Half-Hearted Service for the Master

Amen. That's good singing.

I'd ask you, please, to open your New Testaments to Luke's

Gospel on the chapter #5 please, Luke's gospel, chapter 5.

I want to read from that opening verse a portion that may be

familiar to many, but perhaps not all.

We hope to bring the thoughts that are contained therein to

you today by way of challenge, because I'll tell you what, I'm

going to let you into a little secret.

They're a challenge to my heart. The 1st 11 verses we're going to

read of chapter 5 of Luke's gospel.

And what a challenge they were in that day, and they echo down

through time to us today as well.

This is the beginning of the Saviour's ministry.

That fact is evident. We've only just reached chapter

5. We're not in the big numbers.

We're just starting the the ministry of the Saviour here.

Luke chapter 5. I trust you find the place.

Luke 5 · chapter mention

It's good to hear the rustle of the pages of Scripture.

But chapter 5 opens with those little words there, that little

line, the IT really is a Hebrewism.

It comes in from the Hebrew of the Old Testament.

It's one word in the Hebrew. It's these multiple words in the

English, 5 words. And it came to pass.

I love to stop every time I come across that little phrase

because it reminds me that what we have here in those scriptures

of truth actually happened. This is a historically accurate

document. These things actually happened.

Therefore, I want you, you know, it's easy sometimes to allow

you, the Word of God, just to go over our heads and not let it

sink in. But I want you to imagine you

were a fly on the wall that day, that you were actually there

witnessing all these events because this really is a mighty

story and it came to pass. Look at what we were told

actually in that first verse of Luke chapter 5, the hunger that

Luke 5 · chapter mention

there was for the Word of God back in that day, the Lord

Himself, the Word Incarnate, stood in the very midst, and

there was a hunger for that Word.

And it came to pass that as the people pressed upon Him, that is

of course none other than Christ pressed upon him to hear the

word of God, he stood by the Lake of Genesarat.

Now imagine the scene that's painted here.

He stood by the Lake of Genesarat.

Now the people were pressing upon him.

There were so many people pressing and jostling to where

he was that maybe those that were 5 or 10 or 20 year olds

back couldn't either see him properly or hear him properly.

That's the scene that's painted here.

He stood by the Lake of Genesarat.

Verse 2 tells us of how he saw two ships standing by the lake,

but the fishermen were gone out of them.

Because the detail were given here even in such few words.

He tossed. He saw two ships standing by the

lake, but the fishermen were gone out of them and were

washing their Nets. What's the picture here of a

finished work? They had completed their work

that day and he entered into one of the ships which was Simon's.

I saw in the features so heavily in the in the Gospels, Simon

Peter, the one who was in the inner circle later on in

Christ's ministry right through it to the end.

This was Simon's ship entrepreneur.

This wasn't the first time this ever had met this man.

In fact, He had already, the previous chapter tells us of how

he had already been in his house.

Now verse 38, look at verse 38 of chapter 4.

We'll read that detail that's given there.

And he, that is Christ arose out of the synagogue.

It's wonderful how whenever the Lord visited, there's so many

rabbit trails we could go down here, but whenever the Lord

visited any area or any spot, the 1st place He went to was the

synagogue. That's what the previous words

tell us and it tells us some of the things that he said and if

the reaction that he got. But now in verse 38, He arose

out of the synagogue and entered into Simon's house.

Now we're not freshly told here that Simon was at home that day,

but it wouldn't be a stretch to say that we just can't be

dogmatic where Scripture isn't. I believe that Simon was there

that day. I believe the Lord Jesus Christ

had already been introduced to Simon on that earlier occasion.

In verse 38. He arose out of the synagogue

and entered into Simon's house. And Simon's wife's mother was

taken with a great fever, and they besought him for her and

worried there of how he stood over her and rebuked the fever.

And miraculously that fever left her and she arose and ministered

or served or helped unto them as she would have done if she

wasn't sick. The Lord blessed in a mighty way

and Simon in Peter's home already.

But here we'll have something different.

I can say with some degree of certainty that the Saviour and

Simon Peter had already met. But now in verse 3, there's

something different. There's another level that's

called for. And let that be the challenge to

each of us today. Don't be just content with

having met the Saviour. There's another level called

for. Verse 3 tells us something off

that level. And he entered into one of the

ships which was Simon's. Now he was asking a small thing

here, but let's go through this and look at it in detail.

He entered into one of the ships which was Simon's and prayed him

that he would thrust out a little from the land.

