WEBVTT 00:00:00.239 --> 00:00:01.919 Let's uh let's pray. 00:00:03.359 --> 00:00:05.280 Father, thanks for being such a great God. 00:00:05.440 --> 00:00:06.240 Thanks for loving us. 00:00:06.320 --> 00:00:08.400 I thank you for adopting us as your children. 00:00:08.560 --> 00:00:11.199 Holy Spirit, we just praise you. 00:00:11.359 --> 00:00:12.880 We thank you for being here this morning. 00:00:13.039 --> 00:00:17.679 We thank you for the powerful worship, the connection with you and your presence. 00:00:17.760 --> 00:00:29.280 And we just ask you to teach us this morning that for each of us that you would just take something that we share, something from your word, and that each of us would walk away and say, Yeah, that was for me. 00:00:29.440 --> 00:00:31.519 And we just thank you and we trust you, Jesus. 00:00:31.679 --> 00:00:35.200 Thank you for making this possible, for being our friend, being our savior, for loving us. 00:00:35.439 --> 00:00:37.200 It's in your name we pray. 00:00:37.520 --> 00:00:38.159 Amen. 00:00:40.880 --> 00:00:42.320 Well, we're into the new year. 00:00:42.399 --> 00:00:44.799 In some ways it almost doesn't even feel like a new year now. 00:00:44.880 --> 00:00:48.159 You know, you just get into it uh um so fast. 00:00:48.799 --> 00:00:51.119 But we're talking about fresh starts. 00:00:51.359 --> 00:00:56.960 I think there are times in in my life, there's times in all of our lives when we could really use a fresh start. 00:00:57.119 --> 00:00:58.479 Sometimes it's our whole life. 00:00:58.560 --> 00:01:01.759 We just like in some ways we just want to start over. 00:01:01.920 --> 00:01:04.400 You know, a lot of times it's just one area of our life. 00:01:04.560 --> 00:01:07.840 Uh we need a clean slate and uh and a fresh start. 00:01:08.159 --> 00:01:13.120 It's one of the things that God does most often, it's one of the things that that He does best. 00:01:13.359 --> 00:01:29.519 We saw two weeks ago how God started everything, what his original plan was, you know, how it wasn't rules and regulations and lists of this is good and this is evil, but it w but it was a relationship and it was life and and it was love and it was with God and it was with each other. 00:01:29.680 --> 00:01:37.439 And then last week we saw Jesus' first miracle, which was when he created 180 gallons of perfect wine. 00:01:37.680 --> 00:01:44.480 And it wasn't just that, it was just such an expression in their culture of the reason that he came in the first place. 00:01:44.879 --> 00:01:47.200 And this morning we're gonna look at another start. 00:01:47.519 --> 00:01:50.959 It was the way Peter started a whole new life with Jesus. 00:01:51.200 --> 00:01:55.760 And actually, this morning we're gonna be talking about the first part of Peter's fresh start. 00:01:55.920 --> 00:02:03.280 Next week uh we're gonna finish up with uh with the second part, really the the rest of his story. 00:02:03.519 --> 00:02:06.480 But Peter lived in in a city called Capernaum. 00:02:06.640 --> 00:02:10.080 It was a relatively small fishing village on the Sea of Galilee. 00:02:10.240 --> 00:02:13.759 There's about 1,500 people that uh lived there. 00:02:13.919 --> 00:02:21.199 Um this the Sea of Galilee is a freshwater sea, and it was known because it's just it's a beautiful place. 00:02:21.360 --> 00:02:37.280 The the water is just a beautiful deep blue, and uh and it's clear surrounding the Sea of Galilee is just lush um hills that just kind of cascade down right to the um to the level of of that sea. 00:02:37.599 --> 00:02:59.280 And uh when you picture Jesus kind of walking and teaching and and living, a lot of times I picture him, you know, in its desert and it's dry and it's it's dirty and it's sand, and and really most of the time uh when uh when Jesus was alive on earth, he was in an area that was more tropical, that it was it was lush and it was it was green and and it was beautiful. 00:03:00.080 --> 00:03:06.479 It was right on the edge of this uh Sea of Galilee, and it was it was Jesus' adopted hometown, Capernaum was. 00:03:06.560 --> 00:03:12.800 It's where he lived uh um the most of the the latter part of his uh life. 00:03:12.960 --> 00:03:16.080 It's where he lived really once I guess he got to to choose. 