Sermon
That All May Know (Fishers Of Men) | Joy Teh
Publisher transcript
Transcript
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You're listening to a message to go from axt church.
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We hope this message will light up your day.
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Today.
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I'm gonna share about death, about following Jesus and how
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Jesus makes us fishes of man. Hallelujah. So we're going
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to take from Luke chapter five. Now I shall dive
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straight into it. Luke chapter five.
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The first eleven verses of Luke chapter five.
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Okay, So I encourage all of us to bring our
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Bible to church, and if you have a Bibles with you,
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let us turn to Luke chapter five. Okay, now, but
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XTIB will help us with the new King James version
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on the screen. So let me read from verse one.
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So it was as the multitude press about him to
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hear the word of God, that he stood by the
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lake of Genessurred and saw two boats standing by the lake,
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but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing
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their nets. Then he got into one of the boats,
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which was Simon's, and ask you to put out a
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little from the land. And he sat down and taught
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the multitudes from the boat. Okay, Simon's boat, this is
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Simon Peter right now.
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Verse four.
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When he had stopped speaking, he said to Simon, launched
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out into the deep, and let down your nets for
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a catch. But Simon answered and said to him, Master,
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we have toyed all night and caught nothing. Nevertheless, at
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your word, I will let the net. I will let
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down the net. And when they had done this, they
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caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.
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So they signaled to their partners in the other boat
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to come and help them, and they came and filled
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both the boats, so that they began to sing with
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a lord of fish. When Simon Peter saw it, he
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fell down at Jesus' niece, saying, depart from me, for
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I am a sinful man, o Lord. For he and
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all who were with him were astonished at the catch
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of fish which they had taken, and so also were
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James and John, the sons and Sabidy, who were partners
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with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, do not be afraid.
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From now on you will catch men. And when they
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had brought their boats to land, they forsook all all
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the fish and followed he Imen.
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Amen.
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So if you read here that them that they is
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Simon Peter, because and Andrew. Because usually it's two fishermen
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in the boat and the partners, partners in crime, right
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is the James and John. So they were four of them, okay, okay,
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So four of them, and that's where Jesus was talking.
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To them, okay.
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So now, uh before look chapter five. So this is
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Luke chapter five, and of course before look chapter five,
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loochapter one to four, right, okay, okay, So just to
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again we have on what happened in the first four
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chapters of Luke before we arrived at this little story here,
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all right. So, of course, if you read from Luke
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chapter one, the Lich chapter four, it talks about the
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birth of Jesus, it talks about the genealogy of Jesus,
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and it talks about how Jesus was tempted and how
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he began his ministry, as you can see in Luke
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chapter four as well. But in the other Gospels you
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will have read also how Jesus first called his disciples, hey,
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Simon and his brother Andrew, and then we have James
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and John, so two sets of brothers, right, okay. Now,
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so when we arrived in Luke chapter five, by then
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it wasn't the first time that Jesus is meeting Peter
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and the other three disciples. Okay, so it's not the
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first time, so they have been with Jesus for about
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a year. So the Book of Luke skipped the first
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year of kind of the first year of jesus ministry,
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and went straight into his second and his third year
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of ministry, all right, Unlike the Book of John that
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is a bit more evangelistic, So the Book of Luke
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pretty much skips that part, and he went straight to
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when Jesus was already trying to disciple his disciples. Okay, okay,
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So it's not so much written for non or pre believers,
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but again writturn to people who are already Christians to
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how and to teach them how to become committed and
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faithful followers of Jesus. So Christ spent his first year
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of ministry going around the synagogues and preaching and getting
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as many people to believe in him, all right.
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Then, and in his second.
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Year again he pecked disciples, and there were twelve of them,
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of course we know in the end, and he trained
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them to be apostles, and later on he also sent
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them out right, So that was doing his three years
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of his ministry. Okay, So the book of Lil again
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didn't really tell us much about the first year of ministry,
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but again written to us believers to become committed followers
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of Jesus. So it's not an evangelistic book, but the
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Book of John. In state, if you read the Book
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of John, the Gospel of John, it talks a lot
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and it mentions a lot about God giving eternal life
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to anyone who believes in Jesus.
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All right, So that is the Gospel of John for us. Okay.
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So when we arrive here at chapter five in the
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Book of Luke, these disciples were already caught by Jesus,
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already following Jesus. But then you'll be wondering, why are
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they then washing their nets and fishing land?
