Sunday Sermon 2/17/08 -- "Big Fish, Big Grace"

Lesson #2: Big Fish, Big Grace
Luke 5:1-11
2/17/2008

Introduction

Where I’m from in Northern Wisconsin, fish play a mysterious role in the lives of some men. Women do not, in general, relate to fish in the same way.
To some men, perhaps even some here, fishing becomes a way of life. The more you fished successfully, the more respect you earned. It’s really true.

Nothing quite satisfied my dad like catching a big fish from the lake behind our house in Northern Wisconsin.

I remember summer afternoons sitting in rickety lawn chairs aboard our modest pontoon boat spent fishing for crappies, sunfish, large mouth bass, northern pike, perch, walleyes, and the infamous muskellunge. We’d reel in our catch and put them on a stringer beside the boat. I still remember the water swirling and bubbling above the stringer, it meant we had a good catch that day. It meant something to have a good catch, because some days the fish weren’t biting and you couldn’t help but feel dejected and depressed—like for some reason the fish didn’t consider you worthy.

When it got dark, my dad, brother and I would walk up the narrow path to our house and go downstairs to clean the fish. I especially loved to clean the fish. I felt like a surgeon with a long scalpel. My brother and I never got tired of watching the fish remains flop around because the nerves hadn’t stop firing even 20 minutes after we’d thrown them in a paper bag.

Mom would fry up the fresh fillets in the electric frying pan and I’d eat them with ketchup.

In the Northwoods of Wisconsin, stories of fishing adventures spread easily. Legends of the one that got away, Polaroid pictures of mammoth fish caught in the area littered the gas stations and bait shops around my house.

Catching a lot of big fish meant you were a good fisherman. Being good fishermen was like being a celebrity in Wisconsin. It meant you got your picture in the paper and people bought you drinks at the local pubs just to hear you tell your fishy tales of glory.

The fishermen of Northern Wisconsin prided themselves on knowing the sport of fishing. When the fish were spawning, what types of weather produces the best odds, what kind of bait to use when, what pound test line was best combined with what rigidity in the rod, open faced or closed reels, not to mention the hot spots in the area. Listening to fishermen talk was like listening to another language only the anglers understood.

No polished city man who never cast a line could join these conversations. They were not welcome. No fella who had never gutted a bass or hooked a worm on the line could get respect. It was a social system that was hard to crack; it took years of experience and proven success to be able to sit at the table with the seasoned anglers of the Northwoods of Wisconsin.

All this being true, I wonder what it was like for three professional fishermen, who spent their lives fishing the same lake, learning it’s ways, men who spent years on the water, their livelihood completely dependant upon their knowledge of fishing and the success of each venture…I wonder what it felt like for them to hear a simple carpenter, a religious teacher, tell them how to catch fish.

The Calling of the First Disciples
1One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret,[a]with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, 2he saw at the water's edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.
4When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down[b] the nets for a catch."
5Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets."
6When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
8When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!" 9For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon's partners.
Then Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid; from now on you will catch men." 11So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.


Luke’s story of the calling of the first disciples centers on a miraculous catch of fish.

I see this story as many things, but above all an allegory of grace vs. works.

Peter, James, and John had worked all night long and were tired and dejected. They were worn out.

Listen to Peter’s language…

“"Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets."

He doesn’t say it like this…”Master!!!” all chirpy.

But like a man who’s just lost a battle.

This is more than a man having a bad fishing day--this is the picture of man attempting to secure righteousness through the Law—through works.

There are two main elements that characterize the disciples before they met Jesus that day were fatigue and fruitless labor.

It rightly describes Paul in Romans chapter 7 as he details his struggle to stop sinning and rid himself of evil.

“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.

“For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. (I want to catch fish, but I can’t seem to find them) For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.”

It’s takes a lot of energy to make yourself righteous. Not only can it never be done, it makes your soul tired and ragged and it’s totally deflating to consistently come up without a catch, without growth, with out change in behavior or habits. It’s demoralizing—and that’s precisely how the disciples felt as Jesus speaks to them and tells them early in the morning on the shores of Galilee.

I can’t tell you how beautifully this story illustrates the grace of God. It’s as if this short account reveals in real life what Romans systematically explains regarding sin and righteousness, works and the Law, justification and faith.

For one thing, consider what Jesus says to the disciples in verse 4.

"Put out into deep water, and let down[b] the nets for a catch”

The disciples have to be a little suspicious. Come on! We’ve been doing this all night. You think dropping our nets once is going to make a difference?

Jesus essentially gives them a promise. He’s you are going to catch fish if you let down your nets.

In order for the disciples to receive the abundant catch they had to believe Jesus Christ. They had to put their faith in what he said. They had to act on that belief.

This same dynamic is revealed in Romans 3:21ff.

21But now righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement,[i] through faith in his blood.

.In order for our sin-stained souls to receive the abundant provision of grace from God, we must believe. Without faith, the disciples receive no fish, without faith, we receive no grace!

Another aspect of the gospel that Paul will preach is that since we are saved by grace, no one can….BRAG about it.

The Bible is very clear on this---Romans 3:27 “Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded.”
We are made right with God because God has provided us with righteousness from heaven…not of ourselves, so that no one can boast.

Now, a huge catch of fish, I mean a monstrous catch this massive and abundant provision of fish—remember these are fishermen and talk about bragging at the local tavern about the catch! Can you imagine the disciples telling the story? “How did it happen Peter?” We’ll, we fished all night in the places we thought were good and we dropped our nets over and over but only caught seaweed.” Then this guy told us where to put our nets and caught a huge load.”

