I’M GOIN’ FISHIN’ THIS IS A MULTIPART STORY ABOUT FISHING. I am sure it will reveal some profound truths based on a humble little fishing line or net and am confident that these stories and personal anecdotes will bless and encourage you. Fishing is something most Christians understand in principle at least because Jesus told His disciples that He would make them fishers of men. Luke’s account is a good starting point. One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God. He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing nets. Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon, its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there. Luke 5:1-3. Jesus had been preaching in the synagogues around Galilee and stood on the shore at Genessaret where He saw boats moored beside the lake. I once thought that those ships were not much larger than small rowing boats with a sail in the middle, but this might not be true. The Greek describes small boats as Ploiarion, but the word used in the gospel account is Ploion that is the same word used in Acts 27 to define the ship that conveyed Paul to Rome. They may not be small at all, but relatively larger vessels that may be capable of ocean travel. Both kinds of craft are mentioned in John 21, when the disciples had been fishing unsuccessfully all night and had an encounter with Jesus. We shall see more of this later. It seems that Peter was no small time fisherman after all, but a businessman with partners in his shipping business that had more than one boat.
Perhaps the larger kind was the actual fishing vessel and the smaller was a utility dinghy. Peter and his partners had been fishing all night without success and, tired, wet and cold, were about to go home for a meal, a bath and rest, when Jesus got into Peters empty ship and sat down seemingly uninvited whilst Peter was washing nets. A crowd of people may have gathered around for curiosity and the chance of buying fresh fish at a cheap market price. Many people think that this was the first time Peter met Jesus but that is not so.
2 Please look at Luke’s account in chapter four. Jesus commenced His ministry after being baptised by John and receiving the Holy Spirit. He spent forty days in the wilderness, defeated the devil’s temptations and returned IN THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT to Nazareth and preached His inaugural sermon based on the anointing of the Holy Spirit! If we wish to do the work He did, then we have to follow His example and the Holy Spirit’s involvement in us and with us is vital. Never try to do a thing without the anointing! It really does not work! The religious folk tried to kill Him because they could not handle what He did. Religion tries to kill the anointing. Religion, as such, denies the Holy Spirit’s part in doing what Jesus did and said. It refuses His work in our lives today.
Paul explained in1 Timothy 3 that the office of a deacon was like that of an attendant, a host, a friend or a waiter. In acts 6, a practical need arose leading to the choice of suitably qualified men to look after the daily needs and requirements of the people in the church thus freeing them to focus on their ministry. They appointed seven men, one of whom was Stephen and the other was Philip who became an evangelist. The words employed were Diakoneō, Diakonos and Diakonia all describing the office of a deacon. Their tasks are practical hands-on work and may include teaching and pastoral ministry, but ruling and governing in the literal sense as often happens today does not really seem to apply. In many modern churches boards of deacons dictate terms. They tell the pastor what to do. He then went to Capernaum, teaching on the Sabbath Days Under the correct situation, this may be acceptable but I (plural) implying that He was there for at least one week or seriously doubt if this really is the New Testament Church more. His teaching astonished everyone. People would have pattern. The ideal is when God gives the vision to a man, a talked, especially when He cast an evil spirit out of a man pastor and others catch the vision and want to be part of it when they were in the synagogue. It amazed those who and help. Boards of advisors and the like can give balance witnessed it and they acknowledged the authority and and stability, but controlling a pastor by a deacon or board of power He exercised. deacons in my opinion is not scriptural. I wish that more preachers today would speak the Word of God with the authority and boldness we aught and achieve Luke said that as the sun was setting, sick people were similar results. This should be the norm, not the exception. brought to Jesus whilst He was in Peter’s house and He healed everyone. This means that everyone who was sick got Luke said that the report about Him went into every place in healed. Only a lack of faith can stop Jesus from healing you. the surrounding region. Every place means just that—every Do not allow religious teaching say that not everyone place. receives healing. If you look at His ministry, no one left Surely, Peter must have heard of Him. He was a Jew, so must disappointed. Jesus has not changed and His word has not have gone to the Synagogue at least once whilst Jesus was changed, therefore if we really believe Him, no one should there, even if only out of curiosity alone, but I am sure he miss out of being touched by the Master. went to worship. I say that, because he was so steeped in the Perhaps Peter was one of those who was healed. Jewish religion that Jesus had to deal with his attitude in Jesus then stayed at least that night in Peter’s home, before Acts chapter ten when Cornelius and those in his home going into the desert where people found Him and asked were saved. It therefore stands to reason that Peter would Him to minister to them. They did not want Him to leave, have known of Jesus, possibly listening at least once to His but He told them that He had to go to other cities because preaching. He had to complete His assignment. Luke said that Jesus left the Synagogue and went to Peter’s home. Did Peter invite Him to stay? Peter’s mother-in-law was sick and Jesus rebuked the fever that immediately left her and she immediately arose to minister to them. This is a more important function than we often think. It is in the areas of ministries of helps, which are vitally important in any ministry. The Greek words used are Diakoneō and Diakonos, from which we derive the word Deacon. Deacons in the church are those who help and serve.
