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Text: Luke 5:1-11
Word of God upon the waters (vss 1-3)
- Jesus teaches God’s words to those desiring to hear God’s words. Synagogue leaders want Jesus out, but some of the people are hungry for the words of God.
- The venue for Jesus’ preaching is broadening out from synagogues in Galilee where he’s had mixed and violent reactions. He goes to the sea to teach the people.
- The words of God aren’t limited to synagogues. The doctrines of heaven are every day and everywhere doctrines.
- Now, Jesus and Peter have already had some interaction because Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law. Peter lets Jesus on his boat.
Let down your nets (vss 4-8)
- The next thing we need to learn is how to give God the benefit of the doubt. Regardless of:
- Experience – rowed all night and caught nothing.
- Ability – Peter is tired.
- Inconvenience – Peter has already cleaned his nets.
- Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.
- Relationships we say, I’ll handle it here. No direction from God.
- Parenting we say the science has informed of on how to really do it now.
- Sometimes we treat the LORD’s instructions like he isn’t aware of our situation.
- Peter says, Nevertheless, at thy word (Randy has a great sermon on this called Nevertheless Obedience)
- A miracle catch
- What happened to them because of their obedience? Enclosed a great multitude…net brake…filled both the ships…astonished and all that were with him…
- When Peter got a taste of the word of God he said I am a sinful man. Peter recognizes his true condition. If you ever get a real glimpse of the LORD, you’ll be humbled.
- The better you know the LORD, the better you’ll know yourself.
- There is nothing better than to follow the LORD and see things work out just as He said.
It’s time to fish men (vss 9-11)
- Jesus ties this productive fishing to Peter’s new divine vocation, fishing men.
- Jeremiah prophesied that the LORD will send for many fishers and they shall fish them (Jeremiah 16:16). The prophet Jeremiah foretold of a group of fishers of men. Six hundred years after Jeremiah prophesied we find ourselves here.
- Jesus taught by parable that the heavenly kingdom of God’s economy was like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 13:47-50).
- The parable is a simple act of commercial fishing; cast the net, pull in the net when it’s full, then make the judgment of what’s a keeper and what’s not. What are the fish in this parable? The fish are men. The net is preaching.
- Notice the command, Fear not.
- Why? Because you’ll have to follow me, you won’t be able to continue the path you’re on.
- And leaving your boats and nets means loss. And loss is scary.
- The LORD Jesus says don’t be afraid. Whatever you’re losing here will be more than compensated in the coming kingdom.
- And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
- You’re now going to catch men.
- How will we catch them? Obediently and with clean nets. Broadcast the pure words of God so the LORD can gather men.
- What will we catch? Men of every kind like the parable said.
- Fishermen become fishers of men
- They forsook all and followed him. These men became disciples because of what they were willing to let go of for the sake of Christ.
- Two things are involved, forsaking and following. You can forsake without following, but you can’t follow without forsaking.
- Remember, fear not! Give God the benefit of your doubt. Trust him in spite of what you think is right or even how you feel about it.
