Luke 5:1-11 "Following Jesus"

Let’s Pray!

Good Morning, Calvary Chapel Lake City!

Welcome to 2026… may the Lord bless and prosper you in this season!

May this be the year our Lord returns!

But… as we wait… let us be faithful to make disciples and preach the Gospel… to be wise stewards of all the Lord has entrusted to us… until He comes.

So let’s now get equipped… as we open our Bibles to Luke 5. Luke 5:1-11.

In Luke’s Gospel, thus far, he devoted the first two chapters to the birth story and childhood of Jesus…

… who Luke described as “…strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him”…

Luke also noted, “Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”

If you didn’t land on a New Year’s resolution… maybe resolve in 2026 to to be growing… to be filled with wisdom… to praise God for His grace… and to increase in favor with God and men.

Those are solid and biblical… and I would wish that for all of us in 2026.

Luke continued his narrative about Jesus… and around age 30… Jesus was baptized, tempted… qualifying Jesus early as Messiah…

And then in the power of the Spirit… Jesus returned to Galilee where He demonstrated His power and authority through teaching the word… casting out demons… and healing many infirmities.

Landing in Capernaum, but departing to preach the kingdom of God to other cities in Galilee as well.

Today, we pick up in Luke 5 where a multitude of people gather at the Sea of Galilee…

Where Jesus will call some of His first disciples… in a message titled, “Following Jesus.”

A most appropriate message for our first Sermon of 2026.

Following Jesus… and obeying Him in 2026… another great resolution for the New Year.

And… in reverence for God’s word, if you are able, please stand as I read our passage.

Luke 5:1–11 but just verse 1-4 to set the scene… “So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, 2 and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. 3 Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.

4 When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”

Praise God for His word. Please be seated.

V1 opens with a beautiful scene… Jesus is teaching the word of God with a lakeside backdrop and a great crowd of people who press in to hear the word of God.

This is something I appreciate about those who attend Calvary Chapel churches… it’s the word of God that they press into.

Enduring sound doctrine as opposed to so many in these last days who turn away from the truth… and turn aside to fables.

And please hear the word of God, and keep it.

Jesus said in Luke 8:21 “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.”

And again in Luke 11:28 “… blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”

And obeying the word and calling of God will be thematic in our teaching today… and should be consistent in our very lives.

Jesus is at the Lake of Gennesaret… which is one of several names for the Sea of Galilee.

Throughout history, this ‘lake’… was known by the most dominant lake city.

The oldest OT name was the “Sea of [Kinnereth] Chinnereth” seen in Num 34:11 & Josh 13:27.

This city was on the Northwestern shore of the lake… it’s name in Hebrew means “harp.”

In the NT, this same city was renamed “Gennesaret” which in Greek also means “harp.”

When John wrote his Gospel around 85-95 A.D.… Tiberius was the dominant city… thus in John 6:1 and 21:1 we read of the “Sea of Tiberius.”

But, most commonly, we simply read of the “Sea of Galilee” which reflects the broader region surrounding the lake.

So, it was here… that many were pressing to hear Jesus teach the word of God…

vv2-3 Jesus “… saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. 3 Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.”

Jesus recognizes the need to put a little distance between Himself and the crowd in order to have a ‘decent and orderly’ teaching.

In Jesus’ day… there was an anticipation of great things…

News was going out that Messiah was in their midst… the healer… the deliverer… the One who taught with authority…

Thus, people pressed in on Jesus and He needed some space…

The people were ‘spiritually famished’… they were hungry for truth… like many people today.

Of course, some had selfish motives… just wanting free bread… or wanting a political Messiah to free Israel from Rome.

In Luke 17 ten lepers are healed by Jesus… nine of them went their way…

Just one of them (a Samaritan) returned and glorified God… falling down on his face at Jesus’ feet.

Still… the reality that the people pressed upon Him… it shines a spotlight on the excitement of people wanting to hear from and be close to Jesus… despite mixed motives.

