Caught By Surprise I Robert Madu I Social Dallas

Before we jump into today's message, we wanted to take just a moment and personally thank you for being a part of our social global family. - Yes, we are standing in the future home of social Dallas. Demolition has officially started, and every day we're getting closer to making the space a place where thousands of people will encounter Jesus for years to come. - And if these messages have encouraged you, strengthen your faith, or helped you grow in any way, would you partner with us? Your generosity helps us continue sharing messages like the one you're about to watch, and helps us build a permanent home when lives will be changed forever. - To support the Amos Home Campaign, visit socialdallas.com/give and select Amos Home in the Giving Options, or you can text the word "give" to 469-715-3755. - Whether it's a one-time gift or becoming a recurring partner, every gift makes impact, and every dollar moves dirt. - Thank you for believing in what God is doing through social Dallas. - Here's today's message. - Are you glad to be in God's house today? - Anybody's heart full of gratitude? - I'm just grateful. I've learned that God does not inhabit

the complaints of his people. He inhabits the praises of his people. And so when you come in with gratitude and say, "God, I'll throw up my hands again and again." When you speak to your soul, I'll find out, you're crazy if you don't talk to yourself. Amen. I don't let my feelings get the final say for my worship or my praise. (congregation applauding) No matter if I feel like it, I remind myself of who God is. He's worthy of my praise and my adoration. Amen. Do you like who you're worshiping next to? Okay, if you don't, you can change your seat. You can change your seat. I want more time. I just want to welcome every single person that's a part of our social global family. Social global, we love you. Come on, let us know right now in the chats. Where you watching from? And some of y'all are social global and you local. Amen. And you need to pull up, I promise. Everybody in here does not look as scary as they look. We got some friendly people in here. Never loved to say hello to you. I want to shout out to everybody watching this

on the Pando app as well. All of our brothers and sisters, we love you. Today's gonna be a good day. You picked a good day to come to church today. I'm excited, I feel like preaching now. I do have to apologize because last week, I told you that we ended our series, Trust Issues. And I thought it was done. Until I read this passage of Scripture that I said hello, I gotta extend it one more week. So is that okay? I know I said it was over last week. Surprise. This for real, for real. This is the last installment of our Trust Issues series. But before I get to our takes, come on, you know how we do. We have a Scripture that reminds us of our word of the year which is trust. Found in Hebrews chapter 10, verses 35 to 37. We read this every single Sunday. Now, you know, we have not read it in Toyota Music Factory. So come on, let's do it with uplifted, caffeinated voices. Come on, you don't go till I say. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So. Remember, patient endurance is what you need now so that you will continue to do God's will. He will receive all that he has promised. For in just a little while, the coming one will come and not delay.

Y'all sound good. Yes, sound real good. The remaining standing, our text for today is found in the Gospel according to Luke. Luke chapter number five. And I want to look at verses one through 11. The Gospel according to Luke, chapter number five will start at verse one and will land at verse 11. While you're looking for Luke, how many of you have never heard me preach before? Can I see your hand if you ain't never heard me preach before? Okay, quite a few of you, quite a few of you. Now I have to let you know, I am what they call a Hollaback preacher. Okay, all that means is for the next three hours. I'm playing, I'm playing. For the next few moments we're gonna share together. It just gets better. I promise you, it gets better. If you get verbally involved. If anything you're feeling, I'm saying, you say a man, say preach that, it'll be good. Even if you're not feeling it. If you say, man, you'll make me think it's good and it'll just get better. So don't just sit there like you in a library today. Come on, how many are alive in Christ? Luke chapter five, starting in verse number one. It says one day, as Jesus was standing

by the lake of Ghanasarith, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. He saw at the water's edge two boats left there by the fishermen who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, put out into deep water and let down the nets for a catch. Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night "and haven't caught anything but because you say so." But because you say so, I'm trying to just read, but don't push me, I'm close to the edge. 'Cause those five words right there change Peter's entire life. I believe those five words right there could change your entire life. What if you started moving on a big, 'cause you said so? I don't even know what you're saying. 'Cause you said so. I don't even feel like doing this, but because you don't even make sense on paper to me, God, but because you said so. Ooh, that's all you need right there. Because you said so, I will let down the nets. That's what he did. He let down the nets. And when they had done so,

they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. Whoa, my Lord, you're talking about a blessing that is a net-breaking boat-sinking blessing. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord, I am a sinful man." For he and all his companions were astonished about the catch of fish they had taken. And so where James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon's partners, then Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid. From now on, you will fish for people." So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him. Can you say amen? Amen. In this additional message in our trust issue series, I just want to preach from this thought caught by surprise. Caught by surprise. Now you know me, help me preach before I preach. Look at your neighbor, whichever one you like the best. You pick. Look at them right in their face. And just say, "Neighbor."

God has a way of catching you by surprise. Oh, that neighbor was a little bougie. They didn't want to talk to you. I saw it. I saw it. I can see it from here. Come on, find another neighbor. Find another neighbor. Say, "Other neighbor." I'm telling you, God will catch you by surprise. If you believe God's going to speak, would you give him the praise in advance? Come on, a real praise in this place today. God, have your way. Speak to us today. Amen. You may be seated in the presence of the Lord. Caught by surprise. Just so I know who I'm preaching to, how many of you would say just by a showing of hands, you like surprises. Can I see your hand? Come on, you like surprise. Look at all those hands. Come on, you love a surprise party. You love a surprise gift. You love a surprise trip. You love surprises. That's amazing. Come on, how many of you say by a showing of hands?