00:03:16.159 --> 00:03:18.479 Some of us have had that type of experience. 00:03:18.639 --> 00:03:22.080 For me, I was born um outside of Portland, Oregon. 00:03:22.319 --> 00:03:29.280 I was raised in Salem, Oregon, and I've lived in Woodstock, Georgia for about 25 years. 00:03:29.520 --> 00:03:36.960 Well, Jesus was born in Bethlehem, he was raised in Nazareth, and he lived in Capernaum. 00:03:37.680 --> 00:03:40.719 Peter, Andrew, James, and John were all from Capernaum. 00:03:40.800 --> 00:03:43.120 Uh Matthew was also from Capernaum. 00:03:43.280 --> 00:03:45.680 He had been the tax collector for that area. 00:03:45.840 --> 00:03:54.479 Much of the New Testament, the things that we see happening, actually happened in and around the small fishing village of Capernaum. 00:03:54.639 --> 00:04:03.280 Remember the paralyzed man that they kind of tore through the roof of the of the house and lowered him down and Jesus healed him, that was in uh Capernaum. 00:04:03.439 --> 00:04:09.360 Um Jesus heals uh Peter's uh mother-in-law, who was who was critically sick. 00:04:09.599 --> 00:04:16.399 Um I don't think Peter actually ever forgave him for that, um, but he might have. 00:04:16.720 --> 00:04:18.639 And uh that was in Capernaum. 00:04:18.800 --> 00:04:30.879 You know, if you remember the Roman centurion whose son was dying, and uh but he had so much faith and in in and Jesus saved the boy, uh they lived in Capernaum. 00:04:30.959 --> 00:04:36.399 The Sermon on the Mount was right outside, it was on a hill right outside of Capernaum. 00:04:36.560 --> 00:04:40.000 Jesus healed a man with leprosy in Capernaum. 00:04:40.079 --> 00:04:45.680 Jesus calmed the storm, it was right after they had just left the shore of uh Capernaum. 00:04:45.759 --> 00:04:47.120 He healed another paralyzed man. 00:04:47.199 --> 00:04:49.439 You might remember when he said, Take up your mat and follow me. 00:04:49.519 --> 00:04:51.279 That was in Capernaum. 00:04:51.439 --> 00:04:58.720 Um you might remember when the woman who had had a terrible um bleeding for twelve years touched the hem of Jesus' robe and was healed. 00:04:58.879 --> 00:05:04.160 That was in Capernaum, right after he healed uh Jaris' daughter who had died, he raised her from the dead. 00:05:04.319 --> 00:05:06.560 That was um in Capernaum. 00:05:06.720 --> 00:05:11.120 A blind man was, or blind men were healed, a person that couldn't speak was was delivered. 00:05:11.279 --> 00:05:12.240 So you get the picture. 00:05:12.319 --> 00:05:21.920 There was a lot happening in Jesus' life that just centered around this small fishing village in Capernaum. 00:05:22.079 --> 00:05:30.959 I think Jesus chose it as his hometown in part because of the relationship that he had with his friend Peter. 00:05:31.519 --> 00:05:34.319 And we first read about it in Luke 5. 00:05:35.439 --> 00:05:42.959 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. 00:05:43.680 --> 00:05:45.759 Okay, that alone was a miracle. 00:05:45.920 --> 00:05:51.199 I mean, a bunch of people coming to hear Jesus talk about the Bible. 00:05:51.439 --> 00:05:52.480 I mean, that is something. 00:05:52.560 --> 00:05:58.480 I mean, you know these people had been bored their entire life by teachers talking about the Bible. 00:05:58.639 --> 00:06:10.240 You know, they had to get up on their day off, drag themselves into synagogue, you know, they wanted to be sleeping or playing golf or riding the motorcycle or whatever was comparable at that time. 00:06:11.040 --> 00:06:16.560 But instead they drugged themselves there, and some know-it-all was going to tell them how they're probably going to hell. 00:06:17.519 --> 00:06:19.040 But something was different. 00:06:19.279 --> 00:06:20.399 Jesus was different. 00:06:21.439 --> 00:06:35.279 When he talked about God's word, he spoke of life and love and a father that cared for them and that they could they could trust him if they would only trust him, that he had come to make that happen. 