Luke 5:1 And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret,

Do we hear this? People pressed upon Him to hear the word of God. Oh, what great things could we learn if we would just press in to hear the word of God.

"Oh Lord, pour out your word upon me, let me see what you want me to see. Help me understand that I might live, walk close to you and show others your way also." Oh that we might desire to press upon the Lord for understanding of His word. It is available, we just need to hear it.

Luk 5:2 And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.
Luk 5:3 And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.
Luk 5:4 Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.
Luk 5:5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.

Nevertheless, "AT THY WORD," I will let down the net. It seemed impossible to Peter that there was any further use of trying to catch fish when they had toiled all night with no reward for their labor. Yet, at the Lord's word, Peter let down the nets again. What a message in this one verse, "Nevertheless, at thy word."

If you say so , Lord, I will obey even if I don't understand what good it will do.

Luk 5:6 And when they had this done, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net broke.
Luk 5:7 And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.
Luk 5:8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.

Peter recognized this was no ordinary man but the very Son of God. He saw immediately that he was unworthy to be in the presence of God for he was yet in his sins and in need of a savior.

Luk 5:9 For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken:
Luk 5:10 And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.

They were not to fear at being in the presence of God or of being sinners for that is why Jesus came in the first place, to save from sin. They were chosen vessels to bring the message of salvation to the whole world. Fear not, from now on you will catch men or save others from eternal damnation into eternal life. They were called to leave their fishing occupation and follow Jesus for the spreading of the good news of salvation to the whole world. They had to forsake all to follow Jesus. In heaven they will reap a great reward not only of good things our minds can't yet understand but of seeing the ones they were able to reach with the gospel rejoice before the throne of God along with them. "Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves, we will come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves."  

Luk 5:11 And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.

What kind of revival would we have if this would be our attitude to forsake all other pursuits and follow Christ?

Luk 5:12 And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
Luk 5:13 And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him.
Luk 5:14 And he charged him to tell no man: but go, and show thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

They still had to do the ordinances of the law concerning cleansing since Jesus had not yet completed the fulfilling of the law in which we are cleansed by the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

Luk 5:15 But so much the more went there a fame abroad of him: and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities.
Luk 5:16 And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.

We must learn much from this passage. No matter how great or small, our ministry is, we must take time apart to pray and sometimes even fast. This is necessary. We cannot go it alone. In order to bring forth the right kind of fruit, we must abide in the vine and be directed by the Holy Spirit. No matter how big our ministry grows, without that anointing it will either dry up and die or explode into something big but with no real change in people's lives. There are a lot of people filling our pews but they are still getting divorces, getting hooked on pornography and getting drunk on Saturday night. Our ministers need to walk, talk and think under the anointing of God. We can't do without it. Holiness is not taught any longer because of the fear of legalism. If we were busy seeking God, we would know the difference. We must get back to laboring in prayer instead of trying to learn how to build a church by copying off some other successful church. What is good for one church may not be the same for another. There are different people with different backgrounds and they all have different needs. God is the only one that knows how to reach the different types of people so if we never seek Him for our own particular congregations, how can we accomplish anything?

I know of one minister in Akron Ohio who seeks the Lord and never copies other ministries. He just faithfully seeks direction from God. There is someone being saved in almost every service. Not because he has a lot of special effects or programs. He doesn't use PowerPoint, he doesn't have a praise team, he doesn't have dancers and he doesn't have to sing the same chorus over and over to get people worked up. He just simply trusts God to bring the increase and it works. The songs they sing are the old, "Victory in Jesus, He Set me Free" songs with none of the new modern methods but souls are still being saved. Yes, I know churches that hang on to the old ways that are dead but something else is wrong there, not the singing of hymns. When a minister is so bubbly, full of compassion and the people know he really cares about them, it will not matter what the music sounds like. This also describes the above mentioned Akron pastor.

Luk 5:17 And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them.

Healing is one thing that will attract a crowd and cause churches to grow and we should have healing but we must never get to the place where we think we are doing the healing and that we don't have to pray and seek God. The word still needs to be planted into the hearts of believers. If all we seek is physical healing, our conversion is not going to bring forth fruit. Our lives will not change. We must emphasis the new birth, and new life in Jesus Christ and not healing of the body although that is part of the gospel. I think healing is a glimpse of what is to come when there will be no more sickness. I think also it is a sign to show unbelievers that God is God and is powerful. Yet signs and wonders do not always last so our faith needs to be much deeper than what we see on the outside.

Luk 5:18 And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him.
Luk 5:19 And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus.
Luk 5:20 And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.

This man was healed because of the determination of those helping him. They did not give up. Their attitude was to press in, not get offended because the way was not easy. Do we turn back when the way gets tough?

Luk 5:21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?
Luk 5:22 But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts?
Luk 5:23 Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk?
Luk 5:24 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house.

When we come to Christ our sins are forgiven. This shows our need of being forgiven. If this is the case then how can we possibly desire to return to the sin Christ forgave us of. In places where Christ forgives sin He sometimes said, "God and sin no more lest a worst thing come upon you."

Luk 5:25 And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.
Luk 5:26 And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things today.
Luk 5:27 And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me.
Luk 5:28 And he left all, rose up, and followed him.
Luk 5:29 And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them.
Luk 5:30 But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?

Publicans or tax collectors where considered to be sinners because they sometimes took a little too much and kept the increase.  
Luk 5:31 And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician: but they that are sick
Luk 5:32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

If one was completely righteous and without sin, they would not need to repent but since most of us have sinned at one time or another, we need to repent (change), turn around and follow Christ. Jesus didn't come to hang around with just good people, He came to seek and save those that were lost. The gospel needs to be preached to the entire world even now in order that others may find this good way and be saved.

Luk 5:33 And they said unto him, Why do the disciples of John fast often, and make prayers, and likewise the disciples of the Pharisees; but thine eat and drink?
Luk 5:34 And he said unto them, Can ye make the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them?
Luk 5:35 But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.

The time to fast would be when Jesus returned to the Father. As long as He is with them, they had no need to fast and seek God. God is there in the midst of them. When we get to heaven we will not need to seek the Lord in prayer and fasting because we will be with Him.

Luk 5:36 And he spake also a parable unto them; No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old.
Luk 5:37 And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish.
Luk 5:38 But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved.
Luk 5:39 No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better.

When we hear the teachings of the Jesus for the first time, we usually do not desire to change but are comfortable in our old ways whether those ways are sinful lifestyles or whether they are traditional religion. When the Holy Spirit is present to cause us to be convicted of sin, we repent and are "born again" by the spirit of God, then the new ways cause us to rejoice. New wine must be put in new bottles. The spirit of God must enter into a vessel that has been cleansed by the blood of Jesus and sanctified by the Holy Spirit in order for us to be fruitful. We can't cram the word of God into a vessel that has not been "born again". They will reject it. When that person repents of sin and receives Jesus Christ, they will start to open up to the word of God more fully. Salvation is a changed life. Sometime literal takes place in the spirit of the person being saved. It is real. It is more than just turning over a new leaf or using our own will power, it is a changed life through the power of the Holy Spirit. Old things pass away and all things become new.