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The Sea of Galilee is the most
famous, the best known and the
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most loved body of water in the
world. It isn't really a sea but
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actually Israel's largest fresh
water lake. It's been called by
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different names throughout
its history including Lake of
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Gennesaret, Sea of Tiberius and
Lake Tiberius. In 1996, during a
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period of terrible drought
here in Israel the water level
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dropped dramatically exposing
extensive mud flats. Two
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brothers Moshe and Yuval Lufan
saw this as a golden opportunity
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to look for hidden treasure.
As they were searching along the
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receding shoreline of the lake,
they came upon a piece of wood
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sticking up out of the mud. When
they looked closer they found
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some ancient coins and then some
very old iron nails. As they
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started to expose the wood they
were astounded to find that it
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was in the shape of a boat
entirely buried in the mudflats
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near the shore. Archeologists
were called in and soon an
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excavation was under way. The
brothers had made an incredible
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discovery. They had indeed found
treasure. They discovered the
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first and only ancient ship ever
found in the Sea of Galilee.
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It was 2000 years old and came
from the first century, the time
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of Jesus. Join me as we follow
the emotional and suspenseful
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recovery of the Galilee boat and
more importantly the inspiring
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story of the most famous
fisherman in history whose life
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is illuminated by the discovery
of the ancient fishing boat.
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¤ ¤
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The Sea of Galilee is situated
in northeast Israel and is fed
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partly by underground springs
although its main source is the
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Jordan River which flows
through it from north to south.
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It would take you about three
days to leisurely walk the 53 km
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around the lake. It's 21 km
long and 13 km wide. Over the
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centuries it's provided
rich fishing grounds for local
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fishermen. The northwest shore
of the Sea of Galilee was the
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center of the fish salting
industry 2000 years ago. Local
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fishermen used boats and nets
to catch the fish here that were
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dried and exported to various
parts of the Roman Empire. In
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the towns along the shore, the
fish would be salted and packed
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in baskets for export. Then
the fishermen would take it on
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wagons pulled by mules to shops
in Jerusalem or to a sea port
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where it would be loaded on
ships and taken to Rome. Dried
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fish from Galilee was considered
a delicacy among Roman
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aristocracy. In ancient times,
fishing boats were an integral
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part of life here in Galilee.
And now for the very first time
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one of these boats had
been discovered. But it brought
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unique challenges to recover
and preserve it. Firstly, the
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waterlogged timbers were as soft
as wet cardboard. So it wasn't
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possible to simply dig the boat
out of the mud. Secondly, the
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rains had come and the
water level began to rise and
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threatened to flood the
excavation. And then rumors
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spread that the boat was full of
gold and so the excavation had
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to be guarded day and
night. What happened next was
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remarkable. Marathon, around-
the-clock excavations began
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working against both the rising
waters of the Sea of Galilee and
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treasure seekers. For 11 days
archeologists and volunteers
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worked day and night to save
the boat. They quickly built a
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massive dike around the site to
prevent the lake from flooding
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it. The hull was strengthened
with fiberglass and then encased
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in a polyurethane cocoon to hold
it together. Tunnels were dug
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under the boat and its side
was strengthened. Then water was
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pumped into the big pit and
the boat was floated ashore and
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lifted by crane into a
conservation pool. For the next
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11 years specialists worked
on it replacing the water in the
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wood with a synthetic wax
that penetrated the timber and
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strengthened it so that it could
be put on display. And here it
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is, the 2000-year-old Galilee
boat from the time of Jesus on
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display at the Yigal Allon
Museum at Kabbutz Ginnosar on
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the shores of Galilee. It's made
of wood and is 8.3 meters long,
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2.3 meters wide and 1.3 meters
high. This size would have
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enabled it to carry up to
15 people. Boats like this are
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mentioned more than 50 times
in the Bible account of Jesus'
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ministry in Galilee. Four of
his disciples were fishermen who
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worked in this area and used
boats just like this one. Now
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the Galilee boat may not be
the exact one that Jesus and his
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disciples used, but it's still
a real treasure because it gives
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us an opportunity to look back
many centuries and to visualize
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what life was like on the Sea of
Galilee in the momentous days of
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Jesus' ministry here. It was a
boat like this that had been out
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on the Sea of Galilee on a long
stormy night and in the early
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morning's light four fisherman
had beached their two fishing
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vessels with nothing to show
for hours of toil. They dragged
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several casting nets from the
boats, then began throwing them
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and pulling them through
the water to clear the nets of
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debris. One of the bearded,
deeply tanned men was quite
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an imposing figure. His name was
Peter, the leader of the group.
