The Gospel of Luke #18

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.040 --> 00:00:02.960 Me and again, as we have just Sung your word, we now come 2 00:00:03.000 --> 00:00:06.639 to your word, into the reading of the word. And Lord, we 3 00:00:06.679 --> 00:00:12.560 asked indeed that you may bless it. I pray God, for myself and 4 00:00:12.640 --> 00:00:17.519 the words that I have prepared, that I would not go beyond your word, 5 00:00:17.600 --> 00:00:22.199 that I would not say things that are false or misleading. I Pray, 6 00:00:22.280 --> 00:00:27.600 God, that Christ may be magnified in the words that I speak. 7 00:00:28.079 --> 00:00:32.399 And I pray, Lord, that the text that I read, indeed, 8 00:00:32.439 --> 00:00:35.880 I will stay to it and Lord, I will rightly divide it for your 9 00:00:35.920 --> 00:00:40.960 people. Let me pray for your illumination upon it as we read it and 10 00:00:41.079 --> 00:00:45.079 hear it. And God, I prayed it in our hearts this morning you 11 00:00:45.079 --> 00:00:50.119 would use your word to stir a desire to spread your Gospel, but also, 12 00:00:50.240 --> 00:00:55.320 God, to remind us of your grace, which you will show in 13 00:00:55.359 --> 00:00:59.439 a marvelous way. And Lord, I pray that I may make that clear 14 00:01:00.159 --> 00:01:06.400 to your people this morning again show US wondrous truths out of your law and 15 00:01:06.480 --> 00:01:10.439 open our eyes to see it. I pray in Christ's name. Amen, 16 00:01:11.079 --> 00:01:17.359 I'm reading from the Gospel of Luke this morning, Chapter Five. If we 17 00:01:17.439 --> 00:01:23.799 continue our way through the gospel of Luke and I will be reading one story 18 00:01:23.040 --> 00:01:30.159 that's found in the first eleven verses of Luke Five. And here again, 19 00:01:30.200 --> 00:01:34.799 I remind you, what now I shall read is God's word. On one 20 00:01:34.799 --> 00:01:38.040 occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of 21 00:01:38.079 --> 00:01:42.599 God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret and he saw two boats 22 00:01:42.640 --> 00:01:45.400 by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing 23 00:01:45.480 --> 00:01:49.439 their nets. Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon's, he 24 00:01:49.519 --> 00:01:53.599 asked him to put out a little from the land and he sat down and 25 00:01:53.640 --> 00:01:57.680 taught the people from the boat and when he had finished speaking, he said 26 00:01:57.719 --> 00:02:00.079 to Simon, put out into the deep and let down your nets for a 27 00:02:00.159 --> 00:02:08.000 catch, and Simon answered master. retoiled all night and took nothing, but 28 00:02:08.560 --> 00:02:13.159 at your word, I will let down the nets. And when they had 29 00:02:13.199 --> 00:02:16.560 done this, they enclosed a large number of fish and their nets were breaking. 30 00:02:17.159 --> 00:02:21.879 They signaled to their partners and the other boat to come and help them, 31 00:02:21.919 --> 00:02:24.240 and they came and filled both the boats. So they began to sink. 32 00:02:24.680 --> 00:02:28.800 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus knee, 33 00:02:28.840 --> 00:02:32.960 saying depart from me, I am a sinful man o Lord, for he 34 00:02:34.080 --> 00:02:37.719 and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they 35 00:02:37.719 --> 00:02:40.840 had taken, and so also were James and John Sons of Zebity, who 36 00:02:40.840 --> 00:02:45.960 were partners with Simon. and Jesus said to Simon, do not be afraid, 37 00:02:46.680 --> 00:02:50.240 from now on you will be catching men. And when they had brought 38 00:02:50.240 --> 00:02:54.400 their boats to land, they left everything and followed him. Thus ends the 39 00:02:54.439 --> 00:03:02.080 reading of God's word. Please be seated. Last week we looked at Jesus 40 00:03:02.159 --> 00:03:07.879 Ministry and Capernaum and saw that Luke shows in that passage that Christ had authority 41 00:03:08.400 --> 00:03:13.879 over teaching. Uh in his teaching the authority. He had authority over demons, 42 00:03:14.319 --> 00:03:19.759 authority over sickness. This morning we moved to another story of Jesus Authority 43 00:03:19.840 --> 00:03:23.080 over the creation of God. We're going to see the authority has over that, 44 00:03:23.240 --> 00:03:28.159 but we're also going to see a great miracle of provision. I could 45 00:03:28.199 --> 00:03:31.199 easily, I found as I prepared the message this week, I could easily 46 00:03:31.240 --> 00:03:36.400 have done two messages on this story, but I decided to no, I 47 00:03:36.479 --> 00:03:39.039 needed to get a little ways into luke in my short time here, so 48 00:03:39.159 --> 00:03:44.680 I decided to make it only one message. Out of this so we'll begin 49 00:03:44.759 --> 00:03:49.719 by looking at versus one to three. This story by Luke is is a 50 00:03:49.800 --> 00:03:53.840 little puzzling to commentators. They're not exactly sure where it fits in. Um. 51 00:03:53.879 --> 00:04:00.439 It doesn't seem to quite be the exact story that's found other aces. 52 00:04:00.879 --> 00:04:05.400 There is another miraculous catch a fish in the Bible, but that's found in 53 00:04:05.479 --> 00:04:10.199 John Twenty one, and although some trying to make a case that it's the 54 00:04:10.280 --> 00:04:15.319 same exact catch, Um, this one happens at the very beginning of Christ's 55 00:04:15.319 --> 00:04:21.920 ministry and the one in John Chapter one happens at the very end of of 56 00:04:23.040 --> 00:04:28.319 Christ's ministry. Although there is a there is Luca. John gives us an 57 00:04:28.319 --> 00:04:30.759 neetcount. I'm just thinking of this now, but he gives us that number 58 00:04:30.800 --> 00:04:34.040 of fish that were caught in that one, which is very odd. It's 59 00:04:34.079 --> 00:04:38.759 just a strange number. But anyway, that's another message for another time. 60 00:04:38.839 --> 00:04:43.040 But Anyway, Um, it's I think it's clear that this account is a 61 00:04:43.040 --> 00:04:46.160 different one. And of course our Lord did