Sermon #1154
Title: At Thy Word
Text: Luke 5:5 Scripture Reading: Luke 5:1-11
Subject: The Believer’s
Submission to the Word and Will of God
Date: Sunday Morning -
July 31, 1994
Tape #: Q-32
Introduction:
You who were here Tuesday
night will recall that I preached to you then about the beginnings of our
Lord’s earthly ministry from Matthew 4:12-25. In that passage, Matthew gave a
very brief description of our Lord’s call to Peter and Andrew and James and
John to become preachers of the gospel and fishers of men. Our text this
morning is taken from Luke’s much more detailed account of that same event.
Peter and Andrew and
their partners, James and John, had been fishing all night. They cast their
nets repeatedly, first to this side and then to that side of the ship, in the
deep waters and in the shallow waters. They failed all night long, they caught
nothing. Early in the morning, while Peter and Andrew were washing their nets
and James and John were mending theirs, the Lord Jesus came. He got into
Peter’s fishing boat, had him to thrust out from shore a little way, and
preached to the crowds thronging about him. After he had finished preaching, he
told Peter to launch out into the deep and let down his net for a draft of
fish.
Peter was a trained,
seasoned, experienced fisherman. He had failed all night. But I want you to
notice his response to the Lord Jesus. Rease verse 5!
Proposition:
Faith in Christ is
demonstrated by obedience to his word. Peter demonstrated his faith in Christ
by surrendering to his will and obeying his word.
Try to understand the
significance of Peter’s response to Master:
--Though it is contrary
to reason and experience, nevertheless....
Though we have failed
all night, nevertheless, at thy word...
At his command, though
they were exhausted, they were willing to go back to see, knowing that he that
commanded them to work would renew their strength and supply them with grace
sufficient to meet their needs. God never called anyone to do anything for which
he did not equip them and supply them.
Though we have labored
hard and long, and have taken nothing, nevertheless, at thy word we will let
down the net again in hope of catching some things.
At thy word. I will
launch out to sea. At thy word, I will let down the nets. I take these three
words for my subject. BAt Thy Word. These three words
are only used together three times in the entire bible: here, in Psalm 119:162,
and in I Kings 18:36.
I. In I Kings 18:36,
they are used by Elijah in his prayer to the Lord God and are set before us as
The Prophet’s Mandate. Elijah, speaking as the prophet of God said, I have done
what I have done at thy word. Find a servant of God, find a prophet of God,
find a man who is sent of God to preach the gospel and you will find a man
who...
A. Believes and preaches
the word of God
A prophet is a man with a message.
A message that must be delivered.
He tells the truth about
God, about you, about salvation.
B. Seeks and is obedient
to the will of God. (Acts 26:19, Gal 1:15-16)
C. Faithfully performs
the work God has called him to do. God’s servants are fishers of men, placed in
the sea of this world where God puts them. And there they toil. Ghey may or may not meet with the successes they hope for,
but they toil on at the Master’s word.
Matthew Henry wrote: The
ministers of the gospel must continue to let down that net, though they have
perhaps toiled long and caught nothing.
John Gill said: Faithful
preachers of the gospel sometimes toil in the ministry of the word a great
while with little or no success, and are discouraged from going on, and would
be tempted to leave off, were it not for the commission and word of command
they have received from Christ, which they dare not be disobedient to, and for
the word of promise he has given them. To be with them, on which they depend.
What a prayer Elijah
prayed! Let it be know
1. That thou art God in
Israel.
2. That I am thy
servant.
3. And that I have done
all these things at thy word.
The word of God is the
prophet’s mandate!
II. Now look at Psalm
110:162. When David was persecuted and pursued by Godless, reprobate men, he
stood in awe of God’s word and said AI rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil. He declares that the word of God is a
treasure chest of comfort, hope and joy. At thy word, I rejoice.
Whatsoever things were
written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and
comfort of the scriptures might have hope. (Rom 15:4)
When your soul is
troubled, when you life is turned upside down, when men persecute you, slander
you, and abuse you, turn to the book of God and find consolation, hope and joy
in the things written there.
