Beyond the Dock, Part 2
Series: Beyond the Dock
Sermon: The Great Catch
🗣️ Speaker: Pastor Tom Van Kempen
In this week's message, Pastor Tom draws a parallel between Jesus' call to His disciples and how we're called to live out our faith. He shared a touching story about a rescue mission—a lifeless iguana saved for the sake of a child's tears—to show that God wants us to reach out and rescue those in need, regardless of their condition. Pastor Tom emphasized a passage from Mark 16:15, where Jesus commands us to spread the good news everywhere we go. Whether sharing a good pizza or the joy of a promotion, we naturally talk about the good things in our lives—how much more should we tell others about Jesus' love? Like fishing, sharing God's word requires casting the nets of our testimony and trusting in Jesus to guide us. This message encourages us to leave our comfort zones and "fish" for people, just as Jesus once did. Remember, the harvest is ripe, and God is with us as we become fishers of people.
Additional Info
The info below was generated by an AI from the audio recording of the sermon.
The Unlikely Rescue of a Pet Iguana
An unusual emergency recently caught the attention of an officer from the Southern California Humane Society. A boy's pet iguana found itself in a perilous situation after being chased up a tree by a neighbor's dog and subsequently falling into a swimming pool. The officer arrived on the scene to find the iguana lifeless at the bottom of the pool. In a moment of quick thinking, she dived in to rescue the animal, performing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and ultimately bringing it back to life. The motivation for her remarkable act? The tearful eyes of a little boy who longed to save his beloved pet. This story serves as a poignant reminder of the deep compassion that exists and prompts reflection on how we respond to the needs of others.
The Cry of God for the Lost
The iguana story resonates with a larger truth about compassion and the call to help those in distress. Just as the officer recognized the boy's pain, God is reaching out to humanity, longing for those who are lost. It raises the question: Do we see the lost in our world? Are we ready to dive into the depths to rescue those who are hurting? As discussed in the biblical context of Mark 16:15, believers are urged to spread the gospel to every corner of the Earth, sharing the good news of Jesus Christ to all.
The Call to Step Beyond Comfort
Navigating through life often keeps us anchored at the “dock” — a place of safety and comfort. However, to truly engage in the mission of God, one must step out into deeper waters. Embracing the challenge of evangelism can be difficult, much like the work of fishing, which takes effort, persistence, and preparation. Many may hesitate, fearing rejection or difficulty, yet the only way to catch fish is to actually go fishing.
The Ministry of Jesus: A Model for Evangelism
Jesus set an extraordinary example for his followers, demonstrating how to connect with people in various settings. In Luke chapter 4, his arrival in a familiar place led to rejection, but he persisted. Jesus then turned his focus to the Lake of Gennesaret, surrounded by mountains — a place where storms could arise unexpectedly, just like the turmoil in human hearts. The crowds pressed close, eager to hear his word, showing the hunger for God's message that exists even today.
The Call to Be Fishers of Men
Just as Jesus used a boat to communicate with the crowd, he sought to engage with Peter, a seasoned fisherman, in a powerful way. After teaching, he instructed Peter to „launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.“ Despite Peter's initial skepticism, he felt compelled to obey. Obedience, in this instance, led to a miraculous catch of fish, emphasizing that when we align ourselves with God's voice, we will experience extraordinary results.
Obedience: The Mark of Discipleship
To be true followers of Christ, obedience must be the hallmark of our faith. As we build our relationship with God, our faith deepens, and opportunities to share the gospel abound. Every story of transformation and every moment of understanding should ignite a desire within us to share the message of Jesus. By saying yes to God’s call and trusting in His power, believers are empowered to spread the good news.
The Multiplying Effect of Faith
When Peter and his companions acted in faith, they experienced a harvest beyond their expectation — their nets began to break under the weight of their catch. This overflowing abundance serves as a reminder that God is a God of multiplication, especially when we step out in obedience. As they signaled to others for help, it demonstrated the importance of community in fulfilling the great commission: Together, individuals can achieve far more than they could alone.
A Personal Call to Action
The story of Peter’s calling offers a challenge not just for fishermen of the time, but for every believer today. Are we willing to forsake our comfort zones and steps into the mission field God has set before us? Simply inviting someone to church, sharing our story, or expressing love in our community can make a tremendous impact. Like Peter, our journey as disciples entails growing through faith, even when doubts arise.
Conclusion: The Opportunity Before Us
Today, God continues to call followers to the greater purpose of making disciples of all nations. The command is not only to invite but to invest in relationships that can bear fruit. Just as Kublai Khan sought missionaries to teach Christianity, there lies an opportunity for believers to step out and fulfill this Great Commission. The fields are ripe for harvest, and it's time to take action in faith, remembering that we are not alone — God goes with us. Prepare yourselves to be vulnerable, offer your heart, and let God use you as an instrument of His love and message in the world.
