Oh, good morning.
It's getting slightly better, that response.
There was a businessman, and this businessman was from Newcastle,
and he found himself down in London on business.
After rising up early in the morning in his hotel room,
he phoned home before commencing what was going to be a very busy day's work.
Having wished his girls a really good day at school,
and assuring his wife that he would be home to help look after them the day after tomorrow,
he was suddenly struck, having put the phone down,
just how thankful he was to God for just how good and how blessed his life was.
While he was contemplating this, his eyes turned to a man outside who was begging.
And his heart went out to him because he thought,
God has been outrageously kind to me.
Can I help this man?
And so he decided to try and help.
And the way he tried to help is he went in the desk drawer of the hotel,
got out some of the complimentary stationery,
slipped a £10 note into the envelope,
wrote on the front with the biro that just about worked,
don't despair,
and slipped it out the window to the man.
He then went off to a day's work,
kept taking his umbrella and his coat.
He had a busy day in the office and thought absolutely nothing about it.
Just after he got home, later than he wanted,
he found himself relaxing on his bed.
And all of a sudden, there was a knock at the door.
He reticently opened it and found the man he had given the £10 to in the morning,
holding out a bundle of money.
The man said to him,
Sir, thank you so much.
Don't despair when the 305 at Chepstow at 60 to 1,
here's your cut of £300.
The man went back to his room and thought,
what an unexpected multiplication.
The next episode, as we journey with Jesus around Galilee,
involves an unexpected multiplication,
even more than the businessman in London.
So could I invite you to take your Bible,
turn to Luke chapter 5,
and we'll read the first 11 verses.
One day, as Jesus was standing by the lake of Gennesaret,
the people were crowding round him and listening to the word of God.
He saw at the water's edge two boats,
left there by the fishermen,
who were washing their nets.
He got into one of the boats,
the one belonging to Simon,
and asked him to put out a little from the shore.
Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.
When he had finished speaking,
he said to Simon,
put out into deep water and let down the nets for a catch.
Simon answered,
Master, we've worked all night and haven't caught anything.
But because you say so,
I will let down the nets.
When they had done so,
they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.
So they signaled to their partners in the other boats to come and help them.
And they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
When Simon Peter saw this,
he fell at Jesus' knees and said,
Go away from me, Lord,
I am a sinful man.
For he and all his companions were astonished
at the catch of fish they had taken.
And so were James and John,
the sons of Zebedee,
Simon's partners.
Then Jesus said to Simon,
Don't be afraid.
From now on,
you will fish for people.
So they pulled their boats up on the shore,
left everything,
and followed him.
Quick word of prayer,
and then we'll get into this.
Father God,
bless us in this time.
Speak to us clearly from your word.
Open our hearts to receive it.
Father,
bend our wills to obey it.
And in this time,
glorify your son,
we pray.
Amen.
This story takes place at the Lake of Gennesaret,
which is a small part of the larger Sea of Galilee.
It takes place maybe days,
possibly weeks,
even perhaps months,
since the end of chapter four.
At the end of chapter four,
Jesus says to Simon,
who comes looking for him,
I need to go to other villages
to preach the good news there also,
for that is why I've come.
Jesus says,
my mission statement
is to get the word out.
It's not so much miracles.
It's not so much healing those
that are demon-possessed.
The primary reason that I'm here
is to preach the good news
of the kingdom of God.
And it seems that
at the end of chapter four,
he goes all around Galilee
and all around Judea,
preaching in synagogues
as an itinerant preacher.
And during this time,
his reputation really grows.
His stock rises.
Who is this young,
uneducated carpenter from Nazareth
who preaches with such authority,
who tells us things
that we've never seen before,
who helps us understand
what God is saying to each of us?
And so now in Capernaum,
just on the edge
of the Sea of Gennesaret,
we see that now Jesus
is back in Capernaum.
There is a massive crowd.
He is preaching outside.
Everyone is pressing in.
They don't want to miss
a single word spoken
by this dynamic young teacher,
the likes of which
they've never heard before.
And so as Jesus preaches
the word of God,
I want us to see
that the big thing of the day
is what happens
when the word gets through.
What happens
when the word gets through?
And we'll see
some astonishing things happen.
First one I want us to see
is this.
