Rehoboth – The Lord Makes Room
Gtcotr/ss120703
Pearl Harbor Day, Remembering December 7, 1941
Pray for those who lost family & friends that day …
Point #44. If it’s bad God is not finished yet.
This morning’s scripture reading comes from: Genesis 26
18 Isaac dug again the wells which were dug in the days of his father Abraham but had been clogged up by the Philistines after Abraham’s death. And he renamed them, using the original names his father had given them.
19 One day, as Isaac’s servants were digging in the valley, they came on a well of spring water.
20 The shepherds of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s shepherds, claiming, "This water is ours." So Isaac named the well Esek (Quarrel) because they quarreled over it.
21 They dug another well and there was a difference over that one also, so he named it Sitnah (Accusation).
22 He went on from there and dug yet another well. But there was no fighting over this one so he named it Rehoboth (Wide-Open Spaces), saying, "Now GOD has given us plenty of space to spread out in the land." (The Message)
* (NKJV) Genesis 26:22 And he moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. So he called its name Rehoboth, because he said, "For now the LORD has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land."
I. The Sermon Topic For Today: Rehoboth - The Lord Makes Room
A. It’s interesting that twice in the Gospels, the Apostle Peter, a fisherman by trade, was found by Jesus to have been fishing all night and caught nothing. Remember these two encounters.
1. The first time was when Jesus found and initially called Peter to follow Him as a disciple:
* Luke 5:5 But Simon answered and said to Him, "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing …
2. The next time was some time after Jesus’ resurrection: Peter had denied Jesus before His crucifixion and was troubled about it. Perhaps Peter doubted his value to Jesus or was struggling with his own disappointments. Peter decides to return to a more familiar and seemingly secure environment.
* John 21:3 Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We are going with you also." They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing.
II. Lets Look Closer At The Luke 5 Passage (after Jesus’ baptism)
1 ¶ So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret,
2 and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets.
3 Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.
4 When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch."
5 But Simon answered and said to Him, "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; (Production Note: there will be a very brief break in this verse)
nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net."
6 And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.
7 So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.
8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!"
9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken;
10 and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men."
11 So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.
A. 3 ½ Years Later
B. Jesus had been arrested, crucified, buried and resurrected. Many believe His body was stolen. He has appeared twice already.
1. Simon Peter and his brother Andrew, and James and his brother John, the first disciples, the close entourage of Jesus, those whom Jesus had chosen to accompany Him in His greatest and most difficult moments of His life.
* Raising the little dead girl to life
* The Holy Mountain of Transfiguration
* The Garden of Gethsemane
* His betrayal, arrest and crucifixion
2. These men who had walked with Him, followed His teachings and embraced His vision
3. These same men, who had once believed that Jesus would build His church so that the gates of hell would not prevail against it!
4. These, disappointed and perhaps confused men who have now seemingly come up empty handed, after all they gave & gave up
* Their Expectations Shaken
* Their Dreams Shattered
* Their Hope Deferred - Their Hearts Sick Proverbs 13:12
Afraid and left to themselves, we see their ordinariness/vulnerability
* John 21:3 Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We are going with you also." They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing.
* I’ve had enough
* Let’s go back to where we were before this started
* Let’s forget the dream
Maybe you have been troubled or disappointed … and said:
* OK, let’s get back to reality, take our lumps, eat our crow, admit our wrong, forget our dreams and get this behind us and get on with life … I just can’t take anymore; it’s not what I expected.
* Right back to where they were when Jesus first called them:
* Fished all night long and caught nothing
> sound familiar?
> didn’t we do this before?
> Excuse me, is this ‘deja vous’ all over again?
* Working hard at life and coming up empty handed
* Doing everything right but nothing satisfies
* Right where they were before they believed …
* When you are going in circles around yourself and getting nowhere, and had rather just be left alone …
* Wouldn’t You Know It!
Here Comes Jesus Again!
III. Let’s Look A Little More Closely At This Passage In: John 21
3 Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We are going with you also." They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing.
4 But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.
5 Then Jesus said to them, "Children, have you any food?" They answered Him, "No."
6 And He said to them, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.
7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!"
v.8 Peter swam close to 100 yards
v.9 Jesus had breakfast cooking
v.10 Jesus asked Peter to bring some of the fish they had caught
v.11 The net had 153 large fish, and was not broken
v.12 & 13 - They ate breakfast of fish and bread without asking Jesus His identity because they knew who He was
vs.15-18 This is the classic passage: Jesus asking Peter three separate times: “Peter, do you love Me?”, and Peter answering, “Lord, You know I love You!” Then Jesus replies, “Feed My sheep!”
* Life is tough
* Not everybody is going to agree with you
* Not even everybody is going to let you live
* You may get to do what you want to or you may not
* They may even crucify you
* God has priorities … and so do you
* God has a plan, He will succeed & You have been called and prepared to do more than just fish for your living, or fish away your troubles
v.19 (I take liberty in paraphrasing and adlibbing a bit here) Jesus finishes out His speech by saying: Peter, life is not always going to be easy for you; at times it will be difficult and at times it can seemingly cost you everything … but … I don’t want to catch you back here disappointed and fishing for your living … last time we were here, I called you and then I equipped you to become a fisher of men … so get up, get over your disappointments. You are right, it did not happen like you expected … now get on with My plan. Some things have changed, but Me and My plan have not … now let’s go buddy … come on … come on! I don’t want to have to find someone else.
Actually v. 19 says:
v.19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me."
A. The first time Jesus told him to: “launch out into the deep”
* He promised to make him a fisher of men
B. This time Jesus told him to “fish on the right side of the ship”
* Cast the net just a little ways over … you’re close …
> Where there had been no fish, now their were fish
> What they could not do in their own labor, God could
C. Isaac dug two wells that ended up in strife and accusation:
* He didn’t get mad or disappointed or frustrated and quit!
* He dug the third well - Rehoboth
* This is where the Lord made room for him to flourish
* The Lord Still Makes Room Today
> Don’t let life disappoint you and make your soul sick
God has a plan
He will succeed
You can participate
He will make room for you, again and again
So you can be fruitful
In God’s Place
