LUKE 5:1-11 “A FISHING TRIP TO REMEMBER” – PART 2
A) In this passage of Scripture, you find the largest catch of fish that is
recorded in the Bible.
* It’s where Jesus changed people’s lives and it was the beginning of where Jesus
began training people to spread the gospel.
* It’s a place where God can change your thinking and your attitude toward the
things in your past and give you a hope for the future.
B) In a day and age where the sky is the limit, opportunity can knock around
any corner.
* You would be surprised on how many people never take a risk and live far short
of the life they were intended to live.
* They do not learn from their mistakes or worse, never do anything outside of their
own comfort zone.
C) This Scripture ought to have you look at your own faults .......
* But it should also encourage you to get out of the boat and get into a deeper
relationship with the Lord.
* There is something here for everyone if you would be sensitive to the Lord’s
leading today.
D) Let’s first go over the things we talked about in this morning’s service.
(1) CONSIDER THE VESSEL – v.1-3
A) First: It Was A Place Of Intimacy – v.3.
* Peter’s boat had been a place of toil, labor, and frustration and used to make a
meager living until Jesus got on board.
* When Jesus got on that boat, it became a place of personal closeness, intimacy,
and fellowship, and now all of them could be close to Jesus Christ.
B) Second: It Was A Place Of Instruction – v. 1; 3
* Jesus turned that humble vessel into a pulpit from which He preached the Word
of God.
* Those on board and those within hearing distance were given the privilege of
hearing Christ instruct them in the things of the Lord.
C) Again, that is a picture of the church – When we come to this place, we should
find it to be a place of instruction for souls.
* From the opening, to the preaching time, the Word of God should be the focus, and
instruction in righteousness should be our goal and our commitment.
* Biblical teaching should be the distinguishing characteristic of every true church.
* God says to the preacher in 2 Tim. 4:2 “Preach the word; be instant in season,
out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.”
D) Third: It Was A Place Of Irritation – v.5.
* Peter is obviously irritated because he and the other fishermen there had fished
all night and caught nothing ... These men were tired; frustrated and defeated.
* They had done everything in their power to be successful, and they had failed.
E) v.2 tells us that these guys weren’t even in their boats ... They were on the
shore washing their nets.
* They were engaged in good work and in busy work; but they weren’t
accomplishing the greatest work ... That is, catching fish.
* That boat that day had become a place of irritation.
F) Does that ever sound like the church to you? – Do you ever get frustrated?
* Do you ever get irritated? ... Do you ever just get tired?
* We come here week after week ... We sing, we pray, we preach, we testify, we shout,
and we go home.
G) Then we come back at the next service and do it all over again.
* We’re busy, and we’re doing a good thing; but it seems like something is missing.
* What could it be? ... We aren’t catching any fish.
H) It isn’t that Peter and those other men didn’t know how to fish.
* They were professionals, but they still struck out that night.
* We know how to fish around here, don’t we?
I) We have the right bait – We have the right tackle .......
* And we know where the fish are, but we just can’t seem to get them in our boat.
* And sometimes, it is frustrating ... Wouldn’t you agree?
(2) CONSIDER THE VOYAGE – v.4-5
A) First: There’s A Command In v. 4.
* Jesus issues a two-fold command to Peter and the men in the boat .......
* He tells them to “Launch out and let down.”
B) A couple of observations here – One: There was nothing wrong with
the vessel or the boat – The vessel here represents the church.
* The boat was seaworthy, and Jesus ordered them to take it out into deeper water.
* By the way, there’s nothing wrong with the church this evening either ... We just
need to launch out.
C) Two: The Vessel Needed To Go Where The Fish Were.
* Jesus knew that the fish were not where the boat was, so the boat has to go where
the fish are.
* You don’t launch your boat in the water and wait for the fish to jump in ... You got
to go where the fish are – Launch out ... Mark 16:15 “Go ye into all .......”
AND THEN YOU GOT TO LET DOWN YOUR NET
A) Those fellows could have washed those nets, mended those nets, and hauled
those nets all over that lake .......
* But they would have never caught a fish until those nets were first let down.
* They could have bought the finest nets money could buy, and still they wouldn’t
have caught any fish until the nets were let down.
B) They could’ve studied all the newest ways for casting and drawing nets .......
* But until they let the nets down into the deep water, they would’ve caught no fish.
* They could’ve talked about fishing with other fisherman and discussed various ways
of casting the nets, but they would’ve had no success until they let down their nets.
C) Do you get the picture?
* We seem to think that as long as we have the right Bible ... The right kind of
preaching ... The right kind of music ... The right kind of standards .......
* Wear the right kind of clothes ... And say the right things, then fish are guaranteed.
D) Friends, nothing could be farther from the truth.
* Church folk talk about witnessing; learn new methods of witnessing; develop
services and build an aquarium where any fish would be happy and comfortable .......
E) And we wait for them to swim in.
* The truth is: They don’t ... And they aren’t going to.
* We are to be fishermen, not keepers of the aquarium – God is the keeper of
the aquarium.
F) Just as it was that day, Jesus knows where the fish are.
* He sends us to where they are, and He tells us to fish.
* And, just as it was in that day, when we obey His commands, He will fill the nets.
G) Listen ... Our plans, our programs, and our efforts, are all useless unless they
are designed and directed by the Lord – Psa. 127:1 “Except the LORD .......”
* But when the church goes to where He sends her, and she lets down her nets; He will
fill them for His glory ... First: A Command .......
SECOND: THERE’S A CONCERN IN v.5
A) When Peter hears the Lord’s command, he reminds Jesus that they have
already fished all night and caught nothing.
* Nighttime was the best time for fishing.
