Rewritten, Rostored & Realigned | Chad Veach

0:00 Hey, what's going on, everybody? Thank you so much for joining this week's message from Zoe Church. We are studying the book of Luke together, and we will be in Luke chapter 5 and 6 today. Thank you to every person that partners with us to help us get the message of Jesus out around the world. If you'd like to give today, go to our website, and you can give there. But let's continue in part three of our series called The Jesus Road, a path that changed everything. Come on, let's jump in. Go in your Bible to Luke chapter 5. If you have a Bible, go to Luke chapter 5. We are studying the book of Luke together. And if you missed out on the first two weeks, I want to encourage you to go back and look at those first two messages. But today we are going to be in Luke 5 and Luke 6. What I love about studying this gospel together is, if you're new to church, there are four gospels, four different books in the Bible that show us who Jesus is.

1:01 I like Mark. Mark is like the action-packed. He'd be like the marvel or the gardens of the galaxy of the gospels. Matthew is specific to his audience, a Jewish community that he's trying to explain who Jesus is. John is emotional, dramatic, like most of my children. He is the feeler. But Luke is the investigator. He is the doctor. He gets down into the details. And his main audience is not for people that go to church. He's trying to teach people on the outside that think they don't deserve to be in church that the good news of Jesus is not just for us, it's for everybody. And I just love that because the Bible says that God so loved the world that he gave his only son, not for a few of us, but for the whole world. Come on, clap if you believe that today about Jesus.

1:56 And so watch here, Luke chapter 5. Watch, we're going to jump in. In verse number 1, it says this. It says, one day as Jesus was standing by the lake of Gizbuninimah, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. And he saw at the water's edge two boats left there by the fishermen who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and he asked to put out a little from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, Simon, put out into the deep water and let down the nets for a catch. Simon answered, oh, master, we've been working hard all night. We haven't caught a thing. but because you say so I will let down the nets. When they had done so they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled to the partners in the other boat to come and help them and they came and filled both boats so full they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw this he fell at Jesus's knees and said go away from me Lord I am a sinful man. For he and I'm going to give you six things to write down today.

3:22 Here's the first truth about Jesus. I love this. Write down number one. Jesus calls and redefines identity. He redefines your identity. And I love this because hear me, loved one. God loves you just the way you are. He just loves you way too much to leave you that way. God has a greater purpose and a greater plan for your life. Somebody say amen. And so he sees these guys and he says, I know you're fishing for fish. Fishy business. come on at least give me one of these i loved it i loved it so much i went with it he said but i'm going to change your calling from being a fisherman to now you're going to fish for people i want to remind you you you didn't call god god called you and he called you out of darkness in delight. He called you from living a purposeless life to a more fulfilled and better life. This is the plan and the call of heaven. And he says, you were fishing for fish, but now I'm going to teach you how to fish for men. You were living one way, but I've got a greater plan for your life.

4:34 I've got a greater destiny and a greater purpose for where I'm taking you. He is saying, by the way, that some of the principles and values and dynamics and disciplines you use to catch fish and creativity, we're going to harness that into something bigger. And now that same value, we're going to use it for something greater for your life. And it'll be for the kingdom of God. I just love this because Jesus, he has a calling and he changes your identity. And this changed their identity on this day. This is how the gospel works. It was so cool. This last Tuesday, it was Cinco de Mayo. Come on, anybody celebrate with some tacos on Tuesday? Yeah, yeah. We celebrate every Cinco de Mayo because I'm half, my mom is full Mexican. I am half Mexican. My kids are a quarter.

5:26 And so we celebrate Cinco de Mayo in our house every year so that when they fill out their college application, they will check Latino. I was born, but I was not born yesterday. So we celebrate every Cinco de Mayo, La Raza. So we had a bunch of people over to the house to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, and we was partying, and this one guy, really disciplined guy that was at the house, I was asking about his upbringing. I said, did you grow up in church? He said, I didn't grow up in church at all. In the 80s, my parents were classic 80s people. They smoked, they drank, they lived for the weekends, they were partiers. My dad worked just an ordinary job. And then one day he came home and he threw away all the liquor and all of his cigarettes. And he said, family, we're going to church. So from that day on, we went from every Sunday and every Wednesday, we went to church. One day changed everything.

