Pastor Mac Hammond | October 24, 2021

Recap:
Paul wrote in Philippians 3:14, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” What does this look like today? How can we press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling? That’s what Pastor Mac started to address this weekend as we jumped into our Vision 2022 series: For His Kingdom. This life can be viewed through the lens of our high calling. What are we doing to bring the Gospel to people all over this world? What is our part in supporting the expansion of God’s kingdom?

Dive Deeper:
God has called you to reach as many people as possible For His Kingdom. He wants you to help expand the influence of His kingdom here on this earth. This doesn’t mean that you need to preach the Gospel on a stage. It does mean that He has a specific calling on your life that will help you fulfill the Great Commission (Mark 16:15).

Over in Luke chapter 5, we see that Peter was able to help expand God’s kingdom not through preaching the Gospel, but through giving Jesus a place from which He could preach the Gospel. Peter provided Jesus his boat, something Peter had earned and through which he made his livelihood. He offered what he had and Jesus used it to preach the Gospel.

What comes next is amazing. Once Jesus was done speaking, he told Peter to cast out his nets again. On the basis of Jesus’ words, he did—and the net was filled to its capacity. He needed help bringing in the fish! It was an over-and-above response from our God, who is more than enough for us!

God wants to give you this same opportunity that He gave to Peter. Will you help support the preaching of the Gospel? Will you identify the opportunities He brings you to promote the preaching of the Gospel through your resources? When you do, you’ll find God’s abundance filling you in return.

Read More:
Philippians 3:14 KJV
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Mark 16:15 KJV
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

Acts 1:8 KJV
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Luke 5:1-9 Amp.
Now it occurred that while the people pressed upon Jesus to hear the message of God, He was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret (Sea of Galilee). And He saw two boats drawn up by the lake, but the fishermen had gone down from them and were washing their nets. And getting into one of the boats, [the one] that belonged to Simon (Peter), He requested him to draw away a little from the shore.

Then He sat down and continued to teach the crowd [of people] from the boat. When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon (Peter), Put out into the deep [water], and lower your nets for a haul. And Simon (Peter) answered, Master, we toiled all night [exhaustingly] and caught nothing [in our nets]. But on the ground of Your word, I will lower the nets [again]. And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish; and as their nets were [at the point of] breaking,

They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and take hold with them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw this, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord. For he was gripped with bewildering amazement [allied to terror], and all who were with him, at the haul of fish which they had made;

Discussion Questions:
1. What can you do today to support the preaching of the Gospel?
2. What has God called you to do on this earth?
3. What is one of your personal long-term goals? What is one of your personal short-term goals?
4. How does your connection with a local church support the preaching of the Gospel?
5. In what ways can one person support the Gospel? In what ways can many people working together support the Gospel?

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