When I was a kid, I remember finding identity in basketball. I grew up in Wheaton, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago during the 90s. So, it was the Bulls championship era. So, we were captivated by #23, Michael Jordan. He was awesome. I truly believed he could air step. He could fly. He always hit the game winning threes. So, I became a devoted fan. I watched games. I wore the jersey. I had the trading cards. When I played NBA Jam, I always chose the Bulls. I was in the backyard practicing free throws. I wanted to be like Mike. If you’ve seen me shoot a basketball, then you know that that dream did not become a reality.

When we see someone or something awesome, we become followers. Why do we do that? It’s because we think we can gain significance by sharing in their greatness. We want our lives to matter, so we follow people and things that we think will bring significance to our lives.

For some people, we find significance in a career. We search for glory in our titles and accomplishments, checking emails and striving to climb the ladder. If we have a successful career, our lives will matter.

For others, we find significance in a person. We devote our life to a spouse or our kids. We spend our money to capture their affection, and our world revolves around them. We work hard to make them happy. If they love us, then our lives will matter.

Some find significance in following pleasure and entertainment. We live for the weekend or the next vacation–whether a boat on a lake, the golf course, a cruise, shopping sprees, or food and drinks. We’ve found purpose in pleasure, entertainment, and stuff. If we can maximize our happiness, our lives are good.

What are you following and devoting your life to today? Where are you finding significance? Is it the right thing? Is it truly worthy of your devotion?

Today, we will hear how fishermen encountered Jesus and became His devoted followers. What they saw in Jesus transformed them from fishermen into disciples. They became convinced He was worthy of their time, energy, and lives. They left their homes and jobs and devoted everything to following Jesus as their Lord. Today, we’ll see how it all began for the first disciples.

We’re continuing our study in the Gospel of Luke, looking at the life and teachings of Jesus. We’re in chapter 5 of Luke’s Gospel, and I encourage you to follow along in your Bible. If you don’t have one, then I invite you to follow along on the screens.

Last week, we heard about Jesus’s temptation in the wilderness. Immediately after his temptation, he emerges from the wilderness and begins his teaching ministry—first in his hometown of Nazareth and then in the cities of Galilee. During this period, Jesus taught about God’s kingdom and demonstrated his power through miracles. He cast out demonic spirits and healed Simon Peter’s mother-in-law of sickness. News of Jesus’ power was spreading and crowds were multiplying around Him. During this time, Jesus began to call a few people to be His ministry team. He started with some fishermen.

We’re going to start in Luke 5, verse 1. Listen now to the Word of God.

As the crowd was pressing in on Jesus to hear God’s word, he was standing by Lake Gennesaret. He saw two boats at the edge of the lake; the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, which belonged to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from the land. Then he sat down and was teaching the crowds from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” “Master,” Simon replied, “we’ve worked hard all night long and caught nothing. But if you say so, I’ll let down the nets.” When they did this, they caught a great number of fish, and their nets began to tear. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them; they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’s knees and said, “Go away from me, because I’m a sinful man, Lord!” For he and all those with him were amazed at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, Zebedee’s sons, who were Simon’s partners. “Don’t be afraid,” Jesus told Simon. “From now on you will be catching people.” Then they brought the boats to land, left everything, and followed him.

Luke 5:1-11

There are three things Jesus does in this passage that I want you to see. These three things that Jesus does provide the basis for why we follow Him with our lives.

First, see how Jesus demonstrates His awesome power. One of the ways that we know Jesus is worthy of following is that He is the awesome power He displayed.

These fishermen had just finished a night of fishing and had failed to catch a single fish. Their nets were empty. They were professional fishermen. Catching fish is what they do and how they earn their living. But, their nets were empty. They’ve been working all night and have nothing to show for it. I’m sure they felt disappointed and frustrated.

Have you ever worked hard without seeing results? It is frustrating!

I remember putting together a piece of furniture once. It was a small bookshelf that I ordered for my vinyl records. I was so excited when it arrived. I had spent about an hour putting it together. One of the last pieces was a wooden peg that was supposed to connect two boards together. The peg wasn’t sitting nicely in the hole. So, I tried to hammer it in. When I hammered it, the wooden peg went through the board, splitting the wood and ruining the project. The two pieces wouldn’t connect. I had just wasted an hour of my life!

I think these fishermen would have been frustrated, too. They had worked hard all night to catch fish, but their nets were empty.

These fishermen had empty nets, but Jesus had awesome power.

After Jesus finished teaching, he told Peter to take the boats out deeper and throw their nets back in the water. Peter respectfully tells Jesus that they’ve been fishing all night and haven’t caught anything. Peter was a professional fishermen. So, he would have known that fishing was best at night and if they hadn’t caught anything at night, there chances were worse during the day. Furthermore, Peter would have known that fishing in the deepest parts of the waters was less effective than along the shoreline. So why was Jesus telling Peter to try fishing in at less effective time in a less effective location? The stage is being set for the awesome power of Jesus to be displayed.

