Cast Your Net Again

Luke 5:4–6 CSB

4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 “Master,” Simon replied, “we’ve worked hard all night long and caught nothing. But if you say so, I’ll let down the nets.” 6 When they did this, they caught a great number of fish, and their nets began to tear.

Intro

At the end of every person’s life their friends and their family will gather to remember the life that person lived. They will mourn because they will miss them but often times at the end of someone’s life they begin to reflect on the life they lived. They remember stories of the good and the bad. They begin to sum up that persons existence by totaling their value of their experiences. So my question to you today is how do you want to be remembered?

The truth is, there will come a point in each of our lives that is our defining moment. I can imagine Michael Jordan didn’t realize that he would be worth over 1 billion dollars the day he first picked up a basketball? I don’t know if Barack Obama thought he would be the first black president of the United States of America when he was young organizer on the south side of Chicago. In the same way we all have defining moments in our life. We have defining moments. We are faced with divine encounters that reshape our existence. However, sometimes in our lives if can feel as if we have done all we could but still we’ve come up empty.

Background

Luke 5:1–2 CSB

1 As the crowd was pressing in on Jesus to hear God’s word, he was standing by Lake Gennesaret. 2 He saw two boats at the edge of the lake; the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets.

v. 1&2- Jesus found them washing their nets

They had given up on catching anything that day. (Nothing else productive could come from their work)

Many of us give up to easy.

What failures in your life have led you to wash your nets?

They where washing their nets to remove the things caught in their nets.

What has attached itself to you (Relationships, Habits, Ways of Thinking)

Some of us need to wash our nets because we don’t want the mess in your net to affect your next catch! (I dare you to just scroll through your phone and see who you need to delete)

God won’t mix the Miraculous with your mess

Luke 5:3–4 CSB

3 He got into one of the boats, which belonged to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from the land. Then he sat down and was teaching the crowds from the boat. 4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”

v. 3&4- Jesus gets into their boat

Things shift when Jesus steps in

This is where the story takes a turn (Declare this is the day that my story is shifting.

Don’t let your losses label you! You aren’t a loser but you are getting ready to win because Jesus has stepped in.

Push away from the crowd.

There were so many people that Jesus didn’t have the room to teach.

Sometimes you have to push away from the crowd to receive the word.

God is calling you to the deep water

When God is preparing you for your defining moment, he often calls us away from what is common, comfortable, calculated.

There is a destiny waiting on you in the deep water.

He gave the word in the shallow water but the promise was in the deep.

I came to encourage you today to let the word you received in the shallow water push you into the deep.

Luke 5:5 CSB

5 “Master,” Simon replied, “we’ve worked hard all night long and caught nothing. But if you say so, I’ll let down the nets.”

v. 5- Simon’s Response

Don’t let your mouth get in the way of your miracle.

They could have complained but they decided to cast their nets according to His word

Work the word you’ve been given.

You could quit but AT YOUR WORD

You may have lost hope but AT YOUR WORD

I know it seems impossible but AT YOUR WORD

Application

Just before I go allow me to share three quick things to help you work the word you’ve been given and receive the promise you’ve been given.

You’ve been Empowered.

In verse 4 God gave you His word.

If God said it you have to know that He is going to perform it. (Creation, Noah, Red Sea)

Let your Faith fight your Fear. Every fear tries to discourage you hit it with your faith in God’s word.

You’ve been Equipped.

Jesus is able to do the impossible/ He can do the extravagant but He has already equipped us.

We already have what we need.

He didn’t do it for them but he challenged them to use what was already in there hands.

You got it you just have to work it.

What’s in your hands? – Work it.

You’ve already been Encouraged.

Jesus encourages them that this time when they let their nets down it will be for a catch.

This Time

Don’t let your past failures cause you to give up.

Faith with out works is dead.

You may have been discouraged but when you start to work the word that has been given to you’ll begin to see his wonders.

Anybody got one more cast in them?

Close

v. 6- This next catch isn’t just going to be a normal catch but this is going to be net breaking.

I believe that God was giving them a glimpse of what they were getting ready to experience.

What God is getting ready to let you see is going to be beyond what you can see.

They thought they just had a great catch but God was setting up the moment that would define them.

v. 10- Fishers of Men

When Jesus stepped in there boat they were defeated, but when He got out they were disciples.

Don’t let your moment pass you by.

The enemy thought this would be the moment you were defeated but I declare that this will be the moment that are defined!

Invitation

v. 11