Dare to launch Out
Luke chapter 5:1-11
Introduction-
If you would turn to Luke 5, we are going to look at the largest catch of fish recorded in the Bible.
It is where Jesus changed people’s lives and it was the beginning of where Jesus began training people to spread the gospel.
It is a place where God can change your thinking and your attitude toward the things in your past and give you a hope for the future.
In a day and age where the sky is the limit, opportunity can knock around any corner.
You would be surprised on how many people never take a risk and live far short of the life they were intended to live.
They do not learn from their mistakes or worse never do anything outside of their own comfortzone.
This scripture ought to have you look at your own faults but it should also encourage you to get out of the boat and get into a deeper relationship with the Lord.
There is something here for everyone if you would be sensitive to the Lord’s leading this morning.
Jesus Calls his disciples-
Luke 5:1-11- Read from the Bible
Prayer-
Father, today, would you allow us to see this passage not as for someone else, but for each of us. May we be encouraged and instructed to go deeper in every area of our lives where you would ask. May you take each one of us to a deeper level this morning and we will give you all the honor and glory in the precious name of Jesus! Amen.
Background-
The background of this passage is a crowd of people had gathered around Jesus while He was speaking. He goes to the water’s edge and climbs in Simon’s boat later and encourages him to push out so people can hear him better and He delivers words of truth for those that were listening. He finishes His message and He says to Simon- “Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” Those 13 words will change your life forever if you would let them!
It is a two point message-
Who will get out of the boat (launch) out into the deeper things of God
Those that have tried a few times to do something and have given up.
Which one are you! Today He could change your thinking and your circumstance if you will let him.
Jesus words here are an evangelistic message. (Be fishers of men)
It has an element of trust and obedience.(Go deeper)
lastly, It has an element of faith. (Launch out)
So why do we have such a hard time putting these things in our lives? Because we are not willing to risk and go to the unknown.
Paul Harvey
“Too many Christians today are no longer fishers of men but keeper of the aquarium”
Howard Hendricks
“In the midst of a generation screaming for answers, the Christians are stuttering.”
As a church, I am grateful that we put our programs where our mouth is- We have decided that we would go to the community and not expect the community to just come to us.
There are some principals Jesus teaches believers to fulfill all that the Lord wants us to receive for our lives.
Lake of Gennesaret or Sea of Galilee was about 13 miles long, 8 miles wide, and nine different townships divided around the shore. There were about 15,000 people at the time in that area. Jesus decides He is going to talk to the people. They are pushing him and crowding around him and He eyes two fishing boats on shore and get’s into Simon’s boat and tells Simon Peter to push out into the water so they could better hear him.
Modern day amp system was what Jesus did by creating a natural sound system.
When he was finished talking to the people, he began talking to his disciples- “Put out into deep water, and let down your nets for a catch.”
King James version and New King James version say “Launch out into the deep”
Less dramatic contemporary English version says “Row the boat into the deep”
The bottom line is the catch is not in the shallow water where everybody is but by intentional going to the deep end.
You are going to see that if God is in it! There are fish to be caught! There is blessings to be had!
If we had a better view of God and what He can do, we would see God’s blessings more often!
Illustration of fish falling from the sky-
In March 2010, there was a story of fish falling from the sky in a desert town in Australia. Some scientist say no way and some say that it was a tornado that created a whirlpool that sucked the fish up into the atmosphere and dropped them hundreds of miles away in the desert area. Why would we not believe that is possible?
We have heard of our God dropping manna from the sky to provide for the Israelites.
He has dropped quail for a period of time as a food source.
He has filled jugs of oil until Elijah’s widow ran out of jugs
Jesus turned water into wine.
Pulled a coin out of a fish’s mouth to pay taxes to Caesar.
Why do we have such a hard time believing that God is God!
Why do we struggle with believing that the God of the universe can do more than we can imagine or comprehend?
Jesus was already teaching with authority in the synagogue.
They were already amazed with the power of His words.
They were crowding him out and He decides to make it another teaching moment for the people, but watch this- He was teaching His future disciples and followers!
On the shore, these great professional fisherman are washing their nets because they got skunked! They were out all night and they caught nothing! They were licking their wounds so to speak and here comes Jesus teaching the crowd with these experienced fishermen listening to his words. He moves out of the crowd and he climbs into Simon’s boat and tells him to push this boat out into the water and teaches the people. Then he tells his future disciples to put out into the deep water to have a great catch!
Watch this- “Put out into the deep water, and let down your nets (plural) for a catch.” They did not get that yet.
Remember two ways to respond-
You launch into the deep
You make excuses
Verse 5-
“Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything, but because you say so, I will let down the nets.”
Can you read Simon Peter’s mind here?
