How To Waste A Life Away (Luke 5:1-11)
Rev. William L. Barron, January 14, 2018Part of the Morning Worship at North Greenville Church series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
Jesus was teaching and healing, and the crowds were coming to him. He tells Peter to let down his nets, and he will catch a lot of fish. Peter is skeptical, but obeys. They got a great catch. Jesus called them away, a new calling, to become catchers of men, and they left their fish. Was it a waste of their fish? Peter told Jesus to depart from Him, that Peter was unworthy. Jesus' work with the catch of fish was not a coincidence. When we trust in Jesus and leave an expected calling, is it a waste; or when we leave a "big catch"? It's not easy to walk away from something dear to us. How is it that we respond to the calling to serve? It's God's work. We need to invite; God will bring His harvest. We stay ready to tell. If Jesus is worthy of our working, nothing is wasteful. Likewise, Matthew left his profitable calling as a tax collector. Matthew acknowledged he was a sinful man, as did Isaiah. Matthew expresses humility and answers his call from Jesus, by the grace of God. Luke 6: 12-- the apostles were sent out with a message to build the church. They started in their own careers, heard the call and set their minds to follow. Quoting the folk song, "Peter, Peter,"--"Oh, how I long to be...such a fool!"
| Earlier: | Same day: | Later: |
|---|---|---|
| « What Kind Of Power Is This? | None | Faith -> Love -> Forgiveness » |
Luke 5:1–11 (Listen)
5:1 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.” 11 And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.
(ESV)