Luke 5:4-5 When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, "Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch."
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."
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."
Fishermen usually fish at night in the shallows because that is where the fish are gathered. They prefer the cooler water at night. They follow their food. What Jesus has just asked is completely against the normal way of life for them. What He is asking is for Simon to follow Him, not follow what makes sense.
We spend our lives doing what we are told makes most sense. Our churches pay advisors to tell them how to fill the pews. We look at what works for other churches and follow their lead. We keep fishing in the tried and true way and still our young leave in droves. Our senior Saints don't want to change. (We've never done it that way before!)
When we are willing to let down our nets according to what the Lord tells us, we may be amazed at what happens. We can change the focus from filling our pews to healing our present members. We can take the initiative and seek reconciliation among those who have been hurt by the church. We can stand in the gap for what has happened in the past, learn from it and move on.
The leadership of the church is where the movement can start. If the Lord is calling for repentance, that is where we must start. If He is calling for revival, it also must start from the top. When the leadership is willing to confess, repent and start over, they can set the church on fire with the Holy Spirit. It is an amazing thing to see the leadership excited about serving again.
That excitement will filter down to the members, spread to the families and on out from there. We forget the first love of serving the Lord. We get tangled up in the nets of everyday problems and lose the joy of the Lord. He is reminding us to let down our nets in a new way. He is asking us to fall in love with Him all over again. Where is he asking you to let down your nets?
We spend our lives doing what we are told makes most sense. Our churches pay advisors to tell them how to fill the pews. We look at what works for other churches and follow their lead. We keep fishing in the tried and true way and still our young leave in droves. Our senior Saints don't want to change. (We've never done it that way before!)
When we are willing to let down our nets according to what the Lord tells us, we may be amazed at what happens. We can change the focus from filling our pews to healing our present members. We can take the initiative and seek reconciliation among those who have been hurt by the church. We can stand in the gap for what has happened in the past, learn from it and move on.
The leadership of the church is where the movement can start. If the Lord is calling for repentance, that is where we must start. If He is calling for revival, it also must start from the top. When the leadership is willing to confess, repent and start over, they can set the church on fire with the Holy Spirit. It is an amazing thing to see the leadership excited about serving again.
That excitement will filter down to the members, spread to the families and on out from there. We forget the first love of serving the Lord. We get tangled up in the nets of everyday problems and lose the joy of the Lord. He is reminding us to let down our nets in a new way. He is asking us to fall in love with Him all over again. Where is he asking you to let down your nets?
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