Luke 5: 1-11
...And Simon answered unto him, Master, we have toiled all night, and have taken nothing, nevertheless, at thy word I will let down the net, and when they had done this, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes, and their net brake. And 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.
When you’ve tried it all.
The Disciples Peter, Andrew, James and John were partners in their fishing industry. This must have been early in the morning, because Peters response to Jesus was, We have worked all night, and have caught nothing.
These men were professionals at what they were doing. They knew all of the Hot spots, in the lake no doubt, as this is where they had been raised. They had spent their whole lives fishing in these waters. They made a living at what they were doing.
In biblical times, when a man had a profession, it was more than likely the profession of his father. They followed in their fathers footsteps, and learned to master the trade by the time that they were in their early teens.
So these men were not new at what they were doing. They had just gone out to what they knew, and did what they had always done, but this time, for no apparent reason, they did not catch even a single fish. What would they tell their wives?
How could they explain to their children, that they would not have any dinner tonight. I can picture them sitting on the shore scrubbing out their empty nets, weary from the long nights work, complaining about all the hard work, yet they were without even one fish.
As they were sitting there in discouragement, along comes Jesus. He had been mobbed by the crowds for some time, as he hopped into Peters boat and said lets go out a little bit, and he continued to teach the people from the boat.
As soon as Jesus was finished giving his teaching, said to Peter, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.
Or in other words, when we get out into the deep stuff, you’ll find what you are looking for.
This is a different perspective on this story, but I feel this is where the Lord is leading us tonight.
Is there anyone here tonight who is a dreamer? I mean a visionary, who has something so big on the inside of them, that you really have not shared it with many other people.
Because in order for this message to be for you, then you must have some type of goal or dream on the inside of you, that is so big, and so amazing that it keeps you up at night, wondering about the possibilities.
I don’t want to exclude anyone from a message, but is there someone who has a goal?
It doesn’t have to be a world changing goal, it doesn’t have to be saving the planet. It could be as simple as a business idea, or venture. It could be getting out of debt.
It could be seeing your family members get saved and into church. Your goal or dream may be a ministry that you feel the Lord has called you into. It could be any number of things, as long as you can relate to what I’m talking about.
For Peter his goal, was to be the provider for his family. As a man, the most important thing that you can do, besides introduce your family to Christ, is to be a provider.
It is the husbands responsibility to see that the family has all of the material things that they need. That is why the bible says that he who doesn’t provide for his own house is worse than an infadel.
That means, the man who doesn’t provide for his own house, is worse than an unbeliever.
Peter, Andrew, James, and John, had been doing everything that they knew how, in order to be providers. On this particular night, they had stayed up, burning the midnight oil, until the sun came up, in order to see that they could feed their families.
They had worked, and toiled, and labored, and done everything that they knew how, the same way that they had before, but this time they came up with nothing.
Jesus came walking up and said, launch out into the deep, and you’ll find what you are looking for. Peter replied Lord, we’ve worked all night, and we have nothing, but, at your word, I will let down the net.
V. 6 says, when they had done this, they caught so many fish, that their nets began to break, and they yelled out to their friends, which were in the other ships, and asked them to help, and they came, and filled both the ships until they began to sink.
This story is not just about fishing, but about life.
See You might be able to relate to the fact that they toiled all night. And while in this story, it was just a night, we may know it means to labor, and work hard for something, and not see any results for years.
The point of the story is, Time is the biggest test of your faith.
Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.
It is being sure of what you hope for, even though you do not see results.
Time is the greatest test. These men had already quit. They had docked the ships and were cleaning the nets, they had done everything but gone home.
I wonder how many of us, have given up on our goals. I wonder how many of us have at one time had high hopes, and great expectations, but then we go some time and see no progress, and just quit.
Just because you haven’t achieved all that you thought that you would, doesn’t mean that its time to quit, sometimes it means its time to try something different. Sometimes you have to take it further.
Sometimes you have to get away from the shallow waters, and shallow thoughts, and ideas, and sometimes you have to get away from shallow people, who are holding you back from being all that God has called you to be.
Launch out into the deep. Another time, Jesus told the disiples to cast their nets on the right side of the ship.
They had faith, or they would not have stayed persistant, to the word of Jesus. Peter could just as easily said, Well, I’ve tried everything that I know how to do, and besides what do you know about fishing ? But he was obedient to the words of Jesus.
Daniel prayed, and it took 21 days for his answer to come. The angel showed up and said, From the first day that you prayed, I heard you, and have been on my way, but the prince of Persia side tracked me, but here I am with your word.
Habbakuk said- write the vision and make it lain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it, though the vision may tarry, wait for it, for it will surely come to pass.
If God has promised it, it will happen, he is not a man that he should lie, nor the son of man that he should repent.
