“Yet if You Say So, I Will Let Down the Nets”
Luke 5:1–11
I want to begin by sharing something personal with you—I love fishing. I used to go fishing every chance I got. Honestly, the size of the fish never mattered much to me. The joy was in the process.
Back in those days, I would wake up before sunrise, pack up my gear, and head out to the water. I could be out there all day. And even though it was physically tiring—walking, standing, casting lines—you wouldn’t even feel it until you finally got back home.
I went so often that I got to know the place pretty well. I knew:
- Where the water was deep and where it was shallow.
- Where the bottom was clean and where it was muddy.
- What kinds of fish could be found in certain areas.
I also learned the best time to fish. One lesson I learned: don’t go fishing when the moon is full. That’s when the water gets restless and the fish don’t bite.
Over time, I figured out which bait worked for which fish.
In short, the more I fished, the more I learned. I became quite confident.
But every now and then, someone who didn’t know anything about fishing would come and give advice—what bait to use, how deep to fish, or where to cast.
And honestly? I didn’t like that. I’d think to myself, “You don’t know this place like I do.” So I rarely followed their advice.
Now, let’s look at Simon Peter.
Peter was also a fisherman—far more experienced than I am. He lived in Bethsaida, near the Sea of Galilee. Fishing wasn’t a hobby for him—it was his livelihood. He would’ve known everything there was to know about catching fish.
But in Luke 5, we find Peter in a moment of frustration. He and his team had been out all night and caught nothing. Can you imagine? All that work. All those hours. And empty nets.
As they were cleaning their nets, Jesus came along. He stepped into Peter’s boat and began teaching the crowd from the water. After finishing, He turned to Peter and said:
“Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”
If I were Peter, I might have said, “What? We just finished cleaning the nets. We’ve been at it all night. And who are You to tell me how to fish?”
Let’s not forget—Jesus was a teacher, the son of a carpenter. Not a fisherman. From a human perspective, Peter had every reason to doubt.
And in fact, Peter does express that hesitation:
“Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing.”
But then, he follows it up with one of the most powerful statements in the New Testament:
“Yet if You say so, I will let down the nets.”
And what happened?
A miracle. The catch was so great that the nets began to tear. They had to signal for help, and even then, the boats were so full they began to sink!
What faith!
Peter chose to trust not in the situation, not in his experience, but in the Word of Jesus. He let down the nets—not because it made sense—but because Jesus said so.
My dear friends, we’ve all had nights like Peter’s. Nights when we’ve worked hard—preached, prayed, served, visited homes, poured ourselves into ministry—and yet seen very little fruit.
Maybe you’re facing hardship. Maybe you’re feeling weary. Maybe your nets have come up empty one too many times.
Let me encourage you tonight: Jesus is still speaking. And He’s still asking us to go deeper.
Go deeper in your faith. Go deeper in your obedience. Go deeper in your trust.
He’s not done with you. He’s not done with your ministry.
And the results? They may not always be immediate, but they will come—because He said so.
Sometimes, what blocks our breakthrough isn’t the difficulty of the task—it’s our own unbelief. Our half-hearted obedience. Our reliance on our own wisdom.
Peter let down his nets because Jesus said so—and the results were beyond what he ever expected.
But more than the miracle, look at Peter’s response. He left everything—the fish, the boat, the nets—and followed Jesus. From that moment, he became a fisher of men.
So tonight, let’s reflect:
- Have I grown too confident in my own experience?
- Have I stopped listening for the voice of the Master?
- Am I willing to go deeper, even when it doesn’t make sense?
Let us be like Peter and say, “Yet if You say so, I will let down the nets.”
Not because we see the result first. Not because we feel strong. But because we trust the One who is speaking.
Victory belongs to the Lord.
Let’s follow Him with everything we’ve got. Let us let down the nets again!
Amen.
