Fellowship with God is More Important than Working for God

Scripture

Our verse for today comes from Luke 5:8, ” When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.’ “

Background

Sometimes we don’t know whether we’re coming or going, do we? The times we think we’ve got it going on, we often realize we have missed the boat entirely. Other times, our heads seem to be spinning and we’re caught in a whirlwind of distraction and chaos, but the pieces keep falling right into place. When we manage to take a minute to open our eyes to the life we’re living, we get to see the beautifully simple lessons it has for us. And so I want us to see the subtle contrasts in two passages today. Peter and a few others had met up with Jesus earlier, but since then they had returned to their ways of fishing, albeit on this night unsuccessfully. What they had known to do and tried to do had completely flopped, and Jesus was there to pick up the pieces, not to restore them, but to completely transform them out of everything they had been in their lives. And rather than departing from them, Jesus overwhelms them in His grace. Their efforts and past were just that, past efforts of their own accord, but Jesus’ grace plucked them out and set them on their path to glory.

Application

Compare that to the words of Christ in His sermon on the mount. When many come to Him and say they have preached in His name and cast out demons in His name and done wonders in His name, He has a completely different response than He had for the men in the boat. He told these laborers, these who thought they had it all together but were clueless to the fact that their striving had left no room for God’s glory, to depart from Him. As they approached Him with their portfolio of accomplishments, He dismissed them like the strangers they were to His awesome grace. When they reviewed their work, their efforts and past, they held their head high and prepped their backs to be congratulated. But the fishermen, faced with God’s awesomeness before the train wreck of their lives, got exactly what they didn’t deserve. Rather than departure, a fellowship began between Lord and worshipper. Let that be the fellowship that you have with your Savior.

Charge

As we seek Him today, ask God to keep you near His side. Don’t spend your time reviewing your works, but let your gaze fall on the amazing One who offers Himself for fellowship.