March 3, 2019

Encountering Christ’s Power

Preacher:
Series:
Passage: Luke 4:42-5:11
Service Type:

Introduction

  • Looking at Luke 5:1-11
  • Quick recap of Portugal visit:
    • Gift of a cup
    • Gift of a South American Breakfast
    • Getting to know there ways by staying with them
  • Do you know Christ?
    • Do you know Him personally?
    • Do you know Him as Lord, Saviour and friend?
  • We are going to consider Simon Peter
    • It is a process
    • Different recorded events where Peter met Christ
    • Christ was drawing Peter to Himself
      • God often draws people
  • Jesus' meetings with Peter:
    • Reminder of John 1
      • We meet Andrew and his brother Simon Peter
      • Andrew had met Jesus and realised He was the Messiah
      • Andrew introduces Peter to Jesus
      • In their first meeting, Jesus changes Peter's name
        • Jesus had called Peter
        • He was to be Cephas - a rock and servant in the Church
    • Luke 4:38
      • Jesus had been preaching
      • Jesus comes to Peter's home
      • Jesus heals Peter's mother-in-law
      • This must have had a profound effect on Peter
    • Luke 5
      • An awesome and significant event
      • Such a crowd to hear His preaching that He must get into a boat
        • He chooses Simon Peter's boat
        • He preaches to the masses
      • After preaching He brings a personal word to Peter - 'let down your nets'
      • Jesus performs an awesome miracle 
        • Another boat is called and both are almost sinking
      • Simon Peter falls at Jesus' knees
        • Perhaps still in the boat
      • Peter sees Jesus in a way he has never seen before
        • Jesus replies that from now on he would catch men
        • Peter and the others forsake their profession and follow Jesus from this point on
      • Peter knows he is a sinner and knows something of what Christ is
        • He becomes a true disciple of Jesus Christ
        • God still has a work to bring him to a fuller understanding
  • What about us?
    • Do we come to church but have never know and trusted Jesus?
    • Have we experienced significant events on the road to Christ?
    • Have we yielded ourselves entirely to Christ?

Public preaching and ministry (v1-3)

  • He preached in the open air and taught in the synagogues (4:31,44)
    • Do we attend the place where Christ is preached?
    • There is a blessing for those who come to Christ
  • People can preach anywhere - examples
  • Christ is the prince of preachers
  • Ecc 11:5 - we cannot see but God knows what He is doing or what is happening in people's hearts
  • Jesus knows that His ministry is not to perform miracles per se, but to preach - 4:43

Private ministry (v4)

  • Came after the public ministry
  • Jesus speaks to Peter
    • He will show His power
  • We need to hear Christ speaking into our personal lives
    • We need direction from Him
    • We need to ask Jesus to teach us
      • Not mystical experiences
      • Prayer for guidance as we read the word

Encountering Christ's Power (v5-9)

  • Peter as a fisherman knew when was the best time to fish
    • Peter obeys
  • Christ shows His omniscience
    • Did He know this by His divine attributes?
    • Did He know as the perfect man?
    • He did it as the God Man
    • Peter confesses Christ as Lord
      • He sees something of His deity
  • Christ shows His omnipotence
    • Christ directed the fish into the nets
    • Peter's reaction was to fall at Jesus knee's?
  • Have we understood who Christ is?
    • Eternal God taking on human form
    • Performing miracle after miracle after miracle
  • Have we understood who we are?
    • Our sin?
    • How we fall far short of His glory?
    • That sin corrupts?
    • That we offend an almighty God?
  • Have we understood that Christ is our mediator with God?

Enlisting into Christ's Service

  • Personal example
    • We bring the gospel that Christ will catch men
    • We let down the gospel net and many souls will be saved
  • Consider Pentecost - 3'000, 5'000, 10'000 saved
  • Miracles are not just for the benefit of the person ...
    • ... but to point people to Christ
    • Whatever good God has done to you - it is so that you would worship Him
  • A repeated miracle
    • For a specific reason
    • The restoration of Peter
  • The miracle in itself was nothing compared to His sacrifice on the cross
    • Simon Peter knew this truth
    • He was met by the risen Lord Jesus
  • All Peter could do was preach of Jesus Christ
    • After this event he never looked back

Concluding Remarks

  • May it be that we enter into Christ if we cast ourselves onto Jesus
  • Luke 9:23-25
    • May it be that we give up our life to save it
    • May it be that we have Christ

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