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Okay, okay, So let's look at this scripture. Now.
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I'll give you the summary first of what I'm going
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to so, teacher, right now, I cannot run away from it, like, okay,
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I just can't, Okay, So just a summary first. So
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I've drawn out a few points from verse one to
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verse eleven of what makes a fisher of men? Okay,
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So when Jesus called them, and at the end in
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verse eleven, Jesus is saying that in verse eleven exactly
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the words of Jesus is No, that's not verse eleven.
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So it's verse ten.
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Jesus said, do not be afraid. From now on you
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will catch men. All right, you will catch men or
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your fishers of men in some other versions, and I
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believe it's not the first time Jesus is telling them.
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By Jesus is renewing the commitment again with.
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His disciples, all right, okay, So the four points that
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I can draw out from here would be features of
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men love to hear the word of God taught.
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Okay, now as we can see it later in the verse.
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Of course, it didn't seem very obvious that they love
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the world.
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Okay, now, mind, we'll get to that.
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But I would say that they still love the word
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of God, all right, and love to hear the word
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of God. The next one features of men obey Jesus
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even when it doesn't make sense. There's a slight that
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shows all four at one in one's like okay, Daniel,
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thank you all right, So obey Jesus even when it
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doesn't make sense. And this is found in verses four
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to seven, where Peter was saying Jesus it doesn't make sense.
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I've already tried fishing all night. I didn't catch any fish,
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and now you're asking me to fish again. Okay, So
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there you go. Obey Jesus, even when it doesn't make sense.
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Features of men or disciples or Jesus are aware of
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their sinfulness or their own sinful nature. And that's why
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Peter was again repenting at Jesus's niece and asking him
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to depart from him. And features of men are willing
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to forsake all and to follow Christ.
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Imen. That's from verse eleven. Okay, So let's go back
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again to verse one.
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Okay, So again, now as we know, now this is
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not the first time that Jesus and Simon. Well here
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I zoom in mainly on Peter or Simon slash Peter. Okay, okay,
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so yeah, but now he's still called Simon. I right, Okay,
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So first time, it's not the first time Jesus and
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Simon had met. Okay, near the very beginning of christ ministry,
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as I mentioned, a year of a year ago, Jesus
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has been walking along the shore. He has already seen
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Peter and Andrew fishing, James and John fishing, and he
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has already caught them to follow him, all right, okay,
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So the four of them followed him, and for about
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a year they witnessed his miracles. They listened to his teachings.
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They heard him teach over and over again that God
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gives eternal.
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Life to everyone who believes in Jesus.
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And I believe by this time they believe, they believe,
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and it's like they have given their hearts to Jesus,
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all right, Okay, So however, now in this context, in
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look chapter five, we notice that they have gone back
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to fishing now. And then one day Jesus was preaching
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at the beach or at the shore, all right, or
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of the sea, okay, And Jesus showed up there. So
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I'm sure they all this world they enjoyed listening to
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him teaching about the Bible again and again in those
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days when Jesus was teaching, I believe he teaches from
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the Scripture. They go line by line and he explains
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the scripture to the people who are listening.
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All right, okay, so definitely I can imagine them.
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They're cleaning their nets, and as they're cleaning their nets,
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they say, okay, not a problem they have been with Jesus.
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Although now they're back to fishing. I think they're like, oh, yeah,
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we miss hearing. Okay, so it's good to be listening
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to the message to be the God's word, right, okay,
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But they did not stop cleaning their nets. And after all,
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listening to them listening alone to the message and not
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doing their work doesn't put money off, doesn't bring in
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money to put food on the table. So probably I'm
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guessing that they went back fishing due to they have
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to earn a living, they have to support their family.
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And we know didn't really talk about Peter's wife in
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the Bible, but we know that he has a mother
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in lawd who was healed earlier in Luke, and hence
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definitely do have a wife, you know, then you do
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have mother in Laura, right, okay, so wife, mother lad
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and maybe they have children. Okay, I don't know, all right,
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So okay, so needed to put food on the table.
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But it seems that this fishermen are having quite a
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hard time because they fish all night, they didn't catch
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a fish. So, just like all of us, sometime when
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in our profession, when we do business, some days we
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are having good days, good days.
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Some days not so good days, right, yeah, okay.