-
Use the questions listed below as a launching point to discuss the sermon points together as a family. These are great for dinner table discussions and small groups.
1. Reflection on the Sermon: What story or analogy from Pastor Tom's sermon resonated with you the most and why?
2. Personal Connection: Pastor Tom spoke about stepping out of our comfort. What are some areas of your life where you find it challenging to share your faith?
3. Understanding the Call: Mark 16:15 urges us to go and tell. How do you feel about this command, and how is God encouraging you to act on it?
4. Action Steps: Identify one or two people in your life who might need a helping hand or might be open to hearing your testimony.
5. Story Sharing: Share a time when you "fished" for people, whether successful or not. What did you learn from the experience?
6. Prayer and Encouragement: Pray for courage and opportunity to share the story of Jesus’ love with others and for the wisdom to know when and how to speak.
-
Historical Context of the Sea of Galilee in the Bible
The Sea of Galilee, also known as Lake Gennesaret, holds significant biblical importance as a site where Jesus performed various teachings and miracles. Situated in modern-day Israel, this freshwater lake was a hub for fishing and trade during biblical times. The area's geography, with high hills (part of the Galilee highlands) surrounding the lake, contributes to its unique microclimate, where sudden storms are common—explaining the challenging conditions fishermen like Simon Peter faced.
In the context of the New Testament, the Sea of Galilee was the backdrop for Jesus calling the first disciples, performing miracles such as walking on water, and providing a platform for his sermons to the masses. Its fishing industry supported communities, and consequently, Jesus’ invitation for fishermen to become "fishers of men" illustrates a profound metaphor connecting their everyday experiences to a new spiritual mission.
Regionally, Galilee was geographically and culturally diverse. It housed Jews primarily, yet its proximity to non-Jewish territories made it a melting pot of cultures, making Jesus' message of spreading 'to all nations' particularly poignant in such a location. This diverse setting foreshadowed the expansive reach of Christianity beyond Jewish communities and into the broader world.
-
Kids Lesson: "Fishing for Men"
Introduction
Welcome, kids! Today, we’re going to learn about fishing for men. That means telling others about Jesus! Just like the story of the officer who saved the iguana because of the boy’s tears, God wants us to care for everyone who needs His love. Are you ready to dive in with me and learn how we can help others find Jesus?
Scripture
Mark 16:15 – "Go everywhere in the world and tell the good news to everyone."
Luke 5:10-11 – "Then Jesus said to Simon, 'Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men.' So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him."
Craft: "Fishing for Men Nets"
What You Need:
Small paper plates
Blue and brown construction paper (for the water)
Star stickers (to represent stars and fish)
Markers or crayons
Glue
Instructions:
Take a blue paper plate and color or glue brown paper to represent the shore and water.
On the edge of your plate, draw or glue on fish that you want to “catch.” These can represent your friends who need to hear about Jesus.
Use star stickers to decorate your ocean!
Write down the names of 3 friends or family members on the fish who you want to invite to church or tell about Jesus.
Display your craft at home to remind you to fish for men!
Game: "Catch the Fish!"
Objective: Help kids understand the importance of teamwork and sharing the Gospel.
What You Need:
Soft ball or beanbag (to represent the fish)
Hula hoops (as boats)
Cones or markers to outline a "fishing area"
Instructions:
Mark a fishing area with cones. Divide kids into two teams. Each team will take turns trying to throw the ball (fish) into their "boat" (hula hoop).
Once a team catches a fish, they have to shout one thing they can tell someone about Jesus!
Rotate until everyone has had a turn.
Discussion Questions
What do you think "fishing for men" means?
Why do you think it is important to tell others about Jesus?
Can you think of someone you can invite to church or tell about Jesus? How will you do it?
How does it make you feel when you help someone find Jesus?
Wrap Up with Prayer
Let’s bow our heads and pray. "Dear God, thank you for loving us and for giving us the good news about Jesus. Help us to be brave and to share Your love with others. Just like the story of the fishing nets, let us be ready to catch those who need to hear about You! Help us to invite our friends and family to learn about You. We love You so much! In Jesus’ Name, Amen."
Great job today, everyone! Remember, you are all fishers of men, ready to go out and tell the world about Jesus!
-
Well, we've got our television screen up here. I was doing a little reading this week and I read a story about an officer with the Southern California Humane Society. And this person was called on an unusual emergency. And a boy's pet iguana had been chased up a tree by the neighbor's dog and it fell into the swimming pool. So of course she rushed on over there as fast as she could.
