June 19, 2021: Finding Hope, Luke 5:1-11 (NIV)

I’d like to invite you to pull out your Bibles and to open them to Luke 5:1-11. As you do so, I would like to say a word of “Welcome!” to you this morning! I know, it may seem a little crazy for the first Sunday preacher to be welcoming you, some of which are probably founding members of White Bluff, but hey, that will be one of my jobs each Sunday! Welcome to White Bluff, both those gathered in this worship space and those online. Also, Happy Father’s Day! While today will focus on our first Sunday together, it’s not lost on me what a special day this is for our Fathers and their families! I remember when Erin went into labor each time, and it’s been an adventure ever since. With Maddux, I was an Associate at Vineville in Macon and were standing in our house. We rushed to the hospital, but Erin insisted that we stop at Zaxby’s on the way. While I didn’t think that was the best course of action, guess what we did? We stopped at Zaxby’s! I learned another lesson that day. Don’t mess with a woman in labor! With Paxton, we induced and with Lennox, she called me while Paxton and I watched football… Ware Co. vs. Coffee Co. Several hours later, I held baby Lennox in my arms. All three are unique, but I wouldn’t change it for the world!

Let’s dive into the Scripture. Luke 5:1 begins...

5:1 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret,[a] the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. 2 He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.

4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”

5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”

6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.

Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

Hearing v. 8-10 again, today’s Scripture says - “8When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.”

Walking back through the Scripture:

Here are these tired fishermen that have done everything right, and still no luck on the lake. They are hopeless when it comes to catching fish… and this is their livelihood! Has that ever happened to you? When you’ve tried everything you possibly can, and yet you feel hopeless. That seems to be my story more often than not.

I’ve gone fishing with several people who have fish finders. A fish finder is so advanced that on the digital display, you can see the school of fish swimming underneath the boat. (It almost seems like cheating, doesn’t it?!) The idea is that if I were to drop my line in the right place with the right bait at the right depth, I will be almost a certainly will catch a fish. And yet, I seem to do better by simply dropping a cane pole with a cricket or a worm into a muddy pond and waiting until the brim, bass, or occasional catfish takes hold. Have you ever caught a catfish with a cane pole? Now that’s fun!

Getting back to Jesus and Simon, Jesus says, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”

I imagine that Simon and his companions weren’t really listening to what he was saying because they had lost all hope of catching a fish. They were tired and ready to go home. They had been absolute failures to this point and now Jesus wanted them to try again. Surely the men were thinking, “This must be the old ‘When you fall off the horse, get back up on it and try again!’ or whatever metaphor they said in Aramaic in their day.

In v. 5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” When they listened to Jesus, they immediately found hope! v. 6-7 tell us, 6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

Skipping to and hearing v. 9 again, it says For he (Simon) and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.

They were “Astonished!” In an instant, they went from hopeless to hope filled.

Foundational Question: Where can Hope be Found as Individuals, at White Bluff, and in the Savannah Community?

Foundational Truth #1 is this… All People Need Hope.

For many of us here today, we’ve been through a tough year and a half.

In our lives, we’ve fished where we know to fish, and we’ve come up empty. As a preacher, I often unknowingly watch television shows and listen to music with a pastor’s eye. Many say the same thing. In fact, NCIS Los Angeles, one of my television shows, decided to have what they called “a positive ending to the season”, because the dark ending that they had planned was just too dark in light of what everyone had been through over the past year. Other shows have had a similar season finale as well.

We need hope to heal from failures and disappointments. We need hope to bring us an even greater joy than we ever thought possible. We need hope that allows us to trust one another, especially after trust is broken.

Foundational Truth #2 is this… Everlasting Hope is Found in Christ Alone.

Finding and Keeping Hope is about letting Jesus tell us where to drop our line and knowing that when we listen to Him, the catch will be more abundant than we can ever imagine.