Notice what Peter calls Jesus in verse five. He calls him Master. This means that Peter already saw Jesus as worthy of respect. Peter had already seen Jesus heal his mother-in-law. He had listened to His teachings. He knew Jesus was a great teacher. So, he shows respect to Jesus, even though he disagrees with Jesus’ suggestion to keep fishing. Even though Peter disagrees with Jesus, he submits. Peter says, “But if you say so, I’ll let down the nets.” Peter disagreed, but he obeyed.

This has an application to our lives. Do we follow, even when we don’t understand or agree? We may not always understand or agree with God’s calling, but we should obey if we know the Lord has spoken.

Peter’s obedience was soon rewarded. When they let down their nets, they were overwhelmed with the amount of fish.

I want you to visualize this amazing event. Watch this video clip to get a visual picture of what Scripture describes here.

Now, according to Luke’s Gospel, Jesus would have been in the boat with them. Also, Luke describes how they needed a second boat for all the fish and they filled both boats. But I love how this video gives us a better idea of the overwhelming nature of the miracle. Their nets were bursting and ripping at the seams because of the abundance of fish. The boat was struggling to stay afloat. Jesus had demonstrated His awesome power!

Don’t miss the supernatural power on display here. This is awesome power! It’s not just a great catch—it’s a miraculous event! Where professional fishermen had failed under the best circumstances to catch a single fish, Jesus had supernaturally caused two boatloads of fish to be caught. This was incredible! Jesus was revealing his greatness to the fishermen.

See in Jesus’ miracle His redemptive goodness. Where there was emptiness, He brought fullness. Where there was famine, he came with a feast. Where sin brought curses, Jesus came to bring blessings and redemption. One chapter earlier, in Luke 4:18-19, Jesus proclaimed, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” The Lord’s favor was coming through Jesus. He displays that redemptive purpose in the miraculous provision of an overwhelming amount of fish to fishermen. His awesome power reveals that God is for us.

Where has God demonstrated His awesome power to you? Can you remember places where God has revealed His glory to you?

I think of my sons. Recently, I’ve prayed, “God reveal yourself to me. Help me to see your glory and power.” But how often do I forget His power on display right before my eyes? My twin boys, Isaiah and Amos, are miracles of God’s glory and power. He couldn’t have been showing off His glory more clearly to me. But I too easily forget to remember the places where God has already revealed His awesome power to me.

Jesus revealed His awesome power to these fishermen. He overwhelms them with fish. It’s why they followed Him.

Second, see how Jesus shows His tender mercy.

When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’s knees and said, “Go away from me, because I’m a sinful man, Lord!” For he and all those with him were amazed at the catch of fish they had taken,

Luke 5:8-9

Peter sees the glory of Jesus clearly now. Peter had heard Jesus teach with authority. He saw Him heal his mother-in-law. He now saw what a professional fisherman would know is only explainable as a miracle by the power of God. It’s clear to him. Jesus is the Messiah! He is holy! He is entirely unique and worthy!

So, he falls on his knees before Jesus and confesses his sin. In knowing Jesus’ holiness, Peter becomes more aware of his sinfulness.

As we become more aware of God’s holiness, we will naturally become more aware of our sinfulness. This is a sign of spiritual growth. When sunlight shines through my windows at just the right angle, I can see all the dust and dirt in my house. The dirt is revealed by the light. Similarly, when we see the holiness of God, it reveals our sin by contrast.

Also, the more aware we become of the gap between our sin and God’s holiness, the more aware we become of our need for the cross. If you have a small view of God’s holiness and a small view of your sin, then you have a small cross. You don’t need much saving because you think you don’t have much sin. But, if you have a large view of God’s holiness and your sin, then you’ll have a large view of the work of the cross to close the gap.

How aware are you of God’s holiness? How aware of your sin are you? Do you have a small view of the cross, or do you know that you desperately need the cross to close the divide?

Peter sees how glorious Jesus is and knows how unworthy he is. He falls before Him and pleads for Jesus to leave his presence.

But, see how Jesus responds to him in verse 10.

“Don’t be afraid,” Jesus told Simon. “From now on you will be catching people.”

Luke 5:10b

One commentator notes that when Jesus told Peter, “Don’t be afraid,” he pronounced forgiveness. Jesus wasn’t going anywhere. He loved Peter and showed him tender mercy.

What sins do you keep that you feel shame for? What sins do you keep that you feel keep God at a distance? As you come to Jesus in repentance, His response is tender mercy.