I love the way the words are framed here.

Do you see the scene that's set the Saviour standing there on

the on the shore of the lake of Genesarat.

The people were pressing upon him.

The previous chapter tells us that he was in the synagogue,

that he'd got a reaction, positive and negative reaction

from all the people. Now they were pressing in upon

him and he wasn't effectively able to address them all.

That's why he entered into Simon Peters ship and the simple

ordinary request that he would thrust out a little from the

land and look at the way that verse closes and and he sat

down. The Saviour sat down and taught

the people out of the ship. It's not a beautiful

illustration that's given there. Can you imagine that scene in

your mind's eye? He had maybe a short distance

off the shore. He had cast off a short distance

off the shore, maybe from here to the church gate, maybe late,

and then the Lord Jesus Christ sat down and ministered on to

the people who at this point now, because of the scene that

was settling the front row, were held back off them a bit.

They were all there gathered on the shore, listening and

watching, hearing every word that would fall from the

Saviour's lips. What a beautiful word picture.

But let me say this, not one word from that sermon that day

is recorded for us by Luke, the writer of this gospel.

Isn't that interesting? In fact, out of the four Gospel

accounts, we've got Matthew, Mark looked at the three

synoptics and then John's Gospel as well.

Look out of all those Gospel writers was the one.

Luke was a physician. He was a scientist.

He had that scientific type mind.

And very often in Luke's gospels and Luke's Gospel, in the

records that are given in it, we have more detail given in Luke's

Gospel than any of the others. And not even at that, not one

single word was recorded concerning what the Saviour said

to all those people as they were gathered.

What was recorded, this ought to be a challenge to each and every

heart today, whenever I say this, each and every individual

heart today, because what the Saviour did say and what the

focus of my message today are these, the central thought and

these first 11 verses of Luke chapter 5 is this.

Luke 5 · chapter mention

It is what the Lord Jesus Christ ministered and challenged and

spoke to one man, one man, and that's Simon Peter.

Is that not an interesting thought?

Is that not something that would challenge us?

Let me say this because this is important.

In fact, look at me when I do say this, because the attack of

the devil today is upon us, is upon individuals.

The devil will tell you, the devil will tell me that we do

not matter as an individual. In fact, that's what society

teaches us, that it's the crowds, the masses, the big

numbers, individuals. What can an individual do?

Well, let me tell you, with God, the individual can move

mountains, can turn nations upside down.

You look at how these men were used as individuals, how this

man Simon Peter was using his future ministry from this point

forward. But it started off that day.

He thrust out a little from the land, sat down, taught the

people out of the ship. We've really only got to verse

3. Let's read on.

I want to read those first 11 verses, want to think about in

depth something that's given to us through these 11 verses.

Now you look at what we read in from verse 4 and onwards.

Remember, not one single word that was recorded that was given

to the masses that day, to the to the multitudes who pressed

upon him that day is recorded. But now we come to verse 4,

where the whole scene takes a very different tone.

And now when he had left speaking, when he had finished

addressing the multitudes, that means when he had left speaking,

he turned his attention now to Simon Peter.

He said, on to Simon. Launch out into the deep and let

down your Nets for a draft. Initially at least, that's all

he said to Simon Peter. Launch out into the deep and let

down your Nets for a draft on Simon.

Look at verse 5. Simon did exactly what he was

commanded. He was happy to obey the Lord.

No, that's not what we read. Unfortunately, that is not what

we read. The title of my message today is

very simply this and it comes from this thought from verse 5

and onwards. Half hearted service for the

Master. Is there a challenge there to us

today? I'll tell you what, there's a

challenge to me how many times I hold back, how many times I act

like as if I know better. Of course, knowing all the way

that he is the omniscient one, that means the one who knows all

things. He is the omnipotent one, which

means he is all powerful. And yet we act like as if we

know better. Simon Peter did that.

Let's look at what the Scriptures reveal after that

command is given. Launch out into the deep and let

down your net for a draft. Verse 5.

And it should really say, but I don't want to allude confidence

in the Authorised Version. The translator's got it right

here. That word in the Greek, it's the

very simple word, just two letters in it, DE, the word D.

Very often it's translated as and, and rightly so, but just as

often it's translated as. But because this really is a

contrast. The Saviour had blessed this man

by his preaching. He would have been there, He

would have heard every word that was given to the multitudes, to

the many. He had heard.

He no doubt had understood, and we're going to prove that later

on that he had understood the command that was given.

