When You've Tried It All

Luke 5: 1-11

...And Simon answered unto him, Master, we have toiled all night, and have taken nothing, nevertheless, at thy word I will let down the net, and when they had done this, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes, and their net brake. And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.

When you’ve tried it all.

The Disciples Peter, Andrew, James and John were partners in their fishing industry. This must have been early in the morning, because Peters response to Jesus was, We have worked all night, and have caught nothing.

These men were professionals at what they were doing. They knew all of the Hot spots, in the lake no doubt, as this is where they had been raised. They had spent their whole lives fishing in these waters. They made a living at what they were doing.

In biblical times, when a man had a profession, it was more than likely the profession of his father. They followed in their fathers footsteps, and learned to master the trade by the time that they were in their early teens.

So these men were not new at what they were doing. They had just gone out to what they knew, and did what they had always done, but this time, for no apparent reason, they did not catch even a single fish. What would they tell their wives?

How could they explain to their children, that they would not have any dinner tonight. I can picture them sitting on the shore scrubbing out their empty nets, weary from the long nights work, complaining about all the hard work, yet they were without even one fish.

As they were sitting there in discouragement, along comes Jesus. He had been mobbed by the crowds for some time, as he hopped into Peters boat and said lets go out a little bit, and he continued to teach the people from the boat.

As soon as Jesus was finished giving his teaching, said to Peter, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.

Or in other words, when we get out into the deep stuff, you’ll find what you are looking for.

This is a different perspective on this story, but I feel this is where the Lord is leading us tonight.

Is there anyone here tonight who is a dreamer? I mean a visionary, who has something so big on the inside of them, that you really have not shared it with many other people.

Because in order for this message to be for you, then you must have some type of goal or dream on the inside of you, that is so big, and so amazing that it keeps you up at night, wondering about the possibilities.

I don’t want to exclude anyone from a message, but is there someone who has a goal?

It doesn’t have to be a world changing goal, it doesn’t have to be saving the planet. It could be as simple as a business idea, or venture. It could be getting out of debt.

It could be seeing your family members get saved and into church. Your goal or dream may be a ministry that you feel the Lord has called you into. It could be any number of things, as long as you can relate to what I’m talking about.

For Peter his goal, was to be the provider for his family. As a man, the most important thing that you can do, besides introduce your family to Christ, is to be a provider.

It is the husbands responsibility to see that the family has all of the material things that they need. That is why the bible says that he who doesn’t provide for his own house is worse than an infadel.

That means, the man who doesn’t provide for his own house, is worse than an unbeliever.

Peter, Andrew, James, and John, had been doing everything that they knew how, in order to be providers. On this particular night, they had stayed up, burning the midnight oil, until the sun came up, in order to see that they could feed their families.

They had worked, and toiled, and labored, and done everything that they knew how, the same way that they had before, but this time they came up with nothing.

Jesus came walking up and said, launch out into the deep, and you’ll find what you are looking for. Peter replied Lord, we’ve worked all night, and we have nothing, but, at your word, I will let down the net.

V. 6 says, when they had done this, they caught so many fish, that their nets began to break, and they yelled out to their friends, which were in the other ships, and asked them to help, and they came, and filled both the ships until they began to sink.