Today we look at Luke Chapter 5. It contains one of the astounding sayings of Jesus, “I will make you Fishers of men.”
You see fishing was how Simon Peter and his brother Andrew made their living. As a matter of fact, fishing is one of the oldest professions in the world. Men learned very early the rewards of time spent luring fish to the shore. I know, growing up in a river town like Catlettsburg, I spent many an hour on the riverbank. And of course, we had our legions. And I know fishermen are famous for stories of the one that got away.
Here in Catlettsburg, there is a legion of a fish that could not be caught. Old Scrap Iron Jack. He was one of the biggest, strongest, meanest Shovel-head Catfish to ever swim in these parts. No one could catch him, absolutely no one. Oh, he had been hooked many times, but never landed. That’s how he got the name “Scrap Iron Jack”, because he had so many hooks in his mouth. Legion has it that he was never caught and still swims the waters of the Ohio and Big Sandy Rivers today. His legion is so big in the he is immortalized in Billy C. Clark’s book, “Song of the River”. Scrap Iron Jack is also featured on the Flood Wall Murals on Oakland Avenue; you can see a picture of Ole Scrap Iron in the waters below the dam.
Luke’s fish story involved a lot more fish than Ole Scrap Iron Jack. It happens on the Sea of Galilee, not the Big Sandy River. The Sea is a beautiful body of water and is still full of fish today. It is really a fresh-water lake, 13 miles long and 8 miles wide. Because it is 680 feet below sea level, it has almost a tropical climate. Nowadays the area around the sea is sparsely populated, but in Jesus’ day, there were nine towns clustered around the Sea, none with less than 15,000 population. Jesus noticed two boats down by the shore, one owned by Simon Peter. Jesus asked if he could use a boat as a speaker’s platform from which to teach the crowds of people. Verse 4 tells us that when Jesus finished teaching and pronounced the benediction, he said to Simon, "Let’s go fishing." Jesus fished in the same clothes he preached in. From Jesus’ example one can see an eleventh commandment: Never go fishing on Sunday unless you have been in a worship service first. Look at verse five. Simon Peter protests, "Master, we toiled all night and caught nothing!" What he really wants to say is, "Look, Jesus, everybody knows that night-time is the best time for fishing. The morning is a terrible time. Besides, we just finished cleaning the nets and we’re dog-tired.
Notice that Simon refers to Jesus as "Master." That was a term denoting someone in authority. But what does a carpenter turned preacher know about fishing? After all, Peter has been a professional fisherman all of his life. Verse 5 includes a great word of faith. In the King James Version the word is "nevertheless." "But because you say so, I will let down the nets." That’s a victory of obedience over preference. Simon Peter was really saying, "Master, I don’t believe there’s a fish within a half-mile of here, but if you say, ‘Let’s go fishing,’ Let’s go."
Verses 6 and 7 tell us what happened. The results were astounding. They caught so many fish that another boat had to be sent out to help gather them. This is one of the great fish stories of all time, and it really happened, which is more than I can say for many fish stories I have heard. That is the way it is with the Lord. When we put our faith in him, nothing is impossible.
Simon Peter finds out that Jesus knows more about fishing than he could ever imagine. In verse 8, he falls to his knees before Jesus and addresses him with a different title. No longer does he call Jesus "Master." Now he is "Lord." This was the term used consistently in the first five books of the Bible as a reference to God. Simon Peter could see clearly that this Jesus was so close to God that he-Simon- felt unworthy to even be around him. In verse 10 Jesus says in effect, "Get on your feet, Simon. I’ve got much bigger plans for you than catching fish. From now on you’re going to be working for God, fishing for people."
Now Simon Peter and his friends sense how great and capable Jesus is. They turn over their fishing business to friends and relatives, confident that Jesus will see that the business is viable enough to support their families. They "left everything and followed him." (Luke 5:11)
This my friends is a lesson on obedience.
I. God Calls Us into Deep Water
I find three life-lessons here. The first is this: God Calls us into deep water. By deep water I mean areas outside our comfort zones where we must be willing to risk everything including our lives. Just imagine that God sent you a clear order to pack up and move to Mexico.
Now, if the Lord sent me that message, I would ask him to put it in writing. But the Lord sent just such a message to our Father Abraham "The Lord said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.’" (Genesis 12:1) God called Abraham into deep water. I guess there has never been a dollar made that did not involve someone taking a risk, or should I say someone willing to try the deep waters.
II.
As smart as you are, God is smarter. He knows everything. My wife Becky once represented a highly educated, brilliant man in court. He had unwisely signed a contract without fully reading it and found himself consenting to something that was against his wellbeing.
At one point, the judge looked at Becky and said, “You have spent a good deal of time praising your client. You tell how brilliant he is and how well he is respected in his field among his peers. Well, if he is so smart, then why in the world did he sign this paper.” Becky very calmly looked at the judge and said with a smile on her face, “Well your honor, you know what Will Rodgers would say?” The judge replied curtly, “No I don’t, what would Will Rodgers say?” Becky answered, “We are all ignorant, just about different things.” How true! We don’t know everything.
But God is all knowing, so don’t even think, when God tells you to do something, that you know a better way Don't give God instructions; just report for duty. God delights in our obedience. As Jesus declared, "If you love me, you will obey what I command." (John 14:15) You may think you have it all figured out, but you are not smarter than God. Let him be the Lord of your life.
III. God Doesn't Call the Qualified; He Qualifies the Called
Here is the third life-lesson: God doesn't call the qualified; he qualifies the called. If God sends you somewhere, he will equip you.
God sent Moses to demand freedom for the Hebrew people from an Egyptian Pharaoh. But Moses said, "O Lord, I have never been eloquent." With remarkable patience the Lord replied, "Who gave man his mouth? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say." (Exodus 4:10-12) God calls some of the most unlikely characters.
So, it is when you and I offer ourselves to God in faithful obedience. It’s just incredible what God can do. Jesus calls us just as he did those first disciples, “Let us all be fishers of men!”
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