do not be afraid: Mar 9 Sermon summary
Title: “Do Not Be Afraid”
Biblical Text: Luke 5:1-11
Teaching Series: Nothing Impossible
Preaching Date: March 9, 2025
Preacher: Jason C. Helveston
The sermon, based on Luke 5:1-11, explores the theme of leaving everything to follow Jesus. This week, we reflect on Simon Peter's response to Jesus' miraculous catch of fish and his decision to leave everything behind.
1. What It Means to Leave Everything
The passage begins with Jesus teaching the crowds from Simon Peter's boat. After teaching, Jesus commands Simon to go into deep waters and let down his nets. Despite his experience as a fisherman and his exhaustion from an unsuccessful night, Simon obeys. The result is a miraculous catch so overwhelming that the nets begin to break. In this moment, Simon realizes Jesus is more than just a teacher. He falls before Jesus and confesses his sinfulness, acknowledging his unworthiness.
This moment highlights the true meaning of leaving everything—it’s not just about abandoning material possessions but releasing control. Simon lets go of his expertise, his identity, and ultimately his sense of self-sufficiency, recognizing that Jesus is not only a better fisherman than him but also a better God.
Two supporting scriptures reinforce this idea of releasing control:
James 4:13-15 – Encourages external surrender by recognizing that life is fleeting, and our plans should align with God's will.
Philippians 4:6-7 – Speaks to internal surrender, urging believers to trust God instead of being anxious.
2. Why We Would Leave Everything
Jesus’ first response to Simon is “Do not be afraid”. This simple statement reveals the deep fear that often prevents people from surrendering fully to God. People hesitate because they focus on what they might lose—security, relationships, or control over their own lives.
However, Jesus challenges this perspective. While following Him is costly, not following Him costs even more. Trying to hold onto everything is already killing us—it leads to anxiety, exhaustion, and an endless pursuit of an identity that constantly feels out of reach.
Supporting scriptures emphasize this point:
Luke 14:33 – Jesus calls His followers to be willing to let go of anything that holds them back from fully committing to Him.
Mark 8:36 – Jesus asks, “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?”
Romans 8:15 – True freedom comes from being adopted as God's children, not from clinging to worldly identities.
The Barbie movie's monologue is used as a modern example of this struggle. Women (and people in general) are often pressured to "be everything"—successful, kind, independent, selfless, beautiful, strong, etc. This cultural pressure leads to exhaustion and insecurity. However, the Bible teaches that true identity is found in being a child of God. When Jesus tells Simon “Do not be afraid”, He invites him into a new identity—one rooted in God's love rather than human achievement.
3. How Do We Leave Everything?
Leaving everything doesn’t mean pretending to be fearless or perfect. Peter still struggled with fully surrendering to Jesus, even after following Him for years. In Luke 18:18-30, a rich young ruler asks Jesus how to inherit eternal life. Jesus tells him to sell everything and follow Him, but the man walks away because he cannot let go. This passage highlights the real challenge of leaving everything—it requires deep trust in Jesus. True surrender is not about outward actions alone but about gradually shifting trust away from ourselves and toward Jesus.
As we ponder these ideas, we realize Jesus is the ultimate example of leaving everything. He left heaven, took on human form, and sacrificed His life so that we could have a relationship with God. This is why following Jesus is worth it. He calls us to release our fears, identities, and control because in Him, we find true life, peace, and freedom from fear.