00:06:35.519 --> 00:06:44.720 In John 5, 39 says, You search the scriptures because you think they give you eternal life, but the scriptures point to me. 00:06:45.839 --> 00:06:48.160 It was Jesus, and that's not boring. 00:06:48.639 --> 00:06:58.959 Life and love and relationship and Jesus, and people came from all over to hear Jesus teach the truth from God's word. 00:06:59.839 --> 00:07:03.759 And it drew a crowd and it created a problem, a crowd problem. 00:07:03.920 --> 00:07:05.439 But Jesus had a plan. 00:07:06.079 --> 00:07:11.920 It says he noticed two empty boats at the water's edge, for the fishermen had left them and they were washing their nets. 00:07:12.160 --> 00:07:20.959 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. 00:07:21.519 --> 00:07:29.519 This is a little bit outside of the box, but it's a really good plan because our voices carry like seven times further over water than they do land. 00:07:29.600 --> 00:07:37.680 And so if Jesus could just get out about ten yards from the water, he could speak to the whole crowd and they'd be able to hear him. 00:07:37.759 --> 00:07:38.720 But he needed help. 00:07:38.800 --> 00:07:43.519 Uh specifically, he needed Peter's help. 00:07:43.839 --> 00:07:49.360 You know, he was the one that was over there, he was the one that that owned the boat. 00:07:49.600 --> 00:07:55.279 Now his name is not actually uh Peter, his name was Simon Bar Jonah. 00:07:55.839 --> 00:07:58.160 That means uh Barr means son of. 00:07:58.240 --> 00:08:03.439 So his dad was Jonah, and he was known as Simon, son of Jonah. 00:08:03.680 --> 00:08:05.839 But Jesus would give him a nickname. 00:08:06.319 --> 00:08:09.519 Um Jesus called Simon the Rock. 00:08:09.920 --> 00:08:12.959 I mean, kind of like Dwayne Johnson, but different. 00:08:13.360 --> 00:08:17.279 But uh he called him, he called him the rock. 00:08:17.519 --> 00:08:22.000 Um and it stuck like uh a nickname from Jesus probably would. 00:08:22.160 --> 00:08:26.959 You know, this is a little aside, but one thing the Bible says that in heaven Jesus has got a name for all of us. 00:08:27.199 --> 00:08:29.600 You know, uh a nickname, if you will. 00:08:29.759 --> 00:08:33.360 And that'll be a pretty cool, uh, pretty cool day to hear that. 00:08:33.600 --> 00:08:35.919 But the rock, that's what Jesus called Simon. 00:08:36.080 --> 00:08:40.559 So they started calling him Simon Peter, Simon the Rock. 00:08:40.799 --> 00:08:45.840 And uh and eventually they just dropped a Simon and they just called him the rock. 00:08:46.080 --> 00:08:49.360 And it was Jesus' nickname for Peter. 00:08:49.519 --> 00:08:53.120 Mostly we call him the rock, Petra, as it would have been. 00:08:53.200 --> 00:08:55.279 Uh Peter is how we say it. 00:08:55.519 --> 00:09:02.720 Now, I don't know if you noticed this, but but Peter is not part of the crowd that wanted to hear the word of God. 00:09:03.600 --> 00:09:05.120 He's been working all night. 00:09:05.279 --> 00:09:06.879 He was just minding his own business. 00:09:06.960 --> 00:09:09.440 He's over there cleaning up uh his nets. 00:09:10.080 --> 00:09:21.840 You know, he was a commercial fisherman getting off work, cleaning up after after a hard night of fishing on the Sea of Galilee. 00:09:22.399 --> 00:09:29.200 And, you know, commercial fishing then, like now, is uh is hard work. 00:09:29.279 --> 00:09:34.080 It's it's dangerous, it draws a certain um type of person. 00:09:34.240 --> 00:09:37.919 Have you seen the show anyone like the The Deadliest Catch? 00:09:38.159 --> 00:09:47.440 I've got a nephew that really likes that show, and we've watched it some times, and it's in Alaska, and it and it's uh fishing crews and they're fishing for uh um King Crab. 00:09:47.759 --> 00:09:54.559 And it focuses on the captain of each of the boats, you know, and and um how they live for that big catch. 