Divine Intrusions: When Jesus Unexpectedly Enters Your World

The call to revival is not a pursuit of novelty, glitter, falling down, or any other external thing. The call to revival is the call to come to the Man, Christ Jesus!

We’re not after just a little spice in our meetings!

We’re after Jesus. We’re after God Himself.

So, as a community, I want to keep reminding us on the front end that we are not here to protect the status quo. We want to be a people who pursue! A church that yearns and yields.

Today, in our reading, this passage stood out:

Luke 5
1 On one occasion, Jesus was preaching to a crowd on the shore of Lake Galilee. A vast multitude of people was pushing to get close to Jesus to hear the word of God. 2 He noticed two fishing boats at the water’s edge, with the fishermen nearby, rinsing their nets. 3 Jesus climbed into the boat belonging to Simon Peter and said to him, “Let me use your boat. Push it off a short distance away from the shore so I can speak to the crowd.”

A couple of things here: who came looking for whom here? Peter wasn’t seeking. Jesus just climbs right into his boat! Do you remember when He climbed into yours? How many of us can take credit for being the pursuer? I think the reality is, God has always been the initiator. He finds us, yes?!

4 Jesus sat down and taught the people from the boat. When he had finished, he said to Peter, “Now row out to deep water to cast your nets, and you will have a great catch.”

5 “Master,” Peter replied, “we’ve just come back from fishing all night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you insist, we’ll go out again and let down our nets because of your word.”

Here again, what do we see? Peter is about as enthusiastic as a dead squirrel. He’s complying, but for sure, he’s not happy about it.

This gives me hope. I want us to always have an enthusiastic response to the Lord! But my hope isn’t in my enthusiasm, or yours either. All my hope is in the Man who climbs into boats. All my hope is in the One who says, “Cast your nets again.”

6 When they pulled up their nets, they were shocked to see a huge catch of fish, and their nets were ready to burst! 7 They waved to their business partners in the other boat for help. They ended up completely filling both boats with fish until they began to sink!

Hallelujah! It’s a miracle!!

That’s what we think the response should have been. God moves, and we’re all celebrating. But that’s not what happened at all.

8 When Simon Peter saw this astonishing miracle, he knelt at Jesus’ feet and begged him, “Go away from me, Master, for I am a sinful man!”

It’s like, “Woe! Get away! Get away!” I want us to see something here. Peter’s first reaction, even as a fisherman, wasn’t wonder; it was terror.

The reality is, when we come face to face, when the light invades us, the darkness we weren’t aware of suddenly becomes exposed. If Peter were here, I think he would tell us the dread of this first encounter.

9-10 Simon Peter and the other fishermen—including his fishing partners, Jacob and John, the sons of Zebedee—were awestruck over the miracle catch of fish.

Jesus answered, “Do not yield to your fear, Simon Peter. From now on, you will catch men for salvation!”

11 After pulling their boats to the shore, they left everything behind and followed Jesus.

We need to prepare our hearts for revival. We need to prepare our hearts for the Light! And I don’t know how we do that exactly, except to allow the Lord to rework our thoughts about Him. He’s Good. He’s for us. He’s kind. He’s zealous against everything that comes against us and union with Him.

Psalm 100
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!
Know that the Lord, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!
For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.

Deepening Faith: Reflective Journal Prompt

Reflect on a moment in your life when you felt like God unexpectedly “climbed into your boat” as He did with Simon Peter. How did this encounter challenge or change your perspective on your role in God’s plans? Consider how this experience might be similar to Peter’s reluctance and eventual obedience, and write about what it taught you about trust, obedience, and the nature of God’s call in your life.

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