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So as they clean their nets, Jesus continues to teach
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and the crowd is beginning to press in on him.
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It's so much pressing in on Jesus that Jesus is
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trying to have a bit of space, I believe from
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the people, so that he can teach Popley without being
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And if he looks behind him, he's.
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Going nearer and nearer to the city.
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Okay, okay, So he asked Simon for his boat, right,
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can I borrow the boat?
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Can you?
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Can you take the boat out so that I can
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be in the boat out into the sea a little bit,
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so that I can push from that.
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Now, Simon had just finished cleaning his nets.
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Hey, normally fishermen at that point, after they've done the
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whole night of fishing, after they clean their nets, they
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what do you think they will do?
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See? Okay, what will you do? You work a whole night?
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Those all you got night shifts on or you're ode,
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you know, I know some of yeah, okay, yeah, you're old.
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And then the.
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Next day you have to some more, carry on work
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some more. By the time you reach what do you
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hope to do?
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Slave?
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That's right, okay, So I can only imagine. Okay, okay,
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so do some imagination here. So Peter and his friends
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are probably like, Jesus, I'm almost going to sleep a ready, okay,
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but okay, jesus sermon is good but interesting.
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I want to learn. So maybe good to hear the sermon.
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Maybe yeah, okay, Jesus come let me take you into
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the board. And he rolled it out a little from
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the shore, so that just can't come, do you dish?
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So I believe Simon was grateful so to hear the
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word of God, and maybe at that time it's like, oh, yeah,
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this was why I couldn't understand the scripture. And now okay,
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I understand after I hear Jesus pitch. Oh that's the
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word for me today, you know. Yes, hearing the word
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from Jesus that was what I really needed to say.
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Okay.
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I'm just saying what is going on in Simon's mind,
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And he's probably like, ah, I'm thankful that I I'm
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listening to God's word here in the boat rather than sleeping, right, Okay,
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It's better than anything else that I could have done.
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So if really Simon was already a follower of Jesus,
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a disciple of Jesus.
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Any hunger and thirst for the Word of.
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God, he probably is thinking that, yeah, I'm thankful I'm
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in the boat with Jesus. I could have been sleeping, yes,
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but it's okay. It's a well word sacrifice that I mean.
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Okay.
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So now I don't know about you, but were there
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times in our lives that we know we're supposed to
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go to church, or we know or we plan that Okay,
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I want to go to prayer service, or I want
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to read my Bible, I want to pray under my devotion,
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or I sign up for Bible classes and then when
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the day comes on the Bible class, Ah, I did
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sign up, okay, because I'm okay, But it could be
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due to many reasons. H Like for Peter, it was valid.
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He's tired, he needs rest, you know, and just like
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all of us is life right, it could be we
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are just tired, we're just or we're just too busy.
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All we feel that at that moment we got other
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more funner things to do. Luck, Okay, like funner things.
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Okay, whatever your finner things, okay, Okay, So I believe
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in all of us, Okay, No, me, not you meybe
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me me. I have experienced that before, okay, and there
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were times that we allowed ourselves that excuse okay, the
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never my life today, I don't go today, I don't
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meet my Bible to they, I don't I go and
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sleep in state, or today I just don't. I just
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skip church today because of something else whatever, okay, right, okay,
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And it was fun. We maybe did a fun thing
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that we did and yeah, fun, or we managed to
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sleep in and yeah, good sleep. Okay, fine, but maybe
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that happens to me too, that in the past we
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have made a choice, like I know I'm tired, but
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I'm just gonna go anyway.
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Okay. I sign up for the class, but I.
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Don't feel it now, but I know why I sign up,
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and I really want to learn about the Book of
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X for example. Okay, okay, okay, whatever U prayer service,
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I promise my leader or my home leader will be
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there or not worth still you're serving, okay, your roster
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to serve and oh you that day I got tummy
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A no, no, no, it's okay, Okay, I'm not saying anyway,
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I don't know anywhere and not today, but okay, rosters, sir.
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But you're just feeling tired and all. But you chose
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to go anyway. Had it ever happened to you that
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when you make that standard, that choice to go, and
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that's the day that the Lord speaks to you. I don't,
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hey happened before? And that's the day when the Lord
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and the word for you. That day, you just know
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that that's the day that God.
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Is speaking to you.
