Pastor Slaughter
Epiphany 5
February 9, 2025
At Your Word I Will Go
Text: Luke 5:1-11
What are you willing to do for someone? I know. That is a vague question. It probably depends on who it is and what is being asked of you right? You are likely to do something more for your spouse when they ask you to do something then for your friend. You are probably more like to do something for your friend then for a stranger. I think you get what I am saying. So What are you willing to do for God?
What are you willing to do for God? Great question, right? It gets us to really think. What are you willing to do for God? Initially your answer might be whatever he says. It’s the right answer. We know that we should do what God tells us. We know that’s the right answer. When we think about who he is, the king of the universe, and what he has done for us, dying, rising, and making us a part of his family, we should do what he says. But when we think about it, do we do what he tells us to do?
If we are honest, we don’t always do what God says. The focus of our lessons for today is on evangelism, telling people the good news about Jesus. Jesus has commissioned us to “gather disciples of all nations…” If we are honest and truthful with ourselves, we haven’t done this perfectly in our lives. As we look at Jesus calling the first disciples, my prayer is that we leave here today encouraged to be fishers of men. My prayer is that we can answer Jesus, “At your word, I will go.”
Before our lesson begins, we hear how Jesus had healed Simon Peter’s mother-in law who was suffering from a high fever. He was healing people and driving out demons. Crowds were searching for him. The crowd was pressing in on Jesus on the shore of Lake of Gennesaret or the Sea of Galilee. And so Jesus asked Simon to go into his boat and push out a little bit from shore. The bible says, “He sat down and began teaching the crowds from the boat.”
This is one of those times I wish I could have been there to have seen the excitement from the crowd. I wish I could have heard what Jesus was teaching because it had a profound impact on Peter, James, and John.
Jesus followed up what he was teaching with a miracle. It was like this miracle was proof that everything he was teaching was true. He told Simon to put out into the deep water and let down you nets for a catch.
I just want you to recognize what Jesus is saying here. They were already cleaning their nets from not catching anything, Simon even said to Jesus, “Master, we worked hard all through the night and caught nothing.” These experienced fishermen who knew where to fish and when to fish. Who toiled throughout the night and were in the process of cleaning their nets are told to cast their nets for a catch. Simon’s response, “At your word I will let down the nets.”
Placing myself in Peter’s situation. Would I really want to cast my net down at his word? Would I really want to do what Jesus says? And when we think about this question in the context of being sent out to share God’s word, to be fishers of men, Jesus does give us lots of words to follow. Words like Preach the gospel. Go gather disciples of all nations. But when Jesus tells us to cast our nets down do we think, “Well, do I really want to do that? Do I really want to go to all nations or maybe I can just when it’s comfortable?” Or we hear words from Jesus “Love your neighbor as yourself.” But if we are honest, we recognize loving your neighbor as yourself includes, wanting them to hear the gospel. How quick are we to make excuses? “I’m not throwing the net over to my neighbor on that side of the fence because he’s a jerk. I am just going to throw my net on other side of the fence and hope to catch something. The question becomes Am I going to follow Christ’s Word when it comes to mission and ministry?
Man, I don’t know about you, but I feel the guilt of that. Missed opportunities because of laziness or a refusal to step out of my comfort zone. Missed opportunities because I didn’t listen to Jesus command to cast the net of the gospel to friends or neighbors. Jesus have mercy on us. Jesus forgive us!
Do you remember what happened after they casted down their nets at Jesus word? They caught so many fish that their nets were about to tear apart. They had to signal their partners in the other boat to come help. Something that these fishermen had never seen before in their lives. Do you remember Simon Peter’s reaction? The bible says, “When Simon Peter saw this, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying ‘Go away from me, because I am a sinful man Lord.’”
After hearing Jesus’ teaching, and seeing this miracle, Peter was confronted with his sinfulness at being in the presence of the Holy God, just like Isaiah in our first lesson. When we recognize our sin, and what we deserve the only thing left to do is to fall at our knees and Go away from me, because I am sinful.
I think another temptation for us not to be fishers of men, not to simply cast our nets at his word is that we think ourselves unworthy. There is honesty behind those words. I am a sinner and I am not qualified for this task. But when we say this, aren’t we also saying at the same time “I don’t trust the power of the Word?” That we don’t trust that Jesus is the one who is in control. That we don’t trust it is the Holy Spirit working through the gospel and that you are not the one who has the power but God?
When confronted with our sin, on fallen knees, shouting to God “Go away from me, because I am a sinful, Lord,” what does Jesus do? Cast us out? No. What he said to Simon is what he says to us, “Have no fear.” We don’t have to be afraid of God because Jesus paid the price for our sins. We stand before him forgiven. Just like in Isaiah where an angel took the coal from the fire and cleansed him, Jesus has cleansed us by the price of his blood. And like in Isaiah when the Lord asked, “Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?” Or when Jesus said to Peter, “Have no fear. From now on you will be catching people.” We take that word out to people.
At your Word Jesus, I will go. The Bible says, “After they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him.” They left everything. Their business which they probably did very well for themselves. They left it to follow Jesus. Jesus isn’t telling us to leave everything and go on a mission trip someone to tell others about Jesus. But we can take the word that he has given us and cast it out. God has placed fish, people, in your lives unique to your specific situations.
God may not ask you to give up everything but it may require you to give up something. Fathers may lean into the temptation of worldly stuff or activities instead of shepherding our families. People may be tempted to not to share their faith at work because they might have consequences. It becomes an issue of priorities doesn’t it? Is our priority things, comfort, people or a God who loves and cares for us who asks us to cast the net of gospel and watch him work?
Where do we start? At the feet of Jesus who tells us to not be afraid but to go. Then we take start at home. Your children, your spouse. Are there people in our families that need to hear God’s Word? Then branch out to the other relationships God has placed in your lives. Friends, coworkers, neighbors. And look for those opportunities to share the faith that you have. At your word I will go. Amen.