The Biblical Imperative of Fishing

We'll begin in Matthew four. We're going to read verses 18 through 20 and then the first 11 verses of Matthew five. Matthew four eighteen to 20 and Jesus walking by the Sea Of Galilee saw two brother. Simon called Peter and Andrew his brother. Casting a net into the sea for they were fishers.

And he saith unto them, follow me and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets and followed him. If you'll turn over to Luke chapter five, Luke chapter five gives us a few more details. Luke often likes to give us details that sometimes Matthew and Mark leave out. This is why we have four gospels.

The four do not conflict or contradict one another. What they do is they compliment one another and we get details from one that we may not get from the other. Here in Luke chapter five, we have a slightly longer story of the incident. Luke five verse one, it came to pass that as the people pressed upon him that is Jesus to hear the word of God. He stood by the Lake Of Gennesaret.

That is also we call the Sea Of Galilee and he saw two ships standing by the lake but the fishermen were gone out of them and were washing their nets and he entered into one of the ships which was Simon's and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land and he sat down and taught the people out of the ship. Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a draught or a catch. Simon answering said unto him, master, we have toiled all night and have taken nothing. Nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. And when they had done this they enclosed a great multitude of fishes and their net break and they beckoned under their partners which were in the other ship that they should come and help them and they came and filled both the ships so that they began to sink.

When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees saying, depart from me, for I am a sinful man, oh Lord. For he was astonished and all that were with him at the drought of the fishes which they had taken. And so was also James and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. Jesus said unto Simon, fear not. From henceforth, thou shalt catch men.

And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all and followed him. Let's go to the Lord in prayer once more. Lord, thank you for your word today and the opportunity to look into it together and to worship the one who has given us. This great revelation about yourself, about your plan of redemption, about your will for our lives. We might learn of it and learn of you and worship you and serve you today.

We pray above all things that Christ would be exalted and if there's one here today that's never trusted in Jesus Christ as savior, that today would indeed be their day of salvation. In Jesus precious name, we pray. Amen. The biblical imperative of fishing. An imperative is a command and Jesus here in Matthew chapter four called out to Peter and Andrew and told them, commanded them, follow me.

I will make you fishers of men. Let's briefly review the context and then we're going to apply it to our lives. As the word of God is meant to be applied to our lives and our experience and our need. Peter and Andrew had been toiling all night and caught nothing worthwhile with John and James and were now cleaning their nets after a rough night at work. They had worked and toiled and caught nothing worthwhile.

And now they were out on the shore cleaning their nets. There is a little spring that empties into the Sea Of Galilee on one end of it and there is a rock, a lot of rock that sits in front of that spring along the shoreline. A very convenient place near Capernaum for them to spread out their nets. I I was privileged to see that when I was there back a few years ago. Jesus had just finished speaking as you remember from the story from Peter ship When at his command they cast their nets one more time You see here Peter mentioned Lord, we've we've worked all night and caught anything but he says, for you, I'll do it though.

I'll throw out the net one more time. And he did. They caught such a tremendous amount of fish that the nets break and their ship and John and James ship boat nearly sunk under the weight of the fish that they caught. Peter in faith, fear, and humility. Came before the Lord, confessed his failings, confessed his sin, confessed his in before the son of God As did Isaiah in Isaiah chapter six as he also acknowledged his sin.

Humbly before the Lord As he looked upon him in a vision. And he acknowledged the incredible power of God. Leading to Christ's call and their abrupt and complete obedience to follow and learn of him. They just left their nets sitting there and they followed Jesus. As they obeyed the one who was worthy of their obedience, worthy of their worship, and their service.

We must understand as they did the power and authority of God in this matter of fishing for souls. Because it is just as vital today. As it was then. Just as needed today as it was then. We serve the same God today that they did then and he has given us the same command as his church today as he did them.

To be fishers of men. First, I want us to see this morning of two things. First, I want us to see God's prerogative in soul winning. God's prerogative in soul winning. First of all, God knows who and where the lost souls are.

And can lead us to them. God knows where the lost souls are and you say, well, pastor, the lost souls are all around us. Well, you're right about that. They are everywhere but sometimes you can fish for an awful long time. For souls of men and seemingly catch nothing but God knows where those souls are that are seeking.

