“The Call to Go Fishing”
Notes
Transcript
What does it mean to follow Christ?
What does it mean to follow Christ?
Good Morning. Grab your Bibles and turn with me to Luke chapter 5. The title of our message today is, “The Call to Go fishing.” What does it mean to follow Christ? When I was a young boy I had many calls to go fishing with my grandfathers. On many occasions there were some great lessons that I learned, not only about fishing, but also about life. I am forever thankful for the time spent with both my grandpas. They both knew the Lord and followed Him. Let me ask you an important question this morning, are you following Christ? Are you a disciple of Christ? As we take a look into this call to go fishing and what it truly means to be a follower of Christ, you will see that there were several significant steps in this calling!!! Let’s dive in and take a look.
1 On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, 2 and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3 Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4 And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” 6 And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. 7 They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” 9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, 10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” 11 And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.
Here is the first significant step in this calling!
1. We must know the true message of Christ.
1. We must know the true message of Christ.
1 On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, 2 and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3 Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat.
One day or on one occasion Luke tells us that the pressure of the crowds began to grow around Him. The people were pressing closer and closer to Jesus and that made it hard for Him to teach them. We see this same thing in Mark chapter 3 and chapter 4. We also see this in Luke chapter 8 and 19.
One thing we know for sure is that Jesus was bringing the word or message of God to his audience. This message was the gospel of the kingdom of God, and Christ taught in a captivating and authoritative manner in which people heard the truth. Souls were waiting to be fed. The hungry souls of men and women wanted to know truth, and so Christ gave them truth in the messages that He taught. What did Jesus teach? His subject was the good news of salvation, and the truth about entering the Kingdom of God. He also taught them about the truth of sin, the truth about life, the truth about what came after this life, and heaven and hell. It was the truth that could make the spiritually poor, rich in Christ. It was the truth that could set prisoners free, and deliver the oppressed from their bondage. These crowds desperately wanted to know the truth and the truth was coming to set them free.
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
As the crowds began to press in on Christ He realized that in order to solve the problem of the many people surrounding Him He needed to step away and into one of the boats. As He does this He asks its owner to push out a little from the shore. The shore of the lake provided an excellent, acoustically environment for the people to hear the Lord.
The Lord’s work must continue on. No matter what problem or difficulty that came up, Jesus was not going to be distracted or kept from preaching the Word that the Father had sent Him to preach. Since Jesus was the way, the truth, and the life He realized just how important that is was for others to hear the truth.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
In a day and age where many people have been deceived by Satan, do you know the truth of what Jesus has done for you? Do you know that He can set you free from sin? Do you know that you don’t have to be stuck with guilt and shame? Do you know that Jesus can and will forgive you of your sin? Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be forgiven.
Here is the second significant step.
2. We must become Obedient to Christ.
2. We must become Obedient to Christ.
4 And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” 6 And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. 7 They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.
When Jesus finished speaking to the large crowds He commanded Peter to go out to the deeper water, where they might have a fishing lesson. This boat that Jesus was in was large enough for Him and Peter and some of the help Peter would need, to cast out the nets and bring them in.
However, the Lord’s command here must have seemed very unreasonable to these expert fisherman, especially after a very long and unsuccessful night of fishing. “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” A carpenter telling experienced fisherman how to catch fish didn’t seem to add up, and then trying to fish at an unlikely place and time, like deep water and in the middle of the day would not have presented itself as a place to catch fish.
I think many of us can begin to see the problem right??? The problem down through time, humanly speaking has always been how to find the fish even with our modern technology of fish finders. Where are they, why are they not biting on this jig or worm??? But Jesus knows exactly where the fish are! This proves to us that even in the Lord’s human nature He was divinely omniscient. This word means that Jesus was infinitely wise or all knowing. Today as we think about this great characteristic of Jesus we can take great comfort in the Lord’s knowledge, that He is all knowing. Listen to what Peter said about this in the Gospel of John.
17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.
So, notice here Peter’s response to the Lord’s command. Peter calls Christ, Master which means chief or commander, one who has authority. Even though Peter has an excuse of why not to go fishing, he obeys the Lord. I will do as you say and let down the nets. “At your word Jesus I will obey.” Peter had heard the Lord speak, he had witnessed Jesus do a miracle in his own home by healing his mother-in-law and now he was asked to obey Jesus.