Who gets the credit? Think about it! The people on the shore, their fishing buddies, and their families…what will they say. What did the disciples do…they simply trusted Jesus and they were rewarded with a massive abundance of fish. There’s no bragging there! In the same way, we are called to put our trust in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross as sufficient and we are given the provision as a gift.

There’s more. The disciples are professional fisherman correct. So they get paid not with money, but in fish. In other words, catching the fish is like earning a wage.

The night before they had labored and toiled all night with out receiving a single fish—if they had, they would have earned it. But here comes Jesus and gives them so many fish two or more boats are sinking—but it’s a gift. They did not earn those fish.

It’s a living picture of the nature of grace.

Romans 4:4

4 Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. 5However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.

I believe Jesus had just as much to do with the lousy night of fishing they had before as he did with the miraculous catch! Just to illustrate the empty, fruitless labor of trying to earn righteousness! But when we simply trust him at his word===go put the nets down----we receive such a provision we can’t even handle it.

Now notice Peter’s response to the catch. “Get away from me! I’m too sinful.” It’s too good!

Have you ever been offered a gift that you felt was too much? You know the reaction===”Oh, I can’t accept this! I don’t deserve this! Why would did you do this, you shouldn’t have!” What we’re really saying is: “I’m not worthy of a gift like this.” Peter got a glimpse of the glory of God and he reacted like so many who hear the gospel for the first time.

They distance themselves through thoughts such as “I’m too sinful. You don’t know what I’ve done—and you are so holy and righteous…Jesus please, leave me alone in my sin. I’m afraid your grace is not big enough for my sins.”

Basically, Jesus doesn’t respond by saying…”You know Peter, I think you are right …see ya later and walk off down the beach, but he also doesn’t get all mushy and fall over himself to convince Peter that he really a good person and that he’s worth it.

The miraculous catch speaks for itself and Jesus knows the Cross will speak for itself. It is the only validation a person needs to understand their worth. I don’t know where you’ve been, but God’s grace is sufficient. Amen? God’s grace has washed you clean Amen!

Jesus says, “Don’t be afraid, from now on you’ll catch men.” In other words, in response to this catch, here’s what you can do for me…share this message of grace with others. Share it and teach those you are sharing it with to share it with others…you know make them fishers of men too.

If Jesus is comparing catching men to catching fish then it seems we may be able to learn something about evangelism. (Some guys are salivating because they think I’m going to announce a fishing evangelism ministry where everybody goes fishing)

What can the members of the body of Christ at Keizer use to catch men? The Message of Abundant Grace. The message of abundant grace is the net God has given the church to catch men.

Now God’s wants us to preach a grace so big, so abundant, so lavish that it breaks the nets and sinks the boats…is that our message? Is that the message you know. Is that the God you know. Is that the provision of grace you know? In your mind this morning-- Is God’s provision of grace for sinful man likened to a massive net bursting with fish or a few minnows in a plastic bag?

Lastly, as a people who have been recipients of such a lavish amount of grace, it follows that we would not only preach and teach big grace, but live big grace

No where is this more clearly seen that in how we respond to insults, being ignored, offended, or disagreed with.

Yet so often in church we have a shamefully small reserve of grace for one another. We love one another as long as we agree on issues but as soon as our perspectives deviate…watch out!

I don’t know about you, but I think being a recipient of the abundant gift of grace should make a person a bit less ornery and critical. Is God’s grace transforming you? Oh, wait, I shouldn’t ask you, I’ll ask your spouse, or if you’re not married, your family or closest friends, they will know best. By the way, Holly is leaving early today so don’t try to talk to her.

Colossians 3:13
“Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”


I know I need to be reminded of this when I deal everyday with my wife, those I work with, eat with, and live with.

Am I walking in grace or in criticism and sarcasm? Am I loving much because I’ve been forgiven much or do others need to walk on eggshells around me for fear of offending my sensitive ego.

Make no mistake, the grace of God is intended not only to flow into us but through us to others. Are you a receptacle of grace or a conduit?

Meditation upon the grace of God is vital in order to live out the life described in the gospel.

You say what do you mean? I mean not just loving and being gracious to our brothers and sisters in the church whom we love and share faith with…I’m talking about the loving your enemy stuff.

You remember don’t you—Mt. 5:44

‘But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.”

I just finished reading a powerful book by Ernest Gordon entitled “To End All Wars” about the Allied POW’s who were forced by the Japanese to build a railroad from Thailand to Burma through the jungle in horrific conditions and under torturous treatment. It was in this situation that some of the men began to practice the commands of loving their enemies. Try loving an armed guard who just finished beating or killing your friend.

This is why the nets were breaking and the boats were sinking with fish that day on the Sea of Galilee!

To show how great and how lavish and how reckless the provision of grace and love God has given to us through the cross of Jesus Christ to wipe away every stain and sin, even though you didn’t deserve it, so that we might give to others the grace they don’t deserve and by so doing bring glory to God.

Apostle John would marvel in I John 3:1

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called the children of God! And that is what we are!”

Only when our nets are breaking with grace will we be able to love our enemies.

I’m just asking you to start with your spouse for heaven’s sake! I mean you married ‘em anyway! Don’t blame me.


In every book, in every story, God is calling us to know his grace…to receive his grace and to share his grace to be a people of grace to the glory of God.

Pray.