And Jesus notices two boats “standing by the lake”… “two empty boats at the water’s edge”…

The fishermen were washing their nets… likely of seaweed… but not of fish for they caught nothing that night.

One of these boats was Simon’s… “Simon Peter” he’s called 17x in the Gospels and once in 2 Peter 1:1 “Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ…”

A dichotomous position of servant leadership he no doubt grew into.

Simon was his given name… Jesus gave him the name Peter Gk. “Petros” (or in Aramaic “Cephas”)… both meaning “rock”… pointing to whom Jesus would transform him into.

And Jesus got into Peter’s boat… and on this day… Peter’s boat becomes Jesus’ pulpit.

How wonderful is it when we are open handed to the Lord with our possessions?

He can take and use what we offer… transforming our property into tools for righteousness.

He can multiply what we have… and reward us and grow our faith as we yield all to Him.

Jesus asks Peter to ‘push the boat out into the water’… then Jesus sat down… and taught.

Often we read in scripture that the teacher would stand to preach… and sit to teach.

If I had a stool tall enough… I might follow this pattern.

But at 5’10”… if I sit… it’s a little awkward… from your perspective… you’ll see a lot of pulpit and a floating head…

So I stand to teach.

We don’t have this teaching of Jesus… how long was it? what did He teach about?

The ‘kingdom of God’ was what He said He would “preach” at the close of chapter 4…

Is this what He would also teach?

Teaching is instruction and preaching is proclaiming and there’s a place for both.

Matthew 4:23 tells us Jesus was teaching and preaching in Galilee…

Acts 5:42 states the Apostles, “… did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.”

Paul told Timothy 2 Timothy 4:2 “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.”

This is the model… this is the calling… instruct and proclaim… not just one or the other, but both…

Appeal to the mind… appeal to the soul…

Stir both and equip the saints… in messages that focus upon Jesus and lessons in the word.

It’s the word that set’s us apart and conforms us into the image of the Son. Jesus prayed in John 17:17 “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.”

And look… especially if you’re listening online… if your going to a church that’s not teaching and preaching the word… that’s not “rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim 2:15) and ‘declaring the whole counsel of God’ (Acts 20:27)… teaching “precept upon precept, line upon line” (Isa 28:10)…

You need to find another church. I don’t care how good the coffee is… I don’t care if that’s where your friends are… or if they have a playground… or if the worship is amazing… or if the message feels good…

These are all secondary to how the saints are equipped… and we see how Jesus was equipping the people…

Jesus rebuked Satan’s temptations stating in Luke 4:4, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’ ”

And, right here in V3… Jesus feeds His sheep… “He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.”… the word of God they were pressing in to hear.

Moving on… we see a powerful and personal moment… where Jesus finishes His teaching and turns His attention from the multitudes to the fishermen.

Look again at Luke 5:4 “When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.””

I almost titled this sermon “Launch out into the deep”… for is this not what any one of us does when we “Follow Jesus.”

Jesus knows all… and demonstrates this multiple times in the Gospels where He ‘knows the thoughts’ of those with Him… and even exposes their doubts or motives.

No doubt Jesus knows here what Simon will tell Him in V5 that they “have toiled all night and caught nothing”, and yet Jesus will call them to obedience to His word… and to take a step of faith.

And quite literally… Jesus tells them to “launch out into the deep…”… sail out to where the lake is deep… cast your nets and there will be a catch.

This is prophetic. Jesus doesn’t say, “Maybe you’ll catch something”… or “Perhaps the fish are schooling now...”

He speaks with certainty… he directs them to where the fish are running.

Launch out and you will catch.

I appreciate how, here in Luke 5, Jesus will first lead His disciples in the deep… during the calm waters of day…

Because twice later… He leads them into violent storms at night… trials designed to help the disciples move from…

Questioning… “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?” in Luke 8.

TO proclaiming in Matt 14, “Truly You are the Son of God.”

Jesus leads them into the deep… easing them in with the calm of the day at first… but rough storms later…

To reveal who Jesus is… and deepen their faith in Him.

