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Disclaimer: This is a transcript of Pastor Fenker’s sermon. It was preached from an outline, and the transcript taken automatically from the audio. Please forgive any typographical or formatting errors.
The multitude pressed about him to hear the word of God. He said to Peter, from now on, you’ll be catching men.
᛭ INI ᛭
The call of Peter today by the lake of Gennesaret, the Galilean Sea, as well as James and John, and we don’t want to forget Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. This call of the 1st 4 apostles gives us the time to consider not just the call of the apostles or the office of the ministry, but really, it gives us an opportunity to consider the word of God. We’re given the opportunity to take time to think about what the Word of God is, what its benefits are, what comes from listening to this Word of God.
And yes, it still is the call of the apostles, so it does also give us time to consider the vocation of speaking, the word of God. Now, when it comes to the Word of God, what is the Word of God? Well, the scriptures are the word of God. The Bible is the word of God. It is called holy because the Holy Spirit inspired all of the authors to write what they wrote. Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Matthew, Luke, Paul, Peter, all of the rest, they wrote, It is their words, but,
Because of the Holy Spirit’s inspiration, their words, were taken up to be the Spirit’s words. There is the element. The word of man, and the spirit comes upon them, but is not only the word of man. It is made holy. It is then the very word of God. The word of God. From Genesis, the 1st verse of Genesis, chapter one, all the way to the last verse of Revelation chapter 22.
And the word of God is useful for many things. The word of God is able to make you wise unto salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, as Paul says. God’s word, the scriptures. are useful for doctrine. That is all the various teachings that we have in the Christian church. It is useful for rebuke or reproof that is, to tell someone they are wrong. It is useful for correction.
That is bringing someone who’s wrong back into the proper way. And it is also useful for training in righteousness. But the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. The word of God. Kills. and it makes alive. God’s word tells us what we should do, and we should do it.
God’s word tells us what God has also done for us. And that word, the word of the gospel, the hope we have in Christ. Well, it makes us alive.
And the word of God works repentance. that we are sorry for our sins and that we want to do better. We put aside the sinful life. Because the word of God also creates and it strengthens our faith in Christ. All that is true. That the Bible is, in fact, the word of God, and that it works repentance and creates faith. And yet there’s more. For Paul says, in Romans chapter 10. Faith comes by hearing. And hearing. By the word of God. And so the word of God is not only written down for our reading. It is written down so that it may be read out and heard.
God didn’t leave Adam a note in the garden posted to one of the trees. A warrant. There was no warning sign posted around the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. No. God created Adam and then spoke to him and told him into his newly created ears, do not eat. And so it was that once Adam and Eve did eat, The Lord didn’t leave them a note. He again spoke a word. He spoke against the devil, a promise for mankind, that I will put enmity between you and the woman between her seed and your seed. He shall crush your head and you shall strike his heel.
It was the same thing with Moses in the 10 Commandments. First, God spoke them. And the people were terrified. And then God wrote it down. Twice. And then was the proclamation to speak the word in households among families, to also have it written down so that it could be seen, but always 1st hearing. So also. The Ethiopian eunuch was reading out Isaiah chapter 53 and then Philip, the evangelist, preached to him what that word meant. Paul commands Timothy in 1st Timothy chapter 4 to devote himself. as the pastor to the public reading of scripture.
And so, We then have many complaints. Our flesh does, many excuses. I’m not an auditory learner. Well, then I guess God’s word is wrong then. God didn’t know what he was doing. Sorry, Gideons. It’s not just reading a Bible. There is a proclamation of the word. God sets forth preachers to go out. and kill and make alive.
So it was Nathan the prophet killed sinful David in his adultery and murder. So it was that the prophet Isaiah says, how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news, that God sets aside sin, that God has a savior in Christ Jesus. As even Paul says, we preach Christ crucified. For in the foolishness of God, God decided it would be good to save those through preaching. And we continue to rejoice in this, that we hear the word of God. And so, We should hear the word of God.
