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When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon,
"Now go out where it is deeper and let down your nets, and you will
catch many fish." "Master," Simon replied, "we worked
hard all last night and didn't catch a thing. But if you say so, we'll try
again." And this time their nets were so full they began to tear! A
shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both
boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking. When Simon Peter
realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said,
"Oh, Lord, please leave me--I'm too much of a sinner to be around
you." For he was awestruck by the size of their catch, as were the
others with him. His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were
also amazed. Jesus replied to Simon, "Don't be afraid! From now on
you'll be fishing for people!" And as soon as they landed, they left
everything and followed Jesus. (Luke 5:4-11 NLV).
Remember,
yesterday I said I liked old movies.
Well another one has brought to mind an important principle. I was watching an older movie with Arnold Schwarzenegger in
it titled “The 6th Day.” Perhaps you remember the story
line. It is about the illegal
cloning of human beings in a futuristic society where the star fights to
regain his life back after being replaced by a clone. It is nothing more
than fantasy, but it began me thinking about the real life Jesus offers
and what so many people have settled for.
In our reading today, Jesus was just starting His ministry on earth and
was looking for a few good men to experience what He was going to do. One
day, after preaching a sermon, He turned to a group of fisherman and
commanded them to head out into the deep waters of the ocean and let down
their fishing nets. They were skeptical. They had fished all-night and
caught nothing. They were professionals and knew the best places to fish.
They were tired and ready to go home. There were many excuses not to
follow Christ's commands, but one man, Simon Peter, took his boat and his
crew, and followed Christ's instructions. You can probably imagine the
scene on the shoreline. One fisherman cleaning his nets, laughing at Peter
for taking fishing tips from a carpenter. Another too frustrated by a bad
night of fishing to try again. Another, weary from the night's work, just
sitting and waiting to see what would happen. Then the miracle began. The
people on the shore could hear their shouts and see their boats leaning
heavily toward one side. They could see the frantic waving and the signals
for help. Their hearts began to race as they sensed what was happening and
quickly threw their gear onboard and headed out to sea to experience the
miracle for themselves.
Jesus proved to them that He was not a replica of life. He IS life! How
long have you been standing on the shore, watching others put out to sea,
and let down their nets? How long has your experience of God been second
hand? It's easy to stand on the shore, but there are miracles out at sea.
It's safe to stand on the shore, but the catch is out at sea. You can rest
on the shore, but you can rejoice out at sea. How long have you been a
seashore believer in a deep-water world? The time has come. Put out to
deep waters. Let down your nets. Experience the miracles of Christ in your
own life! Don’t settle for anything less than Jesus!
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