6:23 And I just love that because I'm telling you, Jesus has a greater calling and a greater identity. And if it could happen to that dad in the 80s, come on, clap today if you believe it. It could happen to you. These guys are fishing, minding their own business. Jesus asked them, you caught any fish? Kind of embarrassing, but no. He says, let your nets on the other side. They catch so many fish. They're starting to sink. They have to call another boat. This is a representation of the grace of God. When you obey and you walk in the will and the way of God, God can do exceedingly, abundantly, far above anything you could ask, think, or imagine. Come on, it'll be greater than your own effort. It'll be the grace of heaven. Come on, clap if you believe that today.

7:12 Jesus changes. calling and he changes identity. He can change you from going in this profession into his greater purpose for your life. It is not without the limits of God's kingdom to call you into something bigger than you ever imagined for yourself. Amen? So the first thing we see is we see a group of fishermen get their life changed. Watch here in this next scripture. Go down to verse 13. This is a man of leprosy. And Jesus reached out his hand and touched this man that from head to toe had leprosy. He says, I am willing, he said, be clean. And immediately the leprosy left him. Then Jesus ordered him, don't tell anybody, but go show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifice that Moses commanded for your cleansing as a testimony to them. Write down number two today. Jesus is both willing and able. And I love this because this man with leprosy, could you imagine head to toe? He sees Jesus. He says, Jesus, if you're willing, if you're able, touch my leprosy. And Jesus shows not only does he have capability, but he has compassion.

8:27 It's one thing to have the power to do it. It's another thing to have the willingness to do it. We know a lot of people that have power but are not willing to operate in the kindness and the compassion of heaven. Jesus said, I want to let you know, I don't just have the power to do this. I have the heart to do this. And so he cleansed him, not because he has all the authority. He cleansed him because he's full of grace, concern, compassion, and love. And I just, I love this because I want to ask you today, where's your willingness meter? How willing are you to walk with God? How willing are you to surrender and to submit to God? Because it doesn't matter if you have the power to do it. It matters if you have the willingness to do it. Oh, Psalm 51, when David, King David, he committed an affair and then he committed murder. when he repented back to God in Psalm 51.

9:24 He says, Lord, renew into me a willing spirit. In other words, I stop being willing to live right. I stop being willing to surrender to you. I stop being willing to submit my life to you. Restore unto me a willingness. And I've just seen God not be able to work with anybody who's not willing to work with him. And so Jesus says to this man, I want you to know I don't just have the ability and the power to do this. I am willing to do this. God today has the power. He can write you any check. He can heal anybody. He can do anything. We don't marvel at his ability alone. The other 50% of the coin is that we marvel at his willingness to love, forgive, heal, bless, and encourage. I don't know if you've heard this name, Mackenzie Scott. Mackenzie Scott, they say her estimated net worth is $39 billion.

10:23 From her divorce, she inherited her portion was $39 billion. And she has a goal that before she dies, she's going to give all of her money away. They say she's already given over $8 billion away. See, it's one thing to have the capability. It's another deal to have the willingness. And I just wanna say here at Zoe, we're willing to receive one of those billions. If I'm lying, I'm dying. See, the impressive part of your life is not your capability. The impressive part of what you have is not your power. It's the fact that with all that power, you've also lived in a willingness. Not my will be done, but your will be done.

11:21 We're not impressed with capability. What impresses me, he says, I want to let you know, I don't just have this ability to do this. I'm willing to touch your life. I'm willing to change your identity I'm willing to pull you out of the pit I'm willing to get you out of bankruptcy I'm willing to do what only I can do We praise God because of his capability And his willingness Somebody say amen So he goes on. He goes on from changing this man with leprosy. And the visual of that is clipper jersey, clipper shorts, clipper shoes. And he changes his life. And so, visual. And he changes his life. He goes on and he goes into the church and he starts preaching. And I'm sure that when Jesus was preaching, he could preach. And so Jesus is preaching, they're like, let's go, Jesus.

12:18 Go, Jesus. No, you didn't. Place is packed. Can't even fit another person in the church. It's like Mother's Day in Alabama. It's packed. And as Jesus is preaching, the whole church is so packed that these friends have a buddy who cannot walk. He's stuck on a mat. And these friends think to themselves, we got to do anything in our power to get our friend into the presence of God. Because if we can get our buddy to church, we can't change his life, but we know the man that can. And so they said, we're going to get our buddy to church. So you grab one, you grab another, you grab, come on, we're like pallbearers. We're going to grab our buddy, we're going to bring him to Highland Park. We're going to bring him to South Bay. They get to the church, there's so many people, they say, you're not allowed in.