miracles, repetitive miracles. This 62 00:04:46.199 --> 00:04:50.680 wouldn't be the only repetitive miracle that our Lord did. There's many healings of 63 00:04:50.680 --> 00:04:55.560 the same kind and castine out of spirits and demons of the same kind. 64 00:04:56.199 --> 00:05:00.240 Matthew and mark also give an account of what appears to be the calling of 65 00:05:00.360 --> 00:05:05.720 the apostles, and that account also seems to be somewhat similar to the account 66 00:05:05.800 --> 00:05:11.040 I read to you and Luke. However, there is a glaring difference that 67 00:05:11.160 --> 00:05:15.879 seems to make it not the same. Now commentators are divided about this and 68 00:05:16.120 --> 00:05:20.040 Um, there there are those who think that this is the same. Calvin 69 00:05:20.079 --> 00:05:26.199 says positively that he believes it's the same account, that what Matthew and mark 70 00:05:26.600 --> 00:05:30.120 give is exactly the same as what Luke gives, the same experience. G 71 00:05:30.360 --> 00:05:35.800 Campbell Morgan believes, however, they are obviously two different accounts and to support 72 00:05:35.879 --> 00:05:40.399 that, uh, he mentions that in the two accounts, in the one 73 00:05:40.439 --> 00:05:44.879 account where we have in Matthew and mark, the disciples are actually fishing, 74 00:05:45.600 --> 00:05:48.360 but in this account it is expressly said they're not fishing, but they are 75 00:05:48.839 --> 00:05:54.079 mending or walk, excuse me, washing their nets. Uh, in doing 76 00:05:54.160 --> 00:05:58.160 that, and so Um, to to to sound. That's important. I 77 00:05:58.199 --> 00:06:01.680 know that Morgan, it is important because he thinks that they were first called 78 00:06:01.759 --> 00:06:05.399 in Matthew and mark, that that account is the first calling. But he 79 00:06:05.439 --> 00:06:10.079 makes the point that he thinks is important in the story that even after they 80 00:06:10.079 --> 00:06:13.759 have been called, they went back to their nets and back to their occupation, 81 00:06:14.120 --> 00:06:16.879 and so Jesus has to come to them a second time to get them 82 00:06:16.920 --> 00:06:21.360 away from their nets. And so he thinks that is important and he thinks 83 00:06:21.519 --> 00:06:26.480 that plays a part as to why Peter says depart from me, from a 84 00:06:26.519 --> 00:06:30.439 sinful man, for Peter now recognizes he aired in Um in going back to 85 00:06:30.600 --> 00:06:35.160 his back to his nets and UH. And also the account. Why, 86 00:06:35.319 --> 00:06:40.079 if, if there was, if there is the same account, why don't 87 00:06:40.279 --> 00:06:45.079 Matthew and mark mentioned the miracle, the great catch of fish? It seems 88 00:06:45.120 --> 00:06:48.720 like, uh, that would be there. And the Calvin actually says the 89 00:06:48.800 --> 00:06:53.360 reason he thinks it's the same account, as he says. Otherwise we make 90 00:06:53.399 --> 00:06:59.279 the apostles apostates. Well, we're all apostate a time, so that's okay. 91 00:07:00.240 --> 00:07:02.519 William Hendrickson says, taken as a unit, the story found here in 92 00:07:02.639 --> 00:07:08.279 Luke is peculiar to Luke. It has no parallel. So I tend to 93 00:07:08.279 --> 00:07:11.879 believe and tend to decide with those who believe this is a separate account from 94 00:07:11.920 --> 00:07:15.120 the others. But I'm not going to argue about it. Now. One 95 00:07:15.160 --> 00:07:19.759 thing that Luke brings out that isn't as clear in the other Gospel accounts is 96 00:07:19.800 --> 00:07:26.399 that Peter is the pre eminent apostle and he will come through that way. 97 00:07:26.879 --> 00:07:29.680 Uh, in in the Gospel is now the gospel of mark is kind of 98 00:07:29.720 --> 00:07:33.519 an exception. You may know that tradition says that Mark wrote his Gospel, 99 00:07:33.959 --> 00:07:38.439 but it was Peter who actually kind of gave it to him, and mark 100 00:07:38.560 --> 00:07:42.759 was kind of a ghostwriter for Peter. And so Peter and mark seems to 101 00:07:42.839 --> 00:07:46.720 put himself into the background. So many of the things we know about Peter 102 00:07:46.839 --> 00:07:50.360 we don't find out in the gospel of Mark Because, uh, Peter seemed 103 00:07:50.360 --> 00:07:54.879 to want to leave out the things that would make him look better than anybody 104 00:07:54.879 --> 00:07:58.160 else. But it is true when you look at the Gospel, all four 105 00:07:58.240 --> 00:08:01.759 Gospel accounts, that lists to us the apostles, Peter is the first name 106 00:08:03.360 --> 00:08:07.879 in every single one of those lists. So in Chapter Five, Luke names 107 00:08:07.920 --> 00:08:13.480 the location as the lake of it UH. This is uh one of those 108 00:08:13.600 --> 00:08:18.399 names that is not as familiar to us. You know this better as the 109 00:08:18.439 --> 00:08:22.040 Sea of Galilee, which it is also called. Of course, the title 110 00:08:22.120 --> 00:08:28.519 of Sea of Galilee actually appears thirteen times in Matthew, in the Short Gospel 111 00:08:28.560 --> 00:08:33.120 of market actually appears sixteen times, but never in Luke. Luke never mentions 112 00:08:33.159 --> 00:08:37.759 it as a Sea of Galilee. He calls it five times a lake and 113 00:08:37.080 --> 00:08:41.080 later on in history, as as time goes on, you may know, 114 00:08:41.159 --> 00:08:45.720 it will become known as the Sea of Tiberia's UH. These are all named 115 00:08:45.759 --> 00:08:48.679 for the same body of water. And the crowd is pressing in on Jesus 116 00:08:48.720 --> 00:08:52.200 to hear the word of God. And and again in chapter four, at 117 00:08:52.200 --> 00:08:56.200 the end we saw a sunset that everybody was bringing their sick out so for 118 00:08:56.320 --> 00:09:00.480 Jesus to touch him. And that's a wonderful thing. But this is even 119 00:09:00.600 --> 00:09:05.600 greater that people are coming out not to be healed but actually to hear the 120 00:09:05.679 --> 00:09:09.240 word of God. And that's what they're doing. And what a what a 121 00:09:09.360 --> 00:09:13.600 marvelous thing must have been, what an amazing