Today is our eleven year anniversary as a church. Back in 1998 on the last Sunday of October, we held our first service
down at the old Plattsmouth Community Center across from Stuebe’s store. There were 117 people in attendance that
afternoon – we had church@three when we first started. Of that 117 people, the best we can figure is that 4 of them did
not already attend church somewhere else. A group had prayed each week for 2 years prior to the start up day – prayed
for the people of the community, for the families and businesses. We are not going to be able to recount the hundreds of
God-sized things that happened for those two years or in the 11 years since.
I would like to see if there is anyone here today who was at that first service. If you were there, raise your hand. The
majority of us were not there. And yet, here we are today. And I am excited about what God is doing right now in our
lives. It has been a thrill to see His hand and His power in action over the now 13 years that we have been involved in this
process. But I think it is most thrilling right now, seeing the growth in numbers, but especially in maturity of those God is
drawing to Himself. We have much to celebrate and much to anticipate.
Today we are continuing our look at A REAL Human Life – the life of the Lord Jesus – in the Gospel of Luke. We want
to live the kind of life God wants us to live. He has given us a model and a pattern and an example in the Lord Jesus.
Today we get to see some important things related to getting on board with God’s program. Jesus came to announce God’
s Kingdom on Earth. He is still building and expanding that Kingdom. And He wants to use US to accomplish His plans.
As we open the Word of God this morning, let’s ask our Teacher for His help. PRAY
Last week we left Jesus in Capernaum – a town on the west side of the Sea of Galilee. God’s power was evident in Jesus
as He taught and healed and cast out demons in this community. I’m not sure how big of a town Capernaum was – I kind
of always think of Bible towns as all pretty big – I don’t know why. But Capernaum was probably no bigger than
Plattsmouth. Or smaller. One question that we kind of brought up last week – could the things that were happening in
Capernaum happen here? Could there be people in our community who are afflicted with demons or people whose
sickness is the result of spiritual influences? I think we kind of came to the conclusion that those things COULD be true. In
our day, though, we call them by different names and excuse the spiritual part – H1N1, psychosis, alcoholism, bi-polar
disorder and lots of other things. The people in Capernaum were healed and delivered. What are we?
Paula Jordan shared with me after last Sunday that she was very concerned – to the point of losing it – about an issue
regarding her health. She came to a moment last week where she rebuked the spirit of fear that was hounding her – in the
name of Jesus – and fear left her. It may come back, but we have the example of Jesus rebuking this fever in Peter’s
mother-in-law and rebuking the demon in the man at the synagogue and they were relieved. Paula experienced the same
relief.
Today, in Luke 5, Jesus has traveled to another town and is preparing to add a new dimension to His ministry on Earth.
Luke 5:1,2. READ. MAP The town of Gennesaret is a few miles south of Capernaum on the west side of the Sea of
Galilee – also called (in Gennesaret) the Lake of Gennesaret. People from Capernaum had obviously followed Jesus down
the coastline and the news of Him was also spreading to people as He traveled. At this point in the town of Gennesaret, a
multitude of people were around Jesus – pressing in to see Him and touch Him and hear Him. So He found Simon – the
guy whose mother-in-law was healed in chapter 4 – and Simon’s fishing partners and asked to use Simon’s boat.
It may look like Jesus did this only to get out of the crowd or to allow His voice to be better heard by the people. Have
you ever been on a lake or a pond and noticed that sound travels really well over water? It may look like this was what
Jesus was trying to accomplish by getting in a boat and going out a little ways from the shore. I’m sure what Jesus taught
was very important and powerful in the lives of the people who heard Him. But I noticed something unusual about Luke’s
account. We have NO information about what Jesus said to the multitude – nothing at all, except maybe that it was the
Word of God – verse 1. God led Luke to include this account because of what happened AFTER the preaching.
Luke 5:4,5. READ. Jesus finishes teaching the crowds on the beach – and we don’t hear any more about them in this
passage. He turns to Simon Peter and says, “Let’s go out into the deep water and let your nets down for a big catch.”
Simon’s response shows that he was a little perturbed by this request. Simon may have thought Jesus – the Carpenter from
land-bound town of Nazareth – just wanted to experience the thrill of catching fish with a professional fisherman. He may
have thought Jesus was saying, “Show Me what you do, Simon – let’s go get a big catch of fish.”
Simon Peter’s response to this request started to show his annoyance, but he recovered quickly. “Master” - You don’t
really know what You’re talking about, but since You’re asking, we’ll do it. BUT I’m telling You, we’ve been out here all
night and have caught nothing. So don’t expect any fish. PLUS, we just washed our nets out – so this is going to cause a
lot more work – BUT, since You asked, we’ll do it.
Jesus is the Master of object lessons. He was not interested in fishing here. His purpose was bigger than fish. He had told
Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” What Jesus was telling Peter was, “Jump in to the
real issues of life – the deep things. Let down your nets – share and live out the truth – and get ready for a catch. Not a
catch of fish, Peter. Get ready for a catch of humanity.” Look what happened.
Luke 5:6,7. READ. I wonder what happened in Simon as the nets started to fill and the boat started to get pulled down.
This professional fisherman had fished all night in this same spot and had caught nothing. Now his nets were so full they
were starting to snap apart. As he was dealing with getting these fish in, he whistled to James and John to bring their boat
to come help him. The whole time, the landlubber Jesus was sitting in the boat enjoying the nice air and the great object
lesson He was about to use.
