Luke 5:1-11, Getting a Fresh Start with God
Limestone Baptist Church, December 31, 2000
Chuck Fuller, Pastor
INTRODUCTION
I remember so well playing outdoor games in my childhood with my little brother and all the guys in our neighborhood. We had a rule that superceded all other rules when were playing games. It was called the “do over” rule, and we would use it when the outcome of a game didn’t go quite as planned.
For instance, Ches (my little brother) and I often used our wagon as a drag race car to pretend we were racing down our sidewalk out front. We would set up some things in the wagon to look like an engine, one person would get in the “car,” and the other would pull it down the racetrack. But our wagon had a small mechanical problem. Occasionally, at the start the wagon handle would pull out of its bracket, and the person pulling the wagon would fall to the concrete and the wagon wouldn’t move. Now, instead of saying, “well, we crashed and lost that one,” we would avoid any possible defeat and just call for a “do over.” Then we would re-attach the handle and of course, win first place. It was never hard to beat an imaginary opponent.
Do you ever wish life had a “do over” rule so you avoid the defeats you’ve experienced in life? Have things not gone quite as well as you hoped and now you wish you could start over again?
Every new year, people try to use the “do over” rule. They make resolutions about their eating habits or their lifestyles that they now they can’t keep. We can’t do a “do over” on our own. We fail every time.
But if we are believers, we really do get to use a “do over” that really works. You see, our God is a loving, forgiving God. God is a God of second chances, and God always offers us a chance to start over.
Do you need a “do over” today? Do you need a fresh start with life? Do you need a fresh start with God? I want to tell you today that you can have a brand new start with God if you will obey Him, acknowledge Him, and follow Him.
Luke 5:1-11
This event comes very early in Jesus’ public ministry. So far, he has been baptized by John the Baptist, He has overcome the temptations in the wilderness by Satan, He has declared Himself to be the Messiah in the Temple, He has already healed many people of diseases, and now He begins to assemble a band of disciples to teach and train.
Jesus’ preaching and teaching has already attracted great crowds of people, and on this particular day the crowd had become so large that they were pressing Him up against the shoreline. So, Jesus decides to use the shore as a natural outdoor theater. He gets into a boat, and asks the owner to go out into the water a bit so he can see the people and the people can see and hear him. After He finishes teaching the crowd about who God is and what His will is, Jesus tells Simon Peter, the boat’s apparent owner, to put out the nets for a catch of fish.
Let’s look closely at Simon Peter’s response in verse 5:
“Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing . . .”
To Simon, Jesus’ command must have sounded absurd, for two different reasons.
First of all, have you ever watched a pet store owner work for what seems like hours to catch a fish out of the tank with a net? Have you ever tried to catch a fish in the daylight with a net? In those days the fisherman had a very good reason for doing most of their work at night . . . fish can see the nets in day, and when they see nets they run away! But at night, the fisherman could lower the nets into a school of fish, and then raise up the nets and catch the confused fish who are blind to the nets. So you can imagine Simon Peter’s confusion at Jesus’ command to lower the nets for a catch in the middle of the day.
Secondly, if there had been no fish in that spot all night long, why was there any reason to think there would be fish there now?
Certainly, Peter stands bewildered by Jesus’ command to let down the nets for a fish. According to everything he knows about fishing, and he is a professional, he can’t see any way at all this would work.
Now, let’s look at the second part of Simon Peter’s response, “but I will do as you say and let down the nets.”
There is something about this Jesus guy that demands Peter’s attention and commands his respect. Peter is thinking, “Well, I know quite a bit about fishing and this makes no sense to me, but Jesus seems like someone worth listening to, so I’ll give His way a try.” Besides, at this point Peter has nothing to lose. His own knowledge and his own way have failed him. It sure couldn’t hurt to try something new, so he obeys Jesus and lowers the nets.
I. YOU MUST OBEY GOD EVEN IF IT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE TO YOU (5:4-5)
For Peter, doing things his own way had failed him, so He gave God’s way a try, even though it didn’t make any sense to him at the time.
Maybe doing things you own way has left you empty, and it’s time for you to give God’s way a try. Maybe your own knowledge and your own skills have failed you and you need God’s power, God’s knowledge, and God’s skill. You need to do things God’s way.
