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LWC SERMON GUIDE

BECAUSE YOU SAY SO!

Living Waters Church, Gibraltar | Sunday 8 November 2026

The Big Idea: When Jesus is Lord, His word carries greater authority than our experience, circumstances or limitations. And when we respond to His word, we discover that His purposes are infinitely greater than the outcomes we were seeking.

Scriptures to Read and Ponder

Luke 5:1–11 — The miraculous catch of fish and the calling of Simon Peter. Our main preaching passage.
Luke 5:5 — The heart of the message: Simon's decision to obey Jesus despite everything his experience was telling him.
2 Corinthians 12:9 — God's grace is sufficient, and His power is made perfect in weakness.

Key verse — Luke 5:5 (NIV)

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.”

Sermon Recap

1. When Your Feelings Tell You One Thing, but the Instruments Tell You Another

Imagine a pilot flying through thick clouds, unable to see the ground or the horizon.

Under certain conditions, pilots can experience spatial disorientation. Their senses may convince them that the aircraft is flying correctly, even when it is descending dangerously.

The pilot must make a decision: trust what feels right, or trust the instruments.

Our spiritual lives can sometimes be like that.

We can be completely sincere, absolutely convinced of something, and still be wrong.
Our feelings are real, but they are not always reliable guides.
Our experience, understanding and circumstances do not give us the complete picture.
Following Jesus sometimes means trusting His word when everything within us is telling us something different.

The challenge: When your understanding conflicts with what Jesus has said, whose authority will you trust?

2. The Master in the Boat — Luke 5:1–4

Simon Peter had been fishing all night and caught absolutely nothing.

He was a professional fisherman. He knew the lake, the boats, the nets and the fishing conditions.

Yet despite his knowledge and effort, he had nothing to show for his work.

He was exhausted. His shift was over. He had washed his nets and was ready to go home.

Then Jesus arrived.

Jesus stepped into Simon's empty boat and began teaching the crowds.

But Jesus wasn't simply interested in borrowing a boat. He was interested in Simon himself.

There is something beautiful about where this encounter took place.

Not in the synagogue.
Not in the temple.
Not during a religious gathering.
But in Simon's workplace, at the end of an exhausting and disappointing shift.

Jesus meets us in the ordinary circumstances of life, including our failures, frustrations and disappointments.

Sometimes reaching the end of our own strength is precisely where surrender begins.

As God told Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9:

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Simon had an empty boat. But the Master was now in it.

And that changed everything.

There was another important distinction in the sermon: it is one thing to admire Jesus as a teacher, but something altogether different to recognise Him as Master.

We can appreciate His wisdom, admire His compassion and enjoy hearing His teaching. But Jesus did not come merely to be admired.

He came to save us and call us to follow Him.

The challenge: Have we simply made room for Jesus' teaching, or have we surrendered our lives to His lordship?

3. It's Not the Right Time! — Luke 5:4–5

After finishing His teaching, Jesus gave Simon an extraordinary instruction:

Put out into deep water and let down the nets for a catch.

From Simon's perspective, the instruction made little sense.

In the sermon, we explored three reasons why Simon could reasonably have objected.

It wasn't the right time for Simon.

He had worked all night.
He was exhausted and disappointed.
His nets had already been cleaned.
He wanted to eat, rest and go home.

It wasn't the right time for the fish.

Nighttime was generally a more favourable fishing period.
Fish could be harder to catch during daylight.
The fishing nets were likely more visible in the daytime.
Simon had already failed when conditions were more favourable.

It wasn't the right time for the business.

Other fishermen might already have gone home.
Who would help bring in a catch?
Who would sort the fish and prepare them for market?
Why expend more energy when the likelihood of success seemed so low?

Simon had every reason to question the instruction.

His objections were not necessarily foolish or irrational. They were based on genuine experience and practical realities.

But two things were greater than all those considerations:

The Master was in the boat.
The Master had spoken a word.

Simon knew the lake. But Jesus was the Lord who made the lake.

The issue was no longer simply about fishing techniques or favourable conditions.

It was about authority.

The challenge: Are we allowing our experience, exhaustion or circumstances to have the final word over what Jesus is calling us to do?

4. But Because You Say So! — Luke 5:5

This is the turning point of the message.

Simon answered Jesus honestly.

He did not pretend that the previous night's failure hadn't happened. He did not deny his exhaustion or disappointment.

He acknowledged the reality of his circumstances.

And then came those remarkable words:

“But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”

Simon did not say that he understood how everything would work.

He did not claim to be confident that the fishing would succeed.

He simply recognised who was speaking.

This teaches us something essential about biblical faith.