You don't like surprises. Let me see your hand. Come on. Oh, yes. Look at that. See, y'all are my people right there. I have found my people. Notice, I asked y'all second. Because I don't want you to be surprised. I asked y'all second because I am with you. I don't like surprises. Let me put it on record. Do not surprise your pastor. I don't like surprises. I don't, I don't. I'll take it back. I like surprises. You can surprise me. Just tell me. Tell me before you surprise me, I need a little preparation before the surprise. I've always been that way. I don't like surprises. And some of y'all like PR, that defeats the whole purpose of the surprise. And I don't care. I think you ought to tell me just something. You know, give me a little bit. Just some type of warning, like, "Hey, real quick, this Saturday,

you might want to wear a suit and feel like talking to people." "Hey, I'm weak." Just something that lets me know that the surprise is coming. In fact, PT is here on the front row. She knows this about her man. I don't like surprises. My staff knows this. Do not surprise me. I think goes back to a moment. My 30th birthday, she got me good. She got me real good. I'll never forget it. My 30th birthday, she said, "What do you want for your birthday?" I said, "Well, if you want to surprise me, Denzel Washington is gonna be on Broadway raising him in the sun." I'm, you can surprise me with that. I already got the tickets in my card. If you want to just click purchase, just surprise me with that." And she's like, "You are ridiculous." So she bought the tickets. So I thought we were done. I thought we were good. All of a sudden one day, we're chillaxing in the house. And she just calmly and casually goes,

"You want to go to the mall?" I'm like, "Yeah, let's do it." I said, "Well, let me get dressed." She's like, "No, just come like that." Y'all, I had gym shorts on. I'm like, "We just going to the mall." So we go to the mall and we're all walking around. And then she just casually says, "You want to get something to eat?" I'm like, "Yeah, I can get some to eat." And so we go to Magiano's in the mall. And we're there and the hostel says, "Oh yeah, we have a table for you. Come upstairs." I should have known when she said, "Come upstairs." That's something was up. And y'all, we walk upstairs. I'm just chilling. And we go around the corner into the room. And all of a sudden I hear 40 of my closest friends and family, surprise! I said, "Aah!" "What, what, what, what, what did it you tell me?" Oh, I'm telling you, I didn't like it. I did not like it. Do you know how embarrassing it is to show up to your party and everybody else is dressed better than you? I had gym shorts on. She got me good. And that just let me know.

There are some surprises. You should give somebody a heads up. There are some surprises. You ought to disclose just a little bit of information. If you don't believe me, let me help somebody in here today. Anybody in here, you're dating. You're dating. You're dating. You're dating right now. You're dating somebody. Whoa, let me help you, sir. Listen to me. If you are going to surprise her with the proposal after you get the ring, do not just propose. You better check her nails. So, sir, y'all gonna leave me out here. You better, if she is in between nail appointments, do not propose. I'm sure she might say no. Do not surprise her. Make sure those nails are done. She has to be prepared. I don't care how big the carrot is. If them cuticles are crusty, she is not going to post it. You better prepare her. You better say, hey, get your nails done this week before you surprise her because some surprises you need to be prepared for. Social fam, I think surprise is a fascinating emotion. It is an intriguing emotion.

I'm intrigued with the physiology of it. Think about the last time you're surprised. Almost every person that gets surprised has the same facial reaction. Your eyebrows get lifted, your eyes open up, your mouth almost hits the floor. That is the physiology of being surprised. Being surprised is interesting. Not just the physiology of it, but if you think about it, it is one of the briefest emotions that you will ever experience. It's one of the briefest. Come on, you could be mad for months. Some of y'all still big mad about something that happened last month. You can be sad or depressed for several weeks, but you can't be surprised for a long time. Nobody walks around a perpetual state of surprise. (audience laughing) If they look like that, that's the Botox. It's just a brief emotion. And don't miss it, here is the function of surprise. The function of a surprise is the first, get your attention so then your brain can process what has happened. That is the function of a surprise. It's the first, get your attention so then your brain can process, wait, what is happening?

That's why I believe that when God wants to do something in your life significant, guess what he will do? He will surprise you. Why? Because he is committed to getting your attention. God wants your attention. And if a surprise gets your attention first, so then you can process what happens. God wants to get your attention because he knows if he can get your attention, he can shift the direction of your life. He wants your attention. That's why some of you gotta get off a TikTok and get off a Instagram and stop scrolling 'cause you are scrolling past moments where God is trying to get your attention and if he can just get your attention, he can change the direction of your life. He wants your attention. If he can get your attention, everything in your life could change. That's why he is the God of surprise. Yes, yes, yes. He's not Jehovah Sitkinu. He's not just Jehovah Sitkinu. He's also Jehovah Surprised in you. Yeah, 'cause he's always just surprising you. Have you ever experienced that where you thought life was going one way and all of a sudden surprise

is going a completely different way? Come on, you ever had a door that was closed to you? That's over, boom, surprise. And God opens that door. Come on, you ever had a door that was open? And you thought it was gonna be open forever. Surprise! And God slams that door shut, puts a dead bolt on it, and says that is over. Stop texting them, stop calling them. That season is over in your surprise, surprise, surprise. In fact, if you look at your Bible, especially in the New Testament, I think the moment Jesus landed on earth, all he was doing was throwing surprise parties. Yeah, that's what Jesus does. He's surprised. From the moment he arrived, I'm talking about at Christmas. Surprise! Come on, think about Mary. Can you see Mary? Mary, talking to one of her girlfriends saying, "Girl, I cannot wait for this wedding with Joseph." It's just gonna be a calm wedding. I don't think I'm gonna have a lot of drama. It's just gonna be very chill. It's just gonna be a very calm season of my life. Surprise! Here comes an angel Gabriel. You are about to give birth to the son of the living God.

