Failure to Success (Luke 5:1-11)

How many of us remember growing up, doing something we knew we shouldn’t have? All it took for me to get caught was for mom or dad to look at me. I was not a good criminal. I could do something wrong and all they had to do was look at me to know the truth. And a lot of the times, not only did they know what I had done, they knew a lot of things before I had even done them.

So what does all of this have to do with Jesus calling the first disciples

The First Disciples (Luke 5:1-11)

Jesus had come to a place on the shore of Lake Gennesarat (v.1)

Also called The Sea of Galilee

Fresh water

Where Jesus performed miracles such as feeding the masses, calming the storm and walking on water

He was preaching and the crowd began to press in on Him

We get the impression of a large gathering pressing in as to restrict His ability to deliver His message.

Jesus uses a boat for a pulpit (vv.2,3)

Two boats setting there as the fishermen had finished and were washing their nets

Jesus picks Simons boat [Peter] to get in to

He asked Peter to put out into the water a bit and then He began to preach

Peter as the captain, owner of the boat was willing to listen to the request of Jesus and to obey His request

This first request was somewhat insignificant

But Jesus was about to ask for more when Peter was ready.

While Jesus was preaching from Peter’s boat, Peter was a captive audience.

There was nowhere for him to go

When He had finished speaking (v.4)

After Jesus had finished preaching he asked Peter to go to the deep water and put down his net for a catch

Peter had obeyed the first request of Christ without objection (to go out just a bit)

He even allowed Christ to, in a sense, take over the boat

But now Jesus was asking Peter for more

To go out to the deep and drop his nets.

Peter’s Reluctance (v.5)

Peter was a fisherman by trade

He had fished these waters many times

Peter’s first reaction to Christ’s request was somewhat of a objection

Peter referred to Jesus as Master, a person of respect

We have fished all night and caught nothing

But then Peter submits to the request

It is in this part of Peter’s encounter with Jesus that he failed to understand who he was talking to

The Great Catch (v. 6,7)

The Great Catch was nothing shy of a divine miracle

It was know at that time, fish were caught in the sea of Galilee at night in shallow waters

The request Jesus made was in total contradiction of what Peter was accustomed to

All of these things coming together made clear to Peter just who he was dealing with

Peter Understands (v.8)

The first thing Peter does is to fall down at the feet of Jesus, call Him by what He truly is and wants separation from the conviction he was feeling

Peter called Him Lord

Tells Jesus to go away, I am a sinful man

Two things that Peter saw at the same time

Who Christ truly is

The severity of his own sin

he wanted to get away but couldn’t

Every bit of this was unfolding before the eyes of the crowd that had gathered to hear Jesus

A lot of times, it is our diminished view of the majesty of God that not only allows us to sin, but it also keeps us from coming to God, confessing our sins, and repenting from them

We will never have a proper perspective of the severity of sin in our lives until we have a proper perspective of the majesty of God

Do Not Fear (v.10)

Jesus reassures Peter

Jesus already knew everything there was to know about Peter

He also knew everything Peter was going to do

Jesus loved him and called him anyway

Jesus told Peter “From Now On”

This meant your past is clean

What you have done matters no more

And you now serve a different purpose

Peter did not break before Christ until he knew who he was dealing with

It was at that point he knew he stood transparent before the Son of God and all of his sins revealed

It was only when Peter had a proper perspective of who Christ was and acknowledged the sin in his own life that he fell on his face in shame

When we fail to do the same, is it because

We fail to understand the true Majesty of God and who He is

Or do we fail to understand the sin in our own lives

The truth is, God already knows what we’ve done, what we will do, and loved us enough to save us anyways.