If You Say So
Prayer for Understanding
God of Word and Wisdom, You teach us ways that lead to healing and hope. Send Your Spirit to open our minds and hearts to Your Word and Wisdom, so that we may know Your healing and live in hope. Amen
This past Christmas, two of my daughters came home, and of course, that meant one thing—Mommy’s cooking was in high demand. They missed my food, so I found myself cooking way more than usual.
One day, as I was marinating beef for a BBQ, my husband, Thomas, walked into the kitchen and casually said, “Don’t add sesame oil. The beef tastes better without it when we BBQ.”
Now, let me tell you—Thomas is a multi-talented man. He’s good at a lot of things. Cooking is not one of them. I am the main chef in our family, and yet here he was, telling me how to cook.
I looked at him, thinking, “Excuse me? Do you even know what you’re talking about?” This wasn’t just my personal recipe—this was the traditional way of marinating beef!
But since he insisted, I sighed and said, “Alright, girls, Daddy says not to add sesame oil. Don’t blame me if it tastes bad.”
So, I did as he suggested… and to my surprise, it wasn’t bad at all. (Now, don’t tell Thomas I admitted that!)
Today, in our text, we find a very similar situation. A carpenter is about to tell a professional fisherman how to fish.
And the fisherman, much like me, is probably thinking, “What? Do you even know what you’re talking about?”
Let’s take a look at Peter’s reaction in Luke Chapter 5.
Two Sundays ago, we saw Jesus preach His inauguration sermon in His hometown of Nazareth.
It didn’t go well—the people tried to kill Him! So, He left and set up His ministry headquarters in Capernaum, where news spread quickly about His powerful teaching, healings, and exorcisms.
One day, Jesus was teaching by the Lake of Gennesaret (another name for the Sea of Galilee). A massive crowd pressed in, eager to hear Him—some probably hoping for healing.
Nearby, a group of tired, frustrated fishermen were washing their nets after a long night of catching nothing. Peter and his brother Andrew were cleaning their nets to prepare for another evening of fishing, hoping to catch something.
They likely felt a mix of exhaustion and frustration, having invested all their time and effort into a night's work with nothing to show for it.
This sense of disappointment, combined with the weight of unmet expectations, might have left them feeling disheartened as they faced the prospect of trying again without any guarantee of success.
Can you relate with Peter and Andrew? Have you ever poured your time, effort, and energy into something, only to come up empty-handed?
You send out résumés, network, and interview—only to face rejection after rejection.
As a parent, you give everything to your child, yet they keep making choices that break your heart.
You do everything right for your health, but the test results remain unchanged.
Like Peter’s empty nets, these moments leave us wondering, “Is any of this worth it?” And then—Jesus steps in.
Suddenly, Jesus stepped into Simon Peter’s boat, sat down, and asked him to put out a little from shore.
All Peter wanted was to clean up the nets, go home, and sleep. Yet now, Jesus was asking him to turn his boat into a floating pulpit. Yet, Peter obeyed.
Perhaps Jesus’ true intention was to draw Peter closer and have him listen to His teaching.
After finishing His teaching, Jesus turned to Peter with an even more unexpected request:
“Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”
What must have gone through Peter’s mind?
At first, when Jesus asked him to push out a little from shore, Peter complied—tired but willing.
But now, this carpenter-turned-teacher was telling a seasoned fisherman how to fish. After an exhausting night with nothing to show for it, this command must have seemed unreasonable.
Peter didn’t understand why Jesus was asking him to go into deep water. His logical mind was screaming, “Jesus, you’re a great teacher, but you’re not a fisherman! I know how this works. This isn’t a good move.”
We do the same, don’t we? “God, this plan makes no sense.”
“You want me to leave my stable career for something uncertain? That’s crazy.”
“I can barely pay my bills, and you’re telling me to give?”
“I know how life works, God. This isn’t practical.”
But still, Peter responded—halfheartedly, but he obeyed. He sighed and said, “Master, we have worked all night and caught nothing. But if you say so, I will let down the nets.”
It was as if he were saying, ‘This won’t work, but fine—I’ll do it so everyone knows I tried.’
He could have objected: ‘Teacher, fishing works best in the evening—I can show You then.’ Or, ‘Maybe it’s best if You stick to teaching.’ But he didn’t.
Why? Because he had seen Jesus at work.
Back in Luke 4:38, Peter had witnessed Jesus heal his own mother-in-law from a high fever. That night, he saw Jesus heal an entire town and cast out demons.
Peter knew Jesus had power, but he was uncertain if He was the Messiah John the Baptist had spoken about—the One to whom he could fully entrust his life and follow.
