Fishing for Souls: Part 2

We are so easily distracted by the by the things of life, things of the world, the busyness, the the task, the everything that's going on around us from the reason we're still here. As I mentioned this morning, if the only reason God saved you was to take you to heaven, You'd be there. That's not the only reason. He saved you. He saved me that we might bring glory to him here.

That we might be a light in a dark world. That we might touch the lives of others. Through the word of God, the sword of the spirit that he has given us to bring those by his word to himself to be saved, to encourage Christians along the way who are discouraged. The Lord has left us here for a reason. And one of those reasons we're looking at this evening that we might be fishers of men.

Again, in Luke chapter five, I want to read verses one through 11. This event is recorded in Matthew. It's also recorded in Mark. This is Luke's parallel passage. It gives us a few details preceding Christ's call to Peter and Andrew, James, and John to be fishers of men that the other two gospels leave out and those of those details are important to the message this evening.

So, we'll be in Luke chapter five and it came to pass that as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the Lake Of Gennesaret. As I mentioned this morning, that's the same as the Sea Of Galilee and 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 he 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. And 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 had this done 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, and Jesus said unto Simon, fear not from henceforth, thou shalt catch men. When they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all and followed him. In the passage, we read this evening.

We see Peter who's here called Simon and Andrew and James and John, the sons of Zebedee. As I mentioned this morning, they, this is not the first time they had met Jesus. They met him down in Judea probably during the time of Passover. They were students of John the Baptist and they were quickly introduced by John to Jesus and became disciples, students, followers of Christ but they were still keeping their their day job and they went back to Galilee. Christ went with them and they were fishing and they fished all night and they caught nothing.

When Jesus told Peter to throw the net out one more time, Peter said, well, you know, I've tried all night and we've caught, we've haven't caught anything. I think Peter's attitude was, you know, sort of like this. Well, we tried all night and we haven't caught anything. There's nothing here to catch but because you say so, not really expecting to catch anything. I will throw it out anyway and he did.

I say he wasn't expecting to catch anything because he was, the Bible says, astonished. When he went to pull the net in and he could hardly pull the net in because of all the fish that he had caught in. And what was his response? Well, he fell down on his knees before Jesus. We read in verse eight and he said to him, depart from me for I am a sinful man, oh Lord.

As we looked in Isaiah chapter six, we see almost the very same response out of Isaiah there. When Isaiah realized the holiness of God and least in the vision, him being in the presence of that holy God. The only thing he could think of was how sinful and how unworthy he was to be there and Peter felt the same way. He was a sinful man. He was a sinner just like you and me.

He was unworthy. And so are we. We are only made worthy in Jesus Christ our savior. As we are robed in the righteousness of Christ through faith in him. Are we made worthy to be called the children of God?

Are we made worthy to become the servants of God? Before service comes confession, God can't use those who do not need his forgiveness and grace, who cannot see their lack and his abundant supply of righteousness. We looked at these verses. Luke five thirty two, Jesus said, I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. God can't help those who don't know they need help.

And sometimes even Christians, we seem to forget that we need his help. We can't do this in the flesh. We can only do this in the spirit. We can only do this in his power and we can only do this in his power if we're willing to recognize the sinners that we are and the righteousness and goodness of our God who has forgiven us and given us this opportunity Jesus said, I am the vine and you are the branches. He that abideth in me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit for without me, you can do nothing.

God was about to do a mighty work in Peter's and Andrew's and John and James's life. He was going to bring thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands of souls into the kingdom through their preaching. Not in the next day, not in the next week. But in years to come. He would make them fishers of men and just as that neck caught a catch that was unimaginable that the net began to break and the boats began to sink.

So, three, four years down the road was the catch of souls. 3,000 on the day of Pentecost ost that trusted Christ and that was just the beginning. You see, in some part, we're here this evening worshiping the Lord, our savior because of these men. Who became the messengers of Jesus Christ, the ambassadors of Christ and through them, he has also caught us. Praise the Lord.

Jesus then used the metaphor, used their catch of fish to illustrate what he was calling them to do. When he said, follow me and I will make you fishers of men. I mentioned this morning, we must understand as they did the power and authority of God in this matter of fishing for souls. The power and authority of God. You see, it's God's prerogative.

This is mission that God has given us. This is not our mission. It's not our opinion. It's not our decision. It's his calling.

His mission. His purpose. And us still being here. That we might bring glory to his name. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father in heaven.

We looked at several segments of this. First of all, God knows who and where the lost souls are and can lead us to them. They're out there. We mentioned this morning, some might be right across the street and some of those are right across the street. We're in our service this morning.

