Luke 5:1-11

5 Now it happened that while the crowd was pressing around Him and listening to the word of God, He was standing by the lake of Gennesaret; 2 and He saw two boats lying at the edge of the lake; but the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets. 3 And He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little way from the land. And He sat down and began teaching the people from the boat. 4 When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 Simon answered and said, “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets.” 6 When they had done this, they enclosed a great quantity of fish, and their nets began to break; 7 so they signaled to their partners in the other boat for them to come and help them. And they came and filled both of the boats, so that they began to sink. 8 But when Simon Peter saw that, he fell down at Jesus’ feet, saying, “Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!” 9 For amazement had seized him and all his companions because of the catch of fish which they had taken; 10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not fear, from now on you will be catching men.” 11 When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him.

There are times in life when we believe we’re doing everything right, yet success still escapes us. We aren’t breaking God’s commandments. We’re working hard, making wise choices by both our standards and the world’s. And still, we face disappointment. Why?

Perhaps it’s a call to examine our hearts. Are we truly living out God’s purpose, or are we using His principles to pursue our own agendas? As chosen believers, we must understand: no matter how much short-term success we find, it will eventually lead to our demise if we are not anchored in the Lord’s Word. As believers, we must know only God determines our success or failure, and His blessing comes to us when we genuinely follow His word.

When Jesus meets Peter and the other fishermen, they’ve worked all night and caught nothing. These are skilled, experienced fishermen—yet their efforts fail. This teaches us that relying on our own plans and motives will only lead to empty results and failure. Only by aligning with God’s will can we receive His blessings.

Jesus tells them to go into deep water and cast their nets. Peter, though doubtful, obeys. He knows fish aren’t typically caught during the day, but he says, “Because you say so, I will.” The result is miraculous: their nets overflow, and their boats nearly sink. Peter realizes the power behind the command wasn’t in technique—but in obedience. He falls at Jesus’ feet, repents, and leaves everything behind to follow Him.

This story challenges us. Does this mean we detach from the world? No. It means we must follow God’s word in everything we do in this world. And we will all face moments when worldly logic conflicts with God’s instruction. Maybe we’re tempted to compromise—working on a Sunday, cheating a little to get ahead. We must obey God’s word, and even when we choose obedience, we must ask ourselves: is it driven by love for God or fear of consequences? At first, we may suffer loss, but we must persevere showing our genuine faith. 

These are the opportunities when God looks at our hearts, comes to us, and blesses us with his miracles. God uses these moments to help us find our true motivations and find the right path. He sees our hearts. When we meet disappointment despite doing what seems right, He invites us to examine whether our obedience is genuine—or self-serving.

The good news: when we recognize our wrong motives and repent, God welcomes us back. As with Peter, when we follow Jesus sincerely, His power works through us. If God directs it, even the fish obey.

Peter’s success wasn’t due to his skill but his surrendering completely to God’s will. Whether we are students, parents, professionals, or ministers, God calls us to follow—not just believe. Our confidence comes not from our efforts, but from trusting His Word. And when we do, He will fill our nets—beyond what we can imagine.

Please click here for Korean sermon https://soundcloud.com/yhpaik/1985-10-6-1a-1