I love hymns. Through the years, many have been redone because of the timeless truths they carry. Here’s a familiar tune. Let’s say it as a prayer together:

Gracious God, My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus' blood and righteousness I dare not trust the sweetest frame But wholly lean on Jesus' name

On Christ the solid rock I stand All other ground is sinking sand All other ground is sinking sand

When darkness veils his lovely face I rest on His unchanging grace In every high and stormy gale My anchor holds within the veil

His oath, his covenant, his blood Supports me in the 'whelming flood When all around my soul gives way He then is all my hope and stay. AMEN.

Application #1) As individuals we find hope in the Jesus that lives in our hearts. - June 26 - Embrace and Transform

Countless childhood songs recount the hope found within us as we accept Jesus into our lives and the Holy Spirit indwells within our hearts and souls.

...Down in my heart, there’s a fountain flowing down in my heart.

…Deep and Wide, there’s a fountain flowing deep and wide.

…This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine. Hide it under a bushel, no! I’m gonna let it shine.

That’s why we call it “the joy of our salvation.” It’s because the day we make a personal and individual decision to follow Jesus, we find hope. I found the eternal hope found in a relationship with Jesus Christ on November 22, 1991 at the altar of Epworth by the Sea. It was at a Newsboys Concert, and it was the best day of my life. That’s saying a lot, considering my marriage to Erin and now the birth of my three children! But it’s true!

Maybe your life is a mess right now and you feel hopeless. While we do not want to live in hopelessness because it can lead to long term anxiety and depression, we all feel hopeless every now and then.

The good news is that as it says in Luke 5:30-32 (NIV), “30 But the Pharisees [PAUSE - Pharisees were those who were strict about the legalities of the law] and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”

31 Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

Application #2) As a church, White Bluff will need to grow… White Bluff will find an exhilarating hope as new people make this their church family and home. - July 4 - Equip

I did a search to find out about White Bluff’s history. Here is a brief history from the South Georgia Conference website:

“In 1958, Rev. Dr. Anthony Hearn and Rev. Thomas H. Johnson envisioned a new congregation on the south side of Savannah. With the help of Eddie Carter and Johnny Morgan, the property was secured on November 6, 1958. On Sunday, March 1, 1959, an organizational meeting was held and plans were set for a church to begin the next Sunday in the block building already located on the property. Rev. W. A. Kelley preached the first sermon and began a two-week revival. Sunday school started on March 15, 1959, with Mr. Fred Peacock as the superintendent. Charter night was held on March 25, 1959, with 109 charter members. The Woman's Society of Christian Service was organized on May 21, 1959, in the home of Mrs. Gene King. During the 1959 South Georgia Annual Conference, Rev. Thomas Johnson was assigned as the church's first pastor. MYF and Vacation Bible School were also held in 1959. The block building used as a sanctuary was expanded with the help of the men of the church and the cottage which was used for Sunday school classes received a new roof, porch and enclosed carport.  In the following years, more land was acquired. Groundbreaking for the first permanent building occurred on Sunday, June 18, 1961. The first building was a sanctuary/fellowship hall (now Horton Hall), a kitchen, Sunday school rooms, and restrooms. The block building was to remain the church's office and Sunday school rooms. The cottage was used for overflow classrooms. The consecration service was held on June 24, 1962, with Bishop Frank L. Robertson presiding. In 1967, the old parsonage was sold and a new one purchased on Windsor Road. The educational wing was completed in 1971. The present sanctuary was opened on January 9, 1977, with Bishop William R. Cannon and Dr. James C. Varnell, Jr. presiding at the service. An associate pastor was assigned in 1976, and Horton Hall was renovated in 1981. The Christian Life Center was completed in 1990.”

How many of you remember any or all of this history? We’ll talk a lot more about this in the coming years together. Our challenge as we move forward is to value our history and allow our history to be the foundation on which the future is built. We’ll talk a lot more in the coming months and years about valuing our history as we have an eye for bringing new people in… much of my beliefs related to that come from what I’ve learned in church growth.

