It's Not About the Fish
Luke 5:1-11 ·March 5, 2023· Joel Passmore
Part of: Luke
Transcript
Show
This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors. Select a time to jump to that point in the recording.
Welcome again. My name is Joel Passmore, in case I haven't introduced myself to you. I'm the pastor here of New Creation. We're in a sermon series on the book of Luke, and we're really getting into the action now. We've been introduced to Jesus. He's now an adult, and he is beginning to stir up notice around him. He's drawn a crowd. He's performed miracles. He's become, at this point in Luke, he's become one of the most exciting preachers in the region of Galilee.
People are flocking to hear him. Today, we're going to read about him calling his first disciples. Now, a couple of things as we approach this text, to keep in mind. First of all, these men that he's interacting with are really young. We have good reason to think that a lot of them are in kind of their upper teens. They're not young adults, really. They're on that cusp. I mean, in that society, they would be considered young adults. They would be off on their own.
Peter is married. He maybe is around 20. But the others are probably upper teens. So that's something to just keep in mind, to think about, especially for you young folks. We're going to read this. This passage is literally where several of their lives change forever. You don't oftentimes read a story that is actually the moment when a person's life changes. But it happens in this passage. Now, how does it happen? Well, Jesus doesn't do too much explaining in this passage.
He doesn't sit them down with, like, his master plan and say, Guys, this is what I'm calling you to. This is what it's going to look like. This is what it's going to mean for you. He doesn't explain all of it with, like, a PowerPoint presentation or something. He just shows them more of who he is. That's it. And they are compelled to follow him. Because they see who he is more than they did before. And he's so compelling that they want to go after him and follow him.
Leave everything behind. These new disciples don't understand much at the time. But this experience, what we're going to read today, it is the essence of following Jesus. It's all kind of wrapped up in this passage. It's like discipleship in a nutshell is all contained in this passage. So, let's go to the Word of God. Let's submit to it. Let's kneel under it. Let's be changed by it. And let's trust what God has to say here. Because it comes from him.
And he is reliable. And he's fully, fully trustworthy. So, turn with me to Luke 5. We're going to read the first 11 verses. One more note before I read this. That passage that Hosea read so well earlier from Acts 4. When they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were uneducated common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. So, that's a little bit further in the story. We're going all the way back to kind of the beginning of their time with Jesus now.
So, just think about that Acts passage. When they were so boldly at use in the kingdom of God. Astonishing people. And all they had done is just be with Jesus. This is the beginning of their story. Luke 5. Verses 1-11. 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. And he saw two boats by the lake. But the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 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. And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch. And Simon answered, Master, we toiled all night and took nothing. But at your word, I will let down the nets. And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish. And their nets were breaking. 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. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees. Saying, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord. For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken. 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. And when they brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.
Pray with me. Lord God, we thank you for your word. As it goes forth in the spirit of power, we pray that the spirit working in us would allow it to land onto soft hearts, each one of us. Open ears.
Change us, Lord. Show us who you are. Help us to take further steps of faith in following you. And help us to behold your beauty and your power. Your glory and your majesty. Change us, Lord. Just like you changed these men. Jesus, we love you and we pray this in your name.
The title of my sermon today is It's Not About the Fish. It's Not About the Fish. Here's the big idea. Following Jesus means foolish-looking obedience on a whole new mission.
Now just a note before we start, Simon in this story is more commonly known as Peter. As scripture goes on and we get more of his story, he's referred to almost exclusively as Peter, which is the name that Jesus gives him. So I'm going to be going back and forth between Simon and Peter. I'm not trying to confuse you. It's just the same person. Just out of habit, I'm probably going to say Peter. Now, here's where we're going to start. Verses 1-5, here's what happens.
Jesus asks. He makes a request. We've seen in Luke how people have been compelled by the authority of Jesus' preaching and it's the same thing that's happening here. They are pressing in on him to hear the word of God. He's standing by the lake of Gennesaret, which is another name for the Sea of Galilee, same body of water, lake of Gennesaret, Sea of Galilee. He sees the unused boats and he decides to put out a little bit from the shore. Maybe he thought that his voice would carry over the flat water and that people on the shore could hear him better.
But he had other reasons to get into the boat because he didn't just choose any boat. He chose Simon's boat. This is the day that he decides to change the course of Simon's life forever.
When he finishes teaching, that's when the real meat and action of this passage starts. He finishes teaching. We don't even know what he taught. Luke just skips right over that. When he finishes speaking, he turns to Simon and he has a simple direction. Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch. This probably caught Simon, Peter, by surprise. Nothing about this made sense. For starters, what did a carpenter's apprentice turned rabbi, teacher, know anything about fishing?
