Thesis
Pastor Linn Winters draws from Luke 5 to press a crucial distinction: being a Christian (a label) versus being a follower of Jesus Christ (a direction and a commitment). Using the story of Simon Peter's miraculous catch of fish, he shows that following Jesus will always feel like fishing in the middle of the day — risky, sacrificial, and counterintuitive. True followers are those who, having seen Jesus' faithfulness, respond to His invitations not because they fully understand them, but because of who He is. The sermon calls every believer to move past selective obedience and endless wrestling with God, and to say: 'If anybody else were asking, I wouldn't do it — but because it's You, I'm in.'
Key points
- 1
Being a 'Christian' and being a 'follower of Jesus Christ' are two different things — a follower has a fixed direction toward Jesus and a heart bent on becoming like Him.
- 2
It is okay to start as a skeptic; questions and doubts are a legitimate part of the journey toward faith, and Jesus is never intimidated by them.
- 3
Every time Jesus asks you to follow Him, it will feel like fishing in the middle of the day — risky, counterintuitive, and sacrificial.
- 4
It is especially hard to follow Jesus when what you are already doing on your own strength seems to be working.
- 5
Peter's obedience — 'but because You say so, I will let down the nets' — is the turning point that transforms him from a fisherman into a world changer.
- 6
Delayed obedience has real consequences; putting Jesus off can mean missing the life and impact He has planned for you.
- 7
The evidence of Jesus' faithfulness and goodness is the basis for trusting Him with every new instruction — just as you trust a mechanic who has proven himself honest.
Outline
The Question: Christian or Follower?
Pastor Winters opens by distinguishing between calling yourself a Christian and actually being a follower of Jesus Christ. He sketches a spectrum of 'Christians' — from those who haven't reached the cross to selective believers — and asks what it really means when someone says they follow Jesus.
The Setting: A Skeptic on the Shore
Luke 5:1-2 is introduced. Simon Peter is eavesdropping on Jesus, not yet a believer. Pastor Winters uses this to normalize skepticism and honest questions, assuring doubters that pursuing answers will only move them closer to faith — while also acknowledging that at some point a step of faith is still required.
The Request: Fishing in the Middle of the Day
Jesus asks Peter to put out into deep water and let down his nets at noon — a request every fisherman would call foolish, humiliating, and sacrificial. Pastor Winters explains why this mirrors every invitation Jesus gives us: it always feels like the wrong time, the wrong cost, and the wrong plan.
The Obstacle: What's Already Working
Using Peter's expertise as a fisherman, Pastor Winters explores why it is hardest to follow Jesus when our own way seems to be working — in marriage, finances, anger, or relationships. He challenges the pattern of only surrendering to God what has already fallen apart.
The Turning Point: 'Because You Say So'
Peter's response in Luke 5:5 — 'but because You say so, I will let down the nets' — is unpacked as the defining statement of a follower. Through a zip-lining story, Pastor Winters illustrates the moment when trust in the person asking overrides every objection.
The Miracle and Its Aftermath
Luke 5:6-11 describes the overwhelming catch, Peter's confession of sinfulness, and the moment he calls Jesus 'Lord.' Pastor Winters emphasizes that this single act of obedience transforms Peter's whole identity and trajectory — and that delayed obedience would have cost him everything.
The Mechanic Illustration and Call to Follow
An extended illustration about a trustworthy mechanic drives home the point: because Jesus has proven His goodness and faithfulness, we can trust His hardest instructions. The sermon closes with a challenge to move from being merely a Christian to being a genuine follower — 'if anybody else were asking, I wouldn't do it, but because it's You, I'm in.'
Memorable moments
when someone says I'm a follower of Jesus Christ what they've told you is hey my heart, my goal is to be like Jesus. See someday there's gonna be a whole lot more Jesus on me than there is me on me
every single time that Jesus asks you to follow him, it's gonna feel like fishing in the middle of the afternoon. It's gonna feel like he's asking you to do something that does not make sense. It doesn't add up and it's gonna feel risky
If you wait till it makes sense and doesn't cost, you will never never never never never follow Jesus. You will end up stuck where you are right now for the rest of your life
It's really, really, really, really, really hard to talk about fishing in the middle of the day when you think you're a good fisherman
if anybody else was asking me Jesus, I wouldn't do it. But because you asked
Tell me that you trust Jesus as much as the mechanic. Tell me that based on his goodness and kindness and faithfulness and truth to you that when he says so, your answer is Jesus, if anybody else asked, I wouldn't do it. But because it's you, let's go fishing in the middle of the day
Application
Pastor Winters ends by inviting every person to make a concrete declaration: move from calling yourself a Christian to actually living as a follower of Jesus Christ. That means no longer resetting the argument with God every time He asks something costly or inconvenient. When Jesus speaks into your marriage, your finances, your anger, your relationships, or your schedule, the follower's answer is: 'If anybody else were asking, I wouldn't do it — but because it's You, because You say so, I'm in.' That response doesn't require 100% certainty; it requires the same trust you'd give a mechanic who has proven himself honest and good. The question to carry into the week is simple: in which area of your life is Jesus asking you to let down your nets in the middle of the day — and will you do it because He asked?
