read Luke 5:1-11

Do you like to fish? Have you ever known someone who was an avid fisherman? I’ve been fishing several times in my life, and while I generally have a good time doing it, it is not something I live for! It is relaxing, yes, but often times I find it more boring than anything. The best time I ever had in my life with a rod and reel in hand was when I got to go deep sea fishing in college. We went 90 miles off shore and I had a blast. Our group’s catch really wasn’t that great, but I enjoyed the adventure nonetheless. I have always had a fascination with the ocean, so the smell of the salty air and the sunshine on my face with no land in sight was exhilarating. I also enjoyed watching the captain and first mate execute their jobs with such skill and precision. They were fisherman of the highest caliber; men who knew the sea and had spent a lot of time interacting with it.

Simon Peter was just such a fisherman as well. A man of the water by trade, his idea of the “good life” was undoubtedly a great day on “the lake” too, just like so many people here in our area of South Carolina today. Peter had grown his sea legs early on and mastered the skill of fishing.

In Luke chapter 5 we read about a fishing excursion that would change Peter’s life. Prior to this outing, Peter was just a catcher of fish. After this launch, he would be a fully devoted follower of Jesus and a fisher of men. Just the evening before this encounter, Peter and his crew worked hard all through the night and didn’t catch a thing. They were men who knew what they were doing and had employed the same techniques dozens if not hundreds of times before with great success. However, on this night, the Bible says they “didn’t catch a thing.” (Luke 5:5)

The next morning, Jesus was preaching to an enormous crowd on the shores of Lake Gennesaret (also called the Sea of Galilee), which is where Peter and his men had been fishing the night before. In fact, Peter’s two boats were still sitting at the water’s edge while the crew was cleaning their nets. The crowds pressed in on Jesus while He spoke to the point that Jesus finally stepped into one of the boats and asked Peter to take Him out into the water a little bit to give Him some personal space to still speak to the throng. So, Peter immediately obliged Him and got a front row seat for the rest of Jesus’ sermon that was preached from his boat.

When Jesus finished speaking, he turned to Peter and gave him a quick fishing suggestion: “Now go out where it is deeper and let down your nets, and you will catch many fish.” I’m sure this must have caught Peter off guard; a carpenter giving an experienced fisherman some tips on how to do his job better. Peter had a choice, right then and there, sitting in the boat as the waves lapped the shore on Sea of Galilee. Peter could have responded with indignance and politely suggested that Jesus stick to sanding wood and building furniture. But, instead, Peter chose wisely and uttered the words that would change his life…”Master, we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, we’ll try again.”

You probably know how the story turned out. This time they let down their nets and caught so many fish that the nets began to tear and they had to call in reinforcements in the second boat. In fact, by the time the last fish was pulled in, both boats were filled and on the verge of sinking!

When Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and humbly admitted how unworthy he was as a sinner to be in the Presence of the Lord. And Jesus replied, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!” And as soon as they brought the boats back into shore, Peter left everything and followed Jesus!

We see a tremendous transformation take place in Peter over the course of a few hours or so on an ordinary “day at the office” for him. Because of his encounter with the Son of God, he went from cleaning his nets after a vain foray into the sea to becoming a follower of Jesus and a fisher for men.

Those of you who are familiar with the life of Peter know the transformation didn’t end there, it was only the beginning of a powerful metamorphosis that would take place in his life. Peter would go on to be one of Jesus’ most beloved disciples and the one to whom Jesus would say, “Upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it,” after his witness to Jesus being the Christ.

Jesus has always been in the business of transforming lives. Just as He completely changed Peter’s life that day on the lake so long ago, He is still changing lives today. Jesus died on the cross to bring the transforming power of heaven to all of mankind. The same Messiah who rose from the grave is the One who has the power to transform your life today.

Each and every one of us has the same choice that Peter had in the boat that day. When Jesus calls us to trust Him and follow Him with our lives, will we tell Jesus to stick to what He knows and let us handle our own affairs, or will we humbly respond, “Yes, Master, I will obey simply because You told me to.”? Everyone who has ever encountered and yielded to Christ has a before and after story to tell about their lives. Hopefully you’re one of them. If you’re not one of them and you’re still stuck with only a “before Jesus” side to your life, why not listen to His call, say yes to Him, and discover the “after Jesus” side of your life today through His amazing power of transformation! Like Peter, you can simply confess your status as a sinner to God through prayer, admitting that you are a person who is in need of forgiveness and who wants to give up living for themselves and start living for God’s purposes right now. You can do that in the quietness of the room you’re reading this in or you can contact us at the church to pray with you. In either case, don’t let another day go by without giving your heart to the Master.

And, if you do decide today is the day to begin the “after Jesus” side of your life, be sure to let someone know so they can celebrate and rejoice with you!!