Complete Surrender

Complete Surrender

Peter Luke 5:1-11

Illustration: Don’t Argue With A Lighthouse

There was an officer in the navy who had always dreamed of commanding a battleship. He finally achieved that dream and was given commission of the newest and proudest ship in the fleet. One stormy night, as the ship plowed through the seas, the captain was on duty on the bridge when off to the port he spotted a strange light rapidly closing with his own vessel. Immediately he ordered the signalman to flash the message to the unidentified craft, "Alter your course ten degrees to the south."

Only a moment had passed before the reply came: "Alter your course ten degrees to the north."

Determined that his ship would take a backseat to no other, the captain snapped out the order to be sent: "Alter course ten degrees--I am the CAPTAIN!"

The response beamed back, "Alter your course ten degrees--I am Seaman Third Class Jones."

Now infuriated, the captain grabbed the signal light with his own hands and fired off: "Alter course, I am a battleship."

The reply came back. "Alter your course, I am a lighthouse."

No matter how big or important any of us think we are, God’s Word stands forth as an unchanging beacon. All other courses must be altered to His.

SOURCE: James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) p. 208.

This morning, we are going to talk about another man in a boat that needed to surrender. If you would turn your Bibles to Luke Chapter 5. Surrender is not a popular word in our society. It carries with it all kinds of negative meanings and usually associated with defeat or loss. We think of Grant surrendering to Lee. Oh did I say that wrong, I forget that you folks out here have a different version of that historical event…… I think of General Cornwallis surrendering to the American forces to end revolutionary war. Anytime surrender takes place, a winner and a loser are defined. But, like all things, that is a very simplistic way of looking at things. Sometimes those who surrender are really the winners. No that sounds confusing doesn’t it? Well, let’s look at our illustration again. The captain of the battleship eventually surrendered to the lighthouse. By surrendering to the higher unmovable authority, he secured the safety and survival of his battleship. He ended up a winner by surrender. The topic I would like to discuss this morning is complete surrender to Christ, our unshakeable, lighthouse. I want us to talk about the areas of our lives that we need to surrender to Him.

Luke 5

1And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret,

2And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.

3And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon’s, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.

4Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.

5And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.

6And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.

7And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.

8When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.

9For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken:

10And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.

11And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.

Let me give you a little background about Peter before we dive into our text. Peter had already met Jesus once. His business partners had introduced Christ as the Messiah! I guess Peter was not impressed because he went back to fishing. He was not interested in following this Jesus. I am sure that a lot of preachers in his day proclaimed to be the messiah. John was only a young kid, only 17-18 years old. Peter was older, “wiser.” He didn’t buy into every scam that came his way, no he was sticking to what he knew best, and that was fishing.