Fishing Lessons

One of the activities that I love to do is fish. I do not get to fish as much as I would like to. But there is just something peaceful about fishing. You are out by the water, God’s creation before you, animals all around. But the truth when I first started fishing, I was very unsuccessful. In fact, I did not catch a fish in two years. Granted it was just nice to get away but feeling that tug on the line and the adrenaline as you reel in a fish, there is nothing like it. So, I started watching videos online with tips on how to be more effective in fishing. Some videos were good, some were odd, and others well???

I heard a story about a man who just started fishing and he was unsuccessful. He, too, tried everything and nothing worked. But he happened to notice that his neighbor was successful when it came to fishing. He would always come back from the lake maxing out his limit every time. So, he asked his neighbor if he could tag along on his next fishing trip. At 6 a.m., this man arrived at the dock prepared to learn from this expert angler. But he was surprised that his neighbor arrived with no bait, tacklebox and a fishing rod. All he had was a net and a large cooler. Getting into the boat, they traveled to a very remote place, dropped anchor, and then proceeded to show this man his secret. The neighbor opens his cooler and pulls out a stick of dynamite, lights it and tosses it overboard… CABOOOM!! up float a bunch of dead fish which the angler scoops up into the boat.

The neighbor was horrified; you cannot fish with dynamite! It is illegal. I should report you to the authorities. About this time his neighbor lights another stick of dynamite, hands it over and says, “You going to talk or are you going to fish?”

That, my friends, is a prime example of what not to do when fishing. Jesus, too, was a master fisherman, and he came to Simon Peter after a night of unsuccessful fishing. The lessons he gives to Peter are for us as well.

When fishing with an expert fisherman, fishing lesson #1 is obedience. This individual knows more about fishing than you will ever know. If they ask you to do something, it is not up for debate. Jesus was in his early ministry, and he walked along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, and He is instructing the people. For some odd reason, He decided to stand in Simon’s fishing boat (we know Simon better as Peter). What Jesus shared with the crowd, we do not know, it is not written down, but what was said to the crowd was not the important thing. The important thing was Peter, James, and John. Those who would become His disciples. From this we learn a particularly important point: Obeying leads to success.

For example, General Eisenhower, the man who led the allied invasion of Normandy in WWII, told a reporter he wanted to go on June 4th or June 5th, and June 4th, 1944, was a beautiful, starlit night. The commanders of the Allied troops were gathered with General Eisenhower at the command post in England. The Chief of the Army Meteorologist was there also. He told Eisenhower that gale-force winds and high tides would be hitting Normandy beaches by the next morning. Eisenhower had a decision to make. Should he believe what he saw – a beautiful, clear starlit night? Or should he listen to the man who knew. His answer was “No-go”, even though it would have cost him his first choice and prolonged help for the troops who were waiting.

On the next day – June 5th – the weather was stormy, just like the Meteorologist had predicted. But the Meteorologist came and said, “We’re going to have improved weather tomorrow with moderate winds and tides.” Eisenhower had to decide to go by his senses or by the man who had the authority. Eisenhower paused for about 30 seconds, and then he said two of history’s most famous words – “Let’s Go!” The room was clear in two seconds, and the rest is history. (Article from Het Weer Magazine, volume 5, no. 2 from 2004, p. 6 to 9)

Lesson #2 – When fishing, what you bring with you in the boat matters. Do you have your fishing rod, hooks, bait, and net? Do you have water? First aid kit? Life preservers? Do you have your fishing license? Lotion that protects you from the sun? These all matter. Jesus asks Simon to let him into the boat. Asking Jesus into our life is the most important thing. But what happens when we let Jesus into our boats? What if Jesus begins nosing into your business? What changes might take place?

The effect on Peter was that he saw instantly his own sinfulness and unworthiness. But, of course, this was only after Peter recognized that Jesus was the Son of God. It is quite possible, and even probable, that Jesus is already in our boat, but we really have not recognized Him. He works quietly. He has not done any flashy miracles like he did for Peter and friends. If we looked carefully, though, we might recognize the work of Jesus in opportunities that come to us in the form of interruptions or a colleague who confides in you. It might have been Jesus giving us a chance to lift up someone’s spirit with a positive word or heal a wound with a loving gesture.

When Jesus gets into our boats, we will not only sense our unworthiness, but we will begin to understand our lives as miracles of grace! Once we realize who Jesus is, we can see ourselves in a new light, just like Peter saw Jesus in a new light. Sometimes that sight is too much for us to manage, but we need to see ourselves in that light so we can be changed by God. And be prepared by God for the work He wants us to do. God shook up Peter because he wanted to shake up the world. He can also shake all of us up so He can shake up the world – and boy does it ever need to be shaken up.

When we obey God, we will become fishers of men, and the catch we will get will be even greater than Peter’s catch of fish.

Lesson #3 When fishing, it is okay to leave the world behind. Part of why I like fishing is because I can leave the crazy, busy world and just be at peace. Peace is something the world wants, but Jesus being the Prince of Peace, is the only one who can truly give it. But there are many in the world today who refuse that gift.

Peter just had the greatest fishing day of his life. He had the best fishing day he had ever heard of anybody having. He had probably caught more fish in one day than he had ever caught before in an entire year. Enough to fill two boats. They could sell the fish and not work for an entire year! That would be great. Think of the family vacations they could go on. Think of the nice clothes he could buy for his wife. Think of the new house they could afford. But Jesus has just called them to go after something bigger and more valuable. He had called them to be fishers of men. And they realized that this was of such supreme importance, that they forsook all and followed Him. They did not even pause to count the fish. They just beached the boats, then jumped to land, and left it all behind. The boats, the nets, the record number of fish, everything. They knew that following Jesus was much more valuable than a boatload of fish. And they knew that if Jesus could give them a boatload of fish in the middle of the day, He would certainly provide for their needs later as they arose.

Becoming a Christian is free. Jesus paid it all. Through His death, He paid the penalty for our sin. We receive the gift of eternal life simply by having faith in Jesus Christ. But becoming a disciple is completely different. There is great cost involved in becoming a disciple. It may cost everything you have, everything you are, everything you own. But the results are well worth it. The reward far outweighs the cost. This is what Simon and his companions realized, and this is why they left everything and followed Christ. They were already believers. They had already believed in Jesus for eternal life and so were guaranteed a place in heaven. But now Jesus was calling them too much more.

Jesus was calling them to become a disciple, and they answered the call with a resounding YES! Are you willing to give up your schedule and your priorities, and make listening to God’s Word a priority? Are you willing to give up what you think you know about life and success and just obey Jesus no matter what? Are you willing to give up your priorities and make following Jesus your top priority? Are you willing to give up your plans for your life and let God use you to bring people into His kingdom? Are you willing to give up all your possessions and worldly wealth and forsake it all for the sake of following Jesus? Simon Peter did, and it not only changed his life, but it also changed eternity.

Until Next Week When We Meet at the P.E.W.
Pastor Joel