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He beckoned some of his hired
men and pointed out spots in the
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nets that needed mending. He was
not in a good mood. Peter didn't
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take failure lightly. Engrossed
in cleaning out the boat, he
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didn't notice at first that
a large crowd was starting to
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gather on the shore. Suddenly he
looked up and hundreds of people
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were standing there. And in
the middle of them all a man he
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thought he recognized. The man
began to speak. Yes, it was the
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teacher from nearby Nazareth.
Peter was about to have an
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extraordinary encounter with
Jesus. An encounter that would
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turn his world upside down.
For many people it seems that
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religion is fine, for the weak
that is, for those who can't get
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around on their own. Some
people just need the comfort and
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reassurance of faith. But the
strong, the secure and the able
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bodied, well they seem to be
doing quite well on their own.
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Religion for them just seems
to be something that slows you
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down. Today we'll meet a dynamic
self-sufficient individual who
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had to face the question, Do you
have to become weak to become
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a Christian? That individual
was Peter the fisherman. We meet
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him on the shore of this lake,
the Sea of Galilee, after a long
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unsuccessful night of fishing.
Jesus arrived on the scene and
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began teaching the crowd. Peter
listened as he worked on his
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boat. He'd liked Jesus from the
very moment they met. He was so
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different from the scribes
and priests who were always knit
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picking about some detail of the
law. In fact he was different
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from almost all the religious
people Peter knew. He seemed to
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belong out here in the great
outdoors. There was a sense of
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power in his bearing that
matched the elements. The crowd
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kept thickening on the beach.
People in the back tried to push
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there was closer and Jesus found
himself stepping back into the
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water. So he turned and asked
Peter if he could get into his
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boat. The fisherman was
happy to oblige. After Jesus had
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finished his talk, he suggested
something quite unexpected.
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Let's go fishing. He asked Peter
to take the boat out into the
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deep water and let down the
net. Peter looked at Jesus in
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surprise and then explained,
We worked here on the Sea of
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Galilee all night and we worked
hard and we caught nothing. You
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see the prime hours of fishing
were always at night. No one
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caught much in broad daylight.
But Peter caught the earnest
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look in Jesus' eyes and he said,
But at your bidding I will let
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down the net. As the fisherman
adjusted the sail and pointed
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the bow of his vessel out toward
the middle of the lake, as he
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sat there in the stern with the
cool wind off the water blowing
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through his beard he didn't
realize that he was sailing out
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to meet his destiny. This was to
be a turning point in his life.
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Jesus came to ask Peter to be a
full time disciple, to leave his
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fishing business and follow him
on the road and Peter presented
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a special problem to Jesus. It
wasn't that Peter couldn't make
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decisions. Peter usually made
them instantly. It wasn't that
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Peter shrank from challenges.
He thrived on them. He would
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butt heads with anyone, take
on any obstacle. The problem was
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that Jesus' call consisted of
two words, Follow Me. And Peter
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was anything but a follower.
Peter was a born leader, a
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confident man, a provider.
He'd made good in the fishing
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business. He didn't need
anybody to hold his hand.
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Peter's temperament stands out
clearly in his later contacts
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with Jesus. He wanted to be a
player in the game. If Jesus was
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out walking on the water,
then Peter wanted to walk on the
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water as well. If Jesus asked
for a declaration of faith, then
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Peter would be the first to give
it. He was bold, brash and up
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front. Once on a mountain
top not far from here Jesus was
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transfigured before Peter and
two other disciples. He appeared
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in awesome divine glory along
with Moses and Elijah. What was
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Peter's response? Oh, it's great
to be here, he said. Let's build
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three temples, one for each
of you. On another occasion when
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Jesus spoke of the suffering
that awaited him, Peter took him
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aside and tried to straighten
him out. We read about it in
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Matthew 16 and verse 22:
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Peter embodied the strong self
confident man. It wasn't that he
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didn't admire and love Jesus.
