Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
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And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing!
But at your word I will let down the nets” (Lk 5:5).
We all know that Peter said a lot of dumb things.
He often put his foot in his mouth.
But these words, recorded in Luke 5, are probably the second best thing that Peter ever said.
“At your word I will let down the nets.”
This is a great statement of faith.
Think about it for a minute.
Peter was a commercial fisherman.
He wasn’t fishing for fun; he was fishing to survive, to put food on the table.
He and his crew had been out all night and they caught nothing.
I don’t know about you, but if I had to work all night, I probably wouldn’t be in the best mood by morning – especially once I found out that I wasn’t getting paid.
Peter and company toiled all night long and caught nothing.
This wasn’t the kind of fishing we like to do – sitting in a comfy boat with our feet up on a cooler full of beer.
This was hard, physical, back-breaking labor.
All night long pulling heavy, wet nets up out of the water by hand.
But even when the sun came up, the work still wasn’t done.
Before they could go home and sleep, the nets had to be cleaned, repaired, and folded – more hard work, and all for nothing.
While the men are taking care of their nets, along comes Jesus.
To some he is a failed carpenter who abandoned the family business.
To others, he’s a homeless wanna-be preacher, an uneducated and self-styled rabbi.
First Jesus wants to sit in Peter’s boat and teach the crowd.
“Fine.
We’re not using the stupid boat anymore today.
Help yourself.”
But then Jesus wants more, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch” (Lk 5:4).
Now this is the point where all the frustration of the night before could have boiled over into an explosion.
Fisherman are often crusty, and we know that Peter had the vocabulary to use oaths and curses.
Peter might have been thinking, “Does this loser who can’t even hold a carpentry job think he’s going to come onto my boat and tell me how to fish?
You want us to get out the nets that we just cleaned and put away because you think you know where the fish are?
Are you kidding me?” That’s the PG version.
Imagine that a stranger came to your place of work and started telling you how to do your job?
How would you respond?
Peter was a professional.
He knew where the fish were.
And he also knew that there are no fish out in the middle of the lake in the middle of the day.
Peter could have said any number of unrepeatable things.
Instead he said, “At your word I will let down the nets.”
What would cause someone like Peter to set aside everything he knows and listen to the foolish word of Jesus?
Now that would take a miracle.
We talk about the miraculous catch of fish, but what about the miraculous confession of Peter?
This is impossible for men.
It’s impossible for the carnal mind to trust in the word of Christ.
So when you’re faced with a crisis – no fish, no peace, no joy – where do you often run?
To your god, of course.
We turn to the false gods of entertainment, self-help books, alcohol, or science.
Surely, the missing piece in my life can be found in a new relationship.
Maybe I should go on a diet.
Perhaps it’s time to have another child or start a new career.
Here in the church, we often put our trust in a new program.
We’ve got no fish, no new people in the pews.
Never mind that Jesus said he would build his church; it’s up to us to do something to catch people.
Let’s get rid of the net of the Gospel and instead put something shiny and flashy on a hook.
Let’s reel people in with false promises and then we’ll talk about doctrine later.
Let’s build bridges into the community.
Why don’t we start a community garden?
Let’s have free movie and popcorn night.
That will bring people in.
Let’s find out what people need and then tailor our message to fit.
If Jesus had done a demographic study for the lake of Gennesaret, he would have known that you do not catch fish in the heat of the day.
There has never been an evangelism program based on the ministry of our Lord.
Why not?
Because everybody knows that you will never catch fish by preaching the Law and the Gospel.
Talking about sin and forgiveness is a real downer.
Listen to the experts.
They know how to fish.
They know how to grow the church.
And 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 (Lk 5:5-6).
Sometimes life seems to be a one catastrophe after another with short commercial breaks in between.
Just like Peter, you thought your problem was that you didn’t have any fish.
It’s a catastrophe!
No job.
No money.
Not enough work.
I’m swimming in debt.
I need a new car.
I want to get married.
I wish I had kids.
My life’s a disaster!
But a short while later, there’s a new catastrophe: Too many fish!
We’re going under.
My job is killing me.
I’m stressed out.
I have too much work.
I hate my boss.
I want a new car.
My marriage is falling apart.
My kids are driving me crazy.
We’re going to drown!
And what’s Jesus doing about it?
Jesus, I thought you were going to fix my problems, but since you got in the boat, they’re worse than ever.
And then like Peter, as we stand in the sinking boat in the presence of Jesus, suddenly we realize: The problem was never about fish – not enough fish, too many fish – the problem is sin.
Sin and death is the reality for all fallen men.
You were born already dead in sins and trespasses.
It doesn’t matter whether you believe this or not.
There is no explaining, no convincing, just sinking.
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