Launch out!

 

LIMAVADY INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH

SERMON NOTES FROM SUNDAY 17 OCTOBER 2021

LUKE 5 VERSES 1 - 11

Peter coming face to face with the challenge of the word of God.  He was sitting mending his nets after a night of fishing.  Jesus asked to use his boat and push it out a little way from the shore so he could speak to the people.  Peter hadn't managed to catch anything the previous night but he was not discouraged, prepared to go out again.  Verse 1 Jesus addressed the crowd, in verse 3 he taught the people out of the ship and then in verse 4 when he had left speaking with the crowd he spoke personally to Simon Peter.  He tells him to "launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a draught."  How careful we need to be in the house of God - because maybe it is not a crowd of people that Jesus wants to speak to but rather an individual - you or I.  Maybe the Lord is setting you aside and wants to speak directly to you today.  God has a word for you personally.  That is why you are here today.

Peter perceived that this was the word of God.  In verse 5 was he making excuses?  The Lord did know all about the previous night.  He knew where he had been, why he was not sitting mending his nets.  Perhaps you are saying "I could never meet that challenge today" but look at how Peter responded to Jesus' words - "nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net." He was setting everything aside from the previous night and doing as Jesus told him.  This time though he would be going out with the Lord's word.  Think of the words in Ephesians about the armour of God.  At the end we read "taking the sword of the spirit which is the word of God."  Peter realised there was something special about the one who was speaking.  Andrew introduced him to Jesus.  Andrew heard the words of John the Baptist "Behold the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world."  Andrew followed Jesus as a result.  When he could he went straight to tell his brother Peter.  The word of God is not just for us to be stirred up, it is our responsibility to tell others.  Peter could later say of Jesus "thou art the Son of the living God."  Are we standing on the word of God today and every day we live or is it something we think we should do?  "For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God which effectually worketh also in you that believe."  (1 Thessalonians 2 verse 13) Paul was thanking God for the testimony of this  church, standing on the word of God because it is the word of God not man.  We want to see it thrive because there are people who need to hear of a Saviour, that they are perishing in their sin, going out into a lost eternity.  Think of the Bereans who heard the preaching of Paul but they went home to search the scriptures for themselves.  Let's perceive the word of God, ask God to speak directly to us.

Peter practised the word of God.  He was quick to put the word into action.  Are we putting he word of God into every day living?  Peter when he met the challenge did it right away.  Think of Samuel and Eli - Eli perceived it was the word of God and told Samuel to say "speak Lord for thy servant heareth."  The word of God needs to be put into practice.  When you realise you are coming to the God of heaven, that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek for him. (Hebrews 11 verse 6)  Notice the words Peter used - "at thy word".  Peter knew he had heard God's word but now he needed to do something about it.  Remember how Jesus spoke of a man building his house.  He dug down until he got to the rock and built the house.  The other man just built his house on the sand.  The difference was when the storms came.  Only the one house built on the rock stood firm.  In trials your faith is tested - not in the sunshine but in the darkness.  Why?  Because we are trusting and depending on God more. Sometimes the way God plans for a person is too hard, there are too many sacrifices to make.  When the storm comes it becomes very difficult to stand firm.  The Lord told Noah to build an ark as he was about to destroy the earth.  For 120 years Noah built that ark before the floods came.  He preached and told the people of what was to come.  He received criticism and others mocked but there were the encouragers.  However the people of Noah's day wanted to go on with their lives.  "Be ye doers of the word and not hearers only."  When Peter received the word from God he knew it contradicted everything he had learned.  You don't go fishing in the shallow water but in the deep.  You don't go fishing in the sunshine but in the dark.  Despite all of that and because Jesus spoke directly to him he decided to act on the word given to him.  Maybe you don't understand what is happening in your life.  You need to surrender everything in your life and say "I will do it".  The widow woman in the Old Testament had only a pot of oil.  She borrowed all the neighbours jars, went into her house and closed the door.  Everything seemed impossible but the more she poured the more jars she filled.  Nothing is impossible with God.

Peter proved the word of God.  He relied on what Jesus said, not on his own abilities.  Simply because Jesus said it he went out onto the Sea of Galilee.  He let down his nets and in verse 6 we read "so much so that they had to call their friends"  Peter didn't care what people thought.  He was putting the Lord first  Remember Moses and the children of Israel in the desert desperate for water.  God told Moses to go out and strike a rock.  Out of that rock poured water to satisfy the people.  The challenge came again and Moses was told to go out and speak to a rock.  Instead Moses went out and struck the rock.  Maybe God is challenging you today.  Moses disobeyed God and as a result he didn't get to enter the Promised Land.

Peter praised the word of God.  He acknowledged where his success was coming from.  He ran to Jesus and confessed his sin before the Lord, he acknowledged what had been done for him.  Will you do the same today?