LET DOWN YOUR NET (Luke 5:1-11)

Praise the Lord, I want to thank the Pastor for allowing me the opportunity to minister the word to you all this afternoon

I also want to give thanks to my wife for allowing me the time to pursue the things of God to spend the time I do with God comes at a sacrifice to her and my family and I wanted to make sure to share that.

Lastly but first and foremost, I want to give thanks to God for blessing me throughout the construction of this message. Putting this message together was a very enjoyable blessing and I pray that you all are blessed in receiving it this evening.

Let us go into prayer:

WE THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO BE IN THIS PLACE IN ONE ACCORD SEEKING YOU PRAISING YOU AND BLESSING YOU. I ASK THAT YOU BLESS US WITH YOUR WORD AND REVELATION THIS DAY.

New American Standard Bible (2020) Chapter 5

1 Now it happened that while the crowd was pressing around Him and listening to the word of God, He was standing by the lake of Gennesaret; 2 and He saw two boats lying at the edge of the lake; but the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets. 3 And He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little distance from the land. And He sat down and continued teaching the crowds from the boat. 4 Now when He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 Simon responded and said, “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets.” 6 And when they had done this, they caught a great quantity of fish, and their nets began to tear; 7 so they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both of the boats, to the point that they were sinking. 8 But when Simon Peter saw this, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” 9 For amazement had seized him and all his companions because of the catch of fish which they had taken; 10 and likewise also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not fear; from now on you will be catching people.” 11 When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him.

I want to take some time to walk us through this passage tonight.

Our passage, begins in the village of Gennesaret, at the shore lines of sea of Galilee, this is where we find a multitude of people surrounding Jesus.

At this point in Jesus’s ministry, word was already getting around of the miracles He had done throughout Galilee.

Rumors and sightings of the sick being healed and the demon possessed being set free had begun to make their rounds.

Who is this Jesus of Nazareth, who is this man that speaks with such authority.

The multitude and this world had never witnessed anything like Jesus Christ!

the Word of God says the multitude pressed all around Jesus, eager to hear the word of God, eager to receive a healing, eager to receive a miracle.

In that moment, the multitude of people were hungry for a change in their lives, they felt as though they couldn’t get close enough to Jesus.

Church,

I wonder this evening, when were desperate for a change in our lives,

when were hungry for a miracle in our lives,

how desperate are we to get to God!

To what extent are we willing to go.

Throughout the Bible we read beautiful testimonies of the lengths people have gone to reach Christ.

I ask,

Are we desperate to press through the crowd to get ahold of Jesus tonight!

I can recall an instance in the Bible of a women named Esther, Esther in danger of losing her life was in a dire situation, in her dilemma, she sought the Lord!

She sought the Lord because her life depended on it, she fasted 3 days! I wonder if we can get in the mindset that no matter how big the crowd, no matter how much we have going on, no matter how great the cost, I’ve got to get ahold of Jesus! I’m going to get ahold of Jesus!

I going to push past this heap of flesh to get to my creator!

We need to be just as desperate to get ahold of God at all cost, because our lives depend on it!

Amen,

The word of God goes on to say Jesus saw 2 boats laying on the shore. with the multitude pressing on all sides of Jesus, one could assume the boats seemed to be the perfect avenue to draw some type of separation between the multitude and himself.

As he got into Peter’s boat he had asked him to push him off shore a bit, prior to continuing His teaching.

It was important for Jesus to minister the word of God.

You see Jesus was on a mission that day, as said in prior verses:

“I must also preach the kingdom of God to the other cities, because I was sent for this purpose.”

Church, the people wanted the miracles, the people were hungry to see the miraculous, but Jesus did not intend for our walks to be all miracles, signs, and wonder’s, Jesus came to feed us spiritually!

We Praise God for the miracles, signs, and wonders, I believe for it that they shall come to pass! In the Name of Jesus.

But our Lord, He came to feed those in hunger! God was feeding the the multitudes before He had ever asked the disciples to feed the multitudes!

Amen,

The word of God would go onto say: “Now when He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”

If I may paraphrase, Jesus Said to Go out into DEEP WATERS PETER!

5 Simon responded and said, “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets.”

Simon-Peter had responded to Jesus as Master, in this context Peter had not quite made Jesus Lord in his life.

At the time Peter knew Jesus through his brother Andrew. The book of John 1:40-42 we see the account of Peter first meeting Jesus.

We know Peter had not fully commited to following Jesus Christ as he had returned to his fishing nets. In the proceeding verses we will see the God effect, we will see Peter changed, pay close attention!

In this moment, while Jesus stood on the boat, Peter was not completely commited to following Christ, but nonetheless he obeyed. Despite conditions not being right for fishing, and last night being a total waste, Peter submitted to the Lord and let down his net.

You see, Peter was willing.

Despite the terrible luck he had last night, and it now being the absolute worst part of the day to fish,

He listened to the voice of the Lord.

He submitted to the voice despite logically thinking that it was a waste of time.

When God asks us to submit and be obedient, sometimes out of obedience we go into deep water’s.