But Simon answering, or an Simon answering, said unto him that he

started off right. Look at Simon Peter's response

there in verse 5. He started off right, Master.

Not lovely. I think we know all the right

words and terms and phrases. We can put together things and

the way they should sound, right Master?

And then the excuses started to roll off his tongue.

Master, we have toiled. That's not just a word that says

worked, but that is worked hard to the point of of exhaustion.

We have toiled all the night and have taken nothing.

Nevertheless, at thy word I will let down the net.

There's a tone of defeatism in this answer that he gave the

Saviour that day. Nevertheless, art thy word, I

will let down the net. And look at verse 5, or look at

verse 6 how it runs from verse 5.

And when they had this done, now they obviously did it.

They are. He didn't just say he was going

to do it, He actually did do it. And when they had this done,

they enclosed a great multitude of fishes.

And look at the evidences given at the end of verse 6 and their

net break and they beckoned under their partners which were

in the other ship. Remember we were told there in

verse 2, the head of verse 2 that there were two ships

standing by the lake. One of them was Simon's.

That's the one that Saviours focus was on initially.

But now they were beckoning onto the other ship that they should

come and help them. And they came and fell both the

ships, so that they plural both of the ships.

They began to sink. Such is the blessing of Almighty

God. Folks.

Do we realise that what is in the the power of God's hand to

give us that day? The penny dropped for Simon

Peter and these two proves that penny dropped for them.

Just how powerful an individual was in their midst of something.

The fact that something was so now Simon Peter had always

already witnessed the miracle done by the Saviour in the

previous chapter, verse 38. We've read those verses of how

the Lord entered into Simon Peter's house and healed his

mother-in-law in a miraculous way, in an immediate way, and

now it was happening again. But what do we read here in

verse 8? Do we read that Simon Peter

rejoiced and that he thanked God for all that he had done and

rejoiced in what the future might hold?

In verse 8 we find that this man, his sin uncovered.

Look at what how he reacted. That was all given by his

reaction when Simon Peter saw it.

He fell down on Jesus knees saying depart from me for I am a

sinful man O Lord. That was his prayer.

We could say that he would just in a similar situation in our

own sort of vernacular that would just wish the ground would

open up and swallow us whole. That's where Simon Peter was

that day he pleaded with God to depart from him.

You know there's times when her sin will feel like that.

Remember the title of her message today.

It is half hearted service for the Master.

He was uncovered that day. His sin was found out that day

in that instant. Depart from me, for I'm a sinful

man, O Lord. For he was astonished.

And all that were with them at the draft of the fishes which

they had taken. And so also, so also was or so

was also James and John, the sons of Zebedee that were

partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon.

Again, though there were there were others involved here, but

the Saviours attention, his focus, his words, his command,

his instruction, his encouragement now in this verse

was focused upon this individual Simon Peter, one man to be that

there's one man, one woman, one young person in the gathering

listening, watching along online today that the Lord has already

put his finger on you, on your life, challenge you about

something as he challenged Simon Peter that day.

Could it be as we know because we have the completed Canon of

Scripture, how God used this man in future days, but I believe

that's the very day that it started and commenced.

That's the day that he challenged and humbled and and

brought him into service that day.

They others were there, James John Psalms of Zebedee, which

were partners with Simon and Jesus.

Look at halfway down verse 10. We haven't even finished reading

verse 10 yet. And Jesus said unto Simon, Now

remember verse 8, He had already pleaded with the Lord to depart

from him because of a sin. He had wanted to be left alone

and Stew in his sin. But what did Jesus do in verse

10? He spoke to him.

Jesus said unto him, Simon, fear not, from henceforth thou shalt

catch man. That word from the Master, that

word from the Saviour, made all the difference when they had

brought their ships to land. Verse 11 tells us to closeout

this portion before we go on to the next.

And when they had brought their ships to land, they first shook

all, and followed him. Amen.

We do pray that the Lord Himself may bless us even but the

reading and the giving of the sense, the reading, the precious

inerrant word of God, let us still our hearts before we come

to dissect these verses, open them up, exegete them in God's

house today. Let us pray that the Lord

Himself might speak through His precious Word.

Father, we do thank Thee for Thy precious Word, even read to our

hearts this morning. Pray that they would encourage,

that they would bless, that they would challenge, that they would

speak, dear Lord, speak in a tangible way.