B) The fish were nearer the surface during the cool hours of the night and were
more easily located and caught – And those men had worked so hard.
* The word “toiled” means “to labor with wearisome effort.”
C) All night long these men had let down and pulled in those nets over and
over again – And they had “taken nothing,” which means “not even one.”
* All night long they had fished and had not even caught a single minnow.
* All they wanted to do was go home, get some sleep, and forget about that long,
awful, wasted night.
D) He is saying, “Lord, we’ve already tried that, and it didn’t work.”
* “We’re professionals; we know what we’re doing and, no offence, but aren’t you
a carpenter?”
* “Leave the fishing to us ... We tried it already, it didn’t work ... There’s no use in
us going out there again.” – So, Peter’s concerned.
E) It’s sad, but Peter sounds like the typical Free Will Baptist.
* We look at the programs we have tried in the past and see very little, if any, success,
and we say, “There’s no use to try that again .......”
* “We know how to do it, and we tried it, but it didn’t work.”
F) Maybe we are like the disciples ... Maybe we have always tried in our own
power – Maybe we didn’t go when He commanded to where He commanded.
* Maybe He wasn’t even included in the things we did then.
* I remind you that without Him, all our efforts are doomed to fail – John 15:5.
(3) CONSIDER THE VICTORY – v.6-11
A) In spite of being tired, defeated, frustrated, and filled with doubt, Peter
obeyed the command of Jesus.
* Because he did, he got in on some miracles that he would have missed otherwise.
* By the way, God can work in spite of our doubts if we will obey Him anyway.
FIRST: A MIRACLE INVOLVING THE FISH – v. 6-7
A) When Peter and the other men obeyed Jesus, they enclosed so many fish
that their nets threatened to break.
* They called to their partners, and so many fish were loaded into those boats that
both boats began to sink ... Amazing.
* They were fishing in the wrong place, at the wrong time of the day, and still they
experienced success ... It didn’t make sense, but there was no denying the results.
B) One of these days, Jesus is going to say to CHCC, “Launch out into the
deep and let down your nets for a draught.”
* When He does, I am sure some will want to argue about what happened when
we tried that back then.
C) But a few are going to say, “We’ve tried that before and it didn’t work too
well, but nevertheless at Your word Lord, I will let down the net.”
* Those who do that are going to see the Lord do a great work.
D) You see, there are plenty of fish out there today; more than enough to fill
this vessel and many more like it.
* If we want to see the Lord grant us a miracle; if we want to see Him save souls .......
* If we want to see Him fill our vessel to overflowing; then we must learn to let down
the nets when, where and how He says ... That is the secret to success.
TWO: A MIRACLE INVOLVING THE FISHERMEN – v. 8-10a
A) When Peter and the others saw what Jesus had done, those rough, fleshly
fishermen fell at the feet of Jesus in humble worship.
* They were amazed at His power and they glorified Him for what He had done.
B) My friends, nothing in this world will fill us with a greater desire to worship
Him than seeing Him save souls.
* When we see Him move in power in our churches, our homes, and our communities,
we will be filled with excitement, love, and a desire to magnify Him.
C) Just as a newborn baby comes into a home and brings excitement .......
* Nothing can stir a church up any quicker than seeing little babies born into the
family of God.
D) Do you want God to fill this church with excitement and with His glory?
* If you do, then launch out into the deep and let down your net.
* Share the gospel message wherever you may go, and the Lord will do a work
in your heart.
* Then, when you return to the church, you will be filled with His glory and it will
stir up others.
LAST: A MIRACLE INVOLVING THE FUTURE – v.10b-11
A) Jesus says, “Peter ... Men, you haven’t seen anything yet ... You think this
was something?”
* “Just wait until you see souls getting caught in the gospel net.”
* The Bible tells us that these men left their fishing nets behind and went after
Jesus ... And because they did, you and I are here tonight.
B) Think about it ... Peter, who bowed at Jesus’ feet on that ship, later stood
at Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost and preached the Word of God.
* When He did, 3,000 souls were saved.
* Those people picked up the gospel net and cast it far and wide.
C) Others picked it up after them, and others, and others, until one day,
someone cast the net and you and I were enclosed within it.
* That is how this thing has always worked.
* Today, the net is in our vessel ... Is Jesus telling us to launch out into the deep
and let down our nets?
D) I think He is ... But what are we going to do about it?
* We too can see a miracle involving the future if we will go with Jesus and cast
where He tells us ... But God help the next generation if we don’t.
CLOSE
A) Sometimes, I think back on those days when I have been fishing.
* I think it would be nice to take a rod, a few worms and a stringer and go sit on the
riverbank all night and try to catch a big catfish, bream, or a nice bass.
B) But do you know what I think would be better than that?
* I think it would be better to invite Jesus to get on our vessel .......
* And ask Him where He would have us let down our nets; and then watch Him
fill them to overflowing for His glory.
* Yep, that would be far better than drowning a few worms and donating a pint of
blood to save the mosquitoes.
C) I wonder tonight, has the Lord spoken to you about your own fishing?
* If He has, what is He telling you to do? ... I think I might know.
* I think He might be telling us to “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets
for a draught.”
D) Are we going to do it, or are we going to stand there and argue with Him?
* From the moment we are saved until the day we are taken home; we are to be
casting the gospel net because we are fishers of men.
* v.10 “Don’t be afraid; from now on you’ll be fishing for the souls of men.”
E) I don’t know about you, but I want to see some fish in the net.
* If the Lord has spoken to you, like He has spoken to me through this passage .......
* Then I invite you to join me as I bow before Him and ask Him to take us on
“A Fishing Trip Worth Remembering.”
