If You Say So
February 8, 2004
Luke 5:1-11
5th Sunday after the Epiphany
Galena-Warwick United Methodist Charge
Warwick & Galena, Maryland
Rev. Dr. Lawrence D. Jameson
larry@larryjameson.com
back to our church home page
“Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing.
Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.”
Luke 5:1-11
1) TEACHING
When you hear the teaching of Jesus,
it’s a good idea to try it out,
even if it seems silly.
Peter learned that lesson
on the day he became a disciple.
1One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people
crowding around him and listening to the word of God,
Gennesaret is another name for the Sea of Gallilee.
2he saw at the water's edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were
washing their nets.
Each boat held about four men and their equipment.
3He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put
out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.
It was a tradition of the Jewish rabbis to sit when teaching.
In the synagogue they sat in a special chair called
the seat of Moses.
4When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and
let down the nets for a catch."
Simon, whose name was soon going to be changed to Peter,
had been carefully listening to Jesus teach.
We need to notice it was the teaching of Jesus
that was the greatest motivating factor
for the disciples to follow Jesus.
The miracles and wonders came second to the teaching.
5Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught
anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets."
Fishing at night was normal at the Sea of Galilee.
Two boats were often used
and a large net was drawn between the two,
over and over again.
It was hard work because the boats were rowed,
the nets were heavy,
and sometimes the results were low.
Have you ever worked really hard
and had poor results?
Have you ever knocked yourself out,
did everything you could think of
and still had no luck?
This is one of my favorite passages of Scripture
because I can relate with Simon and his friends.
Life can be very hard.
Life can be disappointing.
It’s easy to get dispirited, discouraged,
disillusioned, and disheartened.
But Simon listened to Jesus,
and that is what made the difference.
In spite of his weariness, and disappointed attitude, Simon said:
“if you say so, I will let down the nets.”
It was the teaching of Jesus
that convinced Simon to trust Jesus.
2) MIRACLE
6When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets
began to break. 7So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and
help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
Was this a miracle? Yes.
There were so many fish that BOTH boats began to sink.
Power. Abundance. Provision. Overflowing blessings.
That’s what happens when we
do what Jesus asks,
even if it sounds silly.
3) CONVICTION
8When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me,
Lord; I am a sinful man!" 9For he and all his companions were astonished at the
catch of fish they had taken, 10and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee,
Simon's partners.
Simon fell to his knees in front of Jesus.
Simon was under conviction.
What is that?
Conviction is the work of the Holy Spirit
in your heart.
It’s an act of grace.
Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary calls conviction:
“the process of being condemned by one’s own conscience
as a sinner because of God’s demands.”
Unless God convicts us,
and helps us to see how sinful we are,
we don’t realize what a mess we are in.
Conviction is one of the greatest miracles of all,
because it makes repentance possible,
it makes discipleship possible,
it makes the Christian life possible.
Conviction is the work of God.
It is more than a feeling.
It is the deep inner work of the Spirit.
In John 16:7-8 Jesus said:
“I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away.
Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you;
but if I go, I will send him to you.
When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt
in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment”
Dear ones,
when you pray for God to bless you,
ask for conviction.
Ask for conviction.
Ask for conviction.
Then, you WILL be blessed,
because conviction from the Holy Spirit
will enable you to break old patterns,
and follow Jesus.
4) CALL
11Then Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid; from now on you will catch men."
So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.
Think about this.
Simon just landed the biggest catch of fish
in his life.
This was the big one, and he left it behind!
Why?
He had something much better to do.
That’s what we have.
We have something so excellent,
so superior, and so good
that when they see it
people will leave everything behind.
That’s discipleship. That’s the excellence of following Jesus.
Prayer
Master,
I’ve been working hard.
I’m tired!
All the excellent plans I made,
the ones I was so certain about before,
just aren’t producing like they should.
Can you see that?
Do you hear the weariness in my voice?
Master,
what’s that you say?
You want me to do what?
Well, that’s really silly!
You know I’m an expert in this line of work.
I’ve been doing this for a long time.
Master,
I hear you.
And I have to admit, you make me curious.
I saw you heal. I listened to you teach.
There is something wonderful,
something inspired about you.
Master,
this is really silly,
but IF YOU SAY SO I’m going to do what you say.
LORD,
in all my life,
I never saw anything like that, ever.
LORD,
this isn’t right.
I shouldn’t stand in front of you.
You are holy,
and I am not.
LORD,
is it alright if I lay my plans aside
and start following you?
LORD,
I just love it when you:
stump the experts,
blow away the competition
turn worldly wisdom on it’s head
and reward simple obedience
with outrageous, extravagant blessings.