He just wasn't a follower. Weak
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people, needy people, follow.
They follow Jesus easily it
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seems. The lame was healed, the
blind given sight, the paralyzed
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lifted to their feet. These
individuals naturally wanted to
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follow the powerful miracle
working Christ, but what about
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Peter? As he sailed out into the
middle of the Sea of Galilee, he
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was about to face an important
question. Do you have to become
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weak to become a follower of
Christ. Many people today face a
00:12:41.36\00:12:47.03
challenge similar to
Peter's. Strong, self-sufficient
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individuals wonder what religion
has in it for them. They see
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people whose lives are falling
apart collapse into God's arms.
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They see the hurting and
the broken come for restoration.
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They hear calls to bring their
miserable lives to Jesus, to lay
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their burdens down at the foot
of the cross. That's fine for
00:13:08.15\00:13:12.95
some. But they don't feel
particularly burdened or broken.
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So they conclude religion isn't
really for them. Many men have
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have this kind of reaction.
They see themselves above all as
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providers. They want to take
care of business. They want to
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be strong. And then someone
comes along and makes an appeal
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to come to Jesus with all
your troubles. Well that seems
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passive, submissive. It
seems like giving up. They can't
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imagine that the object of life
is to have someone else take
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care of you. Do you have to
become weak in order to become
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a Christian? That's the question
strong, secure people face today
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and it's a question Peter faced
as he sailed out on the Sea of
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Galilee. Peter let down the sail
as his boat reached the deep
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part of the lake. Then just
as Jesus had instructed he threw
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out the net. It sank into
the water and almost immediately
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began to fill with fish, it
seemed like a whole school of
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fish. Peter couldn't believe his
eyes. He and his brother Andrew
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started to haul in the net, but
it was too heavy. The net began
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ripping. They had to call over
their partners in another boat
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to help them raise the catch.
Peter filled the other boat but
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the net was still bulging. They
dumped fish into their own boat
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which actually began to sink.
Now Peter was really overwhelmed
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He knew this lake like the palm
of his hand. He knew fishing and
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there was no way in the world
you could make a catch like this
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in broad daylight. There'd
been nothing at this spot the
00:14:54.86\00:14:58.49
previous night. But here this
teacher had produced the catch
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of the year with one
little suggestion. This was an
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extraordinary man, a great man.
Impulsive Peter threw himself
00:15:08.84\00:15:15.04
down at Jesus' feet and said the
first thing that popped into his
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head. Depart from me for I am
a sinful man, O Lord. And Jesus
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changed his life with
one sentence and here it is.
00:15:25.39\00:15:29.09
From now on Peter you'll catch
people. That was the call. How
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did Jesus make a disciple out of
somebody who was anything but a
00:15:36.40\00:15:41.17
follower? He showed him how
much more he could do. He fired
00:15:41.20\00:15:44.74
Peter's imagination. He opened
up possibilities. Two boatloads
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of fish did that. That's why
Peter responded when Christ said
00:15:50.08\00:15:54.38
Follow me, and I'll make you
a fisher of men. Luke tells us
00:15:54.42\00:16:00.02
that after he'd brought his
fishing vessels to the shore
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Peter left everything and
followed Jesus. Christ has a
00:16:02.86\00:16:08.70
special message for the strong.
Follow me and you can do more
00:16:08.73\00:16:12.23
than you ever dreamed possible.
You can do more not less. Listen
00:16:12.27\00:16:17.67
to the benediction of Paul,
another very strong individual,
00:16:17.71\00:16:22.44
written in his letter to
the Ephesians in Ephesians 3:20:
00:16:22.48\00:16:26.95
Two boats filled with fish were
immeasurably more than Peter
00:16:40.10\00:16:44.23
could have imagined. He was
overwhelmed by the power and
00:16:44.27\00:16:48.14
nobility of Christ. So he set
out on the road with him. But
00:16:48.17\00:16:52.87
that was just the beginning
of the story. That was just the
00:16:52.91\00:16:56.14
beginning of a series of
adventures that were to change
00:16:56.18\00:16:59.31
Peter's life. This strong, self
sufficient individual had been
00:16:59.35\00:17:04.69
attracted to Christ because of a
big challenge, becoming a fisher
00:17:04.72\00:17:09.42
of men. But now he had a very
important lesson to learn and it
00:17:09.46\00:17:13.80
would take a long time to learn
it. Peter had to become strong
00:17:13.83\00:17:18.43
in a different way. He had to
become bold and courageous in a
00:17:18.47\00:17:22.94
different way. It wasn't enough
simply to join forces with
00:17:22.97\00:17:26.98
Christ. The power of Christ had
to get inside him in some way.
