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Peter Letting Down His Net into the Deep

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Bible verse : Luke 5:4-5 (NIV)

『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, I will let down the nets."』

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The Sea of Galilee has many names. Depending on the region, it was also called Lake Tiberias or Lake Gennesaret. Today Jesus preached at a place called Lake Gennesaret. Many people were listening to Jesus today as well.

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While Jesus was preaching, he saw two boats anchored nearby.
The owners of the boat got off the boat and were washing their nets.
Of the two boats, Jesus approached the boat belonging to a man named Simon.

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Simon's brother Andrew was also in the boat. Jesus got into the boat.
And he said to Simon: “Please float the boat a little closer to the lake.”
Simon obeyed Jesus' words and launched the boat away from the land.

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On Simon's boat, Jesus taught about the kingdom of God to those who had gathered to hear him.
After Jesus had spoken to the people, he spoke to Simon, the owner of the boat. “Launch the boat again, go to the deep water, and lower the net to catch some fish.”

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In fact, Simon and his friends stayed up all night trying to catch fish, but they returned without catching a single fish and were washing their nets.
But now Jesus is telling them to get back into the boat and go out into the deep. Jesus made a request that may have seemed absurd to the fishermen.

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But Simon said to Jesus, “Master, we worked hard all night, but we didn’t catch a single fish. But I will let down the net as you said.”
After saying this, Simon rowed the boat out into the lake to lower the net into the deep water.

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Peter, who arrived at deep water, relied on Jesus' words and lowered his net there. The moment they lowered their nets, something amazing happened.
This is because fish have started to gather in the net.
The net became increasingly heavier.

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There were so many fish caught in the net that Simon and Andrew could not handle it, and it seemed like the net would tear. Simon called for help from another nearby boat. After hearing Simon's request, another boat also approached where Simon's boat was. This ship was the ship of James and John.

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The two boats worked together to pull up the net.
The fish in the net they pulled in was so large that it filled two boats.
There was so much fish that both boats were submerged.

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When Peter saw this scene, he suddenly fell down at Jesus’ knees and said, “Master, please leave me. “I am a sinner.” Simon realized that Jesus, who could see even into the depths of the sea, could see all the dirty sins in his heart, so he fell down before Him.

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Peter, who obeyed Jesus’ words, experienced an amazing miracle.
They had worked all night, but they had not caught a single fish, but now they caught so many fish that they were torn apart. James, John, and Andrew, who had experienced the miracles Jesus performed together, were astonished when they saw all this.

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Jesus said amazing words to Simon, who was bowing down in fear.
“Don’t be afraid. From now on you will be fishers of men.” A fisher of people means a person who evangelizes to many people.
Jesus told Simon what kind of life he would live in the future.

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Other people who witnessed Jesus’ miracles along with Simon that day also realized how great Jesus was. They brought their boat to land.
They left everything they had on the lakeside and followed Jesus.
From that time on, they decided to live as disciples of Jesus and followed Him.

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Later, the prophecy Jesus made at Lake Gennessaret came true.
After the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost, 3,000 people a day turned to God after hearing the words preached by Peter, who was Simon. Peter became a great fisherman of people as Jesus said. James, John, and Andrew also lived the lives of fishers of men.

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Just as Jesus told Simon at the lake of Gennesaret to cast his net into the deep, Jesus still preaches words that we must obey.
As you read the Bible, when Jesus gives you a command, try obeying it like Simon Peter. Just like Simon Peter, who experienced a miracle by obeying the words of Jesus and throwing his net, Jesus grants us the grace of miracles.
God, who made Simon Peter a fisher of men, bestows the same grace on obedient people of faith.

(This is the sample conclusion provided by CTM. Please feel free to change the conclusion to best suit the listeners of your sermon.)