DEALING WITH FULL NETS
by Mike Kern
Matt 4:18-22; Luke 5:4-11; John 21:1-14
Intro
We went out recently to catch crawdads. I took along my fishing net to make it easier. However, the first few crawdads I caught seemed to disappear before I got them back to shore and I couldn’t understand why. Finally, after losing several crawdads, I discovered that the little guys were backing right through the holes in the net and dropping back into the water within seconds of my scooping them up. How frustrating and useless is a fishing net that doesn’t hold fish (or crawdads, or whatever you’re catching.) This is why, in the text we’re about to read we find James and John mending their nets. Their livelyhood depended on catching fish and they understood that to accomplish that, the nets have to be intact.
Matt 4:18-22
18 And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 19 Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." 20 They immediately left their nets and followed Him. 21 Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. And He called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.
I. The Net of the Church
A. FISHERS OF MEN
The Christian is a fisherman by trade. Matt 4:19 Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." Every single man or woman of God in this place is called to fish… and what the church is: the net. This is what a church is. You witness, evangelize, lead people to Christ… but the church is the net that brings the fish together into a place where their lives can be radically altered. Rather than simply give people a salvation experience and send them swimming on their way, the church is the net that seeks to hold them and keep them in a personal relationship with God Himself, immersing people in the preservative power of His presence and His family.
Acts 2:44-47
44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. 46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
Here we see the net at work. Revival is happening, people are being saved right and left, and the church is the net. The Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. Note: It doesn’t necessarily say they were saved at church, but the church is still the net that keeps them. Look at the tightness of the congregation. The Bible says they were together, had all things in common, divided their possessions and goods among anyone who had need, worshipping together, fellowshipping together… A tightly woven net if ever there was one.
See the church is the net, but you and I are the individual strands. We are not just a bunch of individual Christians who meet together three times a week because we happen to attend the same church. We are the church, together. And we need to make sure, tonight, that the net is in good shape because, as we’ll see in God’s Word, He has a habit of filling the nets that are cast for souls!
B. A TIME OF REAPING
Eccl 3:1-2 1 To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: 2 A time to be born, and a time to die; A time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted;
There is a time for sowing… and a time for reaping. I believe America is entering into a time of reaping. Our cities and our neighborhoods are indeed fields white unto the harvest.
The Israelites never served God in times of prosperity. They became self-centered and greedy. Their focus drifted from the will of God to the lusts of their own flesh. What a description of our nation for the last fifty years! Karl Marx said, “God is dead,” and this country has been living like they believed it.
What always reunited the Israelites with their God was when the bottom dropped out on their lives. Great famine and pestilence, horrible plagues, and many times, invasion by enemy forces all served to grab Israel’s attention and bring them back into the safe haven of God’s will.
America’s bottom dropped out last week. Our sense of security and complacency went up in smoke and peoples’ attention is shifting back to God quickly. This Monday, the Sacramento Bee featured a story on packed out churches across our city this last weekend. Schools have begun allowing students to publicly pray. Our leaders goined together to sing “God Bless America” on the Capitol steps while pleas for the nation’s prayers have been going out across the country.
We, the church, are confronted with an opportunity for harvest like never before. People, normally indifferent or hostile to the gospel, are suddenly open to our message. Because people at work know that I am a Christian, I have been asked for my take on these events over and over again. The irrelevant and outdated, old-fashioned church of the 90’s has suddenly become the respected giver of hope and answers.
The question is, will the church take advantage of this season of opportunity, or allow the window of time God has granted us to slip through our fingers? 1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you.
[Jesus People movement… born out of the turmoil of the sixties (Vietnam, hippie movement… free love/drugs)… The nets didn’t entirely hold]
The waters are full… the nets must be cast…and they must be capable of holding the catch.
Two familiar incidents in the gospels where Jesus told a group of fishermen to cast their nets, even though they’d been fishing all night with no catch. One occurs at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, the other at the end.
II. The Weak Net
Luke 5:4-11
4 When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." 5 But Simon answered and said to Him, "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net." 6 And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. 7 So 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. 8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!" 9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; 10 and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men." 11 So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.
vs. 6 …they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.
Here is the danger. We can cast a net that is not able to handle what God will bring our way. We can very easily create an atmosphere where people are being converted but not discipled. The church can become a revolving door… On the surface, we see revival: lots of new faces, people getting saved every month, but no real growth.
If we are not able to keep the precious souls God places in our hands, if they are not locking in and becoming a real part of the assembly, if the older saints are not setting an example for them to follow, taking them under their wings and nurturing them, if we are simply seeing people come and go then the church is a broken net.
Several things to note about Peter, James and John here.
A. THEY DIDN’T KNOW JESUS
Sure, they’d heard of Him, they knew His reputation, perhaps they even believed the stories they’d heard about miracles and such. But they didn’t know Him.
I’m amazed how many Christians there are in churches today who don’t know Jesus! You may know of Him, you may talk about Him, you may even believe in Him, but James says something more is required- 2:19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe--and tremble! You can know all about Him and sing His praises and even preach His doctrine and still not know Jesus!
Perhaps you remember the story of the man at the Pool of Bethesda who had been sick for 38 years? Jesus tells him, “Rise take up your bed and walk,” and the man is miraculously healed. Later, when the man is being questioned by the Jews, we hear an interesting statement.
John 5:12-13 Then they asked him, "Who is the Man who said to you, ’Take up your bed and walk’?" 13 But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place.
Here is a man whose life has been totally changed forever. Jesus Christ has touched this man like no one else could, but when asked, “Who did this to you? Who has changed you? Who has turned your life around?” he doesn’t even know!