You found favor. All of a sudden surprise. Her life is turned upside down. What about that couple that had a wedding one day? And they ran out of wine because the caterer didn't plan well. And all of a sudden they're about to be embarrassed, but they did something good. They invited Jesus to the party. And when they ran out of wine, look at your God. He says, "Hey, hey, feel those jars up with water. I'm about to show them the power that I have." And Jesus turns water into wine and kept the party going, surprise, surprise, surprise. Your God is a God of surprise. What about the three disciples? Peter, James, and John. You remember when Jesus took them up a mountain for a prayer meeting? Come on, they thought they were just going for a regular little prayer meeting. All of a sudden in the middle of the night with them praying they look at Jesus. And his clothes start turning so white and bright. He starts glowing in the dark. He's never done this before. And right when you thought that was just enough, all of a sudden Moses and Elijah show up. People who they thought were dead just show up on a mountain with Jesus.

Y'all sitting up there like that's a normal. Can you imagine? Imagine I was just up here. And I was like, I just started glowing in the dark and you never saw me to glow before. And then people you thought were dead, Tupac and Biggie. Just show up, surprise, surprise. This is what the disciples had to go to. He was always throwing the surprise, but can I tell you my favorite surprise on a Friday night on a hill called Calvary after they hung him high and they stretched him wide and he hung his head and he died. How you know everybody that loved him thought, oh my goodness, we've lost him, it is over with. And then all of his haters started celebrating, saying finally we are done with this Jesus. We are sick of him. And all of a sudden on that Friday night, three days later on Sunday morning, surprise, surprise. Here comes your God coming up out of the grave with all resurrection and power. Don't you just save that shout for Easter? Is anybody thankful today that your God is the resurrection and the life you thought it was over? But surprise, somebody just shout surprise. I feel like preaching it here today. Death, where is your stay? Grave, where is your victory? Surprise.

Ooh, look at the disciples even after the resurrection. In a house, locked door, scared to death that the same people that killed Jesus is gonna kill them. Can you see him? Yes, the door locked. Yes, okay, we good, we safe. And your God who has now been resurrected from the dead, watch this, walks through the wall. Talk about, hey, surprise, touch my hands, touch my feet. No, I'm real, surprise. Ooh, you know your God will do that. Right after you've locked the door and put up so many walls, look at your God, come right through that wall and say I wanna meet with you. I think he's doing it for somebody today. Yeah, I've seen him do it in church. People will walk in with walls up, with walls up to my own. I just came here because somebody invited me. I don't even wanna be here. I can see the walls, I got God. I ain't expecting to meet with you. And all of a sudden here comes Jesus doing it again. Surprise, about the end of the service. Your bottom lip is quivering. All your Mary Kay and Mac makeup is jacked up. 'Cause you didn't plan to have an encounter with Jesus, but he had a plan to have an encounter with you. Surprise, surprise. He's a God of surprise.

I'm not just surprised by what Jesus did. I'm also surprised, hear me, by who Jesus picked. Have you ever noticed who God picks? God picks some interesting people to use for his purpose. I am surprised by who your God picks. Matter of fact, those you know, Takers, I would write this down. God's picks don't always make sense. That's the first principle I want you to get in this text today. That God's picks don't always make sense. He will pick the least. he will pick the rejected, he will pick people that you will go. They don't even have the gift set to do that. He'll pick a stuttering Moses and say, "I want you to go speak for me." He will pick a David who everybody around him didn't even think he was worth coming when the king came into town to anoint the next king. And I love God. He says, "Nah, I got a man after my own heart." He will pick the least likely God's picks. Don't always make sense. Come on, can anybody testify? Can we be real today? Have you ever seen somebody that God picked and just thought to yourself? Like for real God, that's who you want to use of all the people? You want to use them? Have you ever done that? Come on, I'll be honest, I have. I did it this morning. In the mirror, amen. Looking at myself, God, God, are you sure? Why in the world would you pick me? I could give you so many people who could be a better pastor, who could be a better leader. God, why in the world would you pick me? This is my question. When I get to heaven, I want to ask God of all the people that you could have picked. Why would you pick me? Your picks don't make sense. I know my issues. I know my frailties. I know my insecurities. God, why would you pick me? And your God stands by who he picks. He said, I'm picking you whether you like it or not, because it's not just you. It's what I'm going to do through you. And when I use you, you can stand up and say, it was not by my, it was not by my power. It was by the spirit of the Lord that happened. Oh, don't you act bougie. It was not your intellect. It was not your gifting. It was not how many connections you had. It was just a hand of God. His picks. His picks don't make sense. Come on, this cowboy season. God's going to do it. Don't you, that dog, you better touch and agree. Come on.

