Opening: What was your first paying job? Not your chores at home as a child, but
the first time someone chose you and said, “I will pay you to do a job for me.”
What do you think was one thing you learned from that experience?
Scripture: Sunday’s message is our text today. Please read Luke 5:1-11.
Insights:
- We know that Jesus grew up in Nazareth. But at the beginning of His ministry, he moved to Capernaum (see Matthew 4:13). It would become His base of operations for His Galilean ministry. Remember that whenever you read about Jesus’ travels.
- In our passage, we find the third reference to Peter (scan back to the previous chapters of Luke to see the previous encounters of Jesus with Peter). And our passage occurs prior to Jesus naming the Twelve Disciples (see Luke 6:12-16). Clearly, Jesus is focused on establishing a relationship with this fisherman of Galilee. Some commentators believe this is these disciples’ “second” calling. After the first call (see Matthew 4:18-22 and Mark 1:16-20), Peter, Andrew, James, and John had gone back to fishing. They watched Jesus as He established His authority in the synagogue, healed the sick, and drove out demons.
- In our passage, He established His authority in their lives – right where they lived, right where they worked. And when He had established His authority over the “everyday,” He called them to something greater. Instead of fishing for fish; they would be fishing for men and women.
Life Questions:
- Jesus instructing you to do something? Giving you a command? Is it something that you have already tried but He is asking you to try it His way?
- Have you ever gone back to an old way, activity, attitude of your past before you began to really follow Jesus? Did you find that your nets were empty?
Prayer
Focus: For tomorrow’s worship celebration, that we would
truly and meaningfully worship the Christ who brings abundance, and that we
would hear Him call us to fish for men and women.
Tomorrow’s
Message Title: “The Church is like a… Fishing Trip”
