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LESSO N IX .Marc h 3 . CHRIS T CALL S TH E FISHERME N Mar k 1:14-22 ; Luk e 5:1-11 . I . CHRIST' S CALLIIVG . 1. H e b e g an a s a c a r p e n t er ( M a rk 6:3); b u t q u it b u i l d i ng h o u s es m a d e b y h a n ds t o build t h o se m a d e w i t h o ut h a n d s (1 P e t. 2:5; E p h . 2:22). 2 .Hi s chose n l i fe w o r k w a s t h e "ministry. " Men a n d boys, t h i n k o f t h a t ! C h r i s t 's c h o i ce m u s t b e t h e n o b l e st a n d m o st u s e f u l. II . TH E JIJDEA N MINISTRY . 1 . Jon n record s It , ti.e oti.er e v a n g e l i s ts o m it i t( s ee J n o. cc. 2-4). 2 .Wu y Jude a first? H e w a s "tli e Messenge r « 1 tn eCove - nant "(.Mai. 3:1). A n a m b a s s a d or first p r e s e n ts h i m s e lf a n d h is c r e d e n t i a ls a t h e c a p i t a l. B e s i d es H e w a s ti.e jcUng o ft n e J e w s. "H e cam e t oHi s ow n (tilings ) ani l M s(people ) receive d Hi m not " (Jno . 1:11) . 3 . Wii y di dH ewitndra w t oGalile e t (1 ) F o r s a f e t y. J o n n, H i s h e r a l d, w a s -pu t i n prison, " a n d b e i ng t n u s p e r s e c u t ed i no ne c i ty H e lied t o a n o t h e r t.Matt. lo:23.i; ( 2 ) B e c a u se "M y Spiri t wil l no t alway s striv e wit nmen, " a n d m e r c y, r e j e c t e d, s n a il b e offered t oo t h e r s. III .TH E GALILEA N MI ISTRY . 1. Hi s 1 - r e a u u i n g. ( 1 ; Ti.e s u b s t a n ce o f H i s p r e a c h i n g: "Th e Kingdo m o fGod. " T i . at i s tn et n e m e o f t h e S c r i p t u r e. Al l else i s s u b o r d i n a t e. T h e will o f God shal l be d o ne on e a r t h a s i ti si nh e a v e n. T u e ra is m u c n t a j k o f "tn eKingdom " t o d a y, b ut n ot o f t h e K i n g d om G n r l st p r e a c i . e d. I n to t h a t K i n g d om n o ne c o u ld c o me b u t "twic e born " m e n ; a n d t h a t K i n g d om c a n o t c o me i nb u t b ytlie twic e com e C h r i s t. (2) Ti.ê s u b h e a ds o f H i s p r e a c h i n g: "Re - pent " a n d "believe. " P e t e r p u t i t "Repen t an db econverted " (Acts. 3:19). A c h a n g e of m i n d ( r e p e n t a n c e ), a c h a n g e o fm a n - n e r s ( c o n v e r s i o n ;, b o tn i m p l y i ng a c H a n ge of . h e a r t ( r e g e n e r a t i o n ), a r e absolutel y essentia l t o ti.e c o m i ng o f t h e K i n g d o m. W h a t J e s u s p r e a c h ed w e s h o u l d. 2 .Hi s authority . (1 ) "H e preache d a son e havin g authority. " N ot b e c a u se H e w a s t h e Son of God, b u t b e c a u se H e p r e a c h e d, a n d k n e w it, th eWor d o f Go d ( J n o. 17:8; 14:10). (2) "Th e peopl e presse d upo n Hi m t ohea r th eWor d o fGod. " i fa m a n p r e a c h es w i th a u t h o r i ty t h e p e p o le will c o me t o h e a r h i m; no m a n c a n p r e a ch w i th a u t h o r i ty t h a t t h e p e o p le will r e c o g n i ze w h o d o es n ot p r e a ch t h e w o rd o f God; a n d n o m a n c an d o t h a t w h o does n ot believe t l a t t h e Biule i s t h a t w o r d o f God, w h i ch J e s u s p r e a c h ed ( A c ts ,24:44» L u k e 4:17, 20). 8 . Hi sworking . (1) "I n th esynagogue. " ( a ) I tw a s C h r i s t 's custo m t og o t ot h e s y n a g o g u e. H e r e w e find i t als o a c u s t om o f devils. G o i ng t o synagogu e i s n o t o f itself m e r i t o r i o u s. Th eprofi t depend s o n w h e t h e r "th e Spiri t of tl« >Lor d i su p on us, " o r "th e spiri t o f a n unclea n devil " i nus. T h a t t h e devil i s in th esy-nagogu e is * n o s i gn t h a t C h r i st is no there .T o forsak e t h e s y n a g o g ue becaus e ther e i sa devi l i ni ti sn o t o f o r s a k e th edevil , bu th eL o r d. F o r t h e L o rd i s a t hom e i n th esynagogu e a n d a s t r a n g e r i nth eworld , whil e t h e devil i s a t h o me i n th eworl d an d a strange r i nt h e s y n a g o g u e. I t i stherefor e bette r t ob ei n t h e L o r d 's hous e wher e a devi l is ,tha n i n th é devil's h o u se wher e th eLor d i s n o t.