Peter must have left his home whilst Jesus was there. He said that they had fished all night without success and the following morning, Jesus went to the lake where Peter and his partners were washing nets, which was their last task before going to their homes. If they had never met before, Peter may have sworn or rudely told Jesus to get out of his boat, but he did not. After all, he was a rather volatile man who was not yet born again. Something about this man in Peter’s boat was different.
3 His stride was confident; his carriage erect. His voice sounded soft and gentle, but had a ring of authority about it that seemed to grab your attention. As he looked into Jesus’ eyes, there was something about them that seemed to bore right through him. The whole feeling was pleasantly strange. It was a feeling he had never experienced before. On one hand it was relaxing and soothing, yet on the other, he was feeling disturbed and uncomfortable. Almost without realising it, they pushed out from shore and threw out the anchor. “This is crazy”, they thought and then Jesus started speaking. The people came close to the waters edge and hung on every word he said and what words they were! He spoke gently and authoritatively at the same time. There was a ring of confidence in His words that had a depth of knowledge—profound truth that was calming, yet challenging, intense, but simple to understand. He taught things about God and the Kingdom of Heaven as if He knew all about it all. The priests did not talk like that. The Scribes and Pharisees did not speak like that. Do we speak like that? We can! We should. Jesus sat in the boat and taught the people and I like teaching.
Poring over scriptures, turning to the original languages and researching the meanings of words, the manners and customs of the times, imagining the scene whilst asking the LORD many questions gives some wonderful truths. In this manner, this gives me the impression that He was totally relaxed and composed, ministering without pressure and with no need to perform. He does not labour and toil. His yoke is easy and His burden is light and even in the pressures of ministry, we can have His peace and relax or rest in God even whilst we are working. We often think that we must labour for the LORD.
A degree of work is involved of course, but His yoke is easy and His burden is light. Our hard labour is to enter into His Rest (see Hebrews 4:11). Although the word used relates more to diligent study, there is an effort required on our part and this is where our labouring comes in. Paul told Timothy to study which requires effort for a purposeStudy to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15. If we can rightly dissect the word, we can err in it. To ensure we hear correctly, we need to tap into the resources of the best teacher anyone could have and this is the Holy Spirit. Jesus said so in John 14:14 and 15. We make things difficult for ourselves when we deny His work in our lives when we do that, it becomes purely intellectual and mere religion. I prefer to function as a joint labourer with God (1 Corinthians 3:9). The word of God does what God designed it to do and although the vehicle by which we carry it might change, the message does not. We should be able to thoroughly enjoy it when we preach and allow the Holy Spirit to do what is necessary to achieve God’s desires.
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I wonder what Jesus taught. He spoke about the Kingdom of God of course (which is the way God does things), so He must have taught on faith, the laws of sowing and reaping and the like, knowing that they would catch so many fish, it would be overwhelming. After Jesus had finished speaking to the crowds, He turned to Peter and told him to launch out into the deep.
That was no request, but a command! Jesus just smiled at him, saying, “Well, He did not tell Peter to TRY IT, but to just this once then” and they let down DO IT with a specific objective in THE NET. Jesus told them THEIR NETS! mind. It was to catch a draught of fish. The LORD never minces words. He When Jesus met them they had been means what He says and washing nets (the word says what He means. He their does not appear in did not tell Peter to try the original). to do it, but to do it. Washing nets was the last As far as He was thing to do before going concerned, those fish home. had already been Washing nets prepares caught. them for the next day of It is often a mistake to fishing. The nets are try telling God you inspected and repaired if would try to do what necessary and then He asks. If He tells us to folded and stored ready do it, then do it! for another fishing trip. Well, they were expert fishermen who knew how to read the tides and the phases of the moon and when the fish were normally there to be caught and told him so. “Look”, Peter said, “We have been at it all night and there’s just nothing there. I’m the fisherman. That’s what I know. You’re a preacher so you stick to your preaching and let me stick to my fishing.” This is the kind of attitude many people have today, even professing Christians.
It is not good to remain in the past, because our past never has a future. Denominations are built on what God did once, but God moves and as He moves, we need to move with Him in the same manner that the Israelites had to move when the cloud of glory moved on. If we do not, we risk falling into a (religious) rut and a rut is merely a grave without ends.
Sometimes in life, we have the attitude that we have finished a task, engaged in other things (often legitimate) when God intervenes and upsets our equilibrium by asking us to break the mould, or to do something totally different or something that defies human logic. We need to be prepared for the next thing God asks us. It is not wise to rest on our laurels.
God moved on and the people then moved with Him and left those snakes behind! The only problem was that they took that brass snake with them and 400 years later were worshipping it! Hezekiah ground that thing to dust calling it a Nehushtan. What happened was that God’s people started to worship something that God once used as a tool but was no longer using. A classic example is the time when Israel was wandering in Many denominations are now worshipping or continuing the wilderness. The day arrived when they walked around to do what God did once but is no longer doing, or used the corner and ran into a den of poisonous snakes. People something once as a mere tool, but is no longer using it. started to die of snakebite and Moses called on God for Do what the prophet did and burn the thing! See 2 Kings help. God told him to make a brass serpent and erect it on a 18:1-8 and Numbers 21:4-9. They are afraid to try pole, instructing the people if they were bitten to stand something different or break the mould. They are afraid of beneath that pole and gaze upon it. excess, or losing control. Sometimes we have to stand aside It worked! That was the tool God used then for that job. and allow the Holy Spirit to have His way. Trust Him!