And when she got there, she saw a lifeless iguana at the bottom of the swimming pool in the deep end. So she gets out her net and it's got a little telescopic thing on it, but it still doesn't quite get all the way down there. So she doesn't know what to do. She looks around and she sees the owner of the iguana. He looks like he's a little sick, six or seven year old boy crying over to the side of the pool.
So she does the only logical thing at this time. She dives in after the iguana, she gets to the bottom of the pool and she rescues this thing. It takes both of her hands to take it to the side and lay it out there, but it's not breathing. It's not even alive. And so again, she's a quick thinker.
She realizes that, you know what, I've saved people before, maybe I can do the same for the iguana. So she started mouth to mouth resuscitation.
She pushed a little bit on the stomach, water came out of that iguana's mouth and breath started breathing in its lungs again. A true miracle had occurred. The newspaper asked her afterwards, what in the world prompted you to lock lips with a lizard? And she said, well, it was pretty disgusting. She said, that ugly, slimy creature did not motivate me to resuscitate it at all.
But those crying eyes of that little boy motivated me to dive into the pool. God is wondering if you see his eyes right now because he's crying for the lost in the world. And he's wondering if you will be like this officer and if you are willing to dive into the pool of life and start rescuing the slimy, the ugly, the Mean spirited, the lost, the dead, the rejected, the fearful. He wants you diving into the water. Mark 16:15.
These are some of his last words. Go everywhere in the world and tell, say, tell, tell the good news to everyone. This shouldn't be difficult based on what I can see. We love telling people the amazing good things that happen to us. If we have a piece of pizza that we really enjoy, it's on Facebook the next day.
Not just the announcement, a picture of you taking a bite out of that thing. Whether there's a gender reveal, a marriage proposal, whether it's a graduation from high school or a promotion in your job, we are quick to tell people the good news that happens to us. How much more should we be telling the story of Jesus Christ? Peter puts it this way. In Acts, chapter 4, verse 20.
We cannot stop telling about everything that we have seen and everything that we have heard. And so we are smack dab in the middle of a series that we've entitled beyond the Dock and the Dock. This dock right here simply represents safety, security, familiarity. And it's where we enjoy life, it's where we sunbathe, it's where we watch the sunsets, it's where we dip our toes in the water. But if we really want to catch something for God, we've got to leave the comfort of the dock and venture into the deeper waters.
The reality is this fishing can be hard work. Any fisherman out here, I mean, it's not called catching, is it? It's called fishing for a reason. They don't hop up into the boat, they don't jump up onto the dock. You have to prepare, you have to go, you have to figure out how to do all of these things.
What I find interesting is they didn't even jump up into Jesus boat. He had some failures that we need to take note of. In Luke chapter 4, Jesus goes to his hometown. If there's one group of people he wants. If there's one group of people that he wants in the kingdom, it's his family and his friends and those people he grew up with.
And so he goes there and he preaches the gospel. And here's their response. So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things were filled with wrath, and they rose up and thrust him out of the city and they tried to kill him. Think of that. His hometown tried to throw him off the edge of a cliff because they didn't like the message he was preaching.
So today we're gonna look at a story that happened maybe a couple of weeks after that. Particular story, Jesus had made the decision that, you know what? Nazareth isn't biting. So God has led me to Galilee previous to this. So I'm gonna go back to where that's taking place.
And so the scripture says. So it was as the multitude pressed about him to hear the word of God. I love this word pressed here because it has this idea of just crowding around him so close that nobody can really get to him. It reminds me of the story of the lady with the issue of blood. Remember that story?
And she's trying to get to Jesus. If she just touches the hem of his garment, she will be healed. And she's pressing through the crowd. She's trying to get there. And she's strong, struggling to get there.
But she finally makes it, and Jesus makes a difference in her life. This is what Jesus is trying to do in this particular crowd. He's trying to rally them. He's trying to get them excited. He's trying to teach them the word of God, preach the gospel to them.
And so he goes to this place called the Lake of Gennesaret. And that's just another name for the Sea of Galilee. Anybody ever been to the Sea of Galilee? Oh, man. Yeah.
A lot of you have been to the Sea of Galilee. I mean, sometimes when you go over there on a trip to Israel, you'll take a boat that is similar in size to what Peter and Andrew used back then, and you sail across the lake. It's about six miles across. And it's really an interesting geography because it's surrounded by all of these mountains, and there are valleys that lead directly from the Mediterranean Sea to the Sea of Galilee. And so what they tell us is that storms can come up very, very quickly.
They come off the Mediterranean Sea, and then the winds come barreling down these valleys, and then they just strike at the Sea of Galilee suddenly, almost as it were, without notice. But what we see here is Jesus is going to the lake to catch some fish. He's going with much intentionality. Jesus does this all the time. He loves God, where he knows people are gonna be interested.
