We've been in the call series, if you've.
Missed that? Do catch up?
We've been looking. More recently, and we looked at
the three different calls. There's the call to be with
Jesus. And we've been unpacking the
story of when Jesus called the first disciples the first call.
Was the call to be with Jesus. We're called to be with Jesus
before we're ever. Called to do something, as I've
been saying we're called to someone before something.
The second thing is. We've been called to holiness,
which means to be set apart from the.
World and be consecrated to him and in the story of calling.
The first disciples that we've. Been reading when he calls Simon
Peter into the boat, he says. Let's push.
Away from the crowd. Let's push away.
Let's have a separation, we unpack.
What holiness looks like and we look.
Specifically at the fear. Of God.
And then we are in the section which is.
A call to fulfill. The Great Commission and we've
been looking at 10 hallmarks. Of that that you can find within
the story that we're going to read together now, 10
distinctives. Around the call of God on.
Us. And we looked at #1.
God. Calls us at the.
Point where we feel weak and. Tired.
That's the first. Hallmark, the second one we.
Looked at, was it? Will require us to go deeper
than we ever did before. Or that we did before #3.
It doesn't always seem to make sense to us.
That I get an Amen in the house. And #4 we looked at the last one
was it requires obedience in his word.
And you can do the math. We've got 10 to get through.
My prayer is that we. Get through it right.
Up until Christmas time, I might have to squeeze a couple in on
one week. So before I unveil Hallmark #5,
because I can see you're all so. Excited about that.
We're going to read the story together that we can find in
Luke. Chapter 51 to 11:00 I'm going to
read this as way of a. Reminder and recap because.
It has been a couple of weeks and then we're going to look at
Hallmark #5. On one occasion while the crowd
was pressing. In on him that's Jesus to.
Hear the word of God, He was standing by the lake of
Ganesarat, which. Is also the Sea of Galilee.
And he saw two boats by the lake.
But the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their
Nets. Getting into one of the boats,
which was Simon's, he asked him to put out a little.
From the land, and he sat. Down and taught the people from
the boat and when he had finished.
Speaking, he said to. Simon put out into the deep and
let your net down for a catch. And Simon answered Master.
Listen, we. Toiled all night and took
nothing but nevertheless. That was the last hallmark we
looked at. Nevertheless, at your word.
Will let down the Nets, and when they had done this, they
enclosed a large number of fish, and their Nets were breaking.
They signaled to their. Partners in the other boat to
come and help them and they came and filled.
Both the boats, so they began to sink when Simon Peter.
Saw him he fell down at. Jesus's knees saying, depart
from me, for I am a sinful. Man, O Lord, he and all who were
with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had
taken, and so also were. James and John son of.
Zebedee, who were partners with Simon and Jesus, said to Simon,
do not be afraid from now on. You will be catching men.
And when they had brought their boats to land, they left
everything. And followed him well, We get to
Hallmark. #5 and it. Is this hallmark #5?
There is blessing in the call. There is.
Blessing in the call now when we think about.
Blessing what we often think about the things that God gives.
US is that. Fair.
You know I've been blessed by having.
So and so. Or maybe we say we just pray the
Lord. 'S blessing on you or when
someone sneezes. We say what?
Bless you. Why not?
Any opportunity to bless someone you know, even even non
Christians. Will use that phrase.
Bless you. It's become part of our modern
vernacular, in fact. There was a social media trend.
A number. Of.
Years ago that was hashtag. Blessed.
I don't know if any of you remember.
That some. Of you are nodding your head and
and essentially. What you would do is you would
take a picture of your new car. And say hashtag blessed or your
job offer letter hashtag blessed or your new shoes #blessed.
Everyone got into it. Which is a way of saying.
You know, it's not about me, but it's all about me.
Just saying or This is my latte. In front of Starbucks, I kid you
not. #Blessed I mean.
Blessed has become. Synonymous with gifts, doesn't
it? And it is true here, brothers
and sisters, that all good. Things come from heaven above as
we read in the scriptures, and it's worth saying.
That as it says in the scriptures, the sun shines on
the righteous and the unrighteous, I mean we call it
common grace. That God is graceful to his.