Defeat every giant from New York today and Jesus. But it's funny. I love draft season. I love draft season because whenever it's draft season, they start picking teams, start picking. And I watch all these people in suits doing commentary over who got picked. Hours of it. Well, I don't know why they picked him. They should have picked him. Why did they pick him? And we're going to see. I don't know. He did this in college. Oh, this commentary over who they picked. But you know what I've noticed? Never in the history of sports have I ever seen somebody who picked somebody to be on their team. And then the next day, because the commentator said something, they called the person back and said, hey, I'm so sorry. I know we had the amazing draft and we had the moment your family was there. We want to take back our offer because we heard what Stephen A said about you. So we're going to change. I've never seen that happen. And I say that for somebody who's dealing with the whispers of other people who don't think you are qualified to be picked. Maybe it's your own whisper. Can I give you something? You ought to just tell people, I know it doesn't make sense, but I'm still picked. I know it doesn't make sense, but God still chose me. Is anybody thankful today? Come on, you didn't choose him. He chose you. That's good news. And in my text today, Jesus is picking his team. Don't get into it. So this is Luke chapter 5. Jesus is getting ready to start the greatest rescue mission that the world has ever seen. And what does he do? He starts picking his crew. Think about that. Jesus, who is fully God and fully man, is on earth. And he even knows that he needs a team. If I'm the son of God, I am picking no disciples. I am rolling solo. But not your God. He knows I cannot do this by myself. I need somebody to roll with me. And he's picking his team. And you would think that he would go to the upper echelon of the most prestigious theological university and go to a seminary or go to the Sanhedrin. He doesn't go to any of those places. He goes down to the water. Goes to the water and goes to the shore and the moment he gets there, perhaps thousands of people show up. He had that effect on people. Thousands of people. Look, the Bible says, don't miss it. There were so many people. They have now pushed Jesus to the edge of the shore because the amount of people have taken up the whole landmass that Jesus is literally on the edge of the shore. And he's looking at thousands of people. But I love them because he doesn't just see the thousands. He also sees the few. He also sees the one. So while the thousands are there, out his peripheral, he sees some fishermen. I love that about God. He sees these fishermen. And guess what these fishermen are doing? These fishermen. You didn't know that was there, did you? These fishermen are standing to the side.

Why everybody else is looking at Jesus and they ain't looking at him. These fishermen are washing their nets. They're washing their nets. No doubt with the attitude. Because they're not counting fish. They're washing nets. Do you know what you're doing when you're washing nets and you're not counting fish? You officially saying, I'm done. I'm over it. I fished all night. I gave it everything I got and I ain't got nothing to show for it. Now it's morning, I'm tired. I stayed up all night. Let me go ahead and wash these nets. Come on, I gotta bring you into the text. Do you know what it would have been like to fish all night and not catch? Nothing. Not an emo. Nothing at all night. I'm talking about all night. Here they are. ♪ Row, row, row your boat ♪ ♪ On the sea of Galilee ♪ Throw the net. Bring it back. ♪ Ain't no fish for me. ♪ Okay, it's only midnight, let's keep going.

Come on. ♪ Row, row, row your boat ♪ ♪ Sea of Galilee ♪ Throw the net. Bring it back. ♪ Still no fish for me ♪ Three in the morning. ♪ Row, row, row your boat ♪ ♪ Sea of Galilee ♪ Throw the net. Front row is scared. (audience laughing) I practice. Bring it back. ♪ Still no fish for me ♪ I'm being funny, but I'm wondering if there's anybody in here that knows what it's like to go through what I call a "nothing but net" season. Nothing but net. You know you're in a "nothing but net" season when you have expended so much energy and so much time and so much effort and you have absolutely nothing to show for it. It is a "nothing but net" season. Now I know that's about, we love nothing but net. Come on, when you pull a Steph Curry, you just shoot it, don't even wait for it to fall. You just walk away. I'm not talking about that nothing but net. I'm talking about when you have been working

and expending all the energy that you got and nothing has happened at all. See, some of y'all can't be honest in church today. See, sometimes when you're going through a "nothing but net" season, you don't even want to be honest to the fact that it's hard for you to lift up your hands and say, "I praise you again and again," 'cause you are so frustrated that you have given everything that you got and you got nothing to show for it. Pray nothing but net. Believed nothing but net. Started the business. Nothing but net. Went through the relationship. Nothing but, no, I'm not going to say nothing. You ever want to send your ex a invoice for the hours you wasted being with him because you look back and you say it was nothing but net. And here's the feeling of nothing but net. Here's the feeling, it's frustration, it's frustrating. Nothing but net is a nightmare to give energy and effort and have nothing to show for it. It's a feeling of frustration. But here's what I want you to get. It doesn't make sense who God picks but I want you to get this. Hear me, frustration can be a gift. Frustration can be a gift. I know it's hard to say amen to that right there.