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And probably a word was revealed and you know that
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there was a word for you, or it could be
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the message the picture is speaking and you feel that
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the picture is speaking right to you like that. I'm
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not not okay, yeah, yeah, ah, God is just speaking
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to every word from el the being whole. Oh that's
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for me, that's for me, all right, okay, yeah. But
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some of us we have gone through this before, even
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I myself, and we have found that when we are
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most busy, when we think that we most cannot fit
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in our schedule a devotion with God, that is when
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the Lord wants to speak to us.
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Imen. And that is because and the enemy knows it.
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You know, the enemy knows what you what you are
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going to receive, and he doesn't want us to receive
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from God, so even more so, just encouragement to all
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of us. Just like Peter, he probably didn't feel like it.
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He was. He genuinely tired.
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They have every valid reason to not be listening to
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Jesus preaching and all, but he did that. And I'm
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certain that after that long night of fishing, Okay, okay,
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after that, after the long night of fishing, being tired
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and all, but yet listening to Jesus, it was a
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refreshing time for Peter a man, and I believe it
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will be a refreshing time for every and any one
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of you.
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So if you're here today this morning.
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And that's you, hallelujah, thank you Jesus that you are here. Amen,
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say thank you God, by your grace that I'm here,
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Not because we are worthy or whatever, but God.
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Thank you for your grace that we can be here. Amen. Amen.
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And because of Simon's decision to forsake himself and to
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listen to Jesus, Jesus, as we can see now in
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the coming verses, Jesus is not going to bless Simon
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with not just a physical blessing of the fish, but
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we're going to see that Jesus is going to bless
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him even more, and he can even imagine imen the
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spiritual blessing of following Jesus and being a fisher of men. Okay,
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so when we obey Jesus, blessings always follow.
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Hallelujah. But ah, now it is the butt. Sometimes obedience
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is not easy. You know that, right, Okay?
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If the obedience is so numb, so nam is so
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incidentally according to your liking and your understanding and your agreement,
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and okay, but sometimes it doesn't happen that way.
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Like what is happening now?
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Jesus asks Peter to do something quite strange to him? Okay,
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because now we read like nothing, but imagine a fisherman. Okay,
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So now let's read on. What is the next one?
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The next point will besure some men obey Jesus when
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it doesn't make sense. So let's pause for a moment
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and let's try to understand what Jesus is asking Simon
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to do here.
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First of all, who is a fisherman, Jesus or bitter Peter?
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Who's the carpenter? Okay? Who should know more about fishing?
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Okay? One hundred months okay, So Peter of course should
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know more about fishing. And Peter should be the one
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instructing Jesus, Oh you know what time you should be fishing,
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where you should be fishing, bla blah blah blah, not
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the other way around. Okay, firste was there. He should
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be the one who knows better, Jesus, God, I know better. No, okay,
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sometimes we say that God. Right second day, Peter had
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already been fishing all night. Have you ever catch yourself? Saying,
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but God, I tried, he tried, he tried. Okay, but
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sometimes we stop there, try my stop more. No, you
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didn't care whether you join or that, just say yes,
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come follow me.
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Okay.
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So Salmon had already fished all night and he didn't
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catch anything, so he's like Jesus, I tried.
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Okay.
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Besides that, he's already saying that now Jesus is in
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the middle of the day. It's hot, and this is
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the worst time to fish. All the fish will go
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and hide because it's hot. Okay, okay, So generally that's
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the worst time to fish. The fish will retreat.
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Under the rocks and the locks and all.
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They will go to the cooler paths of the water,
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and they will hide because it's bright.
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Mind, So that the predators cannot see them.
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So the chances are if you didn't catch anything in
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the night, you won't catch anything now. So it's like
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Jesus the okay finally, and I think to me, this
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is probably the thing that will nail it for me.
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Now, okay for me.
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Why I would say, no, Jesus, I'm not going to
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go fish. It's because he just finished cleaning the nets.
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Wish who here, we'll go and do it all over again. Okay,
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he just finished cleaning the nets and you are asking
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him to go and fish again, and he can imagine
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I've got to come up with an empty net and I.
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Got to clean and all over again.
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That's me Haha, I'm okay joking, but yes, So that's
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the most frustrating I believe for Simon. And Simon got
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so many reasons in his head not to do it.
