Let’s play a game of Show-and-tell. Can you guess what this is?
It’s a Lego car of an Aston Martin. It’s James Bond’s car. Now, let’s do a bit of trivia. Do you know the actor who played James Bond in the most movies? Roger Moore.
And before Roger Moore was James Bond, he in a TV show called The Saint. And the reason we’re talking about this is because there’s an episode in that series called “The Effete Angler” (effete means ineffective and not manly) and that episode has the right name. Because it has the absolute worst fishing scene. As you watch it, it is so obviously bogus that it’s funny. It’s funny because Roger Moore hooks a small marlin and ferociously cranks on a large trolling reel, which, at one point, he’s holding upside down.
And we’re talking about fishing because Jesus says he’ll make the disciples “fishers of men.” Before Jesus says this, we hear that John the Baptist has been arrested. To make a long story short, he said some things about the governor that the governor didn’t appreciate. So John the Baptist is in prison and Jesus goes to Galilee. If you look at a map, you’ll see that he’s moving from the south to the north. But I think there’s also a message here.
About 700 years before Jesus, Israel and Assyria made an alliance. The plan was that they were going to go down and take over Judah (the southern kingdom). Ahaz is the King of Israel during this time, and the prophet Isaiah has been telling him, “Trust in God. He will take care of you.” But King Ahaz chooses to trust in himself and he establishes a relationship with Assyria. Truthfully, he does this out of fear.
The Assyrian emperor comes down with force and makes Judah into a colony and taxes them for all they’re worth—bankrupting them. And Zebulum and Naphtali were the first places that got hit.
- that kid of yours who’s struggling with an addiction that he just can’t kick
- your resolutions that have failed
- your daughter who is dating someone you know is no good for her
- the hope that “this year would be better than the last” (“Long December” by Counting Crows)
These dark places are the places where we often discover that God is at work. This is the “light shining in the darkness.” Let me make that plain: The places that we think are irredeemable are often the first places where the dawn breaks forth. Because what we see is that the gospel comes to you.
Jesus goes and he preaches the nearness of God. Too many people think “preaching” is scolding, telling you what to do, telling you you don’t measure up, and making you feel worse. But someone said, “In the scriptures . . . to preach is . . . to announce as a herald the news that is both gut-wrenching and glad beyond all expectation.” Jesus announces this good news that God has come near and he goes to the sea of Galilee and he gathers two brothers: Peter and Andrew.
The gospel comes to you. That’s what’s happening as Jesus walks and calls these brothers. These brothers Jesus has called, they have NOT earned any of it. They didn’t deserve it. Jesus calls unqualified people. They don’t have any ministry experience. They are people who do NOT have their act together. This is a bold, audacious move. Jesus didn’t go to the theological schools and choose the best students. Jesus calls them—us, you, me—to be on his team. This is the creative power of the word of God. The fancy theological term for this is “imputation.” What that means is that what Jesus says comes to pass. So when you begin to doubt that you’re forgiven, know it has already been done for you. Jesus died on the cross to forgive your sin. Jesus rose from the dead to give you new life. You are forgiven because of what Jesus has done for you. He has said you are forgiven, and you are. Jesus has imputed—Jesus has given to you—forgiveness.
We started with talking about fishing so let’s continue talking about fishing. Have you ever noticed how James and John, Peter and Andrew fished? With nets. You know how nets work, right? They sink to the bottom and you pull them up. I’ve heard people do this because fish have a blind spot and can’t see below. I think that’s true.
And I think it’s true theologically in that it tells us something about how God works. He works from the bottom up. A word preached hooks you. That word tells you that you are more known by God than you know yourself. That word says you are loved and forgiven in Jesus. That net catches you. And it’s a net because the gospel doesn’t come in grand displays of power. It comes from below us, where you least expect it—like a baby in a manger, a carpenter from Nazareth—in the humble areas of your life, in the dark areas of your life.
What the gospel is is Jesus’ saving work so you can believe and repent. Because Jesus has come to you, because he has died for you, you can believe. You can believe and repent. Repentance changes everything.
Jesus calls James and John, Peter and Andrew to fish for people. What does that mean?
Paul Zahl said to be a fisher of people means that you are one who is known by God and that for the first time in your life you might be truly interested in people. And this is what Christian witness is all about—being interested in knowing someone else, and in knowing someone else you might introduce them to the One who already knows them. That’s a calling, and that has the power to “hook” people in the heart and bring them into the boat.
Jesus is saying, I want you to care for people. We’re not about bigger fish; we don’t have bigger fish to fry. It’s alway about people. Jesus’ heart is caring for people.
I also want to talk about the words “kingdom of heaven.” This is a phrase that you’ll hear over and over as you study this book. In the Old Testament, the kingdom was God’s people in God’s place under God’s reign. The kingdom of heaven is what the world looks like when God is in charge. And what does that look like? It looks like Jesus. It looks like mercy, pardon, forgiveness. Repentance is giving up the world where you are in control.
In that deeply philosophical movie Days of Thunder, (the one where Tom Cruise plays a Nascar driver and Nicole Kidman is his love interest)
Nicole Kidman’s character says, “Control is an illusion.” Repentance is about us giving up control. And it includes repenting from the idea that you can earn anything, that you can do things in your own strength, that you can justify yourself. And instead, yield to the One who can do the work for you that you can’t do for yourself.
Jesus has come to let you know he is here to be your champion, to call you to himself, and to save you. And because you’re forgiven, because you’ve received new life, you can introduce people to the same Lord who has caught you, cleaned you, and saved you.
Grace is here for you now.
And some of you are thinking, “What do I have to do?” And the others of you are wondering, “Did he mention a song today?” So I’ll answer both of those at the same time.
Remember, Jesus found the disciples. He went to them. He called them. They didn’t do anything to get ready. They didn’t do anything to earn it. So what do you do? You do what the old song says—the song written by Gene MacLellan that was the first hit for the Canadian band Ocean:
“Put your hand in the hand of the man / Who stilled the water / Put your hand in the hand of the man / Who calmed the sea / Take a look at yourself / And you can look at others differently / Put your hand in the hand of the man / From Galilee”
Grace is here for you now. Everything has been done for you. Jesus has come to you. Jesus has died for you. Jesus has forgiven you. All you have to do is believe it. All you have to do is accept it.
Comments
Post a Comment