a) A large crowd “pressed” upon the Lord (Lk. 5:1).
b) Sometimes people sought Jesus because He offered them free food.
c) He was also often sought after for supernatural healings.
d) On this occasion people did not come to get something to eat or receive a miracle.
2) Luke said people were pressing upon the Lord to “hear the word of God.
3) As the Lord assessed this situation He saw “two boats standing by the lake” – verse 2 – READ
4) Verse 3 – READ
a) Some in the first century were very, very interested in spiritual things
b) Today this is still true.
c) Almost 2,500 people a month search the expression: “What must I do to be saved.”
d) Almost 75,000 people from the US, each month, search the expression, “how to be born again.”
e) Many must be familiar with the words “new birth” because these words are searched 200,000 times a month.
f) “How to be saved” is an expression people research more than a million times a month.
5) Today’s world is a lot like Lk. 5.
6) We have a lot of people looking for the good news from God.
7) The Lord has returned to heaven, the apostles are gone, but the good news still needs to go into the world.
8) Let’s be sure that as we go through life we help people find the good news.
SOMETIMES PEOPLE ARE A LITTLE HESITANT TO TRY AND SPREAD THE GOSPEL BECAUSE THEY THINK THEIR EFFORTS WILL FAIL. PERHAPS WE THINK WE HAVE ALREADY TRIED AND TRIED SEVERAL TIMES, SO WHAT IS THE USE OF TRYING AGAIN?
1) Verse 4 – READ
2) The best fishing took place at night and near the shore (Jn. 21:3-5).
The real purchase generic viagra power of role playing is that when you reverse roles and the bully takes the role of the target, he then begins to feel the other’s pain. Refractive surgeries: Necessary eye surgery Fort Myers generic cialis on line includes LASIK. During the massage to generic viagra generic treat dysfunction, the use of Kamagra and other therapies. Many firms http://pharma-bi.com/page/2/ viagra online had refused in giving a new way to the concerned couples, but some kept their effort on. 3) In the first part of verse 5 Peter reminded the Lord that his latest efforts had not worked – READ
4) Peter could have had the attitude of those who have seen little success with evangelistic attempts.
5) The end of verse 5 says, “at thy word I will let down the nets.”
6) Imagine how pleased the Lord was with Peter because of his obedience.
7) Today the Lord is still pleased by those who seek to spread His word.
8) God has told us to go and so, so it is that word that we obey.
9) We cannot control what people do with the gospel, but we can control what we do with it.
10) Peter and those with him caught some many fish the nets began to break (verse 6).
11) Verse 7 says men from the other boat were summoned to help.
12) Both boats were so full of fish the boats began to sink (verse 7).
13) Peter had enough faith to do what the Lord said, but it seems his faith was far from perfect.
14) When this fisherman saw what happened, he said the words in verse 8 – READ
a) We can talk about having faith in God, but our faith in God is not really all that it should be.
b) We have some faith in God, but we really have most of our dependence in ourselves.
15) In many cases it seems like people rely 90% on themselves and 10% on God.
1) Verse 10 – READ
a) The Lord knew that Peter was not quite ready to “catch men.”
b) Peter was going to be a soul winner for Christ, but this was going to come gradually.
2) This is also true of and for us.
3) Notice verse 11 – READ
4) Jesus was a “fisher of men.” The apostles were fishers of men. Are we?