And figuratively… does not this simple instruction to ‘launch into the deep’ tie to the Great Commission commands Jesus left us?

“Make disciples”… “Preach the Gospel.”

Launching into the deep of the world… in our Jerusalem… Judea and Samaria… and the uttermost ends of the earth…

Can we not anticipate… a “great catch”… a harvest of souls as we do?

Not if we serve by our own power and strength and wisdom, but as we are guided by God… and cast our nets where and when He directs.

The opportunity for a great catch… is vast.

When Jesus was travelling through Samaria and ministered to the Samaritan woman at the well… she went and told the people in town of Jesus’ words… and considered “Could this be the Christ?”

And Jesus looked up and saw a crowd coming to Him and in John 4:35, He said to His disciples, “Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!”

Later when Jesus sent the seventy… He said, Luke 10:2 “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

Can we not anticipate a harvest?… and play our part in sowing or reaping?

Jesus said both the sower and the reaper “may rejoice together.”

I encourage you… in 2026 “Launch out into the deep”… and see what Jesus does.

God so often works… not in the shallows, but in the deep where it stretches us… and is a little frightening…

It will cause us to not rely on ourselves, but to lean on and cry out to God.

And ‘launching out into the deep’ may look a little different for each person…

Jesus may call one to persistent intercessory prayer for others…

Jesus may call one to missions abroad…

Or to pour into their family… making disciples of their kids or grandkids…

Witnessing to people at work… at school…

Be open to how the Holy Spirit leads… and walk through the doors God opens for you to be a witness to Christ.

On New Year’s eve… the roads were terribly icy… and my son had a car accident… he was only driving 25mph, but the truck began fishtailing and 180’ed into the opposite lane… striking an oncoming vehicle… and both vehicles were totaled.

Not the way any of us wanted to end 2025…

But, I got on the scene quickly… and as the dust settled… I was able to pray with the woman in the other vehicle… and pray with the police officers…

And debrief as a family… giving our kids space to talk as it was a jarring experience… and comforting my son that the same has happened to me… even driving slow recently.

Launching out into the deep is sometimes just the grace we show… and not allowing the flesh to rise up… but to treat every moment as spiritual… and see what God will do.

So, launch out… anticipating that God will move… and “let down your nets for a catch.”

And look… I appreciate the disciples response… we read in V5… Peter is an honest skeptic, but is willing to obey…

Look at V5 “But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.”

Simon Peter speaks what everyone else is thinking… we do love Peter… he’s so relatable.

Here he let’s the carpenter Jesus know the professional fishermen worked hard at casting their nets through the night… and it was not a good night… they caught nothing…

And now Jesus tells them to cast again during the day and in the deep.

But, the best catching is done at night and in the shallow.

And yet… Peter complies… first calling Jesus “Master”… indicating submission to Jesus’ authority.

And saying, “nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.”

And God can work with a humble heart. One who is humble, and open to instruction, and obeys…

This is one who is not so full of themselves… they have room for God to move and direct them.

And notice Peter shares His skepticism… “I don’t think this plan will work… nevertheless I will obey your command.”

God can handle our skepticism, but also expects our obedience.

And when we walk according to His will… then we get the privilege of being part of the miracle… and we grow our faith…

And this is what happens with the disciples… God moves as they obey…

vv6-7 “And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. 7 So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.”

So… no doubt this is a miraculous catch… a massive catch that caused nets to tear… and pushed the boats to capacity… they were so weighed down they were on the verge of sinking.

I have a two slides of a first century Galilean fishing boat…

… which were 26 feet in length by 7’ wide and 4’ deep… about the length of a delivery truck… not a fishing kayak.

They could transport a max of 15 people safely (as we see 4-5x in the Gospels with Jesus and His disciples… 13 sailing across the Galilee).

A crew for net fishing was 5-7 men… on par with John 21 where 7 disciples were fishing.