5 Folding is important as it permits nets to be cast out easily without tangling and Jesus was asking them to undo their efforts. Please notice also that Jesus said nets. This meant that He intended them to use more than one. Simple maths tells me that one net cannot catch as many as several, so Jesus intended beforehand to reward them with a net-breaking, boat swamping haul.
Jesus told Peter to let down HIS NETS, not any old net, but the nets that were prepared for the next fishing trip! You have something that is uniquely yours! You may not think that you as an individual are important or have anything special to offer, but God knows it and wants THAT—not any old thing!
His intention was very clear and it was This reminds me of another time Peter not a simple matter of trying one more went fishing. In Matthew 17, certain time, but to put some more effort into it people asked Peter why Jesu did not pay and do not quit because there was a tribute money. When he spoke with haul of fish waiting out there. All you Jesus about it, the LORD told him to go need to do is follow instructions. fishing, saying that the First fish he caught would have the coin in its Peter’s reply is true to life. Some people mouth, implying that there was more can labor in life to the point of than one fish. It makes me wonder if becoming so tired and weary that they every fish had a coin in its mouth. become faint from exhaustion or go so God os not a God of merely making do, far as to want to give up. Peter was like or a God of just enough, but a God of that. He had heard Jesus preach before. the overflow who provides exceeding He had been there when Jesus healed abundantly more than we can imagine his mother in law and he had just heard (see Ephesians 3:20). Jesus teach the people, but he was tired and frustrated. When Jesus had been speaking, He had I do not know what the Lord said, but, been talking to the crowds and Peter knowing Him as I do, I suspect that he obviously would have heard him. majored somehow on sowing and Apparently, the geographical location reaping. has excellent natural acoustics and His I say this, because He immediately words would have easily carried to wanted to bless Peter, but had to break everyone who was present, but Jesus through an attitude of his heart. then turned to Peter and told HIM to let down HIS NETS. Jesus made it personal. Perhaps out of his frustration and disappointment, or perhaps Peter had He spoke directly to one individual. become so tired, he was merely living in He often singles one person out of a survival mode, he immediately replied, crowd, although He loves everyone, “We have toiled all night and caught talks to everyone and wants everyone nothing”. to come into blessing, relationship and It seems that Jesus had spoken only to more, there are often times when one Peter, for no other mention was made single individual seems to stand out in about other people, but Peter revealed the crowd. what was in his heart by giving that You could be that one. answer and he didn’t even give the others time to speak.
It seems that his nature was to blurt something out before thinking things through, which was revealed later in the Gospels until Jesus changed him. The word toiled comes from the Greek word Kopiao that means, to labor, to feel fatigue, or be wearied. If you have ever labored so hard for something to the point of exhaustion, Peter’s comment makes sense. It is easy to become weary from putting so much effort into things and not immediately see the benefit of your labor. We become tired and weary from the lack of results and become so discouraged that we would like to abandon our boats. They represent our perceived source of income, or the thing that carries us across the seas of life. When Jesus arrived, Peter and his partners had already left their boats and were at a point of exhaustion. They worked, worked, worked, until they became weary and discouraged because of the lack of expected results. Many people are like that. They may have started on some project with much zeal and enthusiasm, but became discouraged from the perceived lack of fruit or results in our timeframe. When like that, the secret to success is to recognize who and where we are and allow Jesus to get into our boat. When Jesus steps into our boat and we permit Him to apply the Word of God to our lives, things can take a dramatic change from lack to abundance—from despair to hope and from sickness to health. When the storms of life assail us and we stay in the boat, all we see are other disciples.
6 When we get out of the boat as Peter once did and go towards Jesus, focusing on Him and hearkening to His personal words to us, we too can walk on water.
That is OK and it wonderful, but when we get alongside each other for the common good, we get better results. I believe that the only way to obtain the same results as Simon Peter and His partners obtained that day is to call upon partners to help pull in the net that has been cast.
Jesus told him to launch out into the deep. We correctly think of going away form the shore and out into deeper water but this means much more than that. One of the meanings of that word Jesus had told him to let down his nets, is RETURN. but Peter said that he would let down the net (singular)! Peter Said, “I will let Peter had failed. When we fail in down the net” because Jesus had said to, something it is easy to give up. but we see that THEY let down the net. Sometimes this I necessary as we could be trying the wrong thing. If we have Who are They? attempted something and it did not Jesus had been speaking to Peter, but work, we should ask God when Peter answered, They let down If we should be doing it. If it is OK, the net. They inclosed a great multitude then we may be doing it the wrong way, of fishes. Their net started to break. trying it at the wrong time and the like. They called for the assistance of their We shall see more of this later. partners who were in the other ship. One thing that God wants us to know is They came to help them and BOTH that when we make the effort He ships were filled so much that they authorises, don’t quit! started to sink. If we do, then get back onto course again. Return to what He asked you to This needs investigation. do. Launch out into the deep! Jesus had called one man and they were in only one boat that belonged to that Jesus’ command was like saying, “Get man, but suddenly others were back on course. Return to your task”, involved. coming from the Greek word Epanagō This makes me wonder if Peter told his It means to launch out to lead, to thrust partners what Jesus said, or if they had out and to return. This is of particular overheard Jesus and decided to join in. interest to those who have tried and tried to do something unsuccessfully It opens up a whole range of and have grown weary. Do not quit! possibilities, but one thing that is Get back to the task at hand. Cast out glaringly obvious to me is that the work again! The master fisherman knows of the Lord requires people working where the fish are and He will tell you together as a team to get the job done. where and when to catch your haul. The benefits are enormous. Firstly, a joint effort can bring bigger or better We can also discover that partnerships results. Teamwork lightens the load on and unity can produce much greater the individual. There is protection with results than trying to do things alone. numbers. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 statesUnity is not the same as unison. Two are better than one, because they We can and do differ in many ways at have a good reward for their work. times.