thing to hear the words of 122 00:09:13.720 --> 00:09:18.639 God from God. That would be an astounding experience, of course, and 123 00:09:18.679 --> 00:09:22.279 that's what they went through. And so in verse two of the fishermen had 124 00:09:22.279 --> 00:09:26.679 gotten out of their boats and were washing their nets fishing. I am somewhat 125 00:09:26.720 --> 00:09:30.600 of a fisherman I won't claim to be a great fisherman, but I do 126 00:09:30.679 --> 00:09:35.879 love the fish and I fished a lot during my life and fishing is generally 127 00:09:35.919 --> 00:09:39.960 better at night. It's generally easier to catch them. So this is probably 128 00:09:39.039 --> 00:09:45.080 morning and the fishermen are tired, as they spent the night throwing this large 129 00:09:45.200 --> 00:09:50.399 net over perhaps an area of about a hundred feet and dragging the net hand 130 00:09:50.559 --> 00:09:54.279 over hand to bring not only the net but the fish in. And this 131 00:09:54.320 --> 00:10:00.639 work would be very trying at best. But it's really true ride when you 132 00:10:00.720 --> 00:10:03.919 go all night and don't catch a thing, and that's the problem here. 133 00:10:03.960 --> 00:10:09.919 They haven't caught anything at all. And so the nets themselves were probably what 134 00:10:11.000 --> 00:10:13.840 are called Trammel Nets, and I learned this this week. I didn't, 135 00:10:13.840 --> 00:10:20.399 I didn't know that, but they're a net with a UM outer layers, 136 00:10:20.440 --> 00:10:26.200 two outer layers of larger Mesh and then a small Innernet, uh layer that 137 00:10:26.200 --> 00:10:30.159 that had a very fine mess. So the fish would get into the larger 138 00:10:30.159 --> 00:10:31.679 ones and then they try to get out and they get confused and they get 139 00:10:31.840 --> 00:10:35.840 caught in the inner mass and that's how they would get caught and be brought 140 00:10:35.879 --> 00:10:39.360 in. And because it was very complex when you were done, you needed 141 00:10:39.399 --> 00:10:43.159 to wash those nets and clean them up. The Nets would have bottom, 142 00:10:43.200 --> 00:10:48.120 our weights on the bottom of the net and floats on the top so that 143 00:10:48.200 --> 00:10:52.679 they would either could rest on the bottom or rest down and raise to the 144 00:10:52.720 --> 00:10:58.399 top for that. So in verse three, again Jesus is going to teach. 145 00:10:58.480 --> 00:11:01.240 So again, as I've mentioned several times now, he sits down to 146 00:11:01.399 --> 00:11:05.960 teach. Okay, you still haven't implemented here in this church. But but 147 00:11:07.159 --> 00:11:11.320 Jesus sits down in the boat and again pushes the boat out a little ways 148 00:11:11.360 --> 00:11:16.639 to make it more of a way where his voice could be clearly heard by 149 00:11:16.679 --> 00:11:24.200 the crowd. Now, Um, yeah, I don't know what I'm doing 150 00:11:24.240 --> 00:11:31.159 there. Okay. So going to verse I was moving to my notes before 151 00:11:31.159 --> 00:11:35.200 I was done with my notes. So so in verse four, Jesus said 152 00:11:35.720 --> 00:11:41.120 to Peter put out into the deep, and and that is in the singular 153 00:11:41.120 --> 00:11:43.759 in the Greek. When he says put out into the deep, that singular. 154 00:11:43.120 --> 00:11:46.919 So he's saying that just to Peter. But then the second part is 155 00:11:46.919 --> 00:11:50.960 in the Pearl where he says let down your nets, and so he is 156 00:11:50.000 --> 00:11:54.799 addressing that probably to the crew that is in Peter's boat and of course, 157 00:11:54.799 --> 00:11:58.679 in Verse Five Peter Answers. Master, we've toiled all night and taken nothing. 158 00:12:00.519 --> 00:12:03.600 And I'm sure there's there's nothing that you like better in your line of 159 00:12:03.600 --> 00:12:07.639 work when somebody who is not in your line of work at all tells you 160 00:12:07.759 --> 00:12:11.240 what you ought to do. And I'm sure you love that, as all 161 00:12:11.399 --> 00:12:15.600 US pastors love to hear why we're not great preachers and what we need to 162 00:12:15.639 --> 00:12:18.879 do, uh, to be good preachers. James Edwards put it this way. 163 00:12:18.919 --> 00:12:22.399 We need not ask what goes through the mind of a professional fisherman in 164 00:12:22.399 --> 00:12:28.639 a foul mood when a non fisherman orders him to do again in bad conditions, 165 00:12:28.919 --> 00:12:33.879 what he has already tried and failed to do in good conditions. And 166 00:12:33.200 --> 00:12:37.840 Uh, I wondered about that. And and I thought I didn't have this 167 00:12:37.879 --> 00:12:39.639 in my notes because this just happened last night, but we were at the 168 00:12:39.679 --> 00:12:46.080 Desert Museum with with Pete and Jackie and and Um, as we were going 169 00:12:46.120 --> 00:12:50.080 around, people were stopping and telling us about the desert museum and I asked 170 00:12:50.080 --> 00:12:52.200 Pete. I said that that kind of get to you where you want to 171 00:12:52.240 --> 00:12:56.919 say, Hey, I've worked here all my good part of my life. 172 00:12:56.919 --> 00:13:00.000 I know this. You know, you don't have to tell us this stuff, 173 00:13:00.039 --> 00:13:03.759 and I thought about that when I was thinking about my message and I 174 00:13:03.759 --> 00:13:05.600 said maybe I'll put that in a message tomorrow. Sole so I did. 175 00:13:05.639 --> 00:13:11.480 So that for you, Um. But the second part is then Peter Remembering. 