13:14 so they do what any good friend would do. They said, that's all right. We're not going to be turned away. They climb the roof, and they start tearing the roof off so they can lower their friend. I want to say this at Highland Park. Don't you ever consider doing that. We have spent millions of dollars, and we owe millions of dollars. South Bay? It's a rental. Go ahead. Do you? So they start opening up the roof. They're opening up the roof, and they start lowering the body. We're going to get our friend to Jesus. And Jesus is preaching, and he's preaching. And as he's preaching, he's just like. He looks up there. Watch, just go there in the text, verse 20. When Jesus saw their faith, he said, Friend, your sins are forgiven.

14:09 The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone? Jesus knew what they were thinking. He asked them, Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? which is easier to say your sins are forgiven or to say get up and walk. But I want you to know that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins. So he said to the paralyzed man, I tell you, get up, take your mat, and go home. Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on, and went home praising God. Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God, and they were filled with awe and said, we have seen some remarkable things today. Write down number three today. Jesus can forgive and heal. Come on, South Bay, clap with us today.

15:04 Jesus can forgive, but don't get it twisted. He's not limited to forgiveness. He is also a healer. So he can forgive sins and he can heal bodies. Jesus is proving in this story that he can see the condition beneath the condition. See, everybody else saw a guy that can't walk. Jesus saw a soul that needed to be saved. Everybody else saw a man that was crippled. Jesus saw a sinner that needed forgiveness. I'm thankful today that Jesus doesn't just see the outside, but he wants to heal on the inside. And he'll touch your soul.

15:40 Come on, Zoe. He'll touch your soul before he touches your body. Clap and praise him if you got your sins forgiven before you got anything else from God. Give him a praise today if you're grateful for the grace of Jesus. What Jesus is trying to teach us is he's saying, I will first address the true condition, which is soul level, and then I'll get to the other condition, which is physical level. So just a heads up, God cares more about your soul than he does about your body. If he only heals you physically, but you don't get healed spiritually, what good is that healing going to do? So he said, I want you to know and understand I have the power to forgive and I have the power to heal. I want to tell you today, it doesn't matter what you've done. It doesn't matter where you've gone. It doesn't matter what you've involved yourself in. My God is a forgiving God.

16:32 He is slow to anger. He is rich in love. So Jesus, he's preaching, and he's preaching, and the place is going nuts, and they're standing up, and they got handkerchiefs. and then you got modesty cloths in case somebody falls out and Jesus is preaching and he says and the first thing he thinks is y'all are crazy and the second thing he thinks is do we have insurance and the third thing he thinks y'all are crazy but look at the text it says when jesus saw their faith it wasn't the man's faith that healed him it was his friend's faith Can I beseech you, Zoe, that there's going to be somebody that walks into this room here at Highland Park or South Bay, and they're not going to get healed because of their faith.

17:33 They're going to get healed because of your faith. And the fact that you praise the Lord, the fact that you worship, the fact that you believe. Come on, clap louder if you believe that God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly. Give him a louder praise today. If you've got all the faith in the world, can you imagine with all of the faith in the room, what the Lord could do. Amen. Was lowered down. He was not here. I just believe this, that your job is not to save people. Your job is just to get your buddy in the room. I don't care if I got to go to your house and pick you up. I don't care if you need me to post about it on social media. I don't care if I got to drag you. I can't save you, but I know the one that can. And I'm going to get you into the atmosphere of belief and confidence, and God will do the forgiving. And God will do the healing. And I just believe this for Zoe Church, that we will build together an atmosphere of faith that somebody that walks in with depression can get set free.

18:34 Someone that walks in with addiction can get set free. Someone that walks in with cancer can get healed. Someone that walks in with suicidal thoughts is gonna get liberated. Clap if you believe when he saw their faith. I just want to admit that the man being lowered is like, man, y'all, what are y'all doing? He's now in the middle of the room, and he's in the middle of the atmosphere of faith. And Jesus looks at him and says, I want you to know your sins are forgiven, and get up off that mat. I'm changing your identity and your calling. Get up out of your sickness and go live with purpose. You see how he works? So Jesus changes calling and identity. He is both willing and able. He's a forgiver and a healer.

