Discipleship Essentials*
Saturday, October 30, 2004
My Prayer Today
Dear Heavenly Father. I thank You for all that You have blessed me with. You have been gracious and kind to me. I, however, want to thank You most of all for You! I want You to be my #1 priority in everything. Forgive me for all the times that I have tried to stay in control of my own life. I have been proud and uncommitted. Help me to seek You with all of my heart. I want to glorify Your name in all things and place You upon the throne of my heart. May I live this day with You in absolute control of everything that I do and say. I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ . . . Amen.
God’s Word Today
Luke 5:1-11
1 "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. 2 He noticed two empty boats at the water's edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. 3 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. 4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, 'Now go out where it is deeper and let down your nets, and you will catch many fish.' 5 'Master,' Simon replied, 'we worked hard all last night and didn't catch a thing. But if you say so, we'll try again.' 6 And this time their nets were so full they began to tear! 7 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."
8 "When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, 'Oh, Lord, please leave me -- I'm too much of a sinner to be around you.' 9 For he was awestruck by the size of their catch, as were the others with him. 10 His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed. Jesus replied to Simon, 'Don't be afraid! From now on you'll be fishing for people!' 11 And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus."
Background on the Text – Who Wrote It? Why Was It Written? Who Was the Audience?
The introduction of Simon Peter in Luke 5:1-11 is very important, because throughout Luke's writing in his gospel as well as in Acts, Peter is a central figure. Jesus' call to Simon Peter to be a "fisherman of people" is evidenced later in the book of Acts when Peter stands up to preach to the Jewish people and 3,000 people were saved in one meeting! Peter was vitally important in the establishment of the early church, and Jesus' command to Peter and the disciples offers a timeless call for all disciples of Jesus to share with others the true way of salvation in Jesus Christ. Luke's portrayal of Simon Peter as being a leader in the family business, also helps to reveal Simon's role as a leader within the early church.
Observation – What Does the Text Say?
Interpretation – What Does the Text Mean?
Application – How Can I Respond to the Text’s Insights and Teachings?
Each Week’s Check List
After reading and studying this text, reflect on the following discipleship growth points:
Growth Point |
How |
Encouraged and strengthened me by |
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Fallen short areas |
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What will I do with these insights? |
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What did God say to me today? |
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Share insights and growth points |
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Changed/transformed how? |
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Thoughts...
To be a disciple of Jesus Christ means that we must not let anything stand in the way of our commitment to Him. Jesus' statement to Simon Peter and the disciples in Luke 5:10 was -- "Don't be afraid! From now on you'll be fishing for people!" The response of the disciples is found in the following verse -- "And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus." Think of it, the disciples left everything they had: their business, their families, their reputation, and even their catch of fish, to follow Jesus! The miraculous power of Jesus so convinced these men that they could do nothing but follow Jesus.
Jesus is calling each of us to follow Him completely. For many of us we all "idols" in our lives -- such as sports, television, food, friends, or pleasure to get in the way of our commitment to God. It is not that all of these things are bad in themselves, but if they come between us and God they are an idol and we must get rid of it. What have you given up to follow Jesus? It is not that God is looking to make you miserable or to take all of your possessions away. God does not mind us having things, He minds things having us! We must allow Jesus to rule in our lives as supreme. He must be our #1 priority in everything. Any person short of this is not a true disciple of Jesus.