Three of them had the privilege of leading to the Lord. Two of them a month ago. What a blessing. And sometimes we we get discouraged but they're there. They're out there.

So, keep throwing out the life lifeline. Keep casting the bait, the net. They might be the person next door. On one side of me is a Vietnamese family and a young man named Liam that needs the Lord. Hope you're still praying for Liam.

The other side of me is a young couple named Derek and Sarah. They came to our picnic we had at our house a while ago. A few of you met them. They still need the Lord. Pray for them.

I'm sure you have neighbors too. And you meet the teller at the bank and the cashier at the grocery. They're out there. You never know. Who's ready to receive his word?

But God knows. By his spirit, he'll lead you to them if you're listening God has not only knows where the lost souls are but he has the power and means to convert them Hebrews seven twenty five wherefore, he able also to save them to the uttermost. That means completely that come unto God by him seeing he ever live it to make intercession for them. You can't save anyone. You can simply give them the message of the gospel but you can introduce them to the one who can, save them to the what?

To the uttermost. He can save them completely. He can save them forever. Seeing he ever lives to what? To make intercession for them.

You see, you still sin, don't you? But why is it you're still saved? Because there's one in heaven who's making intercession for you. And if it weren't for him, we'd be without hope. But in him, we're saved.

He keeps us. By his power and he's reserved a place in heaven. For all those who come to him by faith. He has the power to convert the soul, to save them, to keep them. To the uttermost.

He has the authority to send out his servants. You see, it's not just our choice. It's his choice. He is the Lord. He is the master.

And it is his choice to send us. Look up here in Matthew 28 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. When he says all power, he's using the Greek word exousia. It's not dunamis.

Now, dunamis is the word from which we get dunamite. Dynamite. Dunamite. Dynamite and that speaks of God's ability and and indeed God is omnipotent. That means he has all power and certainly the power to save souls but that's not what that word is talking about.

That word means authority. Christ says, all authority is mine. And then this particular area of being fishers of men It is his prerogative to send. It is our prerogative to go. He has that authority and he has sent us as he sent his disciples.

He has sent us to a lost and dying world. He has sent us out as ambassadors to give them the gospel. It is his prerogative and what does he send us with? Well, he has the bait. He has the equipment.

And he hands it to us and he says, take it. Now, go cast it And I'll bring in the souls. All he told Peter to do was just cast the net one more time. That's all he's asking us to do. To cast the net of the gospel.

For I am not ashamed, Paul says, the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God. Now, this is Dunamis. For it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth to the Jew first and also to the Greek. What is the good news? The good news is that you're a sinner.

I'm a sinner. We're lost in sin and we deserve our place in hell. But Jesus came and he died and he took my hell upon himself. That I through him might be saved. He rose again from the dead that he might give me life in him.

And he'll do the same. For anyone. Says, for he that cometh to me, I will in no wise what? Cast out. That is the wonderful message we have to take.

It's not always well received but it is the good news. It is the remedy to sin. If I found out I had cancer, I wouldn't want to take chemotherapy. It doesn't sound like much fun. But it may be the cure that I need.

The lost that we take the message to don't always receive well the message but they're a sinner that needs a savior and they must repent and trust in Christ. But it is the only cure. They need to hear it. Whether they want to hear it or not. That doctor may know I don't want to hear it.

But he's going to tell me anyway. Because I need to. God has given us the message that we might tell them, that we might be fishers of men. You say, but pastor, God hasn't called me to to leave my my day job and spend my life as a missionary. Well, maybe he hasn't.

What? It doesn't mean he hasn't called you to be a witness. At the job where you work, with your neighbor, with your relative, with your friend. He's given us the same spirit that he gave them to empower them. He has also empowered us but you shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you and you shall be witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

It is God's prerogative. In this manner of soul winning. It is his prerogative to tell us, to lead us to where the souls are, to empower us as he has the power to convert the soul. He has sent us by his authority and given us his message. That is his responsibility.

Now, in closing tonight, what is ours? Well, you say, pastor, you just said it. We have to what? We have to obey but let's dig just a little deeper tonight before we finish. What is our responsibility?

Our responsibility is to trust and what? Obey. Trust and obey. For there's no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey. Trust and obey the Lord as his disciples did.

When Jesus said, follow me and I will make you fishers of man. Did they have to discuss it amongst themselves? Did they say, wait, I have to do this or I have to do that. Now, there were some that did that later on in Jesus ministry and he didn't say, oh that's okay. He said, no.

If you really want to obey me, if you really want to be my disciple, then, quit giving excuses why you can't. People do it all the time. Even Christians do. Well, I can't talk to them. I can't witness to others.

