Dare to Believe
Matthew 4:18 (NIV) – “As Jesus was walking
beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were
casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.”
We are going to talk about simple people, people
that came out of the crowd, people like us, people who dared to believe.
Peter and his brother Andrew were fishermen.
They were hard workers. Andrew had heard about Jesus through John the Baptist,
who had said that Jesus was the Lamb of God (John 1:36). Since then, Andrew
tried to bring Peter to Jesus. But, we can see that Jesus went himself and
called them to follow him.
Matthew 4:19 (NIV) - “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”
As Jesus called them, they
did not run home to tell the news, they did not think about it for a week, on
the contrary, they accepted right away.
Matthew 4:20 (NIV) – “At once they left their nets and followed him.”
Mathew 4:21-22 (NIV) – “Going on from there, he
saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with
their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left
the boat and their father and followed him.”
These verses talk about the calling of James and
John as well. It is interesting to notice that Jesus called them and they
followed him right away. However, their father Zebedee (pronunciation Zébedii),
who was with them on the boat, did not follow Jesus. James and John, at their
turn, left not only the boat but also the father! They dared to believe!
Daring to believe
requires a complete emptiness of oneself.
The believer has to give away all he has and all he is. That is a process.
I believe that from all
the followers that Jesus had, the strongest
example is of Peter. He was a rude person, but also an enthusiast. When
Jesus washed the disciples’ feet, he wanted to have his whole body washed. He
cut the ear of the servant of the high priest. He was intense, an ardent
disciple. Although, he was not perfect. He himself thought he could not deny
Jesus in the middle of the people who wanted to see his master dead on a cross.
The truth is that his human condition emerged, because he was afraid of being
discovered as one of Jesus’ followers, and felt very disappointed when he
denied Jesus three times and heard the rooster sing as Jesus had told him it
would happen. He repented and wept bitterly, since he realized he would not be
able to stand strong for Jesus on his own. He
needed help!
When we need help, God
always finds a way! However, we have to
seek for that help. It does not come alone!
On the day of the
Pentecost, there were about 120 people praying when the Holy Spirit came down
in form of tongues of fire over their heads. They began speaking other tongues,
tongues they had never gone to school to learn. I went to school to learn
English.
Peter was among these
people. He was praying, he was seeking for what he finally realized he did not
have. He knew now that he couldn’t dare to believe on his own. He needed
something stronger than his own willpower.
Belief is divine. Belief implies spiritual vision of
something you have not been able to see with the human eye, but you can see
through the spiritual vision given by the Holy Spirit to your spirit. That
is exactly what happened to Peter.
Acts 2:14 (NIV) – “Then Peter stood up with the
Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you
who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I
say.”
Peter stoop up among the
eleven disciples. He took the lead and
started to preach. The first preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ! About
3,000 people believed and were baptized that day. In his second speech another
2,000 believed! The Holy Spirit had made him a leader!
I can imagine Peter
trying to be a leader among the fish he used to fish. “Hey, you fish! Come
inside my boat right now! I’m telling you!” What a frustration for such a
talent when he was not able to catch a single fish after trying all night. It
was when Jesus came and told him to let down the nets, he said:
Luke 5:5 (NIV) – “Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and
haven’t caught anything. But
because you say so, I will let down the nets.”
Peter had what we need to have: he dared to
believe!!!
I can see ourselves,
struggling through life, trying to be someone on this jungle of unfairness and
evil. Giving our best years to parties, sex, feelings, jokes, friendships and
all kinds of things this earth provides. None of them, nevertheless, will bring
the true joy, because if they did, we wouldn’t have to continue seeking and
seeking for them.
Peter was intense, but also a fearful person.
Peter was inpatient, unfaithful, irresponsible,
the very opposite of a hero.
Jesus saw in him, what only Jesus can see in a
person. Jesus told him to feed his sheep. His sheep were the cause Jesus died
on the cross and they were too valuable for him.
John 21:17 (NIV) – “The third time he said to him,
“Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the
third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know
that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.”
Do you know what Jesus
sees in you?
Do you think Peter knew
what Jesus saw in him? No, he didn’t.
Jesus sees a person he
loves in you! This I know. He died for
you and me! Peter was also hung on a cross and tradition says he was hung
upside down, upon his own request, because he did not think he deserved the
same death as his Lord.
Jesus is not asking me to die for him. He
already died for us. He wants to live in our hearts and complete the work of
arts God himself started at our mother’s womb. He does not care if you have
sinned, if you have been on drugs, if you are a prostitute… Whoever you are.
He cares for you!
What you need is dare to believe!
Philippians 1:6 (NIV) – “being confident of this, that
he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
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