differences in detail from Matthew and Mark, probably indicates this call came later than the one described in Section 47 [Matt 4:18-22 and Mark 1:16-20]. For example, Simon and Andrew were not fishing from a boat in Matthew and Mark, but they were in Luke. In Matthew and Mark, Jesus did not enter a boat as He did in Luke. Luke records a great catch of fish, but Matthew and Mark say nothing about one. Hence, it appears that the two pairs of brothers went back to their fishing trade after the tour of Section 50 [Matt 4:23-24, Mark 1:35-39, Luke 4:42-44].”

This brings us to today’s main passage, Luke 5:1-11, which brings us squarely to Step 5.

5. I repent. I’m convinced that I’m a sinner—I’m not perfect. Jesus, please forgive me and give me Your promised inner peace.

Jesus gets into the boat of his friends Peter and Andrew (they have spent a good deal of time together by now), he preaches a while as the guys mend their nets, and then performs yet another miracle. Something finally gets through to Peter, so he stops fighting his heart and finally feels that deep conviction that he is a needy sinner—we call this “repentance, which is an essential element for anyone who desires a permanent, life-changing relationship with Jesus.

According to Luke 5:7-8:

“…they came and filled both boats [with the miraculous catch of fish] 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!’’”

Step Five; repentance & conviction. And when you truly, really, get to this phase in your walk with Jesus, it shouldn’t take long to get to phase 6:

6. I’ll be a grateful disciple from this day on, publicly calling myself a Christian (through baptism). Our Father and King, I’m both Your child and subject; Thy will be done. Mold me into Your image, and use my life to build Your Kingdom/Your Church.

Of course, Peter doesn’t waste time, taking Step 6 as he and his partners ‘leave everything and follow Jesus.’ This time, because he had walked through all of the steps in his many encounters with Jesus, Peter’s commitment was permanent, and he remained Jesus’ committed disciple for the rest of his life. Quoting Thomas and Gundry again: “After responding to this second call, they seem to have remained with Jesus permanently. Following His crucifixion they did, however, return to fishing (cf. Sec 255 [John 21:1-25]).” (p52)

That reference to Peter’s post-resurrection fishing trip is worth a closer look, so I’ll come back to it in a moment.

Community is essential

But first, I feel compelled to talk about something that is NOT in the text (I think it is understood behind the text), but I’m coming to see more and more clearly that it is an essential part of the Gospel; I’m talking about “community.” It’s hard to find cute little Bible verses that say “Joining God’s Church is an essential part of the Gospel” but it is absolutely indispensable. Perhaps in some other sermon, I can actually show it to you in scripture, but clearly it’s easier to find verses that say “repent and believe” than “join a church” because in the Jewish mind, being a part of the community was indisputably essential. Look at how much of Jewish life involved community: from circumcision on the 7th day, to bar-mitzvah (when a teen boy became “a son of the law”), weddings, funerals, the annual festivals and even more frequent sacrifices, to the weekly observance of the Sabbath; as we read about them in scripture, they ALL involve “community.”

Never in a million years would Peter have thought: “Oh, I’m born-again now, so I can just go off on my own and grow as a Christian.” Never! What is the first word of the Lord’s Prayer? OUR (not “my Father”, but “our Father”—community). What did Jesus pray three times in John 17, in that last “priestly prayer” before going to the cross? “Father… [I pray] that they may be one as we are one.” Community.

Yes, of course, you must come to Christ as an individual—you are not saved because your mother is saved; it’s not a “family package deal”. But Jesus didn’t die on that cross just so that individuals can be saved and blessed; for as God told Abraham, you are blessed so that you can be a blessing to others (Gen 12:3), and it is equally true that you were saved SO THAT the Father is glorified through the building of His Church, His community. I can’t explain this in detail now, but Paul says this is the “mystery” at the center of God’s purpose:

His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. –Eph 3:10-12 NIV-UK

Paul is telling us that God’s eternal intent was to make us into His church, through Jesus, bringing Himself glory. Put another way, Jesus went to the cross to make it possible for you and me to become a part of God’s Kingdom—a community, led by a King who expects us to obey, just as much as by a Heavenly Father who lavishes love upon us as adopted children.

