Monday, June 29, 2026
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 5:8-11
The Power Of Obedience
When we become believers we are instantly changed but it is just the beginning of a path we will be on for the rest of our lives. Obedience is what propels us forward on this path. Yesterday we heard about four disciples who Jesus called away from their profession as fishermen to join him in his mission to fish for people.
Our key truth for this series, Come and See: Encounters With Jesus, is All are invited to come and see the truth found in Jesus. Jesus calls us out to follow him. We choose, just like the disciples in this story, whether to step out and trust him or to stay where we are. Stepping out in faith and obedience leads to the abundant life we are longing for.
The men in this story were experienced fishermen. They knew the right time and place to cast their nets to catch fish and they had been at it all night long with nothing to show. Jesus comes and tells them to cast their nets again - on the other side of the boat. They reluctantly (and maybe a little sarcastically) agreed, thinking they were going to show this man what they already knew - their nets would be empty again. But they were surprised that their nets were so full they were ripping, and the boat began the sink. Simon Peter instantly knew that this man was the Messiah. Jesus told him not to be afraid because he was about to make him a fisher of men. They brought everything to land, left it and followed him.
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. Luke 5:2-7
These men saw Jesus as the Messiah when he revealed himself to them. What Jesus asked of them did not make sense to them - after all they were experienced fishermen. They knew better right? Yet when they obeyed their nets were bursting. Yesterday Pastor Jim said - Obedience to Jesus isn’t predicated on our own understanding of the world, but on how Jesus understands and works in the world.
We can trust Jesus completely. We may think we know the best way but Jesus has a different understanding of the world than we do. He has a holy perspective, and he was before us, he goes with us and ahead of us. There is not a problem in this world too big for him – he conquered death and hell.
Obedience is powerful. Andy Brady once said four powerful words that have stuck with me - Obedience is the rescue. Obedience changes everything. It sets a whole new trajectory for our lives - propels us forward on the right path. Obedience saves us from ourselves, consequences of sin, broken relationships, being out of God’s will, and so much more, but most of all it saves us from hell. Obedience may sound like a confinement of sorts, but it is actually the greatest freedom we could know. The power of obedience brings confidence – in ourselves to make the right choice and in Jesus who always has our backs. It brings security and safety. It brings reassurance and peace.
In our competent self-sufficiency we balk at surrendering in obedience. After all, Simon was a fisherman, and he knew what he was doing. He had experience and they had already been working all night to catch fish – at the perfect time, the perfect conditions that all experienced fishermen paid attention to, but what Jesus was asking didn’t make sense to them. Wrong conditions and wrong time.
How does obedience play a central role in knowing and following Jesus?
What has God asked you to do that seems impossible, or even illogical in your mind? To follow actually means to follow – him. To move where he moves, in his footsteps, not our own. Surrender to him. Submit to him. Give him everything. Lay your nets down and leave them.
Get some accountability in your life. With no accountability but only to ourselves we sometimes make obedience optional, but for a Christ follower obedience is never optional. We can always talk ourselves out of something that is hard or inconvenient. Obedience is hard but it is where life is found – in Jesus.
Be aware of the work of God around of you. What is he inviting you to be a part of?
