Jonty Allcock on Luke 5:1-11 (EMA 2016)

Persevere in Evangelism: Keep fishing

How the narrative develops:
Jesus is fishing for people
Simon is fishing for fish
Jesus is fishing for fish
Jesus is fishing for Simon
Simon is to fish for people

Stages of fishing: (1) enthusiastic (2) losing heart (3) Frazzled

We need Jesus to teach us the one great lesson of the boat:
WE FISH BECAUSE JESUS SAYS SO (v5)

We fish by faith, not by works - cf. Abraham and the sacrifice of Isaac; Gideon's army

Not do better, do more, try something new but humble trust

Not by our hard work or ability or plans but by the power of Jesus

Jesus is the great fisherman

Jesus fishes by preaching the word (cf. Is 61)

Jesus preaches to the crowd but deliberately encounters the individual

"caught" = enclosed, Jesus is gathering in a people

Before you are a fisherman you are a fish - you must be caught by Jesus

A vast catch, a multitude

Ez 47

4 practical ways that fishing because Jesus says so keeps us fishing:

(1) It trumps all our excuses. Simon could have objected "You're not a fisherman", "I'm tired", "I've tried it" etc. He could have focussed on washing his nets.

The church is a boat for fishing - not just a lovely aquarium to be beautified

(2) It overcomes our pessimism (vv6-7). There will be a great catch. The kingdom of heaven will be full even if your church isn't. Your ministry is part of this.

(3) It smashes our pride (v8). God is in Peter's boat!

(4) It resets our whole lives (v10bf) - Not Jesus joining Peter's fishing business! Not Jesus making my work grow or fitting in to the jigsaw of my life.