Luke 5:1-11
One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.
When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deeper water, let down the nets for a catch.”
Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.
When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
When Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.
Jesus showed these fishermen something extraordinary so when he said follow me, they dropped everything from their old life and followed him. He showed them something extraordinary that moved them to action.
They didn’t just give up everything on a whim. They got a taste, a sneak peek, a movie trailer if you will, of what was coming and they wanted to be a part of something amazing.
Are our lives showing something extraordinary to those around us? Are we giving people a sneak peak at what is to come?
Is our life moving others to action?
Are we causing others to follow Jesus, to become fishers of men?
If not, why not.
In verse 8, Peter sees his own sin. Jesus did not have to point out Peter’s sin.
Peter just needed to be in the presence of God. He just needed to experience Jesus.
How come we think the way to reach people is to attack their sin? We need to make sure they are fully aware of everything we are against.
Why don’t we imitate Christ? Why don’t we simply bring them into the presence of Jesus and let that conviction do its work?
Why do we give the Holy Spirit the day off and attempt to do his job?
Let’s take a look at an incident in the Bible that we can learn from. It’s in Luke 5:17-26
One day Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the POWER of the LORD was with JESUS TO HEAL THE SICK. (note: The power was with Jesus to heal)
Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house and to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in from of Jesus.
(Note: These were not magic Red Sea tiles. They did not magically part and pile up to the sides so they could easily lower their friend to Jesus.) They tore through the roof in a desperation to get their friend in front of Jesus.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” (This is why your circle of friends matters.)
The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this man who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?
But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.”
Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God.
Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.”
Who did the healing? The man’s friends? They knew their role in their friend’s healing– get him as close to Jesus as possible.
These men did so much work, planning and traveling just to bring their friend to Jesus. When they get to where Jesus is, they cannot even get close.
Who would blame them if they turned back? At least they tried right?
But they are not deterred. Jesus is the only one who can heal their friend. They pivot. Door was blocked. Roof empty.
So they climb up on a stranger’s roof. We are not told of them seeking permission either. (Try that today. We don’t even want to tear ourselves away from our phones let alone tear a hole in a roof to get someone to Jesus.)
They climb up and tear a hole in a stranger’s roof, and this is no small hole. It’s a man-sized hole.
They interrupt Jesus in the middle of teaching. Everyone stops listening to Jesus and stares up at the ceiling, debris raining down.
Jesus is among the watchers
They get the hole just the right size and struggle to get their friend on the roof against their own safety. They lower him through the hole right into the presence of Jesus.
That’s it. They exit stage right. We are not told their names, or where they are from. They receive no accolades or recognition. We know nothing about them except their love for their friend.
Apparently that’s enough for Jesus.
Jesus does the work. Jesus does the healing. Jesus receives the glory and the recognition.
Paul explains this in 1 Corinthians 3:5-7
What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants through whom you came to believe–as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed and Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the ones who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.
Jesus also told us the Parable of the Growing seed to drive home the point that we do not have any part in changing people’s hearts toward God.
Mark 4:26-29
He also said, “This is what the Kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain–first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernal in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts a sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”
We want to do the job of the soil. We want to produce the kernel before the supporting stalk has even grown.
So often we skip the seed scattering part, (the Gospel message) and scroll facebook looking to tell people everything they are doing wrong. We condemn more than we convict because we do it in our power, not in the Spirit and love of Christ.
There were some people like this in scripture. They were professionals at condemnation.
Let’s listen in:
John 8:1-11
Then they all went home but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them.
The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women.
Now what do you say?”
They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let anyone of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”
Agin he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
“No one sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
Do you think his love, compassion, and grace had a lasting impact on her life? On her eternity?
Jesus showed compassion where we often condemn. Why do you suppose that is? We become the Pharisees and try to justify our actions.
We expect people to live like they have the Holy Spirit when they do not yet know they even need salvation. We attack first then, we attack until they want nothing to do with us and then we cry persecution.
