The Gospel According to Luke
Pastor Tommy Bailey
Luke 5:1-11
People in Luke 5:1-11
- Jesus Christ (vv. 1-11)
- The crowds (vv. 1-3)
- Simon Peter (vv. 3-11)
- James and John (vv. 7-11)
“…nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.”
Luke 5:5 (KJV)
“The most powerful form of spiritual warfare is obedience.”
Dallas Willard
“Peter had been brought personally into the sphere of Jesus’ mighty kingdom power…this was not his first exposure to Christ’s kingdom authority, but this time Jesus ministered in Peter’s personal universe—his sea, his boat, his nets—and so the significance came to him as never before.”
R. Kent Hughes
Jesus’ pursuit of Simon Peter (Luke 4-5)
- He dines in Simon Peter’s home (4:38)
- He steps into Simon Peter’s boat (5:3)
- He meddles in Simon Peter’s business (5:4)
- He reveals Simon Peter’s need for a savior (5:8)
- He calls Simon Peter to follow Him from then on (5:10-11)
“When we meet the Absolute, we know immediately that we are not absolute. When we meet the Infinite, we become acutely conscious that we are finite. When we meet the Eternal, we know we are temporal. To meet God is a powerful study in contrasts.”
R.C. Sproul, The Holiness of God
“We resent His intrusions into our privacy, His demand for our homage, His expectation of our obedience. Why can’t He mind His own business? To which He instantly replies that we are His business and that He will never leave us alone.”
John Stott, The Cross of Christ
Simon Peter’s progression of faith in Jesus (Luke 5:1-11)
- He hears the Word of Jesus (5:3)
- He trusts the Word of Jesus (5:5)
- He recognizes the holiness of Jesus (5:8)
- He confesses his own sinfulness to Jesus (5:8)
- He leaves everything to follow Jesus (5:11)
“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”
John 6:68-69
“To stand before the Holy One of eternity is to change.”
Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline
“Do you want to know a truth that in the momentous challenges of our modern world will be at once a quest to inspire you, an anchor to hold you fast, a rich fare to nourish you, and a relationship you will prize above all others? Listen to Jesus of Nazareth; answer his call.”
Os Guinness, The Call
Discussion Questions
- Have you ever felt like God was meddling in your business? Are we aware that He meets us at our most significant point of need but also in the places we feel the strongest and most capable? What are some areas of our lives that we think we have under control and know best how to handle? What would it look like to say, “…nevertheless at thy word I will” to Jesus? Do we fully grasp that leaving everything behind is to gain everything in Him?
- Do we realize that God has our highest good in mind for life on earth and all eternity? How does this knowledge quicken our hearts to obedience even when it doesn’t always make sense?
- How do we respond once we have encountered Jesus and our lives are radically changed? What does our “from now on” look like? Are we growing to resemble Him more each day, living lives that point others to Him?