1 00:00:00,480 --> 00:00:01,600 Amen. That's good singing. 2 00:00:01,600 --> 00:00:04,760 I'd ask you, please, to open your New Testaments to Luke's 3 00:00:04,760 --> 00:00:11,280 Gospel on the chapter #5 please, Luke's gospel, chapter 5. 4 00:00:11,280 --> 00:00:15,320 I want to read from that opening verse a portion that may be 5 00:00:15,320 --> 00:00:17,480 familiar to many, but perhaps not all. 6 00:00:18,600 --> 00:00:22,320 We hope to bring the thoughts that are contained therein to 7 00:00:22,320 --> 00:00:26,320 you today by way of challenge, because I'll tell you what, I'm 8 00:00:26,320 --> 00:00:27,800 going to let you into a little secret. 9 00:00:29,120 --> 00:00:34,000 They're a challenge to my heart. The 1st 11 verses we're going to 10 00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:36,640 read of chapter 5 of Luke's gospel. 11 00:00:37,640 --> 00:00:42,160 And what a challenge they were in that day, and they echo down 12 00:00:42,160 --> 00:00:45,880 through time to us today as well. 13 00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:50,400 This is the beginning of the Saviour's ministry. 14 00:00:50,440 --> 00:00:52,960 That fact is evident. We've only just reached chapter 15 00:00:52,960 --> 00:00:55,600 5. We're not in the big numbers. 16 00:00:55,600 --> 00:01:00,560 We're just starting the the ministry of the Saviour here. 17 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:04,040 Luke chapter 5. I trust you find the place. 18 00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:06,760 It's good to hear the rustle of the pages of Scripture. 19 00:01:07,600 --> 00:01:10,680 But chapter 5 opens with those little words there, that little 20 00:01:10,680 --> 00:01:13,240 line, the IT really is a Hebrewism. 21 00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:15,720 It comes in from the Hebrew of the Old Testament. 22 00:01:15,720 --> 00:01:19,320 It's one word in the Hebrew. It's these multiple words in the 23 00:01:19,320 --> 00:01:25,000 English, 5 words. And it came to pass. 24 00:01:26,120 --> 00:01:29,520 I love to stop every time I come across that little phrase 25 00:01:30,160 --> 00:01:33,040 because it reminds me that what we have here in those scriptures 26 00:01:33,040 --> 00:01:37,920 of truth actually happened. This is a historically accurate 27 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:40,360 document. These things actually happened. 28 00:01:40,360 --> 00:01:43,480 Therefore, I want you, you know, it's easy sometimes to allow 29 00:01:43,480 --> 00:01:46,360 you, the Word of God, just to go over our heads and not let it 30 00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:49,600 sink in. But I want you to imagine you 31 00:01:49,600 --> 00:01:52,600 were a fly on the wall that day, that you were actually there 32 00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:56,080 witnessing all these events because this really is a mighty 33 00:01:56,080 --> 00:02:00,600 story and it came to pass. Look at what we were told 34 00:02:00,600 --> 00:02:04,520 actually in that first verse of Luke chapter 5, the hunger that 35 00:02:04,520 --> 00:02:07,720 there was for the Word of God back in that day, the Lord 36 00:02:07,720 --> 00:02:13,280 Himself, the Word Incarnate, stood in the very midst, and 37 00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:14,760 there was a hunger for that Word. 38 00:02:15,040 --> 00:02:20,080 And it came to pass that as the people pressed upon Him, that is 39 00:02:20,080 --> 00:02:25,560 of course none other than Christ pressed upon him to hear the 40 00:02:25,560 --> 00:02:28,560 word of God, he stood by the Lake of Genesarat. 41 00:02:28,560 --> 00:02:30,600 Now imagine the scene that's painted here. 42 00:02:30,720 --> 00:02:32,400 He stood by the Lake of Genesarat. 43 00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:34,600 Now the people were pressing upon him. 44 00:02:34,600 --> 00:02:37,640 There were so many people pressing and jostling to where 45 00:02:37,640 --> 00:02:41,960 he was that maybe those that were 5 or 10 or 20 year olds 46 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:45,720 back couldn't either see him properly or hear him properly. 47 00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:47,560 That's the scene that's painted here. 48 00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:49,400 He stood by the Lake of Genesarat. 49 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:54,080 Verse 2 tells us of how he saw two ships standing by the lake, 50 00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:55,640 but the fishermen were gone out of them. 51 00:02:55,640 --> 00:02:59,040 Because the detail were given here even in such few words. 52 00:03:00,440 --> 00:03:03,520 He tossed. He saw two ships standing by the 53 00:03:03,520 --> 00:03:07,520 lake, but the fishermen were gone out of them and were 54 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:10,920 washing their Nets. What's the picture here of a 55 00:03:10,920 --> 00:03:14,560 finished work? They had completed their work 56 00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:19,240 that day and he entered into one of the ships which was Simon's. 57 00:03:20,480 --> 00:03:24,440 I saw in the features so heavily in the in the Gospels, Simon 58 00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:29,320 Peter, the one who was in the inner circle later on in 59 00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:32,280 Christ's ministry right through it to the end. 60 00:03:32,440 --> 00:03:35,040 This was Simon's ship entrepreneur. 61 00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:37,280 This wasn't the first time this ever had met this man. 62 00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:41,400 In fact, He had already, the previous chapter tells us of how 63 00:03:41,960 --> 00:03:43,640 he had already been in his house. 64 00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:46,920 Now verse 38, look at verse 38 of chapter 4. 65 00:03:47,080 --> 00:03:48,880 We'll read that detail that's given there. 66 00:03:49,120 --> 00:03:51,600 And he, that is Christ arose out of the synagogue. 67 00:03:51,800 --> 00:03:54,680 It's wonderful how whenever the Lord visited, there's so many 68 00:03:54,680 --> 00:03:57,120 rabbit trails we could go down here, but whenever the Lord 69 00:03:57,120 --> 00:04:01,720 visited any area or any spot, the 1st place He went to was the 70 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:04,080 synagogue. That's what the previous words 71 00:04:04,080 --> 00:04:06,760 tell us and it tells us some of the things that he said and if 72 00:04:06,760 --> 00:04:09,920 the reaction that he got. But now in verse 38, He arose 73 00:04:09,960 --> 00:04:13,480 out of the synagogue and entered into Simon's house. 74 00:04:13,640 --> 00:04:18,200 Now we're not freshly told here that Simon was at home that day, 75 00:04:18,399 --> 00:04:21,839 but it wouldn't be a stretch to say that we just can't be 76 00:04:21,839 --> 00:04:26,880 dogmatic where Scripture isn't. I believe that Simon was there 77 00:04:26,880 --> 00:04:29,040 that day. I believe the Lord Jesus Christ 78 00:04:29,040 --> 00:04:32,800 had already been introduced to Simon on that earlier occasion. 79 00:04:32,800 --> 00:04:35,160 In verse 38. He arose out of the synagogue 80 00:04:35,160 --> 00:04:38,120 and entered into Simon's house. And Simon's wife's mother was 81 00:04:38,120 --> 00:04:41,640 taken with a great fever, and they besought him for her and 82 00:04:41,640 --> 00:04:44,880 worried there of how he stood over her and rebuked the fever. 83 00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:49,120 And miraculously that fever left her and she arose and ministered 84 00:04:49,120 --> 00:04:52,040 or served or helped unto them as she would have done if she 85 00:04:52,040 --> 00:04:54,600 wasn't sick. The Lord blessed in a mighty way 86 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:56,480 and Simon in Peter's home already. 87 00:04:56,720 --> 00:04:58,800 But here we'll have something different. 88 00:05:00,520 --> 00:05:04,720 I can say with some degree of certainty that the Saviour and 89 00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:08,240 Simon Peter had already met. But now in verse 3, there's 90 00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:10,600 something different. There's another level that's 91 00:05:10,600 --> 00:05:15,120 called for. And let that be the challenge to 92 00:05:15,120 --> 00:05:20,960 each of us today. Don't be just content with 93 00:05:20,960 --> 00:05:24,280 having met the Saviour. There's another level called 94 00:05:24,280 --> 00:05:27,880 for. Verse 3 tells us something off 95 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:29,560 that level. And he entered into one of the 96 00:05:29,560 --> 00:05:32,480 ships which was Simon's. Now he was asking a small thing 97 00:05:32,480 --> 00:05:35,160 here, but let's go through this and look at it in detail. 