Jesus told another parable we can also learn from
We started this with Luke 5:1-11
Peter and his partners did not catch anything before they met Jesus. When they did what he said, they caught many fish. We tend to try to do things our way and wonder why we do not catch any people for Jesus.
We say Lord, we scrolled all night on social media and argue with everybody we disagree with but no one has repented or wants to follow you. We even tell them they are terrible people and they are going to Hell. But we have not reached anyone.
We misunderstand our position in the process. Jesus called us to be fishers of men. We want to be cleaners of fish. Why don’t we understand what the paralyzed man’s friends did? Our job is to get people as close to Jesus as possible.
We catch the fish, Jesus cleans the fish. We fish for men but the bait we use does not entice them.
Instead of showing them something extraordinary, extraordinary unconditional love, extraordinary compassion, extraordinary peace, extraordinary joy, extraordinary grace and mercy.
We show them extraordinary anger, extraordinary hatred and extraordinary division.
Jesus is telling us we are casting our nets on the wrong side of the boat.
Listen to his extraordinary words:
John 13:34-35
A new command I give to you: Love one another, (Fellow Believers), as I have love you, SO YOU, must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.
You need look no further than your facebook to see how miserably we fail in this area. There is more hatred amongst the Body of Christ than in the world.
John 17:20-26
My prayer is not for them alone, (The Disciples). I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, (That’s you and me. Jesus literally prayed for you and me.), that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. MAY THEY ALSO BE IN US SO THAT THE WORLD MAY BELIEVE THAT YOU SENT ME. (We are literally the evidence the world needs to believe God sent Jesus on a mission of redemption. Sadly we have become the evidential proof that Jesus does not exist. That he is a FICTIONAL CHARACTER in a really old book written by people with great imaginations and not much else.)
I have given them the glory that you gave me, (Where is this glory from Christ evidenced in the Church in America today?), that they be one as you and I are one– I in them and you in me–so that they be brought to complete UNITY. Then the WORLD will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. (How can the world believe in a God who supposedly love them when the very ones who claim to represent Him, to be His ambassadors, do not even love them or even each other for that matter?) Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given to me because you loved me before the creation of the world. (Do you see this glory amongst the Church in America today?), Righteous Father, though world does not know you, (We are the reason, trust me.) I know you, and they know that you have sent me. (Believers), I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known to them in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.
Jesus is telling us to cast our nets on the other side of the boat. But we are too busy arguing amongst ourselves to hear him.
Division is a cancer in the Body of Christ, the Church. It has singlehandedly undermined the mission of the Church. I have literally seen, as I’m sure you have, two churches across the street from each other. First Church of God on one side. Second Church of God on the other. (Fictional names)
I asked once why there were 2 churches and someone shared with me that in the past, like 80 to 100 years, the church had problems and members left and started the other church across the street.
In 100 years, they could not reconcile and come together and maybe use the other building no longer necessary, into a community center or something.
We don’t even need to go back 100 years to see division. Pick up your phone and scroll.
According to Jesus’ prayer for the church is that we would have the same relationship Christ the SOn has with God the Father.
Can we as a Church say we have achieved this? That we are even close? That we are even trying. That would be something extraordinary that would get the attention of the world. This kind of LOVE and UNITY would cause people to drop everything from their old lives and follow Christ.
Why is it that the neighborhood bar is more inviting than the local church? Why does the corner bar seem more like a family than the family of God? Why does there seem to be more love and compassion in the local bar than the local church?
Let’s examine the two. The local Church and the neighborhood bar. I use these terms for a reason. Local Church. Neighborhood Bar
There is a difference.
Let’s start with the Church. What is a church? I’m not talking about its physical structure or its interior contents, but more to the point, what is its purpose, its reason for existence?
I Googled the definition of the word Church and a few choices came up. The first said church definition and one was church definition Bible. I decided to see what the difference was between the two.
The mystery was solved with a click of my mouse.
Church: (Noun) A building used for public Christian worship
I was not surprised by this definition and I actually expected it. The reason this did not surprise me is because many confessing Christians live as if they believe the church is in fact a building.
I decided to check out the church definition according to the Bible to see what I would find. I crossed my fingers and hoped it would be right.
