What a wonderful thing to think about ourselves as being the bride of Christ and what honor he gives to us because of that. I'd like to have you take your Bibles, if you will tonight, to turn to Luke chapter 5. It happens to be one of my favorite passages and that's the privilege I have as being a guest pastor here tonight to do what I like best. The Gospel of Luke, the fifth chapter, and we begin at verse one, and this is the Word of God. 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 and he got into one of the boats the one belonging to Simon and asked him to put out a little from shore and then he sat down and taught the people from the boat and when he had finished speaking he said to Simon put out into deep water and let down the nets for a catch and 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. And 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. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, Go away from me, Lord, for 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. 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. So they pulled their boats on shore, left everything, left everything, and followed him. Quite a testimony to the disciples' faith, I take it, but also a wonderful testimony to Jesus' authority, isn't it? There are many people, of course, who would come to Jesus at that time and come to him for healing and for advice, But it was quite another thing to come to Jesus and to follow him, to leave everything. And I suppose we have some of that same thing today when we see people who are willing to come to Jesus, come to the church then. If they have a financial problem or a problem with drugs or they need marital counseling or financial help or something like that, then they are very happy to come to the church. But when that problem is solved, then they are also very happy to leave and soon forget the Lord that had helped them. But, of course, that was not the case with the disciples here. We read that they left all and followed him. Theirs was a lifelong commitment. If you think about that, you ask yourself, you have to ask yourself, how could they do that? After all, that was not a simple matter, was it, to leave everything and to follow Jesus? They had a life of their own, after all, and then you wonder how in the world could they do that, and the way that they could do that, at least in part, is explained in this passage in terms of the call that they received. That's the first thing that I want you to notice, is the call of the disciples here, and the second thing I want you to notice is the requirement, And the third thing, the promise that Christ makes to them. In terms of the call of Jesus, this wasn't the first time that the disciples had come or had heard of Jesus. They had seen him before. They knew that he was a wonderful rabbi, that he was a great teacher. They knew the power of his words. They knew, of course, of some of his miracles. And surely they respected him before this, but in this episode, in this experience of theirs, something clicked. And what clicks you find in verses 5 through 8. Before the miracle, you notice in verse 5, Peter called Jesus Master. But after he saw the miracle, he called him Lord. As a matter of fact, he says, depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man. And then when he uses that word, Lord, he's not using it like the Jehovah's Witnesses want us to use it, telling us that it is just a matter of, you know, it's a very honorable title. We have those honorable titles today. We have them in Britain, for example, where there's the House of Lords, a political part of the government. The house of lords. That isn't what Peter had in mind and that becomes perfectly obvious and so every Jehovah's Witness and everybody who denies Jesus' deity ought to acknowledge this that when Peter calls Jesus Lord, he falls before him and says, depart from me for I'm a sinful man and you don't do that with a human, do you? If you meet a Lord in England, you don't bow before him and say, depart from me for I am a sinful man. But you do that before God, don't you? And that's always the response when we meet God. At least it ought to be the response. We think about Isaiah when he met God, when he saw this vision of God in Isaiah chapter 6. And he sees God high and lifted up and his train fills the temple, you know, and the angels are singing, holy, holy, holy. And Isaiah says, woe is me because I am undone. I'm a man of unclean lips and I have, and I live with people of unclean lips. And I have seen the King, the Lord, the Lord of glory. That was his response to meeting God. And the same thing with the Apostle John, wasn't it, when he was on the island of Patmos and Jesus appeared to him in that vision and he sees Jesus in his glory and he falls down as one dead. That's the reaction to what happens when one meets God. And you see, children, that's why we don't make jokes about God. Because God is too holy for that. And that's why when you come to church, your mom and dad wants you to not to mess around in the church. Because we have not just come to church, we've come to worship God. And that's why we try to be reverent and we try to acknowledge that we are in the presence of no one less than God Almighty. That's a frightening thing, isn't it, when you think about it. It's a wonderful thing too, isn't it? And so it was after this confession of Peter, after this experience, that Jesus says, follow me. And they did. There's no debating the issue. There's no pleading. There's no saying, well, let's