But every once in a while, you have to thank God for the frustration in your life 'cause I have found out that frustration can be a gift. Notice my language can be a gift. Let's get a mature theology of frustration. Not all frustration is a gift. Some frustration was your decision. Tell the truth and shame the devil. Church people love the shout. Ooh, this setback is just a setup for God to do something. Sometimes, not all the times, sometimes it's setback, it was your decision. Sometimes it wasn't the devil, it was your decision. Sometimes it failed not because there's an attack. It's 'cause you had a bad business plan. Your credit score is trash, amen. Sometimes it's just a bad plan but some frustration can be a gift, why? Because some frustration is an invitation that God is bringing you into a new season. Sometimes there's a reason it's not working 'cause God is trying to let you know your season of catching fish has ended. I'm shifting you to another season where you are going to fish for people. Oh, does anybody know what it's like to have a season come to an end? And it's simply because God is shifting you to another season. I can testify, I remember traveling for 16 years and preaching at different churches.

And all of a sudden, I could tell the season was shifting. God will often allow you to go through frustration because the frustration is an invitation to the next season. There's a reason it's not working. How many of you know if it was working, you would have kept doing it. And so sometimes God has to allow something to not work. So you can look at something you would have never looked at if it was working. You would have never been open to this new job if they'd been fire you from the other job. You wouldn't have been open to another relationship if that other one stopped working. I am convinced that the sovereign God of the universe made sure no fish got in Peter's boat that night because it was a divine setup for the next morning. Are y'all recording this? I'm gonna watch you later, it's blessing me. You understand, if Peter catches fish that night, he's not positioned for the miracle in the morning. The only reason I believe he is positioned for Jesus to come sit in his boat is 'cause there's no fish in his boat. If there was fish in his boat, there wouldn't be no space for Jesus. So you're defining the boat as something that's terrible as an empty season, but God says no, I've defined it as space for me to do the thing that I always had a plan to do in your life. Lift up your hand, that season is creating space

for God to do something. Somebody give him some praise in this place. Don't miss it if there's fish in the boat. Here's my question, where Jesus is gonna sit. Where does Jesus sit if there's fish in the boat? You understand what happened in the text? There's no fish in the boat and Jesus goes straight to Peter's boat, thousands of people are watching and he goes down and just sits in Peter's boat. Doesn't ask permission, doesn't even introduce himself. Say hello, Ola, I'm Yeshua. None of that. Just sits in Peter's boat, the nerve, the audacity. How many of you in that situation would you let Jesus sit in your boat? Would you let him? Stop lying 'cause he's doing it in your life right now. Surprise. He is coming to a specific area of your life right now and some of us are looking at him like, "Uh, excuse me, I didn't invite you. "But why are you sitting here?" Thank God Peter didn't do that. The first step in the miracle was him being comfortable with God just sitting in his boat. It leads me to the next question I have for you. Can God use your boat? Can God use your boat? I see the boat hear me as the thing that you own that God wants to use to get glory out of.

Understand Jesus doesn't have a pulpit, so he turns Peter's boat into a pulpit. That's why I'm convinced God doesn't mind you having stuff. The question is, does the stuff have you? And can he have it? 'Cause I believe that anything you surrender to God, he will use as a pulpit to reach to somebody else. Here's my question, I want you to think about it. Can God use your boat? Can he use your platform? Can God use your business? Are you just trying to make some paper? Can he use your house? Why would he give you a house? You don't even invite anybody over in your apartment. And you don't clean it. Can I be this real today? Why would he give it, can he use it? Can God use your car? That's your boat. It's whatever you have under your authority. Can he use it? Can God use your Instagram account? Can he use your TikTok account for his glory? Or are we gonna get his duck face? In a body part. Can he use it? I'm tell, he can get glory out of whatever you will give him if you'll just surrender to it. He turned Peter's boat into a pulpit.

Who knew that boats make great pulpit? God did. Turns the boat into a pulpit and gets ready to start preaching from it. But look at what he does next. He tells Peter, this is the first command he gives Peter. First interaction with his soon-to-be disciple. Look at what he says to him. He says, hey. Can you push out a little bit from the shore? Just push out a little bit. Ooh, I wish I had time. Are y'all bored? Okay, because I love what Jesus is doing here again. When he tells Peter to push out just a little bit from the shore, what he's essentially doing first is he's doing a mic check. He's setting up his acoustics for him to speak. I've been to Israel. I've seen this place. I've seen, this is the Sea of Galilee. And notice the topography of the land. that where Jesus was on the boat, if he just pushed a little bit from the shore, how do you know that his voice would hit the waves and the water around him and would carry to the thousands of people that were there? So before there was a microphone or a PA system, look at your God who says,

I'm gonna let my voice hit the water and let the sound waves hit the people that need to hear this. You know you bad to the bone. When you're using the same water that you spoke into existence before the mechanic, look at your God. You know he didn't even have to let them hear them because the Bible says that Jesus was the word made flesh. So he really didn't even have to preach a sermon. He could have just sat there on the boat and just stared at him. And he still would have been preaching because he was the word made flesh. Just him being there was a sermon. (audience applauding) So essentially he setting up his acoustics doing a sound check, just push a little bit from the shore and look at Peter, he obeys. First commandment of God, push a little bit from the shore, he obeys. I say that because he's showing us that he is so kind to baby step you into trust. Later he's gonna tell him to launch out into the deep. But before we go deep, can you just push out a little bit? Just push out a little bit. This is how God baby steps you into trust. Some of you are new to faith

