INTRODUCTION
-There is an old saying that says, “Winners never quit and quitters never win.”
-There is a great deal of truth in that statement
-It is impossible to win when you quit
-Boxer throwing in the towel
-Runner stopping mid-race
-Tennis player walking off the court
-Basketball player refusing to guard the basket
-Quitting may me uncommon is sports, but it is very common in life
-A couple faces financial disagreement and opts for divorce
-An employer makes harsh demands of an employee who decides to resign
-A dear loved one gets weary of the pain and sickness, so they stop fighting their illness and slip away into eternity
-Jesus’ disciples were faced with a give-up type of situation
-Luke 5:1-7
I. They Had Tried
A. By their own skills
-They were fishermen, they knew how to fish
B. For a lengthy time
II. They Were Told What To Do
A. They probably resented this at first
-Most people resent being told what to do
B. They probably wondered about the one making the demand
-Who is this guy?
-Does He know anything about fishing?
-Why is He concerned with us?
III. They Tried Once More
A. In God’s Way
B. With God’s power
IV. They Succeeded Greatly
A. They filled their own boat
B. They filled a second boat
C. They were on the verge of sinking
-We have much we can learn from the disciples
-There are many times in life, even in our spiritual lives, that we just simply want to give up
-But, Jesus says, “Wade deeper”
-Mark 9:23
-Mark 10:27
-Luke 18:27
-Philippians 4:13
-Let’s look today at three areas of our Christian walk that God tells us this morning to “Wade deeper” in
I. Temptations
A. Character traits
-Some says it is not possible to change your character
-Your personality is set and unchangeable
-But, the truth is, that nothing is impossible for God
-And when God truly transforms a life, He transforms all of it, character included
-I’ve seen it happen
-And many of you have too
-Fruit of the Spirit
-We find it difficult to love everyone, even sinner
-But the fruit of the Spirit is love
-We find it difficult to rejoice in the midst of trouble
-But the fruit of the Spirit is joy
-We find it difficult to forgive those who wrong us
-But the fruit of the Spirit is peace
-We find it difficult to wait for someone to come around to the truth
-But the fruit of the Spirit is patience
-Or loooooooooooooooooooooongsuffering
-We find it difficult to treat others as we would like to be treated
-But the fruit of the Spirit is kindness
-We find it difficult to be obedient to the Lord
-But the fruit of the Spirit is goodness
-We find it difficult to always follow God’s ways
-But the fruit of the Spirit is faithfulness
-We find it difficult to keep from being easily angered
-But the fruit of the Spirit is gentleness
-We find it difficult to control our human appetites
-But the fruit of the Spirit is self-control
-You see, character traits, while we are born with the human part of them, can be controlled by the Spirit
-Thus they can be changed by Him
-But we are too often on land putting up our nets because we’ve tried to change them ourselves
-The Lord comes and says, wade deeper and throw out the nets once more”
-Let the Holy Spirit work in you to give you the character that is of God
B. Addictions
-Or besetting sins
-Those sins we have tried numerous times to say no to and have found that we have failed miserably
-It’s real easy to throw up our hands in despair and to think that we must quit trying
-Some fall back on the belief that we all sin everyday in thought, word or deed
-While it is true that we will all go against God’s perfect will for our lives everyday, it is not true that we are helpless against those temptations that Satan throws our way
-We always have a choice of whether to submit to these or not
-And, with the Spirit’s power in us, it is possible to consistently, every time, say “NO!” to the evil he tries to get us to do
-If you believe that, say “AMEN!”
-But so many get weary from the fight
-Sometimes they’ve given in more times than they can count
-Sometimes, they’ve resisted for a long time, but they are tired of fighting anymore
-So they throw in the towel
-Trying to get the devil off of their back
-You may feel like you are bound to give in to your addictions or temptations
-But, you are not
-God says to you, “Wade deeper and throw out the nets once more”
-You can resist
-You can be victorious
-You can walk in God’s full blessing
-Just keep trying
-You see, on our own, we cannot resist
-But, when we do what we can do, God will do the rest
II. Witnessing
-How many of you have ever told someone about Jesus
-That was lost
-Some surveys say that up to 90% of believers never share the gospel with anyone
-Startling statistic, but an even worse problem, I think, is those who have shared the gospel and run into resistance and have stopped sharing
-The daunting reality is that it takes numerous times sharing the gospel before we come across one who is receptive, or ready to make a decision at that moment
A. Sometimes we are simply planting seed
1. Some will fall on good ground (receptive)
2. Some will fall on bad ground (unreceptive)
B. Sometimes we are fertilizing seeds
-Planted by someone else
-Simply helping one to understand the gospel better
C. Sometimes we are reaping the produce
-Of someone else’s work
-Or maybe of our own work
-None of us really likes being in the first two categories, do we
-The truth of the matter is, that is where we usually fall
-But, if you find yourself in those first tow categories today, God is telling you to “Wade deeper and throw out the nets once more”
-Maybe He will let your reap, or maybe He will not, but either way His Word is going forth
-And His Word never returns void
-If you believe that, say “AMEN!”
III. Serving The Lord
-Did you know that God saved you for more than heaven
-Some think that eternal life is all it is about
-When I die I will live eternally
-Factoid: Eternal life begins the moment the individual comes to faith in Christ
-If you are a Christian, you are already living in eternal life
-You see, God saved you so that one day you would enter heaven through those pearly gates, but until that time He has a place of service for you here
-But too often, we try to serve Him and we fail
-Maybe we try in our own strength or our own way
-Maybe we tried to serve in the wrong area
-Maybe the timing was wrong
-Too often, believers try to serve the Lord and when the do not see the results they would like, the go back to shore and start mending their nets, never to try again
-But, God is saying to us today, “Wade deeper and throw out the nets once more”
-The nets of service
-But, how, and where?
A. In the church
1. Sunday school
2. Maintenance
3. Assistance
B. In the community
1. Car care
2. General repairs
3. Manual labor
C. In government
-We need Christians in our seats of power
-Christians, not only in name, but in power and direction from the Lord
-I believe God calls, at times, people to serve in government
-Note: Not all those in government are called
-If you believe that, say “AMEN!”
CONCLUSION
-This morning, in what ways is God telling you to “Wade deeper and throw out your nets once more”?
