You Will Catch Men

Luke 5:1-11

Key vs. 5:11b “Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men.’”

Today we will learn how Jesus called Simon Peter. Simon was an ordinary fisherman just like us, but this event changed him to be a great man of God in God’s history. God’s calling enabled him to experience the deep spiritual world where God’s grace, care and power abounds. I pray that through this message, we can receive God’s calling or renew our faith again.

First, Put out into deep water(1-7)

Let’s read vs. 1 Where was Jesus? This event took place by the lake of Gennesaret. One beautiful spring day, early in the morning, Jesus was standing by the lakeside. Why do you think Jesus went there? Perhaps Jesus went out for a walk, or most likely he went out to pray in a quiet place. Actually he went there to visit his sheep Simon. John’s gospel chapter 1 says that Jesus had met Simon before. But Simon did not show much interest in the Bible study with Jesus. He thought his fishing business was more important than the spiritual life. So Jesus went out to meet Simon when he returned from his night shift fishing. But what happened? Since Jesus was so popular with the people, he could not hide himself. People immediately noticed him and began to crowd around him. Jesus welcomed them and taught them the word of God and cared for their needs. From early morning multitude of people crowded around Jesus. Their eyes and ears hung on every word that came from the mouth of Jesus.

Look at vs. 2-3. What was Simon doing while people were listening to Jesus’ word? He was washing his nets. He did not show interest in the Bible study. He just returned from his night fishing, but he came empty-handed. Tired and exhausted, he wished to go home immediately, eat breakfast and sleep. His mind was clouded with worries about his future: How can I support my family? How can I send my kids to school? How can I pay the rent without catching fish? Jesus saw him washing his nets quietly from a distance; then he got into his boat and asked him, “Simon, could you please put out a little from shore?” Jesus approached him very gently not to provoke him as if he had been in want like he did to a Samaritan woman. Now in the boat Simon had to listen to the word of Jesus till Jesus finished his preaching. Simon could have barked at Jesus when he was asked to use his boat, “Nope, I gotta go home.” A little act of kindness Simon showed to Jesus that morning opened a blessing to him the way he never had imagined. We often came to the Bible studies reluctantly when our shepherds had asked us several times. But a little act of kindness we showed led to the blessed life like Simon did. So don’t be rude to God’s invitation.

Look at vs. 4 After Jesus finished his teaching, what did he say to Simon? “Put out into deep water and let down the nets for a catch.” Why did Jesus asked him to put out into deep water? Jesus wanted to help Simon recover his failure. Simon was frustrated and worried, and his dream was devastated. Jesus could not leave him behind and go home. As a good shepherd, Jesus wanted to encourage him and restore his hope. Further more, Jesus wanted to help him experience the deep spiritual world. Until now Simon grew up along the lakeside. He learned swimming and fishing skills in this lake. He established his little fishing business by this lake. He knew where he could catch fish and he knew where fish wound not go. He acquired experience and life wisdom, and built his life according to his experience and skills. When all these things failed him miserably, he felt devastated this morning. But by asking him to put out into deep water, Jesus challenged him to experience the deeper spiritual world beyond his experience and skills. Like Simon, we often live in the two-dimensional world where we and others interact, where we judge or understand or react according to our reasons, experience and knowledge. When our reason fails, we panic and frustrate and give up. Dark gloom clouds over our minds. In this confined world, we compete, get jealousy, and fight and despair and worry. But there is three-dimensional world, which is spiritual world where we, others and God interact, where God’s grace and power rules. Shallow water is shallow and dirty while in the deep water is the undercurrent moving silently, yet powerfully, though you don’t see it. Jesus wants to help us to experience the deep spiritual ocean of God’s grace, forgiveness, peace and joy beyond this shallow water of human experience. Have you seen the fields of clouds from the airplane in the sky? Though below thunder storms and dark clouds cover the earth, above you see the bright sunshine. Living in the spiritual world is like living in the sky above.

Let’s see how Jesus helped Simon experience such deeper spiritual world. Lets read vs. 5. How did Simon response? “We worked hard all night, but caught nothing.” He sounded like a frustrated student, didn’t he? The night before the exam, you stayed up till 4:00am, cramming possible questions in your little head. At the exam, you found yourself few questions you had crammed all night were on the test! Now you’re thinking what would happen to your future and worrying about how to make up your exam. You didn’t want to talk to anyone. You just wanted to go home and sleep. Simon felt the same. “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything.” Simon had many reasons to say ‘No.’ He had already washed his nets. He did not want to spend the whole day washing his nets again. But what did Simon say? “But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” He was tired and wished to go home and forget about his failure, Simon said, “But because you say so, I will let down the nets” Simon respected Jesus a little more than his own desires. Jesus was a mere carpenter-turned preacher. Perhaps Simon’s ego was hurt as a veteran fisherman. It is like me telling Steve how to wire the computer curcuit, or David Brogi how to set up a fire alarm system. They have many years of experience; I have none. But Simon decided to obey Jesus because he had respect for Jesus.

