Lord, I am a sinful man !

Luke 5:1-11 Lord, I am a sinful man !
Fisherman Peter worked hard all night, But caught no fish. He was exhausted. At that time Jesus came to him and said, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch." (Luke 5:4)
When Peter had done so, he caught the most fish in his life. Sometimes we can see people become arrogant when they are rich and promoted to high position.
But Peter did not say with arrogance, "Ahem, I am a righteous man ! I am a extraordinary man !" He said, "Lord, I am a sinful man !"
Then Jesus said to him who realized his sin, "Come, follow me, and I will make you fisher of men." (Matthew 4:19)
Brothers and sisters, who do you think can be the disciple of Jesus ? Rich man ? Handsome guy ? Educated man ? Or a man with good backing ? If so, Peter could not be the disciple of Jesus.
Jesus did not call Peter because Peter was rich or educated or righteous, but because Peter confessed, "Lord, I am a sinful man !"
Brothers and sisters, who do you think can be the holy Christian and fisher of men ? I don't think it is an eloquent speaker, but a sinner saying, "Lord, I am a sinful man !"
God sent Jesus on earth for sinners not for the righteous. And Jesus also said, "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." (Luke 5:32)
Jesus never said to himself, "I am a friend of the righteous and the intelligent." but he was called 'a friend of tax collectors and sinners' (Luke 7:34)
Jesus did not want to have relationship with the Pharisees who thought themselves righteous. But Jesus came near to sinners and comforted them.
Brothers and sisters, if you and I insist, "I am a righteous man !", the relationship between Jesus and us will be broken, and Jesus will be far away from us, and we will lose real peace, joy and happiness.
Brothers and sisters, where is our joy and happiness on ? On money, or on Jesus ? Don't you think this foreign country is like a desolate land if we are not with Jesus ? And Calgary is like Siberia and the hell ? But if we are with Jesus, don't you think even this foreign country is like the kingdom of God ?
Let me ask you a question. are you with Jesus now ? If you realize that you are a sinner and confess, "Lord, I am a sinful man !", Jesus is always with you. But if you are say with arrogance, "Ahem, I am a righteous man !", Jesus is far away from you.
Who do you think Jesus dislikes most ? Prostitute ? Robber ? Deceiver ? Or gangster ? No Jesus dislikes the proud man most who says, "Ahem, I am a righteous man !"
Brothers and sisters, do you think we are righteous ? Do you think we are clean ? Do you think God has called you and me because we are righteous, rich, handsome and beautiful ? I don't think so. The very reason God has called us is that we are sinners.
When we sing a hymn 'Amazing grace' what do we sing ? Do you sing, "Amazing grace how sweet the sound ! That saved a righteous man like me !" Or "Amazing grace how sweet the sound ! That saved a wretch (sinner) like me !" ?
I am very sad that someone's song has changed to "Amazing grace how sweet the sound ! That saved a righteous (handsome) man like me !"
When has your song changed like that ? When has your faith changed like that ? If your faith has changed like that, you are far from Jesus now ? But if you confess, "Lord, I am a sinful man !", Jesus is with you as your friend now.
If your prayer starts with this confession, "Lord, I am a sinner !", Jesus is pleased with you, and he makes you his disciple. But if you insist, "Ahem, I am a righteous man !", you have no relation with Jesus.
When Jesus comes to us and knocks on the door of our heart, if we say, "Lord I am a sinner !", and open the door of our heart, Jesus will come in and eat with us.
But if you say, "Jesus, why have you come to me ? I don't need you because I am righteous and rich.", Jesus will be insulted and leave you.
Church is not the place where the righteous come, but where sinners come and confess, "Lord, I am sinner !" God likes to meet him who confesses his sin. and God wants to use him who acknowledges his sin.
Let's see Paul. He hurt church severely and joined in killing Stephen. But he thought that it was good. Why ? Because he did not realize his sin, and he believed that he was right, and God loves him very much.
But Jesus came to him and said, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me ?" (Acts 9:4)
What a surprise ! Paul thought he was righteous. But Jesus rebuked him saying, "Why do you persecute me ? Why do you sin against me ? Why do you hurt my heart ? Aren't you a sinner now ?"
Paul fell to the ground at this voice and realized, "Oh, I am a sinner ! I was wrong ! Lord, forgive me !"
Jesus welcomed Paul because he confessed his sin. And Jesus made Paul his disciple. As for this, Paul said, "Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance ; Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners- of whom I am the worst." (1 Tim 1:15)
Brothers and sisters, let me ask you a question. What is your cry ? Do you cry like Paul, "I am the worst sinner !" Or I am the most righteous man !"
In Luke 18, Jesus told this parable. Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself, "God, I thank you that I am not like other men- robbers, evildoers, adulterers- or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get." (Luke 18:11-12)
But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, "God, have mercy on me, a sinner." (Luke 18:13)
Brothers and sisters, whose prayer did Jesus say 'More righteous' ? And whom did Jesus say "More righteous man' ? Is he the man who said, "I am a righteous man !" ? Or the man who said, "I am a sinner !" ?
Jesus loved the tax collectors, prostitutes, sinners and even robbers because they confessed, "Lord, I am a sinner !" And Jesus made Paul his apostle because he confessed, "I am the worst sinner !"
If we confess our sins, Jesus changes our despair to hope, sorrow to joy, unhappiness to happiness. Our sorrow and joy, despair and hope, failure and success, unhappiness and happiness depend on our confession.
If we confess like Peter, like the tax collector, joy and happiness is ours. But if you insist like the Pharisees, Jesus does not take care of you because Jesus has come on earth
for only sinners not for the righteous.
If we confess like Paul, "Lord, I am the worst sinner !", God will give us great grace, and God will use us as his instrument.
In Isaiah 6, there is a vision that the prophet Isaiah saw the Lord seated on the throne high and exalted. Angels praised God, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty ; the whole earth is full of his glory." (Isaiah 6:3)
Then Isaiah cried, "Woe to me ! I am ruined ! For I am a man of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the king, the Lord Almighty." (Isaiah 6:5)
Isaiah confessed that he was an unclean man. And he thought that he would be ruined because of his sin. But God did not rebuke him because he committed many sins with his lips.
On the contrary, God took away his sin from his lips, and made him clean. And God said, "Whom shall I send ? And who will go for us ?" (Isaiah 6:8) It means God wants to call the man who realizes his sin.
Just as Jesus called Peter who confessed, "Lord, I am a sinful man !", just as Jesus used Paul who confessed, "I am the worst sinner !", just a God used Isaiah who confessed, "I am unclean !", just as Jesus was pleased with the tax collector who confessed, "I am a sinner !", so does Jesus love you if you confess, "Lord, I am a sinner !"
And Jesus says to you, "My beloved, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you even as your soul is getting along well." (3 John 1:2) Amen !