You're out of your element here, Jesus. Stick to teaching the word of God. I'll do the fishing. Second, this wasn't even the best time of day to do deep water fishing. The night time was. That's why they had just been out the night before. They had been doing their job. Jesus, if you knew that, if you knew anything about fishing at all, you might know that this is not the time to go out fishing.
Speaking of which, they had just finished. Their nets were cleaned. They were tired. They were done. You ever realize you need to go to the store after you've kind of settled in for the night? And it's just like, it feels like the worst thing in the world. That's probably what they're feeling. And they're like, ugh, didn't you just see us? We just cleaned our nets. What an inconvenience, Jesus.
But listen, there's something else too, something more important. It's contained in what Simon says to Jesus. Master, we toiled all night and took nothing.
Now we're getting to the real challenge of what Jesus was asking. The whole night's work had been futile. It had been pointless. Simon is clearly really frustrated. They had worked all night. They had nothing to show for it. They were experienced fishermen. This was their territory. This was home base for them. They had been going out on the sea since they were kids. They were partners together, evidently in some kind of fishing business that they were trying to start together.
Nothing. To go all night without even a tiny catch, that would be pretty discouraging. What are the words that come to mind right now? How do you think Simon felt? Defeated? Incompetent? What else you got? What other words are you thinking of? Hopeless? Despairing? Like a failure, maybe? Like a giant failure. When you feel like a failure, you know what the last thing in the world is you want to do? That thing that you just failed at?
Jesus is asking a lot here. At the last church that I was a pastor at, we had an afternoon worship service. And so that gave me the opportunity to go and preach at other churches or do other things for other churches when it was needed and when I was asked to. Right after I got ordained, I was asked to come to another church in our presbytery and do the Lord's Supper for them. So go through the mechanics of instituting the Lord's Supper, encourage people about it, read the words of institution, do this whole thing that I do later in the service.
Well, this church had a very, I forget who I've told the story to now. This church had a very particular way of doing it. They wanted it done a certain way, which is fine. That's my job, is to come in and do it their way. So I got this email that was kind of a detailed email about what to do and I took a bunch of notes and I had like notes on a piece of paper and I put the notes in my Bible. I'd never been to this church before actually so I came in the morning I was looking at my notes I was actually looking at my notes while the preaching was happening I wasn't actually preaching that day I was looking at my notes trying to remember it looking at the table up there I wanted to do it well but if I'm being honest I wanted to look really capable I had just been ordained I wanted to look capable I wanted to look competent it was a disaster you're thinking well how much of a disaster could it be yeah it was that bad it was really bad I was I was getting things out of order I was losing place in my notes which was too long I was losing place in my notes I started to get really self-conscious I could tell things were it was awkward and it was becoming more awkward and I have a speech impediment I have a stutter and when I get nervous it gets even worse and so my speech started to get really really bad which made it even more awkward it was it was painful I somehow stumbled through it and you could like hear a pin drop in this church I didn't I didn't really I knew a couple people in the church
I didn't really know that many people but I wanted to just crawl in a hole but I couldn't I had to just keep going we finished up communion mercifully we sang a song and then I was going to give the benediction afterwards that was another thing I was going to do and I got the benediction wrong too forget what I said I think what happened was I had a benediction that I had planned but then I opened my mouth and a different one came out and it kind of threw me off that I was saying a different one service ended I just wanted to get out of there so I just collected my stuff it was probably in my head but it felt like people were avoiding me probably just in my head they're very nice people but I wanted to get out of there and I tell you I got in the car and I was like I was just like what am I even doing like I'm supposed to be a pastor I just got I can't even do that like that's the simple stuff I can't even do that right you want to know something even better I was scheduled to preach that afternoon at our church so I was like oh my gosh now I've got to go I feel about this big I can't do this simple thing well how am I going to bring people the word of God I was really I was feeling completely discouraged I did not want to do anything I called a good friend who I knew would remind me of what was true remind me of who I was in Christ remind me of my value and my worth regardless of what happens how well I do my job he was faithful to do just that and I spent some time in prayer
and I preached I'm not going to stand here and tell you that it was like that the heavens opened or something but I did what I was supposed to do later that afternoon even though I didn't want to do anything else related to Sunday ministry at that point that's kind of like what Peter does here he obeys not really because he wants to but just that seems hopeless that seems hopeless simply because our Savior asked us to maybe for no other reason new creation listen it's not about the fish it's not about the fish it's about Jesus whose word you can trust when obedience looks foolish or feels futile it's about Jesus it is good to reach the end of your competency as you follow Jesus it's a good thing when we obey in the midst of futility we have only him there's nothing of us left we have him and he is trustworthy if he asks you to do something you can believe that it's good for you to do and we hold on to his word sometimes in defiance of our own experience in spite of our own feelings of incompetence perhaps even in the face of other people saying why don't you just give up this is every missionary who labors faithfully even though there's very little to show for it sometimes this is every Christian parent who tries to teach her child about the Bible and have conversations about God and Jesus all while wondering is this is every Christian who has a friend or a loved one who doesn't trust Jesus but who perseveres in prayer who perseveres in telling them about the good news of Jesus
