Choosing to Fish

Teaching Series: VERY GOOD CHOICES part #2 CHOOSING TO FISH sunday July 15, 2012 .... Luke 4:14-21, 38-44, 5:1-11 Jesus has clearly accepted his unique identity & calling, the program is set. Now he recruits people to join him in the mission. A fishing boat encounter with the partners & friends of Peter reveals a simple formula for blessing: Listen + Obey = Success • if we want a miracle, we must take Jesus at his word when he bids us attempt the impossible • frustrating failures can be turned into surprising successes! Building on the experience of the blessing, the team is built: kneeling acknowledges humility in the presence of Lordship; listening receives reassurance; sacrifice displays commitment, risk & faith; following signifies loyalty & purpose. “Don’t be afraid, from now on you will catch men.” So they pulled their boats up on a shore, left everything and followed him.

Extended Notes:

INTRODUCTION • There’s a fine line between fishing and standing on the shore like an idiot. - Steven Wright • There are more fish taken out of a stream than ever were in it. - Oliver Hereford

FISHING BOAT ENCOUNTER

We started today’s Scripture with Jesus reading Scripture & teaching in the synagogue. Now Luke 5 opens with a lakeside scene. Sea of Galilee/Sea of Tiberias/Lake of Gennesaret = 13 miles long, 8 miles wide, 680 feet below sea level William Barclay quotes John Wesley = “I love a commodious room, a soft cushion and a handsome pulpit – but field preaching saves souls.”

• Verse 4: A carpenter telling a fisherman how to fish is like .... • Verse 5: “We’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything” • Verse 5: “But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”

A fishing boat encounter with the partners & friends of Peter reveals a simple formula for blessing: Listen + Obey = Success

So many fish, the nets begin to break! So many fish, the signal goes out to the partners to help! So many fish, two boats are filled and about to sink! So many fish, all were astonished at the catch! So many fish, this must the greatest moment of our fishing career!

William Barclay (who does not believe in miracles .... Jesus, with his keen eyesight, “saw a shoal of fishes” but did not “create a shoal of fishes”, and therefore made it “look like a miracle” ironically says “if we want a miracle, we must take Jesus at his word when he bids us attempt the impossible.”

With Jesus, frustrating failures can be turned into surprising successes. Jesus transforms tests into testimonies. But the lesson is much bigger than a fishing trip: this catch is a picture of how he will guide the disciples in other more spiritual, and yes, more important affairs.

JESUS RECRUITS PEOPLE TO WORK HIS PROGRAM

In the Jewish setting, rabbis would gather students around them. But Jesus attracts – no, intentionally recruits – fishermen, tax collectors, former revolutionaries – “just plain old sinners” as D.L. Bock writes, “not theological professionals”!

JOINING THE CAUSE

• No perfection prerequisite Peter quickly perceives that he is not worthy to experience the benefits of God’s power & presence. There is no presumption that God owns him anything. Jesus, exemplifying God’s grace, makes it clear that Peter has exactly what it takes to be a partner in His ministry program: such a humble approach is just what God will use! God does not call, need or want servants who think they can help God get it done. Peter knows that in Jesus God is right here, right now! And God is holy! And I’m a sinner! I’m at risk! Like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Moses, Gideon – bowed low in humility, guilt, uncertainty, insecurity

• No hesitation The response is instantaneous Mark 1:18, Matthew 4:20, 22 = “at once”, “immediately” the response is total: The question is, what’s it gonna cost? Verse 11 “And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.” They walked away, not just from the fish, the biggest catch they’d ever had. They also walked away from the nets, which were very valuable, and the fleet of boats. They walked away from their business. Now, see, some of you, you say, “I will follow Jesus providing it doesn’t cost anything.” And Peter leaves everything.

Pastor Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church = What I love is he doesn’t say, “Okay, Jesus, I’ll be there in three months. First, we gotta take these fish in and collect this money, ‘cause this is a lot of loot. And then, we gotta sell the nets, so we gotta put that on eBay. That could be a few weeks, we gotta knock that out. But then we gotta sell the boats, ‘cause the boats are worth a lot. And once I get all that squared up and I get money in the bank and I get my affairs in order and everything’s secure, then Jesus, I’m ready to roll.” What he does, he just…”That’s it, I’m following Jesus. I’m following Jesus.”

Am I saying every one of you should quit your job? No. Should some of you? Yeah, if God tells you to do that. It’s amazing. They left everything. I mean, we’re in a day when following Jesus and seeing people get saved, for the average Christian, is not even in the—literally if you kept a journal—in the top 100 priorities, if you actually followed the dollars and the hours and how they were spent. Some of you don’t even know your non-Christian neighbors. Some of you don’t even care about non-Christians. Some of you don’t even talk to them. And here’s the mark of immaturity, “It’s about me, not them. It’s about what I get, not what I give. It’s about how I’m served, not how I serve. It’s about what I want, not about what the city needs.” It’s the mark of immaturity. What does a baby think about? Themselves. They left everything, left everything. What are you willing to pay so that people would meet Jesus

PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM It is time to cast the nets in a different sea; the sea of humanity’s need for God. The mission is to catch persons alive. WHAT IT IS: 4: 18, 19 HOW IT’S DONE:

In the Power of the Spirit If you are a Christian or become one, you have the Holy Spirit. So far we have seen that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, that he was baptized in the Holy Spirit, that he was filled by the Holy Spirit, that he was led by the Holy Spirit. In this section we read that he was empowered by the Holy Spirit and here we say, Isaiah 61 has come true. The prophecy has been fulfilled, that the Spirit of the Lord is on him.