James and John arrived with their boat and they loaded both boats down so much that the boats started to SINK. That’s a
lot of fish. Jesus, now probably sitting waist deep in fish, was probably smiling to Himself. Simon Peter stumbled over the
thousands of fish to Jesus and fell down at His knees, sticking up out of the fish. “Lord, I don’t know what is happening
here, but I admit to You that I am sinful and clueless. Please don’t come near me – I don’t see things the way You do.
You obviously know fishing a lot better than I do, and I think You probably understand EVERYTHING better than I do.”
All the fishermen in this little fishing business were astonished, it says. Peter, James, John and probably Peter’s brother
Andrew and maybe others.
Jesus responds in verse 10. Luke 5:10. READ. “Don’t be afraid Peter, I know your heart. I saw your doubt. Look
what happened. Peter, men, from this point on you will be catching men.” Jesus IN us changes our reason for existence.
This huge catch of fish was an example to Peter, James and John – and to US – that Jesus desires to bring in a huge haul of
souls to His Kingdom. And He wants to use US – YOU – ME – to do it. God-sized results come from connection with
God’s purpose.
When a person is alive in Christ, God can use that person for His eternally significant purposes just the way they are. God
can produce God-sized results when a person is connected through the living Lord Jesus. Last week we looked at
Ephesians 1:18-20 – God wants to use the SAME power in us daily that He used to raise the Lord Jesus from the dead.
Resurrection power – the power of new LIFE. Peter was annoyed and a little put out that Jesus wanted to go fishing.
Peter doubted that anything good would happen. Are you a little bit like Peter? When Peter saw the power of the living
God, he was terrified. Leave me alone, Jesus – I’m not worthy of You. Jesus responded to Peter – Don’t be afraid – I
know you. And I WANT to use YOU for My purposes.
There are a couple of displays with pictures and memorabilia items in the back of the room. I encourage you to stop and
take a look at those – see how young we all used to be and laugh a while. It’s all good.
There is a time for big outreach events and large group teaching – like Sunday morning or the pool party. Those times are
important to get the word out to more people. But what happens next indicates that it is a personal thing for people to deal
with – what am I going to do with Jesus Christ?
Are we any different? Aren’t we all a little scared of what giving up our lives to God would bring? God knows us – He
knows we will fail. But He WANTS us to connect with Him and His purposes. He wants to use US – YOU – to continue
to bring in a huge catch of souls. If you’re not seeing it or you aren’t sure you want that, look at a couple of important
issues in your life.
- Are you really a new creation? 2 Corinthians 5:17
- Are the worries and troubles of life keeping you ineffective? Matthew 13
- Have you allowed sin to take God’s place in one or more areas of your life so you aren’t hearing from Him? 1 John 1
Examine yourself and respond to the loving, forgiving call of God through Jesus Christ. Give yourself to Him and let Him
make you who He wants you to be.
As we look at this account, what do we learn about God and who He is? One thing I see is that God does not believe in
coincidences. Clearly Jesus had more in mind on the beach than preaching to a crowd and going fishing. As always, Jesus
– the REAL human being – was listening to His Father and doing what His Father told Him to do. He stepped in to the
boat with Simon for God’s eternal reasons. Do WE view circumstances as coincidences or are we looking for the work of
God in all the situations of our lives?
We learn, too, that God is patient with mankind. Peter and the others with him poo-pooed the request of Jesus to go out
and fish. Jesus, taking His cues from God the Father, did not get angry or bent out of shape with their self-righteousness or
doubt. Jesus trusted God to do what He had shown Jesus He was going to do. And when Peter and the others figured out
what was happening, Jesus was loving and gentle – don’t be afraid.
What is MY attitude toward God’s leading? Do I roll my eyes? Do I shrug my shoulders and say, “Whatever.”? Do I
ignore His leading? Do I decide before I do it that this will never work, based on my experience? Or do I trust God and
do what He says?
We also see that God has thought through how He wants to involve YOU in building His Kingdom. He knows what you’
re good at and what you’re not. He knows how He made you. Peter was a fisherman – and a good one, most likely.
Peter knew how and where to find fish – how to attract them and haul them in. God took these characteristics in Peter and
used them for His eternal Kingdom (see Acts 2 and following).
If God shows YOU clearly something He wants you to do for His Kingdom, are you ready to jump in? Would you have
some apprehension? I think most of us might. But God calls us in love and forgiveness to jump in fearlessly – do not be
afraid, from now on you will be catching men.
God has plans and He wants to use YOU for His Kingdom building purposes. God knows you – He made you. God is
not disappointed in you – He loves you and desires a close relationship with you – a LIVING relationship through Jesus
Christ. God wants you to know and understand what He’s doing and He wants you to be involved. And God doesn’t
want you to be afraid of His plans for you. He has made you a perfect fit for the part He wants you to fulfill.
These things are true. How will you respond? Your job probably isn’t a fisherman. What is it? Office worker – farmer –
teacher – retiree – soldier – student – waitress – mom – custodial staff – counselor – self-employed businessman –
contractor – salesperson – computer technician – accountant – nurse – housewife – veterinarian – manager – school staff –
librarian – child care worker – construction personnel – something else. Don’t be afraid, from now on you will catch men.
Give yourself to God as much as you know and let the Lord Jesus show Himself through you. And then watch the God-
sized results start mounting up.