Just some thoughts...

Here are some thoughts I had reading scriptures as I prepared for leading Bible study for Epic Movement on April 23...

Readings based on Luke 5:1-11, 27-32

God,

This morning I was reading Luke 5, and it talks about how you chose the disciples. You chose fishermen. You literally went to these people and you chose them. You took a specialized vocation that no one expected to be useful in the religious world, and you used these men to be revolutionaries. You redirected their passions from fishermen to fishers of men. I think this is the same kind of shift and revolution we are going to see in the hearts of the people at ASU. You have given people specialized talents such art, business, drawing, computers, cooking, sewing, teaching, reading, writings, even some gifts that may seem insignificant – however, when people realize that they have been chosen by the King of Kings they will run hard after you. They will let go of their dreams and pursue. The crazy thing about Peter and James and John is that they literally gave up everything to follow Jesus. They probably had to save up for a long time to obtain a boat and nets. Their life savings, their livelihood was in those boats and nets. And they let it all go. And this is what you meant when you were talking to the rich young ruler, when you said to sell all your things and follow me. There was no second guessing here; the disciples followed you. They had to leave their family – everything – and pursue you. But you first pursued them. When your people come to an understanding that you first chose us; you first pursued us; we will see a revival and radical transformation. They’re will be a radical transformation in the industrial world because we will see peoples passions become used in ways that they never expected. Who would have thought that four simple fishermen would have changed the world. Four simple fishermen becoming apostles. Four simple fishermen being filled by the spirit and leading the church. God chooses the smallest, the weakest, and outcasts. He chooses the children to reveal the secret and hidden things. Luke 10, comes later where it talks about how Jesus is filled with joy because His followers are filled with the Spirit and are beginning to see and know the things of God.

Jesus chooses Levi – or Matthew the tax collector. Jesus goes to the tax office and tells Matthew to follow him. I’m sure Matthew had some knowledge of who Jesus was. Im sure he had heard his messages and heard of the things Jesus had done. So what is astounding is how easily he left everything as well. Being a tax collector, he probably accumulated a lot of wealth – it was probably in an unrighteous way. But Jesus accepted it. It was kind of like the woman who poured perfume on Jesus feet. That perfume was bought her life savings that probably came through her “dirty” lifestyle. But Jesus accepted it. All we have in our lives is this dirtiness and sin. But when we give it all to Jesus, he accepts it and gives us a pure heart. I can just imagine the brokenness Matthew must have felt sitting in his office. Tax collectors were the objects of scorn and ridicule. Though Matthew was rich and materially plentiful, he must have been hurting so much because of the rejection that he felt. And for the first time when Jesus came up to him and said “follow me” he felt a sense of belonging. I can just imagine the sense of love and belonging that he felt. Someone finally wanted to be with him to know him. The knowledge that he was loved and someone wanted to be with him was more allure than money, gold, or material things. This will be the calling card of our generation. The things of the world will no longer have an appeal to us. All this generation wants to be known and to be loved. The things of this world we have accumulated have been done through immoral and sinful things. But when we give them to Jesus, he will give us a pure heart. God came to heal the sick and the broken. He came to give life and life more abundantly. He came to let people know they are loved. He came to show that he cared.

You may think that you don’t deserve God, or that he doesn’t want you but he does. He loves you no matter what your past.