NEVERTHELESS

I love the way that God works. Just pulls the rug out from under you. and says this is mine. Feel this in the Holy Ghost. I this week, spending time with my family. You know, we've been talking about the tabernacle. We've been a lot of stuff going on there. But on Wednesday of this week, my son and I, we decide we're going to take a fishing trip. We actually from the porch of where we were staying, my dad's cabin, you can see the river. And so we saw the water and says I said, "Let's let's let's go fishing." It's interesting how that God begins to unfold something that he's trying to show you through the simple things in life.

So, we got our gear together. Thank you. Appreciate y'all. Y'all did a great job leading us. that that means a lot to me. It just kind of checks the boxes and says, "The Lord said, Lord said, Lord said." So, we decide we're going to take this trip across the road. And unknowings to me, you ask Ian about it later about his fishing uh trip, literally trip. So, we head down across the road and I realize when we get on the other side of the road that literally it's just like a steadily incline just all the way down unknowing that we're going to a river that has washed the banks out and and now it's low.

So, I'm and I'm not going to show you because you I don't want nobody falling out, but talking about all of the all of the scrape marks and all of the briars that got me. We make our way down and can't do it this way. You got to stop and figure out which way. And I finally stopped one time and told him, I said, "Think of it. You may be seated. I'm sorry, but I I really need to explain this." I told him, I said, "Do this as if you were you were playing one of your games.

Strategize here." Got hung on the bobwire fence, that type of thing. But we make our way down. Scratched up. Got long fishing rods that fortunately they all came in one piece down. And as we get down on the bank and beautiful after you get down there, we start casting, fishing. I I think I got one bite. I'm not sure. We're just casting and fishing. Walk from one place to another. Cast and fish. not seeing I'm seeing boats and these guys are all fancied up and doing their thing and I I'm thinking they these guys wouldn't be sitting here if they weren't catching fish.

We're casting nothing. Well, time goes on and I look around and I'm seeing this steep incline. Now, we got to get back up. So, we began to walk and try to figure out how we're going to get back up. But while I'm down there and looking around at all of the area, I I have been drawn for the last few months to a man called Simon Peter. And I I like doing character studies. I like doing those. But Simon Peter is one of those. And he was a fisherman.

While we're down there, I I just again I'm I'm thinking God begins to just hammer on my heart. I don't know if you've ever been there, but but you can be in the middle of whatever it may be. You may be working on an automobile, whatever. God starts dealing with you about something. How many you ever felt that way? As God begins to work on you about something. And as I'm doing all of that, God's just I'm trying to figure out how to go. And God's God's speaking to my heart.

And And I again I I'm like, "Okay, God. I I get it. you got you got something you're trying to show me. So, I began to figure out how we're getting out of there. And you know, I had this great study we were going to do this week, but God says that he said, "You got some folks that's going to be listening to this that needs to hear this." See, Simon was he was a fisherman and I I literally, you know, I like props. I got one right here.

I like these. Look at that. That's fancy, isn't it? Who said that? Looks kind of weak to me, but I think it'll get the point across. As I am pondering some of the thoughts that I have for you today, uh God begins to talk to me about the fisherman, Simon Peter. He was a Jewish young man and growing up in the Jewish culture and and I I'm not going to spend a lot of time in his genealogy, but he he he's growing up and he's understanding uh the things of God, Yeshua.

He's understanding all of these things. And although he was not chosen to be one of those that uh would study, be an understudy, he was still uh very very caught in his faith. He was very he believed in God to the point that he was one of John's followers. He uh he believed in what John was preaching. We do find that Andrew was one of those his brother Andrew was the one that introduced him to Jesus. He brought him to Jesus and said, he told his brother, he said, "Hey, look, I've found the Messiah.

I have found him." And so they go to Jesus and there they meet Jesus. And Jesus immediately starts speaking to Simon. I I I want you to understand something about Simon's personality or his who who h his makeup. Simon was a very outspoken person. We see that all through the writings. He he knew what he believed in and he was going to tell everybody what he believed in. Although he was a fisherman, he was also one of those that could show up just about anywhere. Throughout the Bible, we find that Simon Peter was mentioned over 120 times, whereas some of the other disciples were only mentioned just a handful of times.

So, Simon had something that the Lord a attribute. He had he had something that the Lord desired. We find that Simon was also that one that he cared about fishing, the family business. That was what he did. That was his that was his life. He was a fisherman. I'm thinking along these lines as the Lord begins to deal with me and I was drawn to the scripture. And the scripture in Luke 5, we find the scripture there that Simon has already he's already been introduced to the Lord, but now he's about his business.

