Put Out Into The Deep And Let Down Your Net For A Catch

07-02-2016 FIFTH SUNDAY OF THE YEAR (C)
SCRIPTURE READING:
Is. 6:1-2a.3-8
Ps. 138:1ac-2a.2bcd-3.4-5.7c-8(R. 1b).
1 Cor. 15:1-11 or 15:3-8:11; Accl. Mt. 4:19
Luke 5:1-11

Preamble:
Dear friends please repeat these words after me;
Stay with me Lord Jesus, as I give you my mind, may your word never depart from me.
Stay with me Lord Jesus, as I give you my ears, help me listen and obey your voice.
Stay with me Lord Jesus, as I give you my heart, help me welcome you always.
Holy Spirit, rekindle in me the fire of your love. Amen.

Theme: PUT OUT INTO THE DEEP AND LET DOWN YOUR NET FOR A CATCH
Beloved in Christ, last week we spoke about you having a mission to fulfill in life. That there is a purpose for which God created you. You were not just created to live an ordinary life but an extraordinary life. One that will speak volume to those around. To achieve this, faith is a crucial factor. For faith requires total surrender and acceptance of the word of God and a belief in his person.
Faith beloved in Christ does so much for us;
Faith in God attracts God’s attention to you.
Faith in God will release God’s favour unto you.
Faith in God will open closed doors unto you.
Faith in God will unlock healing and protection upon you.
Faith in God will set you free from whatever bondage.
Faith in God will bring restoration and deliverance upon you.
Faith in God will establish God’s promises of blessings upon you.
Faith in God will bring close to your door steps those anticipated favours and testimonies you have longed for.
Faith in God can banish forever the presence of evil from your family because you are forever tapping consistently and constantly into the power of invincibility and indomitability that God has given you. Joshua 1:5.
Beloved, the barrier between us and the success we desire or we say the barrier between us and God is that we lack faith. Our attitude in the presence of God needs to be re-examined if we must get anything from God.
Faith is a powerful article of the Christian belief because as a believer it is your faith that can bring you victory over all that torments you. Without faith you cannot get God’s attention.
The barrier isn’t God; the barrier is “YOU.” God always wants to be in touch with us but we are the obstacle because of our doubt, lukewarmness, cold feet we bring into worship, complaining, questioning, obstinate disbelief and hesitation to follow the Lord or even belief his word.
The barrier isn’t the circumstance; the barrier is “YOU.” Coming into the presence of the Lord requires a great deal of faith, a positive attitude. It is that attitude the Lord takes note of each time you come into his presence. You cannot expect to get something from the Lord and you are there complaining and doubtful, concerned about “the if’s” and “the if not’s.” the unwillingness to go beyond the normal into doing the extraordinary. For it is that little effort that brings so much. That we see in the Gospel passage today. The Little effort of Peter brought in so much for him and led him to confess his sin and the greatness of the Lord.
A positive attitude attracts positive response. A negative attitude attracts negative response.
In 1kgs 3:4-13, scripture tells us that the attitude of King Solomon after he succeeded his father was a positive attitude even as he always worshipped the Lord at Gibeon. Scripture tells us that he used to offer a thousand burnt offerings upon that altar at Gibeon.
Note the word “used to” meaning it was a consistent and constant attitude. It was not one of saying I have done this before and so I am not doing again rather it was a consistent one. It was an attitude of gratitude to the Lord and this attitude attracted the Lord to him. The Lord appeared to him in a dream by night and God said “Ask what I shall give you.” Solomon asked for none other than for an Understanding mind to lead the people placed in his care and the Lord granted him not only this request but added more unto him wealth and fame.
What the Lord needs from you all the time is the believing mind to know that even when things do not go well, you are willing to rely on him for direction. Even when things do not go as planned you are willing to make an effort to keep your faith alive. It is your faith and your readiness that will attract the Lord to you.
In the Gospel reading today, Jesus set out to catch men, that is, to catch them for God. He desires to catch all men, but he is unable to catch everyone by himself. He needs help the help of all who will follow him. The gospel periscope deals with how Jesus went about calling men to help him in the enormous task of reaching the world.
The scene of this experience took place on Lake Gennesaret which was the same as the Sea of Galilee. In the bid to call men, the obstacles to this invitation must always be removed so that the Lord may gain free access to us and do with us as he wills. In the procession of the event, Jesus had to remove the obstacle to calling peter which was the removal of reluctant obedience. That is the “I will but I will not go or do” syndrome.