God knows where those men, women, boys, and girls are. They not only lead the Lord but are ready to receive the message. They are out there. Sometimes we throw out the lifeline again and again and again. We catch nothing and so we begin to think, well, it just doesn't work anymore.

Are they they're not out there to catch anymore? When the fact is very often, they're right under our nose. God knows He knows who they are. He knows where they are and he knows when. They're ready.

He knew right where those fish were. He knew right when to throw out that net. To catch the most fish that Peter had ever caught in his entire life. He didn't know. But God and God knows today.

Jesus himself knew. When he chose to go through Samaria, knowing he had an appointment with a woman at a well in Sychar. She didn't know she had an appointment with Jesus but he knew hey, he had an appointment with her. And not only was she introduced to the Messiah that day and received him. But the whole town heard about Jesus that day and many souls trusted in him.

In Acts chapter eight, an angel sent Philip instructing him to go to the middle of nowhere. That's what the Judean wilderness is. It is the middle of absolutely nowhere. Because it was in the middle of nowhere that God had arranged in a meeting, A meeting with an important Ethiopian, a servant of the queen of Ethiopia. Who was searching for the Lord and searching for the truth.

Acts eight twenty six to 28 and the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip saying, arise, go toward the South unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza which is desert and he arose and went and behold a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure and had come to Jerusalem for to worship was returning and sitting in his chariot read Isaiah's or Isaiah the prophet. You see, God knew that man. God knew where that man was. God knew when that man was ready and at the right time, God sent Philip to the middle of nowhere to meet a man who needed Jesus. And the story continues in Acts eight.

He heard about Jesus and he trusted in Jesus. He was baptized right there on the spot and he continued on his journey to Ethiopia where it would seem he told a lot of other people about Jesus. You see, God knows and God knows where and God can lead us to them if we are sensitive to his leading. If we do not pass up opportunities that he puts right in front of our face. If we do not give up in throwing out the lifeline to those who need it.

Secondly, God has the power and means to convert the soul. Not only does God have the knowledge but God has the means. He alone is rightly equipped to convert the human soul. Only God could send his only begotten son, Jesus Christ to this Earth to die on the cross for our sins and pay the price. There is none other who could pay that price.

There is none other who is God. There is none other who is sinless. Only the sinless savior could die in our place. Could pay the price of redemption. And save all those who come to him in faith.

Only God can change who you are. Only God can forgive you of your sins. Only God can make you his child. No one else, nothing else but God. Hebrews seven twenty five, wherefore he that is God is able is also is able able also to save them to the uttermost.

That means completely that come unto God by him. That is through Jesus. Seeing he ever live it to make intercession for them. Who is able? God is able.

Able to save those who come to him. Because our savior lives in heaven. Our savior sits at the right hand of the father and intercedes in behalf of all those who put their faith and trust in him. You can't save anyone. But God can It is our privilege to introduce people to the one who can save their souls, who can change their eternity.

God has that power. God has the authority thirdly to send us out in the task of converting souls. God, Jesus Christ has the authority to send us forth in that task. He didn't come to Peter and say, would you possibly consider maybe joining me to go out and fish for men? No, he did what?

He commanded Peter to follow him. And he has that authority and he has that right because he is God because he is the creator of those souls because he is the one who died to save those souls. He is our savior, our Lord, our God. And he alone has the authority. To send us out.

On that test. And so, he calls and sends forth his disciples. Here as he does us today into a dark world which desperately needs the light of the gospel. Matthew twenty eight eighteen and Jesus came and spake unto them saying, all power is given unto me in heaven and earth. Go you therefore and teach all nations.

What were they to teach them? They were to teach them the gospel that they might be saved. He said, all power is given to me. There's two words for power in the Greek. One is Dunamis, the other is Exousia.

This one is Exousia. Dunamis is the word from which we get the word dynamite. It means power, raw ability, Exousia means authority. Jesus says to his disciples, all power, all authority is mine. Now, I command you, go.

Go. And they did. John twenty twenty one then said Jesus to them again, peace be unto you as my father has sent me even so what? Send I you. And as he has sent them, he has sent us.