Maybe it’s time for you today to obey God, and try things His way, even if you don’t understand where, why , or how it’s all going to work out. It might mean you have to change the way you raise your kids. It might mean to have to get back into your Bible and become a prayer warrior. It might mean you have to change your career. It might mean you have to surrender your life to service in God’s kingdom. It might mean for you to quit fighting and run to the cross of Jesus Christ for forgiveness and redemption and a brand new start to life.
Let’s look now to what happens when Simon Peter tries things God’s way. (6-7) They catch so many fish that their nets began to break and even the boats began to sink! Now that’s a lot of fish! They probably caught more fish in that one cast than they had caught in the entire previous month. It’s obvious to us now that God blesses when we do things His way.
Now notice how Simon Peter responds to seeing this miracle. We might expect him to be exuberant. We might expect him to say, “hey, that was really cool, can we do it again?” But verse 8 says, “when Simon Peter saw that, he fell at Jesus’ feet saying, ‘Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”
Simon Peter’s actions and Simon Peter’s words may seem a bit strange to us, but they are really quite typical of how people in the Bible respond when they encounter God. When people encounter God, they acknowledge who He really is. They see that He is awesome and holy and almighty. That’s why Peter falls to his knees. Also, when people encounter God, they realize who they are before Him. If you really encounter God, you will have an overwhelming sense of unworthiness. You will realize how sinful and dirty you are in the face of His holiness and majesty. This is why Peter asks Jesus to leave – because in the face of God you have to face yourself, and when you face yourself you realize that self needs to change. You see you sin and know you need forgiveness and mercy. You come to know that you need Jesus. You need the redemption he purchased with his blood on the cross.
If you want to make a fresh start with God, then . . .
II. YOU MUST ACKNOWLEDGE JESUS FOR WHO HE IS AND REALIZE WHO YOU ARE BEFORE HIM (5:6-9)
Jesus is the ruler of the universe and the king of creation. Before Him, we are weak, ignorant, and hell-bound. We are in dire need of His grace, His mercy, and His power.
If you want radical change, if you need a “do over,” then make the king of the universe the Lord of your life. Surrender yourself completely to Him today. Give Him complete control and complete authority in your life. Stop doing things your way and start doing them His way.
Maybe you’re here today and you know you’ve never received Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior. Maybe right now the Holy Spirit is speaking to you and working in you to show you your sin and your need for salvation. If so, then you need to respond today. You need to start fresh today by getting things right with God and receiving Jesus.
I want us to look now at what happens next in this story – (read verses 9-11)
It is probably needless to say that Simon Peter walked away from this incident a different man. His life would never be the same.
First of all, his career changed. Jesus told him, “Do not fear, from now on you will be catching men.” Peter would stop catching fish for income and start catching men for God! Peter would go from being a fisherman to being a great soul-winner for Christ. When he encountered Jesus, his career changed. When you encounter Jesus, yours might change as well.
Secondly, Peter’s lifestyle changed. Verse 11 says, “they left everything and followed Him.” Suddenly there is nothing more important to Peter than Jesus. Jesus now is the number one priority in his life. He walked away from secure job and everything and everyone he knew and loved. He left everything to follow Jesus.
Some of you here need to do exactly that – you need to leave everything and follow Jesus. If you want a fresh start with God, then . . .
III. YOU MUST STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND FOLLOW JESUS (5:10-11)
This whole story demonstrates what it really means to be a Christian. Being a Christian includes obeying God even when it doesn’t make sense, acknowledging Jesus for who He really is, and leaving everything to follow Him.
In Luke 9:23, Jesus said, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” That means that following Jesus means dying to your own self, your own pride, your own desires, your own ambitions, and being willing go to the cross everyday with Jesus for the sake of following Him.
For some of you, following Jesus may mean just as much of a radical change as it was for Simon Peter. You may have to give up everything that belongs to you so you can belong to the only One that really matters. Instead of putting your belonging and value and being in your job, your family, or your pride, you now have to put all your being and belonging into Jesus. You have to be identified with Jesus and by Jesus.
That may seem like a lot to ask, but let me ask you – are you better off doing things your way or God’s way? And if you’re struggling with that question, maybe you should ask Simon Peter for the answer. He learned in a miraculous way that God’s way is always better.
You need to stop what you are doing and follow Jesus.
CONCLUSION
I want you, right where you are, just between you and God, to make three commitments this morning. I want you to tell God . .
1. Lord, I will obey You even when it doesn’t make sense to me.
2. Jesus, I will acknowledge You for who You really are, and make You Lord of my life.
3. Jesus, I will stop what I’m doing and follow You.