Jesus came to earth to forgive our sins. He loves lost people. He moved towards them. He ate meals with prostitutes and spoke with greedy tax collectors. He moved towards the religiously arrogant and the depraved outsiders. This is why He went to the cross, so we would know God is merciful and willing to draw near to sinners like us. Jesus, through the cross, closes the gap between our sinfulness and God’s greatness. We no longer have to live in fear of punishment. He has made peace through the cross.

So, as you become more aware of your sin and shame, hear Jesus’ words, “Don’t be afraid.” He’s not going to leave you. He’s here with tender mercy.

Third, see how Jesus gives a new calling. Not only did he forgive Peter, he gave him a new vocation. Notice the second part of what Jesus said in verse 10, “From now on you will be catching people.” Jesus called Peter, a fisherman, to become a fisher of men. Interestingly, the Greek verb for catch here indicates catching alive. Jesus is using the metaphor of fishing to say that Peter would join Him in seeking out lost people to be saved through the message of the Gospel. Peter’s calling was now to be a disciple-maker.

Notice that Jesus called humble fishermen. They didn’t have a seminary degree. They simply were people who would trust and obey Him. Therefore, we should be encouraged that God can use people like us—people who don’t know all the answers and haven’t earned a seminary degree. Jesus calls us to be disciple-makers, to reach those around us with the Gospel and “catch them alive” with the good news of salvation He brings.

Our vision at Southland is that everyone, not just the pastors and staff, would be disciple-makers. That’s actually the 90-day goal we started the year off with. Our vision is that each of us will reach one person with the Gospel in 90 days–that we would pray for them, share a meal with them, and then have at least one Gospel conversation with them in 90 days. If you’re new, we invite you to join us.

My one person is a man named Tim. I’m praying for God to move in his heart and his family so that they would know Jesus through me.

Just as Jesus called Peter, He calls all His followers to be disciple-makers and fishers of men.

In the last verse, we see the fishermen’s response to Jesus.

Then they brought the boats to land, left everything, and followed him.

Luke 5:11

When Peter and the disciples heard Jesus calling, they didn’t hesitate. They left everything and followed. They had seen enough and were convinced. Jesus was worthy of following with their lives. He became their priority.

Main Idea: Jesus is worthy of following with our lives.

He’s worthy because He demonstrates awesome power. He performed miracle that confirms He is the Messiah. He is holy.

He is worthy because he shows us tender mercy. He has compassion on us and forgives our sins. He went to the cross to pay our sin debt. He is good and merciful.

He is worthy because he gives us a new calling. He has a role for us to play. He wants us to join His team and reach people with the good news of His mercy.

So, we should follow Him with our lives, like the disciples who dropped everything and followed Him. We should follow Him as our Lord and Master.

As we wrap up, I want to give you three ways to follow Jesus with your life today.

First, follow Jesus first. What I mean is that you would make him your first priority. He would be your greatest passion and love. He would be number one in your heart and mind.

Our challenge is that we are tempted to follow lesser things. We give our attention, time, and devotion to less important things. We relegate Jesus to the sidelines. We’re Christians when it is convenient for us. We devote ourselves to something else that we think is more important.

What are you following first in your life? A person? A career? Pleasure?

The theologian C. S. Lewis warns us that we are too easily satisfied by lesser things. In his book, The Weight of Glory, he keenly points this out.

“It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

C.S. Lewis

There was a time in my life when I was devoted to a girl’s opinion of me. If she liked me, then I was happy. If she didn’t like me, then what significance did I have? Making her more important than Jesus was bondage. When I confessed that idolatry, chains broke in my life. I was set free to follow the only one worthy of my life.

When we put Jesus first, we find joy and peace. He is a good Master.

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30

So, follow Jesus first. Cast aside your lesser gods. Give your life to only one who is worthy.

Second, follow Jesus in community. Jesus formed a community of followers. He taught them to love one another and the importance of community. When Jesus prayed for them, He prayed that they would be one. He knew that we were better together.

As Southland, we follow Jesus in small groups. We have fifteen groups with over one hundred people connected in them. In our groups, we care for one another, study the Bible together, pray together, and serve others.

I’m in a Wednesday morning men’s group that meets at Rendezbrew coffee shop. I’ve been encouraged in my faith and relationship with Jesus there. I love those guys and I know that they love me. We’re following Jesus in community.

So, I encourage you, join a group today during our group launch after service.

Lastly, follow Jesus on mission.

Jesus gave His life to save sinners through His death and resurrection. He was devoted to the mission of rescuing people. He called Peter to catch people alive.

How is your life following Jesus on mission? Let’s commit to following through with this 90-day challenge to each reach one person. What’s your next step with that? Pray for them today and invite them to a grab lunch or coffee. Let’s move towards lost people with love and the same mercy Jesus showed us.

As we close, remember Jesus is worthy of following with our lives. He is awesome in power and tender in mercy. Let’s devote our lives to His glory. Amen.