And if one has a fall, the other will give him a hand; but unhappy is the man who is by himself, because he has no helper. So again, if two are sleeping together they are warm, but how may one be warm by himself? And two attacked by one would be safe, and three cords twisted together are not quickly broken. See also Proverbs 11:14, 15:22 and 24:6. I once owned a speedboat that I used for water sports and fishing. It was mine! I owned it! I drove it! I enjoyed it and caught many a fish from it, but I never used it alone for several reasons, one being the safety factor and the other was practical—I could not drive my car, launch and retrieve the boat by myself. I needed someone else to help me. Besides that, I could use it as a tool with which I could bless others. Somehow, other people got involved and that is a wonderful thing because although Jesus had only called one man, many other people were blessed. They latched onto a big school of the things then and started to pull them in, but the net started to break with the weight. “Hey, come over here and help us” they called out to their partners in the other boat. They came over and by combining their efforts, they managed to bring in the haul. It was as if all the fish came from miles around and just begged to get caught, saying, “Take me, take me”. They were in danger of now getting swamped and as Simon looked up, his eyes caught the intent gaze of the LORD. It was as if He was looking right through him, as if he knew his innermost thoughts.
7 You can’t turn down an opportunity like that. That’s crazy! It was a cash-inhand deal and you just don’t walk away from an opportunity like that. Their families were waiting at home for their return, so the legitimate and pressures demands we all face from time to time were very real.
I’ve had such an experience and it is awesome! Peter suddenly felt very uncomfortable. Somehow, he felt unclean dirty in a way he’d not felt before. That was just too much. He couldn’t handle that any more and almost begged, “Please leave me alone”. Sometimes we can have a divine encounter and suddenly realise our frail humanity, but I am so glad that He is gracious and kind and very patient with us. When they reached the shore, Jesus started to walk away and, momentarily pausing, turned back towards them and said, “Follow me”. What was it about this fellow? They had the best catch of all in their lives and He was asking them to follow him? It did not seem logical. They had their boats to pull up onto the beach. Their nets needed washing and folding again. They had all those fish to clean and take to the market and the crowd of people were watching all this, some even waiting to buy a fish and pay cash on the spot.
You and I are not immune from the affairs of life. If a problem arises, that is not the most important issue. What matters is not what happens, but what you or I do in that situation. How do you cope? What do you do when you seem to have done everything right, and that problem seems to rear up and hit you? It is how you respond that really counts. It is what you do when things seem to go wrong that makes the mettle of a man. What to do is to find out what God says about the thing and start saying it too. Start speaking God’s unfailing word into that thing and then do what it says to do. Strangely, it seemed as if it was the right thing to do, almost as if it was— natural. They looked at each other wordlessly and then turned back towards him. In a few paces, they were standing there before him as he said, “I’m going to make you fishers of men”. God had crossed their paths. He had intervened in their daily routine and changed their whole future and destiny. This same prophet—this same man, this very same Jesus could cross your path today. His call has not changed. His eyes still see the same things. His ears are still listening for the same sounds. His voice is still the same. What He said then, He is still saying today. “Follow me. You and I are going fishing”. Getting His word out requires dedication and commitment. He needs our help to do this just as much as we need His help. The message never changes but the way we present it can. God’s word works. It does not need props. The anointing is real and that anointing is the only way to do the work of the Lord correctly and obtain the right results. We must never lose sight of the work of the Holy Ghost in the equation and He, who is the Spirit of truth who always points to Jesus, leads us and guides us and reproves the world of sin and righteousness and judgement (read Jesus’ account in John Chapters fourteen to seventeen) will do what Jesus said He would do. Oh, yes, the message never changes and it will work for you and me just as it did for the LORD, if we do not filter it in any way. Allow me to share a personal anecdote. I was once an avid amateur fisherman and enjoyed an assortment of fishing activities that ranged from fishing on the Great Barrier Reef of Australia to the small rivers and estuaries and an occasional trip to some of our lakes. Each place was different. The fish were different. Fishing techniques therefore had to be different.