00:17:27.01\00:17:31.65
That power, that supernatural
strength, that spiritual
00:17:31.68\00:17:36.38
strength did get into Peter's
heart and soul. Christ did
00:17:36.42\00:17:40.26
transform him although we don't
see it clearly until after Jesus
00:17:40.29\00:17:44.59
goes back to heaven. Let me
give you a few examples of that
00:17:44.63\00:17:49.26
transformation, that different
kind of strength. Strong, secure
00:17:49.30\00:17:53.94
people tend to say whatever's
on their minds without fretting.
00:17:53.97\00:17:58.04
They don't think about
the consequences. Peter was
00:17:58.07\00:18:01.28
certainly that way. But he was
also very impulsive and tended
00:18:01.31\00:18:06.15
to get his foot caught in
his mouth a lot. We see that
00:18:06.18\00:18:09.42
throughout the gospels. But
let's take a look at Peter later
00:18:09.45\00:18:13.12
in the book of Acts in Jerusalem
He was once brought before a
00:18:13.15\00:18:18.29
Jewish council for speaking
about Jesus at the temple. He'd
00:18:18.33\00:18:21.66
just been imprisoned for doing
that and now he was at it again.
00:18:21.70\00:18:26.27
The Jewish officials put on
their most indignant faces. You
00:18:26.30\00:18:30.61
have filled Jerusalem with your
doctrine, they thundered. The
00:18:30.64\00:18:35.54
officials were sure that they
could intimidate this former
00:18:35.58\00:18:37.98
fisherman who stood before them.
After all, this was Peter, who
00:18:38.01\00:18:42.78
when Jesus was arrested, had run
away with the other disciples.
00:18:42.82\00:18:47.12
And then at Jesus' trial he
denied to a servant that he even
00:18:47.16\00:18:51.13
knew Jesus. They just needed to
get Peter's impulses going the
00:18:51.16\00:18:56.90
right direction. But instead of
apologizing and promising not to
00:18:56.93\00:19:01.57
speak again, Peter replied
calmly, We ought to obey God
00:19:01.60\00:19:06.01
rather than men and he went
on to remind them that they'd
00:19:06.04\00:19:11.28
condemned Jesus to death on
a cross and that God had raised
00:19:11.31\00:19:14.05
him from the dead and exalted
him to heaven. Peter ended with
00:19:14.08\00:19:18.52
this assertion, We are
his witnesses of these things.
00:19:18.55\00:19:23.09
The Jewish officials didn't
quite know what to do. This was
00:19:23.12\00:19:28.30
a different man standing before
them. This was a different kind
00:19:28.33\00:19:31.87
of strength, a steadier resolve.
In the end, they gave Peter and
00:19:31.90\00:19:37.97
his companions another warning.
They had them beaten and sent
00:19:38.01\00:19:41.91
them on their way. Peter
rejoiced that he could suffer
00:19:41.94\00:19:46.72
shame in Christ's name. Yes,
something had happened to that
00:19:46.75\00:19:52.55
fisherman. Before when Peter
spoke he had to take his foot
00:19:52.59\00:19:55.52
out of his mouth. Now when Peter
spoke thousands were converted.
00:19:55.56\00:20:01.03
Peter had displayed a different
kind of courage before. When
00:20:01.06\00:20:06.10
Jesus warned that his disciples
would forsake him in the hour of
00:20:06.13\00:20:10.34
trial, Peter answered
back in Matthew chapter 26 and
00:20:10.37\00:20:13.94
verses 33 and 35:
00:20:13.98\00:20:16.24
And Peter meant those words.