98 00:05:35,280 --> 00:05:39,320 He entered into one of the ships which was Simon's and prayed him 99 00:05:39,320 --> 00:05:41,600 that he would thrust out a little from the land. 100 00:05:41,840 --> 00:05:43,440 I love the way the words are framed here. 101 00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:47,160 Do you see the scene that's set the Saviour standing there on 102 00:05:47,160 --> 00:05:50,640 the on the shore of the lake of Genesarat. 103 00:05:50,920 --> 00:05:52,840 The people were pressing upon him. 104 00:05:53,040 --> 00:05:55,360 The previous chapter tells us that he was in the synagogue, 105 00:05:55,360 --> 00:05:58,600 that he'd got a reaction, positive and negative reaction 106 00:05:58,600 --> 00:06:01,200 from all the people. Now they were pressing in upon 107 00:06:01,200 --> 00:06:05,200 him and he wasn't effectively able to address them all. 108 00:06:05,840 --> 00:06:10,200 That's why he entered into Simon Peters ship and the simple 109 00:06:10,480 --> 00:06:14,760 ordinary request that he would thrust out a little from the 110 00:06:14,760 --> 00:06:19,360 land and look at the way that verse closes and and he sat 111 00:06:19,360 --> 00:06:23,360 down. The Saviour sat down and taught 112 00:06:23,360 --> 00:06:26,240 the people out of the ship. It's not a beautiful 113 00:06:26,480 --> 00:06:29,000 illustration that's given there. Can you imagine that scene in 114 00:06:29,000 --> 00:06:33,600 your mind's eye? He had maybe a short distance 115 00:06:33,600 --> 00:06:36,080 off the shore. He had cast off a short distance 116 00:06:36,080 --> 00:06:39,160 off the shore, maybe from here to the church gate, maybe late, 117 00:06:40,320 --> 00:06:43,720 and then the Lord Jesus Christ sat down and ministered on to 118 00:06:43,720 --> 00:06:46,320 the people who at this point now, because of the scene that 119 00:06:46,320 --> 00:06:48,920 was settling the front row, were held back off them a bit. 120 00:06:49,040 --> 00:06:51,640 They were all there gathered on the shore, listening and 121 00:06:51,640 --> 00:06:54,720 watching, hearing every word that would fall from the 122 00:06:54,720 --> 00:06:57,120 Saviour's lips. What a beautiful word picture. 123 00:06:57,120 --> 00:07:01,720 But let me say this, not one word from that sermon that day 124 00:07:01,720 --> 00:07:07,760 is recorded for us by Luke, the writer of this gospel. 125 00:07:07,840 --> 00:07:11,280 Isn't that interesting? In fact, out of the four Gospel 126 00:07:11,280 --> 00:07:13,840 accounts, we've got Matthew, Mark looked at the three 127 00:07:13,840 --> 00:07:16,520 synoptics and then John's Gospel as well. 128 00:07:17,440 --> 00:07:20,400 Look out of all those Gospel writers was the one. 129 00:07:20,400 --> 00:07:22,840 Luke was a physician. He was a scientist. 130 00:07:22,840 --> 00:07:24,880 He had that scientific type mind. 131 00:07:24,880 --> 00:07:29,440 And very often in Luke's gospels and Luke's Gospel, in the 132 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:33,160 records that are given in it, we have more detail given in Luke's 133 00:07:33,160 --> 00:07:39,000 Gospel than any of the others. And not even at that, not one 134 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:42,800 single word was recorded concerning what the Saviour said 135 00:07:42,800 --> 00:07:44,720 to all those people as they were gathered. 136 00:07:47,040 --> 00:07:51,520 What was recorded, this ought to be a challenge to each and every 137 00:07:51,520 --> 00:07:55,760 heart today, whenever I say this, each and every individual 138 00:07:55,760 --> 00:07:58,520 heart today, because what the Saviour did say and what the 139 00:07:58,520 --> 00:08:01,840 focus of my message today are these, the central thought and 140 00:08:01,840 --> 00:08:04,640 these first 11 verses of Luke chapter 5 is this. 141 00:08:04,880 --> 00:08:08,320 It is what the Lord Jesus Christ ministered and challenged and 142 00:08:08,320 --> 00:08:15,000 spoke to one man, one man, and that's Simon Peter. 143 00:08:16,160 --> 00:08:17,400 Is that not an interesting thought? 144 00:08:17,400 --> 00:08:19,040 Is that not something that would challenge us? 145 00:08:19,560 --> 00:08:21,440 Let me say this because this is important. 146 00:08:21,920 --> 00:08:25,600 In fact, look at me when I do say this, because the attack of 147 00:08:25,600 --> 00:08:30,320 the devil today is upon us, is upon individuals. 148 00:08:31,160 --> 00:08:35,039 The devil will tell you, the devil will tell me that we do 149 00:08:35,039 --> 00:08:38,880 not matter as an individual. In fact, that's what society 150 00:08:38,880 --> 00:08:41,640 teaches us, that it's the crowds, the masses, the big 151 00:08:41,640 --> 00:08:44,520 numbers, individuals. What can an individual do? 152 00:08:46,360 --> 00:08:50,240 Well, let me tell you, with God, the individual can move 153 00:08:50,240 --> 00:08:52,440 mountains, can turn nations upside down. 154 00:08:52,560 --> 00:08:55,880 You look at how these men were used as individuals, how this 155 00:08:55,880 --> 00:08:59,800 man Simon Peter was using his future ministry from this point 156 00:08:59,800 --> 00:09:02,720 forward. But it started off that day. 157 00:09:05,920 --> 00:09:08,360 He thrust out a little from the land, sat down, taught the 158 00:09:08,360 --> 00:09:10,520 people out of the ship. We've really only got to verse 159 00:09:10,520 --> 00:09:11,560 3. Let's read on. 160 00:09:11,560 --> 00:09:14,800 I want to read those first 11 verses, want to think about in 161 00:09:14,800 --> 00:09:18,040 depth something that's given to us through these 11 verses. 162 00:09:18,040 --> 00:09:20,320 Now you look at what we read in from verse 4 and onwards. 163 00:09:20,640 --> 00:09:25,280 Remember, not one single word that was recorded that was given 164 00:09:25,280 --> 00:09:29,200 to the masses that day, to the to the multitudes who pressed 165 00:09:29,200 --> 00:09:33,040 upon him that day is recorded. But now we come to verse 4, 166 00:09:33,040 --> 00:09:35,720 where the whole scene takes a very different tone. 167 00:09:37,240 --> 00:09:40,640 And now when he had left speaking, when he had finished 168 00:09:40,640 --> 00:09:43,480 addressing the multitudes, that means when he had left speaking, 169 00:09:43,640 --> 00:09:46,160 he turned his attention now to Simon Peter. 170 00:09:46,320 --> 00:09:54,200 He said, on to Simon. Launch out into the deep and let 171 00:09:54,200 --> 00:09:59,840 down your Nets for a draft. Initially at least, that's all 172 00:09:59,840 --> 00:10:04,400 he said to Simon Peter. Launch out into the deep and let 173 00:10:04,400 --> 00:10:06,680 down your Nets for a draft on Simon. 174 00:10:06,680 --> 00:10:08,840 Look at verse 5. Simon did exactly what he was 175 00:10:08,840 --> 00:10:10,920 commanded. He was happy to obey the Lord. 176 00:10:10,920 --> 00:10:15,960 No, that's not what we read. Unfortunately, that is not what 177 00:10:15,960 --> 00:10:18,720 we read. The title of my message today is 178 00:10:18,720 --> 00:10:21,400 very simply this and it comes from this thought from verse 5 179 00:10:21,400 --> 00:10:24,040 and onwards. Half hearted service for the 180 00:10:24,040 --> 00:10:26,280 Master. Is there a challenge there to us 181 00:10:26,280 --> 00:10:28,200 today? I'll tell you what, there's a 182 00:10:28,200 --> 00:10:33,080 challenge to me how many times I hold back, how many times I act 183 00:10:33,080 --> 00:10:35,520 like as if I know better. Of course, knowing all the way 184 00:10:35,840 --> 00:10:40,320 that he is the omniscient one, that means the one who knows all 185 00:10:40,320 --> 00:10:42,800 things. He is the omnipotent one, which 186 00:10:42,800 --> 00:10:48,960 means he is all powerful. And yet we act like as if we 187 00:10:48,960 --> 00:10:51,040 know better. Simon Peter did that. 188 00:10:51,040 --> 00:10:54,040 Let's look at what the Scriptures reveal after that 189 00:10:54,040 --> 00:10:56,240 command is given. Launch out into the deep and let 190 00:10:56,240 --> 00:10:58,560 down your net for a draft. Verse 5. 