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But what did Simon say in verse five? Okay, that's
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an awesome verse. I will say, he says, Master, But
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Simon I has always been very straightforward. Okay, so he's
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also told Jesus, Jesus, we have toyed all night and
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caught nothing. Nevertheless, hah, at your word, I will let
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down the net.
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Amen, there is an awesome statement of faith.
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Can you and I say that Jesus I know better
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than you, but at your word our obay, hallelujah, Okay,
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whatever you're going to say, Okay, Jesus, I don't feel
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like doing this. I don't want to do this. I
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know I tried it before. But can we still say?
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But can can I?
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Okay?
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So in our obedience to Jesus, sometimes there needs to
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be that nevertheless, yes, we have all our reasons, but nevertheless, Lord,
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at your word, I will let the net down. So
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sometimes what God asks us to do may not make
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sense to us or the people around us. But when
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God says so, to whose word, let us all obey?
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And thank God Simon did so. Obedience to Christ's commands
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will always result in a divine blessing. So now what
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is the blessing? In this context? It was a whole
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board load of fish, so many that their next was
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about to break. I can't imagine how many, though I'm
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not fishing man, Okay, okay, So to the point that
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he has to call his other gondola okay, James and
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John to come and help.
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And even that they.
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Filled tour boats and even too boats was too much
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for the two boats, and the too boats are going
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to sing. So the only way is to te bat
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the fish into the scene. You know, the boys is
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going to sing, right, Okay, So.
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That is the blessing when God bless us.
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So when we work in that obedience, the never the
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less obedience, you think God doesn't know the nevertheless, you
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think that that doesn't know that it's.
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Not the right time of fish. He thought all night.
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You think God doesn't know, You think God doesn't know
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what we are thinking about.
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Yes, he knows.
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But yet when we choose to step out in their obedience,
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God were blessed immen, and the blessing is overflowing on hallelujah.
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So in the Bible, okay, not only in this story,
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we can see we have seen quite radical obedience.
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Even in the Bible.
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Noah, when Noah was asked by God to build an
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up because a flood was coming. Okay, at that time,
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people did even hear of rain. That's why they laugh
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at him. So when they laugh at him, it's because
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they're like, this is the most absurd thing.
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They've ever heard, you know what I mean?
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And they forby think that they have a real rallied
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reason and we would be laughing at Noah.
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Also, okay, okay, because.
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No one has ever heard of rain at the time Abraham,
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when Abraham was asked by God to leave his country,
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and he packed up all his possessions and he started walking.
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When he started walking and leaving, he didn't even know
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where he was going.
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That is the kind of obedience.
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When the people of Angeel ariisad is my favorite much
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around Jericho. Do you think that it was funny that
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they march around Jericho in the time of war and
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they are they were completely silent.
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I thought that was the funniest. So not only they
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are supposed to.
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Much, they are supposed to Okay, so the old the
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people in Jericho are laughing that hey.
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Are and not only one time, no seven times?
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Yeah, and then they're supposed to shout and then the
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worlds are going to come down. So let's say you
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are just sure and God give you all these instructions.
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Will you respond? I don't know what will be your response.
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I'll be like, God, are you crazy?
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Right? Right? Can you try to imagine? Okay?
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So these were the radical obedience that our people or
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the people in the past and the Bible that we
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have seen. So the people of issue much around Jericho
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seven days if they wanted the walls to fall down,
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and they did it despite what they understood about going
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into battle, okay, because that was not the normal way
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that people go into battle.
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That's not the normal way.
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So God wants to work through you. God wants to
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works to me. God wants to bless you. God wants
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to bless me. And just like Simon, it may not
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make sense at the time whatever the Lord is asking us,
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but nevertheless, at his word, we will do it in men.
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So fishers of men obey even when it doesn't make sense.
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Now let's look at the third one.
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Fishers of men are aware of their own sinfulness. So
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the response that Peter gave to Jesus when he first
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saw the fish, sorry, when they were pulling up the nets,
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and the amount of fish that they caught. So when
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he saw it, he fell down at Jesus' names, saying,
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depart from me, for I'm a sinful man. Hold on
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that moment forward. Do you think that was a normal response.
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Would you respond that way if you see a big
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catch of fish.
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Imagine with me.
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Now, Laha you just got your the best contract ever.
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Okay.
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So I think the amount of fish what I read
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about is that it's so much that they can sell
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it and only to work for one year.
