Fishers of People
Notes
Transcript
Opening Illustration
Opening Illustration
Americans eat nearly 7 billion pounds of fish every year...
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In the 1980s, Japan would catch over 12 million tons of fish annually...
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In the 1970s, Peru would annually catch over 12 million tons of anchovy alone...
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And the largest recorded catch of fish happened in 1972 with a total of 65 million metric tons of fish.
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Despite these incredible facts and records...
There is a particular moment in history that marks a catch of fish that would change the whole world...
For this event that is recorded in Scripture further revealed the true Messiah...
And it was this fishing experience that lead a bunch of professional fisherman to become fishers of men!
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So, please turn your Bibles to the Gospel of Luke.
We will conduct our study in Chapter 5 and focus on verses 1 and 11.
Our message this morning is titled, “Fishers of People”
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This message today...
Will focus on the details of what happened on the Sea of Galilee nearly 2,000 years ago...
And we will see how that event is still relevant to our lives today.
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So, this morning we will cover three main points:
Encountering Jesus...
Believing Jesus...
And...
Following Jesus.
Opening Prayer
Opening Prayer
Before we consider our text, please join me in prayer...
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Heavenly Father...
The one true God and creator of all things seen and unseen...
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We praise You for perfect attributes...
You are perfectly sovereign...
You are perfectly holy...
You are perfectly omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent...
We praise You for your immutability, truthfulness, wisdom, and goodness...
We praise You for your perfect and infinite grace and love...
And we praise You for Your foreknowledge and wrath...
We praise You for all that You are Holy God!
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Thank You for your wonderful gifts...
Thank You for giving us the words of life that are contained in your Scriptures...
Thank You for sending the Holy Spirit to help us do what we could never do on our own...
And Thank You for sending Jesus to pay a price we could not pay.
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Forgive us for always falling short of Your commands...
And give us hearts that will forgive others.
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And it is in Jesus’s name we pray all these things...
Amen.
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Let’s turn to our text for today:
Reading of the Text
Reading of the Text
1 On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret,
2 and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets.
3 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.
4 And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”
5 And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.”
6 And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking.
7 They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.
8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”
9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken,
10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.”
11 And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.
So, let’s look at our first point...
1) Encountering Jesus
1) Encountering Jesus
Verses 1-5: On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, 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 down your nets for a catch.” And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.”
Let’s start our study by looking at the name “Gennesaret” from the title “Lake of Gennesaret”...
This refers to a fertile, heavily populated area at the northwestern corner of the Sea of Galilee...
Additionally, Capernaum lies at the lake’s northern tip...
So, the district’s name was at times extended to the lake so that it could be called the Lake of Gennesaret...
However, we best know it as the Sea of Galilee.
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Now, were this scene picks if is right after Peter and his partners had an unsuccessful night of fishing...
The fisherman, as was common practice after each fishing trip...
Checked, mended, and cleaned their nets to prepare for the next trip.
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Normally, the fish that were netted in shallow water at night would migrate during the daylight hours to waters too deep to reach easily with nets and during the day, fish would see and avoid the net...
This is the reason why Peter and really all professional fisherman on the Sea of Galilee used to fished at night as apposed to fishing in the daytime.
So, because fishing was generally done at night, and the fishermen washed and repaired their nets and worked on their boats and equipment during the day.
Understanding all this...
It reveals that Peter no doubt thought Jesus’ directive after He completed His teaching made no sense and seem absurd to go back out and start fishing in the day...
Here is Jesus, a carpenter by trade who recently started His earthly ministry that shown Him to be an unmatched teacher...
Yet, to the outside world, nobody would have thought that He knew anything about fishing...
Peter as a successful professional fisherman, I am sure Peter had his doubts about the advise Jesus just gave him,
But he obeyed anyway, and as we will see, he is rewarded for his obedience.
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The MacArthur New Testament Commentary on Luke says:
“Since the Lord had first encountered Peter (John 1:41–42) when his brother Andrew brought Peter to Him they, along with John (the unnamed second disciple of John the Baptist referred to in John 1:35), began their initial voluntary interest in following Jesus as the Messiah.
The Lord’s first actual calling of Peter, along with Andrew, James, and John (Matthew 4:18–22 and Mark 1:16–20), drew them in as men chosen by the Lord to be followers of Him.
In this passage, Luke alone records their final call, when they abandoned their fishing business and became permanent, full-time disciples of Jesus.
The Lord targeted Peter in particular, since he would be the recognized leader of the Twelve (his name is first on all four New Testament lists of the apostles) and have a great influence on the rest.
