God's Call to Abandon

A Call to Action  Pt 2

Bud Wrenn  5.8.11

a·ban·don n. 1. Unbounded enthusiasm; exuberance. 2. A complete surrender of inhibitions.

A life of ABANDON…..

….Responds quickly to  Jesus-inspired opportunities. 

John 21:7 (NLT) ⁷ Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic (for he had stripped for work), jumped into the water, and headed to shore.

Galatians 6:10   Whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone, especially to our Christian brothers and sisters.

 Col. 4:5  Live wisely among those who are not Christians, and make the most of every opportunity.

 ….Moves forward ahead of the pace of others.

John 21:8 (NLT) ⁸ The others stayed with the boat and pulled the loaded net to the shore, for they were only about a hundred yards from shore.

Two things we must value:

a) the Person of Jesus (Peter)

b) The Works of Jesus (Disciples)

Ephesians 6:7 (NLT) ⁷ Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.

The downside:  Moving Too Quickly.

 …..Figuring out what needs to be done and doing it. 

John 21:10-11 (NLT) ¹⁰ “Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,” Jesus said. ¹¹ So Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore. There were 153 large fish, and yet the net hadn’t torn.

Matthew 7:12 (MSG) ¹² "Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. Add up God's Law and Prophets and this is what you get.

…. Focusing on important, rather than trivial, issues. 

John 21:12-13 (NLT) ¹² “Now come and have some breakfast!” Jesus said. None of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. ¹³ Then Jesus served them the bread and the fish.

1 Peter 4:7-9 (NLT) ⁷ The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. ⁸ Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. ⁹ Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay.

The Past often Shapes the Future….

Luke 5:5-6 (NLT) ⁵ “Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.” ⁶ And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear!

Matthew 14:29-31 (NLT) ²⁹ “Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. ³¹ Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”