•In first-century Palestine, fishing was big business.• Jesus called his first disciples while they were fishing

for business (Mk 1:16-20).• Twice, Jesus fed multitudes with fish & bread (Mt

14:13-21; Mt 15:32-39).• After the Resurrection, Jesus ate boiled fish with the

disciples (Lk 24:42-43).

•Even in Jesus’ day, some fishermen had no luck.• Lk 5:1-11.• Peter is “A Flawed Fisherman.”

• A FRUITLESS FISHERMAN.• A FAVORED FISHERMAN.• A FEARFUL FISHERMAN.• A FOLLOWING FISHERMAN.

A Fruitless Fishermanvv 4-5

•Peter had fished all night & caught nothing.•“He said to Simon, ‘Put out into the deep and

let down your nets for a catch.’ And Simon answered, ‘Master, we toiled all night and took nothing!’” (vv 4-5, ESV).

Why did Peter, James & John catch nothing all

night?Because they tried to do things their

own way!

•Aren’t lives often fruitless because people do things their way?• That selfish desire brought sin into the world.

• “When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate” (Gen 3:6, ESV).

• Eve saw that the fruit looked good & could make her like God; thus, she ate.

•Aren’t lives often fruitless because people do things their way?• That selfish desire brought sin into the world.• Herodias’ selfish desire cost John the Baptist his life.

• She had married her brother-in-law in violation of the Law (Mk 6:17).

• She held a grudge against John for preaching that it was not lawful for Herod to have her (Mk 6:18-19).

• When her daughter pleased Herod with her lewd dancing, Herodias found an opportunity to have John beheaded (Mk 6:22-28).

•Jesus died because you & I often do things our own way.• “Christ died for our sins in accordance with the

Scriptures” (1 Cor 15:3, ESV).• “You were ransomed from the futile ways inherited

from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ” (1 Pet 1:18-19, ESV).

Do we continue to do things our own way?

A Favored Fishermanvv 5-7

•When Peter started fishing Jesus’ way, he received favor/a blessing from the Lord.

•“Simon answered, ‘Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.’ And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink” (vv 5-7, ESV).

•Put yourself in Peter’s shoes.•Peter understands it’s the Master of earth &

sky telling him where to fish. Therefore, he obeys.

•Do we, like Peter, obey the Lord?•The Lord expects such obedience.• “If you love me, you will keep my commandments”

(Jn 14:15, ESV).• “You are my friends if you do what I command you”

(Jn 15:14, ESV).

•When Peter obeyed, he received a great blessing.

•If we obey, we, too, shall receive a great blessing.• “Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word,

he will never see death” (Jn 8:51, ESV).• “Whatever we ask we receive from him, because we

keep his commandments and do what pleases him” (1 Jn 3:22, ESV).

Are you receiving abundant blessings for

your obedience?

A Fearful Fishermanvv 8-10

•After Peter receives his blessing, he becomes quite fearful.

•“When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.’ For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men’” (vv 8-10, ESV).

•Peter bows before Jesus’ feet & implores the Lord to leave.• From a business standpoint, that makes absolutely

no sense.• But, Peter isn’t interested in such material things.• He, a sinful man, has encountered the Holy & he’s

very fearful.

•Fear was a common reaction when sinful man encountered the holy God.• After Adam & Eve first sinned, “they heard the sound

of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden” (Gen 3:8, ESV).• When Isaiah saw the Lord high & lifted up, he

exclaimed, “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” (Is 6:5, ESV).

Why was fear such a common reaction?

Because men understood the depths of their sinfulness in light of God’s

holiness.

•God is so perfectly holy.•“Let them praise your great and awesome

name! Holy is he! Exalt the LORD our God; worship at his footstool! Holy is he!” (Ps 99:3, 5, ESV).

•Man has no goodness of his own.• “As he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up

and knelt before him and asked him, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’  And Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone’” (Mk 10:17-18, ESV).• “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands;

no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one” (Rom 3:10-12, ESV).

We want so desperately to believe in the

goodness of man.Left up to our own goodness, we’d end

up in hell!

Why mention that we are so sinful & despicable?

•That realization will prompt great service to God.

• “I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me” (1 Cor 15:9-10, ESV).

•Jesus tells Peter something comparable here.• He isn’t to lie around in self-pity.• He’s to serve God & his fellow man by pointing

others to the grace he has found.

Do we seek to serve God & our fellow man?

A Following Fishermanvv 10-11

•After Jesus bestows his grace on him, Peter becomes “A Following Fisherman.”

•“Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.’ And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him” (vv 10-11, ESV).

•Peter, James, & John leave everything to follow Jesus.• They left a good business.

• They just had an amazing catch of fish.• James & John had employees (Mk 1:20).

• These three understood God is more important than money.• “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one

and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money” (Matt 6:24, ESV).

• “Those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs” (1 Tim 6:9-10, ESV).

Do we understand that God is more important

than money?

•Peter, James, & John leave everything to follow Jesus.• They left a good business.• They left their families.

• James & John “left their father Zebedee in the boat” (Mk 1:20, ESV).

• Jesus commended the disciples for leaving their families (Matt 19:27-30).

• These three understood that God is more important than family.• “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and

mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple” (Lk 14:26, ESV).

• “Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life” (Matt 19:29, ESV).

Do we understand that God is more important

than money?

•These three left everything to follow Jesus.•The idea of following Jesus is living as he did.• “Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the

same way in which he walked” (1 Jn 2:6, ESV).• Jesus left “you an example, so that you might follow

in his steps” (1 Pet 2:21, ESV).

That’s what it means to be Jesus’ disciple.

To live in such a way that others see Jesus in us.

Are others able to see Jesus in you?

Do you need to leave everything & begin

following Jesus?