Are You Ready To Catch The Spirit?
 

Good Morning Friends,

This morning, we see that restoration can produce amazing results. We see Jesus make success out of failures. Today we see how Jesus guides the disciples to haul in a great net of fish and learn a lesson about the gift of the Advocate to come. Are You Ready To Catch The Spirit?

Scripture: As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went from there, he saw two other brothers; James, the son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

Matthew 4:18-22 (NRSV)

After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.” He said to them, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea. But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off. When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

John 21:1-14 (NRSV)

While Peter and John were speaking to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came to them, much annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming that in Jesus there is the resurrection of the dead. So they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. But many of those who heard the word believed; and they numbered about five thousand. The next day their rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. When they had made the prisoners stand in their midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are questioned today because of a good deed done to someone who was sick and are asked how this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead. This Jesus is ‘the stone that was rejected by you, the builders; it has become the cornerstone.’ There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.”

Acts 4:1-12 (NRSV)

Message: In Matthew 4, after the temptation and the preaching was the calling of the disciples. Jesus was calling fishermen from the beach to become fishers of people and He would remind them of this purpose after He had died and rose from the dead. Once again, he would call from the beach. John 21 recounts that story of breakfast with Jesus and the second calling where He guides us to cast our nets one more time after a long night without a catch. He does this, so we might know His abundance and return to the task for which we have been called. Yes, we are to be followers of Christ and fishermen for His Kingdom…. casting our nets so others might also be captured by the amazing love of God. In Acts 4 we see referenced that they had become very effective fishers of people. At the foundation of this outcome is the love of God and grace and forgiveness manifested in the power of the Holy Spirit. The story of Peter is a perfect example of the power of restoration and grace. And part of it is a theology of place but it is not so much in these places of grace, but in the people of grace… that we find a home…. a community where the Spirit thrives. Here in the middle of relationships we discover that peace is a gift from God. Here on our journey from Easter to Pentecost and beyond we recognize that we too can be filled with the Holy Spirit and the Words of Jesus….It is here we discover that abiding in Jesus we grow the fruit of peace and become fishers of people. So, meditate on that and consider what God is calling you to do with the gifts you have been given. Know that we have a purpose in the Spirit that brings us to life. So, do not underestimate the power of the call of God. 

 
And So, let’s face it, Jesus was a good fisherman in difficult times, and it is more important that Jesus catches us than we catch the Spirit, regardless of how important that is in us following Jesus, for they are so intertwined with the Father. But don’t think, even for a moment, that the experience of the blessings of abundance is a one-time event. For the miraculous fish story which took place on the shores of Galilee after Jesus’ resurrection was not the first instance of its kind. It had occurred similarly at the beginning of His ministry when He first used Simon Peter’s boat as a pulpit. After netting a great multitude of fishes, Peter, James, and John were immediately called to give up their vocation and follow Jesus. Jesus was going to make them fishers of men. So, after the resurrection the disciples left Jerusalem to make their way to Galilee, as Jesus had earlier instructed the women to tell them, and many returned to their vocation of fishing. And I am sure that Peter, James, and John remembered their first fishing encounter with Jesus and the extraordinary success in their catch when they let the Lord join in the work. Similarly, on this later trip, they were not catching anything. All night they fished with nothing to show for it, but in the morning a stranger appeared on the shore, and asked if they had any fish, as if he desired to buy from them. Then, Jesus instructed them to try again, specifying where they would find their desired catch. Again, they knew success, and they caught a total of 153 fish. And no, I am not sure if the number is significant, more than there being a lot of fish. Some say that it represents all the known nations at that point in history. But what we do know is that when they did recognize the man as Jesus it got really exciting. They are invited to a meal of bread and fish which would have reminded the disciples of the feeding of the 5000 and 4000 and maybe Peter would have recollected how he once paid the tax on behalf both Jesus and he with a coin found in the mouth of a fish. But the experience would not end there. There would be questions and forgiveness and assignments. After three years on the road with Jesus, the time has come for the fishermen to shepherd the flock of Christ. And in all this, what is relevant to today’s question, is that Peter was passionate about fishing and Jesus used this passion to help make Peter enthusiastic about engaging believers in the Way. So, Peter became zealous about seeing ministry take place, and people healed, and souls saved. And the thing is that we should be passionate too in sharing the saving love of God that we have found. We too need to be filled with Holy Spirit fire. We too need to be passionate.

Pray we are not ashamed of our past or afraid of the future. Pray have the passion to share the Gospel. Pray we love enough to feed those who hunger for spiritual food. Pray we too are catching people for Christ. Pray we appreciate the power and passion in the name and person and Spirit of Jesus. Pray we have a passion for Jesus and feed His sheep. Pray that in every difficult situation in life we find the peace and strength in the words of Jesus. Pray that in prayer we would find perspective, perseverance, and patience in the face of persecution. Pray that here we will discover that peace is one of the fruits of the Spirit, a true hope for a stressed-out world. Pray that in prayer God would cultivate this peace in our lives. Pray we grow in peace with God and are reconciled to God and within ourselves as well. Pray we have the right motivation to evangelize. Pray we have peace in God’s plan and obedience to God’s will. Pray that we become real followers of Christ… caring for…cleansed for and committed to that which He has called us. Pray we stand up to the opposition. Pray that we be convincing Christians…. worthy of the name. Pray we are no longer casual about the catch.

Blessings,

John Lawson