1 Once when he was standing on the shore of Lake Gennesaret, the crowd was pushing in on him to better hear the Word of God. 2 He noticed two boats tied up. The fishermen had just left them and were out scrubbing their nets. 3 He climbed into the boat that was Simon's and asked him to put out a little from the shore. Sitting there, using the boat for a pulpit, he taught the crowd. 4 When he finished teaching, he said to Simon, "Push out into deep water and let your nets out for a catch." 5 Simon said, "Master, we've been fishing hard all night and haven't caught even a minnow. But if you say so, I'll let out the nets." 6 It was no sooner said than done - a huge haul of fish, straining the nets past capacity. 7 They waved to their partners in the other boat to come help them. They filled both boats, nearly swamping them with the catch. 8 Simon Peter, when he saw it, fell to his knees before Jesus. "Master, leave. I'm a sinner and can't handle this holiness. Leave me to myself." 9 When they pulled in that catch of fish, awe overwhelmed Simon and everyone with him. 10 It was the same with James and John, Zebedee's sons, coworkers with Simon. 11 They pulled their boats up on the beach, left them, nets and all, and followed him. (The Message)Jesus was always concerned about individuals. He preached to great crowds, but His message was always to the individual, and He took time to help people personally. His purpose was to transform them and then send them out to share His message of love & forgiveness with others.
Points of the Passage:
- The would-be disciples were found washing their nets-if not washed would rot and break. Jesus came to them on their everyday activity, and they answered rather than continuing to "wash their nets."
- They had fished all night- and caught nothing-It was a well-known fact that, in the Sea of Galilee, you caught fish at night in the shallow water, not in the daytime in the deep water. Jesus asked Peter to do something CONTARY & DIFFERENT to what they knew and had experienced.
- The key was his faith in the Word of God: “Nevertheless, at thy word” (Luke 5:5).
- Peter first trusted him to “put out a little”….then trusted Jesus when He said “put out a lot...into the deep”-notice Jesus’ method of teaching and building our faith. Jesus later said this in scripture.
Luke 16:10/ 10. He that is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much: and he that is unrighteous in a very little is unrighteous also in much. - Notice Peter and Andrew called their partners to share in their blessing…they were channels, not reservoirs. Do we share our blessings…or stingily keep them?
If we don’t OBEY the commands of God, we don’t have an obedience problem, we have a LOVE problem…a relationship problem. It’s because we are not as in LOVE with God, because we do not respect Him enough out of that LOVE, that we don’t obey his commands.
John 14:21/ 21. Whoever has my commands and OBEYS them, he is the one who LOVES me. He who LOVES me will be LOVED by my Father, and I too will LOVE him and show myself to him."
DO YOU THINK HE WANTS US TO KNOW...HE LOVES US!
If you’re not seeing God or Jesus, or His blessings in your life…maybe you need to check your LOVE for Him!
The commands of God are not burdensome, not restrictive, do not bring bondage…but FREEDOM…and set limits on our lives so that they can be the BEST lives ever!
Matthew 11:28-30/"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
“So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him…”
EVERYTHING? WHAT??? You mean EVERYTHING...I mean really, leave everything, the steady job, the money, the wife, the kids, the place they grew up...?
I think the fishermen who would become disciples left these things...but I also think they left other things too...like pride, self-centerness, arrogance and many other negative characteristics we tend to develop over our lives.
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO LEAVE BEHIND..IN ORDER TO TRULY FOLLOW HIM?
Questions to Discuss:
1. Have you ever participated in a project on which everyone worked very hard,only to experience failure? How did you feel? How would you feel if someonecompletely unconnected with the project and with no expertise in the area came along and told you to start over?
2. How did Simon respond to Jesus’ instructions to cast their nets again? (Vs 5). What was the purpose of this? Was Jesus testing Simon’s faith?
3. What are the areas in your life where God requires long-term obedience from you in spite of failures? Do you sometimes feel like you are just standing around "washing your nets?" What would be your "nets"?
4. How did Simon react when he realized that Jesus had just done a miracle for them? (Vs 8-9)
5. How did Simon and the others respond to Jesus’ invitation to follow him? (Vs 11) In what way is Simon’s reaction an example for us to follow? What do you need to leave behind today in order to follow Christ?
6.Why doesn't Jesus address Peter's sinfulness at this point? What does Jesus talk about instead?
7.Does Jesus require ALL his disciples to leave everything? If not, why not? If so, in what sense?
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