Faith is not pretending our problems don't exist.
Faith is not denying disappointment, exhaustion or uncertainty.
Faith is not a guarantee that everything we attempt will succeed.
Faith is trusting the character and authority of Jesus, even when we cannot see the outcome.

Faith does not require us to understand everything before we obey.

It requires us to know whom we are trusting.

And obedience is not always convenient. Sometimes it is costly. Sometimes it comes when we feel we have nothing left to give.

Yet Simon's words remain a powerful response for every disciple:

Because You say so, I will.

The challenge: What would change in your life if your response to Jesus were determined less by your circumstances and more by your confidence in Him?

5. When the Nets Begin to Break — Luke 5:6–8

Simon obeyed.

And what happened next was extraordinary.

The nets began to fill with fish. So many fish that the nets started breaking.

The fishermen called their partners in the other boat to help, and both boats became so full that they began to sink.

What a contrast!

The night before, Simon had worked in his own strength and caught nothing.
Now, in less favourable conditions, he obeyed Jesus and experienced an overwhelming catch.

But the greatest moment in the story was not the abundance of fish.

Something far more important happened.

Simon suddenly recognised something about Jesus that overwhelmed him.

He fell at Jesus' knees and cried:

“Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” — Luke 5:8 (NIV)

The miracle revealed more than Jesus' power over the natural world.

It brought Simon face to face with the holiness of Christ.

Suddenly, the story was no longer about his business, his nets or his catch.

It was about his soul.

Simon recognised his own unworthiness in the presence of the Lord.

The abundance of fish was wonderful, but it was not the ultimate purpose of the encounter.

The challenge: Are we more interested in what Jesus can do for us than in discovering who He truly is?

6. Jesus Came Looking for Simon — Luke 5:9–11

Simon fell before Jesus, overwhelmed by his own sinfulness.

But Jesus did not walk away.

Instead, He said:

“Don't be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.”

What an extraordinary response!

Simon recognised his unworthiness, but Jesus spoke a new calling over his life.

And suddenly, the whole story came into focus.

Simon thought he needed fish. Jesus knew he needed a calling.
Simon wanted his business to prosper. Jesus wanted to transform his life.
Simon was concerned about his livelihood. Jesus was inviting him into something eternal.

When Simon went looking for fish, Jesus came looking for Simon.

And the final detail of the story is perhaps the most remarkable.

After experiencing the greatest catch of their lives, Simon and his companions pulled their boats onto the shore, left everything and followed Jesus.

The fish were no longer the prize.

Jesus was.

The greatest gift Jesus offered Simon was not a successful fishing trip. It was an entirely new life of following Him.

And that invitation still stands today.

We may be working hard to build a better life, praying for breakthroughs, seeking answers or struggling through disappointment.

But sometimes what we need most is not the outcome we have been pursuing.

Sometimes we need to see Jesus more clearly, hear His voice, trust His authority and follow Him.

An empty net does not mean Jesus has abandoned us.

Disappointment does not mean His purposes are finished.

We are called to something greater than merely listening to religious teaching.

We are called to follow the living Christ, belong to His Kingdom, carry His message and represent His love.

Memorable Quotes & Aha Moments

“You can be absolutely sincere, absolutely convinced, and absolutely wrong.”
“Sometimes the greatest miracles happen when our boats are completely empty.”
“Jesus wasn't merely interested in Simon's boat. Jesus was interested in Simon himself.”
“It's one thing to admire Jesus as teacher. It's quite a different thing to recognise Him as Master.”
“Jesus did not come merely to be admired. He came to save us. And He came to call us.”
“The Master was in the boat. And the Master spoke a word.”
“Simon knew the lake. But Jesus was the Lord who made the lake.”
“Faith is not confidence that everything we do will succeed. Faith is confidence that Jesus is worthy of our trust.”
“It was no longer about the fish. And now it was about his soul.”
“Simon thought he needed fish. Jesus knew he needed a calling.”
“Simon wanted his business to prosper. But Jesus wanted to transform his life.”
“When Simon went out looking for fish, Jesus came looking for Simon.”
“Your nets might be empty. But that does not mean that Jesus has abandoned you.”
“Your disappointment does not mean that His purposes are finished.”
“We have not been called simply to listen to religious teaching. We have been called to follow the living Christ.”
“Lord, I may not understand everything You're doing, but I know who You are. And because You say so, I will trust Your voice.”

Questions for Discussion & Reflection

These questions can be explored individually, with a prayer partner or during a small-group gathering. Take time to listen to one another and allow the Holy Spirit to bring personal application.