Creation. And He pours His blessings.
The blessing of of the warmth of the sun is upon the righteous.
And the unrighteous. But here's the problem.
I think we fall. Into a bit of a.
Trap, that is. Oh, so subtle.
Which is we think that the blessing of God only resides in
the gifts. That he gives us the things that
he enables us to have. And So what we think about?
When we think about the blessing of God is that it's almost like
an add on, IE I'm saved now Lord, would you?
Bless me with this and the other Lord.
I pray a blessing of a new car. I pray, listen, God wants to
bless you in that area, but can I respectively?
Say it's not just about that. It is a trap that is oh so
subtle and and I tell you. A reason why it's subtle.
Because we associate the blessings of God with gifts for
good behavior. Now you might not articulate it
in that manner, or necessarily. Consciously.
Think that way. But the way it plays out is if
God is pleased. With me?
He will therefore give. Me the blessing.
Or if I pray. In the right way he will bless
me, and so we. Put the blessing of God on the
condition of our performance. You see that?
When you really think about it and that's why.
You can have whole doctrines that have been.
Formulated that are warped into. God.
God wants to give you whatever you name and claim.
Because essentially what they do is they take the blessing of
God, one aspect. Of it that he wants to give good
gifts and magnify it to the. Point at which it is the only.
Thing. About God's blessing.
But I want to come to you this. Morning.
To tell you that. That is not.
Correct that as we read in the. Scriptures We see the blessing
is owe so much. More than that, my my heart this
morning. Is that we reposition blessing?
Away from just these material items and what we do is we.
See the bigger picture and the bigger.
Narrative of the Lord's blessing upon us and.
Ultimately, to see how the blessing of God is absolutely
center into the gospel and woven throughout the gospel.
Message The Good news of Jesus Christ.
So get comfy. We're going to go from Genesis
all the way through to Revelation, because who knows
that sometimes in order to go deep, you need to get.
Far out and have a look from the aerial view if you want to see a
trend, if you want to see a narrative.
If you want to see what Hertfordshire looks like above,
you need to get into a helicopter.
And survey it all. And so in order for us to go
deep into the blessing. We need to go.
Up. 1st to have a look and that's what we're going to do.
So follow me on this tour of the Bible.
As we see a theme of blessing run throughout, you see in the
beginning we. See the first ever blessing in
Genesis? Anyone know what the first ever
blessing was? OK.
I'm going to say like, oh, I knew it was that you can be more
brave if. You wish Genesis, Chapter 120.
2. God blesses the creatures of the
sea. And the birds of the air telling
them what? This was the blessing to be
fruitful and multiply. The earth.
There you go. First.
Ever. Blessing you read in the
scriptures now the second blessing.
Anyone know what the second blessing is?
Thank you upon Adam and Eve. Verse 28 God gave a similar
blessing to Adam and Eve. But unlike the animals, did you
know there was an additional? Blessing which he gave them.
Which was to exercise. Dominion over.
Creation. So he built upon that original
blessing, he said. Animal Eve go and multiply and
be fruitful and have dominion over the creation, in other
words. I want you to rule on Reign on
behalf of myself. That's what it's about.
I want you to be image bearers of me because you've been
created in my image. The animals haven't, but you
have, and therefore the blessing I pronounce upon you.
Is that you would rule and reign.
And be my Regents here on earth and.
So we see that blessing of fruitfulness and multiplication,
and a blessing of extending the Kingdom of.
God on earth. You see that and as long as they
walked in the obedience. Of God, and as long as they ate
from the. Tree of life.
All was OK, They would operate under the.
Blessing. But what happened?
They didn't, did they? There was another tree in the
garden. Which God said don't have of
that tree, the tree of knowledge, the good of evil, now
the tree. In this story represents man
wanting the blessings of God to multiply and be.
Fruitful and to have dominion but.
Without the one who blesses. Why do I say that?
Because the lie was the temptation was you can.
Be like God. In other words, you don't need
God. You can be like him.
You can disconnect the blessing that he pronounced upon you and
God himself. And you'll be a OK and that's
the world we live in as Mark, I think.
It's Saya says in. Australia the world wants the
the Kingdom of God without. The king We want the benefits of
the blessing without the one that blesses, and so.
