In Part 1 we discussed verse 1, how the people pressed upon Jesus to hear Him speak, to hear the word of God. Why? Because the word of God is TRUTH, Jesus in the flesh, the essence of God Himself.
In Part Two we discussed verse 3, the importance of partnering with Jesus, lending Him our “boat” so that He can speak to and transform souls as we see time running out. What is your “boat”? What is in your hand? What can you allow Jesus to use so He can transform the hearts of the people around you?
Jesus will often ask you to do something out of the ordinary, out of season
And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing…. –Luke 5:5
These seasoned fishermen knew their job. They knew that the fish was plentiful very late at night to early morning. They knew their season. They knew their time. They knew the method of fishing. It was their craft. They had gone out and done their job as they had done in the past over and over again. But they caught no fish on their current run with their boat. Now here was Jesus, someone they barely knew, asking them to do something out of the ordinary. Something unusual. Even wrong. Out of season. Extraordinary. Supernatural.
In this hour He will ask you to do something out of the ordinary, something that maybe no one in your family has ever done. Something you may never have done before or even seen done before. What will He ask you to do?
Finish college when all hell around you says absolutely not? - kids acting up, no money, no laptop, no knowledge and understanding of the concepts they expect you to not only learn, but to do homework on? Complete college.
Stay single and pure- when the popular, loudly and often proclaimed word in your circle of friends and family is that, you can’t put your sexual parts up on the shelf to grow cobwebs! You need a man to help you with the bills! No! Stay single and pure.
Forgive your father, your mother, your husband, your wife- but you don’t understand what they’ve done! They’ve stolen all that I had; refused to help me when I was down; told me I was no good and that if they had a gun they would shoot me and save the world from me! They refused to answer my cries for help! They raped me of my innocence! Forgive. Not a choice. A command. Forgive.
**A word of note: forgiveness does not mean hugging and kissing your rapist, or anyone who hurt you. It may be that you never go into the presence of that one who has hurt you ever again. But, what it does mean, is that you refuse to allow them any more access to your life by having them hold your emotions hostage with anger and bitterness. It means believing that as God says, vengeance is mine, I will repay (Romans 12:19, Matthew 18) (and He will- His time, His way!). It means resting in His truths and moving on with your life, free from the bondage of hate and bitterness- like drinking poison and hoping the one who hurts you die. **
He may call you to give an offering like the widow woman who gave her last meal (1 Kings 17:12) or the one who gives all her living (Mark 12:43-44). Quit listening to Satan’s lies that the Pastor is using your money to fulfill his own needs! Obey God. Do as He says (John 2:5). Leave the rest up to Him. Give an offering to the place He specifies, in the amount He specifies.
What out of season, out of the ordinary act is He asking you to do? Jesus demonstrated before His disciples a very unusual, seemingly strange and unfair action. He cursed the fig tree for not having what the Master dictated it should have-figs. Out of season.
…He was hungry. And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if perhaps he might find anything thereon; and when he came to it he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. And Jesus answered and said unto it, no man eat fruit of you from this time to forever… –Mark 11:12-14
It would appear that it was out of season for figs to bear at this time. But who is the Creator of the fig tree? What conversation went on before Jesus appeared before the tree? Hungry and expectant?
“And Jesus answered and said unto it…” Notice an even more curious scripture in Judges 9:11, But the fig tree said unto them, should I forsake my sweetness and my good fruit and go to be promoted over the trees?
The fig tree talked! The trees of the field do clap their hands (Isaiah 55:12)! If the Master, Creator of the tree, desires fruit, then He has a right to get the fruit when He asks it to produce, even if we humans thinks it is out of season! Or unusual or unfair. He is the Potter. We are the clay. He has determined our path. We are to find out what it is and obey it.
But now, O Lord, you are our father; we are the clay; and you are our potter; and we all are the work of your hand. –Isaiah 64:8
Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd Strive with the potsherds of the earth; shall the clay say to him That fashioned it, what are you making? Or your work, He has no hands? –Isaiah 45:8
So what is He asking of you in this season that is out of season, out of ordinary? What conversation has He had with you (or will shortly have with you), asking for your cooperation so others could eat of His fruit because of your obedience? He demonstrated many unusual, out of the ordinary actions.
He told the disciples to go find a certain man they would meet bearing a jug of water and to follow him to his dwelling and to tell the owner of the house the man enters, that the Master has need of his room for the Passover. What conversation went on between this man and his Creator to make him just gave up a room, already furnished?
…Behold when you are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he enters into. And you shall say to the goodman of the house, The Master says to you, where is the guest chamber where I shall eat the Passover with my disciples? ...And they went and found as he had said unto them… –Luke 22:10-12
He told the disciples to go loose a colt that was someone else’s and to let the person know when questioned that He sent for it, because He had need of it. Surely there was a conversation between the Creator and this colt owner before they loosed the colt.
Go into the village…you shall find a colt tied…loose him, and bring him to me. And if any man asks you, Why do you loose him? Thus you shall say unto him because the Lord has need of him. –Luke 19:30-31
What is it that you have that the Master has need of? What out of season, out of character, out of ordinary thing is He asking you to do? He is our example. He never asks us to do anything that, one, He has not first done; and two, that He will not equip you to do, and ready others to help you fulfill.
The best thing about out of season acts of Jesus is that we too can expect out of season, supernatural actions performed on our behalf- like getting the coin out of the fish to pay taxes (Matthew 17:27)!
May His grace overwhelm you to obey out of season, out of the ordinary, so that you too may let down your nets for a great flowing of souls into the kingdom, including your loved ones.
Yes, you. This is for you.