Key passage today is:
Luke 5:1-11 we’ll get there shortly.
Growing up, I spent a lot of time studying @ the school of “Because I said so”.
In fact, many of you here today, may be graduates as well as teachers in the school of “Because I said so”.
You know the school:
You ask your mom:
“Why do I need to clean my room?”
and the reply “Because I said so”.
Because YOU said so
Today’s message is titled: “Because YOU said so”.
Turn with me now to (stand with me as we honor God while reading His word) Luke 5:1–5) “So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of (ga-nes-a ret)Gennesaret, and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat. When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; (but if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.”) And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.”
Please be seated.
We see what Jesus then commands in:
Matthew 4:19 “Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.””
Discipleship
I mentioned a few months back that one goal of spiritual growth is so we can become disciples for Jesus.
Today I thought we’d look at:
Why be disciples?
Who were the first 4 disciples?
Drill down to one of the 1st four
Why be disciples?
Quickly look @ two verses:
Matthew 28:19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”
Acts 1:8 “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.””
So, why be disciples?
“Because Jesus said so...”
Let’s look at verse 6:
Luke 5:6 “And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.”
Knowing what we know about Jesus and all the miracles He performed, don’t you think He could have spoke those fish right into the boat?
Let’s now go back to Matthew 4:19 “Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.””
Jesus said “I will make you fishers of men”.
If the fish would have jumped in the boats, then those disciples would have been merely “fish cleaners” not fishermen.
And isn’t it Jesus who “cleans fish”?
We are to bring the fish to Jesus, and let Him and the Holy Spirit, clean those fish up!
Let that sink in just a minute!
And for the next 3 plus years, Jesus was making fishers of men, of the disciples.
And here we are 2000 plus years and He is still doing that!
Jesus wants to train you and me to become fishers of men.
Are we willing?
Are we “available”?
The first 4
Story of Daddy Mac.
Late Thursday afternoon, I was out at Madison Park, I was leaving and there was barely enough daylight to see there was still one boat on the water.
It brought back a precious memory as I heard the familiar words:
“10 more casts and if we don’t catch anything we’ll go in for the day”.
My grandfather was an avid fisherman.
I grew up on Lake Livingston not many years after the lake was formed.
I spent countless summer days in a boat on Lake Livingston from about the time I was 10-11, until around 15-16 years old.
Here was a typical day on the lake:
Get on the water just as it became light enough to navigate the boat safely to our fishing spot.
Fish until about lunch.
Go back to the cabin grab a quick bite to eat and a quick nap.
Little did I know that was my training for power naps that I still take to this day.
Get back on the water around 2 pm.
Fish until barely enough light to navigate the boat safely back to shore.
Some really incredible memories of those years.
Mark 1:16–20 “And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” They immediately left their nets and followed Him. When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets. And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.”
Who here has ever handled and cleaned fish?
Can you just rinse your hands and the smell be gone?
Jesus didn’t go into the synagogues and the best Jewish schools of the brightest and the best.
No, he went to the ones with callused, smelly hands.
People who knew about hard work!
Is that you?
Are you available?
Scripture doesn’t tell us these 4 fisherman finished mending and drying their nets.
No, they immediately followed Jesus!
They didn’t give an excuse that everything needed to be “just right” before they could follow Jesus.
We are given examples of a few who did:
Luke 9:59–60 “Then He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.””
Luke 9:61–62 “And another also said, “Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.” But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.””
Matthew 19:16–22 “Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” He said to Him, “Which ones?” Jesus said, “ ‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ” The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.”
There is a great cost of discipleship.
Jesus said “I will make you fishers of men”, but He didn’t have a disclaimer “at no additional cost to you”.
We must realize not only who we are in Christ, but also who He can make us for His glory.
I never picked up on this before:
Matthew 19:21 “Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.””
We become perfect the instant we are in heaven with Jesus. That is our moment of glorification with Him.
Operation “Andrew”
I’m curious, do you remember who first told you about Jesus?
I mean, in a meaningful way?
Family member?
Friend?
Co-worker?
Stranger on the street?
Check this out:
John 1:38–42 “Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, “What do you seek?” They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), “where are You staying?” He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour). One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas” (which is translated, A Stone).”
Andrew first found his brother Simon. How powerful is that.
This is the same Simon that gave the Holy Spirit filled sermon in Acts 2, where scripture records that over 3000 received salvation.
Before that, the same Peter that denied Christ not once, not twice, but 3 times.
Only difference was that Peter had the conviction of the Holy Spirit when he gave the sermon.
John 1:38 “Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, “What do you seek?” They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), “where are You staying?””
This week I read about 16 translations and every translation said “what do you seek?”
Not “who” do you seek.
Jesus was reaching out, getting real and asking “what do you want from this life?”
“do you even know what will fulfill you?”
38b: where are you staying?
Jesus could have given an elaborate answer but instead He says “come and see”.
Come and see for yourselves. As though He were saying “this is something you have to experience”.
Simply telling you won’t do it.
I can relate that to me trying to tell someone about Tres Dias.
I can’t explain it, you have to experience it for yourself!
Andrew told his brother Simon, who we see in Acts as the beginning of the church in the NT.
Just a fisherman, becoming a fisher of men!
Closing
Several weeks ago, I encouraged everyone to take inventory as we move into the new year.
I hope you did.
If you didn’t, go ahead and be intentional about doing this.
I believe it could set the course for a renewed relationship with your family, your friends, and most importantly, with Jesus.
Why be disciples?
Because Jesus said so!
Jesus has commanded us to become fishers of men.
<grab the rod and reel>
I’m going fishing, who’s going with me?
Come on now, who’s going with me?
God wants a church on the move:
Not only:
Discipline, but dancing
studying, but shouting
working, but worshipping
analyzing, but anointing
and a message from your pastor that not only causes you to sit down and think, but to stand up and clap
Let’s go fishing!!!
Ask someone to pray us out!