He is the commander in chief. He is the commissioner. He is the one who has given us a mission to fulfill. We must obey. The fourth thing we see of God's prerogative is God has the message which we are to take that he might convert souls.

God has the message. God has given us the message. He has given us the tools. The gospel and the holy spirit. That we might go into the world with his message with his tools, with his power, to save souls.

Mark sixteen fifteen, he said to his go into all the world and preach that word preach means proclaim the gospel. You don't have to be a preacher to proclaim the gospel. You just have to be a Christian to proclaim the good news. That Jesus Christ came. He was born.

In a manger. He grew and ministered and showed the world that he was God He died on a cross not for his sins but for ours and he rose again on the third day according to the scriptures. This is the gospel by which we are saved. We are told by Paul in first Corinthians 15. If we will want, if we will believe on Jesus and receive him as our personal Lord and savior.

It is the message that we have been given to take to the world. Romans one sixteen, Paul writes for, I am, I think I have that up here, I do. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. For it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. Paul was scoffed at.

He was mocked. He was beaten. He was thrown in prison. In one case, he was stoned and left for dead. For the sake of the gospel.

Yet, he was not ashamed. Yet, he did not hesitate to preach and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ wherever he went because the gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believe it. Jew, Greek, rich, poor, successful, It is the gospel to all And to all who believe and receive Jesus Christ gave he power to become the sons, the children of God, even to them that believe on his name and that is the gospel As Paul writes to Timothy that he says, is entrusted to you and is also entrusted to us Through his word. That he has given, that he has preserved, that we might have it in our very hands and in our very hearts. To proclaim to others.

Of the power of God. And the desire of God. For God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. So we see the prerogative of God. As he commanded them to let down their nets, as he commanded them to leave their nets and follow him.

To become fishers of men. It is his prerogative. He knows where the lost souls are. He knows the he has the power to convert them. He has the authority to send us and he has the message to give.

We are his messengers It is our privilege He did all the work All we have to do is tell other people about it. What a joy. Which brings us to the second point this morning and that is our responsibility. What is our responsibility in this matter? Well, first of all, our responsibility is this, trust in and obey the Lord as the disciples did.

It's very simple. One of my favorite passages, Proverbs three, five and six, trust in the Lord with all thine heart. Lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths or make thy paths straight. He shall direct you in the right way but you must trust in the Lord with all your heart and not choose to lean on your own understanding but to acknowledge him, his power, his ability, his authority, his wisdom.

And follow him. Peter did that here. What did Peter say when Jesus said, hey, go out there and throw out the net. Peter said, well, Lord, I've thrown out the net all night long and the fish just aren't here. I mean he didn't say it quite like that but that's what he meant.

We have toiled and toiled and they are just not around. But he says, At your command I'll do it and he did it and to his shock he caught the biggest catch of fish he had ever caught His faith at that time was small but his faith began to grow as he trusted him and he obeyed the Lord because the Lord not only told him to cast out the net but he said, come follow me and I will make you fishers of men and to that, Peter, Andrew, James, and John also did what? They trusted and obeyed. The Lord. Just as Abraham did, all the way back in Genesis where it says, he believed the Lord and it was accounted unto him for righteousness.

Abraham is in heaven. Abraham, we will see one day. He is there not because he was a perfect man. For if you read the account in Genesis, you become aware that Abraham was far, far from perfect but he is there because he believed the Lord. He trusted in the Lord.

And it was accounted or credited to his account for the righteousness which he personally did not possess. The same is true for us. For he that is God hath made him that is Jesus to be sin for us or to suffer for our sins on the cross that we might be made the righteousness of God. In him. As Noah believed God and built the ark.

As Moses believed in the Lord and left the palace, the disciples believed and left their nets to follow him. Trust, believe, is then followed by what? By obedience. Faith is the key in redemption. As it is also in service.

Hebrews eleven six, but without what? Faith, it is impossible to please him. For he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Faith is the key for without faith, it is impossible to please him. We are saved not by works but by faith.

But that faith is followed, evidenced by our what? By our obedience. Our obedience, our works are not the cause of our salvation but they are the evidence of saving what? Of saving trust and obey. That is what we learn from Peter, James, Andrew, and John.