176 00:13:11.559 --> 00:13:13.879 So first he's like, you know, we've toiled all night and taken 177 00:13:13.960 --> 00:13:16.440 nothing. You know, you're a carpenter, I'm a fisherman. Maybe I 178 00:13:16.480 --> 00:13:20.440 know a little bit more about this. I mean you're a master. But 179 00:13:20.440 --> 00:13:22.879 but then the second part he does remember and he says Master, but at 180 00:13:22.879 --> 00:13:26.320 Earword, I'll laid down the nets. And so in verses six and seven 181 00:13:26.360 --> 00:13:31.600 we have this miracle recorded. After what Jesus told them to do. They 182 00:13:31.600 --> 00:13:35.240 have such a catch of fish in the nets that the nets are breaking because 183 00:13:35.240 --> 00:13:39.720 of the weight of the fish in the nets, and they called to their 184 00:13:39.720 --> 00:13:43.440 partners and the other boat, it's probably Peter and Andrew in the in their 185 00:13:43.480 --> 00:13:46.080 boat, the brothers, and it's probably James and John, as we see 186 00:13:46.159 --> 00:13:50.120 later on, in the other boat. And so they're calling them to come 187 00:13:50.120 --> 00:13:52.960 and to help them, and they bring in such a catch into the boats 188 00:13:52.960 --> 00:13:58.279 that even the boats themselves began to sink. At that time. Now, 189 00:13:58.440 --> 00:14:01.120 you know, whenever you go to like a magic show, you want to 190 00:14:01.159 --> 00:14:03.840 know how the magician does the trick and wonder, you know, how did 191 00:14:03.840 --> 00:14:07.960 he do that? And I don't think that woman's really saw it in half. 192 00:14:07.960 --> 00:14:11.440 But I don't know how he did it. But but again we might 193 00:14:11.480 --> 00:14:13.720 wonder. Well, how did Jesus perform this miracle? What are the details? 194 00:14:13.720 --> 00:14:16.559 I mean, we know he's God, we know he could do it, 195 00:14:16.240 --> 00:14:20.120 as far as that goes. But did did he know where all the 196 00:14:20.159 --> 00:14:24.720 fish work? Did he just ominisciently know in his knowledge as God? Did 197 00:14:24.720 --> 00:14:28.120 he know where those fish all were, or did he summon them by his 198 00:14:28.240 --> 00:14:31.120 omnipotence and say to every fish, come on, you come to this area 199 00:14:31.200 --> 00:14:35.240 right now? Well, the scripture doesn't tell us, but he did do 200 00:14:35.320 --> 00:14:37.919 it and that's all that matters. David gooding says here was the Lord of 201 00:14:39.000 --> 00:14:41.720 fish and fisherman, the Lord of Nature, the Lord of men and of 202 00:14:41.799 --> 00:14:46.480 their daily work. Now, because, I said, I have been in 203 00:14:46.519 --> 00:14:54.120 my life an avid fisherman and every fisherman wants a fishing story one sometimes all 204 00:14:54.200 --> 00:14:58.159 it is is the one that got away. Is is all that you can 205 00:14:58.200 --> 00:15:01.799 tell people. And I have a fishing story, and I'll tell you a 206 00:15:01.799 --> 00:15:07.120 little bit later in the message here, but I don't have a story like 207 00:15:07.200 --> 00:15:11.600 this one. and Uh this is like the ultimate fishing story. We're talking 208 00:15:11.919 --> 00:15:16.519 at fellowship group the other night and pastor chop con mentioned about, uh, 209 00:15:16.559 --> 00:15:20.559 something he had heard about the guys saying it would be terrible to be at 210 00:15:20.600 --> 00:15:24.720 a party with the guy that was like the first man on the moon and 211 00:15:24.279 --> 00:15:28.799 you know, you're talking and you're telling some extraordinary story and and then the 212 00:15:28.799 --> 00:15:31.279 guy goes, well, you know, I walked on the moon, and 213 00:15:31.279 --> 00:15:35.120 it's like, no matter whatever story you tell it, it wouldn't be so 214 00:15:35.159 --> 00:15:37.759 great. Well, you know, I got fishing stories, but it's not 215 00:15:37.799 --> 00:15:41.240 as great as this fishing story I can't tell. And that's there's no fishing 216 00:15:41.279 --> 00:15:43.519 story you could ever tell the disciple, no matter what you could say to 217 00:15:43.720 --> 00:15:46.039 them. Hey, I gotta tell you. And then as I was going, 218 00:15:46.159 --> 00:15:50.519 Oh, I have a fishing story, and you'd be done. There's 219 00:15:50.519 --> 00:15:54.240 nothing you could say. and Uh so some people believe that Jesus did this 220 00:15:54.279 --> 00:15:58.639 miracle the provision to show to his disciples. Listen, I can provide abundantly. 221 00:15:58.799 --> 00:16:02.720 Your gonna be following me. Don't worry about your families. I will 222 00:16:02.720 --> 00:16:06.360 provide for them. I can do that. And and of course he doesn't. 223 00:16:07.080 --> 00:16:10.320 And so then we have the response in Verse Eight of Peter to the 224 00:16:10.399 --> 00:16:12.440 catch. He falls at the feet of Jesus and says depart from me, 225 00:16:12.960 --> 00:16:17.639 for I am a sinful man o Lord, in other words, Lord, 226 00:16:17.679 --> 00:16:22.480 I should have never ever doubted your word. Now, earlier in verse five, 227 00:16:22.639 --> 00:16:29.679 when he doubted the Lord's advice, he called Jesus Master. This is 228 00:16:29.679 --> 00:16:33.720 a Greek word which is only found in the gospel of Luke. There says 229 00:16:33.759 --> 00:16:41.360 the word means any kind of superintendent or overseer. But now when Peter Comes 230 00:16:41.399 --> 00:16:45.799 to Christ acknowledging his sin, he doesn't call him master, but he uses 231 00:16:45.879 --> 00:16:51.440 the word Lord. The Greek word curious. It's a very common word, 232 00:16:51.480 --> 00:16:56.759 found over seven hundred times in the New Testament and is often used to refer 233 00:16:56.879 --> 00:17:00.279 to God, the father, or Jesus as God. In the Greek the 234 00:17:00.360 --> 00:17:07.079 word is used to translate the Hebrew word Yahweh up to this point in the 235 00:17:07.119 --> 00:17:11.559 Gospel, Luke has used this word thirty times, all referring to the Lord 236 00:17:11.640 --> 00:17:17.079 God. So this is a good transition from Peter. Yes, Peter you're 237 00:17:17.160 --> 00:17:22.079 right, he is your overseer, but now you need to know him as 238 00:17:22.119 --> 00:17:26.960 your God. A plumber in a that's that's a is the initial, not 239 00:17:26.039 --> 00:17:30.200 I'm not talking about a particular plumber, but a plumber. Is a commentary 240 00:17:30.279 --> 00:17:34.960 that he wrote in rites this. It is the master whose orders must be 241 00:17:36.039 --> 00:17:42.319 obeyed, the Lord whose holiness causes moral agony to the sinner, and Peter 242 00:17:42.559 --> 00:17:48.000 makes the statement I am a sinful man, which is a statement people make 243 00:17:48.039 --> 00:17:49.559 when