He was willing to die like a man
00:20:25.82\00:20:30.86
for the cause of Christ. He was
also willing to fight like a man
00:20:30.89\00:20:34.83
When soldiers arrived in the
Garden of Gethsemane Peter drew
00:20:34.86\00:20:40.17
his sword. As they stepped
forward to arrest Jesus, he
00:20:40.20\00:20:43.20
lunged forward and cut off the
ear of the high priest's servant
00:20:43.24\00:20:46.94
Jesus had to tell him to put
his weapon away. But then when
00:20:46.98\00:20:51.48
Jesus allowed himself to be
dragged away, Peter's resolve
00:20:51.51\00:20:56.95
vanished. He found himself
running for his life in the
00:20:56.99\00:20:59.82
night along with the other
disciples. Peter was prepared to
00:20:59.85\00:21:06.19
fight for Jesus, but he wasn't
prepared to be mocked because
00:21:06.23\00:21:09.20
of Jesus. That same night
a servant girl thought she
00:21:09.23\00:21:13.37
recognized Peter and taunted
him as one of Jesus' Galilean
00:21:13.40\00:21:17.14
followers. Others joined
in. Peter swore angrily, I don't
00:21:17.17\00:21:22.81
know the man. Before he knew
it he denied the one who meant
00:21:22.84\00:21:27.68
everything to him. Peter thought
he would be the one to stand
00:21:27.72\00:21:32.42
strong in the worst of times.
But he buckled under pressure
00:21:32.45\00:21:37.03
like everyone else. So we've
seen this contrast between Peter
00:21:37.06\00:21:43.06
before and Peter after. We've
seen the difference between a
00:21:43.10\00:21:46.94
man who thought he was strong
and a man who really did find
00:21:46.97\00:21:52.67
inner strength. So what made
the difference? What happened to
00:21:52.71\00:21:56.81
Peter? Well to understand, let's
take a look at his failure.
00:21:56.85\00:22:02.52
After he denied Christ, Peter
had to take a good hard look at
00:22:02.55\00:22:07.72
himself. Peter was a doer,
a mover, a shaker, a very self
00:22:07.76\00:22:11.19
confident man. He wasn't used
to taking good hard looks at
00:22:11.23\00:22:16.93
himself but now he had to face
his weaknesses his vulnerability
00:22:16.97\00:22:21.44
and this finally enabled him to
open up to the kind of strength
00:22:21.47\00:22:26.74
that Christ has to offer. It
enabled him to accept his need
00:22:26.78\00:22:31.78
of a deeper kind of courage. The
love of Christ broke through.
00:22:31.81\00:22:37.19
It won him over. And so when the
Holy Spirit was poured out on
00:22:37.22\00:22:41.29
the day of Pentecost, Peter
received it wholeheartedly. He
00:22:41.32\00:22:45.79
was ready. Pride no longer put
up barriers. He wasn't posturing
00:22:45.83\00:22:51.40
He wasn't pretending to be the
self-sufficient one any longer.
00:22:51.43\00:22:55.00
He was pleading as the one in
need. We get a glimpse of what
00:22:55.04\00:23:00.84
Peter learned in his first
letter. Listen to what he wrote
00:23:00.88\00:23:04.01
in I Peter chapter
4 verses 10 and 11:
00:23:04.05\00:23:08.05
And that's it friends. This
admonition is really a picture
00:23:33.48\00:23:38.95
of Peter's new life. He wasn't
just trying hard on his own. He
00:23:38.98\00:23:43.82
was aware of God's gift, of
God's grace working inside of
00:23:43.85\00:23:49.42
him. When he spoke it wasn't
just his own eloquence that
00:23:49.46\00:23:52.99
counted. It was God's word
expressed through him. When he
00:23:53.03\00:23:56.97
served, he served with the
strength that God provided. Did
00:23:57.00\00:24:01.57
Peter become a weak person after
his conversion? Not at all. He
00:24:01.60\00:24:06.71
found more resilient strength.