When the word of God
invades your space,
there is a real crowd problem
on the Sea of Capernaum.
People are everywhere.
Just as Jesus was attempted
to be thrown off a cliff
in Nazareth,
he might just get drowned
if things go the way
they're going in Capernaum.
And see what he's doing
at the end of verse one.
He is speaking the word of God
and everyone is pressing in.
Everyone it seems
except this band of fishermen.
They're kind of off to the side.
They've been working all night.
They're really tired.
It's not only been
a long night's fishing,
it has been
a fruitless night's fishing.
Not a single poisson
has found its way
into their nets.
And so they're sitting there
despondent.
They think,
if we can just get
these nets repaired,
the boat's washed,
we can just go home
for a sleep,
ready to do it all
again tomorrow.
What is this crowd?
We don't care.
Let's get this done.
Then we can go home.
But Jesus hijacks
one of their boats.
Verse two.
Now if you're a fisherman,
your boat is your
primary means of income.
So when somebody jumps
in your boat
and threatens to take it,
Simon leaves his nets
and goes to get in
his boat as well.
He doesn't want
Jesus joyriding
around the lake
of Gennesaret
in his fishing boats.
And so he jumps in
and Jesus,
as calm as you like,
says to Simon,
who's a little bit afraid,
please could you
put out a little bit
because I'd like to
use your boat
as a pulpit.
And Simon obeys.
He thinks it's
the quickest way
that he can get back
to bed
before another night's
fishing.
And it seems like
a really arbitrary point,
but I think it's
very worth making
because up until
this point,
God's word has gone
out to groups
of people.
It has gone out
to groups of people
in a synagogue,
large crowds
in Nazareth.
It has gone out
to large groups
of people outside
Simon's house
when he heals
his mother-in-law.
And this is the thing
about God's word
is it's for everyone
but it's two individuals.
And so one of the things
that Luke is using
this story for
is to change
the camera angle.
This isn't just
a universal word
to an anonymous
faceless crowd.
This is a dynamic word
that impinges
and invades
the lives of individuals.
God's word
is for me
and it's for you
as well as being
for us.
That we firmly
believe here
that when God's word
is taught
he speaks to us.
This book is not
like any other book.
This is not like
Chaucer's
Canterbury Tales.
This is not
Macbeth.
This book is God
personally
addressing us.
It is God's word,
God's self-revelation
of himself
to us.
And here we see
Simon.
He's not really
bothered about Jesus
but Jesus is really
bothered about him.
That he will
hijack his boat
in order that
Jesus might invade
his space
and that God's word
might invade his life.
And so we all
sit here today
and I dare say
even now
just four minutes
into my talk
our mind has
started drifting.
What's for lunch?
How will Southampton
get on this afternoon?
And if we do that
we're going to miss
what God has to say
to each one of us.
That God has you
here this morning
to invade your space
with his word.
He's come because
he wants to speak
to you
through this word.
And this word
does God's work
in our lives.
And therefore
I'd encourage you
to keep on listening
and just trust
that what you
set the oven at
will be what
the oven gets at
and that it'll take
half an hour longer
to cook than you
expect that it will.
Simon's life
is about to
fundamentally change
because the word
of God
will invade his life.
And though he
wasn't that bothered
about Jesus
Jesus is really
bothered about him.
So let's make sure
in the short time
I'll speak
we don't miss
anything that God
might say to us.
But just think
what happens
if Jesus
doesn't invade
Simon's life.
This is a pretty
boring story.
Fruitless fisherman
comes after a day's
hard toil
with nothing
mends his nets
washes his boat
goes to bed
sleeps
get ups
does it all again.
Probably wouldn't
make it into
Luke's gospel.
The story is
much of our life
is like that.
Eat
sleep
work
repeat.
It's just very
mundane.
And yet God's
word will change
everything about us.
It will give us
hope and purpose.
It will give us
life.
It will bring us
into a relationship
with God for all
eternity.
Simon's life
would have been
completely boring
and mundane.
Just a fisherman
by the shore
for his three score
years and ten
until he started
looking at the ground
from the brown side.
And yet Jesus'
word
invading his
life
utterly transforms
who he is.
Secondly,
see this,
what happens
when the word
insults your
wisdom?