They believed and they obeyed. It was accounted to them for what? For righteousness just as it was for Abraham and Noah and Moses and all of those others listed in Hebrews 11. For us, as it is also for us today and not only is faith key in redemption but is also key in service. For as our faith and trust grows in the Lord, so does our service.

Jesus said, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and what? And follow me. If we are going to be of any benefit to our Lord who saved us here, we must trust and what? Trust and obey. The second thing we see, my responsibility from the disciples is the need to study and train under the tutelage of others.

They obeyed and they did what? They followed Jesus. Did they need to follow Jesus? Well, we say that we often think, well, they follow him. They trust in him.

They became what we call Christians, followers of Jesus Christ, believers. They followed in his path but following him also meant that they had become disciples. They had become pupils. They had become students of the Lord. For as they followed him, Jesus began to teach them what they needed to know in order to be fishers of men.

So they left their nets. They knew how to be fishers of fish but Jesus said, you follow me and I will make you to become fishers of men. And so they left their job to go back to school With the greatest school master and school teacher that has ever lived on the face of the earth. Who taught them the most important lesson and the most important ministry and job that anyone can have on the world. Do to We says, take Jesus said, take my yoke upon you and do learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and you shall find rest for your souls.

That verse again, take my yoke upon you and what? What's the next three words? Learn of or learn from who? Me. From Jesus.

He said, take my yoke upon you. It's easy. It's not a difficult yoke. You'll find rest for your souls. Follow me, learn of me.

Go to my school. Don't leave out the most important thing. We need reading, writing, arithmetic. We we need to learn those things. They make us better citizens.

They make us even better Christians and witnesses. Talk to people about things. Draw them to Jesus Those things are important to our success in life but if we leave out the most important thing of all, then we fallen far short. Learn from me, Jesus says. Second Timothy two fifteen, Paul wrote to Timothy, study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needed not to be ashamed, rightly dividing, rightly, expositing, preaching, teaching the word of truth which is the what?

The word of God. You say, pastor, Jesus isn't here I can't I I can't listen to him and travel with him the way the disciples did. That's true. Matter of fact, most people in the world in that day couldn't. Only a few could.

Most people didn't live in Palestine, Israel Some people had other things that kept them physically or in other ways. From literally spending months with Jesus Christ. But we have something even better. We have the what? We have the word of God.

We have Jesus's teachings right here. We have his instructions right here. We have the written word that tells us about the living word, about the things that he taught his disciples that they might be, the servants of Christ, and soul winners for Jesus. We have it all right here and not only do we have the word of God but we also have the holy spirit who he has given to us. Jesus said to his disciples, it's expedient, it's good for you that I go back to heaven.

They said, no. They were thinking, no. No. It's not. No.

We want you here. Jesus said, no, it's expedient for you that I go back to heaven because when I go to heaven, I will send the holy spirit. He will not just be with you but he will be in you. He has given us his spirit and his word and we can learn. By his spirit and through his word.

How to become soul winners also. For Jesus Christ to be taught of him. Our responsibility, trust and obey. Study the word of God. That you might know.

The will of God and the gospel that is written therein and then you have to go forth and cast your what? You have to go forth and cast your net. Sometimes when you cast your net, you don't catch anything. Sometimes, you may cast your net for all night and catch nothing. Sometimes, you may cast your net all year and seemingly catch nothing.

But keep casting your net. Keep throwing out the lifeline someone is going by God's grace to grab a hold there is someone out there The first time the disciples threw out the net was on the day of Pentecost 3,000 souls were saved on that day. It doesn't always happen like that but souls will be saved if we keep throwing out the lifeline. Jesus says, go out the highways and the byways and compel them to come in that my house may be full. Jesus did the heavy lifting.

All he has asked us to do is to go out and tell them. The responsibility not of a privileged few but the responsibility of every child of God who's been saved to tell others what has happened to them to be witnesses as we are told Galatians six nine, Paul writes to the Galatians and be not weary in well doing. For in due season, you will reap if you faint not. They were discouraged. Aged.

Sometimes, you may be discouraged. Sometimes, you may think it's just not going to happen. Sometimes, you may think it's not worthwhile. But don't be weary in well doing. For you keep throwing out the net.