00:09:54.720 --> 00:10:02.960 You know, and the big catch is is is uh it's kind of glory in their crowd, but more than that, it's a windfall, um, money-wise. 00:10:03.120 --> 00:10:04.080 And they just live for that. 00:10:04.159 --> 00:10:12.320 And and and Peter and his friends would have been like that, dreaming of the big catch and the money, the windfall from selling it. 00:10:12.559 --> 00:10:19.360 You know, on that show, uh the the captains and the crew, I mean, they are a rough bunch. 00:10:20.399 --> 00:10:22.240 And Peter was too. 00:10:22.480 --> 00:10:25.679 I mean, he was a rough and tumble guy. 00:10:25.840 --> 00:10:38.399 You know, later in his life, Peter is with Jesus when the Romans and the religious leaders come to arrest uh Jesus, and uh Peter just draws a sword and he cuts a guy's ear off. 00:10:38.480 --> 00:10:40.480 I mean, he's like a pirate or something, you know. 00:10:41.360 --> 00:10:46.559 You know, this the sea captain swashbuckling with his uh with his sword. 00:10:46.720 --> 00:10:57.200 You know, and then later, just shortly after that, um Jesus uh um I mean Peter denies that he ever ever knew Jesus, and uh they're not sure they believe him. 00:10:57.440 --> 00:11:01.039 And uh so Peter just starts swearing like a sailor. 00:11:01.679 --> 00:11:07.360 And um, and you know he dropped a few big bombs because whatever he said, they were like, okay, we get it, we get it. 00:11:07.440 --> 00:11:10.879 You're you're definitely not with Jesus. 00:11:11.200 --> 00:11:20.159 But see, that's a picture of Simon Peter, rough, tough, unrefined, foul-mouthed. 00:11:21.440 --> 00:11:26.080 And in that day in Capernaum, another word would apply exhausted. 00:11:26.559 --> 00:11:27.759 I mean, he's just exhausted. 00:11:27.840 --> 00:11:29.919 He'd been fishing all night. 00:11:30.639 --> 00:11:33.519 You know, in the Sea of Galilee, fishmen always fished at night. 00:11:33.759 --> 00:11:36.559 They uh their main fish was tilapia. 00:11:37.120 --> 00:11:49.440 And uh they would um the tilapia hide in the rocks kind of during the day, and at night they go they they they school, and so all commercial fishing was was done at night. 00:11:50.080 --> 00:11:52.960 And so now Peter is just doing Jesus a favor. 00:11:53.360 --> 00:11:55.600 Jesus had asked him if he could use the boat. 00:11:55.759 --> 00:12:03.120 Peter's out there with him, manning the oars so the boat stays steady enough so he can uh uh speak in the same direction. 00:12:03.360 --> 00:12:10.159 It says 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. 00:12:10.399 --> 00:12:17.440 Well, Peter had been willing to help, you know, but uh but now he is just annoyed. 00:12:18.000 --> 00:12:20.720 I mean, there are no fish in the deep water. 00:12:20.960 --> 00:12:23.039 You don't fish during the day. 00:12:23.360 --> 00:12:27.759 It's daytime, the fish are all in the shallow water, hiding in the rocks. 00:12:28.000 --> 00:12:31.919 You know, Peter's like, hello, I'm a professional fisherman. 00:12:32.799 --> 00:12:34.159 I'm tired. 00:12:35.039 --> 00:12:36.960 He says, Master, Simon replied. 00:12:37.039 --> 00:12:40.960 We worked hard all last night and didn't catch a thing. 00:12:41.279 --> 00:12:45.360 But if you say so, I'll let the nets down again. 00:12:46.559 --> 00:12:48.799 Now, master was their word for boss. 00:12:48.960 --> 00:12:52.240 See, we might hear it and we're thinking, oh, master, whatever you say. 00:12:52.399 --> 00:12:54.799 But that was just a common word for boss. 00:12:54.879 --> 00:12:59.600 And so I think that that Peter's tone was more like, okay, boss. 00:13:00.799 --> 00:13:04.320 I mean, uh, I'm sure you know a lot about fishing, Mr. 00:13:04.399 --> 00:13:06.399 Carpenter Rabbi guy. 00:13:10.480 --> 00:13:15.679 But for whatever reason, you know, he trusted him enough to do it. 00:13:15.919 --> 00:13:24.480 And he said, and he said, you know, if you say so, if you say so, I'll do it. 00:13:25.519 --> 00:13:31.200 And this time their nets were so full of fish, they began to tear. 00:13:32.159 --> 00:13:40.320 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. 00:13:42.159 --> 00:13:46.799 This event was gonna have a huge, huge impact on Peter. 