October 16 2024

Wednesday October 16

Jesus Speaks to the Individual

Luke 5:4-11

4 When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." 5 But Simon answered and said to Him, "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net." 6 And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. 7 So 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. 8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!" 9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; 10 and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men." 11 So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.

Jesus has begun the three and a half years of His earthly ministry. He is healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, causing the lame to walk, feeding the hungry, casting out demons, and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom to the multitudes. But Jesus needs help! On this occasion in Luke 5, Jesus is preaching to the multitude that is pressing upon Him and He needs help. He sees two boats nearby, one of which is Simon Peter’s, so He gets into it and goes out a little way from the shore and continues His message (vv. 1-3).

Now in verses 4-11, there are so many wonderful things to learn, it will probably take us a few days. First, we see that Jesus was not only preaching and ministering to the multitude, but He is also preparing His disciples for ministry. Jesus is in Peter’s boat where during His sermon, Peter has been washing and preparing his nets for another night of fishing the next evening. But when Jesus finishing His message to the multitude, He stops speaking and turns His attention to Peter who is alone with Jesus in the boat.

Jesus had been speaking to the multitudes but now He speaks to the individual. Jesus speaks to Peter. I’m convinced that you might be in the crowd when the message is being preached but you might hear personally the voice of the Jesus speaking directly to you. When you get close and alone with Jesus, you will hear Him speaking to you.

Jesus speaks directly to Peter and this time says to him, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch”. Remember just shortly before, Jesus had asked Peter to “put out a little from the land”. Peter stopped washing his nets and obeyed the request of Jesus and moved his boat out a little way from the shore so Jesus could preach from it. But now after Jesus speaks to the multitude He speaks to the individual.

You can be sitting in church in the congregation listening, as the preacher is bringing the message, but then the small still voice of Jesus, the Holy Spirit, speaks directly to you. Remember in Isaiah 6, how Isaiah was caught up into a worship scene in the temple in heaven and senses his uncleanliness. After Isaiah confesses his sin, the angel touches his lips with coals from the altar, and it was then that he hears the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send and who will go for us?”  Isaiah with a cleansed heart now overhears the Lord speaking and he responds, “Here am I, send me”. 

That is what happens to Peter! He hears the voice of Jesus saying, “Launch out into the deep”. My friend, it is when we surrender to the Lord ourselves and our possessions that we will hear His commission personally. “Launch out and let down” (v. 4). Today, if you have been sitting fretting over your own weakness, "Launch out into the deep" of His divine strength. Today, if you are despairing over your own unworthiness, “launch out into the deep” of God's infinite love (Eph. 3:18, 19), and let down the net of restful trust. If you are floundering in the shallows of your own feelings, “launch out into the deep” of God's faithfulness.

The multitudes of great fish are in the deep, and when we by faith launch out into the deep, we will be amazed how the Lord might use us to bring them to salvation. It is in “the deep that we see the footsteps of God, and it is there His wonders are seen” (Psa. 107:24).

Today, the Lord might be speaking to you to launch out of your comfort zone and join Him in ministering His grace to the world around you! Are you listening and prepared to obey?

God bless!