191 00:10:58,800 --> 00:11:03,640 And it should really say, but I don't want to allude confidence 192 00:11:03,640 --> 00:11:06,600 in the Authorised Version. The translator's got it right 193 00:11:06,600 --> 00:11:09,520 here. That word in the Greek, it's the 194 00:11:09,720 --> 00:11:13,080 very simple word, just two letters in it, DE, the word D. 195 00:11:13,280 --> 00:11:17,080 Very often it's translated as and, and rightly so, but just as 196 00:11:17,080 --> 00:11:20,320 often it's translated as. But because this really is a 197 00:11:20,320 --> 00:11:23,640 contrast. The Saviour had blessed this man 198 00:11:23,640 --> 00:11:25,200 by his preaching. He would have been there, He 199 00:11:25,200 --> 00:11:28,480 would have heard every word that was given to the multitudes, to 200 00:11:28,480 --> 00:11:31,040 the many. He had heard. 201 00:11:31,040 --> 00:11:33,480 He no doubt had understood, and we're going to prove that later 202 00:11:33,480 --> 00:11:36,360 on that he had understood the command that was given. 203 00:11:36,640 --> 00:11:41,040 But Simon answering, or an Simon answering, said unto him that he 204 00:11:41,040 --> 00:11:44,400 started off right. Look at Simon Peter's response 205 00:11:44,400 --> 00:11:47,280 there in verse 5. He started off right, Master. 206 00:11:47,720 --> 00:11:51,480 Not lovely. I think we know all the right 207 00:11:51,480 --> 00:11:56,000 words and terms and phrases. We can put together things and 208 00:11:56,120 --> 00:11:58,520 the way they should sound, right Master? 209 00:11:59,320 --> 00:12:02,720 And then the excuses started to roll off his tongue. 210 00:12:04,280 --> 00:12:08,520 Master, we have toiled. That's not just a word that says 211 00:12:08,800 --> 00:12:13,680 worked, but that is worked hard to the point of of exhaustion. 212 00:12:13,680 --> 00:12:17,520 We have toiled all the night and have taken nothing. 213 00:12:19,320 --> 00:12:26,520 Nevertheless, at thy word I will let down the net. 214 00:12:27,160 --> 00:12:30,520 There's a tone of defeatism in this answer that he gave the 215 00:12:30,520 --> 00:12:34,840 Saviour that day. Nevertheless, art thy word, I 216 00:12:34,840 --> 00:12:38,600 will let down the net. And look at verse 5, or look at 217 00:12:38,600 --> 00:12:40,960 verse 6 how it runs from verse 5. 218 00:12:41,240 --> 00:12:43,560 And when they had this done, now they obviously did it. 219 00:12:43,560 --> 00:12:45,080 They are. He didn't just say he was going 220 00:12:45,080 --> 00:12:48,040 to do it, He actually did do it. And when they had this done, 221 00:12:48,240 --> 00:12:50,960 they enclosed a great multitude of fishes. 222 00:12:50,960 --> 00:12:54,440 And look at the evidences given at the end of verse 6 and their 223 00:12:54,440 --> 00:12:59,160 net break and they beckoned under their partners which were 224 00:12:59,160 --> 00:13:01,520 in the other ship. Remember we were told there in 225 00:13:01,760 --> 00:13:04,000 verse 2, the head of verse 2 that there were two ships 226 00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:06,040 standing by the lake. One of them was Simon's. 227 00:13:06,040 --> 00:13:09,000 That's the one that Saviours focus was on initially. 228 00:13:09,120 --> 00:13:12,440 But now they were beckoning onto the other ship that they should 229 00:13:12,440 --> 00:13:15,280 come and help them. And they came and fell both the 230 00:13:15,280 --> 00:13:18,160 ships, so that they plural both of the ships. 231 00:13:18,320 --> 00:13:23,520 They began to sink. Such is the blessing of Almighty 232 00:13:23,520 --> 00:13:24,760 God. Folks. 233 00:13:24,960 --> 00:13:28,600 Do we realise that what is in the the power of God's hand to 234 00:13:28,600 --> 00:13:33,320 give us that day? The penny dropped for Simon 235 00:13:33,320 --> 00:13:36,880 Peter and these two proves that penny dropped for them. 236 00:13:36,880 --> 00:13:40,720 Just how powerful an individual was in their midst of something. 237 00:13:40,720 --> 00:13:43,960 The fact that something was so now Simon Peter had always 238 00:13:44,120 --> 00:13:47,480 already witnessed the miracle done by the Saviour in the 239 00:13:47,480 --> 00:13:50,760 previous chapter, verse 38. We've read those verses of how 240 00:13:50,800 --> 00:13:53,920 the Lord entered into Simon Peter's house and healed his 241 00:13:53,920 --> 00:13:59,240 mother-in-law in a miraculous way, in an immediate way, and 242 00:13:59,480 --> 00:14:06,360 now it was happening again. But what do we read here in 243 00:14:06,360 --> 00:14:10,120 verse 8? Do we read that Simon Peter 244 00:14:10,120 --> 00:14:13,720 rejoiced and that he thanked God for all that he had done and 245 00:14:13,840 --> 00:14:15,960 rejoiced in what the future might hold? 246 00:14:17,440 --> 00:14:22,000 In verse 8 we find that this man, his sin uncovered. 247 00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:24,640 Look at what how he reacted. That was all given by his 248 00:14:24,640 --> 00:14:26,800 reaction when Simon Peter saw it. 249 00:14:26,800 --> 00:14:31,840 He fell down on Jesus knees saying depart from me for I am a 250 00:14:31,840 --> 00:14:34,880 sinful man O Lord. That was his prayer. 251 00:14:36,720 --> 00:14:40,360 We could say that he would just in a similar situation in our 252 00:14:40,360 --> 00:14:43,000 own sort of vernacular that would just wish the ground would 253 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:45,880 open up and swallow us whole. That's where Simon Peter was 254 00:14:45,880 --> 00:14:51,040 that day he pleaded with God to depart from him. 255 00:14:52,320 --> 00:14:54,360 You know there's times when her sin will feel like that. 256 00:14:54,760 --> 00:14:56,360 Remember the title of her message today. 257 00:14:56,520 --> 00:14:58,800 It is half hearted service for the Master. 258 00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:03,400 He was uncovered that day. His sin was found out that day 259 00:15:03,400 --> 00:15:07,040 in that instant. Depart from me, for I'm a sinful 260 00:15:07,040 --> 00:15:10,920 man, O Lord. For he was astonished. 261 00:15:10,920 --> 00:15:13,600 And all that were with them at the draft of the fishes which 262 00:15:13,600 --> 00:15:17,880 they had taken. And so also, so also was or so 263 00:15:18,840 --> 00:15:21,960 was also James and John, the sons of Zebedee that were 264 00:15:21,960 --> 00:15:26,480 partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon. 265 00:15:26,480 --> 00:15:28,880 Again, though there were there were others involved here, but 266 00:15:28,880 --> 00:15:31,920 the Saviours attention, his focus, his words, his command, 267 00:15:31,920 --> 00:15:34,960 his instruction, his encouragement now in this verse 268 00:15:36,680 --> 00:15:42,360 was focused upon this individual Simon Peter, one man to be that 269 00:15:42,360 --> 00:15:46,160 there's one man, one woman, one young person in the gathering 270 00:15:46,160 --> 00:15:49,240 listening, watching along online today that the Lord has already 271 00:15:49,240 --> 00:15:52,400 put his finger on you, on your life, challenge you about 272 00:15:52,400 --> 00:15:55,320 something as he challenged Simon Peter that day. 273 00:15:55,640 --> 00:16:00,880 Could it be as we know because we have the completed Canon of 274 00:16:00,880 --> 00:16:05,120 Scripture, how God used this man in future days, but I believe 275 00:16:05,120 --> 00:16:07,360 that's the very day that it started and commenced. 276 00:16:07,560 --> 00:16:10,400 That's the day that he challenged and humbled and and 277 00:16:10,400 --> 00:16:12,480 brought him into service that day. 278 00:16:14,240 --> 00:16:17,680 They others were there, James John Psalms of Zebedee, which 279 00:16:17,680 --> 00:16:20,080 were partners with Simon and Jesus. 280 00:16:20,080 --> 00:16:22,320 Look at halfway down verse 10. We haven't even finished reading 281 00:16:22,320 --> 00:16:26,120 verse 10 yet. And Jesus said unto Simon, Now 282 00:16:26,120 --> 00:16:31,120 remember verse 8, He had already pleaded with the Lord to depart 283 00:16:31,120 --> 00:16:35,640 from him because of a sin. He had wanted to be left alone 284 00:16:35,640 --> 00:16:39,320 and Stew in his sin. But what did Jesus do in verse 285 00:16:39,320 --> 00:16:41,040 10? He spoke to him. 286 00:16:41,040 --> 00:16:51,760 Jesus said unto him, Simon, fear not, from henceforth thou shalt 287 00:16:51,760 --> 00:16:56,680 catch man. That word from the Master, that 288 00:16:56,680 --> 00:17:00,920 word from the Saviour, made all the difference when they had 289 00:17:00,920 --> 00:17:03,840 brought their ships to land. Verse 11 tells us to closeout 290 00:17:03,840 --> 00:17:05,800 this portion before we go on to the next. 291 00:17:07,160 --> 00:17:12,119 And when they had brought their ships to land, they first shook 292 00:17:12,119 --> 00:17:16,760 all, and followed him. Amen. 293 00:17:16,760 --> 00:17:19,480 We do pray that the Lord Himself may bless us even but the 294 00:17:19,480 --> 00:17:24,760 reading and the giving of the sense, the reading, the precious 295 00:17:24,800 --> 00:17:28,880 inerrant word of God, let us still our hearts