Adam and Eve ate of the apple. Now what happened at that point?
Well, the opposite. Came a curse came.
You got the blessing. And you got a.
Curse. Now the curse was a direct
consequence of making a decision to leave the one who blesses and
come out of. The covering of that blessing.
That was the decision that Adam and Eve made.
The curse wasn't some kind of special magic.
Curse that God pronounced. He told them the.
Consequence of what That sin meant and what?
Do we read instead of a blessing of abundance of life?
Health and fruitfulness. The curse was what?
One of isolation? Shame toil.
No fruitfulness. Lack and ultimately death.
Do you see that the curse is a direct opposite of the blessing
because you cannot disconnect? The Blessing of.
God with the one who blesses it. It's not the blessing of God.
Isn't a magic formula that you can name it and claim.
It and receive it. Irrespective.
Of the one who blesses you, you understand.
And so this curse came in. Now what happens at this point?
Well, we have in Genesis. Three, the first ever prophetic.
Declaration of the gospel. It's called the Proto
Evangelium, which essentially means.
The first Gospel, and if you were here when I did.
The Gospel series. You'll remember.
What I said that in Genesis. 3. God curses.
The Sermon Serpent and says there'll be enmity between the
offspring of the woman and you. And you will, you will.
Bruise his heel, but he will strike your head.
What is that about? That's about declaring that
Jesus will come and he will beat Satan.
That's what that proto Evangelium is.
And so in that moment, you see God.
Had a plan to. Cross.
And to put to death the curse. That had come into the land.
You see that now Adam and Eve leave God and obedience.
So what? What's God going to do now?
Did God give up? He said, Well, they blew it.
That's it. Done now?
No. God chose A.
Couple to walk in God's. Blessing Abraham and Sarah.
Let's look at Genesis 12123 Now the Lord said to Abraham.
It was Abraham at the time. Before God renamed him to
Abraham, which means father of many nations.
He says this Go from your country and your kindred and
your father's house to the land that I will.
Show you and I will what make you a great nation, and I will.
Bless you and make your name great.
So that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you
and him who. Dishonors you, I will curse, and
in you listen all the families. Of the earth.
Shall be blessed. What do we see here?
We see the same blessing he gave.
Adam and Eve. He gave gives to.
Abraham and Sarah, namely a blessing to multiply and be.
Fruitful and a blessing to extend God's Kingdom.
To bring blessings to others, the same blessing again, God
says, right, Let's go again. That is the blessing of God.
To be. Fruitful to multiply and to
extend his Kingdom. And so we see.
Exactly that happen, you see what happens in this moment is
the. Blessing of God is.
Designed to. Reverse the curse.
You see that the presence of Abraham and Sarah.
And the nation of. Israel was there to reverse the
curse. And bring the blessing of God
that he had intended, and Israel, indeed the nation.
Grew into a very large nation and then we come into the story
where they come to Mount Sinai. And you know the story where
Moses comes down with the tablets and the 10 commandments,
and here we see once again God pronounced that blessing.
Over these people. See, I'm setting before you
today a blessing and a curse. The blessing.
Is if you obey the commandments of the.
Lord your God, which I command you today.
And so once again, we. See the choice if you walk in my
ways. If you recognize me as Lord.
As You worship Me as God, you will walk in the blessing of
multiplication and fruitfulness and extending My Kingdom.
Here. But if you choose not to and you
walk outside of me, and you choose to do your own thing and
be like. God which is the same old.
Temptation, Adam and Eve had. Then you will walk under the
curse. Why?
Because you cannot disconnect. The blessing.
With the one who gives the blessing, and that is the.
Story that we see with Israel time and time again falling away
from God. God in His long-suffering and
His mercy, calling them back. But eventually, what do we see?
We see that. They are exiled into Babylon and
what does that mean? What happens next?
Because it clearly hasn't worked.
Does it mean? That God gives up?
No, because actually, indeed, there will be one that comes
from Israel. That will be a.
Blessing for all nations. Jesus, the Jew.
Jesus came from Israel. Why?