00:13:47.279 --> 00:13:49.759 It's not just that they caught a bunch of fish. 00:13:50.320 --> 00:14:02.399 In a few minutes, with one simple direction, Jesus had been able to accomplish what Peter had been working for his whole life. 00:14:04.080 --> 00:14:04.960 This was it. 00:14:05.360 --> 00:14:06.720 The big catch. 00:14:08.320 --> 00:14:09.600 The windfall. 00:14:10.080 --> 00:14:15.200 What he'd been dreaming about ever since he started fishing as a boy. 00:14:15.840 --> 00:14:20.799 The nets were tearing, the fish, the boats were so full, they're starting to starting to sink. 00:14:21.759 --> 00:14:22.960 But this was it. 00:14:24.159 --> 00:14:37.039 And if you work or have a business, and you don't let Jesus into your business life, you're missing a tremendous opportunity. 00:14:38.159 --> 00:14:39.759 I made that mistake for years. 00:14:39.919 --> 00:14:43.679 I I assumed God didn't really care uh about that. 00:14:44.399 --> 00:14:51.120 And besides, besides, if I let Jesus into my business world, I might have to change a few things about the way I acted. 00:14:51.279 --> 00:15:01.919 Maybe I'd have to act a little different out at work, you know, and maybe I'd have to give him the credit when things went well and maybe be a little more generous with with uh the success. 00:15:02.000 --> 00:15:03.440 But but I finally did. 00:15:03.679 --> 00:15:10.559 In the last seven or eight years that I owned a company were by far the most successful. 00:15:10.799 --> 00:15:13.519 Kind of like Peter and his his fishing business. 00:15:13.679 --> 00:15:16.399 It was what I had dreamed of, it was what I'd worked for. 00:15:16.639 --> 00:15:28.480 And the best business ideas I I ever got, um, the biggest problem solved, the biggest disasters averted came when I was praying. 00:15:28.879 --> 00:15:35.519 When I was talking to Jesus about the business, about what was going on in my life. 00:15:35.679 --> 00:15:45.120 He cared about it because he cared about me, and it just in a way, it was the start of our relationship. 00:15:45.600 --> 00:16:02.480 Um and Jesus can give you, and in whatever you do, Jesus can give you one idea, one direction that is more valuable than years of trying and planning and and figuring it out. 00:16:03.279 --> 00:16:05.600 You know, if we just let him into all of our life. 00:16:05.840 --> 00:16:10.720 You know, I don't want you to misunderstand and think that I think Jesus wants us to be rich, because I don't. 00:16:11.039 --> 00:16:16.480 Um what Jesus taught was that we can trust him to take care of us. 00:16:16.720 --> 00:16:25.039 We can trust him that we will have enough for us, and most of the time enough to share with others, which is really his heart's desire. 00:16:25.120 --> 00:16:28.159 But it wasn't about money or getting rich. 00:16:28.320 --> 00:16:31.759 I mean, with Susan and I, he was an ask us to give most of it away anyway. 00:16:31.840 --> 00:16:33.120 It wasn't about that. 00:16:33.360 --> 00:16:34.399 It was something different. 00:16:34.480 --> 00:16:45.200 It was about something more transforming, about us being able to trust him, seeing he cares, hearing him on something that was uh important to me, so later I could hear him on something important to him, you know? 00:16:45.279 --> 00:16:49.039 And it was just it was part of that relationship. 00:16:49.120 --> 00:17:04.079 And so I hope that we can see that Jesus doesn't only have insight on spiritual stuff, that he's God and he loves you, and he cares about you, and he cares about your whole life. 00:17:06.160 --> 00:17:09.519 You know, the way it happened for me was I really felt convicted to pray. 00:17:09.599 --> 00:17:14.799 And so I decided that, you know, to be a good Christian, I was gonna pray 15 minutes every day. 00:17:15.039 --> 00:17:17.359 And so I made a list of important prayer stuff. 00:17:17.440 --> 00:17:29.839 And it would be um, you know, our marriage and our kids and Haiti and and friends, you know, that had had um six spouses or or parents and that type of thing. 