With total commitment to the cause • Driscoll = follow your calling, not your potential 4:43 • As already noted, a prompt rsvp is given + evidence of “all in”

CONCLUSION

And he rolled up the scroll,” Jesus did, “and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, ‘Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’” “Today, this little room, this little town, with these simple people, the Spirit of the Lord is on me. Today I’m the Christ,” (which means anointed one). “All of this is fulfilled in me. Today I’m your riches. I’m your freedom. I’m your sight. I’m your liberation. That’s me,” Jesus says. “It’s all about me,” - and it is! Today, it’s all about Jesus. And Today it is time to start fishing! You don’t commit yourself to regularly gathering with people in church some day—today. You don’t commit yourself to reading the Scriptures as Jesus did someday—today. You don’t determine that at some point in your future you will overcome your addiction and your sin and your pride and your slavery and identity issues related to your sin or sins committed against you—that day is today. And the Bible says, if today, this day, today, you hear his voice, please, for your soul, for your salvation, for your joy, do not harden your heart, do not harden your heart.

Prayer:

Father God, I pray that we would seize today, that there would be a sense of urgency. Holy Spirit, stir and awaken in us a sense of sanctified discomfort. We want to know more. We want to be more. We want to do more, and so, Holy Spirit, we are confessing sin and unbelief and laziness. If we are not studying, if we are not serving, if we are not caring, if we are not trying – awaken us Lord. If we have picked gods other than you to rule over us, forgive us. If we’ve not given to your cause, forgive us. We are blessed and spoiled and I pray, Lord God, that through the Holy Spirit this year we would become a more passionate, generous people. So, God, I pray that today would be a great day. I pray that today we would love Jesus. That today those who have been suffering but growing would be encouraged to continue. And those who have never met you would begin a whole new life and relationship with you. Holy Spirit we can do nothing, you can do anything. So we invite you to have your way with us, in Jesus’ good name, Amen.

FISHING SKIT

You look quite relaxed! My idea of fishing is to leave all the exertion of energy up to the fish. If they are ambitious we will catch them. If they are not, let them go about their business. So you really think those fish are going to decide to leap out of the water, hop all the way up the hill to your driveway, begging to be caught?! Well ….. why not? I’m here, I’m waiting, and I’m ready! … Hey, there’s an extra rod: why don’t you join me? Have a seat. Right here –ah, - in your driveway? Absolutely, I’ve been doing this for 35 years now. Read all the books on fishing, bought the best lures, …. Have you caught anything? Well, … not exactly, but one’s got to practice first. I think you should try the lake – or the river. Why? Ah – that’s where the fish are. Hmmm. But sometimes it gets windy by the lake doesn’t it? … And I’ve heard there are lots of mosquitoes! … And I’d have to trailer and launch my boat (see that beauty over there? Wow, I got a deal when I bought that fishing boat! On sale, just under $30,000.00! Best fishing boat on the market I was told.) As I said before, I think you should try the lake. Let’s go! I’ll come with you. Perhaps later. You go ahead. I’ll pray for you to catch a lot today. I think I’ll stay back & polish my boat, look at a few more fishing magazines, practice my casting technique – oh, oh – looks like I just hooked the neighbour’s mini-van again!

FISHING JOKES

Q: What did the fish say when he ran into a concrete wall? A: DAM!

Two (substitute your favorite town nemesis) fishermen go on a fishing trip. They rent all the equipment - the reels, the rods, the wading suits, the rowboat, the car, and even a cabin in the woods. I mean they spend a fortune! The first day they go fishing, but they don't catch anything. The same thing happens on the second day, and on the third day. It goes on like this until finally, on the last day of their vacation, one of the men catches a fish. As they're driving home they're really depressed. One guy turns to the other and says, "Do you realize that this one lousy fish we caught cost us fifteen hundred bucks?" The other guy says, "Wow! Then it's a good thing we didn't catch any more fish!"

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A man went fishing one day. He looked over the side of his boat and saw a fish surface with a frog in its mouth. Feeling sorry for the frog, he reached down, gently took the frog from the fish, and set the frog free. But then he felt sorry for the fish. He looked around the boat, but he had no food. All he had was a bottle of whiskey. So he opened the bottle and gave the fish a few shots. The fish went off happy, the frog was happy, and the man was happy to have performed such good deeds. He thought everything was great until about ten minutes passed and he heard something knock against the side of the boat. With stunned disbelief, the fisherman looked down and saw the fish was back, this time with two frogs!