Welcome to this Come to Jesus Daily devotional. This week, we continue in our series, Luke - Exploring who Jesus is. This week, our devotionals are based on Luke 5:1-3. Today’s devotional is entitled, Jesus got into the boat.
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‘One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.’ (Luke 5:1-3)
Lesson: We are Jesus’ disciples because He chose us, so let’s give thanks and remember this all the time.
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Luke wants us to see that it is Jesus who takes the initiative to get into Simon’s boat. He took the initiative to call those first disciples. He took the initiative to make them leaders and apostles. Likewise, Jesus is the one who has chosen to get into ‘our boat’. If we are His disciples, it’s because He has chosen to have mercy on us.
Each of us, like the ‘miraculous catch of fish’ that we will see later in this episode, is in the Kingdom because He has chosen us and called us to Himself. Let’s not forget that we were not only lost sheep - to use a well-known analogy - we were also lost fish! Not quite as cuddly an image, but true nonetheless! Our salvation and becoming His disciple are by His grace, as we read:
‘You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last…’ (John 15:16)
‘We love because he first loved us.’ (1 John 4:19)
Response
We are Jesus’ disciples because He chose us, so let’s give thanks and remember this all the time.
How often do we remember that we are saved by grace - that He chose and called us to be His disciples? Have we maybe moved away from complete devotion to being Jesus’ disciple? Today, invite Jesus to get into ‘your boat’ again.
COMMUNITY GROUP NOTES AND STUDY
1. NOTICES
It might be good to begin with notices. Please share from this week’s Church News.
2. ICEBREAKER
What has God been speaking to you about from His Word this week and how has this helped you / affected your life?
3. STUDY AND PRAY TOGETHER
Please read Luke 5:1-11
On Sunday we looked at Luke 5:1-11 and saw that we are to:
Look at Jesus so as to gain greater awe and follow Him wholeheartedly.
It’s so easy, if we’ve been a Christian for any time, to read a text like this without being awestruck by Jesus’ glory. We can allow our hearts to go astray and ‘follow’ others in life and on social media but fail to follow Jesus as worshippers.
Discuss/Share/Pray
This text is to inspire awe. What, from this text, most inspires you?
From memory, what events from Jesus’ life, or what truth about Jesus, do you Find awe-inspiring?
Jesus calls us to follow Him and this, in part, will involve, ‘fishing for people’ what does this mean?
What, from this text, gives us confidence that God’s power will be at work in our evangelism?
SIV - Our strategy for ‘fishing for people’ is summarised as SIV. We Serve, Invest and Invite. How and with whom are you currently doing this?
SIV - You have a net and we have nets - mission opportunities. What are the nets that you have and what are the nets that we have as a church that you could get involved with?
SIV - Lets pray for one another that, firstly, our awe and trust In Jesus would grow. Secondly, pray for one another in our call to fish for people - that we would Serve, Invest and Invite more faithfully.