Subject Eighty-two

THE SALVATION OF PETER

Scripture: Luke 5:1-11

1. Jesus came
   1. Jesus came to the Lake of Gennesaret. A lake is a little sea. Gennesaret is called a sea in other verses. So Jesus came to the sea, which is a place of sin. Peter did not have a problem of sin on big issues, but on small issues. If he went to dances or to the movies, he was not that enthusiastic about dances or movies. Going to movies in a big city is like a sea; in a small town, a lake. A real enthusiast is a sea; a casual participant is a lake. Gambling on a large scale is a sea; gambling on a small scale is a lake.
   2. People pressed on Jesus. When Jesus came to the lake, which is the place of sin, people pressed on Him to hear the word of God. Although they did not really want to hear the word of God, they came just out of curiosity, to watch.
2. Receiving Jesus
   The fact that the people were pressing on Jesus out of curiosity means that they stopped fishing temporarily. That the fishermen quit fishing means that the sinners quit their sins temporarily. They didn’t go to the movies, gamble, or dance. As they paused, the Lord Jesus got on their ship. Some people right when they are striving with ambition in their lives, suddenly hear the preaching of Jesus and they put off their strife—at the time a student is on vacation, or working people are off on sick leave, they hear the gospel of Jesus. Just by this one hearing, Jesus gets into them. They have Jesus in their lives. Oh, friends, when your ship comes to a stop, when you leave the college, when you leave the store, when you leave the ballroom, you hear the word of the Lord Jesus. When your heart quiets down, it makes sense to you to believe in the Lord. This is you receiving Jesus into your ship.
3. Seeing miracles
   1. Although Peter received Jesus into his ship, he did not know who Jesus was. He was just letting Jesus use his ship. Only after Jesus performed a miracle on his ship, with the multitude of fish, did Peter realize that Jesus was not only a Nazarene but also the Lord of the universe.
   2. Many people did not know who the Lord was at the time they received Him. They thought that Jesus was One with high morality, an example for men to follow. They did not know that Jesus was the creator of the heavens and the earth. One day after they had received Jesus into their lives, they received a revelation from the Lord. Then they knew that Jesus was the Lord of the heavens and the earth. One may have failed in business. At the time he had no way out, the Lord performed a miracle. In this way that one really got to know the Lord. Another may have been sick, and may have learned who Jesus was through being healed.
      Many people still think Jesus is only a great man, although they have received Jesus and have been baptized. Still they do not know who Jesus really is; they will only learn that He is the Lord after He performs a miracle in their home or in their career. Some Christians do not know the Lord for their whole life. When they were about to die, they saw a miracle, and then they were really saved.
4. Knowing one’s self
   1. Once a man knows the Lord, he gets to know himself. When Peter saw that the Lord was the creator, he said, “Lord! Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”
   2. Once a man knows that Christ is the Lord and God, he realizes that he is a sinner. If I say that you have sinned, you would deny it. But when you meet Jesus Christ, there will be the feeling of sin in your conscience. Even if you confess you sin, you may not really see that you are a sinner. Only when you meet Jesus do you really see your sin.
5. The Lord’s salvation
   1. As soon as Peter confessed that he was a sinner, the Lord said, “From henceforth thou shalt catch men.” His living changed as well as his life. Peter changed his job from catching fish to catching men. His livelihood changed because his life had changed. His whole life had changed.
   2. Once we know the Lord and confess our sins, our sins are forgiven, and we receive the Lord’s life. Our whole life is changed. This change of life is salvation.
6. The result of being saved
   1. Forsaking the past. Once Peter was saved, he forsook the lake, the ship, and the net. He forsook the life of self and sin.
   2. Following Jesus. Just as Peter forsook all to follow Jesus, we should also forsake all to follow Jesus.