Go ahead Peter, Go Fishing

Wow.....what a great message that was brought forth this morning. I just love how the lord uses our pastor in getting his word across to others. The sermon was taken from Matthew 17:24-27

24On their arrival in Capernaum, the tax collectors for the Temple tax came to Peter and ask him"Doesn't your teacher pay the Temple tax?" 25 "Of course he does" Peter replied. Then he went into the house to talk to Jesus about it. But before he had a chance to speak, Jesus asked him, "What do you think, Peter? Do kings tax their own people or the foreigners they have conquered?" 26 They tax the foreigners, " Peter replied. "Well, then," Jesus said, "the citizens are free! 27 However we don't want to offend them, so go down to the lake and throw in a line. Open the mouth of the first fish you catch, and you will find a coin. Take the coin and pay the tax for both of us. (NLT)

I was sitting there thinking, where is he going with this ? Soon, it was sinking in.......he was going to give him the money to pay the taxes but he had to work for it. God does provide doesn't he?, but we have to be willing to work for what we have (spiritually and physically speaking).

As God's people, we are foreigners on earth because our loyalty is always to our real king--Jesus. Still we have to cooperate with the authorities and be responsible citizens. An ambassodor to another country keeps the local laws in order to represent well the one who sent him. we are Christ's ambassadors. Are you being a good foreign ambassador for him to this world?

He also mentioned we have to be satisfied in Jesus to be more productive. It's like for instance....if you don't like your job, then you are not going to do it to the best of your ability. We got to be excited in what we do so we can do it more efficiently and effectively. Boy did this step on my toes . When I am happy....everyone knows it but when I am not.......everyone knows it. You know that saying....."If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy." If you are not satisfied with something, it can effect the ones around you, if you carry it around on your shoulders. Ya see, I had a hard time with carrying my feelings around on my shoulders. I didn't realize it was keeping me from being the effective person God wanted me to be to others. I was only thinking of myself.

Are you satisfied with Jesus? You can't be productive if you are not. You've got to be excited. He closed with "Some of you people just need to GO FISHING----get out there and work (for HIM) and believe he is going to provide. So I close with this.....GO FISHING today and relax in God and know he is our provider. We've got to do out part and when we are satisfied in him......it will pay off.

I'm going fishing,
Lisa