GOD’S CALLING ON YOUR LIFE

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LUKE 5:1-26
Lesson #14
GOD’S CALLING ON YOUR LIFE

• Memory Verse: 1Cor 7:22
• When we think about Jesus’ ministry we are usually under the impression that for each of the twelve disciples they immediately responded to Jesus’ calling on their life. In this lesson we are going to see that it was not as immediate as we might think.
  • We find the calling of the disciples scattered in the gospels.
  • What we often do not realize is that Jesus called the disciples more than once.
    • Read Mat 4:18-22 The first call
    • Read Mar 1:16-20 The first call
      • These fishermen evidently had followed Him for a short period and returned to their fishing business.
      • In the book of Luke Jesus calls them a second time.
    • Read Joh 1:35-51 The third call to the disciples in Jerusalem.
• Read Luk 5:1-11 Christ’s second call to Peter
  • Simon Peter:
    • Peter and Andrew were fishermen along with James and John.
    • It was a common occurrence that fishermen would join together in the business of fishing with the ownership of many boats and the joint effort in manning those boats. This was the case with Peter, Andrew, James, and John. They were business partners.
    • Peter was to be the leader of the Early Church movement after the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
    • There are some beautiful illustrations in this account of the calling of Peter.
  • The location: Lake Gennesaret = The Sea of Galilee
    • “And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.” (3)
      • The multitude of people that followed Jesus had already grown to a large capacity.
      • The acoustics on the water enabled a large group of people to hear Him.
    • “Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught” (4)
      • It was a common belief at that time that the depths of the Sea of Galilee were the entrance into hell.
      • That is significant with what Jesus later tells them when He says they will be fishers of men.
        • He is calling them to search the depths of hell for lost souls.
        • Those people who have not made a decision to follow Jesus are destined to an eternity without God.
        • The disciples had stopped fishing for men and had gone back to fishing for fish. Now Jesus tells them that He will now go fishing for fish with them.
    • As an expert fisherman, Peter tells Jesus that they have caught nothing all night. But notice that Peter defers to Jesus because the Lord does not give impossible commands. (5)
  • Lessons about fishing:
    • =1= You must go where the fish are located.
    • =2= You must follow the Lord’s direction exactly.
    • =3= You must use the right kind of bait.
    • =4= You must be patient.
    • =5= You must have sound equipment.
  • The broken net:
    • The net breaks even though they followed Jesus’ instructions.
    • Later in Jesus’ ministry the net does not break. (Joh 21:1-11)
    • What is the difference?
      • At this point of time in the book of Luke when the net breaks, Jesus had not yet been crucified and resurrected.
      • The point in time when the net does not break occurs after the crucifixion and resurrection.
    • What is the significance?
      • The foundation for fishing for men is based on the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.
      • If you do not fish for men with the basic doctrinal foundation that Christ died to give us a personal relationship with God through the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ you will not gain permanent fish for the kingdom of God.
  • “When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.  (8)
    • Peter thought he knew everything about fishing but Jesus demonstrated through this miracle that Peter had little faith.
    • He suddenly knew Jesus was God in the flesh.
      • How do we know this?
      • God is a Holy God that in contrast to His holiness, we become aware of our sinfulness and our need of a Savior. Remember that this was John the Baptist’s message that was to lead people to Jesus Christ, the Savior.
  • Application:
    • Jesus’ pulpit was a fishing boat.
    • Jesus called His disciples to fish for men using the proper net.
    • The message from church pulpits should be based on the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ who came to call man to holiness through the repentance of sin and the reception of Jesus Christ in the heart.
    • Jesus calls all repentant believers to be His disciples forsaking the world to follow Him in obedience.
• Read Luk 5:12-16 Healing/Cleansing leprosy
  • The next miracle that Doctor Luke tells us about is the healing of leprosy. As a doctor Luke would have been very familiar with this terrible disease in his day.
    • Leprosy:
      • In the days of the Bible leprosy was very common and without a natural cure.
      • The only way a person could be healed of leprosy was by some miracle.
        • In the Old Testament we have the healing of a man with leprosy named Naaman in 2Kin 5.
        • In the Old Testament leprosy became an illustration for sin. Why?

• • • • The procedure:
        • When a person noticed a small sore that did not heal but instead became increasingly worse, he was required to go to the priest for examination according to the Law of Moses.
        • The priest would place him in isolation for 14 days to see what developed. After the 14 days the priest would make a determination if the person had leprosy or not.
        • If the person had leprosy, he was removed from society to live in the tombs. Family members could leave food in a designated place but could not approach the leper.
        • Because it was a contagious disease, no one touched a leper.
        • If a person miraculously became well, he must go to the priest to receive a determination of good health before he could return to his family.
      • Notice that Jesus touched the leper. You can imagine the astonishment not only of the leper but all those around Jesus.
• Read Luk 5:17-26 Healing/forgiving a man with palsy
  • The crowds are increasing in size around Jesus.
  • Four friends bring a man unable to walk. Due to the crowds they let him down into the house through the roof.
    • This is not as strange as it sounds.
    • The houses had removable tiles on the roof. In the heat of summer the people would remove the tiles to increase the flow of air into the house.
    • It took four men with faith to bring this one man to the Lord.
  • ^“ And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.” (20)
    • Why did Jesus say to the man that his sins were forgiven when he came for a physical healing?
    • All man’s problems come from the one basic cause, sin. When sin entered the world with Adam and Eve, all sickness and death came with it. Now man lives in a fallen world for which Jesus is the ultimate answer.
      • Some illnesses are directly related to sin and some are not. For example, sexual diseases are more easily spread with sinful lifestyles.
      • This is not to say that because a person is sick he has some unrepentant sin in his life that caused the illness. It can be the case, but we must not make a general rule that all illness is caused by a person’s personal sin.
        • This was the argument in the book of Job for which Job’s friends accused him of unrepentant sin.
        • The message in the book of Job is that Job was righteous and yet he was sick.
    • When Jesus forgave the man’s sin, He was dealing with the root cause of all man’s problems in a fallen world.
    • (Advanced question) How does the healing of the man with leprosy relate to the healing of the paralytic man?
      • We have seen that leprosy in the Bible is a good example of sin.
      • We have seen that the paralytic man is just as incapacitated and would remain incapacitated by sin if Jesus had only dealt with the physical illness.
• Summary and Application:
  • This whole chapter deals with man’s problem of sin.
    • =1= Peter recognizes that he is a sinner in contrast with who Jesus is.
    • =2= The man with leprosy had a disease that mirrors perfectly a sinful man.
    • =3= The paralytic was told that his sins are forgiven.
  • The chapter began with Jesus calling the disciples to be fishers of men so as to bring them out of sin and into salvation.
    • That should be the message on the lips of all people that Jesus calls to be part of His kingdom.
    • All those people that receive Jesus Christ in their hearts are called by God to preach the good news of Salvation in Jesus Christ, to be fishers of men.

Homework
Luke 5:1-26

• Application of Luk 5:1-26
  • Pray that God make you a better fisherman of men.
  • Pray that God guides you to someone that needs salvation.
  • Pray that God give you the words and the open door to speak to that person.
  • Pray for the person to whom God has led you.
• Preparation for Luk 5:27-39
  • Read Luk 5:27-39
    • What did Jesus mean by the following words:
      • “They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.” (31)
      •  “Can ye make the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them?” (34)
      • “ And no man putteth new wine into old bottles” (37)
• Memory Verse: Luk 5:32