Application #3) There is a lot of potential for how the people of White Bluff can share the hope found in Jesus beyond the walls in the Savannah Community. - July 11 - Impact

I have a lot of hope for what we are going to accomplish, partly because I know of the rich history of White Bluff. The irony is that the more we engage the Savannah Community, the larger that our church family will grow! It’s a win- win! As one example years ago, I remember being a young Associate Pastor at Vineville United Methodist Church. The local Hispanic Congregation to come worship under the shelter of our facility on Sunday afternoons. I’ll never forget what some our newest members said as I gave them a tour of the church. They said, “We’re joining your church because we love the fact that you working hand in hand with the Hispanic Community.” A Dutch Reformed Church I recently visited in Los Angeles decided to go to the neighboring boro and establish a painting ministry. Now, four times a year, a church of 1000+ unites with churches and organizations from throughout southern California (including Saddleback with Rick Warren) to paint houses. They call it “The Compton Initiative”. Why? Because Compton in LA is where rappers like Snoop Dog, Easy E, Dr Dre, and others came from. It was one of the roughest areas of LA. Now, the church has started new churches in Compton and painted homes as a way to bring the hope of Jesus to that community. Many thought all was lost, but that’s the story of Christ… I once was lost, but now am found! Was blind but now I see! And it takes the faithful who know the hope of Jesus to bring the hope of Jesus to others.

Connection to the Savannah Community will bring vitality into White Bluff. It starts with us finding hope as we unite in Christ. Remember the upper room? The Spirit came upon them and descended like a dove. Acts 2, beginning in v. 44 recounts, “44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,”

We are going to do great things, but no Pastor can do it alone. It takes a community reaching out… a village. Jesus had the three who were closest to him, the twelve whom he personally discipled, the 72 who they discipled, and then the multitudes. Statistics tell us that one Pastor can only effectively minister to 160-200 people. Ecclesiasties 4:12 (NIV) says, “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” The more of us there is to put the nets down where Jesus tells us, we can catch more fish… not only in our lives, but in bringing others to faith in Christ as well!

Let’s Start by Building Relationships Together: I Want and Need to LISTEN to you!

I believe God is calling us to find hope first by building trusting relationships in the context of Christian community. That means that in my first months here; I will work to get to know all of you as we discover together the desired future God has for White Bluff. We cannot build trusting relationships unless Jesus is the tie the binds us together. We cannot discover God’s desired future for White Bluff unless it is rooted in listening to where Jesus tells us to fish. Corporate and individual prayer will be critical to discovering where to drop our nets and how to have a productive catch beyond what even we can imagine.

Remember the hopeless fishermen?

Even though they may have been hopeless in the moment, they got back in the boat and tried again. The found hope when they finally dropped their nets where Jesus told them. And their reward was more bountiful than they could imagine! It was so bountiful that it threatened to sink their boats. Maybe part of the moral to the story is that the fishermen either needed bigger boats, or to do as they did in v. 11 where it says, “So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.”

The fishermen’s luck didn’t change until they listened to Jesus about where to drop their nets. Jesus changed the game. It was no longer about where or how they used to fish. Now it was about doing it Jesus’ way.

Remember Verse 9? It says, “[Peter] and his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken.”

May we find hope that can only come from Jesus as believers, as White Bluff Church, and in the Savannah Community as we drop our nets where Jesus tells us. Some nets may need to be dropped for good. Others will need to be dropped where Jesus tells us for an astounding catch. Dropping our nets where Jesus tells us begins with accepting Jesus As our Lord and Savior.

Accepting Jesus as Your Lord and Savior

Admit your need and turn from your sin. We are all sinners in need of repentance. - Acts 3:19

Believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose from the grave. - John 3:36

Confess your sins to God. - 1 John 1:9

Through prayer, invite Jesus Christ to come in and control your life through the Holy Spirit who comes into your heart. In this step, we receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior. - 1 John 1:12

Let me know so that as your Pastor, I can rejoice with you and shepherd you in your newfound faith! Email: [e-mail]

Phone: [phone]

Let us pray...The Grass Withers, The Flower Fades, but the Word of Our Lord Endures Forever! In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, AMEN.