Speak in a way, Lord, that would not be forgotten by the final

Amen of the meeting, but a word that would follow us home, a

word that would challenge us throughout our Christian lives

and our Christian walks. It is for Thy glory, and it is

for Thy glory alone. We pray in thy precious name.

We do ask, Amen. We've mentioned already, because

we're only in chapter 5 of Luke's Gospel, that the Lord

Jesus Christ had only just effectively begun His earthly

ministry, had just been revealed to his home people there, to the

people in Israel. It's pretty evident as we've

only just reached this 5th chapter yet and we would have to

admit it. What a stir the Lord Jesus

Christ was making from the people amongst the people right

from the very off. What a stir.

Look at how we read in chapter 5 verse one.

And we did highlight these words through the reading of how the

people pressed upon him to hear the word of God.

In fact, we'd have to admit that the Lord had already created a

stir long before that. Think of how in Luke chapter 1,

Luke 1 · chapter mention

even before his birth, of how that prophecy that came to the

by the Angel to Mary must have sent shock waves around their

respective families. Think about how even in Luke

Luke 2 · chapter mention

chapter 2 of the birth of Christ in the stable on his early

years. Think about that occasion,

actually, whenever the, the, the, the whole family went to

Jerusalem to the temple for their annual pilgrimage to

worship in the temple and parrons.

And of how they were all on their way back and they noticed

that the Saviour wasn't there, that the Lord Jesus Christ was

missing from the ranks. Just a young lad, just maybe six

or seven years of age, and he wasn't there.

And of how his mother and stepfather are supposed to put

it accurately. Mary and Joseph had rushed back

and they had searched everywhere.

And where did they find him? To find him right in the middle

of the temple, asking questions and answering questions, no

doubt in a way that showed his knowledge to the doctors of the

law. Oh, he created a stir long

before that. Think of how even in Luke

Luke 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3 of his baptism, that public baptism by John.

Think of how even in that account of how the Father, the

Son, and the Holy Ghost were there that day, the Holy Trinity

were employed that day. Think of the very next chapter,

the one preceding this one of His temptation in the 1st 13

verses, and of how from verse 18 on down toward the end of how he

began to preach. And remember, never man speak

like this man. Didn't his very enemies admit

that? Remember how later on in his

earthy ministry of how his enemies had commissioned

individuals to go out and entrap him in his words?

And they came back, the very enemies come back with that

report. Never man speak like this man.

They knew there was something different about the Saviour.

Think how even in John chapter 3 about Nicodemus, the ruler of

John 3 · chapter mention

the Jews, think of how he visited the Saviour went under

the cover of darkness at night and spoke to him and he said

words to the fact that he knew he was no mere man, no man.

I'm speaking from Mariner memory here.

No man can do these miracles that thou dost except God be

with them. He was sitting that day in the

very presence of the Lord Jesus Christ, not just the Lord Jesus

Christ, but the Son of God and God the Son.

This man, this God man was creating a stir absolutely

everywhere he went and even from the earliest of days, even from

what we read there in chapter 4, the some of the closing words

from his addresses there, we see how he even divided the people.

There were some that loved him and followed him and did so into

chapter 5 and stood by the lakeside that day hanging on

every word. And yet there were those in the

temple and Viro are entering the synagogue who heeded everything

that he said and stood for. Look at what we read in verse 22

of chapter 4. It tells us there that the

religious leaders all took note of them.

No, no, no, it tells us there that the young and the simple

took note of him. No, no, look at the second word

of Luke chapter 4, verse 22. I love to hide.

Luke 4:22

I'm a simple sort of a preacher. I like to highlight the small

words, the words that we easily skip over.

What does it tell us there? And and Luke 4 verse 22 and all

Luke 4:22

bear Him witness and wondered at the gracious words that

proceeded out of his mouth. And they said that they all said

that's what that means. They all said no doubt was

shock, no doubt was surprise. It's not this Joseph's son.

In fact, in many ways, us the way Peter began off by treating

the Saviour look as if he knew better.

Peter was the expert. Peter was the man that knew the

ocean, knew the boat, knew what? After all, he was the one that

was toiling all night. And this man was bought Joseph's

on a carpenter's son. What would he know about the

ocean, He who spake it into being, He who formed the world's

by the word of his power? Oh yes, even from the earliest

of days he was making a stir everywhere he went.

Well, that's really the background to what we come to

here in our reading in Luke chapter 5.