before we come 296 00:17:28,880 --> 00:17:35,200 to dissect these verses, open them up, exegete them in God's 297 00:17:35,200 --> 00:17:39,640 house today. Let us pray that the Lord 298 00:17:39,640 --> 00:17:43,560 Himself might speak through His precious Word. 299 00:17:43,560 --> 00:17:48,520 Father, we do thank Thee for Thy precious Word, even read to our 300 00:17:48,520 --> 00:17:51,640 hearts this morning. Pray that they would encourage, 301 00:17:51,640 --> 00:17:53,680 that they would bless, that they would challenge, that they would 302 00:17:53,680 --> 00:17:57,160 speak, dear Lord, speak in a tangible way. 303 00:17:57,160 --> 00:18:00,800 Speak in a way, Lord, that would not be forgotten by the final 304 00:18:00,880 --> 00:18:04,320 Amen of the meeting, but a word that would follow us home, a 305 00:18:04,320 --> 00:18:07,200 word that would challenge us throughout our Christian lives 306 00:18:07,200 --> 00:18:11,080 and our Christian walks. It is for Thy glory, and it is 307 00:18:11,080 --> 00:18:14,320 for Thy glory alone. We pray in thy precious name. 308 00:18:14,320 --> 00:18:19,280 We do ask, Amen. We've mentioned already, because 309 00:18:19,280 --> 00:18:23,200 we're only in chapter 5 of Luke's Gospel, that the Lord 310 00:18:23,200 --> 00:18:27,400 Jesus Christ had only just effectively begun His earthly 311 00:18:27,400 --> 00:18:31,600 ministry, had just been revealed to his home people there, to the 312 00:18:31,600 --> 00:18:35,280 people in Israel. It's pretty evident as we've 313 00:18:35,280 --> 00:18:39,720 only just reached this 5th chapter yet and we would have to 314 00:18:39,720 --> 00:18:43,040 admit it. What a stir the Lord Jesus 315 00:18:43,040 --> 00:18:46,320 Christ was making from the people amongst the people right 316 00:18:46,320 --> 00:18:49,280 from the very off. What a stir. 317 00:18:49,280 --> 00:18:52,400 Look at how we read in chapter 5 verse one. 318 00:18:52,400 --> 00:18:55,800 And we did highlight these words through the reading of how the 319 00:18:55,800 --> 00:19:00,080 people pressed upon him to hear the word of God. 320 00:19:00,080 --> 00:19:03,400 In fact, we'd have to admit that the Lord had already created a 321 00:19:03,400 --> 00:19:07,680 stir long before that. Think of how in Luke chapter 1, 322 00:19:07,680 --> 00:19:12,080 even before his birth, of how that prophecy that came to the 323 00:19:12,480 --> 00:19:18,000 by the Angel to Mary must have sent shock waves around their 324 00:19:18,000 --> 00:19:21,200 respective families. Think about how even in Luke 325 00:19:21,200 --> 00:19:25,320 chapter 2 of the birth of Christ in the stable on his early 326 00:19:25,320 --> 00:19:26,920 years. Think about that occasion, 327 00:19:26,920 --> 00:19:30,120 actually, whenever the, the, the, the whole family went to 328 00:19:30,120 --> 00:19:32,920 Jerusalem to the temple for their annual pilgrimage to 329 00:19:32,920 --> 00:19:35,040 worship in the temple and parrons. 330 00:19:35,200 --> 00:19:38,160 And of how they were all on their way back and they noticed 331 00:19:38,160 --> 00:19:40,600 that the Saviour wasn't there, that the Lord Jesus Christ was 332 00:19:40,600 --> 00:19:43,840 missing from the ranks. Just a young lad, just maybe six 333 00:19:43,840 --> 00:19:45,880 or seven years of age, and he wasn't there. 334 00:19:46,000 --> 00:19:50,000 And of how his mother and stepfather are supposed to put 335 00:19:50,000 --> 00:19:52,720 it accurately. Mary and Joseph had rushed back 336 00:19:52,720 --> 00:19:54,440 and they had searched everywhere. 337 00:19:54,520 --> 00:19:56,400 And where did they find him? To find him right in the middle 338 00:19:56,400 --> 00:20:00,560 of the temple, asking questions and answering questions, no 339 00:20:00,560 --> 00:20:06,120 doubt in a way that showed his knowledge to the doctors of the 340 00:20:06,120 --> 00:20:08,160 law. Oh, he created a stir long 341 00:20:08,160 --> 00:20:11,360 before that. Think of how even in Luke 342 00:20:11,360 --> 00:20:15,200 chapter 3 of his baptism, that public baptism by John. 343 00:20:15,200 --> 00:20:18,200 Think of how even in that account of how the Father, the 344 00:20:18,200 --> 00:20:22,760 Son, and the Holy Ghost were there that day, the Holy Trinity 345 00:20:22,760 --> 00:20:26,360 were employed that day. Think of the very next chapter, 346 00:20:26,360 --> 00:20:29,760 the one preceding this one of His temptation in the 1st 13 347 00:20:29,760 --> 00:20:34,160 verses, and of how from verse 18 on down toward the end of how he 348 00:20:34,160 --> 00:20:38,520 began to preach. And remember, never man speak 349 00:20:38,520 --> 00:20:41,360 like this man. Didn't his very enemies admit 350 00:20:41,360 --> 00:20:44,640 that? Remember how later on in his 351 00:20:44,640 --> 00:20:48,480 earthy ministry of how his enemies had commissioned 352 00:20:48,480 --> 00:20:51,880 individuals to go out and entrap him in his words? 353 00:20:52,040 --> 00:20:55,000 And they came back, the very enemies come back with that 354 00:20:55,000 --> 00:20:57,840 report. Never man speak like this man. 355 00:20:57,840 --> 00:21:00,160 They knew there was something different about the Saviour. 356 00:21:02,480 --> 00:21:07,920 Think how even in John chapter 3 about Nicodemus, the ruler of 357 00:21:07,920 --> 00:21:12,480 the Jews, think of how he visited the Saviour went under 358 00:21:12,480 --> 00:21:16,200 the cover of darkness at night and spoke to him and he said 359 00:21:16,920 --> 00:21:21,920 words to the fact that he knew he was no mere man, no man. 360 00:21:22,000 --> 00:21:23,640 I'm speaking from Mariner memory here. 361 00:21:23,840 --> 00:21:28,040 No man can do these miracles that thou dost except God be 362 00:21:28,040 --> 00:21:29,880 with them. He was sitting that day in the 363 00:21:29,880 --> 00:21:33,160 very presence of the Lord Jesus Christ, not just the Lord Jesus 364 00:21:33,160 --> 00:21:35,880 Christ, but the Son of God and God the Son. 365 00:21:36,120 --> 00:21:41,280 This man, this God man was creating a stir absolutely 366 00:21:41,280 --> 00:21:44,800 everywhere he went and even from the earliest of days, even from 367 00:21:44,800 --> 00:21:48,680 what we read there in chapter 4, the some of the closing words 368 00:21:48,680 --> 00:21:53,120 from his addresses there, we see how he even divided the people. 369 00:21:54,680 --> 00:21:57,800 There were some that loved him and followed him and did so into 370 00:21:57,800 --> 00:22:01,320 chapter 5 and stood by the lakeside that day hanging on 371 00:22:01,320 --> 00:22:03,320 every word. And yet there were those in the 372 00:22:03,320 --> 00:22:06,840 temple and Viro are entering the synagogue who heeded everything 373 00:22:06,840 --> 00:22:10,240 that he said and stood for. Look at what we read in verse 22 374 00:22:10,240 --> 00:22:14,200 of chapter 4. It tells us there that the 375 00:22:14,280 --> 00:22:16,080 religious leaders all took note of them. 376 00:22:16,080 --> 00:22:20,400 No, no, no, it tells us there that the young and the simple 377 00:22:20,400 --> 00:22:23,720 took note of him. No, no, look at the second word 378 00:22:23,720 --> 00:22:27,120 of Luke chapter 4, verse 22. I love to hide. 379 00:22:27,120 --> 00:22:31,240 I'm a simple sort of a preacher. I like to highlight the small 380 00:22:31,240 --> 00:22:34,360 words, the words that we easily skip over. 381 00:22:34,360 --> 00:22:38,080 What does it tell us there? And and Luke 4 verse 22 and all 382 00:22:38,080 --> 00:22:41,680 bear Him witness and wondered at the gracious words that 383 00:22:41,680 --> 00:22:45,320 proceeded out of his mouth. And they said that they all said 384 00:22:45,320 --> 00:22:47,360 that's what that means. They all said no doubt was 385 00:22:47,360 --> 00:22:51,200 shock, no doubt was surprise. It's not this Joseph's son. 386 00:22:53,400 --> 00:22:57,240 In fact, in many ways, us the way Peter began off by treating 387 00:22:57,240 --> 00:23:00,880 the Saviour look as if he knew better. 388 00:23:02,200 --> 00:23:04,960 Peter was the expert. Peter was the man that knew the 389 00:23:04,960 --> 00:23:07,640 ocean, knew the boat, knew what? After all, he was the one that 390 00:23:07,640 --> 00:23:11,840 was toiling all night. And this man was bought Joseph's 391 00:23:11,840 --> 00:23:14,400 on a carpenter's son. What would he know about the 392 00:23:14,440 --> 00:23:22,280 ocean, He who spake it into being, He who formed the world's 393 00:23:22,280 --> 00:23:26,360 by the word of his power? Oh yes, even from the earliest 394 00:23:26,360 --> 00:23:28,760 of days he was making a stir everywhere he went. 395 00:23:29,880 --> 00:23:32,160 Well, that's really the background to what we come to 396 00:23:32,160 --> 00:23:35,040 here in our reading in Luke chapter 5. 