LIMAVADY INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH
SERMON NOTES FROM SUNDAY 31 OCTOBER 2021
LUKE 5 VERSES 1 - 11
Verse 10 "fear not from henceforth thou shalt catch men. And when they had brought their ships to land they forsook all and followed him."
Peter had been fishing all night and caught nothing. It was a failure for him. Now as he had returned to the seashore he was mending his nets. He was prepared to go out again. He is now taken to a new level. For a Christian we should always be "growing in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord." (2 Peter 3 verse 18) Look at this fisherman standing here at the seashore, repairing his nets, ready to go out again but the Lord tells him "you are going to be a fisher for men." What does it take to ba a fisher of men?
Peter's discipleship. How can we tell others if we don't have it ourselves? How can I tell others about the Lord and his salvation if I don't have it myself? Peter was a disciple of the Lord. There was a time when he came to know the Lord as his personal Saviour. Let's take ourselves back to that moment when we trusted the Lord. We came as sinners. For Peter he was looking forward to Calvary. His faith and trust was in the Lord and what he would do for him. We are looking back to Calvary, to what he has done for us. He takes your every sin, my every sin and lays it all on his body on the cross of Calvary. He is not ours until we claim it. The work has been accomplished. It is only when we come to the cross and exchange our sin for that new life that he promises we can really know the Lord personally. That is where Peter came to. Andrew his brother was a follower of John the Baptist. He preached about the Messiah coming into the world. One day John pointed to Jesus and said "Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world." Andrew went and changed his allegiance and followed the Lord. He spent the day with the Lord then he went to find Peter and told him "we have found the Messiah, come and see him." They had been watching and hearing all that had been said of Jesus. Now they proved it for themselves. We can only prove for ourselves that we accept the Lord. He makes you a new creature in Christ. It is not an empty profession. It will stand for the test of time. When we close our eyes in death it will stand for eternity.
Peter's discipline. He had a discipline that came to the fore. He was a child of God. We need to have that to follow Christ. We notice how important it is to go on with the Lord. Peter had come to trust the Lord as his Saviour and was now putting the Lord to the test out in the boat. He had fished all night and had nothing to show for that toil. A complete failure. He came to land and began to wash and mend the nets. The Lord came to him and asked to use his boat. He took Peter's possession but he wanted his person. We can give our possession to the Lord. Give a tenth of our pay, give even an hour on Sunday morning and evening and during the week at prayer time but he wants our all. Jesus used the boat to reach the crowd. He uses our possessions to touch others today. Peter had to set aside the failure of the night before, he had to set aside that now because he had come to trust the Lord. I have fished all night and caught nothing, nevertheless at thy word I will let down my nets. Maybe when reading the word of God something suddenly sits out for you. An answer to a prayer you have prayed. Maybe it shows that we have been foolish. Maybe sometimes God's word contradicts with what we need to do. Peter wasn't going to let the past night mar his future with the Lord. Paul felt strongly that he should leave a particular place but God came to him in the night and told him to stay for he had many people in this place. Paul stayed for another 1 1/2 years. Peter was listening, launching and learning. Maybe these are the years the locusts have eaten but we need to set them aside for this is a new day. Philip in Acts 6 had to leave Jerusalem in the face of persecution. For him it was not an obstacle but rather he found an opening for the preaching of God in Samaria. it would have been easy for him to take a step back and say he was finished, to take a less prominent role. He picked up his case and off he went. He came to Samaria. Through his faithfulness God called him onto the desert road where he met the Ethiopian eunuch. This man was so concerned about his soul. Philip was told to join him in the chariot. Such was his discipline. If he had decided to just stay in Jerusalem, accept what was happening but he obeyed God and as a result people were blessed and enriched. "I count myself not to have apprehended but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." (Philipians 3 verses 13 and 14) Peter was going out in his every day life to put Christ first. As we go to work each day make sure we seek God's face, asking him to use us that day.
Peter's devotion. Peter learned a great lesson in fishing. The Lord knew best. Sometimes we think we know best but we must learn to stand on the word of God. Out of this great lesson what did it bring him to - the feet of the Lord in worship and praise. He learned to stand on God's word for each day. To depend on it. In Acts 4 Peter was one of the men who were arrested and questioned by the religious leaders. When released they went to their own company and began to pray That was their devotion. All trials, troubles and tribulations brought them to the feet of Christ and they themselves got down to prayer. See also in one of the great events in Acts 10 God was about to open the door to the Gentile world. Cornelius, a Roman centurion was sitting on his knees praying in his own home. God heard his prayers and was about to do a new thing with the Christian church. Where was Peter? On the roof top praying. That was his devotion. God spoke to Ananias to go and find Paul - where was Paul? On his knees praying. If ever we need a praying people today it is now. Men and women who get to pray, to grip heaven and pray that God would move. Remember Mary and Martha when Jesus called to visit. Martha was rushing about preparing a meal but where was Mary? At the feet of Jesus listening devotedly to the Lord. Isaiah said "Here am I Lord send me." A fisher of men needs to have that devotion to the place of prayer.
Peter's direction. Peter the fisherman is getting a change of direction. The lessons he had learned on the waters of Galilee would set him for a change. Moses was out tending the sheep in the desert when he came to the burning bush. It would change his life for ever. He would be sent down to Egypt, to bring the people of Israel out of that land. Amos was a herdsman following the sheep. God took him from there - chapter 7 verse 15 "The Lord took me as I followed the flock." The Lord has taken some from every walk of life. The religious leaders tried to quieten him down but he told them "the Lord has called me to preach." Amos told them what his decision was. His decision has God's hand behind it all. Has God's hand been upon you lately?
Peter's dedication. In Luke 5 verse 11 "and when they had brought their ships to land they forsook all and followed him." There was nothing holding them back now. What a catch that day. But they left it all behind. One day Peter said "we have left all to follow thee." Jesus gave the requirements himelf - Luke 9 verse 62. Men like Martin Luther who stood up and forsook all the religious teaching of his day, to go on with the Lord and help those who were lost. Men like CT Studd who set aside a family fortune, he couldn't sleep at night knowing people who needed to be saved. What about us? Are we ready to take the next step with the Lord? To give him our all and go through with him?
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