Luke 5 · chapter mention

But in Luke chapter 5, these first 11 verses, I want to bring

Luke 5 · chapter mention

out this thought of how this man Peter was prepared to give but

half hearted service to the Master.

And I'll tell you what, that's a challenge to me.

Before I come and preach to any congregation, whether it be here

anywhere else, I preach first of all to myself.

And I'll tell you what, this is a challenge to me.

What am I doing for the Lord? In fact, let's ask.

Really, this whole passage centres not upon what we're

doing, but it centres upon that thought of what we're holding

back. What are we not doing?

You see, we're very quick. I believe in this, this

denomination especially. We're very quick to point the

finger at what others are doing that they shouldn't be doing.

Now there's a place for that. There's a place for protest.

There's a place for highlighting those things that people are

doing and and denominations are doing and nations are doing and

all the rest of it that they should not be doing.

But there's two sides to that coin.

In fact, I probably have here a copy of the Westminster

Confession and the Shorter Catechism because there's a

question here that asks, I think it's #14 in the Shorter

Catechism, it's a question that asks what is sin?

And the answer is given Sin is any want of conformity onto or

transgression of the law of God. Either it is question #14 what

is sin? Sin is 2 things.

You see 2 two sides to the coin. That is sin.

Sin is any want of conformity unto our transgression of the

law of God. What does that mean in real

terms? What's the preacher talking

about? I'll tell you exactly what it

means. There's doing what we shouldn't

be doing. Yes, that is sin.

Very clearly. That is sin that needs to be

highlighted, that needs to be stamped out.

But there's that whole other side that sometimes we miss, and

that is, look at me when I say this.

That is not doing what we ought to be doing.

The whole other side of that coin, that is sin.

If you've any coin in your pocket, there's a head and

there's a tail. So it is with sin.

That's with this whole chapter. That's with these verses, 9 or

11 verses speak to, and that is not doing what we ought to be

doing. Oh, it causes my heart to sink

sometimes whenever I listen to and watch people that are so

careful and so scared of doing the wrong thing or saying the

wrong thing or supporting the wrong thing.

And then that individual ends up doing nothing in case somebody

points the finger. Well, that's what this is all

about. This is all about not doing and

not going the extra mile and not giving and offering full service

and full surrender to the Master.

It's about failure to act whenever we ought to.

And that's exactly what same and Peter did that day and his half

hearted service for the master. There's nothing that he did that

day, actively did that day that you could point the finger at,

but rather it was all the other side of that coin where He

didn't step out in faith, where He didn't obey, where he feel

deceived in that way. I want you to think about what

the Saviour command at Simon Peter that day.

It was a very, very simple command.

Christ did not actually say much.

We've already mentioned this today, but Christ did not

actually say much. That's recorded for us in this

passage. In fact, we could say this and

we really do mean this. Precious little was said by the

Saviour. In fact, in this entire portion

of 11 verses, in this entire portion in the English, we only

read 21 words that were spoken by the Lord directly.

But think about this, every single one of those words were

addressed to Simon Peter as an individual, Simon Peter as a

person. Or it humbles me whenever I

search the scriptures, especially the Gospels where the

saviours concerned, and very often the focus is on the

individual. I've mentioned already

Nicodemus, John chapter 3 and in that I don't want to say too

John 3 · chapter mention

much because I'll probably go to the that passage tonight and

preach the gospel message from it.

But I'll say this, that in that passage of Scripture, we have

the Gospel in a nutshell. And John chapter 3, verse 16,

John 3:16

what wonderful words they are. They're the most probably the

most famous words in in the whole of Scripture.

And yet they weren't given to the biggest crowds.

They weren't given to the crowd that preceded the feeding of the

5000. For example, were up to maybe 12

or 14,000 people would have been hanging upon his every word as

they sat in the hillside that day.

They weren't given to the feeding of the 4000.

That's one of the other miracles that's recorded for us when many

thousands were hanging on his every word.

They weren't given there to the Sermon on the Mount as they're

recorded for us there in the first in three chapters that

spawned 3 whole chapters in the early chapters of Matthew.

No, they were given to an individual and can I say this

again, at birds repetition, that is how important the individual

is to God. I think there's something we

learned through COVID, that whole sitting on our own and

that whole isolation and the things that come out of I come

out of COVID and the side effects and the repercussions of

all that isolation shows us that we need to be around people.

And very often the devil used that isolation and still does

use that isolation to tell you. Maybe you're sitting at home on

your own to tell you and to try to convince you and try to sell

that lie to you that you on your own do not matter.