397 00:23:36,280 --> 00:23:39,120 But in Luke chapter 5, these first 11 verses, I want to bring 398 00:23:39,120 --> 00:23:45,760 out this thought of how this man Peter was prepared to give but 399 00:23:45,760 --> 00:23:48,160 half hearted service to the Master. 400 00:23:48,160 --> 00:23:50,280 And I'll tell you what, that's a challenge to me. 401 00:23:50,280 --> 00:23:53,480 Before I come and preach to any congregation, whether it be here 402 00:23:53,480 --> 00:23:56,760 anywhere else, I preach first of all to myself. 403 00:23:56,760 --> 00:23:58,600 And I'll tell you what, this is a challenge to me. 404 00:23:59,760 --> 00:24:02,520 What am I doing for the Lord? In fact, let's ask. 405 00:24:02,840 --> 00:24:05,760 Really, this whole passage centres not upon what we're 406 00:24:05,760 --> 00:24:08,840 doing, but it centres upon that thought of what we're holding 407 00:24:08,840 --> 00:24:11,680 back. What are we not doing? 408 00:24:13,640 --> 00:24:15,920 You see, we're very quick. I believe in this, this 409 00:24:15,920 --> 00:24:19,280 denomination especially. We're very quick to point the 410 00:24:19,280 --> 00:24:22,440 finger at what others are doing that they shouldn't be doing. 411 00:24:22,680 --> 00:24:26,680 Now there's a place for that. There's a place for protest. 412 00:24:26,680 --> 00:24:30,200 There's a place for highlighting those things that people are 413 00:24:30,200 --> 00:24:33,920 doing and and denominations are doing and nations are doing and 414 00:24:33,920 --> 00:24:36,280 all the rest of it that they should not be doing. 415 00:24:36,440 --> 00:24:38,680 But there's two sides to that coin. 416 00:24:38,840 --> 00:24:42,840 In fact, I probably have here a copy of the Westminster 417 00:24:42,840 --> 00:24:46,200 Confession and the Shorter Catechism because there's a 418 00:24:46,200 --> 00:24:49,560 question here that asks, I think it's #14 in the Shorter 419 00:24:49,560 --> 00:24:53,120 Catechism, it's a question that asks what is sin? 420 00:24:53,360 --> 00:24:57,800 And the answer is given Sin is any want of conformity onto or 421 00:24:57,800 --> 00:25:03,480 transgression of the law of God. Either it is question #14 what 422 00:25:03,480 --> 00:25:05,720 is sin? Sin is 2 things. 423 00:25:05,720 --> 00:25:08,680 You see 2 two sides to the coin. That is sin. 424 00:25:09,440 --> 00:25:13,600 Sin is any want of conformity unto our transgression of the 425 00:25:13,600 --> 00:25:15,120 law of God. What does that mean in real 426 00:25:15,120 --> 00:25:17,640 terms? What's the preacher talking 427 00:25:17,640 --> 00:25:20,160 about? I'll tell you exactly what it 428 00:25:20,160 --> 00:25:23,640 means. There's doing what we shouldn't 429 00:25:23,640 --> 00:25:25,160 be doing. Yes, that is sin. 430 00:25:25,160 --> 00:25:26,800 Very clearly. That is sin that needs to be 431 00:25:26,800 --> 00:25:28,960 highlighted, that needs to be stamped out. 432 00:25:30,280 --> 00:25:34,840 But there's that whole other side that sometimes we miss, and 433 00:25:34,840 --> 00:25:36,520 that is, look at me when I say this. 434 00:25:36,760 --> 00:25:39,800 That is not doing what we ought to be doing. 435 00:25:41,200 --> 00:25:44,800 The whole other side of that coin, that is sin. 436 00:25:45,280 --> 00:25:47,440 If you've any coin in your pocket, there's a head and 437 00:25:47,440 --> 00:25:50,120 there's a tail. So it is with sin. 438 00:25:51,400 --> 00:25:55,040 That's with this whole chapter. That's with these verses, 9 or 439 00:25:55,120 --> 00:25:59,440 11 verses speak to, and that is not doing what we ought to be 440 00:25:59,440 --> 00:26:04,680 doing. Oh, it causes my heart to sink 441 00:26:04,680 --> 00:26:08,520 sometimes whenever I listen to and watch people that are so 442 00:26:08,520 --> 00:26:13,520 careful and so scared of doing the wrong thing or saying the 443 00:26:13,520 --> 00:26:16,040 wrong thing or supporting the wrong thing. 444 00:26:16,360 --> 00:26:19,640 And then that individual ends up doing nothing in case somebody 445 00:26:19,640 --> 00:26:23,520 points the finger. Well, that's what this is all 446 00:26:23,520 --> 00:26:25,400 about. This is all about not doing and 447 00:26:25,400 --> 00:26:28,800 not going the extra mile and not giving and offering full service 448 00:26:28,800 --> 00:26:31,080 and full surrender to the Master. 449 00:26:33,520 --> 00:26:36,440 It's about failure to act whenever we ought to. 450 00:26:38,040 --> 00:26:41,960 And that's exactly what same and Peter did that day and his half 451 00:26:41,960 --> 00:26:45,160 hearted service for the master. There's nothing that he did that 452 00:26:45,160 --> 00:26:48,560 day, actively did that day that you could point the finger at, 453 00:26:48,680 --> 00:26:51,880 but rather it was all the other side of that coin where He 454 00:26:51,880 --> 00:26:55,360 didn't step out in faith, where He didn't obey, where he feel 455 00:26:55,360 --> 00:27:01,320 deceived in that way. I want you to think about what 456 00:27:02,840 --> 00:27:04,640 the Saviour command at Simon Peter that day. 457 00:27:04,640 --> 00:27:06,200 It was a very, very simple command. 458 00:27:06,240 --> 00:27:07,920 Christ did not actually say much. 459 00:27:07,920 --> 00:27:10,920 We've already mentioned this today, but Christ did not 460 00:27:10,920 --> 00:27:13,760 actually say much. That's recorded for us in this 461 00:27:13,760 --> 00:27:15,400 passage. In fact, we could say this and 462 00:27:15,400 --> 00:27:20,240 we really do mean this. Precious little was said by the 463 00:27:20,240 --> 00:27:23,760 Saviour. In fact, in this entire portion 464 00:27:23,760 --> 00:27:28,400 of 11 verses, in this entire portion in the English, we only 465 00:27:28,400 --> 00:27:32,280 read 21 words that were spoken by the Lord directly. 466 00:27:32,280 --> 00:27:36,120 But think about this, every single one of those words were 467 00:27:36,120 --> 00:27:39,520 addressed to Simon Peter as an individual, Simon Peter as a 468 00:27:39,520 --> 00:27:41,680 person. Or it humbles me whenever I 469 00:27:41,680 --> 00:27:44,240 search the scriptures, especially the Gospels where the 470 00:27:44,240 --> 00:27:48,200 saviours concerned, and very often the focus is on the 471 00:27:48,200 --> 00:27:50,040 individual. I've mentioned already 472 00:27:50,040 --> 00:27:54,040 Nicodemus, John chapter 3 and in that I don't want to say too 473 00:27:54,040 --> 00:27:56,360 much because I'll probably go to the that passage tonight and 474 00:27:56,640 --> 00:27:58,200 preach the gospel message from it. 475 00:27:58,360 --> 00:28:02,280 But I'll say this, that in that passage of Scripture, we have 476 00:28:02,280 --> 00:28:06,120 the Gospel in a nutshell. And John chapter 3, verse 16, 477 00:28:06,280 --> 00:28:09,120 what wonderful words they are. They're the most probably the 478 00:28:09,120 --> 00:28:11,760 most famous words in in the whole of Scripture. 479 00:28:12,000 --> 00:28:14,640 And yet they weren't given to the biggest crowds. 480 00:28:14,640 --> 00:28:19,120 They weren't given to the crowd that preceded the feeding of the 481 00:28:19,120 --> 00:28:22,920 5000. For example, were up to maybe 12 482 00:28:22,920 --> 00:28:26,840 or 14,000 people would have been hanging upon his every word as 483 00:28:26,840 --> 00:28:28,640 they sat in the hillside that day. 484 00:28:28,800 --> 00:28:31,440 They weren't given to the feeding of the 4000. 485 00:28:31,440 --> 00:28:34,760 That's one of the other miracles that's recorded for us when many 486 00:28:34,760 --> 00:28:37,120 thousands were hanging on his every word. 487 00:28:37,320 --> 00:28:40,400 They weren't given there to the Sermon on the Mount as they're 488 00:28:40,760 --> 00:28:43,760 recorded for us there in the first in three chapters that 489 00:28:43,760 --> 00:28:48,480 spawned 3 whole chapters in the early chapters of Matthew. 490 00:28:48,480 --> 00:28:54,160 No, they were given to an individual and can I say this 491 00:28:54,600 --> 00:29:00,640 again, at birds repetition, that is how important the individual 492 00:29:00,640 --> 00:29:03,480 is to God. I think there's something we 493 00:29:03,480 --> 00:29:07,960 learned through COVID, that whole sitting on our own and 494 00:29:07,960 --> 00:29:11,240 that whole isolation and the things that come out of I come 495 00:29:11,280 --> 00:29:15,040 out of COVID and the side effects and the repercussions of 496 00:29:15,040 --> 00:29:19,560 all that isolation shows us that we need to be around people. 497 00:29:19,560 --> 00:29:23,080 And very often the devil used that isolation and still does 498 00:29:23,080 --> 00:29:27,160 use that isolation to tell you. Maybe you're sitting at home on 499 00:29:27,160 --> 00:29:32,200 your own to tell you and to try to convince you and try to sell 500 00:29:32,200 --> 00:29:36,680 that lie to you that you on your own do not matter. 