Latest / Bible in a Year with Jack Graham / Fisher of Men - The Gospels

Transcript

Fisher of Men - The Gospels · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Let us pray. And so also James and John, the
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: said unto Simon, Fear not, from hence thou shalt catch men.
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: Luke 5.10 Dear Jesus, In the same way that you
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: provided for Peter in his boat, and provided a large
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: catch of fish, I also thank you that instead of fish,
• 0:33
  Speaker 1: you're allowing me to draw all men and women to
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: you and to your purpose for their lives. Increase my influence,
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: enlarge my reach, and give me the ability to be
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: a magnet for all who I come in contact with.
• 0:53
  Speaker 1: As you increase the influence I have with others, I
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: also thank you that you will give me the ability
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: to supernaturally heal the areas in their lives that is
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: robbing them from experiencing community, purpose, and fulfillment. Like the
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: leper in today's reading, I pray that they will spread
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: the word of how good you are and that you
• 1:20
  Speaker 1: are always willing to heal and uplift those you need. Today,
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: I acknowledge that I am a fisher of men. In Jesus' name, amen.
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: Listening to these daily prayers strengthens your relationship with God.
• 1:42
  Speaker 1: Continue hearing from the Lord by listening to today's Bible
• 1:46
  Speaker 1: in a Year. Brought to you by BibleInAYear.com.
• 1:52
  Speaker 2: It's time to take back freedom over your health care.
• 1:54
  Speaker 2: This open enrollment program Learn more about how Christian Healthcare Ministries,
• 1:59
  Speaker 2: a faith-based alternative to health insurance, empowers you with choice
• 2:04
  Speaker 2: as you make medical decisions. Discover flexibility to pick your
• 2:08
  Speaker 2: providers with programs as low as $ 92 per month. Plus,
• 2:13
  Speaker 2: when you prep ahead, you can have the peace of
• 2:16
  Speaker 2: mind as you're surrounded in spiritual support. So, what are
• 2:20
  Speaker 2: you waiting for? Start saving today. Enroll at ch.com. ministries.org
• 2:27
  Speaker 2: slash pray.
• 2:38
  Speaker 3: Fisher of men. In our last story, the ministry of
• 2:42
  Speaker 3: Jesus began to take on form. Jesus would preach with authority,
• 2:47
  Speaker 3: heal with compassion and cast out demons with power. His
• 2:51
  Speaker 3: fame began to grow rapidly. Now we learn about Jesus'
• 2:55
  Speaker 3: individual ministry. He did not just preach to crowds. He
• 3:00
  Speaker 3: would connect with individuals and change their lives forever. Inspired
• 3:04
  Speaker 3: by the Gospels.
• 3:07
  Speaker 4: Hello and welcome once again to The Bible in a Year.
• 3:10
  Speaker 4: This is Jack Graham. In our last episode, we heard
• 3:13
  Speaker 4: how despite the miracles that Jesus performed and the wisdom
• 3:17
  Speaker 4: and insight with which he spoke, Jesus was not accepted
• 3:21
  Speaker 4: by all and was even run out of his own
• 3:24
  Speaker 4: hometown of Nazareth under threat of death. Still, crowds continued
• 3:29
  Speaker 4: to flock to Jesus to hear him speak and to
• 3:31
  Speaker 4: catch a glimpse of the marvelous miracles, wonders that he performed. Today,
• 3:36
  Speaker 4: we'll hear how Jesus encountered men and women at a
• 3:39
  Speaker 4: very personal level. healing not only their physical illnesses, but
• 3:43
  Speaker 4: opening their eyes to a life of abundance and joy
• 3:46
  Speaker 4: and changing their hearts forever. So, let's listen now to
• 3:50
  Speaker 4: the Word of God in the Gospels of Jesus Christ.
• 3:55
  Speaker 3: Peter leaned his head against the mast of his boat.
• 3:59
  Speaker 3: An entire night wasted on the water had yielded no fish.
• 4:02
  Speaker 3: He had toiled relentlessly only to come up empty. Andrew
• 4:07
  Speaker 3: was washing the nets beside him. He too was disappointed
• 4:10
  Speaker 3: at the lack of fish. Peter looked up at the
• 4:13
  Speaker 3: clouds and listened to the seagulls fly out to sea.
