FISHING LIKE JESUS FISHED
It didn’t use to be popular but there is a new breed of fisherman out their today – It is the Catch and Release Fisherman.
Basically… it’s about the sport and not about just catching fish to catch fish. In Catch and Release – you catch them but you also release them back into the waters.
In Christianity – we catch them – bring them in and disciple them – and then release them.
Let’s go to Luke 5:1-11. Let’s look at the fishing method of Jesus.
Sometimes it takes years and years of chiseling and shaping in our lives.
Luke 4:31-32 (NLT) 31 Then Jesus went to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and taught there in the synagogue every Sabbath day. 32 There, too, the people were amazed at his teaching, for he spoke with authority.
Notice that Jesus spoke with “authority.” This was the type of kingdom ministry that was having an onslaught against the enemy.
Because of this… the crowds began to follow Jesus.
Luke 5:1 (NLT) 1 One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God.
Notice… that there were so many people that they began to “press” Jesus toward the water (which was Lake Gennesaret or the Sea Of Galilee).
This lake is 13 miles long and 8 miles wide. It is 680 feet below sea level. It is in a tropical area making it one of the garden spots of the world.
Luke 5:2 (NLT) 2 He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets.
FISHING LIKE JESUS FISHED
1. Be Personal - Jesus had and encounter with Simon. He meets them where they are.
Luke 5:3 (NLT) 3 Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon, its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there.
How many of you have had “encounters” with God. These are moments that are “GOD-MOMENTS” that unless you seize them – you will miss it.
Whether it be at this church or the places where you live and work – God can show up.
Look at what Jesus was already doing here.
He was teaching a crowd of people the word of God. They were listening to him. He had a captive audience, what more could he ask for?
Wasn’t this what he was sent to earth to do, to teach people about God and the way of salvation? But then he saw something else that attracted his attention.
He saw two boats by the water’s edge. Two old boats used for fishing. There were two boats because fishermen often worked together in a coop arrangement to catch more fish.
Jesus saw the fishermen washing their nets that they used to catch their fish. And Jesus changed what he was doing.
He stopped. He went over to the boats and asked one of the fishermen to take him out on the boat a little ways from the shore.
And the fisherman, named Simon, did just that. Jesus sat down in the boat and continued to teach the people from there.
Now more people would be able to see Jesus as he spoke.
I believe there was clearly another reason why Jesus wanted to speak from the boat. He wanted later on to talk to the owner of the boat, Simon.
And this observation leads us to the first point we want to make about Jesus: He is not only interested in crowds, he is also interested in you individually.
• Jesus Is Never Too Busy!
When we come together – there are usually more than a few. It would be easy for us to get lost in the crowd.
But it is important for all of us to know – that Jesus wants us to know that He is interested in what is happening in your life right now. He is interested in you!
This is what God did with Simon – even though He was ministering to the crowds – he wanted to touch Simon’s life in a personal way.
What an astounding thought, Jesus was willing to leave the crowds in order to focus on just one person.
But why does Jesus approach just one person? Why would Jesus change his focus from one group to a single person? In other words, why would Jesus change from doing a perfectly good thing?
2. Stimulate Their Thinking – v.4
Luke 5:4 (NLT) 4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.”
• When Jesus Meets Us, It Is to Take Us from Shallow Faith to Deeper Faith
This is what happened to Simon.
He had been washing the nets while keeping one ear listening to Jesus.
He had other responsibilities and duties to do. He had to fish to make a living. His family relied on him to bring in a good catch to eat and to sell.
Simon was working hard at his job, like many of you are, in making a living for your family.
So he thought he couldn’t give up what he was doing and just spend the whole day with Jesus.
But Jesus was going to do something special in his life.
Notice that when Jesus asked Simon to sit in his boat, he asked Simon to put out a little from the shore (vs. 3).
Then after he had finished teaching the people, he told Simon to put out into the deep water to go for a catch of fish.
This movement from shallow water into deeper water I take as an analogy of what Jesus was going to do in Simon’s faith life.