discuss it, men. Jesus, why don't you get off in the corner? We're going to talk about this together a little while. I've got to check with my mother-in-law and see what she would have to say. But there's none of that, you see, because they recognized that Jesus, that the one they are dealing with, is God. and there is no bargaining, there is no debating, there is no questioning what God would say. Why they didn't understand that before, I don't know. I mean to say, if you look just to the last part of chapter 4, you'll see that Peter's mother-in-law had been healed in a miraculous way there by Jesus. But somehow or other they saw it now, that Jesus is God. they saw it in terms of this miracle they had been as we are told in verse 2 they were washing their nets they had been fishing all night according to verse 5 in other words they were done that's when commercial fishermen did their work they did it at night that's when men did fishing and they had been out all night and they hadn't caught anything and now they're on shore and they're washing their nets and Jesus says try again as a matter of fact he doesn't even say try again he says in verse 4 go for a catch that must have been an embarrassing thing for peter and and his friends don't you think i mean to say as i said real men fished at night and who was jesus to tell them how to fish you don't. As a matter of fact, to put out their nets again would not only be a lot of work because they would have to dry them off again, otherwise the nets would rot, but it was against everything experience taught them. It was against all their common sense. I want you to remember that if you don't remember anything. What Jesus asked them to do was contrary to everything that their experience and common sense would teach them. and who was he to tell them their business, you know? But they did it anyhow, I suppose, certainly to humor Jesus, perhaps. And then, of course, you know what happened, boys and girls? They did that, and the nets broke, didn't they, because they had so many fish in them. And you see, it's pretty obvious then who this man Jesus is, because who is it that controls fish? You can control a pony, and maybe they can control a dolphin, one dolphin, you know, at SeaWorld. But to control the fish of an ocean or the fish of a lake, who was it that sent this big fish to swallow Jonah? You say, well, it was God who did that. And, of course, that's what the disciples found out. That's what they were amazed at. That's why Peter has to stand before Jesus, not only to confess that he is an unrighteous man, but when Jesus said something to him, he would have to say, we will follow. Because, you see, once again, you don't argue with God. The same thing is true today, and maybe I noticed we were here Old Year's night, and I saw the statistics of the church, and I noticed that there were not that many young people that made profession of faith. And some of you are just holding off for that, perhaps. But you must recognize that you are not holding off from the elders' pressure. You're not holding off from your parents' pressure. But it is God who calls you, huh? And you simply do not say to God, wait a minute, I'll be happy to take care of you later on when we're good and ready. You see, Jesus has demonstrated his deity, hasn't he? He demonstrates it in this miracle of the fish. He's demonstrated in a hundred other miracles. He's demonstrated it especially in his resurrection. And so when he calls, we must listen. When he calls, we must come. When he speaks, we must listen. When he says go, when he sends, we must go. We don't dilly-dally about that. You see, to resist the instructions of Jesus, whatever they are, becomes spiritual suicide because it is irrational to do that. And Jesus does call today. He doesn't call us to the same task that the disciples had. That was unique. But he does call us. He calls us to repentance and he calls us to faith. And that call is not much different. In the call to the disciples in this fifth chapter of Luke. And the requirements are not so much different either, are they? If you think about that. What does Jesus require of the disciples? He doesn't require much. He requires everything. He doesn't ask them for a tithe. he doesn't ask them for an hour on Sunday or two hours on Sunday but he asks them he demands their life verse 10 he says from now on you will catch men no more fishing for you buddies none of that anymore your fishing days are done imagine that their fishing days were done you know sometimes I think that we have the impression that the disciples were you know just kind of hanging loose that they were maybe in the unemployment line that the disciples were you know like these people that carry signs you know by the exits on the freeways we'll work for food or anything helps God bless you know that isn't the case Matthew was a very wealthy public official and the disciples were men of means They were in the fishing industry. This area was the center for fishing export and preparation and export. And as I read history a bit, in those days they were men of means and they were men of high social standing. And it is to these men that Jesus comes and he says, that's the end of that. There's a new life for you. From now on you will catch fish, I mean catch men, no longer fish. Jesus, as I said, didn't demand much, but he demanded everything. And then when we think about that, we think about they didn't debate the issue, they didn't argue, they didn't hesitate. And we think, what a