• Have you noticed that God used many different things to accomplish his purposes
• He used David’s sling, the jawbone of an ass to help Samson, an axe head, five loaves and two fishes, a cross and an empty tomb to mention a few things
• He also used Peter’s boat
• I know that God can use you because you are like Peter’s boat mentioned in Luke 5:1-11
• Peter’s boat was the scene of the miracle of a miraculous catch of fish
• This was not the first time that Peter had met Jesus
• There are at least two other previous instances of Peter meeting Jesus
• Peter’s brother, Andrew, was a disciple of John the Baptist
• Andrew was present when John the Baptist identified Jesus as “the lamb of, which taketh away the sins of the world”.
o John 1:40-42: “One of the two that heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He findeth first his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messiah (which is, being interpreted, Christ). He brought him unto Jesus. Jesus looked upon him, and said, Thou art Simon the son of John: thou shalt be called Cephas (which is by interpretation, Peter).”
• The original call of Jesus to Peter, Andrew, James and John is mentioned in Matthew 4:18-20.
o Matthew 4:18-20: “And walking by the sea of Galilee, he saw two brethren, Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left the nets, and followed him.”
• The disciples appeared to follow Jesus on a part time basis, and then went back to their fishing. It is at the end of a long night of fishing that Peter’s boat comes into focus, and we see how we should be useable like Peter’s boat.
1. YOUR HEART SHOULD BE A CHAPEL
• Vss. 1-3 – Jesus was teaching by the Sea of Galilee
• The crowds were very large and pressing upon him
• Nearby Peter, Andrew, James, and John were doing what fishermen did after a long night of fishing. They were washing out their nets and then setting them into the sun to dry
• Jesus requested use of the boat. So Peter thrust out a little from land and Jesus sat in the boat and taught the people
• The hills surrounding the lake helped make the area a natural amphitheatre
• The minute Jesus entered that boat it was not the same
• Jesus entered the boat and the boat became a chapel
• It was the residence, at least temporarily of God the Son
• The minute Jesus entered your life when you were saved you were no longer the same
• 2 Corinthians 5:17: “Wherefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature: the old things are passed away; behold, they are become new.”
• You became new in many ways when you trusted Jesus as Savior. A key way is that your heart became a chapel or a temple. It is a place where God dwells
i. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20: “Or know ye not that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have from God? and ye are not your own; for ye were bought with a price: glorify God therefore in your body.”
• Because God dwells inside of me my body should be a place where He is worshipped. God should receive my reverence, my praise, my thanksgiving and my prayers.
• Psalms 89:1: “I will sing of the lovingkindness of Jehovah for ever: With my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.”
2. YOUR HEART SHOULD BE A CLASSROOM
• Vs. 3 – Jesus taught the people.
• The Teacher was present. Class was in session!
• Did you know that like Peter’s boat, you have a resident teacher?
• It is God, the Holy Spirit. John 16:12-14
• John 16:12-14: “I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he shall guide you into all the truth: for he shall not speak from himself; but what things soever he shall hear, these shall he speak: and he shall declare unto you the things that are to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall take of mine, and shall declare it unto you.”
• How does God teach us?
• First of all, He uses his Word.
i. 2 Timothy 3:16-17: “Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness. That the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work.”
• Secondly God teaches us through the preaching of His Word.
i. 2 Timothy 4:2: “preach the word; be urgent in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching”
• Thirdly God uses us to teach each other
• We teach others when we share Scripture
• We teach others when we share our experiences
• Finally, God teaches us through experience
• We learn to trust God through our trials
• We learn to do what is right when God chooses to correct us for what we have done wrong
3. YOUR LIFE SHOULD HAVE A CAPTAIN
• Vs. 4 – Did you ever have someone who knew nothing about your job, tell you how to do your job?
• Peter would have thought that Jesus knew nothing about fishing. Jesus was a carpenter
• Jesus wanted Peter to go fishing when they had labored all night and caught nothing. The fish were not around.
• Jesus wanted Peter to go fishing in the broad daylight, when nighttime would have been better.
• Jesus wanted Peter to fish out in the deep, when it was customary to fish along the shore.
• Peter would have had to load the big, heavy, wet nets back into his boat and go out for fish after having fished all night.
• He was probably very tired, if not exhausted!
• Luke 5:5 – “And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.”
• Did Peter feel like fishing? No.
• Did Peter think it was wise to fish? No.
• Was Peter afraid at being laughed at for fishing at such an unusual time and place? Perhaps.
• Did Peter understand what Jesus was doing? No.
• Why did Peter concede to do it?
• The moment that Jesus entered Peter’s boat, Jesus became captain
• Peter recognized him as Master and did as He was told
• My friend Jesus wants to be more than a guest in your life
• He wants to be Lord of your life!
• He wants to call the shots!
• He wants to tell you what to do
• He wants to be “Lord of all”. And, as someone has said, “If Jesus isn’t Lord of all, He isn’t Lord at all!”
• John 13:13 – “Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.”
4. YOUR LIFE SHOULD BE A CHANNEL
• Vss. 5-7 – Peter’s boat became the channel or means of a great miracle
• Vs. 8 – Peter was amazed and convicted. He realized what a sinner he was and that he did not deserve to be in Jesus’ presence
• When God works miracles in our lives, we will be equally astonished and will realize how much we don’t deserve them
• For we, too are sinful men and women
• Vs. 9-10 – Jesus now tells Peter something phenomenal and wonderful! From that point on Peter would not fish for fish.
• He would fish for men.
• Peter, Andrew, James and John would all be those who would become the channel through which God would work to bring men and women to Himself and to lead them to life!
• And so it is today. We are God’s channels who are to bring men and women to Jesus. We are the ones who are to tell the Good News of Jesus’ death burial and resurrection.
• Mark 16:15 “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation.”
5. YOUR LIFE SHOULD BE A CAST-OFF
• Luke 5:11 – “And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.”
• The boat was left behind
• Peter and the others left all to follow Jesus
• In their case the fishing boats needed to be forsaken
• You may not have to leave your job in order to follow Jesus
• But your life is to be such that you are willing to leave behind whatever is necessary in order to follow Jesus.
• Luke 9:23-24: “And he said unto all, If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever would save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.”
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LIKE PETER’S BOAT
YOUR HEART SHOULD BE A CHAPEL
YOUR HEART SHOULD BE A CLASSROOM
YOUR LIFE SHOULD HAVE A CAPTAIN
YOUR LIFE SHOULD BE A CHANNEL
YOUR LIFE SHOULD BE A CAST-OFF