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Trout were caught in fresh water, using fly tackle, but out at the reef, heavy tackle was the order of the day and a line of one hundred pound breaking strain was common, whereas flyfishing for trout required very fine equipment. In the rivers and estuaries where I spent most time, the techniques differed again and even more so, depending on the desired species. Some fish fed on the bottom and others on or near the surface. Some species fed on diets of weeds, whereas others required the use of various baits, live or otherwise, or lures. Sometimes I would buy bait but preferred to catch my own and there again, the techniques greatly varied, depending on what kind of fishing I intended doing. Fishing at night was different to fishing during the day and no two excursions were ever the same. I preferred incoming tides, so liked to be fishing when the tide was either at its low point, or close to it. At the ebb, the water was absolutely still, almost lifeless, but as the tide started to turn and run in, the fish started feeding. The spiritual lesson I learned is that for every endeavour in God, we much determine the best way to go about it, which of course requires us to obtain the mind and will of God on that particular occasion.
Jesus applied this principle. He used great variety in His ministry and I will use healing blindness as an illustration. He touched blind people and they were healed. He cast evil spirits out of people and they received their sight. He spat on the ground and made clay with which He placed on the blind person’s eyes with a command to wash and the blindness was healed. He spoke to blind Bartimæus and he was healed. He laid His hands on one man twice to restore full vision. For us to do what He told us to do, we have to follow His example. There are no set formulae. Every situation and circumstance differs, so we must found out from the Holy Spirit what to do on that occasion. What this incident tells me is that Jesus clearly wants us to catch so much that we cannot contain it. It also tells me that we cannot do it alone and it also reveals that we need a specific word from the LORD because it is at His word, we receive the authority and the ability to do whatever it is that He has asked you as an individual to do. Peter had received a word from Jesus and responded to that particular word. It defied logic. It did not make sense. What we are to do never makes sense but it does make faith! We now turn to the second part of our story that goes as followsThe small group of men sat discontentedly in a huddle, carefully watching the door of the small room. They spoke with quiet hushed voices, jumping at the occasional noises outside wondering if the door would be suddenly kicked open and soldiers swarm inside to take them. Would they be arrested, beaten and tortured or—executed? Their leader had been betrayed, arrested and publicly executed, leaving them in disarray and wondering what to do next. Were they to be betrayed also? Who was going to lead them now? Their cause seemed lost and it appeared to be a hopeless situation. The enemy always seemed to have the upper hand. The community had grown accustomed to the alien’s inflexible demands and some of the prominent businessmen and civil leaders had joined sides with them, with a select few appointed to positions of authority. They exercised their powers ruthlessly and mercilessly, becoming just as bad as the conquerors, exacting taxes and claiming property belonging to the people as their own. They had bribed the police force and the remnant of their army were either scattered into the hills and disbanded, or forced to become vagabonds and members of underground movements. Some guerrilla groups engaged in subterfuge, sabotage and extremists committed assassination and sabotage and a few of their leaders had also been caught. There seemed to be no end to the enemy victory and occupation of their beloved homeland. Allies could not, or would not help them.
9 Their nation was being pillaged and raped. Their children were becoming brainwashed by the propaganda or taken as slaves with some of the womenfolk and their beloved traditions and culture were being slowly eroded away by the infidels. They seemed to now be totally alone and naked, with their dreams shattered. Does anything sound slightly familiar? One man slowly stood up and walked to the door, saying, “Well, I’m goin’ fishin” and slipped out into the cold darkness of the night and a few others decided to join him. After all, there was nothing else to do and they could not stay cooped up in their quarters forever, despite the curfew and the trauma of recent events. They had to do something, no matter what to take their minds off things, but it didn’t seem to be the same as at other times. It was dark, cold and miserable and the fish simply weren’t biting, but they stayed there as most fishermen do, waiting for as long as possible before the inevitable return to normal life (if there ever would be such a thing again). Sitting on the banks of a river, or inside a boat, listening to the steady lap, lap, lap of the waves can be therapeutic. It helps one to relax and unwind and sometimes bonds people together. It enables one to escape from the pressures and problems that come in life. What else could they do anyhow? The darkness of the evening gradually made way for that predawn glow. The morning mist began to dissipate as the sun’s warming rays came up from behind the distant hillside and features of the landscape started to come into focus. As it often does, the orange ball of the sun suddenly popped up into the sky, the shadows disappeared and the previously hidden features of the night landscape came into view. A man was standing on the distant shoreline. They could not make out his features as it was too far away. He called out. “Have you caught anything”? Well, what a dumb thing to ask under the circumstances. Of course they hadn’t. It was a spur of the moment decision to go fishing. Everything was wrong. The tide wasn’t right and they had gone out, seemingly without any prior preparation, as this was a spur of the moment decision. Where did they get those boats? Who was the owner? Did they have to ask for permission to use them?