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When He had finished speaking to the crowd, Jesus said to Simon (the verb is a second person singular),
‘Put out into the deep water and then said to the entire crew let down (this verb is a second personal plural) your nets for a catch.’
The nets were not the small ones used by individuals fishing from the shore or in shallow water but large nets similar to modern seines, and used for fishing in the deeper water of the lake.
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Perhaps surprised that a carpenter would presume to tell experienced fisherman how to fish, Simon answered the Lord and said,
“Master (epistatēs; ‘chief,’ ‘commander’; a respectful title for one in authority, but not an affirmation of deity), we worked hard all night (when, as noted above, fishing was usually done) and caught nothing.’
Why then should He expect them to catch fish in the middle of the day?
Besides, letting down the large nets and hauling them in was hard work.
But then again, this was no ordinary carpenter, but one who had healed his mother-in-law, so Peter added, ‘but I will do as You say and let down the nets.’
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If Jesus’ command surprised them, the result utterly dumbfounded them.”
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So, let’s take a look at those results...
Let’s take a look at what can happen when we are obedient to God...
Even if we don’t see the full picture yet...
And this will take us to our second point.
2) Believing Jesus
2) Believing Jesus
Verses 6-10(a): 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 that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” For 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, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon.
The remarkable catch of fish was clearly a miracle which completely astonished all the fishermen in Capernaum...
That fact that both ships began to sink further emphasizes the great catch of fish...
What we see here is that Jesus’ miracle demonstrates that he is Lord of the sea and all that is in it.
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This fits perfectly with what we have been seeing as a pattern in Jesus’ miracles...
Each miraculous each gives further evidence that Jesus is the Christ...
Each miracle show Jesus as having authority over the natural and spiritual realms...
And this incredible display of omniscience (Jesus having all knowledge like were the fish were) and omnipotence (Jesus having all power like moving the fish to the perfect location and allowing them to be caught)...
This miracle...
Is no exception.
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After witnessing this...
Peter immediately realized he was in the presence of the Holy One exercising His divine power, and he was stricken with shame over his own sin...
He becomes very conscious of his sinfulness and unworthiness.
This brings to mind the prophet Isaiah’s reaction when he encountered God in Isaiah 6:5 which says:
5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
The more we understand God...
The more we experience God...
And more we encounter God...
We can’t help but see our sinfulness more clearly...
We can’t help but see how unworthy we are.
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That is why Peter’s immediate action is to drop to his knees...
Even in a boat overflowing with fish!
And Peter’s immediate and natural response is tell Jesus to “depart from me!”...
Peter must have been thinking...
How can Jesus, who is all holy, be in the presence of a man like him?
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Likewise we have to ask the same of ourselves...
How can God want us?
How can us who are wicked and evil be invited to not just dine with but live as part of God’s royal family?
As Psalm 8:3-4 says:
3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
4 what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?
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Even the most righteous of us can make no claim of worthiness...
For as Romans 3:23 says:
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
That is everyone except for Jesus has fallen short...
Moses, Abraham, Joseph, David, Samuel, Elijah, Mary, John the Baptist, Peter, John the Beloved, Paul...
The list goes on and on and none are worthy...
If it was not for Christ all hope would be lost!
Look with me at Revelation 5:1-5 and the truth is reveals as John the Beloved says:
1 Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals.
2 And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?”
3 And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it,
4 and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it.
5 And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”
Only Jesus is worthy, Beloved!
And Peter’s reaction is truly the most nature reaction to standing in the presence of the great I Am!
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That is why Peter starts of calling Jesus “Master” in a respectful manner at the start of our passage...
Yet after this display of divine power now calls Jesus “Lord.”
Furthermore, the New American Commentary on the Gospel of Luke has this to say about this point:
“In this account Luke sought once again to demonstrate to his readers Jesus’ greatness.
Like God the Father, Jesus possesses omniscience.
Although experienced fishermen with all their wisdom and skill knew that there should be no fish present, Jesus without any such experience knew that there were in fact fish there.
Peter recognized through this experience that he was in the presence of the divine.
As a result the title of respect and authority, ‘Master’ (Luke 5:5), now gave way to the title ‘Lord’ (Luke 5:8) and to the acknowledgment of human frailty and sinfulness.”
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Likewise, the Pillar New Testament Commentary on Luke puts it this way:
“Peter ‘fell at Jesus’ knees and said, ‘Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man’.’
Jesus is now more than ‘Master,’ epistatēs, ‘Boss’; he is ‘Lord’ (kyrios) and rightly confessed as such.
