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May 30, 2010
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Go Fish! Why?
We took a look at Jesus calling his
first disciples, Peter and Andrew, and
James and John. Jesus said He was going
to make them into “Fishers of Men”.
What is a fisher of men? Message
bearers. God’s plan for sharing the
message of the gospel is using us.
Being a Fisher of Men is not optional,
so why do so many treat it that way?
Why Fish?
Background:
Jesus has finished His earthly ministry
and is gone and Peter and John are in
Jerusalem and they go to the Temple at
three o’clock in the afternoon, the time
of prayer.
Peter heals the lame man and immediately
people notice.
Peter preaches this long interesting
sermon and everyone is focused and
listening.
These dead carpenter followers are
preaching about Him in the Jewish
Temple. So, the Jewish leaders threw
Peter and John in jail.
So they called the apostles back in and
commanded them never again to speak or
teach in the name of Jesus.
Acts 4:18
Our culture says, “Talk about Jesus
among like-minded people all you want
but don’t bother the rest of the world
with that stuff.”
But Peter and John replied, “Do you
think God wants us to obey you rather
than him? We cannot stop telling about
everything we have seen and heard.”
Acts 4:19-20
P&J experienced a relationship with
Jesus Christ that changes their lives
and they can’t shut up.
Important Concept: Fishing is not about
comparing religions.
The reason we fish is because something
has happened, and we have to talk about
it!
The next day the rulers, elders and
teachers of the law met in Jerusalem.
Annas the high priest was there, and so
were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and the
other men of the high priest's family.
They had Peter and John brought before
them and began to question them: "By
what power or what name did you do
this?"
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit,
said to them: "Rulers and elders of the
people! If we are being called to
account today for an act of kindness
shown to a cripple and are asked how he
was healed, then know this, you and all
the people of Israel: It is by the name
of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you
crucified but whom God raised from the
dead, that this man stands before you
healed. He is
" 'the stone you builders rejected,
which has become the capstone.
Salvation is found in no one else, for
there is no other name under heaven
given to men by which we must be saved."
Acts 4:5-12
Why they couldn’t stop talking about it?
God has sent a person, His name is Jesus
and there is salvation in no other name
but His. How are people going to know
unless they are told? How will people
know if you don’t tell them?
..when they saw the courage of Peter and
John and realized that they were
unschooled, ordinary men, they were
astonished and they took note that these
men had been with Jesus.
Acts 4:13
Good people don’t go to heaven, forgiven
people do!
That’s why we have to fish!
Click here to listen to the full Sermon in MP3 Audio
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