That day Jesus Preached, the miracle was not given at the shore line, the miracle were given in deep water!

Sometimes our minds can’t make sense of the direction God is trying to guide us, amen.

Let me tell you, its perfectly fine that you can’t make sense of everything God is guiding you to do, but Can I tell you today If we have a faith to go out into the deep waters to meet God, God can provide the miracle! When God is with us nothing is impossible!

The word of God goes on to say:

6 And when they had done this, they caught a great quantity of fish, and their nets began to tear;

THE WORD SAYS, PETER LET DOWN HIS NET! Little did Peter know that upon making that decision to GO TO DEEP WATERS AND TO LET DOWN HIS NET, that he would be tremendously blessed for it!

When Peter let down his net Church, he soon found out:

Last night was not that morning !

He found out that this day was a new day!

Peter you aren’t in deep water alone anymore,

Peter today your fishing with the Creator of the Waters and the Fish!

Amen!

So the word says:

7 …they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both of the boats, to the point that they were sinking.

The Word of God is true Church.

Malachi 3:10

The New King James Version Chapter 3

10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,

That there may be food in My house,

And try Me now in this,”

Says the LORD of hosts,

“If I will not open for you the windows of heaven

And pour out for you such blessing

That there will not be room enough to receive it.

The principal of the text is true, we have to let down our nets!

We have to try God!

We have to go out into deep waters!

We cannot expect God to put the fish in the boat without casting the net!

WE CANNOT EXPECT NEW CONVERTS IF WE NEVER SOW SEED

WE CANNOT EXPECT NEW MEMBERS IF WE DON’T INVITE

WE CANNOT EXPECT SALVATION IF WE NEVER HAVE FAITH TO STEP OUT INTO DEEP WATERS TO CAST THE NET.

We have to cast the Net brothers and Sisters.

Jesus was not asking much from Peter in this Moment but due to Peter’s obedience to what Jesus was asking, God had something to work with.

Once we begin to try God, our God is faithful! Just as Peter had no room to receive his blessing, God still blesses us the same today!

Our God operates the same Today!

Church we don’t know the extent of the blessing we will receive.

Peter was beyond blessed, You want to talk about right place right time. Because of Peter’s obedience John and James recieved the overflow! The word of God says, to the point that both boats were sinking! Not only did this act of obedience change Peter’s life but also John, and James’.

Upon receiving the fish into the boat The Word of God Goes onto say:

8 But when Simon Peter saw this, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!”

Luke Call of the First Disciples

Peter, Knocked off his task of saving his boat and collecting his fish stops what he’s doing and bows before Jesus. In words full of respect and awe, he asks Jesus to

Amen,

But,

God did not come manifested in the flesh to earth for those that are perfect.

The Gospel of mark says:

The New King James Version Chapter 2

“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

God knew Peter’s heart and knew about every sin Peter had ever done prior to asking him to go out into deep waters.

Prior to asking him to let down his net Jesus knew the very depths of his heart.

God calls us when we were in our darkness moments and loves us just as much today as he did the day he called us out of darkness!

We may not have everything figured out. We may not have the full understanding of the word of God,

and we may still slip up from time to time. But God is faithful to forgive.

God is faithful to Love.

God is Faithful to Restore.

We can’t let the mistakes of today or tomorrow keep us from going out into deep waters with Christ.

Jesus would go onto tell Peter: “Do not fear; from now on you will be catching people.” 11 When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him.

I’ll close with this.

That sinner at the feet of Jesus would go onto walk with Him the Messiah physically, in the flesh for 3 years.

During that time with Jesus, Peter would go onto witness many miracles, signs, and wonders!

Although despite being a witness, walking with Christ, walking on water, and leaving everything behind, Peter was not perfect.

Despite the imperfections and lack of belief at times Peter would come to Repent, Peter would come to fully believe.

Peter would go onto preaching one of the greatest revival messages this world has ever heard.

Acts 2:38 Says:

The New King James Version Chapter 2

38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

40 And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.”

41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.

I want to ask you today, for those who haven’t been baptized in the water in the name of Jesus Christ,

or maybe baptized incorrectly under the name of the father, son, and holy ghost, or sprinkling of water.

If your ready for a new chapter, If your ready to repent of your sins.

If you believe that God manifested Himself in the flesh and that Jesus Christ died and rose again.

If you believe Jesus Christ is God Almighty and you receive this message, I welcome you to talk with pastor after this message and I assure you,

we’ll make arrangements to get you baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.

The word of God says, “About 3000 souls were added” that day, and let me tell you Heaven greatly rejoiced!

Church, even if 1 soul should be added tonight, I can assure you, Heaven would greatly rejoice!

Our walks with Christ aren’t going to be perfect, not one of us here today is perfect. Peter was not perfect.

Having said that, this does not give us a pass to sin willingly and abuse Gods grace,

But in this truth we can rest assured,

If we keep moving forward, if keep coming back to Jesus Christ, if we keep seeking Christ!

The Lord our God is faithful to pour out a blessing that we will have no room to receive.

Amen!

Praise Be to our God!