I believe that they were Peter’s boats! Religious attitudes imply that Peter was as poor as a church mouse, but he was a married man with a home, a fishing business, partners and a father. Think about it! They weren’t in the mood for pleasantries with strangers. For all they knew he could have been a spy and setting a trap for soldiers who may be laying in wait behind the sand dunes. “Tell him to get lost”, someone said. “Ignore him”, said another. Someone called back and said in a heavy voice, “No”, wondering what this stranger wanted and wishing he would go away and leave them alone. The man walked to the waters edge and said, “You’re doing it wrong. Use your nets and put them out on the other side of the boat”. “Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained I guess. We’ll give it another half hour and go”, said one, so they dropped the net over the side. Suddenly the water seemed to churn beneath them and they felt a series of jolts and bumps as the boat began to shudder. “What’s going on?” someone called out in alarm. “We’ve snagged our net”. “That stupid busybody there! We shouldn’t have listened to him. As if we haven’t got enough problems. Quick. Stop the boat and get that net freed before it gets wrecked. C’mon, hurry up”. As it turned out, the boat was not in any danger after all. The net was not caught fast on the reef or submerged rocks. “It’s full of fish” someone exclaimed. I’ve never seen so many before. What’s going on?” Another suddenly said, “It’s the boss. I thought he was dead. What on earth—?” I guess that you have now recognised a familiar story, even though it may have been told in a different fashion with some poetic license. The factual account is as follows and it is taken from John chapter twenty-oneLater Jesus appeared again to the disciples beside the Lake of Galilee. This is how it happened:
10 A group of us were there— Simon Peter, Thomas, “The Twin,” Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, my brother James and I and two other disciples. Simon Peter said, “I’m going fishing.” “We’ll come too,” we all said. We did, but caught nothing all night. At dawn we saw a man standing on the beach but couldn’t see who he was. He called, “Any fish, boys?” “No,” we replied. Then he said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get plenty of them!” So we did, and couldn’t draw in the net because of the weight of the fish, there were so many! Then I said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” At that, Simon Peter put on his tunic (for he was stripped to the waist) and jumped into the water and swam ashore. The rest of us stayed in the boat and pulled the loaded net to the beach, about 300 feet away. When we got there, we saw that a fire was kindled and fish were frying over it, and there was bread. “Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,” Jesus said. So Simon Peter went out and dragged the net ashore. By his count there were 153 large fish; and yet the net hadn’t torn. “Now come and have some breakfast!” Jesus said; and none of us dared ask him if he really was the Lord, for we were quite sure of it. Then Jesus went around serving us the bread and fish.
Let us look at what happened. Jesus had been arrested and they all forsook Him. He was crucified and the tomb was later found to be empty. Jesus had appeared to them. Their whole lives were in turmoil. They were emotionally distraught. They were confused and most likely afraid of what may happen next. Peter denied Him and was plagued by guilt and his feelings of guilt and remorse over his denial could have been too much for him and he simply quit! I say that because of the words used to describe his saying, “I am going fishing”. The Greek word used is Hypagō and it has several meanings relating to departing, going, going away, get thee hence and to withdraw or retire as if sinking out of sight. He wanted to sink out of sight and return to what he knew best, which was fishing. Peter had quit! John said that they went forth immediately to enter a ship. The phrase went forth lines up with what I just mentioned as its meanings include come, depart, going forth and the like, but also relate to departing out of something, to escape, to get out, to go abroad or away. The Greek word used is Exerchomai.
We see later that when they realised that Jesus was on the shore and they had caught all those fish, Peter dived overboard to swim to shore, but the others rowed ashore in a little boat. The name given to this boat is Ploiarion. This refers to a much smaller boat. That makes sense, considering that Peter had a fishing fleet with partners. I think therefore that the ship from which they tried fishing belonged to Peter. I believe that he still owned his business. After all, he was a married man who still owned a home (that was where Jesus healed his mother-in-law). We are quick to leap to conclusions at times and when the bible says that he forsook all to follow Jesus, we assume he walked away from everything and became a homeless, penniless follower of Christ. That attitude suits the opinions of those who advocate poverty as a necessity to being a Christian. Peter may have left his father in charge of everything and he did after all, have partners. Surely they kept the business operational. Peter was a professional fisherman yet despite his experience and local knowledge they caught nothing all night—no fish, no signs of a fish and not even a smell of a fish. John’s account states that they had caught nothing and one of the meanings of this word means included people. In evangelistic terms they had toiled all night and they never had a single soul affected or saved!
When John said that they entered that ship immediately, they were all quick to respond and this makes me wonder about their feelings and emotions. It also makes me wonder where they got that ship in such a short time. As I previously discussed, I ask, “Where did they get the ships?” It appears that there was more than When morning came, Jesus was waiting one, because John said that they on shore for them. entered a ship that in the Greek was a Ploion—a vessel capable of ocean I think this is significant. voyage.