and you try to like be deep and memorize Leviticus and use all kind of Christian needs. You ain't gonna do that yet. Just push out a little bit. What does that mean for you? Maybe it's just coming to church regularly. That's pushing out a little bit. Oh, can I say it? It can't no mind, I bet it. It's not in my nose. Maybe pushing out a little bit is coming to church on time. Y'all know we have like a whole worship thing before you walk in. Maybe that's pushing out a little bit to say God I show up on time to everybody else's concert. Oh girl, you know the line gonna be long. Let's get to early. But church. Ah, whatever. Push out a little bit. Push out a little bit. Just a little bit. Maybe for you, push out a little bit is in worship just like lifting your hands. Lift in your hands. Maybe you started here. Just go to here next week. Who knows what God will do? You might be doing laps the next week after that,

but just look at me and say just a little bit. Look at your neighbor, say just a little bit. Yeah, maybe that's a step. When the preacher says say something to your neighbor. Say it. Try your name. God says, I wanna see, can I trust you? Could you just a little bit before I tell you to go deep? Peter pushes out just a little bit. Jesus starts preaching to him. Look at your savior, preaching. This is where I get mad at Dr. Luke. How come you didn't tell us what he preached? Come on, don't you wish you could have had that recorded? 'Cause he's got a captive audience. He's got a captive audience for the crowd. And he's got a captive audience with Peter. He's in his boat, where you gonna go? He's caught him. He's got a captive audience here and a captive audience there. And the Bible doesn't tell us what he preached. Maybe the message was like failure in final. Maybe the message was like, I know you feel washed up. (congregation laughing) But God's gonna do something awesome in your life. Don't start playing right yet. Whatever it was, I think it got Peter. I think it got him good.

'Cause he finishes the message. And now Jesus goes from the crowd to Peter. What does he tell him? Push out to the deep water and throw out your net. What? Push out to the deep and let down your net. You don't have a reaction to that 'cause you're not a fisherman. But you understand that Jesus is asking him to do something that is completely opposite and antithetical to everything he knows. Come on, if there's anything that Peter knows, he knows fishing. Come on, he didn't just start this fishing business. He understands fishing. He understands the timing of it. This is not his first rodeo. He knows fishing. I'm gonna be honest. Sometimes I'm sarcastic and I gotta attitude. So that's me. I wanna say, hold on, Jesus, you're a carpenter. Stay in your lane. I'm a fisherman. I understand fishing. Why in the world would Jesus tell him what to go out into the deep and let out your net? Do you realize this is the complete opposite of how he knew how to fish? Everybody in that time period knew

that you fish that night. And when you fish that night, you don't go to the deep end, you fish in the shallow end. So everybody knows that the current system of fishing is fish at night and keep it shallow. Fish at night and keep it shallow. And Jesus is flipping the script and say, I know you're used to being in darkness and staying in shallow water, but I wanna introduce you to something else. I want you to fish in the light. And I want you to come and go deep. I wish you could hear me today. I'm losing my glasses, I'm preaching so good. In that what God does with us, He takes you from a life of darkness in the shallow water to living in the light, going into deeper things with Him. That's the power of what our God can do. He'll take you from darkness to light, from shallow to deep. Whoo! Has it ever happened to you? You ever lived a life stuck in the darkness used to shallow conversations and had God turn your life around? Now you love the light and you're trying to go deeper. You ever tried to hang out with some friends you used to hang out with and go, what's changed?

How come that joke ain't funny no more? It's because you changed. It's 'cause He took you from shallow and dark to light and deep. He says, go to the light and go into the deep water and I love the honesty of Peter. Oh, I wish church people would get his honesty. Look at what he says, he doesn't say, "Of course, mighty God, everlasting Father, "I shall do without His commandments to me to do." No, look at what he says. He essentially says, "Brah, "be fished all night and we didn't catch anything. "I tracked that, but because you say so, "we fished all night." In other words, I have an understanding of how to fish and it didn't work. Can I tell you something? Many of you are waiting for clarity to trust God. And if you're waiting for clarity to trust God, you will never step into what He has for you. The Bible says this in Proverbs chapter three, says, "Trust in the Lord with what? "All your heart, lean not on your own understanding, "but in all your ways acknowledge Him "and He will make your path straight." In other words, God is cool but you have an understanding of how to fish. Just don't lean on that understanding because He might change the direction

and tell you to do something that makes no sense in the natural and here's where your trust meets the road. Are you gonna trust your understanding or are you gonna trust the Word of God? And some of you are clinging on to clarity. So you can't grab ahold of trust. I don't give the first service this, I'll give you this. I'll never forget hearing the story of a man by the name of John Kavanaugh. He traveled all the way to Calcutta, India because he was searching for his purpose. He knew God had more for him. He meets Mother Teresa in Calcutta, India. And he goes up to her and says, "Mother Teresa, "I need you to pray for me." She says, "What do you want me to pray for?" He says, "Pray for clarity." Mother Teresa looked at him and said, "I'm not gonna pray for that." He was like, "What?" He said, "I've looked at your life." And it seems like you've always had clarity to do what God has called you to do. And Mother Teresa says, "No, I've never had clarity. "I've always had trust in God." She said, "I'm not gonna pray for clarity "because clarity is the thing that you are holding on to "that you need to let go of. "I'm gonna pray that you will trust God." Shout out to Peter that when clarity says