501 00:29:38,000 --> 00:29:44,880 Scripture convinces me of the exact opposite of that, some of 502 00:29:44,880 --> 00:29:48,200 the choices saying some of the most tender ways that the 503 00:29:48,200 --> 00:29:52,840 Saviour deals with anyone right across the the ministry that's 504 00:29:52,840 --> 00:29:56,360 recorded for us in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John's Gospel as 505 00:29:56,360 --> 00:30:01,520 well are given to an individual. And so it is here in this 506 00:30:01,520 --> 00:30:05,480 passage. Every single word that the Lord 507 00:30:05,480 --> 00:30:07,920 used that day was addressed to Simon Peter. 508 00:30:09,880 --> 00:30:12,120 Is that not a challenge to you as it is to me? 509 00:30:13,840 --> 00:30:18,200 21 words recorded by the Lord directly here on every single 510 00:30:18,200 --> 00:30:21,440 one of those were 21 words in the English seven. 511 00:30:21,440 --> 00:30:25,000 I've checked us in my Greek New Testament, 17 words in the 512 00:30:25,000 --> 00:30:26,960 original language that was used that day. 513 00:30:27,240 --> 00:30:31,040 Every single one of those words were pointed and sharpened and 514 00:30:31,040 --> 00:30:36,000 applied to Peter. But I want you to think about 515 00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:39,960 the command that was given that day, because in those words, and 516 00:30:39,960 --> 00:30:44,720 it was given on 2 verses, verse 4 and verse 10. 517 00:30:45,080 --> 00:30:46,840 But look at verse four. First of all, when he left 518 00:30:46,840 --> 00:30:49,640 speaking, he said unto Simon. Now look at what he said. 519 00:30:49,640 --> 00:30:52,000 Very, very few words. But there was so much in it. 520 00:30:53,560 --> 00:30:56,480 In fact, I'm going to put it to you this morning that he asked 521 00:30:56,480 --> 00:31:00,880 him to do. Let's count them 123 things. 522 00:31:02,040 --> 00:31:03,360 Do you see there? Look verse 4. 523 00:31:03,360 --> 00:31:05,440 Maybe you can't see three. Maybe the third one isn't, is 524 00:31:05,440 --> 00:31:08,360 obvious. Let's look at them together. 525 00:31:08,360 --> 00:31:10,760 He asked them to do 3 very simple things that day. 526 00:31:12,400 --> 00:31:15,320 In fact, He commanded him to do 3 very simple things that day. 527 00:31:15,320 --> 00:31:18,600 We know whenever the Lord commands us to do something, are 528 00:31:18,600 --> 00:31:22,120 we willing to do it? There's the challenge. 529 00:31:23,080 --> 00:31:25,680 What did he say to him? Look at verse 4 And he's And he, 530 00:31:25,680 --> 00:31:29,000 when he left speaking, he said unto Simon, this individual, 531 00:31:29,160 --> 00:31:32,640 there were others there, but he said unto Simon, launch out into 532 00:31:32,640 --> 00:31:36,320 the deep and let down your Nets for a draft. 3 very simple 533 00:31:36,320 --> 00:31:41,840 things. You see where he was was in 534 00:31:41,840 --> 00:31:46,960 shallow water and that place, that time, that rule called for 535 00:31:46,960 --> 00:31:48,720 that. Well, I hope we've painted the 536 00:31:48,720 --> 00:31:51,640 scene accurately enough to suggest that he was in the right 537 00:31:51,640 --> 00:31:54,240 place at the right time. But the server had asked him to 538 00:31:54,240 --> 00:31:59,560 go earlier on there. Where is it there in verse three 539 00:31:59,840 --> 00:32:02,160 that he prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the 540 00:32:02,160 --> 00:32:03,560 lamb? He was just a little bit 541 00:32:03,560 --> 00:32:06,760 offshore because that's exactly what the occasion called for. 542 00:32:06,880 --> 00:32:09,800 Just a little bit offshore that he might minister, that he might 543 00:32:09,800 --> 00:32:12,280 speak, that he might preach, that he might challenge this 544 00:32:12,280 --> 00:32:14,600 multitude of people. But now this called for 545 00:32:14,600 --> 00:32:18,720 something different because he was about to step into Simon 546 00:32:18,720 --> 00:32:20,840 Peters life and change him forever. 547 00:32:22,560 --> 00:32:24,880 He was in the shallow waters. That was what the occasion 548 00:32:24,880 --> 00:32:27,200 called for. But now he was telling him, 549 00:32:27,320 --> 00:32:30,240 commanding him to launch out into the deep. 550 00:32:30,240 --> 00:32:34,880 That's number one. And let me say this, he refused 551 00:32:34,880 --> 00:32:37,640 to do that. Now we'll prove that in a 552 00:32:37,640 --> 00:32:40,440 moment. But launch out into the deep. 553 00:32:40,440 --> 00:32:45,840 And then #2 he was the, he was to let down your Nets for a 554 00:32:45,840 --> 00:32:47,920 draft. Now you're all very good at 555 00:32:47,920 --> 00:32:49,720 counting here. I told you that I was going to 556 00:32:49,720 --> 00:32:52,880 keep it simple and I love to highlight the very simple words. 557 00:32:53,120 --> 00:32:55,880 Look at that word, let down your Nets. 558 00:32:55,880 --> 00:32:59,240 Can anybody tell me how many letters there's in that word 559 00:32:59,240 --> 00:33:00,840 Nets? Now, that's not a trick 560 00:33:00,840 --> 00:33:06,640 question. Back row 44 letters in that word 561 00:33:06,800 --> 00:33:09,000 Nets. Do you know what that is? 562 00:33:09,000 --> 00:33:11,240 That's very, very simple. And I've checked this in the 563 00:33:11,240 --> 00:33:14,720 original, I've checked this in the Greek, and it corresponds 564 00:33:14,720 --> 00:33:16,880 with what the Authorised Version tells us here. 565 00:33:17,240 --> 00:33:21,920 The Lord Jesus Christ told him to let down all of his Nets, a 566 00:33:22,160 --> 00:33:25,840 plurality of Nets, not just one simple net. 567 00:33:26,040 --> 00:33:28,920 It's to say that you've, yes, I did what I was told. 568 00:33:29,680 --> 00:33:33,800 No, the Saviour told him very simply that day, let down your 569 00:33:33,800 --> 00:33:36,520 Nets. Now it might just be as obvious 570 00:33:36,520 --> 00:33:42,160 what the third command was. Launch out into the deep, number 571 00:33:42,160 --> 00:33:46,600 one, let down your Nets, all of them for a draft. 572 00:33:46,600 --> 00:33:48,200 That's the third one. What's he? 573 00:33:48,200 --> 00:33:51,320 What's he getting out here? Now, the Saviour was actually 574 00:33:51,320 --> 00:33:54,320 commanding this individual Simon Peter. 575 00:33:54,960 --> 00:33:57,520 And look at when I say this, because this is a challenge to 576 00:33:57,520 --> 00:34:03,960 the church today, 2000 years on, that he was to have faith that 577 00:34:03,960 --> 00:34:06,600 the Saviour would fill those Nets. 578 00:34:08,440 --> 00:34:10,480 Is that not like a dart to our hearts today? 579 00:34:13,159 --> 00:34:17,960 That we're to have faith that he will do it, that we're to have 580 00:34:17,960 --> 00:34:21,199 faith that he will step in, but we're to have faith that he will 581 00:34:21,199 --> 00:34:24,080 do the impossible because that's what it was, humanly speaking. 582 00:34:24,199 --> 00:34:26,440 It was the impossible. You're to let down, you're to 583 00:34:26,440 --> 00:34:29,040 launch out into the deeper waters, you're to leave the 584 00:34:29,040 --> 00:34:32,000 shallows behind, you're to let down every single net that you 585 00:34:32,000 --> 00:34:35,560 have on board. And probably most importantly 586 00:34:35,560 --> 00:34:39,880 here, because this centred it at all, you're to have faith that I 587 00:34:39,880 --> 00:34:42,840 am going to give you a draft, that I'm going to fill these 588 00:34:42,840 --> 00:34:50,280 Nets for you as only he can do. That's a challenge of my heart. 589 00:34:50,280 --> 00:34:53,320 That's a challenge of my soul. That's a challenge to ask myself 590 00:34:53,520 --> 00:34:57,200 this question, where is my faith today in 2026? 591 00:34:57,200 --> 00:34:59,880 Do I have the faith that the Siever was commanding that day, 592 00:35:00,120 --> 00:35:02,520 but Simon Peter was caught short on that day? 593 00:35:02,720 --> 00:35:04,960 I want you to look at the response of Simon Peter. 594 00:35:05,160 --> 00:35:08,840 I want you to look at this to Kai in with our Sherman title 595 00:35:08,840 --> 00:35:13,560 today, this half hearted response in verse 5 when Simon 596 00:35:13,560 --> 00:35:16,560 and look at the response that he gave and Simon answering said 597 00:35:16,560 --> 00:35:20,680 unto him, master and the excuses rolled off his tongue. 598 00:35:20,880 --> 00:35:23,760 We have toiled all the night. We've worked hard. 599 00:35:23,760 --> 00:35:25,640 We've worked to the point of exhaustion. 600 00:35:25,640 --> 00:35:28,200 That's what it meant. Now, of course, the saviour knew 601 00:35:28,200 --> 00:35:30,720 all about this being the omniscient 1. 