Sunday Evening Sermon

Preached by John Gaines at Leonard Street Church of Christ

March 9, 2003

1. We begin a four-part look at Simon Peter and how his understanding of Jesus grew through various experiences. We call these lessons "Eyeglasses For a Fisherman" because the incidents we'll study helped Peter gain a better vision of who Jesus is and why Jesus came to earth.

2. The first lesson in this series is "Seeing Jesus as Master." Our text is Luke 5:1-11 (NKJV) So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, 2 and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. 3 Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat. 4 When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." 5 But Simon answered and said to Him, "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net." 6 And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. 7 So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!" 9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; 10 and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men." 11 So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.

a. Those of you who are fishermen can identify with Simon Peter's frustration. Sometimes fishing just does not go well. These fishermen had fished all night and caught nothing. Still the nets had to be cleaned so the weary fishermen were washing them.

b. Jesus was attracting a great deal of attention. Even early in the morning a large crowd of people was pressing around Jesus eager to hear Him preach the word of God. Jesus got into Simon Peter's boat and asked him to put it out into the lake a little way from the shore. This allowed the crowd to see and hear Jesus better. He sat down in the boat and began teaching the multitude. We're not told what He said on this occasion. Luke's point here is not Jesus' teaching of the crowd, but the great lesson he taught Peter.

c. When He finished teaching, Jesus told Simon to launch out into deep water and put his nets down for a catch. Peter was being tested in a most unexpected way. Jesus used Peter's experience as a fisherman to teach him an important lesson about discipleship.

(1) Peter and Jesus were not strangers. He had been introduced to Jesus by his brother Andrew [John 1:40-42]. He had heard Jesus teach and respected Him as a man of God. Still, Peter had reason to think he knew more about fishing than this carpenter, Jesus.

(2) He was tired. He told Jesus, "Master, we have toiled all night." Peter and the other fishermen were weary and tired from a night of hard work. Fishing had been awful. They had caught nothing. They had been cleaning the nets. If they fished with them again, they would have to be cleaned again. Furthermore, the morning hours were not the best time of day to fish on the Sea of Galilee. There was no earthly reason to do what Jesus was asking Peter to do.

(3) In spite of this, Peter treated Jesus with respect. He didn't expect anything but more hard work to come from Jesus' request, but he was willing to honor it. Peter calls Jesus "Master." The Greek word here, epistates, is used only by Luke. The word means "commander" or "superintendent." By using this word, Peter acknowledges that Jesus has the right to tell him what to do. We might paraphrase what he said as something like, "Well, it's not going to do any good, but I'll do it out of respect and honor for you."

(4) The fishermen caught an overwhelming number of fish. Their nets were beginning to break with the load. They called their partners from the other boat (James and John, v. 10). The fishermen filled both boats so full of fish that the boats began to sink.

d. A light dawned in Peter's head. He began to understand something very important about Jesus. His reply is most interesting. He fell to his knees and said to Jesus, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!"

(1) Peter saw his sinfulness in contrast to Christ's greatness.

(2) He fell to his knees in worship. This worship was accepted rather than rebuked. Years later, when Cornelius fell to his knees before Peter, Peter told him, "Stand up; I myself am also a man." [Acts 10:26].

(3) Peter now addresses Jesus as kurios -- Lord. This means "one supreme in authority"

e. Peter, James, John, and the other fishermen were amazed -- "astonished" at the catch of fish. Jesus told them not to be afraid. They would be fishers of men . . . catching men instead of fish.

3. Let us consider some lessons we should take to heart from Peter's experience with Jesus.

I. DISCIPLESHIP IS A CHALLENGE TO FAITH.

A. A disciple is a learner. Christ is the teacher. We must be willing to learn from Jesus. Those who won't learn cannot be taught.

B. God knows better than we do.

1. Peter was sure that further fishing would be pointless. They weren't going to catch anything!

2. Jesus knew better! [Isaiah 55:8-9 (NKJV) "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD. 9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.]

C. Doubt is overcome by obedience.

1. We must trust the Lord and obey what He says.

2. People today often dispute the need for baptism or some other command in the Bible by saying, "I don't see why . . . is necessary." There are times when we simply need to trust and obey.

D. Christ does not force us to follow Him.

1. In Matthew and Mark's accounts of the call of Simon, there is no record of the fishing incident. Instead, Jesus simply told the fishermen, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." [Matthew 4:19 (NKJV)].

2. Their response is recorded in the next verse: Matthew 4:20 (NKJV) They immediately left their nets and followed Him. They did not have to obey. It was their choice to follow Jesus.

3. Out on the boat, Peter did not have to obey when Jesus told him to let down his nets. Jesus would not have forced him. If he had refused, however, he would not have caught any fish. More importantly, he would have missed the great lesson he learned about his relationship with Christ.

II. CHRIST MUST BE THE CAPTAIN OF THE BOAT.

A. The boat belonged to Peter, but Christ gave the orders. He is the captain of our salvation [Hebrews 2:10 (NKJV) For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.]

B. Peter might have continued a successful career as a Galilean fisherman without following Christ. Many people find success in secular careers while leaving Jesus out of their lives.

C. God had greater plans for Peter. When Christ called Peter to follow Him, He intended for him to catch men instead of fish.

1. The lives of Peter, Andrew, James, and John were about to be transformed.

2. They would be closely associated with Jesus during the rest of the Lord's earthly ministry. This would show in their conduct and lives [Acts 4:13 (NKJV) Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. ]

3. They would experience the death and resurrection of Christ.

4. They would be there in the proclamation of the gospel in the early days of the church. We know nothing about the work of Andrew in the early church. James was killed by King Herod [Acts 12:1-2], but Peter and John were "pillars" in the spread of New Testament Christianity [Galatians 2:9].

5. None of that would have been possible unless they submitted themselves to the lordship of Jesus Christ. When Peter saw that Jesus was lord, he had taken a giant step toward fulfilling the purpose God intended.

III. CONSECRATION IS KEY

A. Look what happened to Peter, Andrew, James, and John when they got back to shore [Luke 5:11 (NKJV) So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.] Matthew 4:22 (NKJV) says James and John "immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him."

B. Nothing else really matters when we see Jesus the way Peter and his friends came to see Him that day on the Sea of Galilee.

1. We're sinful men.

2. Christ is Lord.

3. Our only hope is in Him.

4. What are boats and nets and worldly things worth in comparison with what Christ offers?

CONCLUSION