LAUNCH OUT INTO THE DEEP
SCRIPTURE: Luke 5:1-7
INTRODUCTION
Luke paints the scene so as to make one imagine a typical seashore . . . sand gleaming in the sun . . . water dark blue against a lighter sky . . . two fishing boats drawn up, with sails down and wrapped . . . men on shore, moving tiredly about, repairing nets.
There is a crowd of people pressing so near that the Master stands at the water line.
The Lord solved His problem by using Simon’s boat as a pulpit. This separated Him from the people, placing Him high so all could see. With water and wind behind Him, an amphitheater effect was created, thus carrying His voice to the far side of the crowd.
In all likelihood the fishermen themselves paused to listen. We do not know the subject of that day’s teaching; but once He had finished, Jesus quietly turned to the fishermen and said, "Launch out into the deep."
Fascinating words . . . those. They have been quoted often, preached on, used for inspiration under varying circumstances. Nonetheless, let us note truths from them once again.
GOD NEVER GIVES FOOLISH COMMANDS
Jesus said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a catch" (New King James Version).
This is a command that may have sounded foolish indeed to a fisherman who had toiled all night. Simon was the expert. He was the fisherman; Jesus of Nazareth was a carpenter.
Not only was Simon the fisherman but we have every reason to believe he was a very skilled fisherman. We know for sure that he had been raised on the Sea of Galilee and that he knew those waters as few other men. Simon knew and understood fish. He knew their habits, their spawning beds, their likely feeding places.
More pressing, in light of this drama, Simon understood that there were times when fishermen did not catch fish. He was tired. He had fished all night and had caught nothing.
The command seemed so foolish to him that even when Luke recorded the incident years later, he noted that Simon made excuses. "Master," he said, "we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing" (v.5).
Is not the lesson obvious? How easily we determine that God’s commands are foolish, irrational, without meaning. We may not say so, but deep in our hearts, we begin to doubt-concluding that the Master really does not understand the situation.
WE HUMANS ARE PRONE TO MAKE EXCUSES.
It seems to be our nature to make excuses. We see from the human perspective, from the limited horizon, from the natural point of view; and so, like Simon, we presumptuously tell the Master just what the facts are.
Simon was saying, "Lord, we’ve been out there all night. There are no fish in those waters. We have already tried. Our muscles ache. We are tired. Besides, Lord, the sun is well up. Fishing Is always poor during the heat of the day. If you can’t catch fish during the night, especially during the early morning hours when they come near the surface for feeding, then surely you can’t catch them now.
We too have our litany of excuses. We put forth our human efforts and then say, "Lord, I tried." We look at the places where others have tried unsuccessfully and we conclude, "There are no souls to be saved in that burned-out area." We have tried that before; it didn’t work. He was once a member of the church, but he didn’t last. On and on we go . . . human reactions . . . faithless answers . . comments and attitudes which fail to take into consideration the person of Jesus Christ.
On another occasion Jesus told the disciples to find food for the multitude (Luke 9: 13-16). They had similar excuses:
"Lord, they are too many. We have but a few loaves and fishes. It would take a great deal of money and we have but little." The bright spot in this story, of course, lies in the fact that Simon Peter’s faith follows on the very heels of his doubt. Simon’s faith may have been small but there was something there, a lesson to each of us today.
FAITH REMAINS A POSSIBILITY
It is difficult to explain, this matter of faith-where it comes from, how it comes, just precisely when it comes to us. The Apostle Paul understood that faith is a mysterious mixture of that which is human and that which is divine when he spoke of saving faith:
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:8, 9).
According to this passage we must conclude two things:
First, God is the prime mover in this matter of faith, His grace being ever-present to help and to assist us. And second, faith is not without the human element, the human response, and we must play our roles as well.
Could it have been the Lord’s presence there on the boat? The very dominance of Divinity? Simon, making his excuses but at the same time looking into the face of Jesus, must have realized, "There is something different about this man, something compelling, something which belies the fact that He would command foolishly?"
Who really knows?
What we do know, for the Bible tells us, is that Simon’s faith came through. It came on the heels of doubt. It came in spite of doubt . . . unexpectedly . . . surprisingly . . . almost as if forced from him by the very power of Christ’s presence.
"Nevertheless, lord, at Your command, I will."