To bring a blessing. And the prophets declared one
would come. Who would finally reverse the
curse and bring the blessing? And that is what we see.
And so Jesus walked under the blessing of the Father.
Why? Because of his obedience to the
Father. And So what we see when Jesus
brings healing and deliverance and.
Peace. What is Jesus doing?
He is walking under the. Blessing of God.
He is reversing the curse. In that moment, what we see him
doing is being fruitful under the abundance of God and
extending God's Kingdom in the. Place he was at, which is
exactly the blessing of God. That he gave Adam and Eve.
You see that we see this theme. All the way through.
And so in that moment, Jesus is extending God's Kingdom, and
that's what we're talking about when we say.
We are here to extend God's Kingdom.
We're talking about playing. Our part in the.
Redemptive story to reverse the curse and bring the.
Blessing of God. That's our job.
That's. The Great Commission, that's.
The call that is placed. Upon us.
To reverse the curse. And bring the blessing of God.
It is the blessing of God upon. Us to be fruitful and multiply.
And to bring the blessing of God to all families of the earth,
and that brings. Us therefore to this.
Hallmark, The blessing of God in the call.
What happens with Jesus? He becomes.
Arrested, right? We celebrated this morning
communion where we remembered. The sacrifice of.
Jesus on the cross that he died and he rose again.
And what happened when he was on the cross?
The scriptures tell us he took the curse.
Upon himself. That.
Curse that came in the Garden of Eden.
Because of disobedience, Jesus said.
I'll take that curse on me. I'll pay the penalty that curse
that was poured upon mankind. I'll bear that price.
I'll take the punishment of death and in that moment.
He fulfilled the proto. Evangelium in Genesis 3 where
finally he striked. The head of the Serpent Let's
look at. Galatians 3/13/14.
Because Paul the Apostle Paul when.
But picks up this. Theme of blessing and curse.
He says this Christ redeemed us from the.
Curse of the law by becoming a. Curse for us, for it is written.
Cursed is everyone who is hanged.
On a tree so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham
might. Come to the Gentiles so that we
might receive the promised Spirit through faith.
Do you see that you see the work of?
Jesus on the cross was to reverse the curse.
Once and for all, and enable us to walk in the blessing of God
that he pronounced upon his people.
Isn't that good news? You can be a little bit more
excited if you wish. I'm just suggesting it and.
So that brings us to Hallmark #5, the blessing of God in the
call. Because when we.
Choose to step into his plan and purposes for us and to
surrender. Ourselves to him.
We are taking our position to extend the blessing of God to
others. And His blessing will always
flow in that place when we say yes to him.
Now if you detach Blessing from solely being about.
Gifts. You can fully understand this.
Because even in the. Difficulty of walking through
the Great Commission. There is blessing in that.
You might be serving Jesus and surrendering all to him, and you
say, well, I don't see any blessing, I don't see any fruit.
Like, where's the good things? Well, you're taking one aspect
of the blessing alone because the blessing of God.
Upon you is to move in abundance, IE the grace of God.
Upon you. The strength to achieve, to do
things. Even when you feel weak.
And bring the blessing. To others, that is the.
Blessing that we're talking about, but.
So many Christians miss out on that because they say, well, I'm
clearly not very blessed because I don't have the good gifts that
they have. But you've taken blessing.
In the wrong way. Do you see that?
The core that we have to be like Jesus is to operate.
In the. Blessing like Jesus did.
And in this story we see two. Blessings.
Now we often jump to #2. Blessing, which is the fish.
We'll get there in a moment, but there was a first blessing.
What? Happened in Simon Peter's
obedience. Simon, come in.
Let's get into the boat. Let's push out a bit.
So people can hear me OK in that moment other people were.
Blessed because of that. It wasn't for Simon.
They would have been able to hear Jesus.
You see that? Little blessing that was
operating upon other people. In that moment, because of his.
Agents to follow the call, but then he.
Pushes out further and we see this amazing aspect of the story
where they told. All night and as we unpacked a
couple of a few. Weeks ago, fishermen would go at
night because. Their Nets weren't made out of
the the. The modern day nylon, which is
see through, kind of see through in the water, they're made of
linen and so the fish would see them and so you'd go at night so
that they wouldn't see the Nets and they'll go into.
