07/21/2026
Sunday’s sermon
PASTOR WILBERT VAUGHN JR.
Text: LUKE 5:1 - 11
Title: FISHERS OF MEN
I greet you in the name of the Lord Jesus. We live in a time where people are more educated than any other period in history. Artificial Intelligence has increased our ability to access information at the press of a button. But sometimes what we know, can negatively impact our faith to receive from God. It can play a part in how much we commit to trusting what He tells us. Walking in faith will oftentimes conflict with human reasoning. Because acting in faith will not always make sense. We have become a society that will seek out the doctor, before we seek the Lord. We have come not to expect to see signs and wonders like the New Testament believers. As a result, we have begun to call unexpected experiences a miracle. However, God can do the impossible. He specializes in doing things that defy the laws of nature, physics and the sciences. He can exceed our imagination and does things far above what we are able to think or understand. Today our study takes us to the book of Luke where seasoned fishermen were challenged to an act of faith over years of fishing experience. Our text comes from Luke 5:1-11. The message is called, "Fishers of Men." I have three points that I want to bring to your attention:
MY FAVORITE SPOT
LET’S GO FISHING
THE BIG CATCH
Luke 5:1-11 So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, 2 and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. 3 Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat. 4 When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." 5 But Simon answered and said to Him, "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net." 6 And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. 7 So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!" 9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; 10 and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men." 11 So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.
I. My Favorite SpotActs 13:44
Metaphor – a figure of speech in which a word or phrase literally denoting one kind of object or idea is used in place of another to suggest a likeness or analogy between them.
A. He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret (Sea of Galilee)
1. The multitude pressed about Him
2. To hear the word of God
Jesus stood on the banks of the lake and preached
People crowded around Him
Eager to hear from heaven
People are still hungry to hear the word of God
The message of hope is needed more than ever
So many folks that have become disillusioned
And alienated from the Lord
People are hurting and looking for answers
To their current situation and problems
Many have stopped attending church
Which used to be a place of comfort for those in need
COVID stopped a lot of people from attending
But since COVID has ended, many people have still not returned
If they don’t return to the church
We must go out and take the church to them
Believers must continue to be a beacon of light
We must continue to reach out to people in need
That point men and women to Christ the Lord
Who is the hope of God
Acts 13:44 On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God.
B. Two boats were standing by the lake
1. The fishermen had gone
2. They were washing their nets
The workers had departed and completed their work
They were done for the day
They were cleaning their nets
They had already fished and caught nothing
The problem isn’t that there are no fish to catch
There are still plenty of fish in the water
If there is still one person that has not heard the gospel
We are still obligated to continue fishing
We sometimes stop because we feel that our work is done
We start packing up our tools and putting them away
The work is not over
There is still so much that need to be done
Look at the waters, they are filled with schools of fish
That has never heard the message of hope
Nations and people from all backgrounds
Are waiting to be fed from the bread of life
But we need fishermen willing to do the work
Let us pray that the Lord
Will send forth fishermen into the waters
Can you accept God’s call to go into those waters
Declare before Him today, with me
Here am I Lord, send me
C. He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's
1. He asked him to put out a little from the land
2. He taught the multitudes from the boat
Jesus climbed into the boat with Simon
He asked him to launch out from the bank
Jesus preached to the multitudes
Yall don’t mind if talk a little bit about witnessing
Witnessing to other people is one of the scariest things
Almost as much as standing in front of people preaching
In other words, witnessing can be uncomfortable
What makes people uncomfortable about witnessing
The fear of rejection, the unexpected, or failure
But God did not give you a spirit of fear
Fear is an intruder and did not come from God
Stop being afraid and focusing on what God did not give you
And start using what He did give you
He gave you a spirit of power
A spirit of love and a spirit of a sound mind
Every believer should be prepared
To give a reason for their belief
Wherever they find themselves
People have gotten saved on skid row, in brothels and in bars
Salvation can happen anywhere
It doesn’t have to take place in a church
We must take the message in places
Where those who need help hang out
We might have to go to a homeless shelter
We might have to go to retirement homes
We must go where they are sick and shut in
We must go to the prisons and the jail cells
We may have to go to the soup kitchens
We must go to the classrooms
We may even have to go in the virtual rooms
Wherever people are hurting we need to be prepared to go
And take the gospel to every creature
Luke 14:23 Then the master said to the servant, 'Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.
II. Let’s Go Fishing
A. When He had stopped speakingProv 3:5-6
1. Launch out into the deep
2. Let down your nets for a catch
When Jesus stopped preaching,
He told the fishermen to go back out
And launch into the deep again
Even though He knew they were done for the day
To cast out their nets for a catch
A catch that they could not see
If you have been born again
At some point God may ask you to do something
That goes against your intellectual understanding
The enemy will use your own reasoning
As a tool against acting in faith
The Lord may direct you to go where you have never been before
You may be sent into an area that others have failed
You may be tired and ready to go home
You may not think that it’s worth going to a certain place
You might think that the area is too dangerous
You may not see your role as an evangelist
You may not agree with what God wants you to do
But God has commanded you to let down your nets
Reach out to the lost where He sends you
People often miss out on God’s plan
Because it doesn’t make sense to them
The question is, how will you respond
If God is directing, you to cast out your net
Then there must be something there waiting to be pulled in
If you can trust God with your salvation
You can trust that He will work things out
Somebody say, He will work it out
Prov 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
B. Acting on the wordPsa 33:9
1. Master, we have toiled all night
2. And caught nothing
3. Nevertheless, at Your word
4. I will let down the net
Peter told Jesus that they had fished all night
They didn’t catch a single fish
But at your word, we will do as you have commanded
They obeyed Jesus and let down their nets
Peter and the other men were tired
They had already cleaned their nets for the next day
But He was willing to try again
Not expecting to catch anything
But maybe to prove a point
There are times when you become discouraged
And you might be ready to quit
You may think that because you have been saved for years
You are experienced and know that the fish are just not bitting
When you have done all that you can and still come up empty
You have been trying your best to reach people
But somehow people are not responding to the message like they used to
You have fished all night and caught nothing but mosquito bights
The Lord steps in and gives you a glimmer of hope
Hope is something that every man is willing to wait for
Sometimes it takes a fresh anointing to change the outcome
The goal of winning souls is not about who wins the lost
It’s about seeing the lost souls turn to Christ
No matter what you’ve experienced in life
Hope gives you patience to see it through
You may not fully understand why it didn’t happen before now
But if He can change the outcome to success
You are willing to try it again
But just say the word, and we will obey your word
The word of God gives me hope, that if I just act on His word
My nets are going to be filled, that my deliverance is on the way
That I am going to get through this situation, that my change is going to come
That I am going to be healed, that my breakthrough is coming
That God is going to restore everything that the devil has stolen
Psa 33:9 For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.