For Simon and for us, faith remains a possibility. To forget this truth leads to despair. Hope may be dim; the possibilities may seem utterly beyond all expectations; but we must not give up. We must look to the Master’s face, look into His eyes and see beyond the human.
FAITH CAN BRING THE UNEXPECTED MIRACLE
Simon launched out. In all likelihood he moved with casualness, not greatly excited, but willing to obey the Master. The Sea of Galilee is not a large body of water. On a clear day, from the center of the lake, you can always see the shoreline. It did not take long to reach deep water. And there, Peter lowered his nets.
Fish!
Simon felt the tug of the net. His helpers took a firmer grip and they pulled together.
More fish! So many fish that Simon called for help! Two boatloads of fish!
Does not the story remind us that ours too is the responsibility of launching out? moving out into the deep? doing what the Master commands?
Not excuses, but action-that’s what we need in today’s world! I’d like to suggest at least three ways each of us can launch out:
1. We can give ourselves to fervent prayer. Too easily we forget the power of this mighty weapon, or we grow disheartened and give up on the miracle. It ought not to be.
One pastor recalls a saint in a church he pastored. She was not flashy or talented in many ways, but she literally burned with a passion for souls. She prayed often and occasionally she prayed through the entire night for the church and the salvation of souls. In my opinion that church is strong and flourishing today largely because of this sister’s prayers.
From seeking God and interceding for others, the missionary Adoniram Judson developed great calluses on his knees. These were discovered at his death. Dave Wilkerson started with prayer and God has led him into a multifaceted operation which ministers to thousands of troubled youth and drug addicts. John Wesley traveled thousands of miles on horseback with the gospel, literally changing the face of the world in terms of religious impact. But back home was a mother on her knees praying for her son and for the lost.
Yes, we can and we should give ourselves to prayer.
2. We can make ourselves and all our resources available for the Lord’s service. What God expects from us first of all is willingness to serve. It is upon this battlefield of the human will or on the field of submission that victory is either won or lost. A rich young ruler, confronted with this dilemma, turned sadly away. We must not. We must submit and say yes to the Master. All we have and all we are capable of becoming let us give to the Lord.
Christ yet has ways of taking our gifts and turning them into miracles. Whether we drop a net in strange waters or turn over a few pieces of bread and some fish or bring a friend to hear His words-each such simple act is an act of faith and submission, and it can be basis for a miracle.
Does not life prove that so often, when we least expect it, God does the seemingly impossible. I remember so many times in my ministry, after praying and working with people for months, sometimes for years, and quite often when I was really not expecting it, that person came forward with a commitment. Marvelous is God’s grace. We must make all our resources available.
3. We must live out our faith. It is not enough to say, "Yes, Lord, I’m sure there are fish somewhere in the lake." Jesus wants us to "launch out." He wants us to put faith into action.
I remember the story of a new convert who decided to test the effectiveness of prayer. Kneeling at the church’s altar he prayed for God to give shoes to a little girl he had seen barefoot that morning. Some time later he drove by her home to see if she had her new shoes.
This routine went on for a number of days. Still no shoes. Finally, again at the altar the man said, "God, I’m giving You one more day. If You do not give that little girl some new shoes by tomorrow, I’m going down to the store and buy them for her myself."
Faith must be put into action.
Ira Stamphill tells of visiting a young minister who pastored a small congregation. He noticed especially the man’s prayer life and his persistent labor. Within a few years the man had a church of more than a thousand members. Faith must be put to work.
God has something for each of us. If we can’t pilot the ship, then we can prepare meals for the crew. If we cannot swim or fish, then we can mend the nets. We each have a task to perform in the Kingdom, and God will help us to do it well.
CONCLUSION
Let us summarize. God never makes foolish commands. We humans are prone to make excuses. Faith remains a possibility. Faith can bring the unexpected miracle if we pray, if we make ourselves and our resources available, and if we put our faith into action.
God is still blessing and caring for His church. A Pentecostal revival is sweeping our world, bringing to our attention such miracles as that of Dr. Paul Yonggi Cho’s church in Seoul, Korea, with a half million members. There are other great churches; but more importantly God is working in all our communities, giving us opportunities such as we have never known before.
Let us launch out into the deep. We are on the verge of ever greater miracles, in Jesus’ name.
Amen
