Paul Chappell - Sailing with Jesus: Choosing Faith as Your Compass

Copyright 2013

by Striving Together Publications. All Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version. Special emphasis in verses is added.

First published in 2013 by Striving Together Publications, a ministry of Lancaster Baptist Church, Lancaster, CA 93535. Striving Together Publications is committed to providing tried, trusted, and proven resources that will further equip local churches to carry out the Great Commission. Your comments and suggestions are valued.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwisewithout written permission of the publisher, except for brief quotations in printed reviews.

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ISBN 978-1-59894-232-3

eISBN 978-1-59894-239-2

Printed in the United States of America

Contents

INTRODUCTION

Meet Peter: rugged, strong, skilled, impetuous, perceptive, determineda born leader. And yet, for all his qualities, he was just a common fisherman.

Common as Peter was, Jesus saw him as an individual, and He offered to do something great through this ordinary fisherman. In fact, Peters life was dramatically changed the day that Jesus entered his boat. From that day on, Peter was no mere fisherman; he was a fisher of men.

Not surprisingly, two of the most poignant moments with Christ in Peters life took place in a boat.

Once was when Jesus instructed Peter to launch outeven though there was no reason to do so and there was every reason not to do so.

Another was when Peter found himself in a boat with Christ on a storm-tossed sea. The storm was so fierce that Peter believed it would claim his life.

From these two scenarios in Peters life, we learn two vital lessons as disciples of Christ: to launch out and to trust the Saviour through the storms. In both cases, we discover the power of Gods Word, the joy of obedience, and the peace that can only come by being in the presence of Jesus.

PART ONE

Set the Sails

Peter knelt by the shore as he washed the seaweed from his nets. He was a common man with a common occupation. His hands were calloused, and his skin was weathered. He knew his trade and worked it skillfully.

James and John, Peters partners, worked in rhythm nearby. The night had been long and fruitless. The men were exhausted and ready to find some rest.

Suddenly, Peter heard his name. Simon, may I use your ship?

Willing to assist Jesus, Peter left his net and resumed his seat in the fishing boat. He nudged it away from the shore and listened as Jesus voice now projected across the Sea of Galilee as He taught the rich truths of Scripture to multitudes on the bank.

Jesus finished His message and turned once again to Peter. His request this time was astounding: Launch out into the deep.

And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simons, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship. Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. 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 was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken: And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him. Luke 5:111

CHAPTER ONE

Why Launch?

It was a well-known fact that in the Sea of Galilee you caught fish under two conditions: at night and in shallow waternot in full daylight in deep water. Peter could obey Jesus and launch out, or he could follow his senses and decline. Peter didnt know it, but his choice in that momentto launch or not to launchwould be the pivotal point for the rest of his life.

One choicea changed purpose

A single act of obedience to Christs command can indeed change the course of a life. Peters decision and the miracle that followed had a further-reaching impact than Peter could have dreamed. When Peter chose to place his faith in the powerful Word of God, his life would never be the same.

That day, Peter saw Jesus do something miraculous. In the coming days, Peter and other Galilean fishermen turned the world upside down (Acts 17:6).

You and I likewise have the opportunity to experience the miraculous power of God. We serve the same Jesus who spoke to Peter two thousand years ago. We have access to His written Word, and we have the promises of His faithfulness to back us. Why then do we experience a lack of spiritual fruitfulness? Why are we not more successful fishers of men? Why can we so often echo Peters comment, Master, we have toiled all the night [by our methods, with the means that we know] and have taken nothing?

Lack of resources is not our problemwe have the boat and net. There is no shortage of souls who need Christthe sea is wide open and ready. But we sit on the dock attempting to catch fish in shallow waters.

Before anything great will be accomplished for Christ, we must make the decision to launch out at His command. Like Peter, our response to Gods Word will either invite or hinder His blessing and power in our lives.

Great things will only happen as we launch forward in our service to Christ. Without Spirit-led, Spirit-filled action, our lives and ministries will become spiritually stagnant. Like Peters disappointing night of fishing, our attempts to serve the Lord in our strength will yield empty nets every time. As we heed Christs commands, however, we will experience miracles made possible only by the hand of God.

Are you ready to see miracles? You have to launch out.

Get out of the shallows

Perhaps our greatest obstacle to seeing the miraculous power of God is our own apathy. We generally do what we want to do. And most of us dont want to leave our comfort zone.

In todays accommodating culture, we are willing to dabble in service for the Lordwe may even wade out a bit further than the Christian next to usbut we insist on staying near the shore. Its one thing to receive Jesus as your Saviour; its another to wholeheartedly follow Him as a disciple.

Moving into deep water requires a full commitment. It means you weigh anchor and set your sails to catch the wind. It means you leave the shallows behindfully surrendered to the directions of the Captain.

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