and who invites them to respond this is us church this is us we're planting a church we're in the process of planting a church I won't ask for a show of hands but how many of you are doing foolish as you're serving at this church I see some hands going up even though I didn't ask for it that's that's good that is part of discipleship as a church and as people of this church I hope that we continue to do things that try to bring people to Jesus and try to bring Jesus to us even at the times that we feel foolish that we feel silly that we wonder is there any point to this Jesus I'm trying to obey even as we wonder I'm not sure how this is going to it it's not about the fish it's about Jesus what has Jesus asked you to do for the sake of his kingdom are you willing to look foolish for the sake of following him can you say with Peter at your word Jesus I will at your word I will now let's find out what happens next starting at not Einstein but the author Rita May Brown originated this phrase in one of her novels insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results Peter and the others might not have been expecting much but something different happens this foolish looking act of faith leads to something remarkable verse six they can tell they've caught something their nets feel heavy they start to pull up their nets this little boat which is probably just about 25 30 feet long about 8 feet wide it's not a big boat the boat starts to pitch about because
there's so much weight they heave they pull their nets are beginning to break verse seven Peter is hollering come help us we don't know what we've caught come help us get over here the scene becomes a lot more raucous now they're heaving they're pulling they're getting drenched what is happening finally they get some fish in the boat but there's more and there's more and there's more and the boats start to sink the catch is enormous it's a literal boat load no scratch that it's two literal boat loads they've brought in so many fish that the boats begin to sink God's provided so much that they can't even take it in it's exceeded their capacity to take it in it makes me think of psalm 23 when David says my cup overflows it's too big even for their boats same lake same boats same nets same men but a dramatically different result the only new element is the presence of Jesus now Peter understands this immediately he gets it though he's just brought in the greatest catch of his lifetime Peter's focus is on the man in his boat not the fish in his boat the man it's not about the fish it's about Jesus who has power to lead us and to do great things through us it's about Jesus Jesus has revealed to them that he has control over creation no ordinary rabbi could do this he has the power to produce fruitfulness out of futility he has the power to and the knowledge to direct them into good work the places where they ought to spend their time the places where they ought to give their labor
their hard work he directs them he leads them and Peter sees he feels he knows there is a gap between him and Jesus he falls to his knees he calls him Lord this is a new way to address Jesus and he says I am a sinful man Peter isn't talking about something say I have have sin though he could have he's acknowledging his nature his status how unworthy he is to be in the presence of Jesus he's unworthy he feels to be near Jesus now we read this and you can respond one of two ways to it you can say well Peter clearly has a self esteem problem he needs to stop thinking so lowly of himself maybe that's why Jesus came to him because he has a big self esteem problem and Jesus is just trying to be like there there Peter you're not as bad as you think you are get up off of your knees this view believes there's no real difference between Peter and Jesus it's just his psychology that needs to be fixed the other view the alternative is to say there is a real difference between them and Peter finally gets it he sees it for the first time he is honest about his lack I'm 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 people it's right and it's good to recognize the gap that there is between you and God to see and acknowledge what Peter sees what Isaiah sees the gap in goodness and righteousness between us and God do you see it do you experience it do you acknowledge it you have to otherwise Jesus all of Jesus words will
just fall on deaf ears now Peter's recognition of the gap is right and it's true but his solution is misguided depart from me get away from me God get away from me Lord Jesus has something else in mind here's the last section today Jesus calls Jesus calls Peter and he calls others now Jesus doesn't refute Peter's confession he doesn't contradict him he speaks tenderly to Peter's fearful heart do not be afraid Jesus says this so often so often he says to his people don't be afraid he knows that a right understanding of ourselves and him means that we'll be afraid of what happens next distance is not the solution that he has in mind he came to bring us across that gap the gap that we see he wants to bring us across it to bring us to where he is and and so he came to where we are we read this in the service earlier at the assurance of pardon Christ also suffered once for sins the righteous for the unrighteous that he might might bring bring us to God this is the burning heart of Christ for weak and for humble people like you and like me don't fear come closer see what I will do for you and through you friends don't push him away when you feel that gap if you wander away and you feel that gap again it's exposed to you when you get called out for your sin don't deny it don't run away from God come near to him that's what he wants come and embrace him with repentance and faith but know this when Jesus saves you he also reorients your life he completely turns it upside down Jesus tells