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So imagine one year's worth of bonus, okay.
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Or a deal is so big that you can ah,
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I can shake click for the rest of my life, right, okay, yeah.
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Big deal? Call it that? What you call it? A
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big contract? Okay? Imagine what would be your respond yes?
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Not right? Not okay? Like you say, you know, thank
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you Jesus, please the Lord God is good. But Simon's
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response is strange. Okay.
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His response is crying, I don't know, like oh, like
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Jesus needs bowing down and asking, like forgiveness and asking
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and repenting repentance.
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All right, so it's not the usual response.
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But let us see why, you know, why would Simon
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or Peter you know respond Why did he respond this way?
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Okay?
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Okay, So as we know, a year before this, like
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Jesus already called Simon to follow him, and Peter already
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accepted the call and committed to follow Jesus. But again,
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he probably left that part of following God following Jesus
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for a while and then went to back to fishing again.
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I'm guessing it's because he needs to earn a living,
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he needs to put food on the table, he needs
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to provide for his family. All right, doesn't sound anything
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bad and that all these are good and what all?
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We all do that as well. But so Simon seems
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to be stopped following Jesus. Okay, he seems to be,
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you know, he put a stop to that, and he
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goes back to fishing. But even in his going back
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to his fishing, he seems to be having some trouble
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right catching any fish. So then Jesus turned up. So
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at this point, when Jesus turned up, Jesus asked him
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to put the boat out and say, okay, Jesus. And
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he's listening to the word of God. And I guess
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during that time and he's listening to the world whatever
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Jesus is preaching about. His heart has been stirred as
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well again afresh, right then by him taking that step
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of obedience to obey and put the net in, and
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when he realized the catch.
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I think that moment is a moment of realization.
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Again that God is telling Peter, Peter, I can provide
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for you don't ever think that by following me you
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are going to be in any lack meaning the blessing
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that I bless you when you follow me will surpass
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or any other blessing anything else that you can try
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to earn on your owner.
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Okay.
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So that is that realization of his own proud and
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arrogant self sufficiency because of him not trusting God enough
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to take care of him and his family. All right, Okay,
-
So again he has probably okay, put maybe fishing in
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terms of his work, his and the providing for his
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family a birth following Jesus. Nothing wrong to provide for
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our family, to work and all we are all called
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to do that, okay. So it's definitely important and vital.
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But again it must it must come after the supreme
-
priority of becoming a disciple of Jesus. So the priority
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needs to be right. So why Peter responded that way
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was because he knew in his heart that his priority
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was not right, understand. So it was a moment of revelation,
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a moment of repentance for Peter a man. So okay,
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are we all good? So that is the third one, now,
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the last one, so the fishers of men. So after
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that he realizes his own sinfulness and he comes to
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the needs of Jesus and said that it's almost in Jesus. Noah,
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I'm not worthy. Okay, you have I'm not worthy to
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follow you. That's what he's trying to say to Jesus. Okay,
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I'm your I'm supposed to be your follower, but I'm
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not worthy.
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Okay.
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So the last one fisiers of men are willing to
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forsake all and follow Christ. So this is from verse eleven,
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when they brought their boats to land, they forsook.
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All and they follow him.
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So again, Peter had just had his greatest day of fishing.
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He has his the day that he he.
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Caught the most and is so much that he can
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provide for the rest of the year or you know,
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or his extended family and all, and you and I
-
in our normal way, a normal mode, we will be thinking, oh,
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I can renovate my house now, we can buy a
-
new car, we can go for holiday normal. So yeah,
-
but he realized that it is again putting Jesus first.
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Prioritying Jesus and following Jesus first, not about providing for
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his family. Okay, so let me move on, Move on,
-
so becoming a Christian is absolutely free.
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There's no cost whatsoever. Jesus paid it all to his death.
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He paid the penalty for our sin, and we received
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the free give of eternal life simply by believing in Jesus.
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But becoming a disciple.
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So we are talking about now what it means for
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when Peter forsook all and followed Christ is completely different.
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There is a cost involved in becoming a disciple. It
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may cost everything that you have, everything that you are,
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and everything that you own, but the results are well worthed.
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Imen.
-
The reward far outweighs the cause. So this is what
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Peter and his friends realize. Okay, so that's why the
-
moment when he comes to that realization, that woman or repentance,
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he repented to the Lord. Now the awesome thing is
-
what was Jesus' response to Peter in verse ten? Did
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Jesus say when Peter say that, depart from me, for
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I am a man of sin?
