July 20, 2016
THE FISHING TRIP OF A LIFETIME
Luke 5:1–11
Josh Hickman
Central Truth
Jesus is calling us into a lifetime commitment to discipleship, worship, fellowship, and sacrifice of all for a God who is deeply in love with us.
Key Verse | Luke 5:10–11
And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men." And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him. (Luke 5:10b-11)
Luke 5:1–11
Jesus Calls the First Disciples
1 On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, 2 and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3 Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon's, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4 And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” 6 And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. 7 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 But 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 that they had taken, 10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” 1 5:10 The Greek word anthropoi refers here to both men and women 11 And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.
Dive Deeper | Luke 5:1–11
"The cross is laid on every Christian. The first Christ-suffering which every man must experience is the call to abandon the attachments of this world. It is that dying of the old man which is the result of his encounter with Christ. As we embark upon discipleship we surrender ourselves to Christ in union with his death—we give over our lives to death. Thus it begins; the cross is not the terrible end to an otherwise god-fearing and happy life, but it meets us at the beginning of our communion with Christ. When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die." —Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship.
"Come and die" might not be the first thing you think of when you read this section of Scripture. However, Jesus was calling them into a lifetime commitment to discipleship, worship, fellowship, and sacrifice of all for a God deeply in love with them.
Could you imagine? Jesus jumping into your boat and asking you to take Him out to catch some fish after you had fished all night long without catching anything. But why did Peter listen? Why did Peter respond the way he did? We are never told his motive, but in the end Peter did as Jesus asked. And boy, did Jesus come through with the catch of a lifetime.
Jesus placed Himself right in the middle of Peter's profession, providing a substantial amount of evidence that He is the sovereign, righteous, all-sufficient God. When we submit our lives to Him and realize the power God has and His goodness, there is a radical change in the way we live our lives.
We are called to be fully devoted followers (Luke 9:23), abandoning the attachments of this world (1 John 2:15-16), no longer living in fear (2 Timothy 1:7), and growing in our understanding of Christ and surrendering all to Him (Proverbs 3:5-6). As our relationship grows, casting our net becomes easier, knowing He is in control.
Discussion Questions
1. What may we learn about faith from Peter's reaction? "And Simon answered, 'Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.'" (Luke 5:5)
2. What is hindering you from being faithful to God's calling?
3. In what area(s) could you "cast your net" as an obedient follower of Christ?