they know they're in the presence of God, and I'll come back to 244 00:17:49.640 --> 00:17:53.599 that. So we'll look at the last two verses. In verse ten we 245 00:17:53.720 --> 00:17:59.039 see that James and John were also there, as I mentioned earlier, probably 246 00:17:59.079 --> 00:18:03.119 Andrew as well, and in the application I want to talk more about what 247 00:18:03.519 --> 00:18:07.680 Jesus says here to Peter, but I do want to especially note one word 248 00:18:07.759 --> 00:18:11.279 that is found here in the Greek, where Jesus says from henceforce thou shalt 249 00:18:11.359 --> 00:18:18.519 catch men. The word catch here is a Greek word that means actually to 250 00:18:18.720 --> 00:18:23.880 capture alive, and the idea is that one rescues someone from danger, and 251 00:18:23.920 --> 00:18:29.240 that's what we do. James says in James Five twenty, my brothers, 252 00:18:29.279 --> 00:18:33.200 if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back alive. 253 00:18:33.240 --> 00:18:37.279 Because they bring him back alive, let him know that whoever brings back a 254 00:18:37.319 --> 00:18:42.480 sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and cover a multitude of 255 00:18:42.559 --> 00:18:48.119 sins. John says in First John Sixteen, if anyone sees his brothers committing 256 00:18:48.119 --> 00:18:53.359 a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will give him 257 00:18:53.440 --> 00:18:59.279 life. To those who commit sins that do not lead to death. The 258 00:18:59.400 --> 00:19:03.079 only one other place in the New Testament this word kepture alive that Jesus uses 259 00:19:03.279 --> 00:19:07.160 is found, and it's found in Second Timothy, Chapter Two, in Verse 260 00:19:07.200 --> 00:19:12.000 Twenty Six, where he says to Timothy Paul says, and they may come 261 00:19:12.039 --> 00:19:18.759 to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil after being captured by 262 00:19:18.880 --> 00:19:22.160 him, to do his well, after being captured alive by the devil, 263 00:19:22.559 --> 00:19:29.359 to do his will. And this miracle would have another significance relating to the 264 00:19:29.400 --> 00:19:32.680 harvest of human beings. When you think about it, and we talked about 265 00:19:32.680 --> 00:19:36.279 this in the fellowship groups, about when Jesus said greater works, and by 266 00:19:36.279 --> 00:19:41.920 greater works he doesn't mean greater in in quality, but that in the area 267 00:19:41.960 --> 00:19:45.400 of converts. Our Lord didn't have a lot of converts per se in his 268 00:19:45.519 --> 00:19:49.880 time as ministry, but Peter has. Peter Becomes that harvester of souls in 269 00:19:51.000 --> 00:19:55.599 his very first sermon and he preaches and again talk about a fishing story, 270 00:19:55.920 --> 00:20:00.480 talk about a story of conversion. In the very first sermon, in the 271 00:20:00.559 --> 00:20:06.400 day of Pentecost, three thousand people and the second one it comes to five 272 00:20:06.559 --> 00:20:11.799 thousand people. That is there. And so this natural miracle for Peter is 273 00:20:11.839 --> 00:20:18.359 re enacted as a spiritual miracle and acts chapters two through four. So verst 274 00:20:18.400 --> 00:20:22.200 e Levan says when they brought their boats back to land, they left everything 275 00:20:22.240 --> 00:20:26.079 and followed him. John MacArthur puts it this way. At the very pinnacle 276 00:20:26.119 --> 00:20:30.359 of their earthly careers, having just made the greatest catch of fish ever seen 277 00:20:30.440 --> 00:20:33.160 on nut lake, they abandoned their boats, turn their backs on the fishing 278 00:20:33.160 --> 00:20:40.000 business, left everything and followed Jesus. I mentioned in the study a while 279 00:20:40.039 --> 00:20:41.480 ago as well. I said I really I know a lot of reformed people 280 00:20:41.519 --> 00:20:45.119 make fun of this song, and maybe for some good reason, but I 281 00:20:45.160 --> 00:20:48.240 don't have a problem with the song. I have decided to follow Jesus. 282 00:20:48.319 --> 00:20:52.240 I doesn't bother me at all because I think people do decide to follow Jesus. 283 00:20:52.240 --> 00:20:56.920 Now I know the reason they decide is because God lets them by giving 284 00:20:56.960 --> 00:21:02.559 them the Holy Spirit of regeneration in their life and causes them to do that. 285 00:21:02.599 --> 00:21:06.160 But nevertheless they do indeed make a decision, and I don't have a 286 00:21:06.240 --> 00:21:11.480 problem with that. But so the disciples are making that decision now to follow 287 00:21:11.559 --> 00:21:15.759 Christ and to leave their nets and all of that. We know it's God 288 00:21:15.759 --> 00:21:21.400 who initiates the work, but nevertheless there is something that we will do as 289 00:21:21.440 --> 00:21:26.279 God initiates it. And what is it that precipitated this verse? One says 290 00:21:26.359 --> 00:21:30.200 the crowd was there to hear the word of God. It's the word of 291 00:21:30.240 --> 00:21:33.559 God that works faith in people. That's what's working the faith in these people. 292 00:21:33.880 --> 00:21:37.160 Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. And 293 00:21:37.200 --> 00:21:41.960 that phrase, word of God, is only found once in matthew and once 294 00:21:41.960 --> 00:21:47.960 in mark, but Luke uses it almost twenty times to refer to the Gospel 295 00:21:48.000 --> 00:21:52.160 and the teaching of Jesus. And that's an apt description, because it's the 296 00:21:52.200 --> 00:21:56.880 word of God. Why? Because it's coming from Christ. That's why it 297 00:21:57.200 --> 00:22:00.559 is the word of God. That's we we talked about the preaching and all, 298 00:22:00.559 --> 00:22:03.920 as I mentioned, I am not preaching directly the words of God. 299 00:22:04.160 --> 00:22:08.160 Those are the ones I read earlier to you. But when Christ spoke, 300 00:22:08.319 --> 00:22:11.880 it was always the word of God, if you need one more proof of 301 00:22:11.920 --> 00:22:18.240 his deity. And so there were many there that were able on that day 302 00:22:18.279 --> 00:22:23.880 to say they stood on the banks of the Sea of Galilee and heard the 303 00:22:25.000 --> 00:22:29.720 word of God from God himself. But if they did not turn from their 304 00:22:29.759 --> 00:22:33.359 wickedness, there will be a greater judgment that has put upon them, as 305 00:22:33.440 --> 00:22:40.279 Jesus Talks about in Matthew Chapter Eleven. But let me go to some applications 306 00:22:40.279 --> 00:22:45.880 this morning. We are also called to be fishers of men, and I 307 00:22:45.920 --> 00:22:51.200 can tell you again as a fisherman, that you never quite know what you're 308 00:22:51.240 --> 00:22:56.799 going to catch. I've had times in my life when I sat in a 309 00:22:56.880 --> 00:23:02.599 boat all day and never had one sing, go bite, much less brought 310 00:23:02.640 --> 00:23:06.000 a fish into the boat. But I told you, I have a fishing 311 00:23:06.039 --> 00:23:07.640 story. That's not a great fishing story, but it's great to me. 312 00:23:08.480 --> 00:23:12.799 But I can remember a time, it was an afternoon of about four hours, 313 00:23:12.839 --> 00:23:17.759 where I was in a boat with my best friend at the time and 314 00:23:18.559 --> 00:23:22.319 my son in law and we just every time we put our bait in the 315 00:23:22.400 --> 00:23:25.160 water a fish headed it was a small mouth bass, which, if you 316 00:23:25.160 --> 00:23:27.519 know anything about fishing, they're great fighters. So you're always having a fight 317 00:23:29.119 --> 00:23:30.680 on your hands and bringing them in and it was just it, just one 318 00:23:30.720 --> 00:23:33.599 after the other. And when they stopped biting, the Walleyes came in, 319 00:23:33.599 --> 00:23:37.720 which in Minnesota that's like the fish of fish, that's that's everything is when 320 00:23:37.720 --> 00:23:41.680 you get a Walleye. And so I've told that story many times and and 321 00:23:41.720 --> 00:23:45.720 we'd all like fishing to be kind of like it was in the Texas morning, 322 00:23:45.799 --> 00:23:49.720 and that's true whether we're fishing for fish or fishing for men. But 323 00:23:49.759 --> 00:23:57.079 there's something in the story here that I think that we sometimes miss because we 324 00:23:57.160 --> 00:24:02.079 have to believe that God ordained all those fish to be there at that time 325 00:24:02.160 --> 00:24:04.599 right, that that was that all things in creation follow the will of the 326 00:24:04.720 --> 00:24:07.920 Creator and do what their creator wants them to do. So all of the 327 00:24:07.960 --> 00:24:12.039 fish are there because God, the Creator, has summoned them to that particular 328 00:24:12.119 --> 00:24:18.039 point. But sometimes we forget that. You know, during the night, 329 00:24:18.119 --> 00:24:22.799 God also or day, none of the fish to be there. So whether 330 00:24:22.839 --> 00:24:26.720 the fish were there in droves like we see in the miracle, or not 331 00:24:26.799 --> 00:24:33.240 there at all in the night. God had ordained that. Sometimes we're sharing 332 00:24:33.240 --> 00:24:37.200 the gospel with someone who's right at that point of willing to hear it and 333 00:24:37.240 --> 00:24:41.559 they want, they're ready and and they're just they're just thirsting for it, 334 00:24:41.559 --> 00:24:45.480 and you get there just the right time. It's like it's like a fish 335 00:24:45.559 --> 00:24:48.759 just ready to grab at the bait and it's such a wonderful time. And 336 00:24:48.759 --> 00:24:52.960 then there are other times you're out, as I mentioned before so many times, 337 00:24:52.960 --> 00:24:56.160 sharing the gospel out in the streets and other things, and you're all 338 00:24:56.279 --> 00:25:02.079 night and you don't even get a nibble. And I have preached week after 339 00:25:02.240 --> 00:25:07.000 week as a preacher, and I think other pastors can testify to this, 340 00:25:07.359 --> 00:25:10.839 with no particular knowledge of anyone that comes up to and says, you know, 341 00:25:10.920 --> 00:25:14.599 pastor, I was converted by your words this morning, the words that 342 00:25:14.680 --> 00:25:18.839 you shared, and I think about growing up watching billy Graham Crusades on television 343 00:25:18.880 --> 00:25:22.920 and and the choir would start to sing, just as I am, without 344 00:25:22.960 --> 00:25:26.759 one plea, and all of a sudden you saw the people coming out of 345 00:25:26.799 --> 00:25:33.519 the stands and droves, hundreds, even thousands of people that would would come 346 00:25:33.519 --> 00:25:37.480 out in in that asking Christ to be their savior. At least that was 347 00:25:37.559 --> 00:25:41.160 what you thought was going on. And and I know in reform circles we 348 00:25:41.200 --> 00:25:45.960 don't particularly use altar calls, but but uh, I think in myself, 349 00:25:47.000 --> 00:25:49.799 you know, just once I'd like to be throwing my net out and and 350 00:25:49.880 --> 00:25:55.079 the net breaks because there's just too many people in the net and and all 351 00:25:55.119 --> 00:26:00.720 of that. But I'm not alone in this. For me quote to you 352 00:26:00.759 --> 00:26:06.160 from the Puritan Thomas Boston, in his article or sermon, called the art 353 00:26:06.240 --> 00:26:10.799 of Man Fishing. But yet, seeing I'm called out to preach the Everlasting 354 00:26:10.880 --> 00:26:14.880 Gospel, is my duty to endeavor and it is my desire to be, 355 00:26:15.319 --> 00:26:18.359 Lord, Thou knowest a Fisher of men. But at last I may come 356 00:26:18.359 --> 00:26:22.759 in with my complaints to my Lord that I have toiled in some measure but 357 00:26:22.880 --> 00:26:26.960 caught nothing. For anything I know, as to the conversion of any one 358 00:26:27.079 --> 00:26:30.920 soul. I fear I may say I have spent almost my strength in vain 359 00:26:32.440 --> 00:26:36.480 and my labor for naught, for Israel is not gathered. Oh my soul, 360 00:26:37.160 --> 00:26:40.720 what made me the cause of this? Why does my preaching do so 361 00:26:40.880 --> 00:26:45.240 little good? No doubt part of the blame lies on myself, and a 362 00:26:45.319 --> 00:26:51.000 