YOU WILL CATCH MEN...

New Christian study (Calling and Mission)

YOU WILL CATCH MEN

Luke 5:1-11 #335

Key Verse: 5:10b

“Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Don't be afraid; from now on you will catch men.’"

It is beautiful story that Jesus called Simon as his disciple. It is the turning point for Simon’s life to have God-centered life from a self-centered life . His life was a fisher, truly meaningless and cursed life at God’s point view but he began to acknowledge Jesus’ deity and to begin to follow Christ.

Jesus helped him to experience who Jesus is by the direction, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch."

Jesus’ direction was completely nonsense for him at human point of view. But, he respected Jesus’ words more than his own reasonable thought and obey his direction. It help his spiritual sights to open, and he could see Jesus who is even the controller of fish in Galilee lake.

-Jesus’ world is deep water. When we see it superficially, we see just like blue water, there is nothing. However there are all kinds of fish there. There is even submarine oilfield but it is hidden. His life was changed from the self-centered to God-centered life. This moment of his calling was the moment of the change of aim, purpose, status in his life.

1. What were the fishermen and the crowd doing? (1,2) In what sense were they different? How did Jesus form a relationship with Simon? (3,4) What does “the deep” refer to spiritually?

1One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, 2he saw at the water's edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets.

3He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch."

a)V1,2-the crowd; they were spiritually thirsty. They wanted to love listening Jesus ‘words in superficial and hard society. It must be so sweet and joyful in their thirsty souls.

-Jesus saw at the water’s edge two boats and the fishermen, who were washing their nets.

the fishermen; concentrated their own works-diligent but don’t care of their spiritual life and Self-centered life.

b) Luke 5:3,4 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from 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."

-Jesus got into Simon’s boat. Jesus approached Simon first.

-He also humbly asked Simon’s favor. He became lower than the fishermen.

-Jesus focused on Simon and wanted to help Simon to listen the word of God.

b) the deep--the world we didn’t experience yet. When we superficially see deep ocean, it looks that there is nothing. There are a lot kinds of fish and the things.

c)

- Deep spiritual world of Jesus. (Colossians 2:3,1:15-20,1Co 21-25)

The world of Jesus--the world of the word, grace of forgiveness, resurrection, the kingdom of God, the Almighty God’s power, Eternal life. There is no end but it is hidden. Those who are called, they obey words of God and know the spiritual world (Mt13:44-45, Mt13:9-17)

2. Why was it hard for Simon to obey Jesus’ command? (5a) Why did Simon decide to obey Jesus? What was its result? (5b-7) What can you learn from Simon?

5Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything.But because you say so, I will let down the nets." 6When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

1) Luke 5:5 Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything.

a) the confidence that come from one’s experience is hard to break.- Jesus was challenging his confidence from his experience that was failure and despair.

b) Common knowledge and reasonable thought; As a veteran fisher, there are no fish in the deep (it is ordinary knowledge.)

c) he knew that Jesus was a teacher or carpenter. He was a veteran fisher who spent his entire life until that time. He probably thought that he knew better area of Galilee Lake, the fish common habit than Jesus about the knowledge of fishing and the best time to catch fish through his many experience.

d) he was so tired because he worked whole night.

*It also describes the life without Jesus. Even though people live for themselves so diligently, the fruits of life are empty.(Ecclesiastes 1:2-8, 12:7,12:13-14) (We come in this world with empty hand and go back to God with empty hand)

1) V.5b-7 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 their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

-He respected the words of Jesus more than his experience, knowledge and conditions. –Humility is to acknowledge Jesus’ words to be wiser it than my thoughts. (Isa 55:8-11,Prob 3:5-6,). Pride is to ignore God.(Rom 1:21-23) He was humble.

- He put his trust in words of Jesus instead of his experience, knowledge and common sense. When he obeyed God’s words beyond his situation, he experienced the power of Jesus’ words.

() (Mt 7:24-27) Dwight L.Moody experienced 50,000 answer of his prayers told us that obedience is the best school to know who Jesus is.

3. What did Simon find out about Jesus and himself through this incident? (8) How can one see oneself? (Isa 6:5) What did Jesus say to Simon of for he confessed his sin? (10b) What did Jesus mean by saying: “Don’t be afraid”?

8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 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.”

Isa 6:5 “‘Woe to me!’ I cried. ‘I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”

a) Luke 5:8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!"

- He found that Jesus is the ruler of fish in Galilee lake. He found deity from Jesus through that event. He realized that Jesus is ruler of all things.

he worshiped Jesus.

Lord; he saw Jesus’ divinity. He rules not only fish and nature. The Son of God--the Creator.

He found himself too.

He probably thought he didn’t do any bad things, and was a faithful and good man. He had been lived faithful and a hard worker and good man to family, relatives, neighbors, and friend.

But when he stood before Jesus, he realized how sinful he was. He realized that he was a full of sinful man. He couldn’t even stand before Him.

- Isaiah experienced same thing. Prophet Isaiah is the typical prophet. He served 4 kings as a prophet. He wrote the book of Isaiah which is included with full of God’s revelation. Isaiah 6:1-5 describes the moment of God’s presence.

- -he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!"

When we stand before holy God, we can find who we are.

Isa 6:5 “‘Woe to me!’ I cried. ‘I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”

-when we see ourselves before God--his glory, we see our true selves; we are sinners.

-God is the spiritual mirror. Before his words, we must see ourselves.

-his concern was fish up to this point. Now his interest was fully in Jesus.

-knowing Jesus is not a theory. We must obey and experience Jesus.

What is the sin?

-The life without God.( Rome 14:23)

-It destroys the order of creation.

-it means things that escape from the purpose of creation.

a) Luke 5:10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon's partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid;

Sin always convicts us with condemnation and shame and fear of punishment. When Adam and Eve sinned, they hid before holy God even through they stayed in the Garden of Eden. The matter of sin is fundamentally the matter between God and us. It is not matter environment but matter of our spiritual state. Simon found himself as horrible sinner before Jesus and wanted to depart from him.

“Don’t be afraid”- this voice is the voice of forgiveness of sin. Jesus who is deity,can only forgive us.

-forgiveness was given to him.

-the Biblical point of view.

i) those who live without God; self-centered. self-glory.

ii) those who live without mission; living for survival.

· we were created to live for the glory of God. – we lost it since Adam’s sin. We were newly created to produce fruit by Jesus’ blood. (Eph 2:10) we were created with God’s special purpose.

4. What new direction and mission did Jesus give to Simon? (10c) What did Jesus mean by “You will catch men”? Why is this mission superior to all things in this world? What decision did Simon and his co-workers make? (11) What grace do you receive, from Jesus who calls his children to be fishers of men?

10“from now on you will catch men."

11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed.

a) V.10c “from now on you will catch men."

-we human beings are spiritual beings who have eternal life or Eternal condemnation. Saving one’s soul is most precious.

-”catch” means “to capture alive.”

-saving dying souls is superior to all things. In it we have joy, happiness and value.

* turning point; selfish life--God’s glory. Self-centered life –God’s centered life. Meaningless life to God’s special purpose life. We can’t neglect God’s special calling and his mission.

God still focuses on his redemptive work.

a) Luke 5:11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed

-we can’t follow Jesus with everything. We should leave everything behind. We must have a clear decision of faith. It is first priority. We must leave our human thinking, pride and greed.

b) Live to survive--our life net will be empty.

Live to serve mission--we produce fruit. Righteousness, meaning and value. the crown of life will be awarded.