February 7, 2010 — Fifth Sunday After the Epiphany
“We Fish the Way Jesus Tells Us to Fish” — Pastor Lassman
Listen to the sermon with the player below, or, download. (Right Click)
My fellow redeemed in Christ,
How do you grow a church? Sometimes people ask the wrong questions and end up with the wrong answers. No human being has the power to grow the church. Only God can grow the church. And when Christians forget this people they can use the wrong methods to try to grow the church. In our gospel lesson for this morning Jesus reminds us that he builds the church by giving all that we need: his word. Did you catch all the symbolism in our text? Do you see the Christian church in our text? That’s symbolized by the fishing boat. The early church often used a boat as a symbol for the church. How about the word of God? Did you see that in our text? That’s symbolized by the fishing nets. And once again the early church used fishing nets as a symbol for the gospel. And rightly so. Because just as a fishing boat goes out to catch fish, so likewise, the Christian church goes out to catch people for Christ. And so just like those apostles of long ago, “We fish the way Jesus tells us to fish.”
i. Now Peter knew how to fish...he was a professional fisherman. Indeed, he was in business with his father and his brother, Andrew...and the two brothers, James and John. And how about Jesus? Well, he was not a fisherman; he was a carpenter. We need to remember this when Jesus told Peter “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”
a. Peter wasn’t very eager to do what Jesus said. Why not? Well, he and his fishing partners had fished all night and caught nothing. “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing!” and secondly, who was the expert here? Jesus was not a fisherman. He was a carpenter. How could a carpenter give advice to a professional fisherman who had tried all night and caught nothing? So, Peter had a choice. On the one hand, he could follow his own logic and reasoning and argue with Jesus. Maybe Jesus would see the logic and agree with him: “Oh, good point Peter. I didn’t know that...well just forget it. After all you are the fisherman and i’m just a carpenter.”
b. But because of his respect for Jesus, he does call him “Master”, Peter didn’t follow his logic and reason but instead told Jesus; “But at your word I will let down the nets.” In other words, Peter would do what Jesus said, not because it made sense....Because it didn’t...but he would do what Jesus said because Jesus said it. If someone else had given him the same advice Peter probably would have ignored it. He was tired and hungry and wanted to go home. But this was Jesus telling him. And so he did what he said. And what happened next was so unexpected and amazing. Luke tells us: “And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking.” They caught so many fish that they had to ask the other boat to come and help them and they brought in so many fish that both boats began to sink! Peter was so moved by what he had experienced that he became all the more aware of his sinfulness: “Depart from, for I am a sinful man, o Lord.” It seems that while Peter did what Jesus told him to do he didn’t expect any results. And now he was ashamed and overwhelmed with his guilt. He had learned a very important lesson on that day: “Believe whatever Jesus tells you....Whether you understand it nor not; whether it makes sense or not... Just believe and be obedient to him.” Jesus taught Peter this lesson so that he would have the same kind of faith and obedience when it came to fishing for people...for evangelism and missions. And for two thousand years Jesus has continued to catch human beings through his church with the net of his gospel.
ii. And this is the lesson that Jesus wants us to learn here at Messiah Lutheran Church and in our own lives. For like Peter of long ago Jesus also tells us to drop the net of the gospel into the lives of other people.
a. This world that we live in is a toxic lake of sin and death. All the fish in this lake will die. And on the judgment day the lake will turn into a lake of fire as God’s wrath will be poured out on all who have not believed in Jesus as we read in the book of Revelation: “This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire” (20: 14, 15, ESV). The life and death of Jesus Christ and the mission of his church makes no sense unless we accept this truth --- without Jesus Christ people will be damned to hell forever. Deep inside people know that before God they are not good. When we are confronted with the perfect demands of a holy God we feel like Isaiah in our old testament lesson: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips.” And Peter felt the same way: “Depart from, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” To one degree or another, human beings struggle with the feelings of guilt and shame, and regret. Without Jesus Christ, people deal with these feelings in a variety of ways. Some just try to ignore them and hope that they will go away. Others try to deal with these negative, destructive feelings with alcohol or drugs, or sex, or the pursuit of wealth or some other addiction. People have all different kinds of coping mechanisms to deal with guilt and shame and regret. But they don’t work. These solutions never last and they can’t save us from death and God’s damnation. But Jesus does. He has already dealt with our guilt and shame and our regrets. God punished him for our sin. All of your sin was placed on Jesus so that when he died....Your debt of sin to God was completely canceled. In Jesus Christ there is no guilt, there is no shame, there are no regrets. In Jesus Christ we are forgiven. And on the third day he was raised from the dead. You are his children who have victory over death as one day you too will be raised from the dead. In Jesus Christ there is peace and joy; comfort and hope. All of this and more is to be found in the words that Jesus spoke to Peter: “Do not be afraid.” Because of our sin we should be afraid of god as Jesus himself tells us in Matthew’s gospel: “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear in who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (10: 28, ESV). But because of Jesus Christ we don’t have to be afraid of God who we now call “Father”. “Do not be afraid.” With God as our father we don’t have to afraid of anything in life...not even death as paul reminds us in his letter to the Romans: “If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all...” (8:31, 32, ESV). No wonder Luke tells us “And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.” And we follow him too. Because Jesus speaks the same words to us. “Do not be afraid.” All is well. Sin forgiven. Peace with God. Victory over death.
b. Of course, for people to follow Jesus they must first hear about him--who he is and what he has done. For just as Jesus sent fishing boats out to catch fish, likewise, he sends his church, he sends us, to catch human beings and to save them from drowning in the lake of sin and death. And Jesus has given us the only net that is necessary: his gospel, the message about him as Jesus says in Matthew’s gospel: “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind” (13: 47, ESV). But the gospel needs to be used. It needs to be brought to people. What good are fishing nets if they are left in the boat and not dropped into the water? So likewise, what good is the gospel if it is not shared with other people? And as followers of Jesus we want to share him with others. We want them to know what we know and to have what we have and so we feel like Isaiah of long ago: “Here am I! Send me.” good news is meant to be shared. People need to hear. They need to be told. Every time you tell someone about Jesus. Every time you invite someone to the adult information class or church you are dropping the net of the gospel into the lives of other people. Are you afraid to tell others? Are you afraid to invite someone to the Adult Information Class or to church? Jesus says to you: “do not be afraid.” Will you believe him?
Conclusion: this morning you are sitting in a boat. Messiah Lutheran Church is a fishing boat. We are not a cruise ship or a yacht for our own pleasure and enjoyment. No. We are a fishing boat trying to catch human beings for Jesus...and he has given us the only net that we need:: his gospel........The message of “Don’t be afraid”. Because of Jesus Christ. All is well. Sin forgiven. Peace with God. Victory over death. Nothing to fear. “Don’t be afraid”. Someone--- our parents, a relative, a friend, a pastor....Someone--- dropped the net of the gospel into our lives and we became followers of Jesus Christ. And now....Well...and now....It’s our turn. And as we do this Jesus once again tells us: Don’t be afraid”. Amen.