He is about his business being the one that was a fisherman. He is there fishing and we find that Jesus is teaching a multitude of people. Verse one, he is teaching a multitude of people. And these people begin to press against him to the point he is at the lake. And Jesus looks around and he sees there are two ships that are there. And these two ships, one of them belonged to Simon, but there was no fishermen in them. Guess what they were doing? The scripture says that they were cleaning their nets.

They had been busy all night fishing and now they're cleaning their nets. Now I I don't know about you uh but when you are busy doing about what you're supposed to be doing but there is nothing that came in the net that you can show that you have actually been fishing. That's what the scripture said. They had toiled all night. They had fished all night and they have caught nothing. Now they're cleaning their nets. Talking about Simon. Jesus looks around and he sees one of the boats and he just steps into the boat and he says, "Hey guys, would you just push out a little ways away from the bank?" Because Jesus was continuing to preach and teach to the people.

The scripture didn't say what Simon said. The scripture just simply said that they did so pushed away from the bank. Jesus continues his preaching and teaching. But then there is something that happens. Jesus finishes up his teaching and he immediately turns and says in verse four, "Now when he had left his speaking, he said to Simon," we're talking about the guy that I've been talking about. He said, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a draw. Let let let's see what happens.

Notice that Simon said unto him, "Master," understanding who he is. Simon knows who the Lord is, says, "Master, we have toiled all night and have taken nothing." But notice what this next word says. What did he say? Nevertheless, at thy word I will let down the net. Nevertheless, at thy word, I'm going to let down the net. Notice this. Simon is a fisherman. He understands the waves. He understands the waters. He studied that. He knows exactly what's going to be happening next. He He understands where the fish are supposed to be.

I I I think it's it's well worth it to say that there are fishermanmen and I don't know, we may have some in this building, but you're able to look at the weather and tell whether or not it's going to be a good day or not. You you can you can pretty well tell this is this is going to be a good day to fish. And maybe not. But I I want to I want to try and help somebody today. Simon is very frustrated in this scripture.

I I I don't know if any of you read that in there or not. Why did he say it the way he said it? He said, "I I've been here all night, Lord. I have toiled all night. I have thrown net after net and I this their nets is nothing like this. Can you imagine? I have toiled all night and I have I have taken nothing. But nevertheless, I I I bring to you this message because I really feel this that the Holy Ghost was telling me and I I know this without a doubt that sometimes we get so caught up in doing what we do.

We get caught up in in the everyday mundane fishing. We're doing our part. We're fishing. We know this that later on in the scripture right there that this is where Jesus proves himself. But I I want to stop in this story for just a moment and talk to you about this. The frustrations of casting your net and nothing and you throw them out and the frustration of the next time you pull it back up. Brother John, there's nothing there. the frustrations and you do this and the scriptures said that they did it all night long.

I don't know about you, but I get the feeling that while Simon is there, he is there with the nets before he takes that trip back out with the Lord. Scripture said he was cleaning them. He was washing them. So that leads us to believe that he's going to be using them again, right? He's taking care of his livelihood. But the but the disappointment is there, Sister Renee. The disappointment of of there's nothing there for today. And I can just imagine this that he's filling of those nets and he is washing those nets saying, "Can I do it another day?" I I I'm saying this for a reason because the Lord is leading us in this service.

There is a word that he is trying to deliver to someone that we get so heavy laden. We get so beside what what life has to bring us and we're doing the right thing. We're we're doing everything we know to do. This is this is my livelihood and I am washing it and I'm taking care of it, but I'm not seeing the results that I need to see out of it. Not seeing what God is really doing. And we often times question whether or not this is it.

And Simon is washing the net. But what we did not realize at that moment, what he didn't realize at that moment that God had a plan. He was getting ready to show Simon a very important part of his life. You see, the scripture tells us that that obviously they had taken the nets and put them back together and put them back in the boat. They were washing their nets. So, evidently there was some preparation for the next journey. But here's the thing. I want you to imagine with me just for a moment that Simon has been requested back into the boat because Jesus wants to go a little ways out.

He's been requested that he come and spend time back in the boat where he has just been all night long. the frustration of understanding that that boat is my workplace and that is where I've been all day and yet the Lord has requested me back in the boat. He gets back in the boat and I don't know if you've ever had a one of those friends or not, but I have. What in the world are we doing? What What does he mean by taking us back out in the boat?