Scripture convinces me of the exact opposite of that, some of

the choices saying some of the most tender ways that the

Saviour deals with anyone right across the the ministry that's

recorded for us in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John's Gospel as

well are given to an individual. And so it is here in this

passage. Every single word that the Lord

used that day was addressed to Simon Peter.

Is that not a challenge to you as it is to me?

21 words recorded by the Lord directly here on every single

one of those were 21 words in the English seven.

I've checked us in my Greek New Testament, 17 words in the

original language that was used that day.

Every single one of those words were pointed and sharpened and

applied to Peter. But I want you to think about

the command that was given that day, because in those words, and

it was given on 2 verses, verse 4 and verse 10.

But look at verse four. First of all, when he left

speaking, he said unto Simon. Now look at what he said.

Very, very few words. But there was so much in it.

In fact, I'm going to put it to you this morning that he asked

him to do. Let's count them 123 things.

Do you see there? Look verse 4.

Maybe you can't see three. Maybe the third one isn't, is

obvious. Let's look at them together.

He asked them to do 3 very simple things that day.

In fact, He commanded him to do 3 very simple things that day.

We know whenever the Lord commands us to do something, are

we willing to do it? There's the challenge.

What did he say to him? Look at verse 4 And he's And he,

when he left speaking, he said unto Simon, this individual,

there were others there, but he said unto Simon, launch out into

the deep and let down your Nets for a draft. 3 very simple

things. You see where he was was in

shallow water and that place, that time, that rule called for

that. Well, I hope we've painted the

scene accurately enough to suggest that he was in the right

place at the right time. But the server had asked him to

go earlier on there. Where is it there in verse three

that he prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the

lamb? He was just a little bit

offshore because that's exactly what the occasion called for.

Just a little bit offshore that he might minister, that he might

speak, that he might preach, that he might challenge this

multitude of people. But now this called for

something different because he was about to step into Simon

Peters life and change him forever.

He was in the shallow waters. That was what the occasion

called for. But now he was telling him,

commanding him to launch out into the deep.

That's number one. And let me say this, he refused

to do that. Now we'll prove that in a

moment. But launch out into the deep.

And then #2 he was the, he was to let down your Nets for a

draft. Now you're all very good at

counting here. I told you that I was going to

keep it simple and I love to highlight the very simple words.

Look at that word, let down your Nets.

Can anybody tell me how many letters there's in that word

Nets? Now, that's not a trick

question. Back row 44 letters in that word

Nets. Do you know what that is?

That's very, very simple. And I've checked this in the

original, I've checked this in the Greek, and it corresponds

with what the Authorised Version tells us here.

The Lord Jesus Christ told him to let down all of his Nets, a

plurality of Nets, not just one simple net.

It's to say that you've, yes, I did what I was told.

No, the Saviour told him very simply that day, let down your

Nets. Now it might just be as obvious

what the third command was. Launch out into the deep, number

one, let down your Nets, all of them for a draft.

That's the third one. What's he?

What's he getting out here? Now, the Saviour was actually

commanding this individual Simon Peter.

And look at when I say this, because this is a challenge to

the church today, 2000 years on, that he was to have faith that

the Saviour would fill those Nets.

Is that not like a dart to our hearts today?

That we're to have faith that he will do it, that we're to have

faith that he will step in, but we're to have faith that he will

do the impossible because that's what it was, humanly speaking.

It was the impossible. You're to let down, you're to

launch out into the deeper waters, you're to leave the

shallows behind, you're to let down every single net that you

have on board. And probably most importantly

here, because this centred it at all, you're to have faith that I

am going to give you a draft, that I'm going to fill these

Nets for you as only he can do. That's a challenge of my heart.

That's a challenge of my soul. That's a challenge to ask myself

this question, where is my faith today in 2026?

Do I have the faith that the Siever was commanding that day,

but Simon Peter was caught short on that day?

I want you to look at the response of Simon Peter.

I want you to look at this to Kai in with our Sherman title

today, this half hearted response in verse 5 when Simon

and look at the response that he gave and Simon answering said

unto him, master and the excuses rolled off his tongue.

We have toiled all the night. We've worked hard.

We've worked to the point of exhaustion.

That's what it meant. Now, of course, the saviour knew

all about this being the omniscient 1.

He knew all about the effort that put and he knew all about

how tired they were. You know, whenever we're at her

wits end and we're tired, we just don't want to do anymore.

