Jesus called you from fear to fisher!

Fishing and fear go together. Fishing and fear go together for many reasons like being afraid of getting bit by a water moccasin if you are fishing from the shore in Texas. Or you might be afraid when someone asks you to go fishing out on the lake or the ocean because you get seasick, the motor on the boat might break, the boat might sink and you will be eaten by a shark or an alligator. Those are the extreme fears when it comes to fishing. One of the more common fears when fishing is forgetting the snacks, drinks and music to keep you occupied while you wait for a bite. And then what might be the most common fear when fishing; that you do not catch anything.

Isaiah knew about fear. The Old Testament prophet Isaiah served the southern kingdom of Israel called Judah 700 years before Jesus was born. He knew fear because the northern kingdom of Israel had been destroyed by the foreign nation of Assyria for turning away from God, and the southern kingdom was following in their footsteps. However, God spared the southern kingdom of Judah from destruction by the Assyrian’s. Instead, he promised they would be destroyed by the Babylonians. Isaiah knew the fear of his country being invaded and destroyed by a foreign power. He also knew the fear of rejection by his own people for sharing that unpopular news of God’s punishment for their wicked ways. But the worst fear Isaiah felt came when he saw a vision of heaven with the Lord seated on a throne in the temple with angels above him singing so loudly that the building shook. We hear Isaiah’s response in Isaiah 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.” Isaiah was instantly confronted with his unworthiness in the presence of God. But then one of the angels flew to him with a live coal taken from the fire of the altar where sacrifices were burned. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” Isaiah’s reason for feeling the worst fear of his life had been taken away. With this gesture, God showed Isaiah that he was no longer a sinner and a man of unclean lips but cleansed and forgiven.

Peter also felt fear standing before the Lord. In Luke 5, while Jesus was traveling around teaching the word of God, he visited the place where Peter was fishing. Fishing was Peter’s job. Fishing meant understanding the waters of the Sea of Galilee, keeping his boat in working order, watching the weather, keeping his nets in good condition without any holes and selling fish to feed his family. At the end of the day, without fish, Peter was afraid because his time, energy, skills and means to feed his family were wasted. After a night that filled Peter with fear, and no doubt frustration, because he had caught no fish, Jesus came and asked to use his boat as a stage and strategic place from which to teach a large crowd of people. 4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” 5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” 6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 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. Peter would not forget this moment. He had no expectation that what Jesus said would work. He had no explanation for what had happened. All he could do was fall to his knees before Jesus and say, 8 … “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”

The words of Peter are also yours. Standing in Jesus’ presence would send you to your knees saying, “I am a sinner.” It is the same fear Isaiah felt seeing the Lord seated on his throne with all power to judge whether you are worthy or unworthy to be in his presence. The fear is real because of your failures. You expect judgment like Peter who failed to trust Jesus and Isaiah who could not make his own lips clean. The high level of God’s expectation for you is captured in James 2, 10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. You have broken God’s law more than once and are guilty of breaking all of it many times over. As a law breaker you face punishment, and God’s punishment is to live away from his goodness and love, experiencing his anger in hell. This is the fear that gripped Isaiah and Peter. It is your greatest fear as well.

The end to your fear does not come from you, but from God. One way to summarize the message of God’s Word, the Bible, is God takes away your fear. When Peter said, 8 … “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” Jesus responded, 10 “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” Peter thought his greatest fear was not catching fish, so Jesus basically said, “Fine, here are more fish that you could ever want.” He provided him with a net ripping, boat sinking, massive catch of fish. Jesus showed Peter that he could overcome what he thought was his worst fear. Then, when Peter realized his greatest fear was his lack of faith in Jesus, Jesus told him not to be afraid. These words let Peter know Jesus forgave him for any doubts. This same Jesus has forgiven all your sins. In Hebrews 8, the writer quotes from the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah writing about God’s forgiveness, 12 “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” Whatever doubts, whatever uncleanness, whatever fear you have about God’s judgment is gone. From God’s point of view from the throne of heaven, you are good, forgiven and loved through Jesus’s sacrifice and resurrection. You are as Peter wrote in 1 Peter 2, 9 “called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” Like Peter, you have been called to faith and called to be fishers of people.

God made you a fisher of people too. When Jesus called you to faith, he saved you from the fear of God, from your sin, death and hell, giving you forgiveness, righteousness, eternal life and a place in his presence in heaven full of joy. At the same time you were brought to faith, he also called you to be a fisher of people. This calling to share Jesus with others instantly filled you with another fear; the fear of not being able to catch anyone. Although you are afraid, you are each a fisher because there are many places in Scripture that say all believers are called to tell others about Jesus. One example is 1 Peter 2, 9 “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” Another example is Psalm 78, 4 “We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done.”

The most common fear I hear from believers when asked about sharing Jesus with someone else is not knowing what to say. In Romans 10, we hear these words, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” Stop being afraid to cast the net and throw the lure in the water. Stop being afraid to say anything about Jesus. Jesus has called you to tell others about him. You can do this in a variety of ways whether you are an introvert or extrovert, new to Christianity or lifelong believer, or any other excuse because sharing your faith is a spiritual issue. Sharing Jesus does not depend on your physical, mental or emotional faculties. When Jesus called you to faith, he gave you everything you need to go fish for others. He gave you love for him, and that love is what moves you to share Jesus with others and it is what you tell others about.

Being a fisher of people takes many different forms. With someone who is grieving the loss of a loved one, which everyone goes through at some point, share how Jesus helped and continues to help you with the loss of a loved one. With someone who is dealing with sickness, loss, anxiety, stress, worry, guilt, doubt, fear, loss of self-worth, greed, lust, jealousy, loneliness, exhaustion, pride, etc. share how Jesus helps, heals, comforts, forgiveness you with those same issues and situations. When someone is hungry, thirsty or homeless, temporarily or long term, help them with food and tell them about Jesus the bread of life, with water and tell them about baptism, with shelter and tell them about a place prepared for them in heaven, or leave a note, email or text with those words that you found or that you got from me your pastor. When someone is struggling with their finances or wondering how to raise their kids, share techniques you have learned and what God has to say about money and children from Scripture. When you feel yourself overcome with fear as a fisher of people, go back to what pulled you into the boat. Go back to Jesus, go to the power source, the Bible, Scripture, the Word of God, which fills your heart with faith, hope and love by the power of the Holy Spirit God himself. It is God who caught you and he will catch others through you.

They don’t call it catching, they call it fishing. Therefore, fishing and fear go together. We fear not catching anything because we are not equipped, and we fear disappointing the one we are trying to catch fish for. You are called to fish for people. God equipped you by catching you with his Word. Through the Word of God the Holy Spirit called you to faith. And it is that same Word of God that you cast out trusting God to catch others. Stop being afraid. You are called to fish, not catch. If you want to picture what it means to be a fisher of people with a fishing pole, then the lure or bait is the Word of God, and the hook is the Holy Spirit. You are called to get the bait in the water, and God will hook them. Don’t be afraid, Jesus is always with you, and Jesus called you from fear to fisher. Amen.