We Toiled All Night

1stBBC

We toiled all night

Luke 5:5 And Simon answered and said, Master, we toiled all night, and took nothing: but at thy word I will let down the nets.

Probably it was not the first meeting between Peter and the Lord Jesus

John 1:41-42 He findeth first his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messiah (which is, being interpreted, Christ). He brought him unto Jesus. Jesus looked upon him, and said, Thou art Simon the son of John: thou shalt be called Cephas (which is by interpretation, Peter).

Mat 4:18-22 And walking by the sea of Galilee, he saw two brethren, Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left the nets, and followed him. And going on from thence he saw two other brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. And they straightway left the boat and their father, and followed him.

Jesus still chose Peter’s boat to be his pulpit on that day although he was tired and ready to leave.

1. but still Peter sat to listen

Jesus came exactly for those tired and weary people

Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, Because he anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor: He hath sent me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovering of sight to the blind, To set at liberty them that are bruised

Listening is the first test we need to pass.

Pro 8:6 Hear, for I will speak excellent things; And the opening of my lips shall be right things.

Pro 8:32-33 Now therefore, my sons, hearken unto me; For blessed are they that keep my ways. Hear instruction, and be wise, And refuse it not.

Pro 8:35-36 For whoso findeth me findeth life, And shall obtain favor of Jehovah. But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: All they that hate me love death.

Listening to the word of God by its own has a healing and refreshing powers

Luke 24:32 And they said one to another, Was not our heart burning within us, while he spake to us in the way, while he opened to us the scriptures?

Many times these hard days are brought on us for a divine purpose

Deut 8:3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by everything that proceedeth out of the mouth of Jehovah doth man live.

He sat and listened …..

2. but still Peter obeyed and went into the deep

He had to challenge his frustration, desperation and pride to do that

It was Jesus word vs Peter’s experience, understanding, honor …

1Ki 17:13-14 And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said; but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it forth unto me, and afterward make for thee and for thy son. For thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, The jar of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that Jehovah sendeth rain upon the earth.

At thy word …

Psa 37:25 I have been young, and now am old; Yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his seed begging bread.

Num 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie, Neither the son of man, that he should repent: Hath he said, and will he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and will he not make it good?

Psa 34:8 Oh taste and see that Jehovah is good: Blessed is the man that taketh refuge in him. Oh fear Jehovah, ye his saints; For there is no want to them that fear him. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger; But they that seek Jehovah shall not want any good thing.

He came to give not to take.

John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but that he may steal, and kill, and destroy: I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.

Peter changed from “Master, we toiled all night” to “Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”

That brightness of Jesus Glory made Peter see himself and the Lord clearer.

“Fear not” was Jesus answer.

Because the one who said this is the one who “is before all things and in Him all things consist” is the one “upholding all things by the word of his power” is the one “for in Him we live and move and have our being” is the one “all things were created through Him and for Him”