great part of it, uh, to Um does uh, but a great, 363 00:26:51.200 --> 00:26:53.880 a great part of it too, in prayer, uh my lack of 364 00:26:53.920 --> 00:26:57.880 prayer and faith, in the promises, and by consulting his word, where 365 00:26:57.880 --> 00:27:02.880 I made by a spirit shining in my heart, shine Oh sort of righteousness, 366 00:27:03.319 --> 00:27:06.119 learn how to carry and what to do. To the end, the 367 00:27:06.200 --> 00:27:11.440 Gospel preach by me may not be unsuccessful. Well, Boston was a great 368 00:27:11.440 --> 00:27:18.160 preacher, but he understood that and I also go through that. But as 369 00:27:18.160 --> 00:27:22.680 I closed this morning, I want to make a particular application, taking note 370 00:27:22.720 --> 00:27:29.799 of Peter's Plea of Penitence, to which I hope will apply to some of 371 00:27:29.839 --> 00:27:34.680 you here this morning, if not necessarily in conversion, perhaps in a new 372 00:27:34.720 --> 00:27:42.000 renewal of God's grace and your understanding. So I want to you to think 373 00:27:42.039 --> 00:27:47.799 about the story a bit and think about what Peter did. And really, 374 00:27:47.839 --> 00:27:53.680 if you read this story, all he really did was question whether or not 375 00:27:55.599 --> 00:27:59.000 Jesus, as a carpenter, would know more about fishing than he would. 376 00:28:00.000 --> 00:28:03.920 It's really all he does. There's not what we would particularly say some gross 377 00:28:03.920 --> 00:28:08.359 sin that we'd put him up before the session for discipline or nothing like that. 378 00:28:11.559 --> 00:28:17.759 But his statement to Christ is one of deep repentance. Depart from me, 379 00:28:18.559 --> 00:28:22.440 for I am a sinful man, O Lord. I think if I'd 380 00:28:22.440 --> 00:28:25.240 been there, I might have just said something like well, you win that 381 00:28:25.279 --> 00:28:30.079 one, Jesus, you know, or I guess you were right. But 382 00:28:30.279 --> 00:28:37.000 something about this whole incident causes Peter to recognize the depth of his sinfulness, 383 00:28:37.000 --> 00:28:40.799 and I would say not just in this incident, but all of a sudden, 384 00:28:41.119 --> 00:28:45.559 things are being brought home to him, because not having faith in God's 385 00:28:45.599 --> 00:28:49.240 Word is indeed a great sin. And how often if we found ourselves right 386 00:28:49.279 --> 00:28:52.119 there with Peter? I know I should believe this, Lord, but it's 387 00:28:52.160 --> 00:28:59.359 so difficult for me to really believe this. But there comes a time in 388 00:28:59.400 --> 00:29:03.960 our lives, an often time, more than once and several times, when 389 00:29:03.960 --> 00:29:08.200 our sinfulness is brought home. It makes us realize who we really are. 390 00:29:10.920 --> 00:29:14.160 Do you remember the book of Job in the very beginning that God said to 391 00:29:14.200 --> 00:29:21.039 Satan? Have you considered my servant job, that there was none like him 392 00:29:21.079 --> 00:29:25.759 in all the earth? Think about that. Wouldn't you love that that on 393 00:29:25.839 --> 00:29:32.279 your resume? That's what God said about job. But to get to the 394 00:29:32.440 --> 00:29:36.480 end of the book of Job. In Chapter Forty two, verses five and 395 00:29:36.559 --> 00:29:38.279 six, job says, I had heard of you by the hearing of the 396 00:29:38.359 --> 00:29:45.119 ear, but now, my I see you. Therefore, I despise myself 397 00:29:45.319 --> 00:29:49.759 and repent in dust and ashes. Job was a righteous man, we read 398 00:29:49.799 --> 00:29:55.920 in the beginning, but yet there came a time that his sin came home 399 00:29:55.960 --> 00:30:00.000 to him. Isaiah was a great prophet. We read from his words a 400 00:30:00.039 --> 00:30:04.359 few times this morning. He was a man of God. He knew how 401 00:30:04.440 --> 00:30:11.960 to deliver God's word to his people and he did so. But there came 402 00:30:11.000 --> 00:30:15.480 a time, one day when Isaiah saw a vision of God. He saw 403 00:30:15.519 --> 00:30:21.119 the Throne Room of God, he saw heavenly beings and in a moment he 404 00:30:21.200 --> 00:30:25.240 said, woe is me, for I am lost, for I am a 405 00:30:25.279 --> 00:30:27.640 man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of Unclean 406 00:30:27.720 --> 00:30:36.599 Lips. From my eyes have seen the king, the Lord of host I 407 00:30:36.640 --> 00:30:41.240 think, like job and Isaiah, Peter came face to face with the glory 408 00:30:41.240 --> 00:30:48.000 of God in Christ and in light of that he saw who he was and 409 00:30:48.039 --> 00:30:55.160 it smote him deeply. And he calls himself a sinful man. The confession 410 00:30:55.319 --> 00:31:00.960 is good in part but it's bad in another way. M The first part, 411 00:31:02.039 --> 00:31:07.160 Lord of the part. I am a sinful man, but the part 412 00:31:07.200 --> 00:31:14.079 that's wrong, that we should never say depart from me, because once we 413 00:31:14.160 --> 00:31:18.240 indeed recognize our sinfulness and all of its depths, the one thing we don't 414 00:31:18.279 --> 00:31:22.480 want is the Lord to depart from us. A couple of weeks ago I 415 00:31:22.519 --> 00:31:26.279 spoke to you about a prayer maid to the Lord that he didn't answer on 416 00:31:26.319 --> 00:31:29.960 the cross, when the mocker said, if you're the son of God, 417 00:31:30.000 --> 00:31:33.920 come down from the cross, and I said I don't want that, I 418 00:31:33.960 --> 00:31:38.960 want him on the Cross. Well, here is another prayer and once again 419 00:31:40.000 --> 00:31:45.960 we see the great blessing of unanswered prayer. Jesus didn't depart from Peter, 420 00:31:48.000 --> 00:31:52.920 but what Jesus answers are some of the most common and comforting words in all 421 00:31:53.000 --> 00:32:00.480 of scripture. Don't be afraid, because the one thing sin always leads to. 422 00:32:01.400 --> 00:32:07.359 His fear woe was me. He said, Isaiah, I am undone. 