We ought not despise preaching and his word. We should be all about the ability and the freedom to speak the word of God. We’re not overly concerned about where God’s word is published, but where it might be proclaimed. Because through preaching, through hearing, faith is created. And so, When we have the word of God, and it tells us to receive the word of God, or remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy that we ought not to despise preaching and his word,
The scriptures have in mind, not a quiet reading off in a corner. Though such a thing isn’t sinful. They have in mind a reading out, a hearing. And so we have a great opportunity in our dead. But the Word of God is readily available, not just printed. You can find it anywhere from your phone. to your Bible on your shelf and everything in between. But we also have the opportunity to read it. And not silently.
That’d be a good idea to read it out loud. You’d find the cadence a little bit better, I’m sure. And besides all that, you can look it up and have the Bible read to you from all different translations, of course. Because faith comes by hearing. Not just hearing the word of God, but hearing the preaching of the word of God. And so now we finally get to, of course, not just what the word of God is or its benefits or even hearing it, creating faith, but rather we get to the vocation of speaking the word.
And that’s the thing that gets believers in trouble. The world has never really cared about what was written, or what was being read silently in one’s home, but rather, what the believers were speaking. And so it is good for us to rejoice that the Lord has given for 250 years. A country that has the freedom of speech. Not to say whatever we want, though that certainly comes with it. But rather, we are then given the opportunity to freely speak the word of God. to speak the word of God in every corner.
And this is a radical difference from, well, the context for all the New Testament books. where the Roman Empire did care and killed the preachers and tried to silence the word of God. They couldn’t stop it being copied, but they tried to stamp out those who were preaching the word of God. The devil using the nations. to silence the word of God.
And so Rome was killing the preachers. In fact, the Roman peace. crucified our Lord. For no other reason than what he was preaching about himself, that he was the savior from sin, long promised that we might have eternal life. And our American context also is not absent trying to silence the Word of God. Because it silences it through drowning it out, making it seem like it’s not all that important. It’s okay to leave on your shelf.
It’s okay to not listen to preaching. What do you need for a pastor for? But we do need preachers and pastors. As is evidenced by our Lord. He called Peter. His brother Andrew, James, and John, and Matthew, and Barth, and Judas, and Simon, and Judas, all of them, all 12. for preaching that they might that there might be those who would believe and be saved. Preaching and teaching the word of God is, of course, the office of the ministry. It doesn’t matter who’s doing it. whether it’s Peter, or Paul, or Apollos, as Paul outlines in 1st Corinthians chapter 3, or whether it’s Fabrizius, or Knuckles, or Fenker, all of the preachers are out delivering the word of God. But chiefly today, we ought to capture again the vocation of all Christians speaking the word. primarily in our homes.
As the word of God commands us in Deuteronomy chapter 6. As the word of God commands fathers to do this. Fathers do not exasperate your children, but bring them up in the instruction and admonition of the Lord, that is, to have the word of God in your home. For what purpose that we might live not only a life of faith in Christ, but of love towards the neighbor, as Peter outlined for us in our epistle today. And all of this is Christ. Fulfilling what he said Peter would do.
And it doesn’t matter if it’s a preacher of the gospel, or a father to his children, or a mother to her children, it is actually Christ at work. So that when you speak the word of God, it’s not you doing anything, but Christ and His Holy Spirit doing all the heavy lifting. Because it’s all about catching men. to save them.
CHRIST CAPTURES MEN BY THE SPEAKING OF HIS WORD.
When he spoke it, the multitudes came, When fathers speak it, or mothers speak it. Their children ought to come, and hear the word of God. Or when the pastor is there to speak, they’re the people of God gather to hear, not just me, children, not just dad or mom, but rather Christ. For it is Christ, speaking his word, to capture you and your heart, for him. that you might believe and be saved by what he has already done for you, dying and rising. May this word echo, fourth, unto the ends of the world, beginning and even in our own homes, and in this, our beloved congregation.
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