Kyrios can mean “Sir” as well as “Lord,” but Luke has prepared readers for a full christological understanding of the term in verse 8.
‘Lord’ has been employed thirty times in the Third Gospel so far, all with reference to the Lord God.
Luke surely intends readers to hear ‘Lord’ as a divine title, confessing both Peter’s sin and his faith.
Peter’s confession need not imply a mortal sin obstructing his faith, but rather, like the prophet Isaiah, the inevitable awareness of abject unworthiness in the presence of the Holy.
If Torah is one’s standard of righteousness, one may, like the psalmist, confidently declare, ‘I have led a blameless life; test me, Lord, and try me, for I have always been mindful of your unfailing love.’
One cannot enter the holy and glorious presence of God, however, nor can one hear the word of Jesus in all its grace and truth without being convicted of one’s utter ungodliness.
The miraculous catch does not depend on Peter’s confession of faith.
The source of the catch depends on the will of Jesus, on grace; grace precedes repentance.
Only an encounter with the grace of God can evoke true acknowledgment of sin and repentance.
Recognition of guilt and unworthiness does not drive one from God.
Rather, in a paradox of grace, it draws one to God.
Earlier, Jesus drew apart from the villagers who wanted to keep him for themselves; here, as ‘the friend of sinners,’ he draws near to Peter in the latter’s awareness of his unworthiness.
Jesus does not call the righteous who seek to justify themselves by some standard other than himself; he calls sinners like Peter who drop their defenses and yield to his transformative love and forgiveness.”
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Later in the Gospel accounts...
Peter, James, and John...
The inner circle and closest disciples of Jesus saw an even greater glimpse of Jesus’ divinity...
And just like with Peters reaction on the boat...
The disciples knees hit the ground and they were terrified as it says in Matthew 17:1-8:
1 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.
2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.
3 And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him.
4 And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
5 He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”
6 When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified.
7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.”
8 And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.
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Now, before we move on to our next point I would like to share this...
The Baker Exegetical commentary on the New Testament on Luke has this helpful note about the takeaway from this incredible miracle by Christ:
“The teacher has guided the fishermen to the catch, so he will guide them in other matters of a more spiritual nature.
God in all his power is present and expressing himself through Jesus.
Jesus knows their vocation better than do the fishermen.
He knows their needs better, too.
Even in the chaos and strain that following God often means, there will be opportunity if one depends on him.”
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So, lets look at our next third and final point to see were all this is leading to.
3) Following Jesus
3) Following Jesus
Verses 10(b)-11: 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.
The term “catching men” builds on the analogy of catching fish...
It means bringing people into the Kingdom of God, and into relationship with Jesus.
In fact, “catching men” literally means “to capture alive.”
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So, Peter, James, and John...
These men who had spent their whole lives catching fish for the purpose of killing them...
Now they were being called to spend the rest of their lives catching men and lead them to eternal life!
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This account we are covering was Jesus’ formal and permanent call of these three men to full-time discipleship...
So, when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Jesus, our Lord and Savior...
Peter later references this again in the Gospel account in Matthew 19:27–30 which says:
27 Then Peter said in reply, “See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?”
28 Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.
30 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.
So, at the very pinnacle of their earthly careers...
Having just made the greatest catch of fish ever seen on that lake...
Peter, James, and John abandoned their boats, turned their backs on their fishing business...
They left everything, and followed Jesus!
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Now these fisherman will become fishers of people...
The New International Commentary on the New Testament on Luke says:
“By our Lord’s words in verse 10, ‘from henceforth thou shalt catch men,’ it is clear that we should also understand this event symbolically in connection with evangelisation.
So the message comes to the church ‘to launch out into the deep and there to cast the net of the Gospel.’
In spite of all failures in the past, the church of Christ must again and again renew its energetic attempts under His guidance to gather in souls for His kingdom, and must do this not merely in the ‘shallow waters’ but in the ‘deep water’—not only in the vicinity of settled ecclesiastical life, but also among the great masses of people where the need is so great.
When the church is obedient in this, ‘men will be caught’—her work will bear fruit.”
So, those who respond to Jesus are to follow Him in calling people to God...
They are to be “fishers of people,” even though they, as fishers, are sinners themselves.
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This reminds me of the famous quote by Richard Baxter:
“I preached as never sure to preach again, and as a dying man to dying men.”
And the quote by D.T. Niles that you may have heard before...
“Evangelism is just one beggar telling another beggar where to find the bread.”
And that is the responsibility of all believers...
To tell others were to find hope...
To tell others were to find true and love...