1. The pilot and the instruments: Have you ever been completely convinced about something, only to discover later that you were mistaken? What did that experience teach you about trusting your own understanding?

2. The empty boat: Simon had worked hard all night and caught nothing. Have you ever experienced a season when your efforts seemed to produce little or no fruit? How did that affect your relationship with God?

3. Jesus in everyday life: Jesus encountered Simon at his workplace, not in a religious setting. What might it look like to welcome Jesus more intentionally into your work, family life and everyday responsibilities?

4. When Jesus interrupts: Simon's plans were interrupted by Jesus. How do you normally respond when your carefully organised plans are disrupted? Could some interruptions become opportunities to encounter God?

5. Teacher or Master: What is the difference between admiring Jesus' teaching and submitting to Him as Lord? How might that difference become visible in our everyday decisions?

6. It's not the right time: Simon had several legitimate reasons not to obey. What reasons do we sometimes give for delaying something we believe God is asking us to do?

7. Experience versus obedience: How can we distinguish between the wisdom gained through experience and an unwillingness to trust God beyond what we already know?

8. Because You say so: Is there an area of your life where you sense Jesus inviting you to trust Him, even though you cannot yet see how things will work out?

9. Honest faith: Simon acknowledged his disappointment before choosing obedience. How does this encourage us to be honest with God about our doubts, frustrations and fears?

10. The meaning of faith: Why is it important to distinguish between trusting Jesus and assuming that every decision we make will lead to the outcome we desire?

11. The miracle and the Miracle Worker: Why do you think Simon fell before Jesus in repentance rather than simply celebrating his extraordinary catch? What does this reveal about the purpose of Jesus' miracles?

12. Don't be afraid: Jesus responded to Simon's awareness of sin with reassurance and a calling. What does this teach us about the grace of Jesus toward people who recognise their unworthiness?

13. The greater purpose: Simon was looking for fish, but Jesus was calling him into a new life. Have you ever looked back and recognised that God was doing something more important than what you were originally praying for?

14. Leaving everything: The fishermen left their boats and followed Jesus. What might following Jesus require us to surrender today—not necessarily physically, but in our priorities, ambitions, security or sense of control?

15. A practical response: What is one specific step of obedience you can take this week as an expression of the words, “Because You say so”?

Prayer Points

- For a deeper revelation of Jesus: Lord, open my eyes to see You more clearly—not simply as a teacher whose words I admire, but as my Saviour, Master and Lord.

- For surrender in seasons of disappointment: Father, meet me in the places where I feel exhausted, frustrated or empty-handed. Help me recognise that my weakness does not place me beyond Your grace.

- For discernment: Holy Spirit, help me recognise the difference between my own fears, assumptions and desires, and what You are genuinely speaking through Scripture and Your guidance.

- For the courage to obey: Jesus, give me the faith to respond to Your word even when obedience is inconvenient, costly or beyond my understanding.

- For freedom from self-reliance: Lord, forgive me for the times I have trusted my own knowledge, experience or abilities more than I have trusted You. Teach me to depend on Your wisdom.

- For those experiencing empty nets: Father, strengthen those who have been working, praying, believing and waiting without seeing the results they hoped for. Restore their hope and remind them of Your faithful presence.

- For a fresh encounter with God's holiness and grace: Jesus, reveal more of Your holiness and goodness to us. Where we become aware of our sin and unworthiness, draw us into repentance, forgiveness and the freedom of Your grace.

- For a Kingdom perspective: Lord, lift our eyes beyond the immediate outcomes we are seeking. Help us recognise the greater purposes You may be working in and through our lives.

- For our calling as disciples: Holy Spirit, renew our passion to follow Jesus, carry His message and represent His love. Make us attentive to the people You are calling us to reach.

- For Living Waters Church: Father, make us a church that does more than listen to Your Word. Form us into a community that hears Your voice, trusts Your character, obeys Your commands and follows Jesus wholeheartedly.

A Final Thought for the Week

Simon began that morning exhausted, disappointed and empty-handed.

He ended it having encountered the holiness of Jesus, received a new calling and discovered a purpose far greater than catching fish.

The greatest thing that happened that morning wasn't that Simon's nets were filled.

It was that Simon's life was changed.

Perhaps your nets feel empty today. Perhaps you've been working hard, praying faithfully and wondering why things haven't turned out as you expected.

An empty net does not mean an absent Saviour.

Jesus may be doing something far greater than the outcome you've been seeking.

So this week, wherever you find yourself, make this response your own:

“Lord, I may not understand everything You're doing, but I know who You are. And because You say so, I will trust Your voice.”

Sermon: Because You say so!