Let's Go Fising

But, Jesus announces the good news to us in his word, "Extra, Extra read all about it." We can read all about it…All about how the holy and all-powerful God came to this world as a man to suffer in our place and to die for our sins. We have the good news that each and every one of our sins is forgiven because of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.

And so in this way God has prepared us for fishing. He started this preparation in our baptism, when he called us to faith and he has continued to prepare us through his Word, in catechism classes, Bible Studies, even here every Sunday in our worship services, God prepares us for fishing. Our Savior’s Lutheran Church has been here for twenty years as a fishing school, among other things.

So we are prepared, just like that fisherman from Minnesota. God has trained us and continues to train us through his Word and he also give us the equipment that we need right here in the Bible. All we need is right here. It’s the same message that Jesus preached to the Galileans, "Repent and believe the Good News." But you know, we aren’t going to "catch" anything if we don’t go. And so God invites us to go fishing…

II. Because God has called us to go

Every year come January, my dad goes ice fishing up in the northern part of Michigan with a bunch of men from his congregation. Now I remember at Christmas time when I was 12 years old, he pulled me aside and invited me to go along with the men to go ice fishing. And wow! I couldn’t believe it I was going to be man. I was going to go up North with the men. I was excited.

Well, we see the same response from the first disciples. Mark tells us that they left their boats and nets behind to follow Jesus. Jesus invited them to go fishing and through the faith worked in their hearts by the Holy Spirit, they were excited. They left behind their boats, they left behind their nets, James and John even left behind their very own father to follow Jesus immediately. And so they followed Jesus for three years, three years of ups and downs, three years of learning. And when Jesus sent them out, they went out to preach to the whole world…

And let me tell, the fishing wasn’t always easy. Most people didn’t listen to them. The government persecuted them. They were thrown in prison. And we learn from tradition that all except John were executed for being fishers of men…

My friends, Jesus has invited you to go fishing. How are you going to react? Excitement. Joy. "I can’t believe I get to tell people about Jesus." Or is it something like, "I’ve got other things to do." "I don’t know what to say." "We won’t catch anything anyway, nobody will listen." "It’s better if somebody else does it." Those excuses didn’t work for Moses when God called him to service and there not going to work for you, because God has called you to be fisherman. It’s not just the job of the Pastor Dobberstein. God calls to each and every one of us in Matthew 28:19 "Go and make disciples of all nations." But what a privilege, when we see the love that he has showered upon each of us individually, the years of blessings that he has given to your church and to our synod–when we see that amazing grace, we will just want to share that good news with others.