They Left Everything

So I hear that there had been a stirring in their hearts for a long time, a longing for something more, a desire to make their lives count for God. But in our text they are back fishing again. And on this morning it wasn’t going very well. They had fished all night and hadn’t caught anything.

Sometimes churches get very cautious about ever really challenging anyone, about asking people for a commitment. And I’ve been a pastor long enough to know that there are always people who come to church dead set against anything changing, who come for the purpose of being safe and comfortable. And if you challenge them very much they’ll find some excuse to make you pay for it.

Sometimes we think that new people will be more likely to come and join us if we make it really, really easy for them, if we don’t ask anything of them.

In our text today we meet some young men who were looking for a challenge, who were looking for more in their lives.

Is there anybody here who is tired of the same old, same old? Is anybody here hungry for more of God? Is anybody here hungry to see God move more in our church, to see lives changed?

That’s why we are bringing Dr. Jones to Shannon in 2 weeks, on September 20. He’ll help us chart some new directions for more effective ministry.

Well, back to our text. Jesus was teaching beside the Sea of Galilee and quite a crowd had come to hear. Our 4 fishermen had worked all night. They just had to clean the seaweed out of their nets and spread them out to dry and then they could go home to eat breakfast and get some sleep. And Jesus tells them to go back out, get the nets wet again, probably get the nets tangled with seaweed again, and try fishing one more time.

And Peter is tired. He’s hungry. He’s been fishing all night. He knows the fish aren’t around today and it’s a waste of time. He said, “`Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing.” Luke 5:5.

Is there anybody here who can identify with Peter? You’ve been doing your best for God. You’ve been disappointed with the results. And you think you can hear Jesus saying to you, keep trying. Go back out again.

And this amazing Peter said, “Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.' Luke 5:5. Aren’t you glad that Peter listened to Jesus and went back out? They caught the biggest load of fish they had ever seen. But Peter knew there was more happening than just catching fish and at the end of the story they just walked away from the fish. Fish didn’t matter when you were touching the power of God.

Where is Jesus calling us to cast our nets? Where is he calling us to try one more time? Where is he calling us to reach out? Will we listen? Will we obey? Will we see God’s miracles in our lives?

Well, they didn’t see anything much sitting safe on the shore. But when they got out in obedience, even though they were tired, even though they couldn’t see how it was going to work, they caught the biggest catch of fish they had ever had. And they knew God was moving.

And Peter was scared. He knew something was up that was a lot more than he had bargained for. 8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, `Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!'