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Right? Something like that? Right, say me, for I am
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a sinful man? O Lord? Okay, what did Jesus say
-
to him? In verse ten? Jesus said, did do you say? Yeah?
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Sinfle men, surf you write sineple man, because no trauma.
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He was following Jesus, and then he stopped following Jesus,
-
and now he's repenting before Jesus. But the amazing thing
-
is that, and you and I sometimes we come to
-
that as well, isn't it? We sometimes we wander away
-
and then we come back again, and that we know
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in our hearts that God forgive me, depart from me
-
because I'm a sinful man.
-
Right, okay.
-
But Jesus was so gracious and restoring to Peter and
-
said instead of saying, yes, you sinful men, No, he
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didn't say that. He said, do not be afraid, amen, hallelujah.
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And some of us might feel that way. And maybe
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God is speaking to some of us this morning. All right,
-
and again you know that your heart needs to come
-
back to the Lord. And when you come back, the
-
Lord is telling you to not be afraid. But he
-
didn't stop there. In verse ten, What did Jesus say,
-
do not be afraid? From now on you your catchment.
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So Jesus is not just interested, Okay, come back, okay,
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do not be afraid, happy, be happy all the time. No,
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Jesus had amended and a calling upon Peter's life, and
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he sing to Peter and reminding him.
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Of the calling that you are called to be official men. Amen, okay.
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And that is where after being affirmed, Peter and his
-
companions forsook all and follow Jesus. So as I mentioned
-
just now, now again the amount of fish that they
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also so they're not only for sok the fish. They
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for sook their boats, they for sook their nets. Basically,
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I think this round they have made again a choice
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to forsake all and to follow Jesus in man hallelujah.
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So questions that we want I.
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Want to just bring it up to all of us
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for us to think about today. Are we willing to
-
give up our schedule and our priorities and make listening
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to God's word a priority? So because a fisher of
-
men wants to listen to God's words, are we willing
-
to give up what we think we know about life
-
and success and just to obey Jesus no matter what
-
radical obedience? Are we willing to give up our priorities
-
and make following Jesus our top priority? Are we willing
-
to give up our plans for our lives and let
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God use us to bring people into his kingdom to
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be fishes of men. Are we will to give up
-
all our possessions and woring wealth and forsake or for
-
the sake of following Jesus. No, not as you to
-
go and sell our possession now like okay, don't worry,
-
thank you Jesus. It got blessed with a lord. Hallelujah,
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use it for his kingdom. Amen, Amen, hallelujah. But Simon Peter,
-
did he forsake all? Meaning he make sure God's at
-
the top light okay. And it not only changed his life,
-
it changed eternity. Quick chop here for a moment. Two
-
years later, after Jesus died on the cross, he was resurrected.
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What happened after that? The disciples? Did they continue on?
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No? They will discouraged for a moment, and they went
-
back to fishing again.
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And what did Jesus do again?
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Jesus appeared to them at the shore again and asked them,
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did you catch anything or not?
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And they said no, just some seaweeds and whatever.
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And Jesus said, chow your nets on the other side
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of the boat and you're going to catch fish.
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And that moment they didn't know it is Jesus.
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Yet no, I can imagine Peter and all of them,
-
they probably look at each other like, again, who's just
-
telling us.
-
What to do? Again?
-
Care they toy all night fishing again, But again they
-
just did it.
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Anyway. I don't know why made them do it, that
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said Simon. I don't know, but they.
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Didn't know it was Jesus, but they did it. And
-
the moment they hauled the fish into the boat, Simon
-
Peter knew it was Jesus.
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And what happened.
-
He left the boat and he ran jump into the
-
water and ran to Jesus. And that's the story. Okay,
-
so we can read that in the gospels. So we
-
read that because again he was restored again and remembering
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he remembered his commitment.
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To Jesus two years ago.
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All right, Hey, so Simon Peter did go back to fishing,
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but he found nothing in the entire world being able
-
to be compared to being with Jesus. And that's why
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even though at that time people I don't think adults
-
do that. They jump up on a boat and then
-
they go into the water and run to the shoreler. Okay,
-
so it may look silly at that time, but all
-
he wanted was to be with Jesus right, And Jesus said,
-
what come, follow me, and Peter responded, yes, I will.
