Colors
Series "Hooked" week 2
with Pastor Tim Porter
Colossians 1:15-20 Matthew 4:18-20
Introduction:
** Re-Cap week one of hooked ** Our life is a fishing story - we considered the boat and learned the bot was a place of intimacy,instruction,irrtation - we disected the conversation of Jesus and Peter [Jesus said go out where it is deeper] You want to be deeper go out where it is deeper - The catch Peter obeyed went deep and let down and had a world record catch that 2 boats could hold - The Concern don'tbe scared to share the gospel
Today I want to talk to you about a really cool fishing trip that I had the pleasure of being a part of a few years ago.
As many of you know I love to fish. Fishing is a biblical sport, that’s why we’re calling this series “Hooked.” Jesus said followers fish. Basically, if you’re a follower of Christ you fish, fish for men. Matthew 4:18-20 (NKJV) 18 And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 19 Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." 20 They immediately left their nets and followed Him.
Well this fishing trip I went on was so unusual that I wrote it down in my journal and it will always be etched in my mind, so I’m going to try to give it to you exactly the way it happened.
ILLUSTRATION: FISHING WITH NICK
I’ve thought about fishing a lot and how it relates to the real fishing that God talks about in his word. There are three aspects of fishing, and I was involved in these three aspects on that monumental fishing trip I took with Nick a few years ago.
I] The Aspects of Fishing
The Presentation
When you fish, you present the bait. You’re presenting the lure. You’re presenting the fly to the fish. The Presentation.
The Attraction
You have to attract the bait. You’ve got to manipulate the fly, the lure, the bait, to attract the bait. The fish should go… <bubbling sound> “Whoa! What is that?” You’ve got to get the fish going. So that they suck the bait right up.
The Reaction
Then you’ve got the reaction. What kind of reaction is the fish having to the bait?
Three aspects of fishing.
So I found myself, that day on the Lake Keowee, fishing. The presentation, the attraction, hopefully getting a reaction. Then I found myself fishing for men. Because as Nick and I began to talk some really amazing things happened. We were under a old wooden bridge up on falls creek. I was telling Nick the story and history of the bridge, so bridges were on my mind. We were having a sub samwich and I heard thye spirit of God say now is the time to talk to Nick
II.] The Bridge
1 Timothy 2:5-6 (NKJV) 5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time,
God constructed a bridge from His side to man’s side so that the hurting, broken and far from God could experience the abundant life in Jesus.
This bridge was Jesus
So as God began to lead and Nick began to describe the change in his nice’s life, I decided to go deeper into the conversation. I had earned the right to do so.
I said, “Nick, I want to ask you a question, man. Just between me and you, have you walked the bridge? God built the bridge, the bridge is Jesus. Have you walked the bridge?”
And he dropped his head and he was like, “No, no. I… no. I don't know. I don’t know if I have enough faith. I’ve got some doubts.”
I said I have doubt but If you have doubt, you have faith
I said, “The bridge.” I said, “God built the Bridge. He constructed the bridge from his side to man’s side. The Bridge is Jesus. He lived righteously, died sacrificially, rose bodily. So God has built the Bridge from himself to us. In fact, right before Jesus died here’s what he said, ‘It is finished. The work has been done. The bridge has been built. It’s done.’”
Nick was like, “I’ve never thought about that.”
I said, “Think about the other world religions. Think about all the other man-made systems. We try to build bridges to God, being philosophical, or being nice, or helping charities, or being moral. They all fall short.” I said, “Nick, it’s not an accident that we’re together. I mean, I’ve spent all of this time working and fishing with you. How in the world did we even, , hook up, man?” Its not by chance.
"Having no doubt means you have certainty and With certainty there’s no faith"
The bible say : We are saved by grace through faith
He said, “My mom has had this excruciating illness for decades. I don’t understand how a good God would allow suffering.” That’s a fair question.
I said, “Nick, God does not promise us a pain-free life. I mean, think about it. The symbol of Christianity is not a pillow, it’s not a cloud, it’s not a Snuggie. It’s a cross. An empty one. If God did not shield, his son from suffering, he’s not going to shield you or me from suffering. Part of God’s will is suffering. The Bible says it rains on the just and the unjust.