Them and they've been. Out all night and they hadn't
caught any fish and Jesus. Says We'll go and fish now and.
They're like, really? We don't do it in the day.
Listen, Jesus, you're a good teacher and a Carpenter.
But I'm a professional fisherman.
That's. Not what we do.
And so the blessing is a supernatural blessing because in
that moment, the fish. The Nets can't hold them.
What is that? It is a.
Picture of the abundance. The blessing that comes when we
say yes to the call of God. It doesn't mean that you're
going to get loads of fish. It doesn't mean that if you say
yes to Jesus, you're going to get a new car, although you may
do. It doesn't mean that your bank
balance will go. From here to here, although I
pray it does for you. What it's representing is a
significant. Part of the.
Blessing to say that. You are now operating under the
provision and an abundance of the blesser.
God, that's what. This.
Is showing us you see and so when you say yes to Jesus.
You are now moving in the blessing of God to be provided
with all that. You need to do what?
Roll and reign to extend his Kingdom and be a.
Blessing to other people. Did you see that?
Now as I try and summarize this. I was thinking about.
A statement that I could put together like a paragraph that
would. Bring this 30,000 foot view of
the. Blessing this meta narrative,
this overarching narrative into a into a paragraph.
So I've had. A go at this, we're going to be
on the. Screen.
Let me unpack this. Let's have this on the screen.
It says this the. Blessing in the call is
operating. Within and under.
God's abundant provision. In order to be empowered.
To fulfill the mandate of God on us to be.
Fruitful as we extend his. Kingdom, which means bringing
blessing to others and reversing the curse with the.
Goal and outcome of bringing him the glory and.
In. So doing experiencing true
peace. Joy and fulfilment, Happiness.
That is what I think is the blessing of God.
When we talk about it in this context, it is a.
Multifaceted, beautiful diamond shape truth.
But if you look at it. From different aspects and
angles you see a different. Perspective on it.
But ultimately, listen, let us not confine the blessing of God
to good gifts. Let us look at the blessing of
God from that 30,000 foot view to see that it is part of the
gospel redemptive story. That we have been called to be
part of. And that ultimately it is all
about. Bringing glory to him, not to
us. Hashtag blessed shouldn't.
Focus on me, it should focus on. God, maybe we should do
#blessed. With a cross and a verse versus
the new shoes or cars. And God loves to give good
gifts. And you see, the blessing of God
comes upon us as we make a decision to operate within and
under. His provision.
What does that mean? It means making a decision to be
dependent on him and trust in him.
Not on ourselves. That's when we are the God opens
up the blessing. Upon us.
And it is there in order for us to be.
Empowered. That means his grace.
That means his. Provision in the moment, that
means favor. That means opening doors that
need to be opened. That means the gifts of the.
Spirit to enable us to pray for people.
Why? To fulfill.
The mandate of God, the Great Commission that he's placed on
us with the goal. An outcome that we want to bring
him the glory that we want men and women to praise the name of.
Jesus and to be saved. And in so doing, what we need to
understand is that the blessing? Of God brings happiness.
It says in the Jesus on the on the on the Sermon on the Mount
in in Matthew. I think it's Matthew 5, he says.
Blessed are those who the Greek. Word for that means happiness.
It's the sense of. Fulfillment the true.
Fulfillment and happiness that we will find is in the place of
blessing, because when we operate under God's blessing,
that is the place. That we experience his.
Peace and his fulfillment. And I said I will go all the
way. Through to Revelation.
What happens at the revelation at the end of the story?
Well, Jesus, once and for all comes.
And brings the blessing of God. The curse is finally defeated.
We know that it was defeated on the cross, but the final
consummation won't come again until Jesus comes again.
Bless you, Dave. And in that moment we will walk
once again under the blessing of God.
There will no longer be the curse.
And we are in the bit of the here and not yet.
And the. Question is in the here and the
not yet. Is Are you willing to take up
the call? To extend the blessing of.
God to operate. Under His blessing, and to be
part of that redemptive story as we play our part in reversing
the curse, that is the question. For us this morning, let us
stand. As I pray, Thank you, Jesus.