To tell others were to find life...
But not but life but eternal life!
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The Baker Exegetical commentary on the New Testament on Luke says this about all the disciples that will come to follow Jesus:
“Though these disciples come from various backgrounds, they all have one thing in common:
They do not come because they deserve God’s gift; they come because they know that they need his grace.
Peter, at first, thinks that his sin means that he can have nothing to do with Jesus.
But Jesus, by his actions and teaching, shows that the realization that one is a sinner is fundamental to spiritual growth.
In fact, this sinful condition is the very reason one should experience God’s grace and encourage others to enter into it.
Disciples are sinners who consciously enter into the Physician’s transforming care.
They are fish rescued by the saving net of God’s grace.
Peter is a sinner, but the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sin and, as the Great Physician, to bring healing to the wounds caused by it.
Jesus gathers disciples not because he needs them, but because they need him.
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Despite the presence of sinfulness in the fishermen, Jesus still asks sinful people like Peter to join him in fishing for people.
To be a ‘fisher of people’ is to be a ‘fish’ who is able to relate what it means to be pulled out of dangerous waters by God’s grace.”
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Beloved, we should take to heart the truth found in 1 Corinthians 7:17 in which the Apostles Paul says:
17 Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches.
Jesus calls every believer and follower of Him to serve Him faithfully...
And to serve faithfully is to first and foremost tell others about Jesus.
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Each and every one of you..
Even each individual spouse...
And each individual member of a family unit...
Each of you has a unique network of friends and family...
Each of you is uniquely positioned with a unique opportunity to reach a specific network of people...
And God has called you to tell these people about the life saving and glorious message of the Good News of Jesus Christ!
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This is your mission...
Given to you by the God we serve.
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That means our action that we do in our lives needs to have this mission in view...
Our network...
Our Jerusalem...
Need to both see our faith and hear us talking about our faith.
They need to hear the truth and we can’t live in fear that our friends and family may be offended by the Gospel.
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Are you on social media?
Use it for the glory of God!
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Are you working with co-workers?
Find some way to tell them about the hope that is within you!
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Are you going to school or are part of a network of other students?
Tell them about what Jesus did in your life!
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Are you going to a restaurant for a meal?
When you pay for the meal leave a Gospel tract behind and invite the waitress or waiter to church!
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Are you going to be visiting family of friends for an upcoming holiday?
Tell someone there about the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior!
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Find some way to tell anyone and everyone you can about Jesus...
For we can’t be ashamed of the Good News of Jesus and claim to be His followers...
We can’t refuse to give up the things we love and claim to be in right standing with Him.
Jesus says in Luke 14:33:
33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
And Jesus could not be more clear than what is recorded in Matthew 16:24–26:
24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?
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So, what drives you?
What is your driving force?
That s the questions we need to each ask ourselves.
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If money drives you then following Jesus is not going to work for you...
Remember the catch of fish the disciples made...
The profit they would have recieved for that catch would have been outstanding...
Yet they gave that up to follow the Lord.
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Not all Christians are called into full-time vocational ministry...
That is true...
But every Christian is called to be a full-time Christian...
So, don’t let your career or a friend or even a family member lead you to compromising.
Matthew 10:37–39 contains an essential truth that all believers need to realize:
37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
Let me put it this way, Church..
Who do you love?
Like, who do you love truly?
I mean, who is that person that occupies the first and primary spot in your heart?
Because the one you love reveals what future you will have.
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If you love yourself above all...
You will lose your life!
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If you love a parent above all...
You will lose your life!
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If you love a child or your children above all...
You will lose your life!
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even, if you love your souse above all...
You will lose your life!
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God will not sit in second place!
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So, evaluate yourself, Beloved...
Who is your primary motivator...
If you answer this honestly then will will know what road you are on...
And if you don’t like that road then repent and believe and surrender your life to the Lord Jesus Christ.
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When we genuinely turn and start following the Lord...
Our old self dies...
We are not who we are before...
Our love and priorities and desires are not what they were before...
As Romans 6:6 says:
6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.
The enslavement to sin is over...
We are not living for ourselves anymore...
As followers of Jesus Christ we can say with Paul just like it says in Galatians 2:20:
20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
And that new life...
This new life that we live by faith...
Means we are living a life were we are telling others about the one who saved us...
We are telling the people around us and in our life that God is the creator of all things...
He was and is and will forever be as He has no beginning or end...
Out God who is three person in one being didn’t need anything...
He is totally self sufficient...
But out of His love He created mankind in His own image...
Male and Female He created them...
But the serpent...
