Found God's Will: A practical example

Introduction:

What is the will of God for your life:

a. Saved

b.Spirit filled

c. Sanctified

d.Suffering

e. Submitted

f. Follow the strongest desire of your heart.

-Practical Example:

Luke 5:1–11 NASB95

1 Now it happened that while the crowd was pressing around Him and listening to the word of God, He was standing by the lake of Gennesaret; 2 and He saw two boats lying at the edge of the lake; but the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets. 3 And He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little way from the land. And He sat down and began teaching the people from the boat. 4 When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 Simon answered and said, “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets.” 6 When they had done this, they enclosed a great quantity of fish, and their nets began to break; 7 so they signaled to their partners in the other boat for them to come and help them. And they came and filled both of the boats, so that they began to sink. 8 But when Simon Peter saw that, he fell down at Jesus’ feet, saying, “Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!” 9 For amazement had seized him and all his companions because of the catch of fish which they had taken; 10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not fear, from now on you will be catching men.” 11 When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him.

-Who’s boat did he get into??? (v.3) He got into Simon boat.

-Do you think that was incidental??? Jesus was strategic at all times. He choose Simon boat specifically.

Luke 5:3–4 NASB95

3 And He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little way from the land. And He sat down and began teaching the people from the boat. 4 When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”

-(v.3) It look like Jesus went into the sea and taught from a boat.

-(v.3) He began to teach people right from the boat.

What was Jesus request in v.4?

What was Peter’s response in v.5? Common Sense

-(v.5) “Master” this is a term of respect. Peter recognize that Jesus was a man of importance, but he had reservation about Jesus request to lay the nets down again.

-(v.5) “we have worked hard all night and caught nothing” Peter response convey respect and yet he was a little doubtful about the success of this next mission. Peter was a seasoned fisherman. He knew two things the best fishing is done at night and into the early morning, and not during the day.

What was Peter final attitude towards Jesus request? “but I will do as You say and let down the nets”

-This called obedience in spite of doubts. Great Faith is not the absence of doubt, it is the act of obeying despite your doubts.

What happened in v.7? They caught so much that they needed to get help from other fishermen to get the haul.

-Peter’s Confession

-(v.8) Peter was overcome with his own sins and he began to worship at the Jesus feet.

a. His view of Jesus changed from “Master” to Son of God.

b. His view of himself changed as well. He began to see himself for who he really was.

-(v.9) Peter and all of his boys were simply amazed by the catch. They knew it was a miraculous what had just taken place.

-(v.10) The Sons of Thunder were also on the scene and they were equally amazed.

-(v.10) Jesus reveals more to them because of their obedience. “Do not fear, from now on you will be catching men”

-Jesus gave them a general special calling. He did not tell them where they would be doing that only that their career was about to change from fishermen to fisher of men!!

-(v.11) The left it all when they got on land!!

Wouldn’t it have been more lucrative if they had keep Jesus with them and stayed in the fishing business?

Point: Did you notice that the disciples got on land and left all of their equipment, and left the catch that they just caught.

Tell me about there attitude? They had meet Jesus and material success started to mean less to them.

Mark 3:22–30 NASB95

22 The scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.” 23 And He called them to Himself and began speaking to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 “If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26 “If Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but he is finished! 27 “But no one can enter the strong man’s house and plunder his property unless he first binds the strong man, and then he will plunder his house. 28 “Truly I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— 30 because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”

-(v.22) The Pharisees and scribe sought to invalidate his miracles. Unlike the early disciples who accepted them and left in fear in trembling. ....Notice:

Mark 3:11 NASB95

11 Whenever the unclean spirits saw Him, they would fall down before Him and shout, “You are the Son of God!”

mark

-They openly denied the truthfulness of these wonderful miracles.

-Notice the verses in v.22-26 The basically couldn’t deny the reality of Jesus power but the ascribe his power to the Evil one. They said he gets his power from Satan.

-(v.30) The said Jesus had an Unclean Spirit.....A total denial of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Now (v.23) is critical:

-(v.23) “Jesus began to speak to them in parables” Due to the insolence and hard rejection of truth Jesus began to teach deep theological truth in parable form.

Mark 4:2 NASB95

2 And He was teaching them many things in parables, and was saying to them in His teaching,

-(v.1) this time all the crowds gathered and he got into a boat and began to teach them via Parables.

mark 4:

Mark 4:9–10 NASB95

9 And He was saying, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” 10 As soon as He was alone, His followers, along with the twelve, began asking Him about the parables.

mark 4:9-10

Mark 4:9–12 NASB95

9 And He was saying, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” 10 As soon as He was alone, His followers, along with the twelve, began asking Him about the parables. 11 And He was saying to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables, 12 so that while seeing, they may see and not perceive, and while hearing, they may hear and not understand, otherwise they might return and be forgiven.”

-(v.9) Look at Jesus with a warning.....if you have ears “use them”

-(v.10) The disciples as well as those unnamed disciples began to seek clarity about his teaching.

-(v.11) Jesus then makes a startling statement: To you has been given the mystery of the Kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables(without explanation). I will not reveal myself to those who reject the simply obvious things about me.

What’s the principle? the more you obey the simple the deeply I will reveal myself to you

-(v.12) Sad ending for the Pharisees and Scribes, and all unbelievers: Having the ability to see and hear, but unable to ascertain nor interpret what’s being said.