With community and Kingship in mind, read again this description of Phase 6:

Practical application in sharing the Gospel

What’s my point in presenting these stages of someone’s “call” to follow Jesus? As you “share the Gospel,” (1) have reasonable expectations, and (2) don’t soft-sell the truth.

By “reasonable expectations” I mean that we must remember that people at stage one, (or even BEFORE that, if they don’t believe there is a god), have a long way to go before they are ready to become Christians. The prayer of an evangelist is “God, lead me to someone at stage 4, so I can bring them home.” That’s wonderful, but the prayer of every Christian should be: “God, let others see Jesus in my life, and use me to bring them one step closer to You.” Do you see the difference?

There is no “sinner’s prayer” in the Bible, but if there was, even Jesus wouldn’t have sprung it on Peter at his first meeting, there at the Jordan River beside John the Baptist. I find comfort and challenge in the many touches that Jesus made, leading up to that fateful day when Peter finally, and permanently, left everything to follow Him.

And when I say “don’t soft-sell the truth” I mean, don’t forget that there IS a HUGE price to pay to become a child of God and a subject in God’s kingdom. In Jesus’ day, both a father and a king expected complete, unquestioning obedience. God, The King, loves us and wants to forgive and adopt us because He has work for us to do, and do together. Love, repentance and eternal life are one side of the Gospel, but one’s responsibilities to the King and His family [the Church] are another; if you haven’t presented both, you have not fully presented the Gospel. If we really understand what Jesus paid to buy our freedom, we have to know that He has the right to ask us to leave everything and everyone to follow Him. But the call to “leave everything” comes with the reality of being united with Christ and thus co-heir of all things; the call to “leave everyone” comes with unity as part of His Church [our new family], so we can never be alone. This is as much a part of the Gospel as the “sinner’s prayer.”

When you sense that someone is really ready to receive Christ, I challenge you to try to talk them out of it! Do they know what it will cost in terms of family loyalty, political affiliation, job security, sexual purity, community standing, financial integrity, and all the rest? If YOU can talk them out of this commitment, then so can their friends, parents, and even the Devil—and you can bet that they WILL try.

Sharing your faith requires listening to find out what stage they are in. Maybe they have never even heard of who Jesus is. Maybe right now they just need to hear your testimony. Maybe they have questions. Maybe they have fears. So listen, and pray. And ask God to use you to pull them one step forward toward an eternal relationship with Jesus, through His Church.

Falling in Love

As I said above, Thomas & Gundry’s reference to Peter’s post-resurrection fishing trip is worth a closer look, for it allows us to demonstrate Peter’s progressive faith-walk in one more way, as Jesus again calls Peter to “follow Me.” This account shows that discipleship is a life-long process, just as the Believer’s love for Jesus keeps growing.

In John 21, Peter has once again returned to fishing, perhaps because he didn’t know what else to do. Jesus had died and risen, but wasn’t there to be physically “followed” anymore. Peter had seven of the disciples out fishing all night [do you notice the “community”], but they had caught nothing—until Jesus showed up. Yes, there was another miraculous catch of fish (153 fish, to be exact—I’ve always wondered which one got the job of counting those fish!). John figured out first who the stranger on the shore was, and when he told Peter, Peter jumped in and swam to shore. If that is not Step Seven—“I’m in love with You, Lord”—then I don’t know what to call it!

7. I’m in love with You, Lord. I’ve left all, embraced my cross, and count it all gain because “YOU are worthy!”

The interchange between Jesus and Peter in John 21:1-25 is full of meaning. I remember being a junior in college when Professor Eckland told us that two Greek words for love are being used here—and this gets lost when the English translators simply use “love” for both. One of the words (the one Jesus keeps using) is agape, which refers to an unconditional type of love—the kind of love God has for us. The other, which Peter uses in his responses, is phileo, or “brotherly love.” I can still hear my professor saying: “Phileo is our kind of love. You know, ‘I’ll love you if you love me’.”

Keep that in mind when you read John 21:1-25. Jesus says, “Do you love me unconditionally?” Peter replied, “I love you with brotherly love.” Jesus repeats His question with the “higher” standard of love: “Do you love me unconditionally?” Peter repeats his watered-down answer: “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You with brotherly love.”