III. The Big Catch
A. Something miraculous happened
1. When they had done this
2. They caught a great number of fish
3. Their net was breaking
When they cast down their nets
They brought in an abundance of fish
So much that their nets were insufficient to hold the amount of fish
These were experienced fishermen
They made their living by fishing on these waters
They knew most of the men who also fished the same waters
They were so sure that they had done everything right
To catch the fish needed to make a living
But they were unsuccessful in their effort
But the fish were already there
He gave them a word that changed their lives
If they continued to rely on their own knowledge
They would have missed the abundance prepared for them
We sometimes miss out because we know everything
We are so sure that the way that we do things is right
Nobody else can tell us what to do
But God is willing to do great things
On our behalf despite what we think we know
But God isn’t limited by what we think we know
God specializes in making the impossible, possible
He is the God that can make something from nothing
Whatever is required to address the need
God can and will supply according to His riches in glory
He can do exceedingly, abundantly, more than we can ask or imagine
If you are willing to cast out your net
God will open those doors that the enemy has blocked
The children of Israel wondered in the wilderness for 40 years
Because they were afraid of the giants in the land
God had already given them the land
All they had to do was to go in and possess it
Stop allowing the giants in your life to discourage you
The land is flowing with milk and honey
The abundance is already there waiting
For you to go in and possess the land
B. So they signaled to their partners for help
1. They came and filled both the boats
2. So that they began to sink
The disciples needed help to bring in the catch
They signaled their partners to come and help
Both boats were overloaded with the catch
So many were taken in that they began to sink
What God can do is more than enough
He is Jireh, more than enough
He can cause you to succeed where others have failed
All He does is speak the word and it happens
Nothing happens without His direction
He can bless others from what He does in your life
God wants to bless others through you
He wants to extend His love to every creature
The abundance is already there
We just need to move on His word
The pastor has already received a vision from God
It’s time to start lowering our nets
Start praying for the leadership here at ZMP
ZMP Church must be ready to receive
What God is getting ready to do
God is getting ready to grow this body of believers
We must prepare for the increase
Be ready and available to be used for the service of God
Somebody say, I’m ready for what God is about to do
Turn to your neighbor and say I’m ready for what God is about to do
C. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell at Jesus' kneesLuke 5:32
1. Depart from me, for I am a sinful man – not worthy of being next to deity
2. For he and all who were with him – the entire fishing crew of both ships
3. Were astonished at the catch of fish – amazed at the amount of fish
NOTE * We have seen how God has worked in the lives of others, but it hits home when it happens to us. It makes you face the truth about the relationship you have with God. We get despondent because of doubt. We don’t exercise the kind of faith that trust Him in all things. We must come to grips with how awesome God really is. It becomes evident that He is Holy and we fall far short of His glory. Yet He still loves us.
Luke 5:32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."
D. They brought their boats back to landMatt 4:19
1. Do not be afraid
2. From now on you will catch men
3. They forsook all and followed Him
They returned their boats to the shore
The disciples were afraid
Jesus had to put them at ease
And told them not to be frightened by what they had seen
From now on, you will be fishers of men
The disciples initially responded with fear
They had just witnessed something they could not explain
They didn’t really believe that they would catch anything
But now, this man of God has just blown their mind
They could not believe the same waters they had been fishing all night
Yielded a catch larger than they had ever experienced
They gave up their livelihood and followed Him
The symbolism of being fishermen is not lost on the Lord
He used something they were familiar with doing
They were experienced fishermen
They were not perfect people
They were regular hard-working guys
They were just trying to make a living
The Lord is still calling imperfect people
Jesus is calling those to work in His vineyard
Those willing to become laborers in the field
To bring in the harvest for the Lord of the Harvest
To do the work of fishermen
To be willing to become fishers of men
To be taught and sent into the highways and by ways
To compel men and women everywhere to receive God’s gift
You may have to give up everything to follow Him
You will have to take up your cross and follow Him
You may have to give up everything you know
For everything He knows
It’s what God has called the great commission
All you have to do is trust Him at His word
He has made us all to be Fishers of Men
Matt 4:19 Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." 20 They immediately left their nets and followed Him.
IV. Conclusion – Fishers of Men
A. My favorite spot
B. Let’s go fishing
C. The big catch
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Mark 1:16 And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 17 Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men." 18 They immediately left their nets and followed Him. 19 When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets. 20 And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.
John 21:6 And He said to them, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.
Matt 19:27 Then Peter answered and said to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?"
Psa 37:3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. 4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.
1 Chr 28:9 "As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever.
