Jesus In And Out Of The Boat Series

2. Revelation – huge catch of fish

The second step is revelation. That just means that God makes himself known to you. That is what happened here in the life of Peter. Look at the story again;

Luke 5:4 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.

Peter understood who Jesus claimed to be, but it was probably not until this moment that it became real to him. It was this moment when he realized who Jesus really was. This is the epiphany, the revelation, the ah-ha moment. It can happen in a lot of different ways with different people.

For some people it is like Peter. God shows up and you realize that you have to respond to what has happened by either accepting or rejecting. Sometimes this is rather mundane. Other times like with the Apostle Paul it is very dramatic. You might remember the road to Damascus and he actually saw an appearance of Jesus on that road and was blinded by that vision.

For some it is just a parent explaining the truth to us. Naomi and I had a chance to see the movie I Can Only Imagine this week. It is a powerful film. It is the story of Bart Millard, the lead singer of the Christian music group Mercy Me. It tells about his difficult childhood with an abusive father. Bart is saved through the ministry of a local summer camp. When he gets older he has the opportunity to sing Amazing Grace in a local church service that is on the radio. The father will not go to the church, but as he listens to his son sing and then hears the message, his heart is transformed.

For me it was the testimony of a camp councilor. His simple story of faith and restoration moved my heart and was an ah-ha moment in life. Sometimes it may be just a phrase that somebody says or a verse from the Bible or a song or sermon you hear on the radio. Something it’s a sermon. All of a sudden you realize there’s something to this. There’s something that you have been missing.

In Seminary I heard the story of a guy that was saved at a Youth For Christ event. He went forward to receive Jesus. After the speaker asked him what it was in his message that had caused him to finally understand that Jesus was the truth and he said it was nothing about the message. The guy had simply been standing in front of the Youth for Christ banner so that all the guy could read was You for Christ and he started thinking, “Yes, me for Christ” and that was enough.

3. Expectation – fear

The third step is often fear. The reality of what being a Christian and a life of faith begins to sink in.

Luke 5:8 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

Peter had this moment of revelation. He suddenly realized that Jesus was who He claimed to be. When confronted with God’s holiness it often reminds us of our own failings. It is natural to feel that way. If you look through the Bible, it’s the response when people encounter who God really is. It’s the first response that they almost always had.