What happens
when the word
insults your
wisdom?
Jesus finishes
his sermon.
Everyone
starts to
dissipate.
And he says
to Simon,
Simon,
I think we
should go
fishing.
Simon has
had enough
of fishing.
Simon has
actually just
been fishing
all night
and caught
nothing.
And the night
is the best
time to catch
the fish.
And now
here is
Jesus,
this
previously
retired carpenter
turned itinerant
preacher,
starting to give
Simon a lesson
on fishing.
That's pretty
insulting.
Simon's been
a fisherman
all his life.
His father
was probably
a fisherman.
His grandfather
was probably
a fisherman.
He's quite a
successful fisherman
as we'll see
later.
He's in
some kind
of fishing
cooperative.
And here
is a guy
who not
only had
the audacity
to hijack
his boat,
he now
has the
audacity
to say,
Simon,
I think
they're
biting.
I think
the fish
are right.
How
insulting
is that?
Put
out
into deep
water
and let
down the
nets for
a catch.
Simon,
whose
muscles
still
hurt
from
toiling
all
night
in
vain,
is
loath
to go
on a
spontaneous
fishing
trip
in the
middle
of
the
day.
However,
he's
so
exhausted
he
doesn't
argue
and he
says,
Master,
we've
worked
all night,
we haven't
caught
anything,
but because
you say
so,
because
of your
words,
we'll
obey.
And you
can just
imagine it
as he
rose out
just tired.
Ah!
And then he
gets the
net out,
which he's
just cleaned,
which he's
going to
have to
clean again
after this
fishing trip,
and he
starts to
unfurl it
into the
water.
He's like,
this is
pointless.
And then
verse 6,
he starts
to look
bewildered.
Oh!
There's
something pulling
the boat.
Oh,
what are
those shimmers
of silver?
Why is
that thing
jumping out
of the
water?
Why is
this water
now so
alive with
movement and
flashes of
brilliance?
Oh,
no,
this net
now is so
full,
we're
starting to
sink.
Quickly,
let's get
their attention
over there,
because we
need their
help,
or else
we're all
going under.
The God
who spoke
on the
fifth day
of creation,
let the
waters
teem
with
living
creatures,
is more
than able
to get
the
living
creatures
that are
teeming
in the
lake
to find
their way
into
Simon's
net.
And so
we see
that Jesus
did actually
know more
about
fishing
than
Simon
did.
And I
think this
is a
wonderful
truth for
us today,
that Jesus
actually knows
more about
absolutely
everything
than any
of us
do about
anything.
Jesus is
the source
of all
wisdom.
He is
the wise
one.
He knows
more about
work than
we do.
He knows
more about
preaching than
I do.
You won't
find that
hard to
believe.
Jesus
knows more
about being
a mum
than you
do.
He knows
more about
running a
team or
leading a
corporation.
He knows
more about
being a
civil servant.
He knows
more about
studying and
building and
medicine and
engineering than
you do.
And here's
the really
beautiful thing.
That because
he knows
absolutely
everything about
absolutely
everything,
and that he's
willing and
able to give
us his wisdom
when we've
run out,
it means that
we can invite
him into our
university
classroom.
We can invite
him into our
work on Monday
morning and
say,
Jesus,
this is tough
today.
Would you
give me some
wisdom?
Would you
help me?
Will we
humble ourselves
before God
and say,
I'm kind of
just a dusty
human and
you created
absolutely
everything.
Will you
help me?
And the
wonderful thing
we learn from
Simon is that
when we
obey,
when we
invite Jesus
into our
situation and
pay attention
to him in
our situation,
there's great
blessing,
when his
wisdom becomes
our wisdom
and we do
the things that
he's given us
to do in the
way that he
wants,
with his
help and
his wisdom.
Point three,
we're over
halfway through
so just keep
listening.
When the word
incites your
response,
Peter kind of
joins the
dots of what's
happened.
This is not
normal.
And he
sees more
than just
Jesus as
some first
century sonar
fish finder.
This is more
than Rex Hunt's
fishing adventures
going on on
Gennesaret on
this day.
He realizes
that Jesus is
not a normal
person.
He kind of
sees that he's
in the presence
of God.