What was the result? Look at vs. 6-7. Simon experienced a miraculous catch. He felt he had hit a million dollar jackpot. All fish were waiting in one spot of the lake for him to catch. He had to call James and John to help him. Two boats full of fish with less than an hour! Simon must be filled with excitement and delight. It was a super productive, fruitful catch he had never experienced before. Simon’s obedience to Jesus’ word led him to experience the deep spiritual world that he could not forget. Simon could not understand Jesus’ word at first. He just wished to go home and sleep. But against his wishes when he obeyed Jesus’ word, he experienced God’s power and God’s grace for his life; he began to know deeply who Jesus was. It was the same way Abraham became a father of many nations. God told him, “Leave your country, your people and your household, go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and you will be a blessing.” By obeying God’s word, an useless and old man Abraham became a father of faith and source of blessing. By obeying Jesus’ word, an ordinary man Simon became a great servant of God. Some people think, “if I don’t understand God’s word fully, how can I obey it? or if I don’t like to do it, how can I obey God’s words?” Those people live in only shallow water. They can’t experience deep spiritual world where they taste God’s grace and love and joy. If we want to experience deep 3^rd dimensional world, we should first respect Jesus more than ourselves and learn to obey his words. These days there are many things to do such as dancing, music or making decorations or prayer for the Spring conference. When you are asked to do something, though you may not like to do, say “Because you say so” and learn to obey before Jesus. You will surely be blessed. As a missionary or shepherd, we often feel despair or disappointed when our sheep stop Bible studies. We feel like Simon, “we worked hard all day, but caught nothing.” When we repeatedly failed to raise up disciples over several years, it is easy to live without hope with sigh. Did I come here to live fruitless life? Jesus is speaking to us, “Put out into deep water and let down the nets for a catch.” When we listen to Jesus’ words and obey it, we too can experience deep spiritual world filled with God’s grace and power and joy.

Second, You will catch men(8-11)

After a miraculous catch, how did Simon response to Jesus? Did he say, “Thank you Jesus for this miraculous catch. Let’s set up a fishing company.” Let’s read vs. 8. Simon confessed that he was a sinful man. When he saw such a large number of fish caught, he realized that Jesus was not a mere man, but a holy God. In the presence of Jesus, he felt so dirty and sinful and unworthy. He felt like a condemned sinner. So he confessed his sinfulness and asked for Jesus’ forgiveness. Isaiah said the same thing when he saw the holy God in the temple. He said, “Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” Until now Simon thought he lived a pretty good life because he did not cheated others or hurt others intentionally. He thought he had struggled to live honestly and sincerely. He thought he was a good man. However, through this encounter with Jesus, he realized that he was so selfish and did not even acknowledge God, creator of his life. God created man in his image, but he found himself far short of his glory. However, through this miraculous catch, Simon’s spiritual eyes opened and he could see who Jesus was and who he was. It was a great blessing that he began to see the spiritual world. Fish came and went, but he found an eternal God, creator of his life.

What did Jesus say to Simon? Look at vs 10b. “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men.” When Jesus said, ‘don’t be afraid.’ Jesus meant that he had forgiven Simon completely and welcomed him as he was. Jesus received him as a child of God. By saying, ‘you will catch men.’ what did Jesus mean? Simon caught fish and cooked it and ate it, or sold it to buy bread or pay rent. But catching men means to save men. When Jesus told him, “you will catch men.” Jesus meant Simon would become a Bible teacher or shepherd. Jesus invited Simon to participate in the salvation work of God. Jesus invited him to become his partner in world salvation work. What a privilege for a sinful man! Until now Simon’s life was centered around the success or failure of fishing. He laughed when he had caught lots of fish; he despaired when he caught little. He sweated and toiled for smelly fish without knowing the meaning or purpose of life. According to Genesis 3, it was a cursed life. But Jesus came and found him and called him to live with God’s mission. It was purely God’s grace that a sinful man Simon could participate in the holy work of God. By accepting Jesus’ calling, Simon became a great man of God in God’s history. His life became full of God’s grace and power and joy and peace. Some people think ‘no mission’ life is free, but ‘no mission’ or directionless life is a meaningless life. When Jesus gave him a life direction, “you will catch men.” Simon’s life had a clear purpose and goal. When Jesus says, “you will catch men.”, Jesus also meant that he had a vision for Simon’s life and he would train him and grow him up as a great servant of God. “From now on you will catch men.” It is a great blessing to sinners like Simon and us.

I thank God for calling me as a Bible teacher and shepherd. I grew up in a remote country side in Korea, like a backward West Virginia. I did not know Jesus till I went to college. I was selfish and corrupted. But Jesus called me to participate in the lifesaving work of God. It is a great privilege. I tasted his grace and mercy. However, I realized that these days I have lived without hope to raise disciples after many years of failure. As my hair turned grey, I just wanted to live without much struggle. But I realized that I just wanted to live in the shallow water. I received Jesus’ word again: “Put out into deep water and let down the nets for a catch.” By obeying Jesus’ words daily, I want to experience the deep spiritual world of God’s grace and power. Lets read vs. 11. Simon decided to follow Jesus full-time. I pray that we may accept God’s calling and renew our commitment to following him. May the Lord use us as great servants like Simon Peter.

One word: From now on you will catch men.