10 They were out there toiling, wasting time and effort, probably talking all sorts of negative things, feeling lower in spirit by the minute but Jesus was not out there with them! He was standing on the shore beside a warm fire while they were out there cold and miserable. Sure He never leaves us or forsakes us, but he is not in the stuff we can get ourselves into. He does not come down to our level but calls us up to his level. He bids us to come out to where he is. When they were in a boat in the middle of the storm, Jesus was walking on the waves untouched by the waves. When Peter called to Him, Jesus told Him to get out of the boat and come to Him. Sometimes we have to get our feet wet by getting out of the boat of our present condition and get to dry shore where He is. If we stay in the boat all we see is other disciples, but if we are out there we see Jesus! Jesus asked them if they had caught anything. He knew they hadn’t. He told them to cast the net (singular). They had several nets, but he wanted them to cast one only. Previously He asked Peter to let down his nets (plural). When He has something lined up for us, we do not necessarily have to try this and that and the other thing because that is not what He asked. If He said to do one task—do it! He is specific. When Peter was asked about the tribute money, Jesus told him to take his fishing rod and cast out to catch a fish that had a special coin in its mouth. It was not the only fish. Jesus was being very specific. See Matthew 17:24-27. He told them to cast it out on the right side. Again, Jesus was very specific. Anyone knows that there are two sides to a ship and out there, it probably doesn’t matter which side you cast from because the fish are under the boat. Why the right side? The right side or right hand is the favoured position. Jesus sits at the Father’s right hand. He was telling theme to cast out onto the favoured position for a special purpose and it was to receive what was due them. The right side does indeed means the literal right hand side, but there is more to it. The Greek word Meros that was used refers to receiving a prescribed section or allotment, a division or a share of something. There is a prescribed portion or allotment reserved for you. Jesus knows where it is and how to get it to you. You might be casting your net out the wrong side, doing it prematurely, or leaving it too late and the fish you seek have either swum away or have not yet arrived! Think about it. I will speak more on this later. Whilst they were doing their own thing, Jesus was having a BBQ. As soon as they reached where He was, they noticed what he had already done! One thing we must understand is the fact that whatever it is that concerns us, we are trusting God to do or are expecting to happen is already done as far as He is concerned. We may be out there somewhere toiling away trying to make it come together for us, but He has already done it. All we have to do is get to where He is and where His provision and answer is located. The difficulty we face is in knowing what to do about it. I wish I could tell you how in a simple way, but I too sometimes felt like those men in that boat, so now that I have hopefully learned a thing or two, I listen to the voice of the Lord and do what He says. His way works, but your way and my way don’t! Please always remember that Jesu said that He could not do anything of His own. He spoke of Himself-
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Truly I say to you, The Son is not able to do anything himself; he is able to do only what he sees the Father doing; whatever the Father does the Son does it in the same way. John 5:19. He did not say that He would not but that He could not! I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me. John 5:30 There are some object lessons that the Lord taught me several years ago when Marge and I once spending some time on the Gold Coast. I should point out that Surfers Paradise on Australia’s Gold Coast is truly one of the great surfing beaches in the world, with the combination of great weather, squeaky clean white sand and of course the beautiful Pacific Ocean to complement it all. Marge and I would pack some food and drive to a place we had chosen to spend the day with the Lord. We found several places that we really liked and returned to them often. Sometimes we would rise at 4am and go to one of those places and pray, watch the sunrise and walk on the beach.
On one such morning, I felt the LORD’s presence so powerfully, I fully expected to turn and see His footsteps in the sand beside mine! He spoke to me about the time Enoch walked with God and I expected to be taken up! One morning, I saw a large group of whales not very far off the beach. It was a wonderful and amazing sight and they were there for most of the morning, frolicking and slapping the waves with their tails. We returned the next day to see them, but they were not there. The following day, we went to another beach saw and about twenty or so dolphins swimming off the shoreline. They were so close, I felt that I could throw a stone and hit them (not that I would). A few hours later, they turned and sped off down the coast. They were not there the following day. On another occasion, as I was strolling down the beach, I could see a school of large fish swimming parallel to the shore in the midst of breaking waves. The water was as usual, very clear and the fish were quite visible. As with the dolphins, the fish were not there the following day. One place we often visited had a small hill whose rocks extended into the water. On either side are two of those perfect sandy beaches I described. I sometimes went to this spot and walked out on the rocks to the waters edge and sat there with the LORD. A man walked past me and stood on a rock staring out at the ocean. He suddenly picked up his surfboard and dived headlong into the water with the board underneath and slightly in front of him and simple paddled out into the deep. A few other men did likewise and I learned something from them. They were reading the waves. They stood there observing the wave direction, motion and speed, before jumping in. If they dived in too early, the breaking wave would sweep them backwards to crash on the rocks and injure them. If they hesitated too long, the wave would have receded and they would have dived in only to land on rocks that had been exposed. The LORD spoke to me then. He told me, “Robert, learn to read the waves”. Before attempting something in God, we need to know His timing and the other factors that determine success, or read the waves. An error of judgement and timing can be detrimental, perhaps harmful. I will use one final illustration, which is very important and continue with our story. In one place, there was a small natural rock pool that was fed by the tide. I was standing on the rocks surrounding this pool, when the LORD told me to look. I did and saw nothing. He said, Keep looking and as I did a small fish only about six inches long swam out from under a rock. It was the kind of fish one would expect to see in an aquarium I guess. It was very pretty with purple and yellow bands on its body.
12 The Lord asked me, “You couldn’t see it before, but it was there all the time, wasn’t it?” I had to admit that and He told me to keep watching. A breeze suddenly gently disturbed the surface of the water and when calmed, that fish had gone. The LORD told me to keep watching and as I did, another fish, but a different type to the first swam out from under another rock. My! It was a pretty little thing. The LORD then said, “You couldn’t see that one before either could you?” He continued, “It was there all the time, but you could not see it”. What He showed me that day is that there are times when we cannot see everything that is happening. Just because you can’t see it, does not mean that it is not there or is not happening. He told me that we cannot go fishing today for fish that will not be there until tomorrow or that we cannot expect to catch fish now when they were there yesterday. He also taught me that we have to know what kind of fish are present at that particular time and to now what to do in that particular situation. This is why we really do need to rely on the leading of the Holy Spirit if we truly want to do God’s work God’s way and get God’s results. Sadly, far too many churches are doing all sorts of things to attract people and I believe that we should use every means possible, but not at the expense of the anointing! Smoke machines and strobe lights might work well in a nightclub, but in worship… every time… in every meeting…with head-banging music non-stop without variety? God is a God of variety and we need to be able to reach out to people in every way we can, but are people coming for entertainment or to meet with God?
