Fishing Lessons
1. Ice fishing story. I like to fish,relaxing. Better to catch, though.
2. Story about group of disappointed fishermen. Of Peter, John, &
James, 3 of Jesus’ closest disciples.
3. Expected to catch something. Not for fun, livelihood. What they
did for a living, how they fed their families. Seasoned fisherman.
Right equipment, knew what time was best to fish.
4. Vs. 5 fishing all night long, dropping nets, lifting them out,
empty. very disappointing.
5. Type of fishing-thousands of years, series of nets called
trammel nets, one boat lay out wall of nets not far from shore in
the shape of semi-circle, other boat near shore would scare
schools of fish into net. 3 layers of netting. Only worked at nite,
fish could see netting in daytime & avoid nets.
6. Now can see why Peter was reluctant. Fished all nite, no fish.
Little chance in daylight. Nets were all cleaned.
7. Tiger Woods. 4 of 15 tournaments. Change swing. While doing
won 1 tournament in 19 mos. Won 10 of next 14, 6 in a row, 3 of
4 majors. Few knew completely revamped swing after 1st yr.
Why change good thing? Wanted to be better, knew he could.
8. Jesus not afraid of changing things, even good things, because
of something He wants to accomplish.
9. Stopped preaching, went over to the boats, asked one of the
fishermen to take him out. Different location, more effective,
people still see, voice project more because shore functioned like
an amphitheater. Another reason Jesus wanted to talk from boat.
Later He wanted to talk with owner of boat, Peter. Not only
interested in crowds, He is also interested in you individually.
10. Jesus meets us where we are. Reason: to take us from
shallow faith to a deeper faith. Happened to Peter. Casually
listening while tending to duties & responsibilities. Had to make
living. Couldn’t give up what he was doing & spend whole day
with Jesus.
11. When Jesus finished speaking to people, told Peter to put out
into deep water to catch fish. Analogy: Shallow water to deep =
shallow faith to deeper faith.
12. How does Jesus take us from where we are to where He
wants us to be? Gently pushing-with words, actions- away from 1
level of stability(symbolized by shallow water) to place where
we’re more dependent on God (Deeper water).
13. Jesus takes our health/turns it a bit, so we realize must look
at life not just materially, but spiritually. Takes our stable jobs/
turns it a bit, so we redefine what we mean by success. Takes our
stable marriages & relationships/turns it a bit, so we realize they
take work & communication & spiritual connection.
14. What happens in deeper water? More scary, more unstable
more unfamiliar. Out of our comfort zone. But also where there
are more fish. Never catch as many fish on shore. Go out into
deep water to catch more fish.
15. We need to get out there where the fish are! Can’t sit on
shore & wait for them to come to us. “they know where we are,
they ought to be in church.” NO! NO! We have to launch out into
the deep. To catch fish, you have to go where they are.
16. 3 necessities:
A.Bait the hook-Jesus did. Give them something to gain their
interest. Jesus went to where they were. Show an interest in
them & way of life. You may be only contact with Christian they
have.
Meet their needs. Peter obedient, caught fish. Blessing rec’d.
from being obedient. Almost missed out. Vs. 5-worked hard all
nite. 1
of the most common excuses.
B. Put out into deep water. More fish will be in deeper water
because they feel safer & food source is more abundant. Do as
Jesus did go meet them where they are. To catch fish you have to
go where the fish are.
C. Draw them in. So many fish nets began to break. Throwing out
the net is easy, bringing it up when full is hardest. That is where
the greatest blessing is. Obedience brings blessings. Many people
out there we need to draw in. God needs a place to put them. A
place He can depend on to minister to them. And so we must
draw them in.
17. Things to remember. 1. Fish don’t want to get caught.
Neither do people. 2. Takes time, be patient. 3. Be persistent,
keep fishing, sometimes you catch something, sometimes you
don’t. 4. Competition. Satan is a fisherman, too. Trying to get
people hooked on alcohol, drugs, pride, all kinds of hooks.
5. God wants everyone in His family to fish, regardless of how
good you may think you are at it. 6. Only God can make a fish
bite a hook. If they don’t bite, don’t take it to heart. You’re doing
the fishing God has sent you to do. Remember some plant, some
water, some harvest. 7. Finally, God thinks people are worth a
lot more than fish....
PRAYER
Father, it may seem our nets have not yielded much but we
rest easy in knowing that if we are truly being obedient to your
call to be fishers of men then the potential is there for an
abundant catch. Help us to bait the hook a little better and more
often. Help us to carefully evaluate our ministry. Show us where
the deeper water is so we know where you need us to cast our
nets. Lord, when you place someone in front of us who is lost or
hurting, help us to recognize that need and then draw them in,
ministering to them with the same love that Jesus has shown us.