• 4:16
  Speaker 3: Perhaps the birds would have better luck than him. He
• 4:19
  Speaker 3: sighed and began to close his eyes and rest. The
• 4:23
  Speaker 3: gentle breeze rolled in from the water and gently rocked
• 4:26
  Speaker 3: his boat. Peter's moment of peace was quickly interrupted by
• 4:30
  Speaker 3: the sound of people. Peter opened his eyes and saw
• 4:33
  Speaker 3: hundreds of people following Jesus. They were so desperate to
• 4:37
  Speaker 3: hear him. that they were nearly trampling him to get closer.
• 4:41
  Speaker 3: Jesus could see Peter and Andrew from a distance. He
• 4:44
  Speaker 3: waved and jogged over to them. Would you mind letting
• 4:47
  Speaker 3: me use your boat to teach from? The crowds will
• 4:50
  Speaker 3: trample me if I don't get above them. Peter agreed.
• 4:54
  Speaker 3: His boat might as well get some use for that day.
• 4:57
  Speaker 3: Jesus spoke for a while. Peter listened from behind, half listening,
• 5:01
  Speaker 3: half daydreaming. After Jesus was finished, he turned back to
• 5:05
  Speaker 3: Peter and Andrew. Why don't we go out into the
• 5:09
  Speaker 3: deep and put your nets out for a catch? Jesus asked.
• 5:13
  Speaker 3: Peter gave a condescending laugh. Master, we have toiled all
• 5:17
  Speaker 3: night and have nothing to show for it. He looked
• 5:19
  Speaker 3: at Jesus. He was earnest and clearly wanted Peter to
• 5:23
  Speaker 3: take the boat out. Peter shrugged. Fine, at your word,
• 5:27
  Speaker 3: we will go out. So Peter and Andrew reluctantly took
• 5:31
  Speaker 3: the boat out. Peter gathered up the nets and tossed
• 5:35
  Speaker 3: them to the side of the boat. Then Peter sat,
• 5:37
  Speaker 3: knowing that nothing would catch. Just as Peter was getting comfortable,
• 5:42
  Speaker 3: he could hear the sound of stretching rope. The net
• 5:45
  Speaker 3: was tightening on the side of the boat. Peter leaped
• 5:48
  Speaker 3: to his feet and looked overboard. His net was completely
• 5:51
  Speaker 3: filled with fish, so much that the net seemed like
• 5:55
  Speaker 3: it was about to break. Peter, Andrew, and Jesus tugged
• 5:58
  Speaker 3: on the nets and hurled in the largest catch Peter
• 6:02
  Speaker 3: had ever witnessed. The nets on the other side of
• 6:04
  Speaker 3: the boat were overflowing as well. So Peter gestured for
• 6:08
  Speaker 3: James and John to bring out their boats as well.
• 6:11
  Speaker 3: The men rejoiced with their catch. This bigger catch would
• 6:15
  Speaker 3: provide for their families for months. All the men danced
• 6:18
  Speaker 3: in place and shouted for joy. But not Peter. He
• 6:22
  Speaker 3: looked at Jesus and fell to his face. He was broken.
• 6:26
  Speaker 3: He felt unworthy of Jesus' gift. Depart from me, Lord,
• 6:31
  Speaker 3: he said. I am a sinful man. Peter bowed his
• 6:35
  Speaker 3: head before him. Jesus knelt down and placed his head
• 6:38
  Speaker 3: on Peter's shoulder. From now on, I will teach you
• 6:41
  Speaker 3: how to be a fisher of men. So the two
• 6:44
  Speaker 3: of them departed with Andrew, James, and John. Later that evening,
• 6:48
  Speaker 3: Jesus was able to heal Peter's mother-in-law. Peter's entire world
• 6:53
  Speaker 3: was being transformed by Jesus. Jesus was walking among one
• 6:58
  Speaker 3: of the cities, observing the needs of the people around him.
• 7:01
  Speaker 3: As he was pacing the city, Jesus stumbled upon a
• 7:03
  Speaker 3: man stricken with leprosy. The entire left side of his
• 7:07
  Speaker 3: face was mangled and he could barely lift his arms
• 7:09
  Speaker 3: from the pain of rotting flesh. The man approached Jesus gently.
• 7:14
  Speaker 3: The men who were following Jesus stepped back, but Jesus
• 7:17
  Speaker 3: stepped forward. The leper fell at Jesus' feet. Please, Lord,
• 7:22
  Speaker 3: have mercy on me. The man began to weep. If
• 7:26
  Speaker 3: you are willing, I know you can make me clean. Jesus'
• 7:30
  Speaker 3: eyes began to water as he listened to the man's cries.
