April 26 2014 When Life Doesn't Meet Your Expectations
/WHEN LIFE DOESN’T MEET YOUR EXPECTATIONS
Luke 5:1-11
Luke 5:1-3 - One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding around him and listening to the Word of God, he saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then He sat down and taught the people from the boat.
Luke 5:4-5 – When he had finished speaking, He said to Simon, ‘Now put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.’ Simon answered, ‘Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything.’
WHAT TO DO IN A DISCOURAGING SITUATION
1. Give Jesus complete access to your life.
Luke 5:3 – Jesus got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then He sat down and taught the people from the boat.
2. Admit that my efforts aren’t working.
Luke 5:4-5a – When Jesus had finished speaking, He said to Simon, ‘Now put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.’ Simon answered, ‘Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything.’
3. Obey whatever Jesus tells us to do.
Luke 5:5 – Simon answered, ‘Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. BUT BECAUSE YOU SAY SO, I will let down the nets.
WHEN: “Now launch out”
WHAT: “Let down your nets”
WHERE: “Into deep water”
4. I expect Jesus to turn things around.
1 Thessalonians 5:24 – The One who calls you is completely dependable. If He said it, He’ll do it!
Luke 5:6-7 – When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break! So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink!
PETER’S REACTION
Luke 5:8-9 –When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said ‘Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!’ For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.
THE REAL LESSON
Luke 5:10-11 – Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men.’ So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed Him.
