Sermon Central
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Leaving Your Nets Behind Series
Contributed by Carl Willis on Apr 9, 2008 (message contributor)
Summary: Your encounter with Jesus was life changing. He revealed Himself to you and then He called you to begin a new journey with Him.
Leaving Your Nets Behind
Mark 1:16-20 (HCSB)
As He was passing along by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, Simon’s brother. They were casting a net into the sea, since they were fishermen.
“Follow Me,” Jesus told them, “and I will make you fish for people!”
Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. Going on a little farther, He saw James the son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in their boat mending their nets. Immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed Him.
As He was passing along by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, Simon’s brother. They were casting a net into the sea, since they were fishermen.
“Follow Me,” Jesus told them, “and I will make you fish for people!”
Minding Your Own Business
As the crowd was pressing in on Jesus to hear God’s word, He was standing by Lake Gennesaret. He saw two boats at the edge of the lake; the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, which belonged to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from the land. Then He sat down and was teaching the crowds from the boat.
Luke 5:1-3 (HCSB)
Minding Your Own Business
- Simon’s experience
- Simon was going about his normal day’s activities
- He was not looking for a Savior
- He was not even in search of teaching
- Meeting Jesus
- Jesus enters into the routine of your life
- He steps into the middle of your activity
- He brings you into the midst of His activity
An Opportunity to Trust
When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”
“Master,” Simon replied, “we’ve worked hard all night long and caught nothing! But at Your word, I’ll let down the nets.”
An Opportunity to Trust
- Challenging Your Understanding
- Jesus challenged Simon in the area that Simon felt most secure
- The knowledge of his profession
- The issue was not fish, but trust
- Where is Jesus challenging your understanding?
- Take Him at His word
- Simon made his decision, based not on his own knowledge, but upon the guidance of Jesus words
- Are you trusting upon the word of God, even when you don’t fully understand the full application of it
Obedience Leads to Revelation
When they did this, they caught a great number of fish, and their nets began to tear. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them; they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, because I’m a sinful man, Lord!”
Luke 5:6-8 (HCSB)
Obedience Leads to Revelation
- The importance of obedience
- It is pre-cursor of God’s revealing
- It is the key to experiencing God’s blessings
- It is the true indicator of your heart
- Truly seeing Jesus
- Simon had only understood Jesus to be a teacher
- Simon now saw Jesus in His rightful place
- Simon’s unworthiness became readily apparent against the backdrop of Jesus
- Simon confessed Jesus as Lord…how about you???
Bearing Witness
For he and all those with him were amazed at the catch of fish they took, and so were James and John, Zebedee’s sons, who were Simon’s partners.
Luke 5:9-10a (HCSB)
Bearing Witness
- Others will see
- There were multiple witnesses to what happened in Simon’s boat that day
- Reinforcing all that was revealed
- Testifying to God’s work in Simon’s life
- Your life changing encounter
- Who has seen the effect Jesus has on you?
- Who have you seen transformed by their encounter with Jesus?
A New Role
“Don’t be afraid,” Jesus told Simon. “From now on you will be catching people!”
Luke 5:10b (HCSB)
A New Role
- Called into service
- Jesus was calling the fishermen to something greater
- Kingdom service
- A personal invitation
- Jesus has a role uniquely crafted for you
- Based on God’s design
- The requirement of change
- You can no longer operate as you have before
- Jesus has redefined the context of your life’s role
The Cost of Following
Then they brought the boats to land, left everything, and followed Him.
Luke 5:11 (HCSB)
The Cost of Following
- They left it all
- Their business
- Their family
- The familiarity of their surroundings
- Their comfort zone
- Letting go
- Following requires surrender
- Surrender of control