• 7:33
  Speaker 3: He knew how much pain he was in He knew
• 7:36
  Speaker 3: how lonely leprosy had made him. Jesus knelt down and
• 7:39
  Speaker 3: hugged him. He held him in his arms as he wept.
• 7:43
  Speaker 3: I am willing, Jesus whispered. Be clean. And as Jesus spoke,
• 7:49
  Speaker 3: the leper's limbs and face began to show color once again.
• 7:53
  Speaker 3: The leprosy had left him. The man leapt for joy.
• 7:56
  Speaker 3: He wiggled his arms and kicked his feet. He was
• 7:59
  Speaker 3: a new man. Jesus instructed him to tell nobody of
• 8:02
  Speaker 3: what happened. He was to go into the temple and
• 8:05
  Speaker 3: give thanks to God. However, the man did not listen.
• 8:09
  Speaker 3: He shouted Jesus' name in the city streets. As a result,
• 8:13
  Speaker 3: droves of people came to him with their infirmities. Jesus
• 8:17
  Speaker 3: would spend all day helping them. Then when the sun set,
• 8:21
  Speaker 3: he withdrew to a secret place to meet with God
• 8:24
  Speaker 3: in quiet.
• 8:27
  Speaker 4: In today's scripture, we find Peter and Andrew tired and
• 8:30
  Speaker 4: disappointed after a fruitless night of fishing the Sea of Galilee.
• 8:34
  Speaker 4: For them, fishing was not a pastime that took them
• 8:37
  Speaker 4: away from the stress of work. It was work and
• 8:40
  Speaker 4: life itself. And the previous night had been frustrating as
• 8:44
  Speaker 4: they returned to shore empty-handed. While they were washing their nets,
• 8:48
  Speaker 4: Jesus approached them, followed by a large crowd of people
• 8:51
  Speaker 4: wanting to hear him speak. This was becoming very common
• 8:55
  Speaker 4: at this point, as droves of men and women followed
• 8:58
  Speaker 4: Jesus everywhere, hanging on his every word. Jesus asked the
• 9:03
  Speaker 4: fishermen if he could set off in their boat and
• 9:05
  Speaker 4: speak to the crowds from the water. So, with the
• 9:08
  Speaker 4: prowl of a boat for a pulpit, Jesus spoke. the
• 9:12
  Speaker 4: Son of God would have known the practical benefit of
• 9:15
  Speaker 4: speaking from that place as his voice would carry well
• 9:18
  Speaker 4: over the water and into the crowd. And as I
• 9:21
  Speaker 4: think of this scene, I can't help but be reminded
• 9:24
  Speaker 4: of Psalm 29, which says the voice of the Lord
• 9:26
  Speaker 4: is over the waters. And here we find that the
• 9:30
  Speaker 4: Lord's voice literally went out over the waters to those
• 9:33
  Speaker 4: who came to hear him. It was loud and clear.
• 9:37
  Speaker 4: When he was done teaching, Jesus asked Andrew and Peter
• 9:40
  Speaker 4: to put out into the water again and throw their
• 9:42
  Speaker 4: nets out again to catch some fish. The experienced and
• 9:46
  Speaker 4: exhausted fishermen scoffed. They just tried all night and returned
• 9:51
  Speaker 4: with empty nets. So, naturally, Peter doubted the likelihood of
• 9:56
  Speaker 4: having any different results at this hour. But still he replied, Now,
• 9:50
  Speaker 4: that is a very important lesson for all of us.
• 9:51
  Speaker 4: Because you say so. Peter was doubtful and yet he obeyed.
• 9:54
  Speaker 4: You see, doubt is not the opposite of faith. Unbelief is.
• 10:19
  Speaker 4: Peter had some doubts and reservations. Even his past experience
• 10:23
  Speaker 4: gave him some pause. But he did trust in Jesus.
• 10:27
  Speaker 4: And so they lowered their nets in faith and obedience.
• 10:31
  Speaker 4: And when they tried to pull the nets back in,
• 10:34
  Speaker 4: they were astounded, amazed. The nets that had returned empty
• 10:38
  Speaker 4: time and time again just hours ago were filled with fish.