But here’s the kicker. Jesus changes the verb when He asks again! “He said to him the third time, ‘Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me with brotherly love?”

Well of course “Peter was grieved” by this response—he had already used that verb twice! So Peter said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You with brotherly love.”

My professor said that Jesus was trying to call Peter to “God’s kind of love”, but when He changed the verb it was like Jesus was saying: “I hear you saying that ‘brotherly love’ is the best you can do right now, and I’ll take it. But don’t forget there is a higher standard to strive for.”

And Peter never forgot, for in Peter’s letters, he speaks about loving with God’s unconditional form of love at least three times, including 1 Peter 1:22 (NKJV): “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart.” (See also 1 Peter 1:8 and 2:17.) Because Jesus had accepted “the best he could offer at the time”, Peter’s love for Jesus eventually grew into that higher form to which we are all called.

Finally, take a look at John 21:19-22, a few verses down from the “love dialog”. Jesus has just told Peter that Peter would glorify God by being crucified, which history tells us happened in about AD 64, somewhere near where the Vatican is today (a church called St Peter’s has been there from the fourth century). Picking up in verse 19:

Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, ‘Follow me!’ Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them… When Peter saw him, he asked, ‘Lord, what about him?’ Jesus answered, ‘If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.’ –John 21:19-22 NIV-UK

I don’t hear a rebuke in Jesus’ words, only love. It was like He was saying: Peter, I’ve got a big job for you to do. It is not going to be easy, and from the world’s perspective you will fail. But I know how much you love me, and together we CAN do this. I know you think you don’t love me enough, right now, but trust Me when I say that you will feel differently before you die. The message will not die with you; I WILL raise up My church. So, this isn’t about you, or “that disciple” or anyone else. No matter what others do, you follow Me.

And isn’t that what Jesus says to all of His children? Give Me whatever you have. I’ll take you, vile sinner, just like you are, but I love you too much to leave you the same. Follow Me as we work harder, and climb higher, until you finally see what your mind can’t even conceive of—the glorious future that I have prepared for all who truly love Me. (1 Cor 2:9)

Conclusion

In closing, I hope this quick look at the steps in Peter’s “call” has been encouraging.

Can you see a friend or relative somewhere in this process? Be sensitive to where your friend or relative is at THIS moment. Maybe you have a friend who seems hesitant to “commit everything” to Jesus; well, be patient. Through the various phases, remember that what others see in your life will probably do more to convince them to follow Jesus than what they hear you say. Listen and pray a lot, and patiently keep drawing them closer to Jesus.

Can you see yourself in this process? Perhaps you have recently become attracted to the Christian message or to the characteristics you see in the Christians you know; perhaps you have walked with Jesus for decades. I hope you saw today that God’s “call” is not a one-time event, but rather a lifelong, growing relationship. As Jesus reveals Himself to you, respond with whatever level of commitment you can give. Jesus will walk with you there, and He will keep calling you to know Him better. And get involved in a church; trust me when I say you will find the answers you seek among US much better than you’ll find them in “me” or any individual.

To what new level of commitment is God calling YOU today? If you are looking over your shoulder like Peter, asking “What about him?”, I hope you heard Jesus’ reply: “What is that to you? YOU follow me.”

Somewhere along the way, Jesus may ask you to “leave everything and follow Him”; but when that day comes, you will have seen enough to be convinced that He is worthy of whatever being His disciple entails. And our obedience will come with such a sense of His love and community, that it will seem more like being set free from those old boats and old nets, instead of sacrifice. Or, in the words of Michael Card’s song (that I will try to sing for you now): “It is hard to imagine the freedom we find, from the things we leave behind.”

[You can find Michael Card’s lyrics at www.higherpraise.com/lyrics/cool/t/869.htm]

*Notes

“Thomas & Gundry” refers to A Harmony of the Gospels, Robert L Thomas & Stanley N Gundry, Moody Press 1981.

Bible versions used:

–Unless otherwise noted, scriptures were probably quoted from New International Version – UK (NIVUK) Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.

–Another favorite version is the ESV: The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. 2001 Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

–You can find the whole Bible, in many languages and translations, at www.biblegateway.com

Handout (all seven steps):

When Jesus Calls Again

(River Grace, Apr 24, 2016; Michael Krigline) wp.krigline.com/callsagain