19:29 And Jesus goes to the next spot. And remember, the first guys were fishermen. Very smelly. I don't like the smell of fish. I like the smell of steak. If you're vegan, I apologize. No, we have a lot in LA. The first guy were fishermen. Now we see a guy, his name is Levi. He's a tax collector. So he dominates April 15th. I do bar mitzvahs as well. and Levi just like the fisherman gets called and Jesus says come follow and when Levi gets the invitation to follow Jesus his identity and his calling changes so much that he goes how do I even how do I even celebrate I was lost now I'm found I was blind now I see I was dead I'm alive I was living for the weekends, and I was drinking and smoking and didn't care.

20:47 Now I got purpose. How do I do? What do I do? So watch what Levi decides. This is verse 29. Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to the sect complaining to his disciples, Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners? And Jesus answered them, it is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but I have come to call sinners to repentance. Write down number four today. Jesus sits with his mission. And I just love this because Luke is trying to get us to understand that Jesus was not a you guys come to me and let's talk. Jesus was a, I'll go to you and let's talk.

21:40 And so Levi gets his life changed and he goes, what do I do to signal to the world that this man changed my life? He's thinking of it, and I just believe this. When God touches your heart, he opens your hand. If you get your heart touched, you get your hand opened. By the way, law of opposite. If you get your heart creased, your fists closed. If you get your heart broken, your fists closed. But when his heart got touched, his hand got opened. He said, I want to host and throw a party for Jesus, and I want all my friends to come meet the one that changed my life. So Levi, Levi hires a DJ. He gets the taco guy. Because you always need a taco guy. he invites all of his lost friends.

22:34 And he says, I just want you guys to meet the guy that changed my life. And if you're not willing to go to church, that's all right. You can come to the house. And so he brings Jesus over and these sinners. And so Jesus is eating with the sinners. And notice that he's not scared. Oh, my gosh. These guys aren't perfect, and I'm perfect.

23:00 They smell. notice notice that it's the religious people that go why in the world does your guy eat with sinners they are sinners i'm sorry but do you remember that you are a sinner as well sometimes we'll be getting all perfect like i go to church that don't change a thing we were sinners saved by grace we were then we still are I don't know about you but I'm the chief of sinners anybody else And he says, why? Why does he sit with sin? They're so upset. They're so enraged. They're so, and Jesus goes, I just want to make sure you guys understand. I did not come for the people that go to air one. I came for context of the illustration.

23:56 Please don't clip that. I did not come for the healthy. I came for those that need a great physician. And so he sits with his mission. And I want to say that if Jesus would sit with those guys, aren't you grateful he sits with these guys? Aren't you glad that he doesn't see you in all of your struggle as too far broken, as too far gone, as too big of a failure, as too big of a mess for Jesus to go, I can't sit or be around you because you're so unholy. I'm thankful that those words were true then and they are true today, that he came for those that need the gospel. Come on, clap if you're thankful that the gospel is for people like me and you. And so Jesus says, I did not come for the healthy. I came for the sick.

24:51 And I'm called to come to call sinners to repentance. And then he keeps on in chapter 6. And in chapter 6, we see Jesus come to a crossroads of decisions. Go to chapter 6 now in verse number 12. It says, one of those days, Jesus went out onto a mountainside to pray. and he spent the night praying to God. And when morning came, he called his disciples to him and he chose 12 of them whom he also designated apostles. Write down this next thought today. Jesus knew big decisions are birthed out of prayer. He's modeling lifestyle for us. So let me just say this. If Jesus needed to pray about a big decision, you and I need to pray about big decisions. So it says in the morning time, Jesus snuck away to be alone with the Father.

25:46 And when he got with the Father, he started to pray. And he says, God, you alone know people's hearts. You alone have all the wisdom. So God, I know that I need your counsel and I need your download and I need your insight. And so show me. Then once he got the revelation, he went and he chose his apostles. I just want to tell you today, You are not smart enough to guide your own life. You are not talented enough to make those decisions. You need the wisdom of God. You need the knowledge of God. You need the direction of God. And if you'll notice, you're only worried about the things that you don't pray about. But everything you pray about, you're at peace about. Oh, the Bible says in Philippians chapter 4, verse 6 and 7, Be anxious for nothing but in everything, through prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. Let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus.