Yes, you can. Maybe not the same way that the missionary or the preacher would but you can. You you have the same spirit. You have the same Bible. You have the same experience if you know Christ as savior.

You see. What did the disciples do? When he said leave, they what? They left. They dropped their nets.

And right there, they they responded in faith. Now, it was a lot of faith. Peter, we know from other parts of scripture. Peter had a family. Peter wasn't all by himself.

He had a wife. He had a mother-in-law. So, we know he had a wife. Later on, Paul mentions the fact that his wife traveled with him at times. So, this was no small decision.

But they willingly made it. Just as Abraham believed the Lord and it was counted to him for righteousness and he left her and he left Heron. He stepped out in faith to follow the Lord where he would lead him and God did indeed make of him a great nation. Just as Noah built that ark for over one hundred years where people scoffed and made fun of him. He trusted and then he what?

He obeyed. Just as Moses believed, left the palace, and later returned forty years later. Why did he return to Egypt? Why did he go before Pharaoh? Because somebody told him to.

Who was the somebody? Somebody was God. And in faith, Moses obeyed. Didn't think he could do it. He wasn't very sure of himself.

At first, he came up with a few excuses. But he obeyed. And he went. Faith is the key in redemption It's also the key in service The just shall live by what? Faith.

In Hebrews eleven six, it says, but without faith, it is impossible to please him. For he that cometh to God must believe that he is and he's a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Do you believe the Lord when he says that there is reward awaiting in heaven Those who serve him I do Do you It's a matter of faith Trust and obey. And then study and train. Under the tutelage of the Lord and others trained before you.

What is our responsibility to trust and obey? What is another responsibility? To study and be trained of the Lord. You say, well, I I don't know how to do that. Well, I'd be willing to meet with you and help you.

God's given us his word right here. Study it. Look at how he witnessed. Look at how his disciples witnessed. You can learn but it takes effort.

Anything worthwhile takes what? Effort. It doesn't happen overnight. You don't go to bed one night and wake up the next morning and become the greatest soul winner that ever lived. It takes effort.

Just like anything else. So, study. You know what these men did? When they left their nets behind, They spent three years with who? They spent three years with Jesus.

Being taught by him. Being taught by him. Jesus said, in Matthew eleven twenty nine, take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and you shall find rest for your souls. Take my yoke upon you. Before you were saved, you were under the yoke of sin.

The yoke of sin is hard. The yoke of sin is unforgiving. The yoke of sin is unrewarding. But the mission, the purpose, the task that Jesus lays upon us as his children to be a light in a dark world, to be ambassadors of Christ, isn't heavy. It isn't unforgiving It isn't unrewarding.

It's the very opposite. Jesus said, take my yoke upon you and learn of me. I will give rest to your souls. You see, in the ministry of Jesus Christ, you're not alone. He's there to help and there is great reward in serving Jesus Lay up for yourselves treasures where?

Well, how do you do that? Well, you serve the Lord Make your life count for what really matters and what matters more than winning souls to Christ. You know, I'm not sure what those crowns are going to look like. But I know this one day, I'm going to be excited in heaven to see people there that I had the opportunity to lead to Christ. It'll be a privilege God has allowed me to be a little part of what he did for them.

What a joy that will be. They say you can't take things to heaven when you go but you know what you do take with you? You take the lives of those souls who came to know Christ. And you'll see them there someday So, study Take it seriously To show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed. Right dividing the word of truth The task before us is in some ways daunting.

But it is awful also joyful So, study and work It is worth it. Learn and memorize the word of God. So, you can walk up to somebody and tell them John three sixteen. Romans five eight, but God commended his love toward us in the while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans ten nine, that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth, the Lord Jesus and shall believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Learn and memorize the word. Listen to and rely on the holy spirit. So many times the spirit says, hey, that person over there, you need to talk to them. And we say where we are and we keep our mouth shut. Listen to and rely on the spirit and learn from others that God puts in your path.

To help you. Take advantage of that. But it will take work. It will take work. Trust and obey.

Study and learn. Three, number three, go forth and cast the net of the gospel. Go forth and cast the net. Take the gospel There's tracks on that table. I can get more.

Take em all. Spread them this week to others. You can you can witness and track. You can witness in word. You can witness in testimony.

Give them the gospel and don't get discouraged. Galatians six nine says, and let us not be weary in well doing for in due season, we shall what? Reap if we what? Faint not. Sometimes, we don't reap.

Why? Why do we not reap? Because we faint. What does that mean? Doesn't mean we keel over.

