FISHING TIPS

In Luke 5 Jesus gets into Peter’s boat and sits in it while teaching the crowds along the shore. Following the teaching he asks Peter to take the boat out and catch some fish. Peter, the fisherman, responds, Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets (Luke 5:5). Obeying Jesus, they put down the nets and caught so many fish that the nets began to break. They called their partners to bring out their boat and they put the catch into both boats! There were so many fish that the boats began to sink!

Peter was overwhelmed by this sign of Jesus’ sovereignty and fell to his knees saying, Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man! (Luke 5:8) Jesus responded, Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men. At that point they pulled their boats up on shore and followed Jesus.

I hear many pastors saying that we live in a time of “small things.” In other words, in spite of all of our efforts to share the gospel with people who are like sheep without a shepherd, we don’t see huge results. I guess I often feel like Peter when he told Jesus they had been fishing hard all night and hadn’t caught a thing. “Lord, I’ve been preaching your gospel and sharing your love with people day after day and I’m not seeing much happen.” Jesus simply asks me to keep putting down my nets. Just keep fishing. Just obey. He wants me to obey him just like Peter and the others did. Just as Jesus brought the fish into their nets so he will bring the lost to hear and respond to the good news of salvation. Perhaps the day will come when the catch will be so great that we won’t know what to do with all the people who are coming to faith in Christ!

Peter left fishing to become one who caught men. He left his boat behind and followed Jesus. He was among the disciples who went from town to town and village to village preaching the kingdom. They met with various degrees of success but never did their following grow over about 120 people. That is, until the Day of Pentecost! Isn’t the day of Pentecost very similar to the day Peter put his nets back into the Sea of Galilee and struggled to pull them into the boat? Over 3,000 believed his message that day and were baptized! I believe that day will come! All we have to do is pull our boats up on shore and follow Jesus!