In Deep Water

Zephyr United Methodist Church

Early First United Methodist Church

February 4, 2007

Rev. Eddie Smart

Luke 5:1-11 

      Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, ² he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. ³ He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. ⁴ When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch." ⁵ Simon answered, "Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets." ⁶ When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. ⁷ So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. ⁸ But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!" ⁹ For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; ¹⁰ and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people." ¹¹ When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.

      Jesus is standing by the Sea of Galilee Luke likes to call it the lake of Gennesaret But its what you know as the Sea of Galilee He is pressed by the crowds. They want to hear from Jesus the word of God.

      Jesus then sees two boats on the shore Their owners are out of the boats. They are on the land cleaning their nets. Jesus just gets into one of the boats --the one belonging to Simon. Jesus asks Simon to take it away from the shore. Jesus wants some room so he can teach to the crowd.

      Simon goes out into the water a short distance from the shore. Jesus sits in the boat and teaches.

      BUT then it happens! Jesus tells Simon to go into the deep water. Simon is to leave the shallow water & go into the deep water. You know in the deep water you can get in over your head. BUT Simon is to go into the deep water. They are to go into the deep water and let their nets down for a catch.

      At this point Peter's response is interesting. First of all he calls Jesus Master. Why would he call Jesus Master? He says, "Master, we've already fished these waters all night. We didn't catch a single fish." But if that's what you want, that's what I'll do.

      Here's Jesus he has come to the lake, interrupted Simon's work, told him to go fishing where there aren't any fish, in essences taken over Simon's boat.

      And Simon, Simon goes along with everything Jesus says. Simon follows Jesus instructions. Simon does what Jesus asks him to do and what happens. They catch two boat loads of fish!

      What a story! Just follow Jesus and the blessings will be over flowing. Just do as Jesus asks and your reward will be great. Just obey Jesus and God's gifts will surround you. Just go into the deep waters and all will be wonderful. What a story! What a Savior! What a Lord! What a Master!

      BUT WAIT! That's not the end of the story. What does Simon do? He falls at the feet of Jesus and says, "Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!"

      The scripture says, "For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch" Simon was amazed. Is that why he told Jesus, "Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man." NO, amazement wouldn't cause him to say such. I would guess it was fear. It's a fearful thing to go into the deep water with Jesus. It's a fearful thing to go fishing with Jesus.

      As I pondered this passage this week, I was intrigued by the contrast between the shallow water and the deep water. Simon is doing just fine in the shallow water. It's went they go into the deep water that things get scary.

      What does it mean to be in the deep water? What does it mean for a Christian to be in the deep water with Jesus?

      What do Christian's do in the shallow water? They attend church and Sunday school. They enjoy monthly fellowships. They work hard putting together a successful fund raiser. They teach the children in Sunday School and VBS. They give a comfortable amount of money regularly to their church. They respond to issues like hunger, discrimination, gang violence, dishonesty, abortions, sexual harassment, injustice with apathy -- indifference.

      What do Christian's do in the deep water? They attend worship and Sunday School because they love God with heart, soul, mind and strength and their neighbor as self. They forgive those who have harmed them. They love their enemies. They give their money in a sacrificial way. They do unto others as they would have ... They respond to issues like hunger, discrimination, gang violence, dishonesty, abortions, sexual harassment, injustice, health care for the poor, with passion.

      When we go into the deep water with Jesus, the things we are asked to do can be uncomfortable. We want to say, "Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful person." Go away--I don't want to do what you will ask. Go away--I am comfortable the way things are.

      Being in the deep water with Jesus is serious stuff.

       Corrie Ten Boom shares this true story in her book, "The Hiding Place":

       It was a church service in Munich that I saw him, the former S.S. man who had stood guard at the shower room door in the processing center at Ravensbruck.

      He was the first of our actual jailers that I had seen since that time. And suddenly it was all there -- the roomful of mocking men, the heaps of clothing, Betsie's pain-blanched face. He came up to me as the church was emptying, beaming and bowing. "How grateful I am for your message, Fraulein," he said. "To think that, as you say, He has washed my sins away!"

      His hand was thrust out to shake mine. And I, who had preached so often to the people in Bloemendaal the need to forgive, kept my hand at my side. Even as the angry, vengeful thoughts boiled through me, I saw the sin of them. Jesus Christ had died for this man; was I going to ask for more?

      Lord Jesus, I prayed, forgive me and help me to forgive him. I tried to smile, I struggled to raise my hand. I could not. I felt nothing, not the slightest spark of warmth or charity. And so again I breathed a silent prayer. Jesus, I cannot forgive him. Give me Your forgiveness.

      As I took his hand the most incredible thing happened. From my shoulder along my arm and through my hand a current seemed to pass from me to him, while into my heart sprang a love for this stranger that almost overwhelmed me. And so I discovered that it is not on our forgiveness any more than on our goodness that the world's healing hinges, but on His. When He tells us to love our enemies, He gives, along with the command, the love itself.

      When we go into the deep water with Jesus, the things we are asked to do can be uncomfortable. We want to say, "Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful person."

      And Jesus said, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people." What has our catch been like?

      What if every one present this day had caught one person for Jesus? What if each year we had been a member of this church, we had caught one person for Jesus? And what if those people came to this church? Just how many people would be here today, if each year we had caught just one.

      John Henry Jowett told about a small village where an elderly woman died. She died penniless, uneducated, unsophisticated, but during her lifetime her selfless service had made a tremendous impact for Christ.

      On her tombstone they chiseled the words, "She did what she couldn't." That can be the epitaph for every Christian who will allow Christ to live through us: HE can do through us what we can never do ourselves.

      BUT only if we will go to the deep water with HIM.