I can't make you or coerce you to walk the bridge. I’m not going to do that. You have that option. But I want to ask you, man, will you walk the bridge? You’ve got enough faith. Jesus said if we had faith the size of a mustard seed that’s enough faith.”
And I looked at him and I saw tears coming out from behind his sunglasses.
He said, “Man, I want to walk the bridge.”
So right there, in the shadow of the old wooden fall creek bridge we prayed and Nick walked the bridge then we meet in the middle of the the boat a bro. hugged.
So, What is the hook? The gospel. What is the gospel? The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. The hook binds everything together. What goes on the hook? The bait and the bait has colors to attract the fish.
III.] The Colors of the Bait
We’re going to go through the colors of the bait {gospel}. The colors mean something. God is a God of color, did you know that? Not of black and white. Once you walk the bridge you’ll move from black and white to color. God’s a God of what? Color.
How about the rainbow after the Noah-tian flood? The rainbow of colors. Read about how God designed the temple over in the Old Testament, all about colors. How about Joseph? He wore a coat of many colors.
Color, color, color. I’m glad we can see in color.
Black
Black is the absence of color
Black means sinfulness. Sinfulness, the absence of color. The Bible says, that we all sin. I’m a natural-born sinner. My sins, the Bible says, separate me from God. I’ve never taken personal lessons on how to sin, I just know how to lie. I know how to cheat. I know how to think impure thoughts, and so do you. Sin separates us from God.
God is holy, he’s just, he’s righteous, but we chose to rebel against God causing this cosmic chasm, this chasm that we cannot bridge. This chasm that we cannot jump over.
The Bible says in Romans 3:23 , “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” The Bible also says our iniquities, our sins, have separated us from God, Isaiah 59:2 “Our sins, our iniquities, our sins, have separated us from God.”
So black means sinfulness.
Red
Red represents forgiveness
We don’t deserve forgiveness we deserve total seperation from God and His Love. But God He built a bridge and the bridge is Jesus. He lived righteously, then he spilled his blood on the cross for the sins of the world.
We all have something within us, when something bad happens, we say, “Somebody’s got to pay!” God has placed that in our lives. Somebody’s got to pay for your sins and mine. Jesus paid it all. Is that awesome? He paid it all! I don’t care what you’ve done, what you’re doing, what you will do. Jesus paid it all. He shed his blood on the cross. Life is in the blood. And the Bible says in 1 John 1:9 , “If we confess our sins…” You know what confession means? Agreeing with God. It’s not like we confess our sins and God goes, “Whoa! Thank you for telling me that! Thanks for giving me the 4-1-1!” No, no, no, no, no. We’re agreeing with him. “If we confess our sins he’s faithful and just to forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
1 John 1:9 , “If we confess our sins he’s faithful and just to forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
Gold
Gold represents righteousness. What is righteousness? The word righteousness means to be right with God. So if I’m right I’m what? Right with God.
“But Pastor Tim, I’m not following you, how can I be right with God if I’m a sinner?” Jesus has made us right with God. Jesus has made us righteous. 2 Corinthians 5:21 , “God made him who had no sin (that’s Jesus) to be sin for us so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”
Gold represents righteousness
Righteousness means to be right with God
2 Corinthians 5:21 , “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”
Green
Green represents … fruitfulness. So we’re to grow. So what happens when you plant something, what do you do with that something? You water it.
After we walk the bridge we need to get watered, we need to get baptized. Maybe you were baptized as a little child just because everyone else was, maybe you were sprinkled, maybe you were spritzed, maybe you were poured, I don't know. The Bible says after we become followers of Christ we’re to be baptized. Part of growth is being baptized, part of growth is understanding the word, talking to God in prayer, involving yourself in church.
CONCLUSION:
I love this text, Colossians 1:17 , “He is before all things (he being Jesus) and in him all things hold together.
The hook. The hook is the gospel. The bait is Jesus. This rope, the thread that holds everything together. The gospel. Black, sinfulness. Red, forgiveness. Gold, righteousness. Green, fruitfulness. Living things grow. The Bible says in 2 Peter 3:18 , “But grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus.”
I’ll ask you the same question I asked Scott. Have you walked the bridge? “Well, man, I’ve got doubts.” Cool. That’s part of faith. You live by faith. Have you walked the bridge? I pray you walk the bridge, because it’s the best step you’ll ever take. And it’s what being hooked is all about. Would you bow your heads with me.
