Discipleship - Called to follow and fish
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Intro
Intro
Who here likes to fish?
Or maybe I should put it this way, … Who doesn’t?
Well after this morning you will love to fish!
We are called by God through Christ to be disciples and make disciples.
called to follow Him
called to be fisher’s of people
So what does that look like?
What does it mean to be fisher’s of people? To be disciples making disciples?
Our text this morning reveals to us more than just fishermen being called from their boats to a life of discipleship.
It reveals a significant calling for us as a church today and how we fit in God’s mission to the world!
Part 1
Part 1
Chapter 5 in the Gospel of Luke takes place on the sea of Galilee
by the town Genessaret - which is why it is referred to as Lake Genessaret.
The crowd is pressing in on Jesus to hear God’s Word.
This is very important.
This whole event starts with God’s Word from Jesus.
This theme running through Luke is the power and authority of God’s Word.
Jesus sees two boats… gets in Peter’s boat and asked him to push off from shore a bit.
Jesus is now in the boat with Peter and He sits down to teach/preach to the crowd from the shallow waters.
Look @ the setting
Boat in the shallows facing the shore - it was like an amphitheater
Do we have the formation of Jesus’ church here?
I mean a crowd of people were pressing on Jesus to hear God’s Word
They gathered to listen and hear not to expect healing or miracles (the text only says they pressed toward him to hear the Word of God) - again its power and authority.
Basically they gathered for worship like we did this morning… to hear God’s Word.
PAUSE
When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”
“Master,” Simon replied, “we’ve worked hard all night long and caught nothing. But if you say so, I’ll let down the nets.”
When he finished preaching to everyone he told Peter to Go out into the deep waters to fish.
If you fish you know there are good times to catch fish and not good times to catch fish.
This was the time when the fishing was terrible.
I mean even during the prime time (at night) they didn’t catch anything.
But Jesus says, go. He didn’t ask Peter if he would do it… He told him to do it.
and Peter, even though He probably thought it was a waste of time or too much work for little result, He listened to Jesus because He said so.
Remember Peter had heard Jesus’ teaching from the shallows, had witnessed Jesus’ power and authority when His Words rebuked his mother-in-law’s great fever, and now will trust in Jesus’ Word when he says to “go and drop the nets for a catch.”
He will have faith in what Jesus has said.
When they did this, they caught a great number of fish, and their nets began to tear.
So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them; they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
The miracle amount of fish was so great that the one boat had to call their partners in fishing to come and help and take part in the catch.
They were so full that they began to sink!!! That is A LOT OF FISH!
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’s knees and said, “Go away from me, because I’m a sinful man, Lord!”
He knew right then and there that he was not worthy to be in the presence of God.
I am not worthy of the miracle catch of fish!
And what does Jesus say:
“Don’t be afraid, from now on you will be catching people.”
Then they brought the boats to land, left everything, and followed him.
PAUSE
Part 2
Part 2
So what does this all reveal to us about us?
Other than this being a cool fishing story where the first disciples are called from their vocation to service of the Lord… what does this mean for us?
PAUSE
IT MEANS EVERYTHING!
It means we are called by God himself to go out into the world and catch people!
Let’s go through these verses again in the context of us now:
The sea is the world
The fish are the people of the world
The net is the Gospel…
The casting of the net is the preaching/proclamation of the Gospel
The boat is the church/the body of Christ.
Notice throughout this passage that the very presence of God is in the boat.
JESUS IS IN THE BOAT!
His very presence is right here in the boat/church.
He speaks to us in the shallow waters
The shallow waters are waters that are easy and comfortable
The shallow waters are filled with Christians or people we are closest too… that we are comfortable with.
The boat in the shallow waters is safe and comfortable.
We hear the Word of God every week from the shallow waters.
But remember… When Jesus finishes speaking He says to “Go out into the deep and drop the nets.”
PAUSE
Our response after hearing His Word should be that of Peter… “If you say so, (By your Holy Word Lord) I’ll let down the nets.”
We are called to be disciples… to follow Christ.
We are called to take the church/the boat out into the deep waters of our world.
To drag the nets of the gospel to all the fish that are roaming lost in the deep waters!
That is what we are called to do as Christ’s Disciples! Even though it can be dangerous waters… scary… unpredictable!!!
We can confidently go out to the deep because of A VERY KEY AND IMPORTANT FACT:
Jesus Christ is present and active in the boat!
PAUSE
But I’m not worthy… I am too sinful… wouldn’t that make me a hypocrite!?
But what does Jesus say…
“Do Not Be Afraid” (encourage their response first)
That’s the Gospel of grace…
Jesus says: “Do not be afraid…
I have covered you with my blood
I have clothed you in my righteousness
I have given you new life
I have sent the Holy Spirit to work through you
I have called you.
You are never alone because I am always with you.”
PAUSE
I think of Isaiah 6 when He saw the Lord in His throne room… Isaiah’s response to seeing the Lord and the Lord’s reply… and then Isaiah’s response to the Lord’s grace
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, and the hem of his robe filled the temple.
Seraphim were standing above him; they each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew.
And one called to another: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Armies; his glory fills the whole earth.
The foundations of the doorways shook at the sound of their voices, and the temple was filled with smoke.
Then I said: Woe is me for I am ruined because I am a man of unclean lips and live among a people of unclean lips, and because my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Armies.
Then one of the seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was a glowing coal that he had taken from the altar with tongs.
He touched my mouth with it and said: Now that this has touched your lips, your iniquity is removed and your sin is atoned for.
Then I heard the voice of the Lord asking: Who should I send? Who will go for us? I said: Here I am. Send me.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Here I am… Send me.
Then they brought the boats to land, left everything and followed him.
PAUSE
You are saved by grace through faith in Christ. Through His death, resurrection, and ascension.
Through Christ’s blood, through His forgiveness of your sins, you are given a new life!
But not only a new life, but a new calling.
A calling to deeper waters to serve Him.
To cast the net into the deep, to proclaim the Gospel.
The net in our hands is the powerful authoritative Word of God!!!
Christ through the Holy Spirit who’s within us, will catch others alive through our casting of the net.
We drag the net in every aspect of our lives because Christ is present and active to catch others through us.
The are drawn back to the boat where the fish come and gather to hear more of God’s powerful, living active Word.
It is here, Sunday Morning worship (in the boat), where we gather, both fishermen and fish to worship Him who’s Word has the power and authority to save, transform, and empower.
Then, we head back out from the shallows to the deep as a church (a boat) full of fishermen:
Strengthened
renewed
Rejuvenated
All to continue letting down the net of the Gospel to catch people alive for the purpose of Christ saving souls and growing His kingdom of the children of God.
And it is all done through us by the Power and Authority of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
By Jesus’ Words he says from now on we catch people.
We go renewed in energetic passion with His guidance to gather souls for His Kingdom and we must not do this merely in the “shallow waters,” but in the “deep water”
- not only in the vicinity of settled church life, but also among the great masses of people where the need is so great!
When the church is faithful in this, “people WILL be caught” -
Christ’s holy church WILL bear fruit.
All for His Glory.
We are disciples called to discipleship.
PRAISE GOD!!!
May we ALL as fishers of people in Christ’s Holy Boat respond:
“HERE I AM LORD… SEND ME! I’LL GO”
& then by Christ’s Holy power and Spirit - Go… into the deep waters… and follow Him casting the net of the Gospel.
The same Gospel that you have been given through God’s grace.
All power and glory to the one true king, our Lord and Saviour… Jesus.
Amen.