Church Anniversary Service
N.B. Apologies - the audio fades out at times as the speaker moved away from the lectern/microphones
Introduction
- A fishy story
- Jesus gives 'fishy' advice
- The story - not about the fish
- Painting a picture
- Up North
- Jesus had been preaching and teaching
- Word of mouth is spreading
The Scene
- Crowds gathering around the Sea of Galilee
- There is a crowd gathered this morning
- Do we have faith the building can be full again?
- Born for such a time as this
- The aim to hear the word of God
- God's word brings light
- The people at the back had difficulty seeing and hearing Jesus
- Jesus goes out in a boat on the lake
- He sat down to preach
- He was likely wearing ordinary clothes
- The main focus is the word of God
- The content of the preaching is unknown
- But He was preaching about the kingdom of God (Luke 4:43)
Simon (v4-7)
- Having taught the crowds - Jesus turns to Simon
- A vital lesson for us
God's speaks to us
- God speaks to a congregation
- Through Sunday Services
- Through mid-week prayer meetings
- Do we believe that God is speaking?
- Do we consider that it is Jesus speaking?
- What does God want for this church?
- God speaks to individuals
- God speaks to Simon Peter
- Do we think 'if only so and so was here'?
- God speaks to us
- Lessons from what God says
- Reading v4-7
Payback time for Simon
- Jesus borrowed Simon's boat and He will pay for it's hire
- He pays very well
- Jesus is no man's debtor
- What do we own?
- What do we hold on an open palm?
- He pays very well
Obedience
- "Put down your net for a catch"
- Fishing - is usually at night
- Peter calls him Master/Teacher
- He respects his teaching about the kingdom of God
- Does he think he is the fisherman and Jesus the teacher?
- But he has seen and heard things about Jesus
- In the wrong place / at the wrong time - but at the word of Jesus Christ
- It seems foolish
- Yet "at your word I will let down the nets"
- Not about catching fish but catching men
- It seems a weird request
- But so many fish are caught!
- Abundant payment from Jesus
- Personal example
- Serving the Lord - "He is no mans debtor"
Signs
Who Jesus Christ is
- Master / Teacher / Rabbi - to begin with (v5)
- How did He know the fish were there?
- O Lord (v8)
- A high term for Lord
- The penny has dropped
- Depart from sinful me
- There is always more to learn about the Lord Jesus Christ
- Is that why we have come to Church?
- Are too big and Jesus is too small?
- Do we minimise ourself and enlarge Jesus?
- Are we humble?
- A right view of Jesus and a right view of ourselves
- There should not be a proud Christian
What is Jesus doing? - a call to ministry
- For Simon - a call to ministry
- To us - a call to mission
- v9-10a
- Who can Jesus use?
- Sinful men
- Those who know they are sinful
- Those who are humble
- Our sin humbles us before a Holy God
- Repentance (after salvation) - a daily occurrence
- In our weakness, God is glorifed
- Jesus commissions Peter
- A fisher of men
- This is our business
- Our main aim is to be fishers of men
- Toiling in our area
- Do we believe God can come in great power?
- As individuals - we are fishers of men
- Always on duty
- Are you saved this morning?
- We can know God only through Jesus Christ
- He lived a perfect life
- He died on calvary to pay the penalty for our sin
- He rose again
- Repent and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ
- Trust in the gospel of Jesus Christ
- We can know God only through Jesus Christ
- Do not lose this vision - we are fishers of men