He goes to seashores, he goes to the countryside. He goes to villages. He goes to bigger towns. He goes through Samaria. He goes to the land of the Gadarenes.
He goes to the area of Galilee, and that's where he is right now in this story. He has a little different purpose in mind. It appears to be like a dual purpose. On the one hand, he is casting this very wide net to catch the masses. It reminds me of the Billy Graham crusades that I used to see on television, that I used to see when I was growing up.
Billy Graham started in the 40s with this big tent revival in Los Angeles, California. And this church actually began with a tent revival almost 100 years ago right here in this particular area. And this church was birthed out of that. That's what revivals do, they birth churches. Who can say amen?
That's the wide net approach. But Jesus also had something else in mind. He wanted to teach Peter about fishing for men. He'd already been challenging him on more than one occasion, and up to this point, Peter still had not figured it out completely. What better place to teach a fisherman about fishing than at a lake, at his own lake where he had a commercial fishing business going on.
And so Jesus is really practical throughout this. If you look back at the scriptures and Jesus saw two boats standing by the lake, but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. So now, for practical purposes, this is now the boat. Okay? So the fishermen, it says they disembarked, they got on off, and they're over here washing their nets over here, doing whatever it is to, to prepare them for the next day or the next night's fishing.
And Jesus is walking up and he notices the boat is empty. He also knows, I'm sure by the spirit of God that it's Simon Peter's boat, all right. And so you see how our floor is slanted upwards. This is actually how it looks like in many places around the Sea of Galilee, because remember, those mountains are all around. And so to get to sea level, you're walking down.
So Jesus is at the sea, on the beach. People are crowding him all around. He needs a better vantage point or he's not going to be able to communicate to those people behind. And so the scripture says he gets on the boat, he embarks. Then he got into one of the boats.
In the Greek language, it means to embark. You know why I like the word embark better than getting on the boat? Because it reminds me of cruising. Whenever I get on a cruise, I get this ticket. And you guys have probably seen it, some of you anyway, and it says your embarkation time is between 9am and 12 noon, or it's from 12 noon to 3pm and whenever I get that ticket, I know I'm going on a trip somewhere.
What Simon Peter didn't expect was he was getting ready to go on a trip that Jesus had designed just for him. Who can say amen? So he sees the boat he gets on the boat. He needs a stage. He creates a stage by asking Peter, can you push out just a little bit?
Can you launch away from the shore so that the boat will be more level so that I can actually sit down in an appropriate place? I don't know if there were chairs. I don't know if there was a captain's chair. But he. That is the position of the teacher.
And he begins to communicate the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He's speaking the word of God because that's what everyone is there to hear. They want to hear Jesus speak because he speaks in a way that no one else ever has spoken before. He's teaching to the multitudes, but he's also teaching to Peter, Andrew, James, and John. They're washing their nets over here, remember?
But Jesus is purposeful. Jesus is strategic. There's no wasted effort in anything he does. And so there is a process to fishing for men. There is a process to discipleship.
And I'm gonna enunciate it by saying that there's three simple steps. But they're anything but simple. Okay? This is just for teaching purposes. The first step is always casting out your line.
His debate was the Word of God. Luke chapter 4, verse 32 tells us this. They were astonished at his teaching, for His Word was with authority. In other words, they'd heard the Pharisees speak. They'd heard the Sadducees, they'd heard the teachers of the law.
They had never heard anyone like Jesus. They had never heard someone who not only spoke it, but lived it completely, 100%. His life and His Word were in complete syncopation. There was nothing deviant. There was nothing that was strange.
In verse 36, it says, they were amazed at his word. In 32, they're astonished. In 36, they're amazed. In verse 44 of chapter 4, he's now preaching instead of teaching. He's teaching, he's preaching.
He's communicating the gospel. Say gospel. Step two is catching. I know Jesus is catching fish, but you might be thinking, how am I supposed to do it? Well, Jesus gave us the example.
We're supposed to preach and teach the Gospel. You might say, pastor, I just. I'm not articulate. I'm not eloquent. I get nervous whenever I get in front of a crowd or whenever I want to communicate my testimony.
I just get nervous. That's. That's why Paul says in First Corinthians 1:21, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. The only Person who wasn't a foolish preacher was Jesus. The rest of us are all still learning.
The rest of us are all still practicing. But I'm here to tell you that if you have a testimony, you can preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. If God has ever done anything in your life, you. You have something to communicate to the world. If you've been transformed by the blood of Jesus Christ, somebody needs to hear that story.
Who can say amen? It might be a son or a daughter. It might be a mom or a dad. It might be a good friend. Somebody needs to hear your story about Jesus.