Somebody, somebody is gonna get saved and you may not even know. You may not even know. You may plant a seed or water a seed that years later may come to fruition. Keep throwing out the lifeline and then lastly, our responsibility, trust and obey, study the word, go forth and cast the net, pray number four that God will convert the souls and bring the increase. It is not our prerogative to save souls, to bring the increase.

That is the job of God. It is our prerogative. It is our privilege. It is our duty and responsibility and our joy. To proclaim the message that others may hear.

For faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. It is also our responsibility to pray. Acknowledging that people don't get saved by our strength, our power, our arguments, our effort. But men and women, boys and girls are saved. By the power of God.

In answer to the prayers of God's people. Three verses in closing. First Corinthians three six and seven. Paul writes, I have planted. Apollos watered another preacher but God gave the increase.

So, then, neither is he that planted anything, neither he that watereth but God that giveth the increase. He uses a illustration of planting and growing things. It's not the one who planted the seed or the one that watereth the plant but it is God that gives the increase. For you might water, you might plant the seed. If you've ever planted a garden, you know sometimes you plant the seed and you water it and you water it and you water it and you pull the weeds and you tend to it and it doesn't grow and it doesn't produce anything and it's frustrating.

Other times you plant the seed and you water it and you don't even do as much as you did with the last one and up shoots this beautiful plant and produces all season long. For the same that is true with plants is also the same that is true with salts. We plant, we water but God gives the increase. Psalm 120 six:five-six, They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth weeping and bearing precious seed shall doubtless come again rejoicing bringing his sheaves with him.

So in tears is applied to soul winning. So in prayer. So in earnest. For the souls of men. And you will doubtless return again.

Bringing your sheaves with you. That God has provided. Luke 10 and verse two, therefore, said he unto them, the harvest truly is great but the labors of you are few. Pray you therefore the Lord of the harvest that he would send forth labors into his harvest. What is God asked his disciples to do?

He says, pray. Pray that God will send others into the harvest. Pray for lost souls. Pray for the increase. Pray for the harvest.

Pray as you go. God will give the increase. Don't forget to pray. Who can you pray for? Who do you need to pray for?

A friend, a family member, a coworker? Who is it that God would lay on your heart in 2017 to pray for? Who is it that God would lay on your heart and I hope not just one to go to in 2017. Will you go? Will you obey?

Last Sunday morning, we read through the church covenant and we focused on the responsibilities that we have to one another as members of Missouri Avenue Baptist Church but today, we focused on this part of the church covenant represented by these two brief sections. Supporting worldwide missions and the spread of the gospel through all nations. These flags upon this platform represent the countries we have missionaries in that we support, that they might proclaim the gospel that others might be saved. We receive regular reports from these missionaries and often we hear of men and women, boys and girls who have come to know Jesus as savior. And then the second section up there, seeking the lost, to seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances.

We're not to be soul winners simply by the giving of money and supporting of missionaries that we should. But we also have opportunity. To tell others around us, to pray for them. And not only should we in 2017 be concerned with our brethren in Christ and maybe go a little further out of our comfort zone and ministering to them but we also have a responsibility to go a little further out of our comfort zone and reach out to others who need Jesus. That we might see these pews filled.

Not with people who come from other churches but from people who have come to know Jesus Christ as savior and Lord. Who has God laid upon your heart? Who will he lay? Will you obey and follow him? Let's pray.

Dear heavenly father, we thank you Lord for your word, for the message that we find therein. That we might throw out the lifeline. For we never know who might be saved. The story that we read earlier was a young man, unsaved at the time. Who became the pastor of the church and led many others to Jesus Christ.

Lord, somebody led DL Moody to Jesus Christ. Somebody led Hudson Taylor. To Jesus Christ. Lord, we do not know. What effect our witness may have.

Not only upon the one soul who trusts Christ but many others. Lord, may we be faithful, may we be focused, may we be reminded and challenged this year to be witnesses for Jesus Christ In the places where you have placed us, that others might be saved and we pray Lord if there's one here this morning that's never trusted Christ as savior, that as we give this hymn of invitation, they would come. We might show them from God's word how they might be saved. In Jesus precious name, we pray. Amen.