602 00:35:31,720 --> 00:35:35,240 He knew all about the effort that put and he knew all about 603 00:35:35,400 --> 00:35:37,280 how tired they were. You know, whenever we're at her 604 00:35:37,280 --> 00:35:40,960 wits end and we're tired, we just don't want to do anymore. 605 00:35:41,800 --> 00:35:44,080 That's where Simon Peter, that's where his men were. 606 00:35:45,840 --> 00:35:49,000 Master, we have toiled all the night and have taken nothing. 607 00:35:49,000 --> 00:35:51,240 There's the excuses nevertheless. 608 00:35:51,240 --> 00:35:55,280 And look at the cheek of them here in this, and I mean that, 609 00:35:55,280 --> 00:35:57,640 look at the cheek of them here nevertheless. 610 00:35:57,640 --> 00:36:02,360 At thy word, he knew that he wasn't obeying the word of God. 611 00:36:02,920 --> 00:36:05,560 At thy word I will let down there. 612 00:36:06,840 --> 00:36:08,080 Oh, you're good at counting earlier. 613 00:36:08,080 --> 00:36:09,760 How many letters is in at this time? 614 00:36:11,320 --> 00:36:15,280 3 It's only one letter of difference. 615 00:36:16,640 --> 00:36:18,480 Sure, we're only dropping off the ass. 616 00:36:18,600 --> 00:36:22,560 I was told to let down the Nets, but nevertheless that I word I 617 00:36:22,560 --> 00:36:26,320 will let down the net, one net, one single net. 618 00:36:26,320 --> 00:36:30,040 Now I don't know many Nets that on board, maybe 7 or 10 or maybe 619 00:36:30,040 --> 00:36:31,400 more. I don't know the number. 620 00:36:31,560 --> 00:36:34,320 But what he was doing was here, he was holding back. 621 00:36:34,480 --> 00:36:36,440 He refused to launch out into the deep. 622 00:36:36,440 --> 00:36:38,600 He refused to leave the shallow waters behind. 623 00:36:38,880 --> 00:36:41,320 And we're yet to prove that. We're going to prove that. 624 00:36:41,800 --> 00:36:45,280 And now he refused to let down the Nets just because he'd 625 00:36:45,280 --> 00:36:47,120 washed them all, He'd finished with them all. 626 00:36:47,120 --> 00:36:49,520 He'd he'd done all that he was going to do. 627 00:36:49,640 --> 00:36:54,760 They'd taken nothing but just to give a cursory answer to the 628 00:36:54,760 --> 00:36:57,360 word of God. Let's just let down one net, 629 00:36:57,600 --> 00:37:00,320 will not even move, will not even raise anchor, go to the 630 00:37:00,320 --> 00:37:03,080 deep water, drop anchor again and let down all the Nets. 631 00:37:03,080 --> 00:37:06,240 No, we'll refuse to move, but we'll just let down one net. 632 00:37:06,240 --> 00:37:15,200 And then we read in verse 6, we read the first six of how the 633 00:37:15,200 --> 00:37:19,720 Lord blessed, of how the Lord moved in a mighty way that 634 00:37:20,360 --> 00:37:25,520 humbled them all. You see, Peter and I see, I 635 00:37:25,520 --> 00:37:28,280 reckon there's so many parallels between Peter and us. 636 00:37:28,880 --> 00:37:32,240 I feel like Peter sometimes. Far too often I feel like Peter. 637 00:37:32,480 --> 00:37:35,800 Peter was the expert. You see, Peter was a thick sort 638 00:37:35,800 --> 00:37:37,480 of a boy. Peter was the sort of boy that 639 00:37:37,680 --> 00:37:39,920 jumped in with both feet that opened his mouth before he 640 00:37:39,920 --> 00:37:42,160 engaged his brain. He was the sort of boy that 641 00:37:42,280 --> 00:37:44,560 acted before he thought too much about it. 642 00:37:44,960 --> 00:37:47,920 And Peter was the expert. That was his domain, the water, 643 00:37:47,920 --> 00:37:49,400 the fishing. That was his domain. 644 00:37:49,560 --> 00:37:52,680 After all, this was but a but a carpenter's son. 645 00:37:52,800 --> 00:37:55,800 This is Jews of son. What would he know about the 646 00:37:55,800 --> 00:37:59,960 ocean? He he played lip service to it. 647 00:37:59,960 --> 00:38:04,280 He started off right, he said Master, and then everything in 648 00:38:04,280 --> 00:38:07,680 the middle was a lie and then and then at the end he said, 649 00:38:07,680 --> 00:38:09,920 nevertheless I will let down the net. 650 00:38:10,440 --> 00:38:14,280 Oh, he knew exactly how to get round it and sound like he was 651 00:38:14,280 --> 00:38:18,320 doing the right thing in paying lip service to the word of God. 652 00:38:18,320 --> 00:38:22,840 And whenever I think about that, that's a challenge in my heart. 653 00:38:22,840 --> 00:38:25,480 How many times do I do that? How many times do we do that as 654 00:38:25,480 --> 00:38:27,720 a church? How many times do we take God's 655 00:38:27,720 --> 00:38:31,680 word and, and twist that verse, twist that thought out of its 656 00:38:31,680 --> 00:38:35,600 context, lift it out of its context and, and make it really 657 00:38:35,840 --> 00:38:38,280 in our heart of hearts, say something that we know it never 658 00:38:38,280 --> 00:38:41,360 really intended to mean. Just to get round that and make 659 00:38:41,360 --> 00:38:45,120 it sound like we're spiritual or sound like we're doing 660 00:38:45,120 --> 00:38:46,840 something. And many times do we twist the 661 00:38:46,840 --> 00:38:53,640 Word of God either justify to justify what we either do that 662 00:38:53,640 --> 00:38:58,040 we shouldn't do, or as the whole thrust of this passage is not do 663 00:38:58,040 --> 00:39:01,640 what we should be doing. That's the thrust of this all. 664 00:39:02,560 --> 00:39:05,360 Peter did that very thing. And yet, if we admit it today, 665 00:39:05,360 --> 00:39:06,880 it's easy to point the finger at Peter. 666 00:39:08,400 --> 00:39:10,680 But you remember, when you're pointing the finger at someone, 667 00:39:10,800 --> 00:39:12,760 there's three fingers pointing back itself. 668 00:39:12,760 --> 00:39:15,920 Look at that. That's the way we'll point, 669 00:39:15,920 --> 00:39:18,080 isn't it? Well, point the finger and we 670 00:39:18,080 --> 00:39:20,200 say they shouldn't be doing what they're doing. 671 00:39:20,440 --> 00:39:22,800 And yet all the while I'm not doing this. 672 00:39:22,800 --> 00:39:26,120 I'm not launching into the deep. I'm refusing to move. 673 00:39:26,320 --> 00:39:28,280 I'm not dropping down all the Nets. 674 00:39:28,440 --> 00:39:30,040 I'm not. Look, there's three fingers 675 00:39:30,040 --> 00:39:32,920 pointing back at Paul Hannah. I'm not doing all that. 676 00:39:32,920 --> 00:39:36,800 I'm doing with the fear that I've been commanded to to have. 677 00:39:38,560 --> 00:39:41,560 Philippi. Didn't we read that of Stephen 678 00:39:42,400 --> 00:39:45,600 as he was been martyred? He looked up onto heaven and he 679 00:39:45,600 --> 00:39:47,120 was. That was one of the descriptions 680 00:39:47,120 --> 00:39:50,240 that were given of him. He was full of faith and the 681 00:39:50,240 --> 00:39:52,080 Lord used him to great effect that day. 682 00:39:53,880 --> 00:39:57,360 In fact, almost 2000 years on, we've been doing the same thing 683 00:39:57,360 --> 00:40:01,760 as what Peter did that day, using God's word, making 684 00:40:01,760 --> 00:40:06,680 flippant use of God's word to either justify what we're doing 685 00:40:06,680 --> 00:40:09,800 that we shouldn't be doing or not doing what we should be. 686 00:40:10,640 --> 00:40:14,600 And yet, even in that all. Verse 5 tells us very clearly, 687 00:40:14,600 --> 00:40:18,680 or verse 6 tells us verse 5 running into verse 6 tells us 688 00:40:19,080 --> 00:40:24,280 that Christ moved in a mighty way even despite their frugal 689 00:40:24,280 --> 00:40:28,320 attempts, even despite his sinfulness and his shortcomings, 690 00:40:28,320 --> 00:40:30,880 even despite all of that that we read in verse 6. 691 00:40:31,120 --> 00:40:35,240 And when they had this done, they enclosed a great multitude 692 00:40:35,240 --> 00:40:39,520 of fishes, so much so that the evidence is here that their net 693 00:40:39,520 --> 00:40:43,680 break look at look at what they did next and they back and on to 694 00:40:43,680 --> 00:40:45,360 their partners which are in the other ship. 695 00:40:45,360 --> 00:40:47,640 Verse 7, that they should come and help them. 696 00:40:47,760 --> 00:40:52,000 Incidentally, verse 7, the head of her seven is the proof I told 697 00:40:52,000 --> 00:40:55,800 you earlier was going to prove that they didn't even move into 698 00:40:55,800 --> 00:40:59,800 deeper waters. They were still there, grounded 699 00:40:59,800 --> 00:41:02,960 on, on, on, anchored in the shallow waters. 700 00:41:03,080 --> 00:41:04,560 That's how they were able to bacon. 701 00:41:04,560 --> 00:41:07,640 That's the word bacon there, that little phrase at the start 702 00:41:07,640 --> 00:41:09,760 of verse 7. They beckoned unto their 703 00:41:09,760 --> 00:41:11,840 partners. They were close enough that they 704 00:41:11,840 --> 00:41:14,520 were able just to do that, to come on out here to help us. 705 00:41:15,520 --> 00:41:20,400 They'd refused to move. They'd refused. 