sacrifice. What a tremendous sacrifice for these men to have that kind of call of Jesus to follow him but you notice they didn't hesitate they didn't ask questions they didn't debate the issue because you see Jesus wasn't calling them to a good cause Jesus wasn't calling them to a charismatic leader they were called to follow God and it doesn't get any better than that does it so you don't talk about sacrifice when you think of the disciples putting down their nets it was no sacrifice to get out of the kingdom of darkness and to get into the kingdom of light it was no sacrifice to end a life that only ended in death and to begin a life that was eternal Well, that's hardly a sacrifice, is it? That didn't take any debating on their part. It was God who called them, you see. Children, maybe if you think about it this way, maybe you're playing, shooting some baskets outside with your friend doing horse or 21 or whatever you do nowadays. And your mother calls you in and says, it's time to set the table or it's time to do your piano lessons, practice piano. And you say to your mother, well, we're almost done. We'll be there in a few minutes. But now supposing Governor Schwarzenegger was coming by in his big limousine with the flags in the front. And he stops and the driver rolls down the window and says, hey, buddy, can you help the governor, the governator a minute? Well, you would put that basketball down so fast, wouldn't you? And you would run over there and ask what he needed. And that wouldn't be a sacrifice, would it? It wouldn't be a sacrifice at all. It would be an honor to serve the governor. And now Jesus comes to us. And he calls us to follow, just as he calls the disciples to follow. And what is there that could possibly be more important than that? certainly not a golf game certainly not a friend certainly not a job is there anything that would be more important than serving Jesus than being honored to be the king's bride I think about that when I think about worship God calls us to worship today through the elders what could be more important than that to worship God the world series Super Bowl Sunday a golf game what could be more important than to be privileged to worship God you see and God not only calls us to follow him today but to follow him tomorrow does he not tomorrow he calls us maybe that we have to sever a relationship with a friend because that friend's life our relationship is disturbing our spiritual life it's not good for us maybe god calls us to re-evaluate our job because the job itself is is beginning to undermine our our spiritual life or our family life or something maybe god has called you away from something because you have made it an idol God calls us to follow and to leave anything that would be detrimental to our relationship with him. And if we understand who is calling us, if we understand that it is not the church, if we understand that we are not called to follow John Calvin, if we understand that we are called to follow no one less than Jesus, the Son of God, God himself, then we don't talk about sacrifice, do we? We don't think about loss. We don't think about the commitment that we have to bear. Because there is nothing more, there's no greater privilege than to follow Jesus. There's no greater honor. I almost hate to use this illustration because I don't want you to think that the preaching ministry is the only way that God calls us or that my response to that was so godly and that my life is so godly I never argue with him. But I just want to use this to illustrate what I am saying. When I was 26 and we had two children and I was well established in the work that I was doing and then I quit and began seven years of schooling to become eligible, to become a pastor, then sometimes people would say, boy, that was a real sacrifice, wasn't it? It was not a sacrifice. What was difficult was to know where God was calling. but there is no greater blessing than to know to believe that you are walking in the way that god calls you to walk there is no greater privilege than serving him wherever he calls us and the disciples must have looked at their following jesus in that same way if someone would have said to them oh what a sacrifice you're making leaving your your business and going on they would say what sacrifice do you really think that following the Lord is a sacrifice it is the greatest privilege in all the world I was reminded of that about 40 years ago in our first church when there was a new Christian and she called me one Sunday afternoon and she said pastor do you you know who talked to me this morning what they asked and I said no I don't know I have no idea what they talked to you about or asked. She said, the Sunday school superintendent asked me to be a Sunday school teacher for the kindergartners. Pastor, can you imagine the privilege that I have of bringing those little ones to know Jesus? Some of you have been asked to do catechism and to do Sunday school and to lead Bible studies. I hope that isn't a burden anymore for you because it is a wonderful privilege that God has given to you to do those things I don't know what God specifically is calling you to do but he calls us all to do some things certainly he calls us all to repentance and faith he calls us all to leave those things that are contrary to his word he calls us all to walk in love and in obedience and if it is the Lord who calls us. Not Reverend Voss, not the elders, but if it is the Lord who calls us, then we do it, do we not? That's what it means when we say we