it doesn't make sense to throw out my net in the deep. It doesn't make sense to go out in the deep. It doesn't make sense to fish in daylight. Shout out to Peter who says, "But because you said so." Are there any but because you said so, people? Who said, "God, I don't understand this, "but I'm gonna trust your word. "Sometimes the only thing that you have is the word of God, "and I gotta trust his word." So because you said so, I'm gonna throw my net out. Is there anybody in here that's ever moved just on the word from God? I don't got clarity for how it's gonna turn out, but I'm just gonna trust your word. (audience applauds) And when he trusted his word, look at what happened. Ooh, I can see him going, this ain't gonna work. This is so stupid. This is so dumb, until. (grunts) Hey, y'all come help. And all of a sudden, he has so many fish. Hold on, the same water, the water didn't change. Now, all of a sudden, by the Word of God, you got more fish than you know what to do with. Y'all, that's the power of trusting in God. Trusting in God, you can do more with the Word from God than hustling can ever do. You can do more with the Word from God than your effort could ever do.

I'm gonna trust this Word. I gotta hurry, y'all trying to go eat lunch. He brings in a boatload of fish. Nets breaking, boat sinking. Question, what would be your reaction to this blessing? Come on, this you, what you gonna do when you got all these fish, what you gonna do? I know what I would do. It's praise, break time. I've been waiting for this catch my whole life. I'm getting a ham and B3 organ, and I'm having church, don't, don't, don't, don't. Don't fry in the kitchen, I don't know what I'm gonna say. I'm gonna say something. That is not Peter's reaction, y'all. We read it, brings all these fish in, and look at what Peter says, y'all, this is weird. Boatload of fish. You would think he would go, thank you, Jesus. You think he would go, yo, can you come next Tuesday? Let's do this again. Come on, we can partner, you know where the fish are, I'll pull them in, you just point them out. You didn't do that, look at what he says. Depart from me, Lord. Depart from me, I am a sinful man. Peter, why are you talking about sin? Nobody said anything about your past? Nobody said anything about your inadequacies? I think Peter got a revelation that if this savior

can see into the depths of the sea, he can see into the depths of me. And if he can see what's on the inside of me, he would do what everybody else does, he would want to run. So let me beat you to the punch, depart from me, Lord, 'cause I know you can see all of my frailties and all my weaknesses, and somebody feels that way today. You think that because God knows everything about you, he's gonna run from you, but cannot tell you some good news today, is there anybody that's thankful that God knows everything about you, and yet he still loves you, he still calls you into a plan, he still calls you into his purpose. Peter, I'm not going anywhere. In fact, I'm gonna give you a word, don't be afraid. From this moment on, you are no longer fishing for fish. I'm gonna use you to fish for people. I'm not to reverse your purpose. I know you're used to fishing for fish. I'm gonna use you to fish for people. Is there anybody thankful that God can use the very thing that you're used to be ashamed of? And he says, I'll use it for my glory. I'll use it, stop trying to hide it, he wants to use it. Peter says the part for me, he says, don't be afraid. You're now gonna fish for people. And he left all those fish behind. He said, I'll follow you wherever you lead. That should have been the end of my sermon.

In fact, it almost is. Don't leave, but just, can you stand to your feet? If you leave now, you're gonna miss the surprise. This is Luke chapter five. This is the first time we see Peter fishing. It's the first time, but I found another place where we see Peter fishing. This is after Jesus has been crucified. This is after he has denied him not one time, not two times, but three times. And watch this, after he said he wouldn't. Don't act like you ain't ever been there. I'm gonna promise you the last time. I never go too late again, Lord, 'cause you can be out of this, I promise. Okay. He's already messed up. He feels like a failure. He feels like a failure. And when you feel like a failure, you start going back to what's familiar. So he goes fishing again. But I want you to see what happens when he goes fishing. John chapter 21, this is after he's walked with him. After he's denied him. After Jesus has been crucified and resurrected, it says early in the morning Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them, friends, have you any fish?

No, weird stranger on the shore of Miami business. That's what they answered. He said, throw your net on the right side of the boat. Now, hold on. Peter was used to fishing in the shallow. Now he's saying, "Throw out on the..." Which one is it? What do you do? Do you fish in the shallow? Do you fish in the deep? Or do you throw it on the right side? How many of you know? It's never been about the location. It's always been about his word. That's the cheat code. The cheat code is not trying to figure out which one it is. The cheat code is whatever you tell me to do, that's what I'm going to do. 'Cause I just know the fish. You're the one that created the fish. I just get on top of the water and you're the one that spoke the water into existence. I've got to trust your word. He says, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat." And you will find some. When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved, that's John, said to Peter, "It's the Lord."

Only one person could get us a catch like this. It's the Lord and look at Peter. It says, "As soon as Simon Peter heard him say it, it is the Lord." He wrapped his outer garment around him for he had taken it off and jumped straight into the water. Hold on, the first time we see Peter and he gets a whole bunch of fish, he says, "Jesus, depart from me. 'Cause I don't want you to see what's in me." Now three years later, he gets another catch of fish and he says, "Wait a minute, this is not a sign to run from the Lord. This is a sign to come closer to him. I got to jump in the water because, just because he sees me doesn't mean he doesn't want me to go away. He wants me to come in close. Ooh, you know you're growing. When even after you mess up, you run to him and not from him. Even after you've fallen down, you run to his presence, not away from his presence. And look at him, on the seashore with Jesus and Jesus is cooking some fish for him, saying, "Peter, I still love you. Feed my sheep, feed your sheep." Yeah, in essence he tells him this, "I caught you that day. It wasn't about your boat.