00:17:29.920 --> 00:17:44.000 And so I'd I'd get to the time and I'd I'd start um praying, and um, you know, 15 minutes doesn't seem a long time, except when you're trying to pray. 00:17:44.160 --> 00:17:51.039 You know, it's like riding an exercise bike or a treadmill or something at first, you know, you're like, wow, that was good, and you look up and it's like three minutes. 00:17:51.599 --> 00:17:54.079 And uh and that's the way it was. 00:17:54.160 --> 00:17:56.160 It's different now, but then that's kind of the way it was. 00:17:56.240 --> 00:18:04.720 And what would happen is I started praying about this important stuff, and I would kind of like snap two, and I realized my mind had been wandering. 00:18:05.119 --> 00:18:09.759 And I wasn't even praying, I was thinking about a business appointment I had that uh that afternoon. 00:18:09.839 --> 00:18:15.599 You know, I was thinking about how am I gonna get home from work in time to um you know for uh the kids' baseball game? 00:18:15.759 --> 00:18:18.240 And you know, um those type of things. 00:18:18.319 --> 00:18:19.680 And I felt like such a jerk. 00:18:19.759 --> 00:18:26.799 I mean, like, I mean, I can't, I don't even have enough discipline to pray for 15 minutes. 00:18:27.119 --> 00:18:30.880 You know, what is uh what's wrong with me? 00:18:31.759 --> 00:18:46.400 And eventually God showed me something really important, and and that's that sometimes when I felt like my mind was wandering, God was really bringing things to my mind to pray about. 00:18:47.200 --> 00:18:52.960 And God cares about everything, God cares about my business appointment as much as He cares about my friend. 00:18:53.279 --> 00:19:04.960 And so as soon as I I could tell that, oh no, I'm thinking about that deal or whatever, that situation with an employee, whatever it was, I would stop and I'd pray about that. 00:19:06.319 --> 00:19:09.200 And then I'd then that would be gone. 00:19:09.359 --> 00:19:14.480 And I'd get back to praying, then something else would come to mind, and I'd pray about that. 00:19:14.720 --> 00:19:16.960 You know, and it was so freeing. 00:19:17.119 --> 00:19:25.200 And and I got to pray about so many important things that I wouldn't have thought were important to God, but they are. 00:19:26.240 --> 00:19:29.519 Jesus or Peter's fishing business was important to God. 00:19:29.680 --> 00:19:32.400 That is where Jesus met Peter. 00:19:33.119 --> 00:19:36.960 That's how that that he met Peter. 00:19:38.880 --> 00:19:44.720 And what happened is eventually everything in my life started getting better. 00:19:45.039 --> 00:19:49.839 Because I was sharing my life with God and I was talking about everything in my life. 00:19:50.000 --> 00:19:52.079 And we developed a we developed a relationship. 00:19:52.160 --> 00:19:54.400 Now I love to spend some time with him. 00:19:54.559 --> 00:20:05.119 Now I can spend more time, and I can also just cool out and and and you know sit there for 30 minutes and let him talk to me, you know, see what he wants to talk about. 00:20:05.200 --> 00:20:13.119 It's just more of a relationship, but it started that way, and he and he loves you and he cares about you, and he values what you do. 00:20:14.960 --> 00:20:24.240 And if you'll just let him into all parts of your life, your relationships, you know, your children, your career, your business. 00:20:24.960 --> 00:20:26.720 And he wants to help. 00:20:27.920 --> 00:20:34.480 And I'd say, uh like Peter, if we just do what he asked us to do. 00:20:35.359 --> 00:20:41.680 Because a lot of times it just doesn't seem it's like you know, it's like Peter, hey, I know how to fish. 00:20:41.759 --> 00:20:43.920 That doesn't seem like such a good a good plan. 00:20:44.079 --> 00:20:45.759 We saw that last week with Jesus' mom. 00:20:46.160 --> 00:20:48.319 Mary said to the servants, do whatever he asks you. 00:20:48.400 --> 00:20:56.160 And well, what he asked them was a hard work, 180 gallons of water they had to draw from a well, but what it would turn into was a miracle. 00:20:57.680 --> 00:21:01.920 Here Jesus asked Peter to fish in the wrong place at the wrong time of day. 00:21:02.079 --> 00:21:03.759 He's already exhausted. 00:21:04.160 --> 00:21:08.400 And as we come to know Peter in the New Testament, Peter was very hard-headed. 