It doesn't have to be a perfect life. It just needs to be a partially transformed life. At this point, God is still sanctifying us. God still has patience with us, and he's not gonna give up. Who can say amen?
So that's the first three verses. I'm gonna go back to that one. All right, So I set up this timeline because I want you guys to see this. Even in the life of the disciples, many people miss this. And if you weren't here last week, we talked from John chapter one, and we were communicating that, that Jesus showed up after his baptism, after he had gone to the wilderness, after he had already been preaching and teaching by himself as an itinerant preacher.
He shows up to the same place that he was being, that he got water baptized by the Jordan river, and he saw John the Baptist. John the Baptist saw him and said, look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. And nobody cared. Nobody took note. That was the first day.
The scripture tells us that a day later, Jesus comes back and John the Baptist points out again, look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. And this time, two disciples we know. One of them is Andrew, we believe the other one is the author of John. So it's the disciple John. We believe these two guys started following Jesus.
So Jesus is casting his line. He's trying to hook some disciples. Remember, he's not in just the saving business. He wants people to develop, to mature, to become disciples. So the cast is just step one.
The cast is the invitation to come and see. It's an invitation to communicate. It's an invitation into a relationship to get to know Jesus. But in Matthew chapter four, it's step two. This is where they are casting their nets now.
So this is a different environment. Remember in chapter one of John, Andrew actually goes to get Peter, brings Peter back and says, this is the Messiah. Peter shakes his hand, might listen to a Couple of stories. But he goes back to fishing because here in Matthew chapter four, they're casting their net. They're actually in the fishing process.
And Jesus says to them, come and follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. Now, the scripture says they immediately followed him, but obviously they didn't follow him the way Jesus wanted them to follow him. Because here we are in Luke chapter five, and they're still not his disciples. The cast has been made, the catch has probably been made. They probably agree that Jesus is the Messiah, but they are still not wholeheartedly committed.
They're still not all in for Jesus, because here, this is a different circumstance. They're not casting their nets any longer. They're not fishing. This is a different occasion where they are now washing their nets. Something else is taking place, and Jesus shows up to clean the fish.
Remember what I said last week? Jesus mission is a catch clean and release mission. He wants to catch you. He wants to clean you up, and then he wants to release you into discipleship, into fishing for men. So the catch was an invitation to come and follow.
The cleaning is an invitation to come and commit. We're not just trying to save souls. We're literally trying to make disciples of all nations. So Pastor Scott, who's here Wednesday night, let me see your hands. Did Pastor Scott do a good job?
I'm telling you guys, he knocked it out of the park. He talked about the church's mission, and it's coincidentally right what we're talking about in terms of this evangelism series. And this was his base scripture right here. And what I loved about what he said is he said that the Great Commission is right here. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them.
He was up there baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit and teaching them to observe all things that I've commanded you. So this is the Great Commission. We are all supposed to be doing this on a regular and consistent basis. Now, before you feel overwhelmed, this is what he communicated on Wednesday night. He communicated first that God gave us a fact that we all need to understand, and that is this, that all authority has been given to Jesus in heaven and on earth.
Therefore, go. So what's he saying? He's saying, since I have all authority, and I'm sending you to go, I'm giving you all the authority that you need. You will never say never. You will never be caught unprepared for anything that I have prepared for you.
You will be successful you can do this. You can make disciples in the name of Jesus Christ, and you can do it around the world who can say, amen, we can do it. And then he goes on and he says, here's the Great Commission, but. But I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
Who thinks it's close to the end of the age?
I heard somebody say, well, I'm really glad President Trump got nominated and made it into the presidency, because now things will get back to normal.
Have you noticed how the crazies are doubling down? They're not giving up on their agenda. They don't care who's in office. They want to destroy the world because the thief comes to steal, kill and destroy. And there are people in our country who are the devil's ambassadors.
That's who they are. And they're trying to ruin this nation. You know why? Because we are the number one missionary nation in the world. If this nation is destroyed, then guess what?
Maybe this isn't going to happen. But I'm here to tell you, God has a plan and he's going to be successful with or without us. I just want to be on his team who can say Amen? So in verse three, he communicates to. To Peter that he wants him to launch out a little bit into the water.
But then in verse four, when he had stopped speaking. So watch the transition here. The chapter begins by this big crowd. So something happens right here when he had stopped speaking. So he's done.
So obviously there's something going on. The crowd's probably dissipating. Maybe they're going to lunch, maybe they're going back into the cities, but. But they're all disappearing. And he says to Simon, all of a sudden, this goes from the wide net to focused on one human being.