Our enemy lead Adam and Eve to disobey God’s command in an act of treason...
That’s when sin entered the world and mankind fell...
But God made a promise...
He from the seed of the woman the Messiah would come...
He would save His elect and crush the serpents head...
That man is the God-Man, Jesus Christ...
Sent into our world by the Father in an act of love...
Christ lived a perfect life and took the place of us...
Wicked sinners...
On the cross.
Three days later...
God the Father raise God the Son from the dead by the power of God the Holy Spirit!
And for all who put their trust and faith in Christ...
For all who repent and surrender...
For all who have Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior...
All those will be saved and experience eternal life.
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That is the Good News...
That is the Gospel...
And we as believers need to share this message with the world!
Closing Illustration
Closing Illustration
So, as this message comes to a close...
I would like to share this that I came across in my study this week:
On Tuesday, April 18, 1995, superstar Joe Montana announced his retirement from pro football after sixteen seasons.
To salute him, twenty thousand residents of San Francisco filled the downtown area for a ceremony in Montana’s honor.
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Television announcer John Madden came to the podium and gave his opinion of Montana’s skills:
“This is the greatest quarterback who’s ever played the game.”
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At one point in the ceremonies when Bill Walsh, Montana’s longtime coach at the 49ers, was at the microphone, a fan yelled,
“We love you, Joe.”
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Walsh knew that hadn’t always been the case.
“You weren’t saying that in 1979,” he replied to the fan.
“Then you were saying,
‘Where’d you get this guy who looks like a Swedish placekicker?’ ”
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In 1979 Joe Montana was merely a third-round draft pick out of Notre Dame.
Scouts said he had a weak arm.
He was skinny.
He lacked the muscular build of most football players.
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But when Joe Montana stepped into the pros, he entered his element.
He threw passes with perfect timing.
He was the master of the two-minute drill.
He went on to win four Super Bowls, helping turn the derelict 49ers into the dominant team of the 1980s.
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Joe Montana was at first unimpressive to many people but was destined to be the one of the greatest NFL players of all time.
In an infinitely greater way, those words also describe Jesus Christ.
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At first glance He seemed like a simple carpenter...
Even when he started His three year ministry teaching...
Many only saw Him as good teacher...
Yet, Christ was far more than that...
Jesus Christ is the promised Messiah and the Son of God...
As Peter witnessed His divine acts he could not help himself but to bow down to Him.
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As the Messiah...
That means that Jesus had a specific mission that He was sent to complete...
And that was to serve us...
By volunteerely giving up His life for his enemies.
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And it is now about Christ’s sacrifice that we bring our attention to.
Communion
Communion
As we begin our communion service, I want to invite every genuinely born-again believer in the room to partake in this act together.
If you do not yet know the Lord and do not have a relationship with Him...
Or if you are under church discipline from this church or another church...
Then I will ask that you wait until you have resolved your issue before participating.
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As you came in you should have picked up a communion packet if you are joining us.
This has both the bread and juice in a convenient package.
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If you have not received one of these please raise your hand and someone will get you one.
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Before we join in communion together, I would like us to consider what Peter himself records for us in his epistle about Jesus, the one he served...
He said in 1 Peter 2:24:
24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
Theologian, Leon Morris, has this to say about this verse:
“Redemption is substitutionary, for it means that Christ paid the price that we could not pay, paid it in our stead, and we go free.
Justification interprets our salvation judicially, and as the New Testament sees it Christ took our legal liability, took it in our stead.
Reconciliation means the making of people to be at one by the taking away of the cause of hostility.
In this case the cause is sin, and Christ removed that cause for us.
We could not deal with sin.
He could and did, and did it in such a way that it is reckoned to us.
Propitiation points us to the removal of the divine wrath, and Christ has done this by bearing the wrath for us.
It was our sin which drew it down; it was He who bore it...
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Was there a price to be paid?
He paid it.
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Was there a victory to be won?
He won it.
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Was there a penalty to be borne?
He bore it.
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Was there a judgment to be faced?
He faced it.”
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So, Beloved...
Let’s all take a moment right now in silent prayer to thank the Lord for all He did for us...
(MOMENT OF SILENCE)
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Tom will you pray before we partake in the bread:
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The Word of God says in Luke 22:19:
19 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
(TAKE THE BREAD)
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Adrian will you pray before we partake in the cup:
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The Word of God says in Luke 22:20:
20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.
(TAKE THE CUP)
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With that we conclude the communion portion of our service.
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To God be all the glory.
Amen.
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Please join us for one more song from the Praise Band.