00:21:08.480 --> 00:21:13.119 You know, he's like strong-willed and he's very impulsive. 00:21:13.359 --> 00:21:16.319 And I'm sure he was this close to saying no. 00:21:17.759 --> 00:21:22.880 I mean, he had to be this close to saying, No, I'm tired, I'm going home. 00:21:23.039 --> 00:21:25.680 I wrote a while for you so you could talk. 00:21:26.160 --> 00:21:27.599 I'm gonna go home and go to bed. 00:21:27.680 --> 00:21:28.400 But he didn't. 00:21:30.079 --> 00:21:33.680 He said, Okay, because you asked, I'll do it. 00:21:33.920 --> 00:21:35.519 But the result was a miracle. 00:21:35.759 --> 00:21:41.680 What he had dreamed of, a catch of a lifetime and the start of a relationship. 00:21:41.759 --> 00:21:43.200 And it's the same with us. 00:21:43.920 --> 00:21:44.799 It's the same with us. 00:21:44.960 --> 00:21:48.319 So in Luke 5, he keeps going to verse 8. 00:21:48.480 --> 00:21:55.440 When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, Oh Lord, please leave me. 00:21:55.599 --> 00:21:58.079 I'm too much of a sinner to be around you. 00:21:58.640 --> 00:21:59.759 For he was awestruck. 00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:06.720 By the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him, his partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee. 00:22:06.880 --> 00:22:08.640 They were also amazed. 00:22:08.960 --> 00:22:15.039 See, Peter doesn't know this much, that much about Jesus at this point. 00:22:15.200 --> 00:22:24.000 I mean, they're just starting their relationship, but he knew enough to know that Jesus is holy, and he wasn't. 00:22:24.720 --> 00:22:31.119 And so this rugged commercial fisherman drops to the knees, the middle of his boat. 00:22:33.200 --> 00:22:37.920 And Jesus replied to Simon, Don't be afraid. 00:22:38.559 --> 00:22:41.519 From now on, you'll be fishing for people. 00:22:42.559 --> 00:22:47.599 And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus. 00:22:48.640 --> 00:22:53.200 See, Peter got a glimpse of a whole different way of thinking. 00:22:53.440 --> 00:23:05.039 I mean, here was a person, Jesus, that obviously could be wildly successful at fishing if he wanted to be. 00:23:06.319 --> 00:23:08.640 But instead, he had little, you know? 00:23:08.960 --> 00:23:16.400 And he spent his time teaching and healing and helping and loving people. 00:23:16.720 --> 00:23:22.079 And just a combination of all this must have had Peter a little bit freaked out. 00:23:22.480 --> 00:23:28.640 Because Jesus said, you know, the one thing that he says more times than anything else in the Gospels. 00:23:28.799 --> 00:23:31.839 He says to Peter, don't be afraid. 00:23:32.079 --> 00:23:33.759 Don't be afraid, Peter. 00:23:35.759 --> 00:23:38.240 Then after that, he said something else. 00:23:38.799 --> 00:23:40.480 And it could have been anything he said. 00:23:40.559 --> 00:23:44.559 He could have said, you know, Peter, from now on, you'll be doing something really important. 00:23:45.359 --> 00:23:48.480 Peter, from now on, you're going to be doing something better. 00:23:49.359 --> 00:23:50.400 But he didn't. 00:23:51.519 --> 00:23:54.240 He said something that was meaningful to Peter. 00:23:54.480 --> 00:23:58.240 From now on, you'll be fishing for men. 00:24:00.640 --> 00:24:04.480 What Peter would have heard is, I like who you are. 00:24:05.599 --> 00:24:07.839 I respect what you do. 00:24:09.200 --> 00:24:11.039 You're a fisherman. 00:24:12.799 --> 00:24:14.240 I value that. 00:24:14.480 --> 00:24:16.079 I created you that way. 00:24:16.319 --> 00:24:17.599 I value you. 00:24:19.519 --> 00:24:23.119 Together, you and I, we're going to keep fishing. 00:24:23.359 --> 00:24:26.240 We're going to keep fishing just in a different sea. 00:24:28.880 --> 00:24:32.559 Four of the books in the New Testament list twelve apostles. 00:24:32.880 --> 00:24:36.799 They're all listed in slightly different orders in all the books, except for one. 00:24:38.400 --> 00:24:43.200 And that's the first name on each of the list is Peter. 