And he says, simon, launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch. Simon's like, what? I mean, come on. You would be doing the exact same thing. In Simon's mind, this is the battle that's going on.
He's thinking, I'm the fisherman. You're not. You might be a great preacher, you might be a great communicator, you might even be a halfway decent carpenter. I heard you used to do that. All right, but you are not a fisherman.
And I know because I'm in the business. We fish at night when we do this big net fishing, and if we don't catch anything, we're done. That's what he's thinking. But Jesus says, launch out into the deep and Let down your nets for a catch. And Simon Peter answers and said to him, master, this could be just a term of respect, or it could be a recognition that he sees something different in Jesus.
Maybe, just maybe, Jesus really is the Messiah everyone's talking about. Maybe these miracles that I'm hearing about aren't just accidents. Maybe they're actually happening. And this is what he says. We have toiled all night.
In other words, I'm vulnerable, Jesus, I'm tired, I'm wore out. This is the worst part of me that you're seeing me right now. We've worked all night. I need to get some shut eye. And not only that, I'm really depressed because we caught nothing.
And when I get home to my wife, you know what she's gonna say, right? I mean, all of these things are going through his mind. But watch nevertheless at your watch, watch, watch. In verse one, the people are crowding around him to hear the Logos. In this verse, verse five, Peter says, I've just heard a rhema, a now word, for a now moment.
It's not just a word. It is the perfect word at just the right time. Faith is starting to grow inside of this man's heart. He's being asked by God, if you trust me, you'll launch out into the deep. If you trust me, I can take care of you, even though you're tired, even though you're disappointed, even though it doesn't make sense.
And it reminds me of what I used to sing when I was a little boy. Trust and obey. Anybody know this? For there's no other way to be in Jesus but to trust and obey. Can you imagine the chaos that the battle, the struggle that's going on in his mind?
And Jesus is saying, just trust me, I can take care of this. This is no big deal. Let me help you, Peter. Really catching something worth catching? And I'm not talking about a football, I'm not talking about a baseball, I'm not talking about a basketball.
I'm not talking about even a catch of fish. Whenever I hear this phrase, great catch or big catch, I think of sports. It's the first thing that comes to my mind. And we've got some pictures up here that you might be familiar with. I remember this catch in 1981, Dwight Clark.
Anybody remember this? Beating the Dallas Cowboys with the catch? That's what they've called it ever since. Here's another picture right here. And this is just happened a couple of years ago when the quarterback of the Alabama Crimson Tide threw that touchdown.
I think it was fourth and 23 on the last play of the game. And they win the game. A fantastic play in the World Series back in the 50s. The say, hey, kid. Willie Mays over the shoulder catch.
It's elite eight time. I remember when Christian Laettner caught that long, full court pass fake here, went this direction, sank the shot. All of those are exciting things. And what it's about to happen to Peter is even more exciting. But for reasons that we're going to get to in just a minute, this is what he begins to catch on to.
Number one is this. Obedience is the mark of a disciple. Say obey. Obedience is the mark of a disciple. This is when we know the fish are ready, really getting clean.
When they do what the scripture says, when they listen for God's word, when they understand that faith can grow, when they persevere through the battle and win the fight. When Romans 10:17 says so. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. And that faith is birthed in our heart. And we do exactly what God wants us to do.
And we do it quickly because we understand that faith without works is dead. Today's message is simply a reminder for many of us here to go and make disciples. It's God calling to you to trust him. In Luke, chapter 5, verses 6 and 7, the story goes on. And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their net was breaking.
I just. Sometimes we hear these stories so many times that we just gloss right over it. Do you guys get this? I mean, they've been fishing for decades. Probably.
Fishing is a. Is not just a lifetime career. It is a generational career. I'm sure. Peter's father fished and Peter's grandfather fished, and they fished around the Sea of Galilee for decade after decade after decade after decade.
And they were meticulous in the mending and the washing and the caring for their nets because. Because their life depended on it. So a net is not going to break unless there is so many fish in that net that it would never happen in real life. That's what's taking place here. A miracle beyond anything that they had ever seen, anything they'd ever experienced.
And so he had to signal to his partners, hey, hey, you guys in the other boat. Come on out here, help us. The net's breaking. And they came and filled both of the boats so that they began to sink. I'm starting to think, what is going on here?
Are the fish literally multiplying as they're throwing them in the boat? There's just more and more and more the nets are breaking. Now we got two boats that are sinking. And then all of a sudden I'm being reminded, oh, look what he did with one bag of two fish and a couple of loaves of bread. I'm like, yeah, that's what's taking place.
A multiplication has taken place. The boats are getting filled beyond capacity. The miracle occurs because they obey. And Jesus is saying something to these guys. He's saying, I'm not gonna make you do this alone.
