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Sermons
“HOW’S THE FISHING?”
GOSPEL SCRIPTURE TEXT: LUKE 5:1-11
DR. DAVE RING, PASTOR
LOS ALAMOS 1ST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
SUNDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY 4, 2007
It’s no secret that men don’t talk very much, certainly not in comparison to women. It’s even been scientifically studied – at the early age of two, little girls already use, on average, 20% more words than little boys. And by the time we get to be adults, well…
Yes, men don’t talk much. They don’t talk a lot to women, and they don’t talk much to one another, either. But there is at least one notable exception to that rule, and no, even though you’re probably presuming what that exception might be on Super Bowl Sunday, it isn’t football. This subject is actually a lot more popular than football: In the USA alone last year, 135 million licenses to do it were sold, 80% of them to men. Worldwide, fishing provides one of the few situations in which a man will often walk up to a total stranger and initiate a conversation. “How’s the fishing?”
Jesus was a master at apprehending the psychology of men. He knew when to keep silent – and when to speak. And he knew what interested men. As he stood on the shores of the Sea of Galilee – for which Luke uses the Roman geographic term, Lake Gennesaret – he encountered two boats, fishing boats, filled with men. And although Luke doesn’t record the exact question, Jesus obviously asked the head man of that fishing crew, “How’s the fishing?” And equally obviously, Peter replied to Jesus, “Not so good.” So Jesus said, “I know a spot where you ought to try. Take your boat out over there.” And Peter said, “OK, we haven’t had any luck anywhere else, so what have I got to lose? I’ll take your word and give it a try.”
And you know the rest of the story. The catch was overwhelming and Jesus thereby began the recruitment of His first disciples. Afterward, He voiced to them that famous phrase: “From now on, you’ll be fishing for people.”
I love to fish. My father was both fisherman and hunter extraordinaire, and he tried hard to interest me in both sports. The hunting didn’t take, but the fishing did. I’m looking forward to hitting some of the trout streams in this area come spring.
But we’re not here in church to hear fish stories. Or are we? Let me tell you about a big one that got away. His name was Prakash. He was a bright young Hindu, from India, in graduate school along with my wife while we lived in Atlanta. Fran introduced us. I was in seminary and I immediately thought, “A real live Hindu, huh? I’m going to win him to Jesus Christ. God will be so pleased with me.”
For the next three months, I engaged Prakash in continuing debate. Half a dozen times we invited him to our apartment for discussions that lasted through most of the night. I regaled him with high-powered theological arguments that would have merited approval from the likes of Augustine, Aquinas, Luther and Wesley. But I didn’t convince Prakash of anything. After three months of intense intellectual sparring, we just sort of drifted apart. I did learn one thing of importance, though. It’s hard to argue someone into the Kingdom of God.
Not every fish gets away, praise God. While I was pastor at Highland United Methodist Church in Odessa, we decided to offer something called the Alpha Course. It’s a basic, video introduction to Christianity for the unchurched. We advertised it widely and actually did attract seven previously unchurched people. Our Alpha leadership team loved them, fed them, listened to them, shared ourselves with them for ten weeks. One of them, whom I’ll call Rob, was a genuine “hard case.” His three preoccupations in life were, in order, drums, drinking, and women. He fancied himself becoming a drummer in a heavy metal band. He’d gotten a few auditions, but didn’t last long after he showed up to performances drunk.
To my knowledge, Rob had never held a real job. But he never seemed to lack for money. As we got to know each other, I gradually discovered that Rob was a bona-fide male gigolo. An entourage of women supported him rather lavishly; he was very popular with the ladies.
At the end of the course we went on a weekend retreat to a nearby Christian camp. The dozen or so of us there quickly noticed that Rob had come with an agenda or, more precisely, God had brought him with a purpose. Although there is no provision for such in the Alpha course itself, Rob asked to be baptized. He wanted to publicly profess his faith in Jesus Christ. I gladly baptized him, and I believe his conversion was genuine. I left Odessa shortly thereafter, but as far as I know, Rob is still in the Church of Jesus Christ, gradually moving out of a life of sin and into one of righteousness. I and the rest of the Alpha group’s leadership didn’t convince him of anything – we just loved him a little, and let God do the rest. That fish didn’t get away.
How’s the fishing, people of God? As Christ’s disciples, it’s our commission to be fisher-folk, partnering with our Lord in the awesome task of catching men and women for the Kingdom of God. Right now the Church, at least in the USA, is suffering – because only about 1 in 20 professed Christians ever intentionally tries, over the course of a lifetime, to win someone else to Christ. Rather, the vast majority of the laity have turned the task of fishing over to commercial enterprises – they’ve hired preachers, like me, to do their fishing for them. And frankly, without being disloyal to my calling by God, that’s a bad idea. A handful of preachers, skilled or unskilled, can’t substitute for an army of believers sharing the Gospel, by both word and deed, with a world full of strange but wonderful “people fish.”
How’s the fishing, people of God? This morning, as you receive Holy Communion, dare to ask God to put into your mind the image of someone you know – friend, relative, co-worker, acquaintance, maybe even a personal enemy – who needs to be caught – for the Kingdom of God. And then, get out there and fish! Amen.
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