00:24:44.400 --> 00:24:45.359 The rock. 00:24:47.680 --> 00:24:56.079 The rock's life is still impacting the world from this day that he met Jesus. 00:24:59.440 --> 00:25:04.400 One of the most exciting parts of this particular story is more what it says about Jesus. 00:25:04.480 --> 00:25:14.559 You know, Jesus didn't hang out at the seminary graduation, you know, hoping the uh the Jewish scholars would uh would come with him. 00:25:15.599 --> 00:25:28.799 He chose ordinary people with real lives, with real life experience, with faults and a past and mistakes and all that stuff. 00:25:29.279 --> 00:25:31.759 And he loved them and he valued them. 00:25:32.799 --> 00:25:37.039 And he loves you and he values you. 00:25:37.680 --> 00:25:39.599 So we can be like Peter. 00:25:40.559 --> 00:25:47.359 If we can just trust him enough to see the miracle. 00:25:48.400 --> 00:25:53.200 You know, if we can follow him, we can see a whole different life. 00:25:53.759 --> 00:25:56.960 You know, we can change our worlds around us. 00:25:57.440 --> 00:26:13.279 1 Corinthians 1, it says, everything that we have, right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start, it comes from God by way of Jesus Christ. 00:26:16.240 --> 00:26:21.599 If the worship team comes up, we're going to finish one more song and we'll uh we'll sing that. 00:26:21.680 --> 00:26:24.240 I mean, we're going to finish with one more song, we'll sing that together. 00:26:24.319 --> 00:26:27.519 Um let's stand and we'll get uh get ready for that. 00:26:28.079 --> 00:26:30.319 A clean slate and a fresh start. 00:26:30.480 --> 00:26:33.920 It's what Peter got, it's what's available for all of us. 00:26:34.640 --> 00:26:42.559 You know, Jesus didn't hand Peter a list of rules and say, okay, here it is, here's the list, here's your checklist. 00:26:43.200 --> 00:26:46.799 This is what I want you to do and not do. 00:26:47.119 --> 00:26:50.720 What he said to Peter was, follow me. 00:26:51.839 --> 00:26:52.960 Follow me. 00:26:53.279 --> 00:26:55.839 And where was he gonna follow Jesus to? 00:26:58.720 --> 00:26:59.920 Nowhere. 00:27:00.799 --> 00:27:01.519 Nowhere. 00:27:02.160 --> 00:27:04.319 They were gonna live in Capernaum. 00:27:05.279 --> 00:27:10.079 See, he was gonna travel, they'd go to Jerusalem for the Passover, and they would go to areas around it. 00:27:10.160 --> 00:27:13.519 But when he said follow me, he's not talking about go with me to some place. 00:27:14.000 --> 00:27:18.640 He is like, follow me with your heart and with your life. 00:27:19.680 --> 00:27:22.640 And we'll do something different together. 00:27:23.440 --> 00:27:26.720 It's the same offer to us if we just follow him. 00:27:28.000 --> 00:27:30.480 It's so simple to start. 00:27:31.519 --> 00:27:35.599 We say to Jesus in our own words, in our own way, I want to follow you. 00:27:35.759 --> 00:27:36.640 I will follow you. 00:27:36.799 --> 00:27:37.759 I need you. 00:27:38.319 --> 00:27:39.359 Help me. 00:27:41.200 --> 00:27:49.680 And then he fills us with his spirit, and he strengthens us, and he starts changing us from the inside out. 00:27:50.720 --> 00:27:56.160 And we do something together with him, and we do live a whole different life. 00:27:56.880 --> 00:27:59.279 You know, if you haven't done that, you could do that today. 00:28:00.240 --> 00:28:01.200 Follow Jesus. 00:28:01.359 --> 00:28:03.839 The best choice I've ever made. 00:28:04.079 --> 00:28:16.720 Next week we're gonna uh see Peter, the rock, and we're gonna see him in his same boat, in the same spot, and a whole nother fresh start. 00:28:17.039 --> 00:28:18.240 Let's pray. 00:28:19.039 --> 00:28:22.160 Father, we just thank you for being such a good God. 00:28:22.319 --> 00:28:28.880 Jesus, we just thank you for loving us, and we thank you for valuing us. 00:28:29.680 --> 00:28:31.920 We need your strength, we need your help, Jesus. 00:28:32.079 --> 00:28:34.240 Help us to trust you enough. 00:28:34.960 --> 00:28:37.279 Help us to follow you. 00:28:37.759 --> 00:28:40.000 We love you, we need you. 00:28:40.319 --> 00:28:41.839 It's in your name we pray. 00:28:42.160 --> 00:28:42.799 Amen.