A safe weight limit for fishing was the crew plus 600-2000 pounds of fish… and being the boat in Luke 5 was beginning to sink… they were beyond this safe threshold.

For a boat this size to begin taking on water… their payload of fish would be about 2,000 -2,200 lbs.

That’s a lot of fish… and remember… Jesus directed them to the deep… they were really being stretched.

So they signal their business partners for help… no doubt waving their arms and shouting for an assist…

Two of these partners… James and John are listed by name in V10…

In 1986 a well preserved Galilean fishing boat was discovered in the lake… today it’s on display in a museum on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee.

And this archeological find supports the dimensions… and capacity estimates we discussed.

And nets tearing… and boats on the brink of sinking because of a great catch… these are the best of problems for fishermen.

And so often this is the way it is in following the Lord… problems arise, but they are shrouded in purpose… in kingdom building… in disciple making… in delightful blessing… and so forth.

Though… they may put you on the brink… you may feel at capacity, but this is great for it causes you to cry out to the Lord.

Breaking us of self-reliance… and causing us to trust in the Lord.

And this catch… it would serve many purposes…

It demonstrates Jesus’ authority over creation…

Psalm 8:6 declares, “You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet,”

Which testified of Messiah… who clearly was on display in our scene here in Luke.

This great catch will also serve to build the faith of the fishermen in following Jesus…

Which was a process… not a call Jesus just spoke one time.

And it will become a stone of remembrance to renew the disciples calling post resurrection.

You may recall the scene in John… where after Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection… the disciples return to the Galilee… went fishing and caught nothing.

And Jesus called out to them from the shore John 21:6-7, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish. 7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved [John] said to Peter, “It is the Lord!”

Full circle Jesus brings them back… and in the scene following… He renews Peter’s calling “Feed My lambs.”

When God grants miracles… so often they serve a purpose.

My wife and I would testify that in the Summer of 2012 each of us received a miracle.

Her miraculous healing of a 2.5 foot long blood clot… just one month after her first sonogram…

And my full deliverance from alcoholism in a moment… at a baptism… and subsequent understanding and passion for the word.

And both miracles served to build our faith and lead into our calling for ministry… and have served as stones of remembrance.

God is still moving… and still working… as He did then… still today. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (Heb 13:8)… and His will be done.

And I tell you… when you live a life unworthy of His calling… and He calls you anyway…

When you realize the grace of God despite your unworthiness… you cry out like Peter does here in V8…

vv 8-9 “When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” 9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken;...”

While I’m sure some were hooting and hollering… joyful and amazed at the great catch.

Something in Peter’s heart broke… why did he deserve this great blessing? This grace?

Perhaps he felt convicted for doubting Jesus and being skeptical… perhaps even a little snarky… perhaps he reflected on his life and unclean lips and is broken by the grace of God.

When Isaiah received his vison of the Lord sitting on a throne… in Isaiah 6:5 he cried out, “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts.”

When Paul reflected on His life, He wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:9 “For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.”

And then in the following verse Paul nailed it… 1 Corinthians 15:10 “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”

And that really encapsulates God’s calling… it is grace… and Paul didn’t take it for granted, but worked hard… not for salvation, but because of salvation… which he attributed as further grace.

John 1:16 beautifully states, “And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.”

Some picture ‘grace for grace’ as waves crashing on the shore… one wave after another after another… after another… grace followed by grace… followed by more grace.

This is the calling of God… and Paul credited all to grace… “I labored… yet not I, but the grace of God...”

And Peter recognizes the disparity between his life and the grace of God.

Something pierces him to ‘fall down at Jesus’ knees’ (which is massively humbling)… and cry out, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”

I wonder if Peter… in this moment… was like the tax collector in the parable Jesus told in Luke 18.

You know the parable… Luke 18:10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.”

Was Peter like the tax collector… who stood afar off… would not raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast sayin, “God, be merciful to me a sinner!”

Jesus told that parable to “some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others...”