That's where Simon Peter, that's where his men were.

Master, we have toiled all the night and have taken nothing.

There's the excuses nevertheless.

And look at the cheek of them here in this, and I mean that,

look at the cheek of them here nevertheless.

At thy word, he knew that he wasn't obeying the word of God.

At thy word I will let down there.

Oh, you're good at counting earlier.

How many letters is in at this time?

3 It's only one letter of difference.

Sure, we're only dropping off the ass.

I was told to let down the Nets, but nevertheless that I word I

will let down the net, one net, one single net.

Now I don't know many Nets that on board, maybe 7 or 10 or maybe

more. I don't know the number.

But what he was doing was here, he was holding back.

He refused to launch out into the deep.

He refused to leave the shallow waters behind.

And we're yet to prove that. We're going to prove that.

And now he refused to let down the Nets just because he'd

washed them all, He'd finished with them all.

He'd he'd done all that he was going to do.

They'd taken nothing but just to give a cursory answer to the

word of God. Let's just let down one net,

will not even move, will not even raise anchor, go to the

deep water, drop anchor again and let down all the Nets.

No, we'll refuse to move, but we'll just let down one net.

And then we read in verse 6, we read the first six of how the

Lord blessed, of how the Lord moved in a mighty way that

humbled them all. You see, Peter and I see, I

reckon there's so many parallels between Peter and us.

I feel like Peter sometimes. Far too often I feel like Peter.

Peter was the expert. You see, Peter was a thick sort

of a boy. Peter was the sort of boy that

jumped in with both feet that opened his mouth before he

engaged his brain. He was the sort of boy that

acted before he thought too much about it.

And Peter was the expert. That was his domain, the water,

the fishing. That was his domain.

After all, this was but a but a carpenter's son.

This is Jews of son. What would he know about the

ocean? He he played lip service to it.

He started off right, he said Master, and then everything in

the middle was a lie and then and then at the end he said,

nevertheless I will let down the net.

Oh, he knew exactly how to get round it and sound like he was

doing the right thing in paying lip service to the word of God.

And whenever I think about that, that's a challenge in my heart.

How many times do I do that? How many times do we do that as

a church? How many times do we take God's

word and, and twist that verse, twist that thought out of its

context, lift it out of its context and, and make it really

in our heart of hearts, say something that we know it never

really intended to mean. Just to get round that and make

it sound like we're spiritual or sound like we're doing

something. And many times do we twist the

Word of God either justify to justify what we either do that

we shouldn't do, or as the whole thrust of this passage is not do

what we should be doing. That's the thrust of this all.

Peter did that very thing. And yet, if we admit it today,

it's easy to point the finger at Peter.

But you remember, when you're pointing the finger at someone,

there's three fingers pointing back itself.

Look at that. That's the way we'll point,

isn't it? Well, point the finger and we

say they shouldn't be doing what they're doing.

And yet all the while I'm not doing this.

I'm not launching into the deep. I'm refusing to move.

I'm not dropping down all the Nets.

I'm not. Look, there's three fingers

pointing back at Paul Hannah. I'm not doing all that.

I'm doing with the fear that I've been commanded to to have.

Philippi. Didn't we read that of Stephen

as he was been martyred? He looked up onto heaven and he

was. That was one of the descriptions

that were given of him. He was full of faith and the

Lord used him to great effect that day.

In fact, almost 2000 years on, we've been doing the same thing

as what Peter did that day, using God's word, making

flippant use of God's word to either justify what we're doing

that we shouldn't be doing or not doing what we should be.

And yet, even in that all. Verse 5 tells us very clearly,

or verse 6 tells us verse 5 running into verse 6 tells us

that Christ moved in a mighty way even despite their frugal

attempts, even despite his sinfulness and his shortcomings,

even despite all of that that we read in verse 6.

And when they had this done, they enclosed a great multitude

of fishes, so much so that the evidence is here that their net

break look at look at what they did next and they back and on to

their partners which are in the other ship.

Verse 7, that they should come and help them.

Incidentally, verse 7, the head of her seven is the proof I told

you earlier was going to prove that they didn't even move into

deeper waters. They were still there, grounded

on, on, on, anchored in the shallow waters.

That's how they were able to bacon.

That's the word bacon there, that little phrase at the start

of verse 7. They beckoned unto their

partners. They were close enough that they

were able just to do that, to come on out here to help us.

They'd refused to move. They'd refused.