So, that morning by the Lake of Gennesaret, Peter was still struggling. Still uncertain. But he owed Jesus for his mother-in-law’s healing, so he obeyed—reluctantly, partially, but he obeyed.
So, Peter rowed to deep water and threw in the freshly cleaned nets. Then—chaos.
Fish everywhere. Darting, thrashing, filling the nets to the breaking point.
Stunned, Peter and Andrew frantically signaled their partners, James and John, for help. Soon, both boats were overflowing—so full they began to sink.
Jesus looked at Peter with a look on his face like, “I told you so.”
Overwhelmed, Peter fell to his knees before Jesus and blurted out, “Go away from me, Lord! I am a sinful man!”
Peter's response is not just awe, but a deep understanding of who Jesus truly was. Jesus wasn’t just a teacher anymore. He was the Messiah and Lord - it was an ‘aha moment’ for Peter.
As his eyes were open, now he realized his own sinfulness and acknowledged his unworthiness before Jesus. He saw himself clearly for the first time.
That’s what happens when we truly see God. We see ourselves accurately. Like Peter, we realize, “I’m not worthy. I don’t deserve to stand in Your presence.”
But here’s the beautiful part—when we surrender, even reluctantly, God blesses us beyond what we imagined.
Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on, you will be catching people - I will make you a fisher of men.”
At that moment, Peter’s life radically changed. He was no longer just a fisherman—he was called to something greater.
When they reached the shore, Peter, Andrew, James, and John left everything and followed Jesus. Their biggest catch wasn’t fish—it was their new purpose.
And just as their nets had overflowed, so would their impact. The ordinary fishermen on the Sea of Galilee would be transformed into Jesus' key disciples and history-makers.
The same Peter who once doubted would later stand before a crowd and preach his first sermon in Acts 2. That day, about three thousand people accepted Jesus and were baptized.
As a minister, I also wrestle with fully surrendering to God’s guidance. There are times when I think, “I know how ministry works.”
I rely on experience, strategies, traditions, and leadership techniques.
But then God moves in unexpected ways—reminding me that it’s not about my expertise but His power.
I’ll be honest—sometimes, I take steps of faith with hesitation. I want to be sure. I want to have a clear plan, a guarantee of success.
But often, God calls me to step out, even when I don’t feel ready. And all I can say is, “Lord, I’m not sure… but if You say so.”
Next Friday, we are launching GriefShare. This ministry is so much more than just a program or an event—it’s about God’s healing and restoration in the lives of those who are grieving.
I think sometimes we can get caught up in the numbers—how many people will attend; how many will be impacted. But honestly, that’s not our focus for this ministry.
The goal of GriefShare is not to measure success by the number of attendees, but to see God bring true healing to the brokenhearted.
We may not see the immediate results, but we know that God works in ways we can’t always predict.
Sometimes, the healing that needs to happen in a person’s heart is more profound than we can measure.
As we start this journey with GriefShare, my prayer is that the Holy Spirit will move in unexpected ways—that we’ll witness lives touched, hope restored, and hearts transformed.
Even though I don’t have all the answers, I trust that God will show up. I ask you to pray for this ministry, not just for success but for genuine healing in the lives of those who need it most.
With ‘If You Say So…’ faith, we are taking our first step.
On Saturday, March 1st, Rev. Dr. Dale Woods will return for a follow-up visioning meeting, and I want to emphasize that this isn’t just for a select few—this is for all of us.
We are in the same boat—each of us playing a part in the journey God has called us to as a church.
It’s an opportunity for us to discern together how God wants to use every one of us to fulfill the mission He has for this church.
Friends, just like Peter, we all face moments where God’s instructions seem unreasonable, impractical, and even absurd.
But the beauty of saying “If You say so…” is that obedience often leads to miraculous, unexpected blessings.
So today, what is God asking of you?
Where is He inviting you to step out in faith—even if you’re unsure?
Maybe He’s calling you to surrender your life completely to Him.
Maybe He’s asking you to forgive someone who hurt you.
Maybe He’s leading you toward something new, something uncertain.
Maybe He’s nudging you to share your faith with someone.
Whatever it is, will you trust Him enough to say,
"Lord, I don’t fully understand, but… if You say so.”
Because even when our faith is weak, when we obey, God fills our nets beyond what we ever imagined.
So today, let’s throw our nets in faith—and see what God is about to do among us.
Let us pray.
Lord God Almighty, there is nothing You cannot do. You know the depths of our hearts—our thoughts, dreams, and hopes—and You are the One who turns the impossible into the possible.
You are the Messiah and Lord of our lives.
With "If You Say So" faith, we cast our nets into the deep, trusting You to do marvelous things today.
Lord, help us to be faithful fishers of men, sharing Your love and truth with those around us. In the powerful name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.