Now this is
only the first
foray into this,
it won't be
until chapter
nine that he
really gets who
Jesus is when
he says you are
the Messiah,
the son of
the living
God.
But here he
is conscious
of Jesus'
greatness.
And that he
is in the
presence of
God.
Verse eight,
when Simon
Peter saw
this, he
fell at
Jesus'
knees and
said,
go away
from me,
master,
Lord,
I am a
sinful man.
Now what
Jesus does
in this book
reveals something
of who God
is to
Simon.
And as
Simon starts
to see who
God is,
he starts to
see who he
is.
He starts to
see that there
is a massive
gulf between
the God of
the universe
who is
absolutely
perfect and
holy and
who he is,
a mere mortal
who has made
a lot of
mistakes.
And so
what's his
response?
Well, he
does what
people throughout
the whole
Old Testament
do when
they realise
that they're
in God's
presence.
He throws
himself face
down on
the floor.
He says,
go away
from me.
You're too
perfect,
you're too
holy,
you're too
good.
I am a
sinful man.
Peter is
undone by
God's
greatness.
He doesn't
quite understand
who Jesus
is, but he
knows that he
works with the
power of God,
that just as he
had authority
to teach, he
now has
authority over
the fish in
Gennesaret.
This is God
who has
authority over
all of nature.
And so as a
response to
Jesus' word, he
says, go away
from me.
I am a
sinful man.
But the
beautiful thing
about the story
is that Jesus
just doesn't
leave Simon
face down in
a load of
fish.
Because Jesus'
words to
Peter are,
don't be
afraid.
And this is
the thing that
Jesus hasn't
come to
emphasize the
gap between a
holy God and
sinful man.
Jesus has
come to bridge
that gap.
He's come to
do away with
the chasm, the
chasm caused
by our
sinfulness.
He's come to
bring reconciliation.
He's come to
bring a holy
God and sinful
people back
together.
And so
though Peter
says, go away,
Jesus says, don't
be afraid.
Don't be afraid
because I'm
here.
I'm here to
reveal God's
word to you,
but I'm here to
do away with
your sin that
brings about that
separation in the
first place.
Jesus comes to
deal with our
sin.
There's this
wonderful story
about a guy
called Dr.
Emil Victor
Ryu.
and Dr.
Ryu was a
classicist and
he worked a
lot translating
poetry.
And in the
late 19th
century when he
was working for
Penguin Books,
Penguin said to
him, would you do
a fresh modern
translation of the
gospel?
And Dr.
Ryu, being an
ardent agnostic,
thought about it
for a while and
said, oh I
will.
This is an
interesting
proposition.
And so he
sat down with
his Greek New
Testament and
he started
studying and
thinking and
translating and
organizing and
his son was a
lay reader in the
Anglican church.
And this is what
he said about his
father's project.
It will be very
interesting to see
what father makes
of the gospels.
It will be still
more interesting to
see what the
gospels make of
father.
And as he
translates the New
Testament, just
like Peter, he
gets a vision of
who God is and
he understands who
he is and he's
miraculously converted
and he turns to
Jesus as the one who
can bridge that gap.
But God's word
incited his
response.
See who you are
God, you are holy
and perfect and I'm
not.
And yet I learn
about this Jesus
that I don't need to
be pushed away.
I can see Jesus who
says don't be afraid.
I've come to make a
real difference.
Finally, and then
we're done, when the
word infects your
purpose.
The most miraculous
event in this story,
I think, is not what
is caught in the nets,
but what is left on
the beach.
Don't be afraid, says
Jesus, from now on
you will fish for
people.
So they pulled their
boats up on the
shore, left everything
and followed him.
This is the windfall
bumper day of all
bumper days.
This is the day where
they get enough cash
injection to buy more
boats, maybe franchise
out of fish and chips,
have a storage facility,
an international export
industry.
This is an amazing
windfall day.
They've never dreamed
of having this many
fish in their vessels.
And yet they leave it
all, flapping about in
the bottom of the boat
because they have found
something infinitely more
compelling than fish,
than money, than
reputation, than wealth,
than comfort and ease,
than bigger houses and
faster horses.
Don't be afraid, from now
on you will fish for
people.
This word that invaded
their lives, they're now
invited to help proclaim
to the world, which is
much more compelling than
catching fish.