We've been in there all night long. And you got all the distractions around you. You got all the stuff that is going on in life and it's just it's it's eating you up. And Jesus requested. He said, "All right, I'm through teaching, guys. I'm through teaching. He said, I want you to let's go out to the deep. And the scripture said that Simon told him, "Lord, I've done it. I know how to do it. I know what the nets need to be doing." And we've done that all night long.

But he said, "Nevertheless." Nevertheless, God, nevertheless, you may be disappointed in some things has happened in your life. You may be disappointed in how things have turned out and how things have have happened to you. But I I want to give somebody a word of hope today. Can you say that? Nevertheless, Nevertheless, I'm going to do as you've requested, Lord. I'm going to do what you have asked of me, and I am going to let down my net once again. I am going to go fishing once again.

You see what happened that day is when he made that decision to say nevertheless he surrendered that day to what God was trying to do in his life. He surrendered something to him that it would never be the same. As a matter of fact, the scripture says that as they let down the net, all of a sudden things started happening. There was some I I I want you to get this today. There was something that happened when the obedience of the word of God began to happen.

They begin to feel something on that that rope or that that net that they could they had down. What is that? They begin to feel the nets begin to fill up, the scripture said. And as they begin to fill up, they brought some more boats out out there and they begin to fill them up. The boats began to fill up. They begin to fill. There was two boats that were completely full. And the scripture said that day, at that moment, Simon fell down and said, "God, depart from me.

Lord, depart from me. Would you depart from me? I am a sinful man. Why? Because my mind was all messed up when you asked me to do that. May I tell you, it's okay to have a messed up mind as long as you are following God's will. Hello. You say, "What? What are you saying, preacher? I'm saying this. Sometimes we've got to override what is being done up here and say, God, nevertheless, nevertheless, I am going to do what you have asked of me. I am going to do what you have asked me to do.

And you let that net down and see what God will do. Just see what he will do. I'm telling you folks, God sent me with the word today for someone in this room. I I I know this without a doubt. About halfway through the service over here, God began to deal with me. God's dealing with somebody in this room and saying, "Would you just say nevertheless?" Just say, "Nevertheless, at thy word, Lord, I I I can't get it. I don't I don't know what all of it is about." The scripture said that.

He said, "Lord, I I'm sinful. My My brain is not in this. You need to just leave me alone." And God begins to deal with him because it's not about Let me tell you, it's not about the fish. It's not about the fish. It's not about the nets breaking. It was about how Simon, he obeyed what God had asked of him. It's about his heart. It's about what he said, I need to do this. I need to do this. Nevertheless, and he let down the net and God begins to speak to him.

God begins to show him. I I don't know who you are today, but if you would if you will allow God to deal with you, God to show you, make that e extra effort, take that step and say, "God, nevertheless, your life may be as as they say in CR, it's broke up, disgusted, and busted. I It's just messed up. That's okay because there is a word from God that says nevertheless. I I wish you would say that today. Nevertheless, nevertheless, no matter what it is, no matter what's going on, nevertheless, God, at your will, at your word, I'm going to do what you said.

I let down my net. God, I I lay it down. The scripture goes on to tell us later on in the scripture, we find out in that same passage, here's Simon. He's already he's messed up. He said, God, you you you know, and the Lord told him, he says, "Hey, Simon, you got a good heart. You may be stubborn in the head, but you got a good heart." He said, "I I I want you to take the skills that you got, the skills that I have showed you, the things that I have showed you, the things that you have trained for, and I want you to take those skills, and I want you to put them into practice.

You're not going to be fishing for fish anymore." You see, we could have looked at Simon's whole his his his whole experience there and if he would have wanted to, he could have said, "Man, we have got a boatload of fish. We're going to have fish tonight. We're going to have all of the trimmings. We going to we're going we got enough for everybody and go to market, but we're making money." All of those things can come to your mind when you think about that. This did not cross Simon's mind.

Never crossed his mind. What he saw is he had his heart had to be in the right right place. Simon's heart was God. I see what you're talking about. I see exactly what you're saying. I see what you're talking about. This is not about my fish. It's not about my boat. It's not about the business. It's about what I'm doing for the kingdom of God. It's about what you have called me to do. He said, I today you're going to go and you're going to make fishers of men.