Partnership is a big part of God's plan. Plan working together. It's not just Peter. It's not just Peter and Andrew. I want the other boat to get involved in this process.
Why? Ecclesiastes 4, 9. Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their labor. I love the fact that Jesus asked for Peter's help. He didn't need it.
He asked for it. He set the example. He called them to be fishers of men, not to be a fisherman. Fisher of men. It's not one guy.
It's a bunch of us working on this together, going out two by two. Who can say Amen the same way that Peter signaled the other boat. I'm signaling you.
Anybody see me? Hey, I need your help. Thank you. Anybody over here? Can you see me?
I need your help. I can't bring all these fish in by myself. And if the net breaks, we're going to lose them. We don't want the net to break. We don't want to lose any of these fish.
We want every single one in the house of God who can say Amen.
I discovered it's way more fun fishing together too, isn't it? I mean, it can be relaxing fishing off the dock by yourself. But I'm telling you, if you catch a big one, who's there to verify? Huh? Who's there to verify?
Nobody. Alright? You need a partner just to prove that what you say is true. But it's better than that. Last week I shared that I've got various fishing holes.
One of my fishing holes is basketball. I love sharing the gospel with guys that I'm playing basketball. That's one fishing hole. One of my other fishing holes is Steak n Shake. Oh, no, no.
You guys probably don't know the whole story unless you saw it online, okay? Because I had a luncheon last weekend that I went to with someone. I was invited to go to Steak n Shake with some people after church. Little did I know that they were going to invade the entire store. Little did I know that there were going to be two dozen people going over there and sharing the love of Jesus Christ.
Little did I know that on either Monday or Tuesday of that week, that someone would be following up by baking the entire staff cupcakes and delivering them on Monday or Tuesday. Because when I got in there on Wednesday, the general manager sat in the seat in front of me and started crying about how wonderful this church is.
That's teamwork. That's working together. That's letting the community know that we love them for no other reason than the love of Jesus Christ. He loves us, so we're gonna love them. So Peter, in this moment, with all of these fish coming into the boat, he starts catching a very vision of who Jesus Christ is, himself.
Watch this. When Peter saw it, the great catch of fish, he fell down at Jesus knees. So there he is in the boat, and he grabs Jesus knees. And he's just down there he goes, depart from me, for I am a sinful man. O Lord.
You might be thinking, why in the world would he do that? Because that is the natural response of any human being who ever has a revelation of Jesus Christ. Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted up in the train filling the temple, and his first response was this, woe is me, for I'm a man of unclean lips. The same thing happens to us when you stand in the presence of God, in the presence of deity, in the presence of holiness. The only thing we can do is bow.
The only thing we can do is worship. The only thing we can do is say, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, God. And Jesus says, hey, hey, hey.
You don't have to be there. I want you to become not just a servant, but also a friend who can say amen. And in that process, you're going to become a fisher of men. You're going to become one of my disciples. Jesus is astonished at the quantity of fish.
He's astonished at the timing of the catch. He's amazed at the person of Jesus Christ, his insight in what he knows and what he sees. And the vision frightens him so much that he's now fearful. So Jesus has to respond by saying, do not be afraid. From now on, you will catch men.
Do you notice the subtle difference from Matthew chapter four? In Matthew, chapter four, he says, follow me and you'll catch and follow me and be fishers of men. Now he's saying, you're going to be successful. He is declaring that with my help and my power, you will succeed at doing this. You don't have to be scared.
You don't have to shrink back in any way, shape or form. So the scripture goes on in the last verse, and it says this. So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all, say all, and they followed Jesus. They left to their comfort. This time they really left to their careers.
This time they went and told, dad, hey, dad, we're not coming back. This time Jesus really convinced us, this time we're going all in. They let go of their doubts and their fears and even their questions, because all of their questions weren't answered. You can't wait to go until all your questions are answered. You can't wait to evangelize until you know the Bible better than everybody else.
All you have to have is a story, say story. You just have to have a story of what Jesus has done in your life. This band of four fishermen chose to enter Jesus personal evangelical boot camp. They know better than anyone else how hard it is to fish. But if Jesus can do what they just saw with fish, he can do the same thing with people.
Let me close with this story. Come on up, worship team. In 1296, Marco Polo returned from his visit with Kublai Khan. This is northern China. And Khan requested that The Pope send 100 missionaries to teach Christianity.
Listen. This is in Marco Polo's journals. These are the words of Kublai Khan himself. I shall allow myself to be baptized. Following my example, all of my nobility will then in like manner receive baptism.
And this will be imitated by my subjects in general. In the end, the Christians of these population parts China will exceed in number those who inhabit your own country. So he's here in, in Mongolia area. He's influencing China and Russia. Both of these great adversaries that we have today were under the conviction of the Holy Spirit.