believe, doesn't it? We recited the Apostles' Creed this evening. I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord. That's a confession that we make. when he calls. Don't talk about sacrifice. Talk about privilege. Loosen your grip on everything else, but hold tightly to him because he is life and he is glory. And I know that what he requires is significant. but it is also wonderful because he adds a promise to it. We are to follow Jesus without complaint and without compromise, but we are to remember in all of that the wonderful promise that he gives to us. He says to the disciples, I will make you fishers of men. You know, they could have said to him, you know, Lord, if you want us to build a wall, if you want us to mix mortar, if you want us to chip bricks, if you want us to carry stones, you know, we can do that. Look at our hands. Look at the calluses on our hands. We're men who labor physically, and being fishers of men isn't our bag. It's not our bag. But they didn't say that to Jesus, did they? Because Jesus didn't suggest that maybe they would catch something, but he says, go out for a catch. And then, according to Mark, in the same pericope in which Mark explains this episode, Jesus says, I will make you fishers of men. It might not have been their bag, but it became their bag, because Jesus was going to equip them to do it. Now, it is true that we are not all called to be fishers of men in the sense that the disciples were. That was a unique calling for the disciples. But Jesus calls us all to carry the cross, to bear witness of him, to obedience, to a life of faithfulness. He calls us all to a special place in his kingdom. And to all of us who are called to a special place, all of you who are called to a special place in his kingdom, he says, I will give you the resources for that. Does he call you to be single? Then he gives you the resources to remain pure while single. Does he call you to be married? Does he call you to join with someone of like mind and like faith and to unite in marriage and to make a lifelong commitment? Then he promises that he will supply your needs for that. Listen to the nets breaking, you know. the resources are there. God has given them to us. Does he call us to train our children in the fear of the Lord? And if you can't do that in your home to get help with the Christian school, then you say, well, I can't afford it. What God calls us to do, we can do. Perhaps not until we begin to act in obedience, but God will provide the resources. Listen to the nets breaking. He can do it. I don't know, maybe someone is pregnant here tonight and you already know that the child is going to be a special needs child. Enormous expenses, enormous needs. How can you go on? Listen to the nets breaking. It is God who is calling you to follow that path. Some of you are seminary students. Maybe some of you want to become teachers or missionaries in a foreign land. And if God is calling you to do that, then God will provide the necessary resources for you to learn the language and to be able to somehow get through school in spite of the expense. And if you are struggling with that, then you listen to who is calling you. And in the background, hear those nets breaking, because our Father is rich in houses and lands. He holds the wealth of the world in his hands. You see, from the moment the disciples put down their nets, they became Jesus' responsibility, and he took care of them. In some ways he would take care of them miraculously as he did when, for example, the little boy's lunch was multiplied to the 5,000. And sometimes he did it miraculously when a fish was found with a gold coin in its mouth. And sometimes he provided for them in very natural ways with rich friends who were able to house them and to feed them. But he took care of them. He took care of them until he brought them into heaven. And I want to tell you tonight from my own testimony, our testimony, my wife and my testimony, that God indeed is able to do more than you ever imagine or think, and his ways are marvelous and they are beautiful. And if you are struggling with some of those things, you can also talk to members of this church and ask about that, because it is not just me. You can talk to Reverend Voss, Reverend Donovan. You can talk to Mr. and Mrs. Dykstra. You can talk to Mr. and Mrs. Van Dam. These folks have gone through a long history with the Lord and can testify to his faithfulness. You can talk to Grace and Gary and Daph and Steve. Our Father is rich in houses and lands. He holds the wealth of the world in his hands, of rubies and diamonds, of silver and gold. His coffers are filled with treasures untold. Listen to the nets breaking. God is calling you and he is also promising you the resources. Do you hear his call tonight to follow? Is there some decision you must make? Is there some cross you must bear? Is there some burden that lies ahead? follow with confidence because it is the Lord who is calling the maker of heaven and earth the one who controls the fish of the sea and who can bring a great catch in the middle of the day he's the one that calls follow with confidence Amen Heavenly Father we give you praise tonight and we are ashamed that sometimes we we follow with fear sometimes we do not stop to listen to the nets breaking sometimes we are tempted to talk about sacrifice Father, let us talk about privilege the great privilege that you have given us to serve the one only true God Father, Son, and Holy Spirit we ask this in our precious Savior's name Amen