Peter demonstrates he was NOT self-righteous, but broken and humble.

Jesus said of the tax collector in Luke 18:14 "I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

When Jesus spoke of the stone which the builders rejected… the chief cornerstone… speaking of Himself… Messiah…

He said in Luke 20:18 “Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.” [speaking about judgment for unbelief].

But, the humble believer who falls on Messiah… trusting in Him… knowing that only He can forgive our sin… he will be broken in the best of ways… in his humility He will be raised up.

Which is a grace experienced in our justification… where we are saved positionally… and more grace follows in our walk… in our sanctification…

And Peter is in the throws of realizing all the grace bestowed upon him… and he breaks before… and falls upon the Lord…

Again in V8 we read… “… he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”

This moment of humility is a certain ‘high moment’… a ‘highlight’ in Peter’s early days of his walk with Christ.

For all the times he will put his foot in his mouth (just as we do), there are these moments where we can admire Peter’s walk of faith.

And with him in the fishing business… V10…

V10 “… and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.”

Peter, James, and John will become Jesus’ inner circle of three disciples…

They were His closest disciples in some of the most intimate moments throughout the Gospel accounts (the Transfiguration, the raising of Jairus’ daughter, the agony and prayer at the Garden of Gethsemane)…

And here in Luke 5 we read of one of their calls to follow Jesus… following a great catch.

Jesus is often called the “Master Teacher”… for many reasons… one being that He incorporated His surroundings and related life to those who heard Him.

He spoke about the lilies of the field and the birds of the air during the Sermon on the Mount… both which were no doubt in sight as He taught from a hillside.

And here in Luke 5… after people pressed to hear the word of God… He gets in the boat of Peter… taught the multitudes from the boat…

And will incorporate the boat… instructions to launch out into the deep and cast their nets… despite the failed catch of the night, and contrary to where and when the pro fishermen would fish…

And the fishermen and all those on shore would witness the miracle… but only three are named here… Peter, James and John…

And one is singled out… whose heart is exposed… and he cries out knowing he cannot measure up to the Lord.

He recognizes his sinful state… he humbles himself on his knees… he feels unworthy and asks the Lord to depart from him.

And Jesus must have looked down at Peter… tender moment… to assure him.

He says to him first… interesting, “Do not be afraid…”

How often… when fear is in our hearts… do we push people away?

Fearful of being exposed… fearful of people seeing who we truly are… fearful of so many things…

And Jesus sees it all in Peter… He knows the heart of man… and Jesus doesn’t forsake Peter, He assures Peter who may have been wrestling with what sort of man he was…

A fisherman… a sinner… an “uneducated and untrained man” (Acts 4:13)… an impulsive man who often acted first and thought later…

He does the math and he does not add up… not in his mind… of being a worthy disciple.

But God measures man differently… He chooses the foolish things of the world to confound the wise so He gets all the glory…

When choosing David… the LORD said to Samuel in 1 Samuel 16:7 “… the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

In this New Year… know this. Be reminded of this. You are not worthy of God’s calling upon your life… and yet in grace…

He calls us… He chooses us… and He says, “Do not be afraid…”

I imagine smiling… and with tender love… Jesus looked into Peter’s eyes to assuage his fears…

And Jesus tells this professional fishermen… “From now on you will catch men.”

And what can one say to this?

Add it all up… Jesus’ teaching… plus His miraculous command to cast and catch… demonstrating His omniscience and divinity over creation…

All supporting His proclamation “From now on you will catch men.”

Not maybe… by “you will”… catch men (lit. “to take men alive”)

It’s the same phrase used for taking a prisoner in war instead of killing them.

And no doubt Peter, James and John were entering a war… a spiritual battle for the souls of men.

The same battle we fight today… the same war waged against the flesh, the world, and the Satanic armies of darkness that pollute the minds of mankind towards unbelief.

We have been commissioned to “make disciples” and “preach the Gospel”… and have been equipped by the word of God… and empowered to be witnesses by the Holy Spirit.

