BECAUSE YOU SAY SO

Luke 5:1-11

Key Verses 5:4-5

“⁴When He had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.’  ⁵Simon answered, ‘Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven't caught anything.  But because You say so, I will let down the nets.’”

Read vs. 1-3.  Describe Jesus’ lakeside Bible conference.  How did Simon find himself involved in it?

Luke 5:1-3, “¹One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding around Him and listening to the Word of God, ²He saw at the water's edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets.  ³He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then He sat down and taught the people from the boat.”

Jesus was teaching the Word of God and people were crowding around Him so that it was hard for Him to teach them.  He saw two boats and He got into the one belonging to Simon who was washing his nets after fishing all night.

There was a large audience that wanted to hear the Word of God.

Jesus was the main speaker.

The conference consisted of teaching the Word of God.

There was a problem in the environment.

Accommodation was necessary: there was no podium.

This conference was successful.  There were no disturbances and the conference ended gracefully.  And the crowds were fed with the Word of God.  Later, even Simon who was not registered for this conference could accept the Word of God.

Jesus had come to Simon; Simon did not volunteer to do this job.

Simon was good minded enough to allow his boat to be used, even though he must have been tired and wanted only to finish cleaning his nets and go home and perhaps have a small meal before he went to sleep.

Simon was a captured audience.

It must have been disappointing to Simon that he did not catch any fish.

We can see the grace of Jesus who invited Simon as His co-worker.

Read v.4.  What did Jesus ask Simon after He had finished speaking to the crowd?  Why do you think Jesus asked him to do such a thing?  Read v. 5.  What was Simon’s reply?  Why do you think he decided to let down the nets?  What does his reply show about him?  How could Jesus’ direction been difficult for Simon to listen to?  

Luke 5:4-5, “⁴When he had finished speaking, He said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.’  ⁵Simon answered, ‘Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven't caught anything.  But because you say so, I will let down the nets.’”

Jesus asked Simon to go fishing in the middle of the day.  He asked him to ‘put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.’

Jesus asked Simon to do so in order to test Simon.

This was Simon’s job interview.  It was a challenge of faith.

Parallel to the wedding at Cana, when one obeys Jesus’ seemingly unreasonable, inconvenient command by trusting who gave the command, i.e. Jesus, then he or she can experience a miracle, and come to know who Jesus truly is.

Simon decided to do so, because Jesus said so.

Simon could obey Jesus because he had listened to Jesus’ Words while Jesus was using his boat as a podium.

The Word of God opened Simon’s heart to obey Jesus.  

Simon connected Jesus as a man of God, whose words should be listened to.  Simon figured out that Jesus’ words were more trustworthy than his own experience or visible circumstances.

Simon said, ‘Because YOU say so’.  He did not do so because he was ready to try again, but because Jesus said so. 

Simon was teachable.  Simon could listen to Jesus.  Simon was humble.

Simon had to challenge his personal failure.

Simon said at first, “We’ve worked hard all night”.  But Simon than said, “I will let down the nets”.  This shows that Simon included others to obey Jesus.  He could not have let down the nets by himself; he needed at least his brother Andrew to help him.  Later we see that Simon signaled his partners in the other boat to help in the catch.  Simon had leadership skill to bring others.

Simon was a professional fisherman; he was experienced and knew what he was doing (but it doesn’t appear he was good at it – because he caught nothing!)

He was tired and was already washing the nets.  If he failed again, then he would have to wash the nets again.

He had finished for the day.

Read vs. 6-7.  What happened when Simon obeyed Jesus’ Words?  What can we learn here?

Luke 5:6-7, “⁶When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.  ⁷So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.”

Great catch.  The greatest catch he had ever had.  The nets began to tear.

He signaled his partners to join in the great catch.

When Simon obeyed, others obeyed.  ‘They had done so’.

Actually not only Simon’s boat began to sink but both boats began to sink.

No fish problem at first; now so many they could bring them all in.

Simon wasn’t ready to even let go of even one fish.  His boat was ready to sink.

The life that obeys God even in a small way is blessed beyond measure.  The nets couldn’t hold the great catch; nor were the boats able to carry it either.  God’s great blessing was more than they could handle on their own. 

The blessedness of obedience.  It is more than we can imagine. (Eph. 3:20)

When I trusted God about my marriage, He blessed me more than I could have ever hoped for or imagined.

Personal experience is important based on v. 8.  Personal experience based on the Word of God.

Read vs. 8-10a.  When Simon Peter saw this what did he do?  Why?  Read v. 10b.  What did Jesus then say?  What does it mean?  What can we learn?  Read v. 11.  What did Simon and his companions then do?

Luke 5:8-10a, “⁸When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, ‘Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!’  ⁹For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, ¹⁰and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon's partners.”

Simon fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”

Simon learned who Jesus is; Jesus is God.  In reflection, he could see that he was a sinful man and could be before Jesus.

Simon first learned who Jesus is and second, know himself.

Simon could find his insufficiency.  Simon was afraid to be in the Presence of the Lord.

Luke 5:10b, “Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Don't be afraid; from now on you will catch men.’”

Simon was being called by Jesus.

Jesus’ purpose on Simon’s life was restored.

As of now, Simon was living as a fisherman; but God had a far greater plan for his life; which Simon had no idea about.

It was revealed now by Jesus’ grace and now Simon agreed and was on the same page.

Simon’s life direction changed completely.

This reveals Jesus’ great grace upon Simon; Simon did not choose this, nor did he have any merit for this great privilege.

Jesus did not come to give us a ‘great catch’, the real purpose was to give man life to the full. (Jn. 10:10)  Life to the full means to live for God’s eternal plan and purpose.

Luke 5:11, “¹¹So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.”

Simon and his companions did not calculate, but went ‘all in’.  They left ‘everything’.  This shows that they fully trusted Jesus and were ready to obey Him completely.

What made them qualified was not that they had some special ability; what made them qualified was that they were ready to obey Jesus FULLY.

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