It wasn't about the fish, it was always about you. I caught you because I know on the day of Pentecost you're gonna catch about 3,000 people when you stand up and preach and you won't be preaching from a place of perfection. You'll be preaching from somebody that knows what it's like to fall down, but get back up again." Ooh, what you saying, Peter? That caught people. Catch people. Caught people, catch people. Perhaps the very reason God caught you is because he knows it's always been bigger than you. There's somebody that needs your testimony, there's somebody that needs your story because caught people, catch people. But it starts with forsaking what you understand and saying, "I'm gonna let you catch me by surprise." It don't make sense to throw this net out. It don't even make sense to let you just sit in my boat, but because you said so, I trust you. I'm gonna ask every head bebound and I'll be close today. Father, thank you for your word. God, I know that you are catching somebody by surprise today. God, I'm praying for the person that feels just like Peter felt that day. They're in a nothing but net season.

Nothing's working. And God, they're so tired. Lord, I pray today that that frustration would be an invitation to obey your word. I pray that that frustration would be an invitation for them to draw closer to you. Father, I'm praying for the person who is stuck because they're waiting on clarity. Clarity that's not going to come. Father, don't let us be so caught up clinging to clarity that we never take hold of trust. That's why I'm praying today that you would give us the grace to trust you more and more, even when we don't understand it. We're not leaning on our own understanding. We're trusting you, knowing you're gonna make our past straight. Do it for my brother. Do it for my sister today. Would you just honor this moment with heads bound and eyes closed? I need to know who I came for today. If you're here today and you'd be so honest to say, "Hey, PR, I'm in a wash in my net season." I feel like I'm getting nothing but net. There's so much frustration. [MUSIC PLAYING] I love that Peter was able to express how he felt. I don't have to feel obedience to be obedient. He's a master. We already tried it. But because you said so, I'm going to do it. So heads bowed and eyes closed today. If you be so honest, you know, there's an area in your

life where you need to step into because he said so. I don't know what it is, but I believe as I'm speaking today, the Holy Spirit is speaking to hearts saying that's the area. That's the thing you need to let go of. If that's you, would you just lift up your hand today as a sign to say, Lord, I hear you. And because you said so, I'm going to do it. Because you said so. It's going to hurt to cut off that relationship. But because you said so, I'm going to do it. Lord, it's scary to trust you with my finances. I know you're speaking to me, but God, I've never done this before. But because you said so. God, I don't want to forgive them. They hurt me and they know what they did. But because you said so, I'm going to forgive. I'm tired of bitterness taking my life away because you said so. Thank you, God. Anybody else? Lift it up and put it right back down. Thank you, Jesus. Head still bowed. I'll still close. If you're here today and you've never taken the first step, which is to give Jesus your life, hear me. I would rather have Jesus in my boat and nothing in it than to have a boat full of fish. Peter didn't even know the whole night was a setup for what he was about to do in the morning. And some of you, God, has set you up for this moment. You say it all the time here at social, you can always come home. You're here today and you've never taken the first step. Today, that's your little bit. It's just saying, God, I'm giving you my life. I don't care if it's one person. You're worth it. Peter changed so many lives. There's a woman in Samaria. God caught her one day and she caught the whole town. If it's one person, you're worth it. To say, today's the day I'm giving him my life. I'm tired of running. If that's you, would you lift up your hand high enough and long enough to where I could see it today? Thank you, Jesus. Yes, I see that hand. I see that hand. Somebody watching this online right now. There's a reason you haven't turned this off. God is speaking to you. There's a reason you're watching this on YouTube right now. God is catching you. He's trying to get your attention. He's catching you by surprise. Anybody else? Just lift it up. Thank you, God. I want to lead us in this prayer. We're all going to say it, but especially those of you who lifted up your hand that second time saying, I need to give Jesus my life today. As a matter of fact, just so we can stand in unity with Him, can we all just lift up our hands all over this place today? I love it. This is the international sign of just surrender. Says, God, I'm giving it up. I'm giving up my understanding and what I think. I'll surrender to you. Would you repeat this prayer after me? We're all going to say it, but especially those of you who responded. Would you say, Jesus? My hands are lifted

because I surrender. You've caught me and I'm tired of fighting you. So, Lord, today, I give you everything. Lord, thank you that you can see me. You see Him to the depths of me and you still love me and you still called me for your purpose. So, Lord, today, I invite you into my life. Jesus, I believe that you are the Son of God. I believe you live the life that I was supposed to live and you died the death that I was supposed to die. You took my place. So, my response is to give you everything. From this moment on, I'm following you in Jesus' name. A man, a man, a man, a man, a man. And come on, somebody give King Jesus just the greatest handclap of praise that you got. Oh, come on, you can do better than that. Would you give Jesus the best praise that you got in this place today? Come on, angels in heaven are rejoicing right now. I think we ought to do the same thing. Thank you, Jesus. I want to do one more thing. Please, don't leave. Come on. That's your little bit. Don't leave. Don't miss this missile. Pastor Josh, join me. Those of you that just lifted up your hand and pray. The first thing I wanna say to you is welcome to the family. Welcome to the family. Welcome to the family.