Called to Fish
Luke 5:1-11
Thanks and Praise be to God, that starting today we have a new facility (new to us) to worship in on each Lords day. Having this facility presents both blessing’s and challenges, today we will address one of the challenges.
Before the challenge is stated, I would like you all to know, the leadership team (Elders and Ministers) thank God for each of you and the Spiritual growth that is taking place in this congregation. This message and challenge is certainly made easier because you love the Lord and are mature as disciples who recognized the need to evangelize through personal evangelism.
Challenge – We must do all we can to fill the chairs with those that “Need the Lord” And we all need the Lord:
Romans 3:22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (NIV)
Who Need’s the Lord?
Those that have never accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior
Those who have fallen away and need restored
The Body of Christ
Today, we don’t have sufficient time to cover all three areas; therefore our focus will be on, “Those that have never accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior”.
Servants of God in the Bible are often described with common metaphors: shepherds, builders, farmers, fishermen etc.
Some may accuse me of doing anything I can to talk about fishing, but it was Jesus who compared the kingdom to fishing.
Matthew 13:47 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. 48When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. 49So it will be at the close of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous 50 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (ESV)
Our Text today will be Luke 5:1-11 (Please turn there now if you would like to follow along)
Location – Sea of Galilee
Sea of Galilee – 13 miles long, 7 miles wide, lowest freshwater lake on earth ( 209 meters below sea level),
Potential Christian Fishermen
Luke 5:1One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, 2he saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.
Common Ordinary People
Jesus is about to make Ordinary People His disciples and Fishermen
Abraham Lincoln – “God must have loved common people – he made so many of them”
Jesus did not go to the recognized schools of higher learning
Jesus didn’t pick the most knowledgeable rabbis of Jerusalem
To Realize Your Potential – We should NOT think so much of what we are as what the Lord will do with us if we let HIM
They were Busy People - Verse 2
Involved in their work
It has been said, if you want a job done get a busy person to do it
Simon’s boat became the pulpit for Jesus
Jesus did teach in synagogues
He also taught from a boat
What boat do you have? (Place of Business, Home, Fishing Pier, Office, etc.) Let your light shine…
Potential Christian Workers (Potential Fishermen and Fisherwomen)-
Picture in your mind the church as a very long line of workers, because that’s what it is and this solitary line includes all members from the newly baptized girl of sixteen at one end of the spectrum to the trained disciple, Bible student, teacher, preacher and Elder at the other end. Between these two ends come all the workers of the Church.
Luke 5:4When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch."
5Simon answered, "Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets."
A Sure Catch – Jesus said, “FOR A CATCH”!!! Verse 4
Prerequisite - Let down your nets!
Key Idea – Because of the word of Jesus he let down his net
Illustration - There was a missionary translator that was having problems finding the right word for “obedience” in the native language. Obedience was a virtue that was seldom practiced among the people. As he returned home one day, he whistled for his dog. The dog came running at full speed. An old native, seeing this, said admiringly, “Your dog is all ear.” Immediately the missionary knew he had his word. Obedience is being all ears. Our Church needs to be all ears for Jesus Christ. – Simon heard Jesus!
Simon not only heard he willingly obeyed…He let down the nets!!!
Illustration - W.B. Riley (Pastor, died 1947) used to tell the story of a man who had walked the streets of Philadelphia searching for employment. One day he happened to into the office of a well-known businessman by the name of Girard. When he asked for a job, Mr. Girard said, “Yes, I can give you work. See that pile of bricks over there? Carry them over to the other end of the yard and stack them up.” The man worked all day and at the end of the day reported that he had moved all the bricks. The next day he came in and Girard asked him to carry the bricks back to where he found them. For more than a week he carried those bricks back and forth. It became evident that he was dependable and could be trusted to do exactly what he was told. Then he was given a new and bigger responsibility. He was sent downtown and was told to bid on a large quantity of sugar. No one at the auction knew the fellow and were somewhat surprised by his bid. His bid was accepted by the auctioneer and asked him who would pay the bill. “Mr. Girard,” replied the man. “I am his agent.” The man earned his position by being faithful and obedient in a menial task.
For a Catch – Let down the Nets – Put your lines in the water
Fisher’s of Men need to be engaged in some form of communication with those who are LOST.
Face to face
Phone
Text
Important Point - The Lost
Luke 19: 10For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."
Lost – maybe the most frightening word in the English language
Imagine what its like to be physically lost:
To be lost at sea – What would you be doing and thinking if you were in the water? What would you be doing and thinking if you were on land waiting for loved ones?
(Pause) Allow the congregation to consider that scenario for about 20 seconds
A very young child lost from their parents –
Explain possible scenarios and then pause and allow consideration of what its like to be the child that is lost or the one’s waiting.
Now imagine what it’s like to be lost spiritually!
Being lost spiritually isn’t temporary like being lost at sea or being separated and lost from loved one’s temporarily.
Following Jesus example we need to seek those that are lost and offer Jesus to them, that they also might have the eternal hope.
We need to show the lost they are loved, because they are!!!
Pause
Please continue in our scripture for today…
Romans 5:6When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
This is truly amazing – It was a well known fact that when you fish the Sea of Galilee, you catch fish at night and in shallow water. But Jesus had them fish during the daytime and put out into deep water.
It’s no wonder that Simon Peter acted the way he did…
Romans 5:8 When Simon Peter saw this; he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!" 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.
You just have to love Peter’s honesty, “Go away from me, Lord I am a sinful man!”
Jesus came to save people from sin – Matthew 1:21
However only those who realize the reality of their sins are in a spiritual state to be saved. The lost need a Savior, but only those who know they are lost want one.
Then Jesus said to Simon, "Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men." 11So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him. (NIV)
Peter’s calling is now to “Catch Men”
We have that same calling; we need to be fishers of men!!!
Question – Why can’t we get as excited about “catching men” as we do about catching fish?
Fishermen get up early
Endure inconveniences and hardships
Good Fishermen Catch Fish and…
Love to Fish
Know something about fish
Have the right bait
Are Optimistic
Work Together (Net Fishing like Peter was doing),
1st Corinthians 3:6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.
Are Patient!!!
Not Discouraged
Conclusion
Be consistent, maximize every opportunity God sents your way...
Realize the Opportunity - Illustration - I read a story about two shoe salesmen who were sent to Africa to open new sales territories. Three days after they arrived, one salesman faxed a message, “I will be returning on the next plane. I can’t sell shoes here. Everyone goes barefoot.” A fax was received from the other salesman, “Send all the shoes you can. Prospects unlimited. Nobody here has shoes.”
Matthew 9: 37Then he said to his disciples,
"The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.
The harvest is plentiful, realize the doors that God has opened and will open.
1st Corinthians 16:8But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, 9because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.
2nd Corinthians 2:12Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me,
Acts 14:27On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.
God opened doors for Paul, He opens doors for His Church and that includes Coastline Christian Church. Be fishers of men, God wants you to be no less.
Luke 19: 10For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."
Let us Pray!