In 2026… make it your aim to wage war… to fight the good fight… doing so with the whole armor of God… and the name of Jesus Christ.

The disciples, Peter, James, and John… this day in Luke 5 was one of the best… if not the best day of fishing in their entire careers…

And they could have cashed in… they could have tried to delay and say to Jesus… “I will catch men with you after we go to market…”

We’ll read in Luke 9… how one would say “Lord, I will follow You wherever you go.”

And Jesus told him the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head… the road is hard and inconvenient.

Jesus said to another, “Follow Me.”

But, he was not willing to leave his family.

Another said, “Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.”

But Jesus called for total commitment… not to look back, but to put your hand to the plow and do the work.

Those whom Jesus said “Follow Me” to… who answered with excuses and requests to delay… we hear nothing else about their stories…

But the disciples answer the call… and not only do we know them by name… they are well honored in eternity…

Even in eternity… in the New Jerusalem… the eternal city of God… Revelation 21:14 “Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.”

We’ll see that one day… and you can find out then who the 12th Apostle that replaced Judas Iscariot is… Paul or Matthias.

I used to think Paul… and I know the arguments for him…

But, after Matthias is appointed in Acts 1… and before Paul is called in Acts 9…

In Acts 6:2 we read, “Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables.”

Twelve were functioning as Apostles already in Acts 6.

That’s just free information… and you do with it as you wish… but we won’t know who is right until we read the names on those foundation stones.

But, back in our text… these three disciples… they don’t delay… they believe Jesus’ words and will now fish for men…

And there will be cost… they would leave career… leave family… all for the high calling of Christ.

Closing in V11 “So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.”

Seeing what they had seen… knowing who Jesus was… what did a great catch matter? What did career matter?

They bring the boats back to shore and were ruined of it all…

So “they forsook all and followed Him.”

Hey and here’s a consideration… Peter was married… How did Peter and his wife adjust to this call?

It would seem that Mrs. Cephas would also forsake all to follow Christ.

Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 9:5 “Do we have no right to take along a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?”

Cephas being Peter… a verse supporting the notion that Peter’s wife would travel with him on the missionary journeys… and be financially supported by the church… which is the context of that passage.

What sacrifice was this for her as well? She too… forsaking all to follow Jesus and be by her husband’s side.

I tell you… I love my wife. And God brought us together… for His glory.

I can’t imagine doing ministry with anyone else.

Not many are willing to say “yes” to forsaking all to follow Christ.

She was… and still is. She said ‘yes’ to forsaking my career… I used to have a six figure career where I qualified for 3-5 really nice vacation trips a year…

The 1099’s were not nice, but the trips were. But she… without hesitation… came alongside me to forsake that career… we sold or gave away almost all of our possessions…

And drove from Maryland to California with our four kids and dog… life minimalized to a minivan and trailer…

And then to the Philippines… Maryland… Indiana, where God has once again allowed us to put down roots.

I’ve been blessed by her… and I’m confident Peter was as well to have a ‘believing wife’… who would travel with him… and was worthy of being supported by the church.

Now… I want to point out that this calling in Luke 5… was not the first time Jesus called these disciples… especially Peter…

There were three distinct events where Jesus called Peter…

First in John 1, we see the initial encounter, where after Jesus’ baptism… John the baptism looked at Jesus walking and said to two of his disciples (Andrew and traditionally John)… “Behold the Lamb of God!”

And they followed Jesus… who asked them, “What do you seek?”

They replied, “Where are you staying?” and Jesus said, “Come and see.” And they remained with Him that day.

No doubt hearing many wonderful things…

Andrew found his brother and told Peter “We have found the Messiah” and brought him to Christ.

Jesus looked at him, He said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas.”

And the next day, Jesus would encounter Philip and Nathanael.

These were initial encounters… planting seeds moments… without full commitment… or appointment.

The Second Calling… which was similar, but notably different from our passage in Luke 5… and may have been just a few days prior…

Is seen in Mark 1:16–18, “And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 17 Then Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” 18 They immediately left their nets and followed Him.”