• 10:42
  Speaker 4: The catch was so big that their nets nearly broke
• 10:44
  Speaker 4: and their boats nearly sank. Peter's response to this was
• 10:48
  Speaker 4: to fall at the feet of Jesus and acknowledge his position,
• 10:52
  Speaker 4: a sinner unworthy of such grace and blessing. Whereas the
• 10:56
  Speaker 4: religious leaders of the day walked with their heads high,
• 10:59
  Speaker 4: feeling entitled to God's blessing because of their rule following
• 11:02
  Speaker 4: and strict living, Peter knew he was undeserving and fell
• 11:06
  Speaker 4: in humble worship, depending upon the grace of the Lord.
• 11:11
  Speaker 4: Rather than go away as Peter asked him to do,
• 11:14
  Speaker 4: Jesus gently, graciously took Peter and and told him that
• 11:18
  Speaker 4: there was still much fishing to be done. Only now
• 11:21
  Speaker 4: he would become a fisher of men. Surely the words
• 11:25
  Speaker 4: must have been puzzling to Peter. How does one fish
• 11:28
  Speaker 4: for people? And still, again, Peter followed by faith, along
• 11:33
  Speaker 4: with Andrew, James, and John. Three of these men would
• 11:37
  Speaker 4: become closer to Jesus than any other, the inner circle
• 11:40
  Speaker 4: of disciples, and they were all fishermen. Later that evening,
• 11:45
  Speaker 4: Jesus healed Peter's mother-in-law, bringing healing and transformation into the apostles' household.
• 11:51
  Speaker 4: But Jesus' healing ministry was not reserved for those closest
• 11:54
  Speaker 4: to him or a chosen few. As we hear next,
• 11:58
  Speaker 4: Jesus went into the city, seeing the deep physical and
• 12:00
  Speaker 4: spiritual needs of those around him. He encountered a leper,
• 12:05
  Speaker 4: a man whose physical illness and social ostracism painted a
• 12:08
  Speaker 4: picture of the condition, the spiritual condition and disease of
• 12:12
  Speaker 4: all mankind without God. His flesh was consumed with the disease,
• 12:16
  Speaker 4: leaving him unfeeling and exposed to all kinds of injury.
• 12:20
  Speaker 4: And because of his sickness, he was separated, separated from
• 12:24
  Speaker 4: all others. As Jesus approached him, the man also fell
• 12:28
  Speaker 4: at the feet of Jesus, asking to be made whole,
• 12:31
  Speaker 4: to be made clean. And with just a word, Jesus
• 12:35
  Speaker 4: spoke and healed the man who went full of joy
• 12:39
  Speaker 4: into the city to tell all the things that Christ
• 12:41
  Speaker 4: had done for him, leading more and more crowds to
• 12:45
  Speaker 4: seek the Lord out. This was Jesus' ministry, speaking healing
• 12:50
  Speaker 4: into people's hearts and bodies. And to strengthen and sustain
• 12:54
  Speaker 4: him in that ministry, we see that Jesus never neglected
• 12:57
  Speaker 4: to seek the presence of his heavenly Father, retreating often
• 13:01
  Speaker 4: into solitude to speak to God. If that's what Jesus
• 13:05
  Speaker 4: himself needed, oh, how much more you and I need
• 13:08
  Speaker 4: to seek God's strength through prayer and fellowship. Dear God,
• 13:13
  Speaker 4: we thank you for the presence of Jesus, the power
• 13:16
  Speaker 4: of Jesus. Thank you for the healing ministry, especially the
• 13:20
  Speaker 4: ministry of healing the deepest longings and needs of the
• 13:23
  Speaker 4: human soul. May we live in the joy of this salvation,
• 13:27
  Speaker 4: the joy that Jesus gives us. We thank you for
• 13:30
  Speaker 4: today's reading and the examples of faith and the opportunity
• 13:34
  Speaker 4: to this very day that we can also seek God
• 13:37
  Speaker 4: by faith, that we can follow Jesus and become fishers
• 13:41
  Speaker 4: of men. Thank you for listening to today's Bible in
• 13:44
  Speaker 4: a Year podcast. I'm Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. You
• 13:48
  Speaker 4: can download the Pray.com app and make prayer a priority
• 13:52
  Speaker 4: in your life, just like over 20 million people have
• 13:55
  Speaker 4: done to this date. If you enjoyed this podcast, share
• 13:59
  Speaker 4: it with someone you know and love, because by sharing
• 14:02
  Speaker 4: this message of the Word of God, you can make
• 14:05
  Speaker 4: an eternal difference in someone's life. And I want to
• 14:08
  Speaker 4: encourage you to go to jackgraham.org That's me at jackgram.org.
• 14:15
  Speaker 4: And we look forward to joining you again the next time.