A. Divine Predestination
(Eph 1:11)
B. Sovereign Electing
Love (John 15:16)
C. Substitutionary
Redemption (II Cor 5:21)
D. Effectual, Saving
Grace (Eph 2:8-9)
E. Imputed Righteousness
(John 23:6)
F. Special Providence
(Rom 8:28)
G. Resurrection Glory
(John 14:1-3)
III. As Peter used these
three words, Aat thy word, he implies that the word
of our Lord is the believer’s rule of life.
I have declared to you
the blessed, glorious truth that salvation is by grace alone, without works,
incessantly since the very first time I preached here. (Eph 2:8, II Tim 1:9,
Tit 3:5)
But I remind you again
that all true believers are desciples, followers of
Christ. He is our Savior and he is our Master, too! That simply means, we do
what he says. The moment you are saved by Christ, you become the servant of
Christ. As such, it is your responsibility and min to obey his will as it is
set forth in his word and made known to us by his Spirit. (John 2:5)
Like Peter, we must in
all things be subject to the Master’s word. When it appears to us to be
contradictory to our own ideas and opinions, or when it contradicts the customs
and traditions of men, we must say Nevertheless, at thy word.
A. When our reason is
staggered by the Revelation of God.
The Humanity and Deity of Christ.
Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility
B. When we are exposed
to the quibbles of reprobate men.
One fool can ask more
questions than fifty wise men can answer. Creation-Famines-Disease-war, etc.
If my adversaries like
to see their arrows in my shield, I will amuse them. Arrows in my shield do not
bother me!
C. When the word of God
contradicts personal experience.
Illus: Aunt Joan blowing
fire, AI have no doubt that I was saved. - AHe was
saved.
D. When the will of God
conflicts with self love.
Spurgeon - It is our
duty to do whatever our Lord bids us do, and to take the consequences, whatever
they may be.
IIlus: Walter Grover - Being
happy has nothing to do with it! (I Cor 6:19-20, Rom 12:1-2, Col 3:1-3)
E. When Love for others
would keep us from obeying Christ.
Illus: Abraham
Sacrificing Isaac.
John Bunyan: If I be in
the gale till the moss grows on my eyelids, I will never conceal the truth
which God has taught me. Luke 14:26
IV. These words, at thy
word, falling from Peter’s lips, also teach us that the word of Christ is a sufficient
warrant for action.
It cannot be wrong for
anyone to do what Christ himself commands us to do. His work is our warrant.
A. For Faith!
Acts 17:30
B. For Believer’s
Baptism
Mark 16:15-16
Matthew 28:18-20
I Peter 3:21
C. For the Lord’s Supper
I Corinthians 11:23-28
D. For Gospel Separation
II Corinthians 6:14-7:1
Revelation 18:4
E. For preserving prayer
Luke 11:1-13
F. For being a faithful
witness
Acts 1:8
Isaiah 44:8
G. For serving the
interests of Christ in this world.
Preachers
Missionaries
Teachers
Givers
Tract distributions
V. Once more, I want you
to understand that obedience to the word and will of God is and act that has
its own rewards.
You know, of course,
that I am not talking about legal rewards. Salvation is, in its entirety a
matter of free grace. Both grace and glory are the gifts of God. But obedience
to the word and will of God is something that is rewarding in itself.
A. An Obedient heart and
spirit is a great blessing of grace.
Romans 8:7
Titus 2:11-14
If I have such a heart,
God gave it!
B. A reward of obedience
is an easy, quiet conscience.
Acts 20:20,21,26
II Timothy 4:6-8
I’ve done what I know I
should have done today.
C. Yet, it must also be
asserted that obedience to Christ is distinctly rewarded by him.
Luke 5:5-9
Luke 6:38
Malachi 3:10
I Samuel 2:30
Psalm 19:8-10
1. Obedience makes us
useful
2. Obedience makes us
happy.
3. Obedience honors God
Application: Obey the
gospel
Obey the word
Trust Christ
Live for Christ