Sermon Tone Analysis

*Gone Fishin’*

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Text: (Luke 5:1-11, NIV) One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding round 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.

He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore.

Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.

When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the 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.”

When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.

So they signaled to 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; 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.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

*I.

Introduction*

*A.

Today’s text has two themes*

*1.

Power of the Word of God*

*2.

Distance between man & God*

*B.

The two are related*

*1.

Word of God shows us how far we are from God*

*2.

Also brings Him to us (not, btw, us to Him)*

*II.

Jesus climbed into a boat to preach while the fishermen washed their nets.*

*A.

People were eager to hear the Word of God preached*

*1.

Good news they hadn’t heard*

*2.

Sincerity & authority*

*3.

Salvation by grace*

*B.

Kept trying to get closer, but they crowded Him out*

*C.

He’ll adjust His means in order to meet our needs, even if it means backing off*

*1.

Three different means of grace to bring us His forgiveness*

*2.

Answers our prayers according to our needs*

*III.

When He was done, they went out to the deep water & Jesus told them to let down the nets.*

*A.

Word of wisdom that seems foolish*

*1.

Not the normal time for fishing*

*2.

Fish in the shallow, not the deep*

*3.

For that matter, they weren’t catching anything*

*B.

Jesus tells us to do strange things, too*

*1.

Don’t always understand*

*2.

Stay married even though you’re not happy*

*3.

Love your enemies & pray for those who persecute you*

*4.

Don’t take advantage of people—even if they’re asking for it*

*5.

Treat people with respect even if they don’t deserve it*

*6.

Share the message of salvation with the guys who don’t care about it*

*IV.

“We haven’t caught anything, but by Your Word, I will.”*

*A.

Peter was frustrated*

*1.

They’d been working hard & accomplished nothing*

*2.

By themselves, they were hopeless*

*3.

Yet He obeyed*

a. Don’t know why

b.

Maybe hoping for a miracle

c.

Maybe hoping to say, “I told you so.”

d.