(b) B u t t h e r e i s n o b e t t e r p l a ce f o r a m a n w i t h a n u n c l e an s p i r it t h a n i n t h e s y n a - g o g u e. D o n t "giv e plac e t o th edevil, " b u t g i ve p l a ce t o ti.e m a n w i th a devil, a n d b r i n g h im i n i ns p i te o f t h e devil. I t i s t h e r e t h a t t h e devil i s c a s t o u t, b u t t oh is v i c t im i t i ssaid, "Hi m tha t comet a t oMe , I wil l i nn owis e cas t out. " ( c ) "Le t u s alone ; wha t have , n e t od owit hThee? " W e s h a ll see a b o u t t h a t. M en a n d d e v i ls h a v e t o do, will o r not. W i . at a t y r a n n o us devil t i . at p r e s u m es t o s p e a k f o r h is p o or c a p t i ve "we " a n d "us. " I t w a s a n i n c o n- g r u o u s p a r t n e r s h i p, a . devil a n d a m a n ; a n d a f a t a l o ne i f t h e m a n r e m a i ns a s i l e nt p a r t n e r ; a n d h e ' l . as a n u n c l e an s p i r it i n - deed, w h o w i ll n a ve n o u g h t t od ow i t h J e s u s, "th e Hol y On e o fGod." ' (a) "Wne n th e devi l ha dthrow n him. "W h o m t h e devil c a s t s d o wn C u r i st c an l i ft up. Oh , f o r a t o n g u e t o p r a i se t h e L o r d, f o r O ne m i g h t i er t h a n ti.e m i g i . t y! Ciirist p r e a c i . ed w i t h a u t h o r i ty a n d c o m m a n ds w i th a u t h o r - ity.: "Th e devil s believ e an dtremble. " "On elittl e nor d overthrow s him, " s a n g L u t h e r. ' "No w y eare . clea n throug h tn e Wor d 1 hav e spoke n u t o you. " (2) B y th e seashore , a . J e s u s, t h e g r e a t fisher o f m e n. Used first t h e b a it o f a l o v i ng h e a r t, a n d a •helping hand,, a n d s o g a t h e r ed t h e m u l t i- t u d e s a n d c a st t h e n e t, "th eWor d o fGod. " b . E a g e r t ob e n e a r, t o see a n d h e a r t h e w o n d e r f ul t e a c h e r, .the p r e s s i ng c r o w ds w o u l d h a ve f o r c ed H i m i n to t h e sea.: N ot b e a t i n g t h e m b a c k a s a r u de u n r u l y h e r d, a s t h e pro.ud r a b b is w o u ld h a v e done. H e g e n t l y yielded a n d f r o m t h e boat. s p a k e t h e w o r d o fGod. c . S y n a g o g ue o r t e m p le c o u r t, m o u n t a in side o r m e a d o w wide, t h e b r i n k - of a- well,, or. t h e- b r i n k o f t h e sea, S i mo n 's d o o r w a y , ' or S i m o n 's fishing Smack, a ll w e r e s a n c t u a r i es t o H i m, o u r E x a m p l e, w h o s e d e e ds arid w o r d s m a k e: holy- g r o u nd of a n y place. No p r i e s t ly robes, no s a c r ed d e s k, n o p o m p o us r i t u a l s, w e re n e e d ed t o e n f o r ce t h e T r u t h. I n d o o r s, o u t d o o r s; i n s e a s o n, o ut o f s e a s o n; on, t h e Sabbaths, a nd on t h e w e e k d a y s; t o s o l i t a ry N i c o d é m us or t o c r o w d i ng m u l t i t u d e s, H e p r e a c h e d, a n d p r e a c h ed t h e w o r d o f God. d . J e s u s did a g o od d a y 's fishing t h a t d a y .. P e t e r a n d his p a r t n e rs w e r è a g r e a t c a t c h. E v e r y f i s h e r m an k n o w s t h a t n o t . t h è size o f t h e d r a u g h t, b u t o ft h è flsh, a n d i t s q u a l i t y, m e a s u r e s t h e v a l ue o f t h e c a t c h. One P e t er w a s w o r t h a m u l t i t u d e, e .W h e n C h r i st finished H is t e a c h i n g, H e o r d e r ed t h e n et to b e c a s t. T h e lesson s h o u ld b e f o l l o w ed by a n e f f o rt t o e n c l o se t h e fish. T h e y will n o t leap a s h o r e o f t h e m s e l v e s; t h e y m u s t b e d r a g g e d in; W e "toi l al lnigh t takin g nothing " t o o f t e n, b e c a u se w e l a c k t h e skill, o r m a k e no e f f o rt t o d r a w i n t h e fish A l r e a dy flurried i n t h e m e s h e s. I tm a y s e em l i ke "launchin g ou t Int o th edeep " t o p u r s u e y o ur a d v a n t a g e, n ot l e t t i ng g o y o ur h o ld till t h e flsh a r e s a f e ly l a n d e d. "Never - theless " a t h e M a s t e r 's w o r d, l a u n ch o u t a n d let d o wn y o u r n e t. Do n ot d e s p i se tt"e e f f o rt t o c a t ch even t h e l e a st o f i y o ur l i t t le ones. You " t a k e t h e m a l i v e" a n | l i t t le flsh w i ll g r o w. I t m a y p r o ve a P e t e r, o r a L u t h e r, a n d "Ther e ar ea sgor d flsh I nth e se aa seve r ye twer e caught. " W e a r e p a r t - n e r s a n d m u s t call on, a n d aid, e a ch o t h er in s e c u r i ng o u r m u t u a l p r e y. H o w could a n y e s c a pe i f all c o - o p e r a t e d? B ut o f t e n o ne officer o r t e a c h er c a n do m o r e t o s c a ro
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