What it means is we give up. We quit. We say, oh God, I can't do it. I can't I can't knock on another door. I can't talk to my relative.

Yeah, you know, there's a relative I can think of off the top of my head that I've been I'm getting personal here that I've been mean to talk to for years. You know, some I have yet to do it. And that's sad and it eats at me. Every time I think about it I think they're saved but you know something? I don't know.

You know why? I've never what? Never asked. Never asked. How about you?

Is there someone? Have you never asked? Don't get discouraged. Don't quit. Don't say, well, you know, I've handed out a thousand tracks and nobody's ever called me back and said I got saved.

They probably won't but maybe you'll meet em where? In heaven someday. The day of Pentecost, 3,000 souls were saved. Happens but it doesn't happen if we give up. There were times that Paul left the city with no clear converts.

He was thrown out of the city, Stoned and left for dead. There were other times when there was great revival. The times that he was thrown out of the city and beaten and nobody listened to him. You know what he did? He said, okay, that's it.

I'm not doing this anymore. No. What he do? He dusted himself off. He managed to get back up on his feet and he went to the water.

Went to the next city and he tried again Often Old Testament prophets would meet with little success but they were not held accountable for numbers They were held accountable for faith It is required in the stewards the man be found what? Faithful So, don't get discouraged by the numbers Be faithful. And for in due season, we shall reap. If we faint not. You might hand out or speak to thousands before one soul is saved.

Is that one soul not important? I think it is. He is, she is. Luke fifteen ten, likewise, I say unto you, there is joy and the presence of the angels of God over what? Read it.

Over what? One, sinner. You say, pastor, I've only led one to the Lord. That's one person that's going to escape hell. Because of you.

Maybe, there's another. So, don't give up. And then, pray that God will convert the souls and bring the increase. Pray. Trust and obey.

Study and learn. Go forth and cast the net and pray because it isn't in our strength. It is not our power. I cannot save a soul. And you know what he does?

He answers prayer. He answers prayer. Those people on the back of our prayer list, pray for them. Liam, Derek, and Sarah, Pray for them. Your neighbors, pray for them.

I led Damian and Kim to the Lord just before Christmas. We had them over for supper. They they had both been in church at times but they didn't have a clue how to be saved. I said, what would you tell me if I ask you, have you been born again? Have you been saved?

When did that happen? They looked at me and said, we have no idea. So, would you like to know? They said, yes And we spent the next hour learning They both trusted Christ Amen. Keep praying Just when you least expect it God does great things First Corinthians three six and seven Zion planted, Paul writes, Apollos watered but God gave the increase.

So, neither is he that planteth anything neither he that watereth but God that giveth the increase. Psalm one hundred twenty six five and six, they that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth bearing precious seed shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves, bringing his harvest with him. So, go forth in prayer have compassion as Christ did. He looked upon the multitudes.

He had compassion as they were sheep without a shepherd. In Luke 10 and verse two says, therefore, said he unto them, the harvest truly is great but the labors are few. Pray you therefore the Lord of the harvest that he would send forth laborers into his harvest. Pray that the Lord would send laborers into his pray that God would send more people to China. How many people did he say last Sunday night were there?

Over a billion people in China that need the Lord. Over a billion people and right now, the door is open. It's open through channels that are not maybe easy but it's open Pray that God will send more people around the world but in praying that God will send more laborers out. God just might tap on whose shoulder. He just might tap on yours to go to that neighbor to go to that relative, to go to that friend Pray.

God will bring a harvest. And God might just send What is our responsibility? Trust in what? Obey. Study and learn.

Go and cast the net. Obedience to God's command. Pray for lost souls. You will see someone come to know Christ. If we are faithful.

Let's pray. Dear heavenly father, thank you Lord. For the privilege of being the ambassadors of Jesus Christ, Lord. You haven't called all of us to be missionaries, pastors, to give up our day job so to speak that you have called all of us to be witnesses. You have given all of us the same spirit.

You've given all of us the same gospel. And you give all of us opportunities. Pray, I pray Lord, we wouldn't pass them up this week and I pray Lord as we're faithful that we would see the harvest but I pray Lord we wouldn't be weary in well doing. That we would trust you and we would keep casting out that net. Even Lord, when we don't think that there's anything there to catch.

Lord, give us faith to be obedient and just keep throwing out the net. For one day for one day there'll be someone who comes to know you because of it. And maybe someone who do Lord, thank you for the privilege of being the ambassadors of Christ. Thank you entrusting such an important task to unworthy people like us and then empowering us to fulfill it that you might receive all the glory and honor and praise In Jesus name, we pray Amen.