Page 466 - Bible History

III. CHRIST FOUNDS HIS CHURCH
1. THE CHURCH Is THE KINGDOM OF CHRIST ON EARTH
After His death and resurrection, Jesus did not in­ tend to leave us alone, He would remain on earth and continue the work which He had begun. No longer would men be able to see Him in bodily form, but they would see Him and hear Him and feel the comfort of His presence in the Church which He would found. The Church is the Kingdom of God on earth.
Early in the second year of His public life, Jesus was standing on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. A great crowd gathered around Him and asked Him to preach to them. Near at hand was moored a boat belonging to Simon Peter, and, stepping into it, Jesus told Peter to push o a little way from the shore. Sitting down in the boat, He preached to the people who were gathered on the shore.
After He had nished speaking, He said to Simon Peter, "Launch out into the deep, and let down your net." Peter said to Him, "Master, we have labored all night and have caught nothing, but at Thy. word I will let down the net.''
When this was done, they caught so many shes that their net began to break. They called to some men who were in another boat to come and help them, and when the net was nally pulled in, it was so heavy with shes that the boat almost sank. The apostles
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The fo di of the Chu h