The main message is that empty nets are not always wrong after a long night of labor, but they become wrong when they are allowed to speak louder than Jesus. Pastor Gary Caudill shows from Luke 5 and John 21 that the turning point was not the water, the boat, or the fishermen. The turning point was the Word of Christ.

Luke 5:5 says, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. This sermon teaches that failure may be real, but it is not final when Jesus speaks. Faith begins when experience bows to Christ and the believer moves again at His Word.

In Luke 5:4, Jesus said, Launch out into the deep, and in John 21:6 He said, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. Pastor Gary Caudill explains that some catches require deeper waters, while some empty nets require better alignment. Nearness to the opportunity is not the same as obedience to the Lord.

In Luke 5:4 Jesus said to let down the nets, but in Luke 5:5 Peter said, I will let down the net. The sermon points out that Peter obeyed, but cautiously. The blessing was larger than the preparation, and Luke 5:6 says, their net brake. The issue was not that Christ sent too much. The issue was that they did not prepare according to what He said.

John 21 shows resurrection obedience. Jesus spoke, they cast, and John 21:11 records that the net was full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three, yet was not the net broken. Pastor Gary Caudill teaches that the Lord can mature the net until it can hold what once would have broken it.