You're going to be a you you're going to go and you're going to you can train that skill that skill that that you've got. I I I come to tell somebody today, why don't you turn that story around in your life in this room today? You've got a story that you're trying to tell, but the truth is God says, "Let me be a part of that story. Let me be a part of the story. Why don't you allow me to speak and you let down the net and let me show you what I'm capable of doing?

Let God be God. Allow him to do the work in your life. Allow him to be the one." And you say God, not my will. What is it? But thy will be done. Not my will but thine be done. Can you say nevertheless? I really feel this in the spirit today. You see, we could look at Simon's story and we could show ourselves how that all of this God put all this in place to for us to benefit. This has nothing to do with our benefit because the scripture said that Simon left his nets and he followed Jesus.

He was called to be who we call Peter. The one that would go on to be with the Lord and and everything that he would do. And you could almost say that Peter was the Lord's right-hand man. Little hotheaded, but he was along with the Lord in everything he did. pretty good with a sword, too, because Jesus would be persecuted and he would be betrayed and Peter is that one that stood by the fire and not realizing exactly what he was doing, he would betray the Lord as well.

But we see that the Lord's grace and mercy steps in. He's the same gentleman that would fall time after time, but God would graciously look at him and say, "You remember that fishnet? Do you remember that moment? Do you remember what I did for you? Do you remember that lesson we learned? And you say, "Lord, I know I'm messed up in the head again, but nevertheless, nevertheless, at thy word." I I want us to do something today. And I I know this. You say, "Well, you're supposed to go out with a bang, Brother Gibson." No, I really feel this in the Holy Ghost.

I feel that the Lord is he's reaching for someone in this building today. And and I'm not I'm not pointing anyone out. I don't want you to get spooked, but I really feel that God is reaching for someone today. He he is saying that you've gone as far as you can go. You have done everything that you thought was right to do. You have done everything you know to do. But he's saying if you will just say nevertheless and once again would you let down that net once again?

Would you let down that net once again and allow God to do a work in your life? This has nothing to do with netcasting. It has nothing to do with with with any of the things and the and the little uh programs we have. It's not about that. This is a God thing. You see, Simon was washing his net, mind, minding his own business. Yes, he was disappointed. He didn't get anything. He could have gone ahead and he could have easily said, "You know what? I'll try this one one more day again, maybe tomorrow." And we get stuck in that that rut.

We get stuck in that that just that mundane. come to tell somebody today, today could be your day if you'll simply just obey. The Lord says, can you throw that net one more time? Can you Can you Can you release your nets one more time? Lord, I I'm tired. I don't know. I don't know if I've got it in me. Been up hours and I can't seem. Do you have it in you to say nevertheless once more let that net down in this place? Would you stand with us?

And I really feel this. I I I this is a very sensitive moment right here. I want everyone in this building under the sound of my voice, would you would you close your eyes for just a moment? I really feel that God is trying to lead somebody to make that one more move. Say, Lord, nevertheless, at thy word, I'm going to do it. Whatever that may be. I know we've been talking about this net, but maybe you've got something that you've been dealing with in life.

Nevertheless, Lord, I wonder if it is there's somebody here that would like to make that first move. God's tugging in this place, but maybe you want to step out from where you are. I want you to be sensitive, but step out. Maybe you want to walk to this front just as saying, "God, I surrender." We're getting ready to enter a new year. And what better way to start a new year and saying, "God, nevertheless, I I I'm going to follow you. Not I'm not I'm going to I'm going to do what you've asked me to do.

I'm going to do my part, Lord. In the name of Jesus. Come on. Would you seek him right now? Thank you for coming. I thank you. Maybe you feel that in your spirit. We invite you to come. Whether you're a visitor, who whoever it may be, I want you to know God's in this room. He's in this place right now. Paul put it this way. You may not be under the impression you can do it, but Paul put it this way in Philippians 4:13. And he says, "I I I know I can't, but but I can do all things through Christ because my brain gets a little warped sometime.

I I get a little bit out of whack sometime. But God, you give me the strength. And that last bit of will that's in me is that that says, "Nevertheless, at thy will." I wonder if somebody can pray that prayer today. Nevertheless, never the less. Nevertheless, at thy word, I'm going to do what you've asked me to do in the name of Jesus. Why don't you pray with us right now? Would you do that across this building in the name of Jesus? God, you're moving in our midst.