Church: From the Greek word ekklesia. This word is the Greek word kaleo (to call), with the prefix ek (out). Thus the word means “called out ones”
I dug a little deeper and discovered the English word “church” does not come from ekklesia but from the word kuriakon, which means “dedicated to the Lord” This word was commonly used to refer to a holy place or temple.
So with minimal “detective” work I have found the source of our ineffectiveness and deterioration. The true meaning of the Church, you and me, got mistranslated into a building made by men.
I wondered if anyone sent Jesus the memo because he is working off old outdated information, well if he is going by the Bible anyway. (thick sarcasm)
This is what we are told in Acts 7:48: However, the Most High does not live in houses made by men.
We are the “building” the “temple”, God resides in us. So the church is wherever we are. That can be either good or bad. Because we can either draw people into a relationship with Christ or drive them away.
A “church” building does not have these abilities. It just stands there. A building never gossiped or judged someone harshly. It has never wounded someone’s spirit and caused them pain. It’s an inanimate object.
You and I on the other hand are very animated. When people say they were hurt by the church they don’t normally mean a brick fell out off the wall and hit them in the head. They are talking about flesh and blood people.
We have somehow given people the impression, churched people are perfect or that we have it all together. I am certainly not lumping all churches together under this umbrella statement. I am simply speaking to the ones that behave this way.
People are afraid to share their messy lives with us for fear of judgement and condemnation. We look so nice and shiny in our Sunday go to meeting clothes. We talk so appropriately and holy on Sunday. We gossip but cleverly wrap it in a “prayer request”
We point fingers, whisper and glare, All while wearing our Jesus mask.
Allow me to share a very real, fictional story.
I want to tell you about this place I visited years ago:
I walked in and was surprised as everyone turned and watched as I made my way to my seat. I was greeted with kind words and sometimes just a nod and a smile.
As I settled in, the man in charge asked me if I needed anything to drink and immediately brought me the cold drink I requested. He asked me how my day was and listened as I shared about the rough day I had that capped off a very rough week.
He listened intently and was sympathetic. A few others sitting around me listened and shared their struggles and told me they understood what I was going through.
I spent several hours there. We all laughed together and cried together. Quite a few asked for my cellphone number so they could see how I was doing and maybe get together again. They told me to call anytime, day or night, no matter the hour, if I needed to talk.
By the time I left I had forgotten about my terrible week. A smile even crept across my face. I felt lighter, even refreshed. I decided to go every Sunday. I needed this in my life, I needed friendships and to know people cared about me and maybe even loved me. I lived for Sunday so I could see the people who had literally become my family.
I remember the time I went away on a business trip for 3 weeks and my phone blew up with calls from everyone wondering if I was okay and where I had been. They said they were worried about me and thought something had happened to me.
I loved hanging out with these guys on Sunday and found myself missing them throughout the week. We started doing other things together, bowling, fishing, movies. I had never known love and acceptance like this before. They did not care about my baggage because they said, “Everybody has baggage. We’re all in this together.”
I could tell these guys anything without fear. I felt so free.
I remember when I got notice that I was being transferred out of state with my job and the last Sunday I was there. There were a lot of tears.
As I left for the last time I turned and looked at the sign above the building. The neon sparkled through my tears. Al’s Bar. I was going to miss this place. This was my family. I hoped I would find a place like this where I was headed.
Why is it the corner bar is more inviting than the local church? Why does the corner bar seem more like a family than the family of God?
Why is there more love and compassion in the neighborhood than the local church? Why?
When fishing, if the fish are not enticed with the bait you are using you walk away with no fish. We are not reaching a lost world because they are not enticed by the bait we are scattering.
We claim to be imitators of Christ but our ministry and outreach efforts often look nothing like the actions of the very one we claim to imitate and represent.
What we possess is enough to entice mankind. It enticed us. We saw something extraordinary in someone that we wanted to experience in our life.
We took the bait and here we are. People experience enough attacks from the world on a daily basis. Do not add to the noise. It only scares the fish away.
