Answering The Call of the King | Luke 5:1–11

Jesus knew Peter, we know this from the previous story. Peter, though at this time not a follower, saw Jesus as a teacher and saw him heal his mother-in-law from a fever.  

Jesus comes to the Lake, also known as the Sea of Galilee or the Sea of Tiberias, where the fishermen are tending their nets following a night of fishing. Fishing in this region was an essential part of life. Located on the Via Maris, a central trading route between Mesopotamia and Egypt, Capernaum was an important stop for resupply and for trade. Its fish, particularly tilapia (often called "St. Peter’s fish"), sardines, and carp, providing a reliable food source and trade commodity, would be salted or dried and sold to travelers.  

So Jesus, who has shown the kingdom's authority over the spiritual needs of the Demoniac, and physical needs in the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law, now steps into the personal life of these men and presents himself again.  

Fishing With Messiah (vv. 4-7)

So the scene is set. Here we have Jesus, preaching to the crowds who have come to hear him, and probably to see the healings done by him. The crowd so presses against him, he sits in one of the ships, using the water as a natural amphitheater, projecting his words to the crowd.

On the shore, near the crowd, but focused on their work are Peter, Andrew, James and John. They had spent all night fishing the waters, attempting to fill their boat with fish to sell but to no avail.

And then Jesus gives a request:

Messiah's Request

Men hate to be told what to do. Especially when they think they know what their doing. Nothing will grate a persons nerves more than being told by someone who has no experience how to do something they’ve done a thousand times.

I remember as a parent having friends with no kids begin well meaning suggestions with, "Well what you need to do is..."

Though I don't remember ever going into a rage, I often filed those suggestions in the round file and ignored them. 

Recently commentator, Matt Walsh on his daily cancelation was evaluating relationship advice given by a 22 year old woman, and his response was, "If you haven't been married happily for at least 10 years, if you're someone who has never been married, ever, or has never had a relationship that has lasted at least a decade, you have no place to give anyone relationship advice... and if you do this, you are cancelled."

So I can only imagine what Peter felt as Jesus, a teacher and a carpenter gave him advice on fishing, "Did you catch anything? Did you try fishing on the other side of the boat." My tendency towards sarcasm almost immediately can hear Peter say, "Oh! Is that what I need to do Mr. Nail Driver, Mr. Cabinet maker?"

It's a bold, demanding request, to say the least. Jesus was asking a man who had not slept all night, who had spent the night dragging in empty nets, to beach the boat, load a thousand pounds of wet nets, row out to deep water, and circle around while setting the net—all at midday.

And yet, Peter responds in the way that I want to respond to Jesus' commands: "Master, we labored all night and caught nothing, but at Your word, I will let down the nets.” 

You See, Jesus wasn’t just concerned with their Spiritual bondage. Nor was he simply concerned with their physical needs. Jesus was concerned with them.

Jesus stepped into their lives, and displayed his power in the mundane, in the day to do, in the simple. He showed them His power, and in a display of his divine power, Jesus transforms Peter's life.  

And if you let him today. He can transform yours too.

REALIZE Who Jesus is

Simon, faced with Jesus' omniscience and power realizes who he is standing before. Simon is the first disciple to recognize and proclaim Jesus as the living God, and though he probably does not fully understand who Jesus is here.

Romans 10:9–10 ESV

because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

Salvation begins with a confession. The story of Palm Sunday, and Easter morning is the story of what we will do with Jesus.

And for Peter, when he saw the power of Jesus he responds in fear and worship.

Luke 5:8 ESV

But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”

RECOGNIZE Your Sin

In light of his realization of Jesus' divinity, what Peter expresses a deep sense of  unworthiness and fear in the presence of the Holy One.

We see this in v. 9. The word for astonished is actually 2 words and means to be seized by astonishment, to be encircled by astonishment. Peter and those with him were overwhelmed with wonder and fear.

I believe, if we're not careful, we can miss who we're with. There's an old saying that familiarity breeds contempt.

I’m a music lover, and I love all kinds of music. And one of my favorite things to do is listen to interviews of musicians, and history about their music. Recently, a very popular musician, Mike Shinoda from the band Linkin Park was giving an interview as a way to promote his band’s new album. And in that interview he recounted a funny story.

(Show video of Mike Shinoda talking to his daughter about guitar.)

Isn’t that like us sometime? We know Christ is there, but because we know him, we sometimes miss who he is. And that is dangerous.

If we're going to be disciples who make disciples it begins with a recognition of who we are in light of who Jesus is. 

And that always leads to repentance.

RESPOND in Obedience

Peter's response is to follow Jesus. It's not just a call, it's a specific call, a call to leave everything and everyone behind and follow Him. 

* Follow me - Jesus's call is for us to follow Him. A disciple of Jesus is a follower of Jesus

* I will make You - Jesus' call is to transformation. A disciple of Jesus is being transformed by Jesus.

* Fisher's of Men - Jesus' call is to a mission. A disciple of Jesus is On Mission with Jesus.

Verse 10 tells us

Luke 5:11 ESV

And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.

This is the call Jesus is making to us today. Yesterday, we passed out over 400 door knockers in our neighborhoods, but I purposefully kept 100 out. Why? Because Jesus is calling us, Truitt Church, to be on Mission with Him.

Today, as you leave, you will be given a door knocker and asked to share it with someone else. It may be a family member, a neighbor, a stranger. You may just give it to the waitress at the restaurant after church. But we, church, are called to a mission. But I wonder, Jesus, the Messiah, is calling to Peter. He's calling him to something greater, but there were others there, others that heard Christ's message. Others who heard the call to follow Jesus. How many heard that day and did not go?

Will you?