"STOP MENDING THE NETS…GET THE BOAT BACK INTO THE WATER"

Luke 5
1And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret,
2And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.
3And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.
4Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.

THE SCRIPTURE REMINDS US IN ECCLESIASTES 3:1, THAT, “TO EVERYTHING THERE IS A SEASON, AND A TIME TO EVERY PURPOSE UNDER THE HEAVEN”.

THERE IS A SEASON, FOR MOST EVERYTHING IN THIS LIFE, AND AS MUCH AS WE WOULD PREFER TO STAY IN THE SEASON WE HAVE FOUND TO LOVE, WE KNOW, THAT EVENTUALLY, SUMMER WILL CHANGE INTO FALL.

AS JESUS WAS STANDING BY THE LAKE, BEING SURROUNDED BY THE MASSES OF PEOPLE WITH NEEDS, HE BECAME AWARE OF TWO SHIPS, THAT WERE ANCHORED BY THE SHORE, THE FISHERMAN WERE GONE OUT OF THEM, AND THEY WERE WASHING THEIR NETS.

THE MENDING & WASHING OF THE NETS WAS SOMETHING THAT HAD TO BE DONE FROM TIME TO TIME, BUT IT COULD NOT BECOME THE PRIMARY FOCUS. WHAT JESUS NOTICED, IS THAT THE SHIPS HAD BECOME IDLE.
TRAINING, EQUIPPING AND EMPOWERING ARE IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF REVIVAL, BUT IF WE NEVER GET OFF OF THE BEACH, WE WILL NEVER REACH THE POTENTIAL HARVEST THAT LAY BEFORE US.

IT IS IN THE BOAT, AND IN THE ENVIRONMENT THAT THE BOAT WAS MEANT TO BE IN, “THE DEEP” WHERE THE REAL REWARD LIES! THERE WAS NO REVENUE, NO HARVEST, NO ADDED VALUE IN BEING ANCHORED TO THE SHORE.

LEAVING THE DEEP, LEAVING THE SHIPS, SETTING UP ON SHORE, REMOVED THE FISHERMAN FROM THEIR VERY LIVELIHOOD, FROM THE VERY THING THAT SUSTAINED THEM.

WE MUST TAKE THE TIME TO REPAIR OUR BUILDINGS, UPDATE OUR DECOR , REFINE AND REVISIT OUR STRATEGIES, BUT MORE THAN ANYTHING, THE SHIP MUST REMAIN IN THE WATER! THE CHURCH CANNOT AFFORD TO HAVE IT’S “FISHERS OF MEN”, STAYING ON SHORE FOR VERY LONG, MENDING THE NETS, FOR THE HARVEST IS TRULY GREAT!

MAY WE BE EVER MINDFUL OF THE COMMAND THAT JESUS GAVE TO SIMON, IN LUKE 5:4 “…Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.”

EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE BEEN THERE BEFORE, WE MUST LAUNCH OUR SHIPS AGAIN! IN OBEDIENCE TO THE WORD OF GOD, WE BELIEVE THAT “HIS” PURPOSE WILL BE FULFILLED, AND THAT OUR NETS WILL BE FILLED!
Luke 5:6 And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes…