Series: Being A Disciple [#2]
A DISCIPLE FISHES
Luke 5:1-11
Introduction:
We are in week 2 of our series, “Being A Disciple.” We live in a time in the USA, where most of our Churches are using a watered-down version of Christianity. I want us to compare a watered-down version of the Church today with the words of Jesus when He challenged people to follow Him.
Luke 14:26-28
Should we lower the standards for following Christ, or should we raise them? Jesus said a person would not build a building without 1st considering the cost- You should not follow Jesus without 1st considering the cost.
Luke 14:33
Luke 5:1-3
I love that Jesus was amongst the people. He had been preaching to a large crowd and He noticed 2 boats. Jesus got into Peter’s boat. Peter was washing his nets and Jesus not only got into Peter’s boat; but He also told Peter to take them out away from the shore. Jesus, then continued to preach to them from the boat.
Luke 5:4-10
How does a Disciple fish?
Disciples fish with an…
1. Unquestioning obedience.
“Because You say so.” Understand, Jesus will ask the Disciples to do things that do not make sense. Jesus was telling Peter what he needed to do- Do not forget that Jesus was a carpenter by trade and Peter was a fisherman by trade. So, who would you think would have a better “know how” in the fishing industry? Peter. The fact that Jesus was asking Peter to go out in the deep water during the heat of the day showed that Jesus did not know what He was doing. See, every fisherman knew that you fished at night in the shallow water. In fact, they had fished all night and caught nothing; but, to appease Jesus, Peter said, “All right, if that’s what you want, I’ll do it”. To Peter’s surprise he had so many fish in his net that the net began to tear. Peter had to call for help, the catch was so good.
Look at Peter’s reaction to this catch- “When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” When you compare your life to Jesus’ life, you cannot even be in Jesus’ presence.
Luke 5:10-11
How does a Disciple fish?
Disciples fish with an…
2. Absolute abandonment.
“From now on you will fish for people.” They left everything and followed Him. What do you think everything included? Let me just tell you- Their family business, their source of income, their homes, their friends, and their support. Did you hear Peter ever say, “But first, Jesus, before we go, we need to talk about salary and benefits, please. What about a re-location plan?” Did you hear any of that? How could they leave everything? There was nothing that this world offers that was worth hanging on to. It was a joy. It was easy to leave it behind, and leave everything, because they could follow the Son of God and that is what Jesus is inviting you to.
Conclusion:
What is keeping you from fully committing to Him? When you understand what He is calling you to do, it changes everything. Be like Him and do what He did, but you can’t be His disciple unless you carry your cross. Are you a disciple?
John 14:12
