THE IMPORTANCE OF HIS PRESENCE IN OUR LIVES

Luke 5:1-11

Now it happened that while the crowd was pressing around Him and listening to the word of God, He was standing by the lake of Gennesaret; and He saw two boats lying at the edge of the lake; but the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets. And He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little way from the land. And He sat down and began teaching the people from the boat. When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, "Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch." Simon answered and said, "Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets." When they had done this, they enclosed a great quantity of fish, and their nets began to break; so they signaled to their partners in the other boat for them to come and help them. And they came and filled both of the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw that, he fell down at Jesus' feet, saying, "Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!" For amazement had seized him and all his companions because of the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not fear, from now on you will be catching men." When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him.

John 21:1-12

After these things Jesus manifested Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and He manifested Himself in this way. Simon Peter, and Thomas, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will also come with you." They went out and got into the boat; and that night they caught nothing. But when the day was now breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. So Jesus said to them, "Children, you do not have any fish, do you?" They answered Him, "No." And He said to them, "Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat and you will find a catch." So they cast, and then they were not able to haul it in because of the great number of fish. Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord." So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put his outer garment on (for he was stripped for work), and threw himself into the sea. But the other disciples came in the little boat, for they were not far from the land, but about one hundred yards away, dragging the net full of fish. So when they got out on the land, they saw a charcoal fire already laid and fish placed on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish which you have now caught." Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." None of the disciples ventured to question Him, "Who are You?" knowing that it was the Lord.

 Common aspects to these stories:

1. They are both stories about a fishing experience.
2. They are both stories about successful professional fisherman.
3. They are both stories about hard work and toil.
4. They are both stories about something that happened in the night season.
5. They are both stories of determination.
6. They are both stories about failure and an unsuccessful experience.
7. They are both stories about success that came after failure.
8. They are both stories about doing things without God.
9. In both stories the Lord arrives after the event.
10. They are both stories that include an instruction coming from Jesus.
11. They are both stories about a supernatural miracle.
12. They are both stories about a change of heart.
13. In both stories they recognised Jesus as God.
14. They are both stories about the presence of Jesus and the difference it made.
15. Both stories are stories in which all doubt is removed.

 Differing aspects to these stories:

1. The first story occurred before the Disciples became Disciples and the other one occurred after they had been Disciples for some time.
2. The first story occurred prior to Jesus' death and the second one occurred after His death and resurrection.
3. The first story had an unspecified great quantity of fish and the second had a specified great quantity of fish (153).
4. In the first story the nets broke and two boats were filled and almost sank, in the second story the nets were filled and they held and there was one small boat that made it to shore without problems.
5. In the one story Peter fell at His feet and asked Him to go away, in the second story Peter jumps out of the boat and swims to Jesus in an attempt to get close to Him as fast as possible.
6. In the first story we see a radical conversion and in the second story we see a radical response.
7. In the first story we see that people were amazed and in the second we see a realisation comes on the Disciples.
8. In the first story there was change in destiny (From now on you will be fishers of men) and in the second there was a change in understanding (revelation).
9. In the first story we see an instruction to be 'fishers of men' and in the second story we see an instruction to 'feed my sheep'.
10. In the first story they followed Jesus and in the second story they sat and ate with Him.

THE ARRIVAL OF JESUS WAS THE TURNING POINT IN BOTH STORIES.

- The arrival of Jesus and His presence is always the turning point in every situation.
- Here we see two similar stories with one major common thread - Jesus pitches up and everything changes.
- He is the turning point in each of our lives as Christians.
- In fact, He is the turning point of all of history as we know it.
- When He comes into our lives we call it conversion.
- The very definition of the word conversion means a process of change in which we change from our state to a completely different state.
- It is much like when ice melts and turns into something completely different, water.

2. BE AWARE OF DOING YOUR OWN THING.

- John 21:3 Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will also come with you."
- These men were discouraged and frustrated and in that moment of weakness had decided to do their own thing.
- This was not an instruction that they had received from the Lord.
- They did what they felt like doing and they ended up doing what 'seemed good unto them'.
- What God instructs and commands He blesses.
- When we do our own thing, outside of what the Lord has told us to do, we will not enjoy success in the long term.
- This is why it so important for us, as His children, to hear His voice and obey, because it is a key to the supernatural success that only God can give.
- When we follow His instructions, it is a guarantee of success.
- Not only had they not received instructions to go fishing, but they went fishing without Jesus.
- It is like being selected to run in an athletic race. In the race we are assigned a track in which to run. However if we arrive at the race and decide that we do not like the course and bring our own paint and paintbrush to paint our own track, we will be disqualified and success will not come to us.
- We need to run in alignment with His instruction and with His abiding presence.
- We need to know that 'God is in our boat'!
- Years ago we used to sing a song with the following words: "I have no power of my own..."

- Without Him in our lives, nothing is worthwhile, but with Him, everything can have meaning, purpose and effectiveness.

3. WITH THE PRESENCE OF GOD CAME THE MIRACLE.

- Jesus and His presence in any particular situation almost always leads to a miracle or many miracles.
- His presence in the life of people in the Bible often ended up in a miracle taking place.
- There is a link between where the presence of Jesus is and the occurrence of miracles.
- If the presence of Jesus is in your church, there can be miracles in your church.
- If the presence of Jesus is in your life group, there can be miracles in your life group.
- If the presence of Jesus is in your business there can be miracles in your business.
- If the presence of Jesus is in your family there can be miracles in your family.
- If the presence of Jesus is in your marriage there can be miracles in your marriage.