Marco Polo comes back and. And has an audience with the Pope and, and says, I need a hundred missionaries. It'll change the world. And the Pope sends two friars, and neither friar makes the trip because it ends up being too difficult for them. They were asked to go and fish and they thought it would be easy.
And it wasn't easy. Here's my question. What would it happened had a hundred missionaries actually gone to Russia and China about 900 years ago or 800 years ago? Do you think our world would be different today if Kubla Khan, the leader of that entire Asian area, would have been baptized in water? What kind of impact would that have had on the Asian world?
Because we know when, when Constantine got water Baptized. It changed the entire world. Could there have been a meeting somewhere where the world gets Christianized? Just a question. But the same question is standing before us right now.
Today we are being asked by God himself through the Spirit to go out and evangelize. And we can stay on the dock. We can take it easy. We can say that's the pastor's job. We can say that I'm not equipped.
We can make whatever excuses we desire to make. But I'm here to tell you that we have an opportunity like none other. The fields are ripe for harvest. Who can say amen? And so I just want to give you a couple of tools as we wrap this thing up today.
Number one is we have invitation cards out at the information booth. There's an invite invite panel over here. You can grab anywhere from 1 to 10. Okay, don't take more than 10, but anywhere from 1 to 10 you can take. Because I think it was about six weeks ago, seven weeks ago, I asked everyone to invite 10 people to church for Easter.
Do you guys remember that? So one person had four people at church the next week. All right, that, that was impressive. So I think they're going to hit their 10 quota. But I'm just asking you to ask.
They don't have to come. Just ask. We're providing the invitations for you. Pray for them, intercede on their behalf, maybe even pray even before you do it. Say, lord, who should I invite?
Put people in my path, help me to know when and where to hand out these invitations so that they will strategically be used for, for your praise and your glory. And then we have the 21 days of Easter that actually begin tomorrow. And so we've got a QR code right here. Daniel has a video. Is that video up?
Because we found out that some people don't know how to use QR codes. Okay? So to use a QR code, you put, put your phone up there, okay. And you allow the camera to find the code, and then you press the link. You do not take a picture of the QR code.
Last week we had people taking pictures of the QR code. That doesn't help. You turn your camera on. You let it see that code, and then there's a link that shows up on your phone. That's the, the button you hit.
We had over 110 people, I think, sign up last week. And so we're hoping for at least another hundred this week. And so here's what I'm thinking. If you invite 10, maybe God's going to lay three of those 10 on your heart, because you have their email address and you can start interacting with them and investing with them in this 21 day thing. And so of the 10 that you invite, at least three of them, we want you to start working with them for 21 days, just sending them inspirational messages, sending them things about Easter.
And it's all going to come straight to your phone, straight to your text, straight to your email. And so it's going to be really easy for you to participate. Would you stand with me, please?
After the service, pastors and prayer partners will be available for prayer for anybody. But let me just pray for you right now in regards to evangelism. Heavenly Father, I've sensed you here today. I. I believe that there were some people who got healed in the audience today.
I'm convinced that some that were struggling in their marriages, that they're going to have a breakthrough this week in the name of Jesus Christ. I know some whose finances are getting stretched and maybe they're coming up short at the end of the month. Father God, you're either going to provide a promotion, a whirlwind, you're going to do something to, to provide for them financially in Jesus name. I really believe that walls came down during praise and worship today. And the scripture teaches us that in the midst of worship, victory can be found again and again and again and again.
Father, we've also been talking about evangelism for the last two weeks. It's a challenging topic. It can be a scar, scary, daunting task. But Lord, I pray that the same way Jesus said to fear, not to Peter, I hear the same message today that you're communicating to this congregation, that we've got nothing to be afraid of, that we just have to be in tune with you. And as we listen and hear your word, Father God, and obey your voice, and as faith is birthed in our hearts, that opportunities galore are going to take place, that there will be opportunities to our right, there will be opportunities to our left, there'll be opportunities in front, and there will even be opportunities behind.
Father God. There will be opportunities at work and in school and at the grocery store and in places that we don't even imagine. Gyms and parks. Father God, dog parks. Father, place us in those perfect positions to be an instrument in your hand.
We pray today in Jesus holy and precious name. And then, Father God, allow us to use this tool that you've placed in our hands, these invitations. This 21 days. Just give us wisdom. James says, as if anyone lacks wisdom, all we have to do is ask and you will give generously.
Father God, give us wisdom so that our goal of 1,000 people coming to the House of God this Easter will become a reality. I pray this, I believe this in Jesus holy and precious name, and together everybody says Amen. God bless you.