He found a deeper courage, but
00:24:06.74\00:24:12.11
did this strong person
have to come to understand his
00:24:12.15\00:24:16.35
weaknesses. Certainly yes. He
had to see that he couldn't do
00:24:16.38\00:24:20.32
it on his own. He had to see
that to stand strong you have to
00:24:20.36\00:24:25.69
stand with Christ. Before
Peter's courage was a little
00:24:25.73\00:24:30.47
like tin armor, a bit brittle
with a hollow echo inside. After
00:24:30.50\00:24:37.31
Peter's courage was like
tempered steel. Do you have to
00:24:37.34\00:24:40.81
become weak to be a Christian?
No. But you do have to
00:24:40.84\00:24:44.75
acknowledge your weaknesses
in order to become truly strong.
00:24:44.78\00:24:49.05
A most powerful personality in
history invites you to share in
00:24:49.08\00:24:54.22
his life. He wants to pour a
more resilient strength inside
00:24:54.26\00:24:58.29
of you, a deeper courage inside
of you. The most powerful and
00:24:58.33\00:25:03.20
loving personality in history
wants to change you from the
00:25:03.23\00:25:09.77
inside out, but you have to come
to him, acknowledging your need
00:25:09.80\00:25:13.98
without posturing, without
pretention. You have to come
00:25:14.01\00:25:18.95
just as you are. Let's join
Peter right now as we respond
00:25:18.98\00:25:22.92
to Christ's great
call, Follow Me, as we pray.
00:25:22.95\00:25:26.96
Dear Father, thank you
for showing us what real inner
00:25:26.99\00:25:31.69
strength is all about. We want
to become all that you intend us
00:25:31.73\00:25:37.63
to be, but we can't do it on our
own. We become proud and brittle
00:25:37.67\00:25:42.64
just relying on our own strength
So we come to you acknowledging
00:25:42.67\00:25:46.81
that even our strength there is
weakness. We ask in the name of
00:25:46.84\00:25:51.65
Jesus our Savior, Amen.
00:25:51.68\00:25:56.32
The story of Peter and his
encounter with Jesus Christ
00:25:56.35\00:26:02.86
shows how God puts people
in touch with real courage.
00:26:02.89\00:26:05.76
It pierces right through
our pretensions and our pride.
00:26:05.79\00:26:09.66
Jesus' relationship with Peter
is just one example of many
00:26:09.70\00:26:14.57
encounters in the Gospels where
Jesus met individuals need. If
00:26:14.60\00:26:19.67
you are looking for ways to find
real courage and have a closer
00:26:19.71\00:26:23.18
relationship with God, then I'd
like to recommend a free gift
00:26:23.21\00:26:27.12
we have for all our viewers
today. It's the booklet Standing
00:26:27.15\00:26:33.29
in the Circle. This booklet
is our gift to you and is
00:26:33.32\00:26:37.69
absolutely free. There are no
costs or obligations whatsoever.
00:26:37.73\00:26:40.83
So make the most of this
wonderful opportunity to receive
00:26:40.86\00:26:44.87
the gift we have for you today.
Here's the information you need:
00:26:44.90\00:26:50.14
Phone or text us at 0436333555
in Australia or 0204222042 in
00:26:50.17\00:27:03.18
New Zealand or visit our website
www.tij.tv to request today's
00:27:03.22\00:27:09.92
free offer and we'll send it to
you totally free of charge and
00:27:09.96\00:27:14.46
with no
obligation. Write to us at:
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Don't delay. Call or text us now
00:27:35.62\00:27:39.55
If you've enjoyed today's
journey to the Sea of Galilee in
00:27:39.59\00:27:44.96
Israel and our reflections on
the life of Peter the fisherman,
00:27:44.99\00:27:48.16
then be sure to join us again
next week when we will share
00:27:48.20\00:27:51.53
another of life's journeys
together. Until then remember
00:27:51.57\00:27:55.84
the ultimate destination of
life's journey. Now I saw a new
00:27:55.87\00:27:59.91
heaven and a new earth. And God
will wipe away every tear from
00:27:59.94\00:28:03.75
their eyes. There shall be no
more death nor sorrow nor crying
00:28:03.78\00:28:08.75
There shall be no more pain for
the former things have passed
00:28:08.78\00:28:11.62
away.
00:28:11.65\00:28:13.76
¤ ¤
00:28:13.79\00:28:26.63