Peter had failed in all three parts of that command that the

Lord had given him. And yet even Despite that all,

Despite that all, the Almighty blessed what he did do, just

letting down a single net overboard without moving.

He blessed that to the extent that almost that brought in that

many fishes to those two ships that had almost caused both of

them to go to the bottom. Oh, that really humble Peter

that day. I thought about it actually had

written in my Bible that the Lord had humbled Peter that day.

But you know, it wasn't the Lord that humbled him really, it was

the sinfulness of his own actions.

The Lord was using that to bring Peter to the point that he

needed to be brought to. You see that proud heart that

sticking out your chest? No one better.

I'm the master of the sea. You're but a shepherd, but a but

a Carpenter. Son.

That attitude was just going to bring Peter down.

Peter needed to be humbled that day in order to be useful and

used by the Lord. I love that verse, or those

verses rather, from Second Chronicles 7, verse 14, verse 13

2 Chronicles 7:14

as well. But verse 14 reads if my people,

which are called by My name shall.

There's a list of things here that's required of us.

You know, it's at the head of this list.

Humility, if my people which are called by My name shall humble

themselves, number one, top of the list, humble themselves and

pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then

God's promise applies. Then will I hear from heaven,

forgive their sin, and heal their lamb.

But at the top of that list and the others are all, they all

flow from it. They are all predicated upon

that first thing. If my people which are called by

My name shall humble themselves. Peter was humbled that day by

the sinfulness of his own actions, or rather by the

sinfulness of his own inactions. His own refusal to obey Peter

was condemned by himself that day.

He was humbled that day. He was humbled but to the point

where he cried and he prayed. And I heard a preacher say one

time on this portion that whenever Peter cried that prayer

and verse 8 where he cried, Depart from me, for I'm a sinful

man. Oh Lord, he didn't really mean

it. I'll tell you what, he meant it.

He meant it. He meant that more than anything

else he had ever prayed in his whole life.

Depart from me for I'm a sinful man.

Oh, he meant it. He meant it all right.

But did the Lord answer that prayer in the way that he had

intended or asked or hoped for out of shame that he had hoped

for? Oh yes, the Lord answered that

prayer, but in the opposite way from what Peter had asked.

And sometimes that happens. In fact, he answered that prayer

that day in a way that commissioned Peter for the rest

of his life, but set him on that track that he would be on for

the rest of his life. And he turned him into a great

soul winner for God through his response to get the response

that he gave. And Jesus said unto Simon, I

love it there at the end of verse 10, he said unto him, and

he started off with these words, fear not.

Oh, Peter just wanted the ground open up and swallow him whole.

He was so filled with shame. And the Lord said unto him after

a little delay, and he let the dust settle.

And no doubt I can just imagine the scene where he would have

said at Cambly and to Peter. Peter wouldn't even have been

able to look him in the eye. He would no doubt was lying.

Well we read here, but he fell down at Jesus knees.

He can imagine the scene he cried from depart from me.

What did the Lord say? Fear not.

And then he gave him. I love that word.

It's easy to miss over it. Fear not.

From henceforth, you know what that word means from now on.

You know what that word means from this fresh beginning.

Do you know what that means? From this new start, From

henceforth? May today be a henceforth

meeting for you, for me, for those watching along online.

But the Lord is challenging and speaking to you from henceforth.

And then the promise comes, Thou shalt catch men.

And what do we read that he did here?

They forsook all. After that it made all the

difference. He didn't go back to his life of

fishing. He maybe did on occasion, but a

central thought now wasn't the fishing, wasn't the fish, wasn't

the main occupation. He may have done that to support

himself as Paul did later on. He went back as a tent maker.

He went back, but his main occupation, his main thrust, his

main focus, all his energies and thoughts and prayers were

centred around the work of God. From that point on, from that

henceforth meeting, from henceforth, thou shalt catch men

so much more that I'd wanted to say the day, but time has beaten

us. But perhaps this will be a

henceforth meeting for some of you.

And may the Lord continue to speak.

And the Lord did speak to Peter many times, the Lord, of course,

Peter feel the Lord many times after that point.

But from that point, his whole focus, his whole structure was

changed and he was sold out from God to God.

From that very point and onwards, we'll just sing.

We'll just take time to sing a couple of verses of our closing

hymn, please. It's 515 found in Page 373.

I need the every hour. Most gracious God, no tender

voice like thine. And we'll think, here we've been

thinking about the voice and the Word and the ministry of the

Lord to that man's heart.