4. SUCCESS GOES WHERE HIS PRESENCE IS.

- Success is where Jesus is.
- The most precious words for me in both these stories comes from the second story.
- It is a moment when the Disciples suddenly realise who it is that is speaking to them.
- John 21:7 ... the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord."

- The moment we can get to that stage where we recognise the hand of God in our lives and that it is He who has given us the success, we can enjoy that success.
- The Lord gives success to those things that He is involved with.
- Years ago, I met with a lawyer. This lawyer had helped many churches and ministries get their legal affairs in order. In the process he had seen many different individuals and organisations with their struggles and successes. As we began to chat he said to me that there were two types of organisations that he had seen from his experience. He said it this way: 'There are those who put $100 in and get 5 cents out and those who put 5 cents in and get $100 out.' It was a strange illustration and I asked him to explain. He said that some of these organisations that he has helped seemed to struggle. They put in lots of effort to make it succeed, but although they had good intentions, it never seemed to really be a success. Then He said that there were others who hardly put in any effort, but every effort seemed to bring fruit and flourish. In the beginning he could not understand why. But he said that over time he began to realise that those that seemed to grow and flourish were those on whom the hand of God rested. Those that were a constant struggle, he had wondered if they were things that God had actually called for or not? As I explained to him how our little initiative had grown and almost run away with us, he said: 'You see, you put 5 cents in and you got $100 out!'

- I believe this illustration can be applied to all areas of life. It can apply if you are in the ministry, in a job or in your own business.

- When God is in it, there will be success and provision.
- The Disciples here had tried to do it alone. They put $100 in and got nothing out, except exhaustion and frustration, but when Jesus arrives on the scene and His presence was with them, success was an automatic and unearned path to success.

- At the end of the day, what is success to a fisherman? A catch of fish of course!

5. HIS PRESENCE CAN BRING BREAKTHROUGH BEYOND WHAT IS HUMANLY POSSIBLE.

- These men were professional and experienced fisherman. 

- If anyone could have brought success to fishing it would have been them.
- Professionals can usually bring the greatest opportunity for success.
- It is for this reason that when we need help in any area, we will usually seek out the help of a professional.
- If we are sick we will look for a Doctor, if we are in trouble we will look for a Lawyer, if we need advice we will seek a trained counselor.
- But human wisdom and human expertise can only take us so far.
- Sometimes even with a Doctor, or a Lawyer or a Counselor we don't find what we are looking for.
- It is then that we need to look to the Great Physician, The Advocate and the Wonderful Counselor for the breakthrough we long for.
- I have seen the presence of God at work in people's lives and produce results that years of counselling have not been able to achieve.
- I have seen the presence of God touch the lives of people and the legal challenges that they have faced have suddenly been resolved.
- I have seen the presence of God come into people's lives and they choose to forgive and their health issues get resolved.

6. GOD CAN FILL YOUR EMPTY NETS.

- God can take the very same nets that came up empty under our own initiative and fill them when we are operating under His instruction and in His presence.
- God can take what is empty and fill it up to overflowing.
- This may appear to be just a side story when seen in conjunction with the big picture of Jesus and the difference His presence made in this situation.
- But may we never lose site of the wonderful fact that because of Jesus these empty nets were filled.
- There is nothing worse for a fisherman than empty nets!
- Recently my brother went fishing with his son. They fished for 4 hours and caught nothing, not even a nibble or a bite. When he got home he called me and told me what an utter waste of time it had been. I reminded him that at least he got to spend that time with his son, doing something that his son loves to do.
- Perhaps there is an 'empty net' in your life?
- Something that you had really hoped would work, something that you put great effort and energy into and yet it never brought the reward you had hoped or seen others achieve with much less effort?
- Remember it is the Lord who fills the empty nets, if we will call on Him and follow His instructions.
- Give Him your 'empty nets' today!

7. WE CAN DO NOTHING OF LASTING VALUE WITHOUT HIS PRESENCE IN OUR LIVES.

- Nobody wants to waste their lives.
- We all want our lives to have an effect and to produce lasting, good fruit.
- We all want to leave a legacy that our children and our families can be proud of.
- We all want to be remembered for all the right reasons.
- It is for this reason that the pursuit of His presence in our lives is so vitally important.
- John 15:5 'Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in Me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing.'

- John 15:16 'You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit - fruit that will last ...'

1. 
   WE NEED HIM AND WE NEED HIS PRESENCE IN OUR LIVES.

- Quote: My later Father, Pastor Ed Roebert, said the following: 'We can do without many things, but none of us can do without Christ!'
- We recently published this quote on social media and it produced a venomous and caustic response.
- People do not want to hear this, but the Children of God know it to be true.
- Hebrews 1:3 'The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.'
- If He sustains all things, then He is the One who will sustain you and me.
- The world may think that they can sustain themselves, or that they are reliant on nothing and nobody, but they deceive themselves.
- 2 Corinthians 2:15-16 'Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume.'

- We need His sustaining presence in our lives.
- When His presence is a reality in our lives, any doubt will be removed.
- John 21:12 "Now come and have some breakfast!" Jesus said. None of the disciples dared to ask Him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord.

- Prayer: Lord, I need You in my life. I need to know and experience Your presence each and every day. May I never try to do my own things, ignoring and thinking that I can do it on my own or without You. May Your goodness and mercy follow me all the days of my life and may I dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Amen.