Gospel Doctrine Lesson Six

They Straightway
Left Their Nets

Purpose: To help
class members to
understand that
apostles are called
to be special
witnesses of Jesus
Christ and that we
are blessed when
we sustain and
follow them.

.Not sure if you fit the mold of a latter-day saint? The calling of
the Lords apostles teaches us that no matter what our skillset and
background, the lord has equipped each of us to serve in a
unique way. In this lesson Jesus assures us that we can advance his
cause by simply being ourselves.. Read Luke 5:1-11, 27-28; 6:12-16. Pay
careful attention to what each of the apostles was doing when
they were called to follow the Savior. Since this detail is recorded
in scripture, we should not disregard this information as
superfluous., but should instead discover what Luke wanted us to
learn from it..
What was Peter
doing when he
was called?

What was Pauls

occupation when
he was called?

What was James

doing when he
was called?

Peter was called while he was casting a net into the sea.
That activity seems to be characteristic of Peters
ministry.. When you cast a net you draw in lots of fish, all
kinds of fish. That is Peter. He brought many people of
diverse backgrounds into the church. He converted 3000
on the day of Pentecost and began the church in
Jerusalem. The church in Caesarea began when, in his
presence, the Holy Spirit fell on Cornelius and his
household. Thus, Peter opened the door to the Jews.
Later Peter preached Christ in a Roman home and he
introduced the gospel to the Gentiles. Peters task was to
introduce people to Christ. He was ordained by God to
create beginnings.

Paul

John

Paul was a tentmaker.

While Peter was called to
start things, Pauls task
was to solidify them, to
make them last. Paul
strengthened and gave
form to the new
branches established by
Peter. He was a master
builder (1 Cor 3:10) and
thus taught the people
how to bond together in
love, how to frame their
lives in such a way as to
reflect the holy temple
of the Lord, and to
reflect display the glory
of the Savior. This was
Pauls mission: to build the
church on the
foundation of Christ.

When John was called, he

was found mending his
nets. John is a fixer. His
written ministry began
after the church had
been in existence for
several decades and at a
time when apostasy has
begun to creep in. The
Lord had need of a
voice to call the people
back to the foundations
of the church; John calls
us back to the truth.
When we begin to drift,
when some false concept
creeps into our thinking
or into our actions, it is
John who is ordained of
the Lord to call us back,
the mend the nets, to set
things straight.

What are your special talents and strengths?

How has the Lord cultivated these in your life?

How can you use your unique set of attributes and skills to further the
work of the Lord in your family?

In the church?

Read Luke 4:22-30; Matthew 13:54-58; and Mark 6:1-6

Jesus, fresh from a preaching and healing campaign in Galilee, has
returned to Nazareth after an absence of many months. He left a
commoner, he returns a celebrity. On the Sabbath he is invited to
read from the sacred scrolls and comment on the text. Nazareth
would see what kind of teacher he had become. Jesus reads from
Isaiah 61:1-5, about the Spirit of the Lord anointing him to preach
good news, heal and set free, and then says, "Today this scripture
has been fulfilled in your hearing" (4:21).)
How did the members of the synagogue react to Jesus declaration
that he was the messiah?

Why did the people of Nazareth have such a hard time believing that
Jesus was the Christ?

In this story I see two lessons for disciples:

1)

Rejection is part of following the Savior. Sometimes we believe that

if we bear our testimonies flawlessly or live perfectly everyone will
like us. Not so. If they rejected Jesus, we can expect to be rejected
sometimes, too. Stop second-guessing yourself so much. Instead of
focusing on what others think, seek to follow what the Lord
shows you to do and let the chips fall where they may. What are
you not doing because you are afraid of rejection from your
fellow men?

2) Rejection is likely to come from those closest to us. some of us are

united with our families in our testimonies of the church, but many
are not. How can we be respect the feelings of our close others
who do not believe what we believe and still stand as strong
witnesses for the Savior and the church?

The Crucifixion, Atonement, and Resurrection

of Jesus Christ mark the beginning of a
Christian life, not the end of it. It was this
truth, this reality, that allowed a handful of
Galilean fishermen, turned apostles without a
single synagogue or sword to leave their
nets and go on to shape the history of the
world in which we now live. I testify from
the bottom of my heart, with the intensity
of my soul, to all who can hear my voice
that those apostolic keys have been restored
to the earth, and they are found in the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

Verse

Matthew 10:1
Matthew 10:6-7
Matthew 10:8
Matthew 10:11-14
Matthew 10:19-20
Matthew 10:39

Christs Instructions to
the Apostles

How have you seen

latter-day Apostles
fulfill this
responsibility