How many Christians today are just as ignorant when it comes to the source of their new life? I’ve really cleaned up my act… That church has really helped me… My faith has changed my life… Your faith in what? Well, my faith, my beliefs, my religion… Do you know Jesus?! Do you really understand who has turned your life around? Because if you don’t, you will never be able to impart that to the next generation. The new convert doesn’t simply need a new group of people to hang with… they don’t need a new set of rules to abide by… they need a passionate relationship with Jesus Christ to totally change their lives forever. That is the only thing that will keep them in the net.
Peter, James and John weren’t there yet. 6 And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. 7 So 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.
What is Peter’s response in trouble? Ps 50:15 Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me. But Peter doesn’t call upon Him; he calls upon them… his partners, his buddies, his friends. Now, a friend is a good thing, a wonderful thing, but not everything. Micah 7:5 Do not trust in a friend; Do not put your confidence in a companion; In fact, there is only one friend the Word of God says can be depended on: Prov 18:24 …there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Unfortunately, we find Peter placing his trust in his own strength and experience and that of his partners. Professional fishermen, nobody’s gonna tell us how to do our jobs! And the nets gave way…
We experience the same failure in fishing as we find ourselves operating under own strength, putting our trust in our own resources and abilities or depending on others instead of placing our trust in the Master Fisherman.
B. NO MATURITY
My four-year-old son babysitting my newborn?
1 Peter 2:1-2 Therefore, laying aside all malice, all guile, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, 2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby Christianity is meant to be a process of maturity… You have to grow up, Christian!
This was the problem in the Corinthian church. The problems they were encountering can sound embarassingly like our own services at times.
1 Cor 3:1-3 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; 3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?
These problems sound familiar? Welcome to spiritual immaturity… Peter, James and John were spiritual babes in Christ… they may have understood a thing or two about fishing but their failure that day was a foreshadowing of the failures they would later experience with the real catch, the souls of men. We see this immaturity at work later as they’re traveling with Jesus.
Luke 9:52-54 And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. 53 But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem. 54 And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?"
Spiritual immaturity causes the casters of the net to throw away the fish God sends!
III. The Strong Net
John 21:1-14
1 After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and in this way He showed Himself: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We are going with you also." They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing. 4 But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Then Jesus said to them, "Children, have you any food?" They answered Him, "No." 6 And He said to them, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish. 7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from land, but about two hundred cubits), dragging the net with fish. 9 Then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish which you have just caught." 11 Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not broken. 12 Jesus said to them, "Come and eat breakfast." Yet none of the disciples dared ask Him, "Who are You?"--knowing that it was the Lord. 13 Jesus then came and took the bread and gave it to them, and likewise the fish. 14 This is now the third time Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after He was raised from the dead.
Almost the same story, but with one noticeable difference… there is no mention this time of the nets breaking. Yes, we see some trouble dealing with the abundance of fish, but 8 But the other disciples came in the little boat, dragging the net with fish. Not a fish was lost!
A. THEY KNEW JESUS
They hadn’t just heard of Him, talked about Him… they knew Him! They had talked with Him, they had experienced His love, His rebuke, His teaching, but most of all they had experienced His impartation… His giving of Himself for them and to them, passing on who and what He was to these men. They knew Jesus and they knew who Jesus really was…
Matt 16:13-19 13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" 14 So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." 15 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" 16 Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17 Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
Peter was the first to recognize who Jesus really was… Nobody else really grasped this. But that all changed after His death and resurrection. How many know, there’s nothing like rising from the dead to prove you’re the Son of God! Here in our text, the resurrection has taken place and it’s not just Peter that gets it!
vs. 7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea.
By recognizing and acknowledging who and what Jesus was, Peter found the spiritual authority he would need to build God’s Church. 19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
You and I do this alone…The source of our power is not our spirituality… it is not our experience… it is not our winning way with people… It’s Jesus Christ. Through Him, we have an anointing and ability to take dominion and build the kingdom of God in an ungodly world. We cannot offer the world a religious experience… a group membership… a warm, fuzzy feeling in uncertain times… We can only offer them the life-changing power of a relationship with Jesus Christ! And that’s all we need to offer! We don’t have the power to blow the fuzz off a peach, but the power of God will rock their world!
B. A CALL TO MATURITY
Even at this point in the gospels, the disciples are wrestling with immaturity. You remember their reaction to Christ’s arrest. Judas had betrayed Him, and everyone but Peter went into hiding, fearing for their lives. Peter alone sought Jesus out, following Him to where they held Him for trial. But even Peter shows His weakness and immaturity, denying Christ when his own life and reputation are put on the line.
But the resurrection changed everything… The disciples that once bickered and fought about who was greatest are now united together. Remember how they wanted to call down fire on the people who’d rejected Jesus? Well, now the whole nation has rejected Him but Peter learns a valuable lesson.
John 21:15-19 So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Feed My lambs." 16 He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Tend My sheep." 17 He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Feed My sheep. 18 Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish." 19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me."
“Peter, it’s time to grow up…” Church, it’s time to grow up. We have fish to catch. Let’s mend the nets and be fishers of men.
"Did you ever notice," asked an old lady, as she smiled into the troubled face before her, "that when the Lord told the discouraged fishermen to cast their nets again, it was right in that same old place where they had been working all night and had caught nothing? If we could only go off to some new place every time we get discouraged, trying again would be an easier thing. If we could be somebody else, or go somewhere else, or do something else, it might not be hard to have fresh faith and courage. But it is the same old net in the same old pond for most of us. The old temptations are to be overcome, the old faults to be conquered, and the old trials and discouragements which we failed yesterday must be faced again today. We must win success where we are if we are to win it at all. It is the Master Himself who, after all these toilsome, disheartening efforts that we call failures, bids us, ’Try again.’ "