706 00:41:20,400 --> 00:41:24,040 Peter had failed in all three parts of that command that the 707 00:41:24,040 --> 00:41:29,920 Lord had given him. And yet even Despite that all, 708 00:41:31,480 --> 00:41:39,760 Despite that all, the Almighty blessed what he did do, just 709 00:41:39,760 --> 00:41:42,280 letting down a single net overboard without moving. 710 00:41:42,480 --> 00:41:47,800 He blessed that to the extent that almost that brought in that 711 00:41:47,800 --> 00:41:51,080 many fishes to those two ships that had almost caused both of 712 00:41:51,080 --> 00:41:56,520 them to go to the bottom. Oh, that really humble Peter 713 00:41:56,520 --> 00:42:00,880 that day. I thought about it actually had 714 00:42:00,880 --> 00:42:06,640 written in my Bible that the Lord had humbled Peter that day. 715 00:42:06,640 --> 00:42:09,040 But you know, it wasn't the Lord that humbled him really, it was 716 00:42:09,040 --> 00:42:11,000 the sinfulness of his own actions. 717 00:42:12,160 --> 00:42:15,560 The Lord was using that to bring Peter to the point that he 718 00:42:15,560 --> 00:42:19,880 needed to be brought to. You see that proud heart that 719 00:42:19,880 --> 00:42:21,920 sticking out your chest? No one better. 720 00:42:23,040 --> 00:42:26,080 I'm the master of the sea. You're but a shepherd, but a but 721 00:42:26,080 --> 00:42:27,320 a Carpenter. Son. 722 00:42:27,320 --> 00:42:29,600 That attitude was just going to bring Peter down. 723 00:42:29,960 --> 00:42:33,520 Peter needed to be humbled that day in order to be useful and 724 00:42:33,520 --> 00:42:38,280 used by the Lord. I love that verse, or those 725 00:42:38,280 --> 00:42:43,280 verses rather, from Second Chronicles 7, verse 14, verse 13 726 00:42:43,280 --> 00:42:47,480 as well. But verse 14 reads if my people, 727 00:42:47,480 --> 00:42:50,280 which are called by My name shall. 728 00:42:50,400 --> 00:42:52,560 There's a list of things here that's required of us. 729 00:42:52,800 --> 00:42:54,240 You know, it's at the head of this list. 730 00:42:54,600 --> 00:43:00,200 Humility, if my people which are called by My name shall humble 731 00:43:00,200 --> 00:43:03,840 themselves, number one, top of the list, humble themselves and 732 00:43:03,840 --> 00:43:07,800 pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then 733 00:43:07,800 --> 00:43:11,400 God's promise applies. Then will I hear from heaven, 734 00:43:11,400 --> 00:43:13,040 forgive their sin, and heal their lamb. 735 00:43:13,240 --> 00:43:15,960 But at the top of that list and the others are all, they all 736 00:43:15,960 --> 00:43:18,440 flow from it. They are all predicated upon 737 00:43:18,440 --> 00:43:21,720 that first thing. If my people which are called by 738 00:43:21,720 --> 00:43:27,440 My name shall humble themselves. Peter was humbled that day by 739 00:43:27,440 --> 00:43:30,600 the sinfulness of his own actions, or rather by the 740 00:43:30,600 --> 00:43:38,920 sinfulness of his own inactions. His own refusal to obey Peter 741 00:43:38,920 --> 00:43:40,800 was condemned by himself that day. 742 00:43:40,800 --> 00:43:45,360 He was humbled that day. He was humbled but to the point 743 00:43:45,360 --> 00:43:49,280 where he cried and he prayed. And I heard a preacher say one 744 00:43:49,280 --> 00:43:52,880 time on this portion that whenever Peter cried that prayer 745 00:43:52,880 --> 00:43:56,320 and verse 8 where he cried, Depart from me, for I'm a sinful 746 00:43:56,320 --> 00:43:58,120 man. Oh Lord, he didn't really mean 747 00:43:58,160 --> 00:43:59,880 it. I'll tell you what, he meant it. 748 00:44:00,400 --> 00:44:02,800 He meant it. He meant that more than anything 749 00:44:02,800 --> 00:44:04,280 else he had ever prayed in his whole life. 750 00:44:04,480 --> 00:44:06,200 Depart from me for I'm a sinful man. 751 00:44:06,400 --> 00:44:10,560 Oh, he meant it. He meant it all right. 752 00:44:15,720 --> 00:44:18,480 But did the Lord answer that prayer in the way that he had 753 00:44:18,480 --> 00:44:24,120 intended or asked or hoped for out of shame that he had hoped 754 00:44:24,120 --> 00:44:27,280 for? Oh yes, the Lord answered that 755 00:44:27,280 --> 00:44:30,640 prayer, but in the opposite way from what Peter had asked. 756 00:44:31,000 --> 00:44:36,120 And sometimes that happens. In fact, he answered that prayer 757 00:44:36,120 --> 00:44:40,240 that day in a way that commissioned Peter for the rest 758 00:44:40,240 --> 00:44:43,440 of his life, but set him on that track that he would be on for 759 00:44:43,440 --> 00:44:46,080 the rest of his life. And he turned him into a great 760 00:44:46,080 --> 00:44:49,320 soul winner for God through his response to get the response 761 00:44:49,320 --> 00:44:52,320 that he gave. And Jesus said unto Simon, I 762 00:44:52,320 --> 00:44:55,360 love it there at the end of verse 10, he said unto him, and 763 00:44:55,360 --> 00:44:57,680 he started off with these words, fear not. 764 00:44:59,440 --> 00:45:02,720 Oh, Peter just wanted the ground open up and swallow him whole. 765 00:45:02,720 --> 00:45:05,760 He was so filled with shame. And the Lord said unto him after 766 00:45:05,760 --> 00:45:08,000 a little delay, and he let the dust settle. 767 00:45:08,120 --> 00:45:10,720 And no doubt I can just imagine the scene where he would have 768 00:45:10,720 --> 00:45:13,640 said at Cambly and to Peter. Peter wouldn't even have been 769 00:45:13,640 --> 00:45:16,520 able to look him in the eye. He would no doubt was lying. 770 00:45:16,520 --> 00:45:20,200 Well we read here, but he fell down at Jesus knees. 771 00:45:20,200 --> 00:45:23,640 He can imagine the scene he cried from depart from me. 772 00:45:23,840 --> 00:45:25,960 What did the Lord say? Fear not. 773 00:45:29,200 --> 00:45:30,880 And then he gave him. I love that word. 774 00:45:31,840 --> 00:45:34,280 It's easy to miss over it. Fear not. 775 00:45:34,320 --> 00:45:37,720 From henceforth, you know what that word means from now on. 776 00:45:37,720 --> 00:45:40,480 You know what that word means from this fresh beginning. 777 00:45:40,480 --> 00:45:43,480 Do you know what that means? From this new start, From 778 00:45:43,480 --> 00:45:47,000 henceforth? May today be a henceforth 779 00:45:47,000 --> 00:45:51,680 meeting for you, for me, for those watching along online. 780 00:45:51,800 --> 00:45:55,600 But the Lord is challenging and speaking to you from henceforth. 781 00:45:56,480 --> 00:46:01,880 And then the promise comes, Thou shalt catch men. 782 00:46:01,880 --> 00:46:04,320 And what do we read that he did here? 783 00:46:05,360 --> 00:46:08,160 They forsook all. After that it made all the 784 00:46:08,160 --> 00:46:10,920 difference. He didn't go back to his life of 785 00:46:10,920 --> 00:46:13,520 fishing. He maybe did on occasion, but a 786 00:46:13,520 --> 00:46:16,840 central thought now wasn't the fishing, wasn't the fish, wasn't 787 00:46:16,840 --> 00:46:19,440 the main occupation. He may have done that to support 788 00:46:19,440 --> 00:46:22,560 himself as Paul did later on. He went back as a tent maker. 789 00:46:22,560 --> 00:46:26,240 He went back, but his main occupation, his main thrust, his 790 00:46:26,240 --> 00:46:30,120 main focus, all his energies and thoughts and prayers were 791 00:46:30,120 --> 00:46:33,000 centred around the work of God. From that point on, from that 792 00:46:33,200 --> 00:46:38,440 henceforth meeting, from henceforth, thou shalt catch men 793 00:46:39,720 --> 00:46:42,800 so much more that I'd wanted to say the day, but time has beaten 794 00:46:42,800 --> 00:46:45,680 us. But perhaps this will be a 795 00:46:45,680 --> 00:46:47,600 henceforth meeting for some of you. 796 00:46:50,040 --> 00:46:51,840 And may the Lord continue to speak. 797 00:46:52,200 --> 00:46:54,760 And the Lord did speak to Peter many times, the Lord, of course, 798 00:46:54,760 --> 00:46:57,680 Peter feel the Lord many times after that point. 799 00:46:58,880 --> 00:47:02,920 But from that point, his whole focus, his whole structure was 800 00:47:02,920 --> 00:47:08,800 changed and he was sold out from God to God. 801 00:47:09,440 --> 00:47:12,640 From that very point and onwards, we'll just sing. 802 00:47:12,760 --> 00:47:15,280 We'll just take time to sing a couple of verses of our closing 803 00:47:15,280 --> 00:47:19,840 hymn, please. It's 515 found in Page 373. 804 00:47:19,840 --> 00:47:24,560 I need the every hour. Most gracious God, no tender 805 00:47:24,560 --> 00:47:27,600 voice like thine. And we'll think, here we've been 806 00:47:27,600 --> 00:47:31,560 thinking about the voice and the Word and the ministry of the 807 00:47:31,560 --> 00:47:33,520 Lord to that man's heart.