Church the practical lesson for us today is that we as Christians should be willing to obey even when things don’t make sense or add up. We should be willing to obey without excuses to the Lord’s commands. When Jesus tells us to go, we are to go. When Christ tells us to stay and not go, we also need to obey.
We now come to the blessing of obedience. Not only did Jesus know where to find the fish and that He was all-knowing, we also see here that Christ was omnipotent. Jesus is all-powerful. This amazing load of fish, so much that their nets were breaking shows the power of Jesus. Peter and the others were so stunned that day of the enormous load of fish that there was no human explanation for this. Truly the Lord had done another miracle for them. These fisherman had just witnessed a mighty display of the Lord’s power which caused their nets to break and the other boat to come and help them pull in all the fish. This was such a powerful scene that Luke tells us that both of these boats began to sink. Church that’s a lot of fish! The Lord knows all, and is all powerful, however He desires that we follow Him in obedience to His commands. Are you following the Lord today? Are you walking in obedience to Christ? Or are you living for yourself? Don’t trust in your foolish ways because all that leads too is pain and heartache. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and follow Him.
Step number 3.
3. We must become aware of Christ’s holiness and our sinfulness.
3. We must become aware of Christ’s holiness and our sinfulness.
8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” 9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken,
Something significant happens to Peter as he witnesses this wonderful miracle. As this miracle plays out in front of him, Peter now begins to truly understand the Lord’s glory and holiness. There is one greater than man in his boat! In light of the Lord’s power and holiness, Peter also sees his own sinfulness, his own unworthiness. This reminds us of the prophet Isaiah.
1 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory!”
4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
Woe, woe is me for I am a man of unclean lips. As Isaiah and Peter both witnessed God and His holiness, it made them aware of their sinfulness. Church the more that we understand about God and who He is makes us aware that we are all sinners in need of a mighty Savior. Simon Peter pours out his heart in humble confession and adoration to Christ. Luke tells us here that Simon fell on his knees and wanted the Lord to leave him because of his sinful and unworthy state. Peter stands in awe of Jesus and confesses that He is the Lord. The title “Lord” here in verse 8 carries the meaning of God. This miracle had brought Peter to a place where the Lord wanted him to be. To recognize his sinfulness. This was the same response of the penitent tax collector in Luke chapter 18.
13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’
It’s the acknowledgment of our sinfulness, that begins the goodness of the good news. Christ desires for His children to be broken and repentant over our sin. We must admit it, because then and only then can He truly use us as His disciples. Are you broken over your sin? Have you repented over your sin or are you holding on to sinful habits. Confess those to Christ and know that you will be forgiven.
Notice here in verse 9 that this amazement overwhelmed Peter and all his companions. Luke specifically names James and John along with Peter and later on in the Lord’s ministry these 3 would see even more of the Lord’s power and knowledge.
We now come to our final step.
4. We must know the promises of Christ.
4. We must know the promises of Christ.
10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” 11 And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.
Jesus now speaks to Peter and gives him a wonderful promise. “Do not to be afraid.” When we have trusted Christ and are following Him in obedience we have nothing to be afraid of. Seeking to calm Peter and encourage him the Lord does not want Peter to be fearful. As believers of course we are to have a healthy fear of God as we see throughout Scripture.
4 You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him.
So, we are to have a healthy and reverent fear of God, but not a terror of the Lord, or as a sinner who lives in
constant terror of God’s judgment. The Lord’s wonderful mercy would now take Peter and these disciples from fear, to being fishers of men. From this moment on Peter’s vocation will dramatically change. Peter has been catching fish and now he will be catching the hearts and souls of men and women. Peter would now spend the rest of his life telling people about the good news, the life changing news of Jesus.
Luke helps us to see the formal call of these 3 men to follow Jesus and become His disciples. Luke tells us here that when these men brought their boats to shore they left everything and followed Jesus. What exactly did they leave???
-They left their fishing business. The fish, the boats, the nets. The left it all.
-They left their homes.
-They left their families.
-They left everything.
At the pinnacle of their fishing careers, having just caught the greatest catch ever they abandon everything to follow Jesus. Church, when we see our sinfulness and truly understand the holiness of God it causes us to truly follow the Lord. We become less and less attracted to the things of this world and more and more excited to follow Christ. The promise of the Lord is still there for you and I. We have nothing to fear if we have Christ. However, we are still called to follow the Lord and be fishers of men.
-Pray.
-Lead into Communion.