26:47 and so Jesus goes I'll be anxious about this decision I won't have the the insight on this decision I won't know what to do and he says he's basically saying not my will but your will be done and one of my favorite sayings about prayer is from a man named D.L. Moody he used to say when I stopped praying coincidences stopped happening but you ever notice when you get away and you start praying and you're like, God, I need help with this person. I need this thing in my life. I need you to, and then just boom, boom. And you go, I was just praying about this. I was just praying for them. I was just, and just coincidence, coincidence, coincidence. Why? It's because heaven is getting, you're not getting heaven onto your agenda. You're asking heaven for you to get on their agenda.

27:42 Amen? And so I just love this. Even the perfect one needed to slip away and go on, you know, a runyon hike. and he got to the mountain, and he said, Lord, what do I do? He didn't get to the mountain and go, Lord, I want to tell you what's going to go on down here. So I'll let you know I've got my 12 guys, and me, Chad, I know it's a lot of Chads around here, but meet Chad, Balaam, Balaam. It's one guy. And I just want to let you know it's what we're doing.

28:24 No, he said, Lord, what do you want to do? And that maybe the Lord said to him a name that he wasn't expecting. Mariano Yes, sir. it's the yellow y'all y'all wearing so much yellow today how do i not see you out of my peripheral. But put the point back on the screen. Big decisions are birthed out of prayer.

29:07 By a show of hands, if you've had to make a big decision in this last year, let me see your hand. Let me see your hand. And let me just encourage you, if Jesus needed to pray about big decisions, you need to pray about big decisions. And when you pray, it's not you forcing God onto your agenda. It's you submitting and surrendering to say, Lord, what is your will? Amen to that. And we're a praying church around here. We pray about everything. We're worried about nothing because we pray about everything. We prayed for the Lakers. Didn't work this year, clearly.

29:43 Well, that one wasn't answered. But I don't believe it was a no. It was a not yet. Thank you. Praise God. Praise God. Worship team, come join me. Here's the last one today. Write down the last one. Jesus wants us to go from knowing to living. And in the end of chapter 6, I won't read it because it's a lot of Scripture, but put up this slide that has four truths for us today. Look at these four truths. He says in this section, love beyond what's natural. Give people grace instead of judgment. Examine yourself first.

30:29 And he shows us that real faith produces real fruit. Let me read those again. Love beyond what's natural. This is when he says, love your enemies. Bless those that curse you. give people grace instead of judgment remember he says with the same measure that you judge others be careful it's the boomerang that's going to come back to you examine yourself first what's this one he's saying you know instead of pointing out the little speck in their eye look at the massive plank in your eye but my favorite one it's always the end that's my favorite, right?

31:15 Is when he talks about this man that built his house on the rock. And he says the wind came and the storm blew. And he said, but that man that built his house on the rock, real faith produces real fruit. And I'm just believing for us that we'll not be tossed by culture. We'll not be tossed by circumstance. what your bank account looks like, what your friendships look like. No matter what we are, Jesus, if there's one thing we learn about him in Luke, he is on mission. So why does he sit with his mission? Because he's focused. It's the path that Jesus took. It was not a wide path that led to destruction. It was the straight and the narrow path.

32:08 Why does he keep sneaking away to pray? Because he knows I've got to stay connected to fulfill my purpose. And I'm just praying over you that this is not a Sunday thing. I'm praying over our church. This is a Monday through Saturday. this is an every day of the week, every hour it's a submission and it's a surrender come on, clap if you believe it today clap like you want to walk with God In fact, I've said all that to give you my title. Put up the title of today's message. It's in the res, the prefixes of Jesus. God rewrites, restores, and realigns.

32:48 You thought your life was this? God's got a greater story for you. You thought you were going down this path? He wants to realign you. You thought you were broken by decisions? He wants to restore. Everything about God is in the reed. Because before sin entered, we were in perfect harmony with God. But because sin entered the scene, you and I, God's trying to revive us and restore us and renew us and realign us. And it only happens through repentance. Oh, come on, South Bay, clap with us today. Zoe family at home, wherever you're watching, clap with us and thank God. Clap if you've been realigned. Clap if you've been reassigned. clap if God's restoring you come on stand to your feet today again thank you so much to everybody that listened today we love you and we pray God's best over your life if you ever need prayer go to our website and submit your prayer request we'd love to partner with you and we'll see you back next week for part four of the Jesus Road