[Isaiah 46:9]
“Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like me.”
- What if all that God has done through us over the past sixteen years is just the warm up for what he wants to do in the next sixteen years?!
What would God tell us to focus on if that was true?
[Luke 5:1-11]
“One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God. He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon, its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.” “Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.” And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking. When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m such a sinful man.” For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him. His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed. Jesus replied to Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!” And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus.”
[Matthew 4:19]
“Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!”
- JESUS MAKES PEOPLE INTO FISHERMEN
YOU may be underestimating your life
[1 Corinthians 10:31]
“So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
- What would it look like if you did all of these things “for the glory of God”
What if you cared more for the people around you than the things you did in life with them? What if your greatest desire was for them to be saved? How would you live your life differently?
2. FISHERMEN FOCUS ON THE FISH
[Mark 1:17]
“Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!””
[2 Corinthians 5:18-20]
“And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”
[2 Timothy 2:3-6]
“This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. For, There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time.”
3. WE DON’T STOP FISHING TIL ALL THE FISH ARE CAUGHT
[Matthew 9:36-38]
“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.””
We don’t focus on the number of fish already in the boat because there is still so many more fish still in the lake!
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Application Questions
1. What stood out to you from this message and why?
2. What is one thing God is telling you to START doing because of this message?
3. What is one thing God is telling you to STOP doing because of this message?
4. How will this message change how you act at home, work and in the your relationships?