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So that is like an exchange.
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Jesus is calling him to come, and Peter was responding
-
to Jesus, Amen, I'm drawing to a close nowaday hallelujah. Okay,
-
So just a few more scripture for us before we
-
close here now Proverbs eleven thirty. I feel like I
-
thought faster than the first service because I feel iri
-
chung haired, so I thought its now okay Proverbs eleven,
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verse thirty, hallelujah. What does it say is here? The
-
fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and
-
he who wins souls is wise. So the value of
-
a single human is greater than a boatload of fish?
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Do you know that? Turn to your neighbor and said
-
you are valuable to God.
-
Turn to the other neighbor more than Fishelujah Jesus.
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Okay, okay.
-
So if even the disciples, even if they can catch,
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I use the word catch line. They are fisher menity
-
so can and I believe Jesus use that analogy because
-
they are fishermen. Maybe they catch that one single person
-
out of the clutches of the enemy and helping to
-
bring that person into the arms of God. That itself
-
is of eternal value. So I think what Jesus is
-
trying to teach the disciples then, is that, yes, you
-
can catch a lot of fish, but whatever you catch,
-
even the greatest catch, is earthly. You know, it's earthly,
-
it's just momentary. But the souls that you win for
-
the Lord is eternal. And that's what Jesus is telling.
-
Them, all right.
-
So Jesus was inviting his disciples. Now again, it wasn't
-
the mass crowd. He was talking about those who have
-
committed the follow Jesus, and I think the worship team
-
can come. So Jesus is inviting the disciples again for
-
a catch that will last for eternality, and he has
-
given them a choice. Do you know that Peter and
-
Andrew and James and John, they could have decided to
-
remain a fisherman and not follow Jesus. They can just continue. No,
-
it's okay, Jesus, I'm happy to just be a fisherman.
-
Okay, okay.
-
Yeah, they could have continued and they could just go
-
out every day trying to catch those few fish. Right,
-
some days got fish, some days no fish. And Jesus
-
is making the same invitation to you to me today
-
right now, our worldly profession and some of us what
-
do we do. Some of us are lawyers, some of
-
us are engineers, some of us are teachers, some of
-
us are designers. What else architects, chef, we own a business,
-
owners Okay, all these are our profession, yes, and we
-
need it to put food on our table, definitely. But
-
you and I who are followers of Jesus, you're real
-
fashion is a fisher of men.
-
Tell your neighbor right now.
-
You are a fisher of men, hallelujah, Thank you Jesus.
-
And our main job is to go out every day catch,
-
to catch human lives that will last for eternity a man, hallelujah.
-
So but then you maybe it's telling me, but I
-
don't know how. I'm afraid, I'm shy, I don't know
-
what to say, and if people ask me questions, I
-
don't know how to answer.
-
Don't worry.
-
All of us here have the same fear normal Okay,
-
even you think of the ping oh no fear no
-
not true?
-
You think I a no fear No not true?
-
Que no okay, yes, but we can get training, we
-
can get help, we can help one another. Right, but
-
all of us are in the same shoes. So before
-
I end here, I would like us to look at
-
tool scripture, because here Jesus shows us how we can
-
overcome our natural fears of witnessing. In Matthew chapter four
-
and in Mark chapter one. In Metal four eighteen and nineteen,
-
what did Jesus say? So Jesus walking by the sea
-
of Galilee. So two brothers okay, Simon called Peter and
-
Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea. And
-
they were fishermen. And then he said to them, what
-
did Jesus say? What the two words Jesus said before
-
he said, I will make you fishes of men?
-
Follow me, okay, and who will make you? Jesus will
-
make you Mark one seventeen.
-
Say Jesus said, follow me, and I will make you
-
become fishies of men. So question, very easy answer. How
-
do we become fishers of men? Follow Jesus one hundred marks? Yes,
-
So by following Jesus they become a fisher of men.
-
Nobody becomes a fisher of men naturally with your natural self.
-
All right, nobody becomes a fisher of men just by
-
being told one thousand times that you are supposed to
-
be official men.
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No, it's bye.
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When we commit to follow Jesus, God makes us official men.
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Amen, hallelujah, Thank you Lord.
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We hope you've been blessed by this message. For more
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this week is going to be a good week. I
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hit for you. God bless