Unfortunately the “World of Celebrity” has invaded the church. We revere the mega-church pastor, idolize the worship leader and race to hear the latest speaking star. We have dreams…one day the church I pastor will have to move to the sports arena, I will be the one that pens the #1 praise and worship song, God will inspire me to write the “Prayer of….” and my calendar will be filled with conference speaking engagements. Then one day we wake from our dreams and reality hits. Our congregation of 25 faithful members is growing older, our melodious voice cracks when the pitch raises above middle C, the phone is silent, the calendar empty and the inspiration to write out a sermon, let alone a book, has dried up and blown away. NOW WHAT???
I wonder what dreams ran through the heads of Peter and Andrew as they labored through the night trying to catch enough fish to sell and buy the necessary items for another day. Did they dream of being named "Top fisherman of the Year" in Galilee? Perhaps they dreamed of inventing a pulley system with which to pull in the heavy nets more easily. They would be Star-Fishermen. Everyone would know the names, Peter and Andrew. Just maybe, they could buy a new boat and run "Pete and Andy's Charter Fishing," teach tourists to fish and enjoy life a little more. As the hours passed, they repeated the process of letting down their nets and pulling them back into the boat. But for some reason, this night, the nets remained empty. Finally, reality hit and they pulled the nets in for the last time and began to wash them and make them ready for the next night. NOW WHAT???
Luke 5:4-6 When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." 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." And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their net was breaking.
When reality shattered the dreams and goals became
unreachable, along came Jesus. Jesus
didn’t promise them “Celebrity” status, He didn’t promise them that they could mark
anything off of their “bucket list” or that they would
gain great possessions, Jesus simply said, “let down your nets one more time.” Jesus used where Peter and Andrew were and
what they were doing and said, “Just give it one more try.” Their obedience, even in the face of
doubt, paid off BIG TIME!!! Oh and by the way…Peter and Andrew did
become famous….You knew exactly who I was speaking off just by me writing their
first names.
Perhaps you are going through a season of your spiritual
journey in which you can TOTALLY RELATE
to Peter and Andrew. It may seem that in
an attempt to fulfill your ministry calling, that your net continues to come
back just as empty as when you cast it into the deep. Reality has finally penetrated your brain and
after pulling in the net for the last time, you have begun to wash them and
ready them to be stored away. At times
you doubt if you were really even called to be a “Fisher of Men.” You realize
that you will NEVER see your name on the marquee and you wonder NOW WHAT???
STOP!!! LOOK AND LISTEN!!! Jesus is saying, “Launch out into the deep and let
down your nets for a catch.” God
isn’t concerned with your past history, He is concerned with this moment; where
you are and what you are doing RIGHT
NOW! You have a choice to make…you
can dwell in the perceived reality of the situation, fold up your nets and go
home OR like Peter, say “I’m
not sure it will work but NEVERTHELESS, at Your word, I will let down the net.”
GO AHEAD; I DARE
YOU!!! Give God’s Word a
chance!!! Do not allow Satan to cheat
you out of a “RECORD CATCH” because
you didn’t trust God enough to obey. You
may not ever pastor a mega-church, be asked to speak at a conference or write
the next bestseller devotional but YOUR
LABOR IS NOT IN VAIN!!! Let down
your net ONE MORE TIME, God has
prepared a catch just for you.
Who needs a rickety ole pedestal anyway?
Who needs a rickety ole pedestal anyway?
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