They were going to change
from being killers of
fish to people who
would proclaim life to
men.
This little word for
partners is the word
for fellowship.
And so it's changed from
being a fishing
cooperative to being a
fellowship founded on the
Lord Jesus to make much
of him and to proclaim his
greatness to the world.
And that's the great
thing about our church,
that it's not a hobby,
it's not like the bowling
club.
This is a fellowship.
People that are brought
together, founded on the
Lord Jesus to make much of
him and to proclaim his
glory to the world.
That God's word utterly
infected Simon's purpose,
James and John's purpose,
that they left the fish and
they said, we want to do
this.
We want to do this.
Instead, we want to fish
for people.
And so they spend probably
two years from this point
learning how to fish for
people.
Learning from Jesus what it
means to proclaim the good
news and the content of the
good news, which is Jesus.
And then Jesus dies on the
cross, is raised to life,
reveals himself to them,
teaches them for 40 days and
then returns back to heaven.
And he says, now it's over
to you.
You're now doing the fishing.
You're now doing the fishing
for people.
And so in Acts 2, Jesus goes
out on his first solo fishing
adventure.
Empowered by the Holy Spirit.
And what happens?
Well, there's a horde of
unsuspecting Jews who hear the
message and the word invades
their space.
And then this same word
insults their wisdom and they
say, well, these are all
drunken people.
And Simon says, no, they're
preaching the oracles of God.
And then the word incites their
response because 3,000 at the
end, having been convicted of
who God is and who they are and
their need of Jesus to bridge the
gap, 3,000 of them are added to
the church as they say, how should
we respond?
And Peter says, repent and be
baptized, every one of you for
the forgiveness of sins.
And then the word infects their
purpose because the very next
thing we read is that all those
new people are utterly transformed
and they devoted themselves to
God's word and to fellowship and
to partnership.
This same Jesus is still recruiting
people for man fishing.
That's why we're here to make
much of him and to proclaim his
greatness to the world.
He's still calling people to see
who God is, to see who they are
and see their absolute need of
Jesus to bring reconciliation and
bridge the gap.
That is why Jesus is good news.
That we don't need to be undone by
our sin, but we can cling to Jesus
for our hope.
So I wonder, having heard God's word
this morning, has it got through?
Maybe you came and you didn't care.
You didn't care what this guy was
going to talk about and maybe God's
word has invaded your space and your
interest and we'll find out more.
Have a chat with me at the end and
we'd love to find a way to help you
explore God's word more than it might
more and more invade your life.
Perhaps you came here and you were
worried about loads of stuff going
on at work or at home or in life.
Well let me tell you that Jesus is
wise in your situation and he's ready
and willing to help.
We'd love to pray with you and to
pray for you and ask that Jesus'
wisdom would be your wisdom in that
situation that you're worried about.
Perhaps you're conscious as God
speaks through his word that you need
to respond.
Perhaps it's time to leave everything
else and to follow Jesus and to
spend your life fishing for men.
Or to leave all the things that
you're finding comfort in and to
trust Jesus with all of your life.
Perhaps however you're convicted at
the end of today that you need to
fish for people.
That that's kind of got lost as you
pursued other things.
That you're conscious there's people
in your life who need to know about
the greatness of God's, their
position before him and their
absolute need of Jesus for hope and
help and life forever.
So I wonder how we'll respond if God's
word has gotten through this morning.
So I'll leave maybe a minute of quiet
and then I'll pray and then I'll hand
back to Paul.
Father God we thank you for the power of
your word.
Father thank you that it is through your
word that you do your work.
That it tells us who you are.
It tells us who we are.
And it shows us our need and the glory of
your son Jesus.
So Lord I pray we will be clinging to him.
That we will be trusting him.
That we would see that he is so much more
compelling and beautiful than anything else
we've got in all of our lives.
That he is worth telling people about.
And so Lord I pray that your word would
have done your work this morning in our
lives.
That it would have invaded our space.
That it would have insulted our wisdom and
let it be replaced by the wisdom of Jesus.
Father I pray that it would have incited a
response.
And I pray that it would have infected our
purpose and utterly transformed the people
we are and the reason we live.
We ask this in Jesus name.
Amen.