I know that God is not afraid of noise. If we do not catch any today, we can go He is noisy at times also, but not all the fishing again. time! The conditions might not have been right. Ask the Spirit of the LORD to tell you The fish we sought may not have been what to do and allow Him to do what there or they were not hungry, even He wants to do. Be flexible. Be ready to though we used the correct techniques change. Always apply the appropriate and equipment. tool or technique in a given situation— at that particular time, because what There have been many times I returned worked last time might not ever work home without a fish, but there have again, or the conditions may never be been many more times when I came the same again. home with a haul! It depends at times on the variety of There have been times when I preached fish one wants to catch. Certain species and it seemed as if there was no are only caught in nets and not by other response, but some time later, someone means, whilst fishing lines are used for approached me with a testimony that other species. the word of God that I had shared, had produced the required miracle in their There are countless variations and life. techniques. Some folk are better at reaching certain Right at this present time, I am getting classes of people than others. the fishing bug again! I have ridden a motorcycle but have I had not been out for a long time, but never been a biker, so I might not know suddenly got the urge again and bought how to talk the talk or dress in the new rods, reels and tackle. appropriate manner and may not then Several days later a friend invited me to qualify to catch bikers! go fishing with him in his boat. An aviator talks aviation language but It was a wonderful day together. We might not know the language of the have been out again since and I can medical profession; an artist may be proudly say that we dined well on my fantastic at painting a beautiful piece of catch! art, but unable to lay a brick. Find some common point if you need to. What I am doing is getting ready for something new. Establish a bridge or point of I want fish! I am hungry for fish! I am connection and focus on that. Jesus did preparing to catch fish like I have never this when He spoke to the Woman at caught before and different kinds of fish the well. He used water as the common in different locations. point of reference and a whole This requires change on my part. community was saved. After all, we are all in the business of I want to now share a vision the Lord catching fish—aren’t we? gave me some time ago. In conclusion, you or I can legitimately say, “I’m goin fishin”, but please let it I was standing on the shores of an not be in the negative sense I described ocean or sea and saw a man on the before. shore casting a net, but he was having problems. He called me, asking for help.
12 I went to him and took the net from him, showed him how to cast it and caught many fish. He was then successful. I then saw a man in a canoe with a flyfishing outfit but he too was in trouble and he also asked me to show him how to catch fish. I took the rod from him and showing him how to catch fish, demonstrated it by catching some. He too started to have success. I then went to another man in a larger boat and he was also fishing unsuccessfully. He asked me for help and I got aboard and showed him how to go about it and he started to catch fish. In this vision, I saw various groups of people all engaged in fishing of one form or another. Their techniques differed. Some were seeking shrimp in nets. Others were seeking trout in a running stream. Others were on the shore and casting into waves. The fish differed in every instance, but one thing they all had in common was that no one had any success. Every one of them called out to me requesting that I show them how to catch fish. I finally saw myself on board a very large ocean going fishing ship. It was a huge commercial vessel and many men were aboard, hauling in huge nets. The diameter of the rope in the nets was almost too large to fit into the palm of my hand and the mesh (the gaps in the net between the ropes) was very
large. They all called out to me, “Robert. Come and help us”. I was dressed in a suit, white shirt with tie, removed my coat, loosened my tie, rolled up my sleeves and stood beside them, helping them to haul in the nets that were now full of fish of every kind you can imagine. The fish we caught together were all excellent quality with no unwanted species! Despite the large size of the mesh, we caught everything from calamari to prawns, fresh water lobbies, lobsters and crayfish, crabs and oysters, salmon and trout, large fish, small fish, fresh water species and saltwater species and they were all together in that one net. There are many people around the world who have diverse backgrounds and cultures, life experiences, needs and wants and so on, but all have one thing in common—they all need Jesus!
Jesus told Peter (and us), “Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.” HE —will MAKE US fishers of men! Perhaps you are hungry, or have started to think that you have been labouring all night. You may be thinking that nothing is working for you. You could even be on the verge of quitting. If so, I have a word for you and it is, “Don’t quit!” Changes may be required and you may also have to start letting your nets down on the right side of the boat this time—based on a specific Word of the LORD to YOU. Jesus had been speaking to everyone, but He turned to one man and gave a specific word to that man and no one else, “Peter, you let down your nets and you will receive your blessing and experience your life changing miracle.” Jesus does want you to catch a net breaking, boat swamping haul! Do you want to come fishing with me? Blessings, Robert.
For further information, contact us at Bashan Ministries PO Box 65 Stirling 5152 South Australia E-mail info@bashanministries.org Web site www.bashanministries.org