Jesus was going to take Simon from his superficial, half-hearted and casual attention to him and turn that into a deeper, more personal and real commitment to Jesus.
3. Deal With The Obstacles – v.5
Luke 5:5 (NLT) 5 “Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.”
EXPECT OBSTACLES!
Simon protested mildly, saying, "Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything…. But because you say so, I will let down the nets" (vs. 5).
In other words, "I’ve already been there and nothing happened. But, oh well, since it is you, I will give it one more try."
He made a choice to follow Jesus – in spite of the obstacles.
So… how does Jesus take us from where we are to where he wants us to be?
By pushing us, that’s how. Jesus pushes us, ever gently, sometimes with words, sometimes with actions.
He gently pushes us away from one level of stability, as symbolized by the shallow water near the shore, to a place where we are more dependent on God, as symbolized by the deeper water.
And we might also mildly argue with him, saying, "Lord, I’ve already been there and done that." “”I’ve already tried reading the Bible, I’ve already prayed, and it hasn’t worked. I’ve already But hopefully we won’t stop there, but will continue to say, "But if this is what you want me to do, to go once again from where I am now, then so be it."
What happens in the deeper water? It is more scary. It is more unstable, at least more unfamiliar.
But it is also where there are more fish. Fishermen never catch many fish from the shore; they have to go out into the deep water to catch larger fish and more fish.
Likewise, Jesus wants to take you from your comfortable shoreline to a deeper place where you will find more food for your soul and more dependence on him.
It doesn’t matter where God is taking us or which direction we are going because He promises to go with us.
And the comforting thing for us to know is that even though we don’t know exactly where the boat is going, we know that Jesus is sitting in the boat with us.
To know that the captain of the boat is with us is very comforting when we don’t know where we are going. But the captain does.
And the journey to the deeper water is always to help us to know God better.
4. Reel Them In – v.6
This is the result of obedience!
Luke 5:6 (NLT) 6 And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear!
• Jesus Turns What We Are Concerned About Into What He Is Concerned About
At the right time – Jesus causes them to have the net breaking catch of their lives.
JESUS IS THE NET BREAKER IN OUR LIVES.
Jesus wasn’t interested in them getting more fish – He was interested in them becoming fishers of men.
Jesus, as he always does, takes the physical things, which are our first interest, and turns it into a matter of spiritual interest.
And when we have learned that lesson, then God has accomplished his purpose in us and will be ready to use us spiritually.
God took fishermen and made them into fishers of men, like he did with Peter and his friends. Likewise, whatever careers we do, God will also teach us faith lessons.
FAITHFUL. FAITHFUL. FAITHFUL. FRUITFUL
5. Stay With The Catch – v.7
Once the fish are on the line - Sometimes it takes a long time and a lot of work to bring them in. (DISCIPLESHIP)
• Partner with others
Luke 5:7 (NLT) 7 A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking.
Notice that their boat began to sink. What started out as a blessing was turning sour.
• Expect obstacles
Acts 6 tells how the church was growing and God was moving in their midst.
But problems came along.
How many know that problems will arise when you are following God?
The problem the Acts church was having was the problem of racial prejudices – Jewish and Greek differences.
Luke 5:8-9 (NLT) 8 When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m too much of a sinner to be around you.” 9 For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him.
6. Be An Encourager – v.10
Luke 5:10 (NLT) 10 His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed. Jesus replied to Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!”
Don’t be afraid.
• Whenever God calls us – He enables us
They came to fish – God came to call them to follow Him.
2 Timothy 1:12 (NLT) 12 …I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return.
7. Release Them – v.11
Luke 5:11 (NLT) 11 And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus.
• Whenever God calls us – We must follow Him Obediently
Matthew 19:27-30 (NLT) 27 Then Peter said to him, “We’ve given up everything to follow you. What will we get?” 28 “Yes,” Jesus replied, “and I assure you that when the world is made new and the Son of Man sits upon his glorious throne, you who have been my followers will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then.