This is not the same event as the teaching on the boat in Luke 5… and the great catch… and Peter’s brokenness… truly forsaking all and following Jesus.

Here they follow Jesus… beginning to be His disciples…

Leaving their nets to follow Jesus… Maybe that’s someone’s 2026 resolution…

What "nets" might you need to drop?

And for the disciples… this leads to Luke 5… where there is an all out commitment.

And after they had been following Jesus for sometime… in Mark 3, and Luke 6… Jesus will pray all night to God… and official select and appoint Twelve Apostles.

And what this shows us is God’s calling for them… and His calling upon our lives is often progressive… from initial encounters… to calling as disciples… maybe a call to forsake all and follow Him… and officially being appointed into a role.

So be patient and gracious with yourself… and your faith walk…

Perhaps you feel unworthy like Peter, but Jesus sees you… and sees the potential in you… as He did Peter.

He calls not many wise or noble, but ordinary people who are living normal lives.

He steps into our lives when we are catching fish… counting taxes… maybe even on the road to Damascus with evil intentions in our heart.

And He expects what we read so often… an immediate and not delayed response…

“They followed Jesus.” John 1:37

“They immediately left their nets and followed Him.” Mark 1:18

“He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.” Matt 4:21-22

“… they forsook all and followed Him.” Luke 5:11

We read last week how Peter’s mother, upon being healed… “immediately she arose and served them.”

So, many warnings in scripture how God frowns upon a delayed response to serve and follow Him.

What could be more important? Take a walk with that this week.

Another time… Jesus warned about the cost of discipleship… as He addressed a crowd of people and His disciples in Mark 8:34–35 when He said,

“Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 35 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.”

Following Jesus means denying one self… this is self-sacrifice… yielding my plans, pursuits and preferences IF they stand in conflict with God’s plan for my life.

It’s dying to… or turning away from idolatry and lusts of the flesh.

For the person who desired to retain control of their life now… pushing off the calling of God… and prioritizing their own pursuits…

Jesus warns the believer they will lose their life… meaning they will suffer loss of reward at Jesus’ judgment seat… the Bema.

And for unbelievers… they will suffer the loss of eternal life.

But for those who answer the call to follow Jesus… what an amazing journey it is.

Experiencing the Holy Spirit convicting us as unbelievers of sin, righteousness and judgment.

Believing in Jesus Christ.

And by grace… Jesus will progressively call us to deepen our commitment to ‘come and see’… leave our nets… forsake all and follow Him… and official appoint us to a special calling He has for us.

Each stage requiring our obedience… and ever-deepening surrender during our journey to follow Jesus.

Let’s Pray!

What an appropriate message to begin this New Year… and now how appropriate for us to take communion… remembering all the Lord did and is doing in our lives… and to search ourselves.

Our communion passage is…

1 Cor 11:23-31 “...the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes. 27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 30 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.”

Please distribute the elements...

Communion is a time for us to look three directions…

We look back remembering Jesus’ sacrifice… His broken body and shed blood for the remission of our sins.

His new covenant. Salvation by faith through grace.

Look forward in hope of His imminent return… we proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes. He is coming.

This is also a time to look inward for a moment of self-examination…

To reflect on our treatment of other Christians… have we been loving… and unselfish… (per the context of Paul’s passage)?

Reflect and also confess to God any unconfessed sin.

Examine yourself… in order to partake in a worthy manner.

But, the reality is… none of us are worthy… so Praise Jesus… because only in Him have we been made worthy.

Once you have prayed… take the communion elements individually.

Our worship team will play one worship song, and then close us in prayer.

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If you have never accepted Jesus as Lord...

...either let the cup pass and do not partake in communion -or- the better option...

Pray and trust Jesus as your Savior today.

Believe that His death was the sufficient sacrifice for your sins.

… and then take communion.

Our prayer team will be available to pray with anyone who needs prayer as we close.

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