423 00:32:09.480 --> 00:32:13.960 And what follows this is the Lord saying I commission you to be a 424 00:32:13.960 --> 00:32:21.240 Fisher of men. This is the beginning. It seems unfold that what Jesus 425 00:32:21.240 --> 00:32:24.839 says to Peter at this time is follow me and I will make you Fisher 426 00:32:25.240 --> 00:32:30.319 of man. I want you to remember that because I need to go to 427 00:32:30.400 --> 00:32:37.000 another story in another Gospel that I referred to earlier, with another miraculous catch 428 00:32:37.039 --> 00:32:39.559 of fish, and I want you to see something that I think is a 429 00:32:39.640 --> 00:32:50.200 precious truth. It's three years later, again by the sea, but this 430 00:32:50.400 --> 00:32:58.480 time Peter hasn't just doubted, he's actually denied his Lord three times, which 431 00:32:58.519 --> 00:33:06.160 he swore he would never ever do. And we're probably all familiar with the 432 00:33:06.200 --> 00:33:09.119 Lord's questioning three times of Peter, Saint Simon, son of John, do 433 00:33:09.160 --> 00:33:15.599 you love me? And we know about Peter's threefold response. You know that 434 00:33:15.640 --> 00:33:17.799 I love you and I'm not going to get into all of that and all 435 00:33:17.839 --> 00:33:22.519 the questions and response will go on. I just have you note that, 436 00:33:22.559 --> 00:33:29.240 as Peter had denied the Lord three times, even so our Lord asked the 437 00:33:29.359 --> 00:33:35.079 question for an affirmation of faith three times and Peter's response. You know, 438 00:33:35.519 --> 00:33:40.279 Lord, that I love you. But there's one thing here that I think 439 00:33:40.359 --> 00:33:46.880 is often missed. In the very beginning, as I said, Jesus says 440 00:33:46.960 --> 00:33:52.680 to Peter, follow me and I will make you a fissure of man. 441 00:33:54.160 --> 00:34:00.200 Now you maybe not much in those words, but I see a marvelist thing. 442 00:34:00.920 --> 00:34:07.039 Here's what I see. In the beginning, Jesus says, Peter, 443 00:34:07.599 --> 00:34:12.920 I am commissioning you and here's what I want you to do. Follow me. 444 00:34:15.559 --> 00:34:21.960 But now it's three years later, and here's the marvelous grace of God. 445 00:34:22.480 --> 00:34:28.559 Three years later and I'm putting some words that aren't there. Peter, 446 00:34:28.679 --> 00:34:34.000 you failed in a terrible way. You have sinned in your denial of me. 447 00:34:36.119 --> 00:34:42.480 But don't be discouraged, Peter, because I want you to know my 448 00:34:42.599 --> 00:34:49.000 commission has not changed. Your Commission has not changed. It's still the same. 449 00:34:52.800 --> 00:35:01.679 The Great and wonderful grace of God that he gives to us in doing 450 00:35:01.760 --> 00:35:08.079 so. And I want you to note that sometimes in our life we get 451 00:35:08.119 --> 00:35:15.440 to that place where indeed we've sinned and we've fallen and we think, Oh 452 00:35:15.480 --> 00:35:21.880 God, I can never ever be what I was going to be. I've 453 00:35:21.920 --> 00:35:28.039 just failed you too much. I guess I have to give up about this 454 00:35:28.159 --> 00:35:34.840 and give up about that. I want you to hear this morning the Lord's 455 00:35:34.880 --> 00:35:38.719 Commission to he has not changed. He still says the same thing to you. 456 00:35:40.519 --> 00:35:43.280 You say, Oh, pastor, you don't know what I've done. 457 00:35:43.280 --> 00:35:47.199 No, you don't know what I've done, but I know what Christ has 458 00:35:47.280 --> 00:35:54.519 done and I know what he did was dying the cross for our sins to 459 00:35:54.599 --> 00:36:00.800 give us grace, to let us know that what he has called us too, 460 00:36:00.599 --> 00:36:07.039 that the gifts and the calling of God are without repentance. There is 461 00:36:07.119 --> 00:36:10.880 a him that's not in our hymn book. It's by him writer that's found 462 00:36:10.960 --> 00:36:15.360 three times in our hymn book, but this one is not there by William 463 00:36:15.639 --> 00:36:21.039 Cooper, who said where is the blessedness? I knew when I first found 464 00:36:21.039 --> 00:36:23.880 the Lord. All of us have that prayer. I think at times, 465 00:36:24.559 --> 00:36:30.079 why don't I feel that first love, that joy? But this morning, 466 00:36:30.079 --> 00:36:35.400 brothers and sisters, I want you to go away from here remembering that God's 467 00:36:35.400 --> 00:36:39.760 commission to you has not failed and that he wants to use you the same 468 00:36:39.800 --> 00:36:43.360 way he used you. And he called. He knew everything you were going 469 00:36:43.400 --> 00:36:49.480 to do, he knew it all, but he still called you. Trust 470 00:36:49.559 --> 00:36:52.079 this morning. If you never have and if you've failed to in your own 471 00:36:52.119 --> 00:36:59.639 Christian Walk, trust in His grace and believe in him. Can We pray, 472 00:37:00.079 --> 00:37:02.320 Lord, we thank you for your word this morning. We thank you, 473 00:37:02.360 --> 00:37:07.280 God for what you teach us and how your words are just words of 474 00:37:07.320 --> 00:37:09.880 grace that flow from your lips, and how there's so much grace that we 475 00:37:09.920 --> 00:37:14.639 don't even discover it in all of our searchings of your word. It is 476 00:37:14.760 --> 00:37:20.280 unsearchable. And we think we understand your grace and we haven't even begun to 477 00:37:20.400 --> 00:37:25.960 dip in the water's Lord, much less the swim. Lord. Your grace 478 00:37:27.159 --> 00:37:31.159 is immeasurable. And Lord, you've called us, all of us, to 479 00:37:31.199 --> 00:37:35.239 be fishers of men, and we fail in that, commission, again and 480 00:37:35.239 --> 00:37:40.320 again. But Lord, help us, help us to realize what you've called 481 00:37:40.400 --> 00:37:46.280 us to and help us to recognize your great grace and to trust in that 482 00:37:46.480 --> 00:37:51.239 and to believe in you. And Use us, Lord, as you use 483 00:37:51.320 --> 00:37:57.199 Peter, as you use James and John and Andrew and others. Use US 484 00:37:58.000 --> 00:38:04.920 as fishers of men and bless us in your own way. We pray for 485 00:38:05.039 --> 00:38:07.360 we ask it in Christ's name. Amen.