Anyone Going Fishing?

In Luke chapter 5 verses 1-6 we find the account of Jesus giving instructions to the disciples on catching fish.  They’re washing their nets when Jesus approaches because they’re finished for the day.  They’ve fished all night and caught nothing.  Keep in mind that they are professional fishermen.  This is how they make their living.   

Fishermen in Jesus’ day used big corded nets that were easily seen by the fish in the daylight hours.  The fish could not see the net falling down around them at night and were easily trapped. Here it is now daylight and He wants them to try again.

At His urging they go back out and cast their net into the sea.  Quickly the net was filled with fish to the point of breaking.  They are amazed and marvel that this carpenter turned Rabbi would know more about catching fish than them.  Do you and I realize He still knows more about catching fish than we do?  There are some simple lessons in this story for you and I about fishing today.

One, take the time and prepare.  They were cleaning their nets when He approached.  If a net wasn’t kept clean it would rot in a very short time.  Trying to pull in a net full of fish with a rotten net would surely lead to losing the catch.  The analogy for us is that we need to keep our nets clean too.  How’s our prayer life, are we studying His word daily to make sure our hearts are clean?  As the old preacher said, “we need to be fessed up, prayed up, and charged up to reach people for Christ”!

Second, we need to go where the fish are.  I haven’t been on any fishing trips where the fish just jumped in the boat while it was still in the garage!  We have to go where they are.  We can’t just hang out an ‘Everyone Welcome’ sign and expect folks to jump in our church.  Last time I checked, fish don’t want to be caught.  As a matter of fact, they will try and avoid you.  Jesus told them where to throw the net.  We need to ask the Holy Spirit to lead us to where the fish are.  He knows.

Thirdly, a fisherman has to cast his net.  Fish just don’t jump into the net while it’s in the boat.  We’ve got to throw it out.  That may mean passing out flyers, going door to door inviting, sending mail outs, making phone calls, or giving personal invitations to those we know.  It can mean taking out newspaper ads, running radio spots, or posting flyers at local businesses.  Whatever it takes we’ve got to do it.  He told us to!  Let’s go fishing!

Call a Timeout!

Whew!  Do you ever just want to call timeout?  Stop the world for a little while until you could get your thoughts back together?  Just pull off the road and park your little self until you’re ready to continue on with your journey?  Do you ever think, “Who do I see to call a timeout”?

In the sports world, when one team begins to overwhelm the other, the coach, or one of the players, will signal the referee that they want a timeout.  They take the time allotted to regroup and settle themselves so that they can continue the contest without being embarrassed.  Now I know God is not to be compared to a referee, but like the referee who has the authority to stop or continue the game, God is in control of our lives.  But also like the referee who doesn’t call a timeout for the players, God leaves the calling of timeouts in life up to us.

How many times in the Gospels do we see Jesus ‘calling timeout’ in His life and the lives of the Apostles (Matthew 14:13, Mark 6:31-32, Luke 4:42, Luke 9:10)?  Maybe we should stop (call a timeout) and think about that for a little while.  But we would say, “I can’t, there too much going on in my life!  All these things won’t get accomplished if I stop doing what I’m doing!”  But ponder that for a minute (short timeout).  Maybe that is part of the problem.  Maybe we’re so busy we can’t even catch our breath.

I read of a pastor who decided to take one day off (Friday) and not do anything.  No cell phone, no email, no contact with the world.  Just about drove him crazy at first.  Waves of guilt, depression, worry over things that he was supposed to do, just plain anxiety over not doing anything.  WOW!  But he’s no different than me or you, pastor or layperson, doctor or lawyer, or Indian chief.  But you know what, instead of continuing to go nuts, his life began to calm like the waves after a storm has blown through.

You say, “I can’t do that.”  Really?  Try this, cut a few things out of your schedule that aren’t that important.  Take a little time to be with yourself (and God, He’s there).  And most of all listen for the noise to die down around you as God gives you His peace.

Vance Havner, an old Baptist Evangelist of yesteryear, said this, “We need to come apart before we come apart”.  Wise words aren’t they?  Just go ahead, do it, call a timeout.