As soon as Jesus finished his preaching, he decided to win peter’s loyalty and discipleship. But first, he had to humble Peter. He had to show peter that he, the Messiah, could look after and take care of him. He told Peter to put out to the sea and fish. Peter objected because he had fished all night and had caught nothing.
We wouldn’t blame him for he acted as human as possible. He had struggled all night and all proved abortive and so he was unwilling to try again-we must note he was skilled in his trade and knew so well the best time to go fishing, when the fish will be out and how or in what manner they will come so paying out the net after several efforts all night would be a sheer waste of time. Despite needing to be home in bed, he had stayed to help the Lord in His preaching by loaning his boat to him.
Peter caught himself in the middle of his objection and obeyed. What caused the switch, the change from reluctance to willing obedience? Two things may be possible.
Peter was pretty well convinced that Jesus was who he claimed to be, the Messiah.
Peter was drawn somewhat to follow Jesus. Therefore, when he began to object to Jesus’ will, there was a prick of conscience, and he obeyed his conscience. He followed his heart….not his mind thinking there were no fish. Not his experience, having already tried and failed to catch fish. Not his body, being too tired and exhausted, just incapable of going on.
Beloved we must always be willing to follow the Lord no matter the level of obstacle for it is in this that we gain so much.
Romans 12:11 says “never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.”
1 Cor. 15:58 says “therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain.”
Peter’s obedience produced results, his obedience caught fish, and the catch was no ordinary catch. It was much more, so much more that there could be no question about Jesus. Jesus was behind the miracle; Jesus was demonstrating the power of God. (Remember this was the very purpose of Jesus, to win Peter’s loyalty and willingness to become a disciple on a full-time basis.)
The scene is a bit dramatic and humorous when we remember what Jesus was doing with peter, and peter’s reluctance and objection, weariness and exhaustion. There was a sense in which the Lord was really laying it on peter, really letting him have it.
Peter thought he was tired, but he did not know what exhaustion was yet. The Lord must have stood to the side smiling to himself. We see the extent Jesus was willing to go with peter a demonstration of his love for peter. He was after peter’s loyalty.
Just imagine Peter already bone weary, grumbling in his mind at this carpenter telling him the skilled fisherman, how to fish. (A sheer case of familiarity breeding contempt). Imagine peter’s exhaustion and weariness, reluctance and objection, moaning and groaning; and then all of a sudden a catch is made, a catch so great that he was going to have to work wearily along for hour upon hour.
We notice that peter’s net broke. Peter had to call for another whole crew and boat to help. Both boats were filled as full to capacity. Then to top it off, both boats began to sink. This year as you put your trust in the lord your testimonies shall be great in the name of Jesus. Amen.
There is no one who encounters the lord that will ever remain the same. Something new happens to you. When peter saw the boat’s beginning to sink, he raced over to Jesus, fell upon his knees, and in a sense said, “Lord, I have had enough. Let me alone. I will do anything.” His confession was threefold.
He confessed his sin of disobedience and unbelief: of being reluctant to obey the Lord, of questioning the Lord’s will and knowledge and power. You know Nigerians are somewhat like this it is only when we see that is when we believe. But Jesus is asking us to open our eyes of faith.
He confessed Jesus to be the Lord. Peter had previously called Jesus “Master” in verse 5 which is a word used to address anyone in authority. But peter had learned better. He now called Jesus “Lord.” He is the Lord who is holy and convicting, who must be obeyed and followed.
He confessed a fear, a reverence, an awe for the Lord
Romans 10:9-10 says “that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”
The Lord gave peter a new assignment. A movement from the ordinary to the extraordinary. A call to discipleship, that is, to catch other men for the Lord and it is always through ones experience can one be able to convince men of the wonders the Lord does. Proverbs 11:30 says “the fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.”
Even as the Lord gave peter a new assignment, a decision must be made. The men responded immediately, they left everything: their businesses, their professions, and the biggest catch they had ever seen. The men followed Jesus. He was the Lord who had spoken, and they were to be his disciples who obeyed and followed.
Luke 9:23 then he said to them all: “if anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”
John 12:26 whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My father will honour the one who serves me.
Beloved if we truly want the Lord to show us the right way, we must be willing to let go of our old ways and seek after the Lord in truth and in spirit.
May the Lord bless this word in our heart through Christ our Lord. Amen.