Jesus, we are professional fishermen and we have caught nothing!
We are cleaning our nets, if they get thrown out again, we will have to start all over.
We are already embarrassed because we got skunked, but… because you say so, I will let down the nets.
Jesus the Nazarene- I love saying that! Tells them to unpack what they packed up and do what He tells them to do and see what they haven’t seen done.
I know you didn’t catch anything, but try it now when I am involved!
Verse 6- “When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partner in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they begun to sink.”
When are we going to learn that little is much when God is in it!
Do you get it?
Jesus told those fish to get into the net!
Throw your net over the side and leave how they get there to me! I said there will be fish!
I am not talking organized religion here- I am talking a relationship with God that rewards faithfulness and obedience with blessings!
It took faith to go back to the same spot and try again- to undo what they had done-
Sometimes we need to undo what we have done so that God can do what He wants done in our lives.
It took obedience- They operated on the fact that Jesus said it- if a non-fishermen would have said go throw your lines out again, they would not have.
Sometimes the blessing is in your obedience. Someone will grab that and say hallelujah.
It took trust in the Lord- Trust is what makes you do the unknown and trust for a determined outcome.
God understands disappointment and discouragement- These guys were disappointed. They had been out all night and they were depending on a catch for their livelihood.
Sometimes we don’t have all the answers!
Simon peter a professional fishermen, on his boat being told by Jesus how to do what he thought he knew everything about.
When it struck home what Jesus was saying-
(8) “When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus knees and said “Go away from me Lord, I am a sinful man.”
Launch out into the deep! When those words were realized, it changed his life and made him aware of loving God
At the words of Jesus, Simon agrees to go to the deep-New and wonderful things happen in the deep things of God.
When you are in the deep and your toes don’t touch anymore, you have to trust that you will swim.
I think again of Peter later as he see’s Jesus and He asks Jesus if he can get out of the boat and walk toward Jesus-
Peter would have never been able to do that had he not had the experience of the great catch in his past.
Peter walked on the water as long as he kept his eyes on Jesus.
Jesus is the same God that allows you to walk on water when your eyes are on Him.
He is also the same God that will keep you from drowning. When you are in the water and it seems like it will overtake you.
This all happens in the deep water- Simon Peter was asked to a new mission- Bring the gospel to those he came in contact with- it was not a part of his life- it was his life!
We are not all called to be preachers or teachers- but we are all called to be witnesses for Christ. To spread the Good News!
All believers are called to that ministry
The Gospel is for all and it is to spread by all who profess Christ as Lord.
He tells Simon Peter and he tells us- (10) “Don’t be afraid from now on you will fish for people.”
Matthew 4:19- “Come follow me, and I will send you out to fish for people.”
Matthew 28:19-
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always to the very end of the age.”
The metaphor of fishing is a symbol of gathering people for Christ.
“Do not fear” ! Has the same assurance and meaning as God spoke to Zechariah and Mary, and the shepherds for Jesus and the forerunner John the Baptist.
It is divine intervention and divine manifestation.
Launch out into the deep and see what God will do.
In the shallow, you will get bites, but in the deep, you will reap a harvest.
That is for some people today. You are wondering if you can make a difference. Yes, you can!
Closing
God wants to bless you—big-time! It was for this reason that He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”
The deep is where you will find a whole lot of fish.
You won’t find them near the shore in shallow waters. But to launch out into the deep is to move away from the comfort of the shoreline.
Beloved, God wants to bless you beyond your wildest dreams.
He did it for Simon who was astonished at the size of the catch of fish (see Luke 5:9). But it was not until Simon launched out into the deep that he ended up with the net-breaking, boat-sinking load of fish (see Luke 5:6–7).
You, too, will be astonished at your catch when you step out of your comfort zone and launch out into the deep with the Lord!
How many today have been deceived to believe that there is no one who you can tell about Jesus!
Deceived to believe that it is the job for someone else more qualified!
If we would dare to launch out into the deep things of God, He will bring us people who need to hear the message of the Good News!
As a church living in tough times of people not wanting to hear the Word of God because they know they are living against the things of God- to think that that is someone else’s job is to rob the people that God brings in our path of the Good News of the Gospel.
You have the love of God in you that is for you! You also have the love of God in you to share to someone else that is needing to hear from you that God loves them too!
He says that if you remember this- you will reap a catch. You will have boat sinking, net breaking catch because God desires to reach people of His love!
A church full of believers making an impact where He has you- the church is full of people who are going through a storm, but in that storm, there are people who are fanning the flame of God and want to rescue some from eternal death- we have a responsibility- you and I.
I am asking you in the power of the Holy Spirit ; living in us that we become by choice to be people of faith and be sensitive to those we are around that we touch people’s lives.
Prayer-