You have done something in this room, God, and it's changing me right here, right now. In the name of Jesus, above all, God, I've got to have you, Lord Jesus. I've got to have you, Lord. I know, God, you're working. I know you're working in my life. God, I give it to you once again. I give it all to you, Lord. God, I give it to you, Lord. In the name of Jesus, in the name of Jesus. Come on, pray with us right now, folks. Pray with us.

God's working in this room right now. In the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus, hallelujah. Let it be said. God, I know I I'm I'm all messed up in the head, but nevertheless, nevertheless, in the name of Jesus, my life is all messed up. Nevertheless, God, I'm going to do what you said do. I'm going to let down the net. In the name of the Lord. Hallelujah. In the name of the Lord. Hallelujah. In the name of the Lord. In the name of the Lord.

Hallelujah. In the name of Jesus. Hallelujah. In the name of Jesus. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Come on, folks. Seek God. God's doing something in this room right now. In the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus. I will follow. Hallelujah. In the name of Jesus. Hallelujah. And I can't find my way. Still does not matter. Does not matter how hard it may have it may be, folks. God makes a way. Doesn't matter how hard it may be for you to get there. God always makes a way.

Let him be God. You can't turn this thing around by yourself. Let God be God in the name of the Lord. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. God, I can't do it, but I know you can. Hallelujah. In the name of Jesus. Oh, will you trust him, folks? Will you trust in the Lord in the name of Jesus? Will you trust him in the name of the Lord? Hallelujah. Still I will listen to your Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Ranges on. Oh my Jesus. Jesus. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Come on. Would you find somebody to pray with right now?

I want us to pray together. Let's pray together and ask the Lord right now to touch God. Speak into our lives. Make it clear for us, God. In the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus. I know you're able, God. I know you're able, Lord. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. And I can in the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. In the name of Jesus. Come on, push just a little more. God loves you. He's He knows that he's got a plan for your life.

In the name of Jesus. Hallelujah. In the name of Jesus. Hallelujah. In the name of Jesus. Hallelujah. In the name of Jesus. Hallelujah. Still I will trust you Lord. Still I will trust you Lord. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. now across this room in the name of Jesus. Blessing and honor, glory and power to you. blessing, blessing, blessing and honor and glory and power. Amen. Amen. Jesus blessc, honor, and glory and power. Amen. Blessing and honor. Glory and power. Glorless and honor. Glory and power. Glory and power. Amen.

Amen. Jesus. I don't know what he was waiting on. He was just sitting there and they look up. Oh, it's a ghost. So I said, "That's that's the Lord." Simon Peter said, 'Lord, if that's you, you see, the Lord knew, he knew what this guy was all about. Simon lived life on the edge, you could say. He said, "If that's you, Lord, just bid me come to you on the water. It's the same guy that heard the Lord tell him to go into deep." The frustrations that was in his voice there, Simon says, "No, if that's the Lord, I know I know what he can do." The scripture says that Simon stepped out.

He took that step of faith and he begins to walk on the water. Yeah, we get I get it. We We know that we cannot make it with God without God. He's going to sink. But here here is the truth of the matter is we got all these other brothers that's still in the boat and we good at talking, aren't we? We're good at that. But if we could have the spirit that Simon had said, God, if it's you, I know that you're able. whatever you may be dealing with in life and I don't know your situations but if you will just simply say God nevertheless at thy word at your word and that's what he was waiting on in the boat said if it's you Lord bid me come and he said what You see, Peter had learned the voice of God and he learned to jump at God's word.

If God has promised you something in your life, jump at it. Step toward it. I'm believing God. I'm here to tell somebody today and that I know that burden has not lifted. But I want you to know that whatever it is you're dealing with in life, trust God. Trust God nevertheless at thy word. Amen. Would you stand with us and lift your hands right now? Let's lift our hands across this room and thank the Lord for his word. Would you thank him right now? Thank you, Lord.

Thank you for what you have spoken into our life, what you're doing in our life, oh God. I thank you, Lord, for that. Thank you, Lord, for what you're going to do. We we stretch ourselves into this next year, Lord, knowing that you're doing great things in our life. And we step out on faith, believing, God, that you're going to those things you've promised us is going to be greater than the former things in the name of Jesus. Let's pray our prayer together. This is the last time we're going to get to pray this one.

Amen. Let's pray it together. The Lord bless thee and keep thee. The Lord make his face shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee. The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee and give thee peace and they shall put my name upon the children of Israel and I will call them blessed. God bless you in Jesus name.