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             Bible Study by
            Abouna Arsanios
          Peter Chosen (Part 1)
              Luke 5:1-11


Meanings
--------

Peter ....... rock of faith

Andrew ...... take life of God seriously

James ....... strives in life (doing well)

John ........ compassion of God

Sitting ..... settling, peace.

Teaching .... First comes  the Word of God
to prepare hearts  for change. During hard
times, we  are nourished and  sustained by
the word of God.

Boat ........ Note  that  He  entered  the
boat by  His person  and by His  word. The
boat could represent the human body or the
church.

Two boats ... The  old and new testaments,
filled  with the  believers. The  Jews and
gentiles throughout  the ages.  The number
two in the Bible represents Love. The Love
of God gives us a great catch.


Strange request
---------------

Note that, according  to the experience of
the   fishermen,  Jesus’s   request  seems
strange. Launch in  the deep? Lake fishing
is normally  near the shore.  Launch again
now? It  is now day, not  night. They fish
at  night, and  they just  had a  night of
unsuccessful fishing.  So it is  the wrong
timing and wrong placement.


Turning point
-------------

However,  Peter had  a  turning point.  He
said “nevertheless” or  “but” and said, “I
will let go of what  I know and have faith
in Your Word.

In all the challenges  we face, can we let
go  of our  knowledge and  experience, and
follow  His Word?  Can we  trust God  more
than our experience?

The  results are:  great numbers  of fish.
Gods gifts  are abundant to those  who see
Him.


Conviction
----------

A person  convicted by the Word  of God is
feeling what?

• Awe

    “Princes persecute me without a cause,
    But  my heart  stands in  awe of  Your
    word.”

• Unworthiness

    “For I  am the least of  the apostles,
    who  am not  worthy  to  be called  an
    apostle,  because   I  persecuted  the
    church of God.”

• The errors of one’s ways

    “I am conscious  of my iniquities, and
    my sins are before me.”

• Humility

    “LORD,  You have  heard the  desire of
    the  humble;  You will  prepare  their
    heart.”


Light dispels darkness
----------------------

The  conflict  of  good  and  bad  created
anxiety.

      “What  fellowship has  righteousness
      with lawlessness? And what communion
      has light with darkness?”

Peter’s response was to confess before the
Lord. That started his new life with God.

In verse 10, they  all experience the same
and all  fall at Jesus knee.  When we come
to  God,  we  come  with  others.  Peter’s
confession affected the others.


Sequence
--------

Then  comes  the  absolution. “Do  not  be
afraid.”

Then comes  the call to service,  after he
is cleansed.

Note that he is  called to service *after*
realizing his unworthiness, confessing his
sin, and being forgiven.

Then,  he and  all  of them  are ready  to
forsake all, a huge sacrifice. However, he
realizes  God's gifts  are much  more than
what he was forsaking.


Note that

• Christianity is an experience of change.

• Our failures have a purpose and will
  end.


Text of the reading
-------------------

Luke 5

 1 So it was, as the multitude pressed
   about Him to hear the word of God, that
   He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret,

 2 and saw two boats standing by the lake;
   but the fishermen had gone from them
   and were washing their nets.

 3 Then He got into one of the boats,
   which was Simon's, and asked him to put
   out a little from the land. And He sat
   down and taught the multitudes from the
   boat.

 4 When He had stopped speaking, He said
   to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and
   let down your nets for a catch.”

 5 But Simon answered and said to Him,
   “Master, we have toiled all night and
   caught nothing; nevertheless at Your
   word I will let down the net.”

 6 And when they had done this, they
   caught a great number of fish, and
   their net was breaking.

 7 So 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.

 8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down
   at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from
   me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”

 9 For he and all who were with him were
   astonished at the catch of fish which
   they had taken;

10 and so also were James and John, the
   sons of Zebedee, who were partners with
   Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not
   be afraid. From now on you will catch
   men.”

11 So when they had brought their boats to
   land, they forsook all and followed
   Him.