Untitled Sermon (5)

Gone Fishing: The Life of Peter

Gone Fishing: The Life of Peter

Key Question: Who is Jesus Calling you to be?

We have probably all been given nicknames at one time or another. Almost every time someone receives a nickname, it’s because of something they do or because of their character. An aspect of their being that could define who they are if someone wanted to.

How many of you know of or have seen the movie “Patch Adams”?

The movie is based on a true story about a man named Hunter Adams Whose nickname was “Patch Adams”

We’re going to watch a quick clip of the movie to see how Hunter Adams got the nickname Patch.

Movie Clip

So who was Patch Adams? He was a doctor who wanted to help people in any way that he could.

His nickname, fits perfectly with what he does for a living and what he loves to do with his whole being.

40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).

Who Knows what the name Peter means?

Right, the Greek word for Peter is Petros which means rock, or stone.

In Jesus explains to Peter what his name means, and in turn why Jesus gave him the name Peter.

18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

Jesus has a name for all of us. A name that belongs with who we are in Christ.

You guys have heard that our identity is found in Christ right? That is something that to me, means everything. It means that I have a purpose because like Peter, my identity in Christ has more meaning than just a name for the sake of one. It’s who I was made to be and it represents a purpose that is exactly what I was made to fulfill.

My nickname in high-school was j-fu. I received that nickname in gr.8 from some of my friends who were in gr.11. It was a name that I had in a skit where I was supposed to be a ninja and it just seemed to stick.

Now you guys are probably thinking, what does this have to do with identity and purpose.

Well, a few years ago I received a word over me that I would be a warrior for God. I didn’t make the connection then but a ninja happens to be a warrior which is what my nickname was.

This was all before I wanted to be a youth pastor but sure enough, I became one and in my opinion, pastors are definitely warriors for God.

Something that is really important for you to realize is that I didn’t just become a pastor. It’s not something that just happened automatically. I had to listen and discern where God was calling me and then make a conscious choice to move in that direction.

So what do you do when you don’t know where to go and what to do?

lets read

English Standard Version Chapter 5

5 On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, 2 and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3 Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4 And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” 6 And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. 7 They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.

When we don’t know, when we don’t have a clue, seek Jesus and see where he leads you.

If you’re willing to take the time it takes to listen for God’s voice, He’s not going to leave you hangin.

I’m not saying that you’ll hear Him right away, in fact it will probably be the opposite.

You’ll probably get a little frustrated at the fact that you can’t “hear” Him.

But I can guarantee that He has something for you to hear, the key to hearing it is patience and practice.

If you are willing to take what God tells you and run with it you may end up with net full of fish just like Peter and his friends.

The opposite is also true though if you choose to disregard what God says.

Luke 5:8–11 ESV

But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.

Peter realized that it was Jesus who did a miracle to allow them to catch the amount of fish that they did. He immediately dropped to his knees and told Jesus to leave him because he was a man full of sin. The other disciples were just as amazed as Peter.

Jesus told Peter to not be afraid because he was going to help Jesus fish for people. Peter, James, and John all dropped their nets and immediately left to be disciples of Jesus.

Obedience brings us to our knees. (in a good way) Why?

Because when we follow Jesus our lives are transformed and there is an overwhelming peace, joy, and sometimes an unreal feeling that Jesus is truly doing what He is doing through us.

This includes forgiveness, our love interests, friend groups, jobs, etc. If we are truly changed by God, then we are willing to drop the lives we want to live in order to go ‘fishing’ with Jesus. Some stuff may stay the same, but our lives will look different.

My question for you guys tonight is this:

Who is Jesus Calling you to be?