01.18. There Ain't No Dead Sea
There Ain’t No Dead Sea Luke 5:1-7 (Parallel John 21:1-25)
I had a friend who used to fish on the Watauga Lake. He often referred to it as the Dead Sea. The reason was he never caught very many fish there, he just fished. The Dead Sea of the Holy Lands is a sea that does not have any life in it. The salt content has killed everything. The Great Salt Lake in Utah has very little life in it due to the same reason. If you were to go fishing you certainly would not dock your boat in either one of these bodies of waters. There is recorded on two occasions that Jesus preformed a miracle of a large catch of fish. Luke records an event that takes place at the very beginning of the calling of the apostles. John records a similar event that occurred after the cross and resurrection during the forty days Jesus walked the earth prior to the ascension. Both are very similar miracles.
I- The Call to the Fishermen:
It seems that in the chronology of the gospels that there were three separate occasions when Jesus called these men to follow Him. These men were fishermen and worked at this professionally.
A- First Call:
Matthew 4:18-20 (also Mark 1:16-18 ) seem to be what we could call the first call. It seems as if there is a few days that transpire between this and the event in our text.
B- Fishers of Men:
Simon and James and John were fishermen who had fished all-night and caught nothing. The sea seemed to be dead, or at least that night it was. Jesus enters the boat of Peter and preaches to the crowd gathered on the shore. He then instruction Peter to launch out from the shore and let down the nets. (v. 4) He tells him to do it and he would catch some fish. Peter says ok I’ll do what you say but with some objection, after all we are fishermen and you are a carpenter. Miraculously there was a school of fish that just happen to jump in the net. The miracle was that these fish came along side the boat of Peter just at the time he let down the net. The fish were in the sea and Jesus just ask them to obey His will, which they did.
C- All Are Fishers:
All men are fishers of some sort. Sam had recruited many people to a local social organization. A friend of mine asks Sam, how many have you won to the Lord during the time you were winning them to the organization. See most of us fish for men in some ways. It may be a recruitment drive for the PTA or for some other thing. What kind of fishing are you doing, for carp or for men?
II- Sidetracked on the Mission:
One of the hardest things that we all do is to maintain focus on the job we are to do. Satan will send us good things to do that sidetrack us from the job of fishing. The second miracle of the draught of fish occurs after the disciples have walked with Jesus and then seen Him die and experienced the events of the glorious resurrection from the dead of the Lord.
The disciples are again on the sea of Galilee. (Called the Sea of Tiberias in John) I count a total of seven. (John 21:2 ) They are waiting for Jesus to come to them in Galilee as He said He would. (Matthew 28:16 ) Peter says, "I go fishing." They are on the sea when Jesus shows up on the shore. They do not recognize Him on the shore. (John 21:4 ) They had lost the focus of the call to fish for men.
John 21:6 Jesus tells them to "Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find." Notice the excitement of the disciples and especially Peter when they recognized the Lord. (John 21:7). They again were called and sent by the Lord to fish for men, expecially Peter. (John 21:15-19 ) III- Peter the Fisher of Men:
The sense of call and purpose in Peter’s life was real. Do you sense God’s purpose for you life? He has called us all to fish for men. Did Peter do this? Just a little exploring in the book of Acts reveals that indeed Peter became a fisher of men.
Acts 2:14-36 records the great sermon on the day of Pentecost. The preacher was Peter. Acts 3:1-26 records the curing of a lame man. Peter says to him, "Silver and gold have I none: but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk." Acts 3:6
In Acts 4:12 Peter utters these simply yet profound and true words, "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Peter indeed became a great fisherman of men. The world’s concept of him was, "unlearned and ignorant men." Acts 4:13 . The reason why he was such a good fisherman is also found in the last few words of this verse, "they had been with Jesus." We find Peter rejoicing that he was counted worthy to suffer for the cause of Christ.
IV- How to Fish:
Lets understand some obvious truths that we can discern from these miracles. Let these teach us how to fish, to fish for men’s souls.
A- We fish by pushing off from shore into the deep.
The shore is the safe harbor but few fish are ever caught with getting out of our comfort zone. We must push off from the shore of the church pews and front steps into the world.
B- We fish by casting the net into the sea.
Sea in the Bible it often refers to humanity. We must cast the net in the sea of people who are lost in the sea not in the boat. We fish often time with dry nets. Dry nets have never caught a fish. We hope they will jump in the boat with us like in the cartoons.
C- We fish by fishing where Jesus leads us to go.
On these two different occasions Jesus told them to cast their nets a certain place. The fish were there, provided by the Master. We must be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit as we fish.
D- We fish any time any place if lead.
Most of us are looking for perfect condition to fish in. Ever notice that when someone goes to the lake to fish they ask the other fishermen if they are catching any. Peter said Lord it’s the wrong time to fish. After all the nighttime had past without success and Peter knew during the cool of the night was fishing time. Never the less Jesus said to fish at the wrong time. How many times have we been guilty of saying I want invite them to church anymore. I’ve talked till I’m blue in the face and they haven’t come. I won’t cast the net there anymore.
E- Obedience is the greatest need.
Notice in Luke 5:4 Jesus says let down the "nets." Then in Luke 5:5 we see that Peter let down the "net." Peter was partially obedient. What if he had let down the nets? What if we obeyed totally? We are called to be fishing. He is willing to provide the draught of fish.