Peter from now on you will be catching men Peter probably doesn't know what this means yet but it's no exaggeration Jesus is not being colorful he's being quite literal he is literally calling Peter to a new vocation you've got new work to do Peter you're going to be catching men now listen this is important one of the big mistakes we can make with this passage is to try to apply it try to apply the miracle to our own personal goals our own career aspirations our own self actualization journey here's what this would look like we might say to ourselves just like they trusted Jesus to get this big catch if I just trust Jesus he's going to give me a better job or he's going to give me more customers or he's going to give more followers or he's going to do those things in your life if you just trust him remember it wasn't even Peter's idea to put down the nets Peter did what Jesus asked him to do Jesus didn't do what Peter asked Jesus to do Peter did what Jesus asked him to do right that's when the miracle happened and now Jesus is asking him to do something different Peter you have a new calling now go this direction now Jesus didn't do this to help their fishing business he did this to reveal himself to them and to bring them into his business you got a new calling now Peter the same is true for you and me Jesus didn't come and live and die to help you with your personal goals I hate to break it Jesus didn't come to help you meet your goals he came to bring you in to work towards
his goals those are two very different things if Jesus is your savior he has given you a role in his kingdom and this means a new set of values a new set of principles a new set of goals that are all determined by him and what he wants to do by you and through you for the goal that he has in mind here's a few examples your job it is not a means to a comfortable life if you're a Christian that's not what it's there for whatever role and resources you've been given they're given so that you can serve other people your gifts and your talents they're not there so you can make a name for yourself make an identity for yourself be somebody that's not why God gave them to you if you're a Christian your gifts and your talents are there to give to God and to build up the community that he is building if you're married your marriage is not there to fulfill you now I've really upset you if you're married your marriage is not there to fulfill you it's there to sanctify you as you love your spouse sacrificially that's the purpose of your marriage if you're a parent your highest goal is not raising kids who are well rounded high achievers now I might have touched the third rail if you're a parent and you're a Christian your highest goal is not to raise kids who are well rounded high about God and themselves and who are prepared to live in the world as followers of Christ that's your highest goal if you're a kid I'm not going to leave you out of this whole equation too if you're a kid there is
something greater than GPA there is something greater than independence there is something greater than being really great at soccer there is something greater than realizing your dreams someday there's something greater than being popular if you're a Christian and you're a kid make it your aim to know God and see yourself as he sees you that's the kingdom goal that he's called you to do you see how different it is when we stop thinking about Jesus you're here to meet my goals and we think how have you called me into your kingdom to meet your goals but we are blessed and we are enriched as we do what he has called us to do as we do the work the new mission that he has called us into it is good to leave behind your goals I'm not saying that every single one of your personal goals you should just strike from your list completely I'm saying start with putting them down below move them down the priority list and say God what do you want me to do how does your word instruct me to live how are you calling me to participate in your kingdom put that at the top and if there's a conflict between that and your personal goals now you know which one is supposed to win Peter and the others understood what Jesus was calling them to they got this look at how they responded they left everything and followed him people two boatloads of fish the greatest catch of their career and they left it behind they get that it's not about Jesus helping me with my goals we're on a new mission now all those
fish are just sitting on the shore all the crowds that were following Jesus ate for free that day while they went off and followed Jesus all their boats all their equipment everything that they had been working for in this brand new fishing business it's all just sitting on the shore Jesus is more valuable to them than the amazing catch they've had he is more valuable to them than a successful fishing business he's more valuable to them than anything anything else and so they leave it all behind this is the last time I'll say it it's not about the fish it's not about the fish it's about Jesus who is more valuable than what he seeds for you who looks after your soul what a friend we have in Jesus all our griefs and sins to bear church trust him follow him even when it feels foolish even when it feels costly he's worth it he will always faithfully lead you even in those times where you just don't know if you can even in those times where you are wanting to stop and gaze at the work that he's done around you the things that he's given you stop there and camp out there he's worth more than all that it's about Jesus let's pray Lord this is a humbling text it humbles us significantly severely to see what it means to follow you nobody here likes looking foolish Lord myself included we try to avoid it at all costs and sometimes obeying you walking into the good work that you have for us on the new mission we have we feel awfully foolish sometimes sometimes that happens at home sometimes
that happens in public sometimes it happens in church Lord sometimes it just feels difficult and foolish to follow you it feels costly to us Lord as we leave behind our nets our fish our boats whatever it is that might entangle us that Lord we're humbled by you we're humbled by you yourself that you are high and mighty and who are we and yet you call us to not fear to come near and to see what you're going to do in us and around us and to always put you at the center Jesus will you please help us to do this this is a lifelong endeavor to learn to walk in this way thank you for your promises and we pray this in your name