Learn to Fish! Luke 5:1-11

The Fifth Sunday After Trinity                                           9-July-2023
Sermon Text: Luke 5:1-11
Sermon Theme: “Learn To Fish!”

I.N.R.I. “Luk 22:27 For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves.” The twelve argued about which of them should be considered the greatest at the Last Passover. Jesus had humbly served them washing their filthy feet. He had blessed the bread and given them His living body to eat. He had blessed the cup of blessing and given them His sin cleansing blood to drink. Still they disputed about their vocation as apostles and about who would be in charge.
    Vocation. Our God calls us to glorify Him and serve our neighbor in our congregation, our community/state, and our homes. These are the three estates in which Christians live exercising their Holy Spirit given faith in Jesus as in love their serve their neighbor. Accordingly in these holy orders and positions we have duties and responsibilities. We learn from the Small Catechism within the congregation we are called to serve either as Pastor/Preacher or as Hearers. Within the community/state we called to serve in Civil Government upholding the rule of law or as Citizens supporting those who serve and protect us. Within the Home we are called to serve as Husband or Wife, as Parent or Child, as a Worker or an Employer/Supervisor, as Youth or Widow. Living within our vocations frees to serve blessed by God’s Word.
      Vocations are deadly. Living in them to protect and serve our neighbor costs us our life. Sadly last Monday our community lost police sergeant Heather Glen as she laid down her life carrying out her vocation. She died serving her community. The other man lost his life stepping outside of his vocation seeking to harm those entrusted to his care and whom God set in authority over him to maintain peace and order within His Creation. Jesus preaches, Joh 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.
      What is the difference between the Christian’s vocation and the worldling vocation? Faith in Christ Jesus. By Holy Spirit Word breathed baptismal sealed trust in Jesus as her Savior from all sin, from death and the devil, and from hell - a sinner is declared a beloved child of the Heavenly Father. Clothed in Christ Jesus by baptismal faith and strengthen by the Holy Spirit through hearing the Word preached her works are acceptable to God her loving Father. Without faith it is impossible to please God. The Christian doesn’t serve to earn God’s favor or win a place in heaven. The Christian serves because she is saved by grace through faith for Christ’s sake. Receiving salvation full and free in Christ we are freed to run in the path of His Ten Commandments serving our neighbor in love.
    St. Luke teaches us this earlier as he recorded the history of repentant tax collectors and soldiers coming to be baptized. When they ask John the Baptizer what they should do - he doesn’t tell them to leave their vocations, but to serve them honorably. A Christian can and should serve in the government upholding the rule of law, and as a soldier protecting the lives of the citizens by the sword. We clearly confess in A.C. Art. 16: “Of Civil Affairs they teach that lawful civil ordinances are good works of God, and that it is right for Christians to bear civil office, to sit as judges, to judge matters by the Imperial and other existing laws, to award just punishments, to engage in just wars, to serve as soldiers, to make legal contracts, to hold property, to make oath when required by the magistrates, to marry a wife, to be given in marriage. They condemn the Anabaptists who forbid these civil offices to Christians. They condemn also those who do not place evangelical perfection in the fear of God and in faith, but in forsaking civil offices, for the Gospel teaches an eternal righteousness of the heart. Meanwhile, it does not destroy the State or the family, but very much requires that they be preserved as ordinances of God, and that charity be practiced in such ordinances. Therefore, Christians are necessarily bound to obey their own magistrates and laws save only when commanded to sin; for then they ought to obey God rather than men. Acts 7:49.”
      Satan and the fallen world constantly accuse Christ’s Church of trying to over throw civil authority. It is a lie. The Church respects and prays for all those whom God has given into positions of rule. The state has no rule over conscience and the mind. If it commands the Christian to sin against conscience we must respectably decline as our first calling is fear, love, and trust in God above all things. What then is our calling as members of Christ’s body within the Church? Here within the saving Ark we: “Learn to Fish!” I. Trusting in our Tireless Master! II. Carrying Out The Vocations Given Us! III. Humbly Speaking Hope to Fellow Sinners!
I.     All seemed lost! For a moment it seemed the nation had come to its senses, but then the government sought to silence the last dissenting voice to its endorsement of sexual perversion, mutilation, and slaughter of babies. What hope was their for the prideful perverted nation? Israel 800 years before Christ was born as a Baby into our history -was as perverse as our nation has become. There is nothing new under the sun. Sin is sin. It always perverts God’s gift of marriage, sex, the family, the body, and life. Elijah ran away. All hope gone he just wanted to die. The Lord sent an angel to quench his thirst with drink and strengthen his body with bread to journey to Horeb/ Sinai the Mount of God. Elijah was wrong - the Lord Jesus pre-incarnate had not forsaken Israel. He had been at work through the still small voice of His Word. God the Holy Spirit through the whisper of Christ’s Promise had preserved a hidden church of 7,000 faithful.
  Dear Christian, stop looking at your calculations, trust in your Tireless Master! (Lk. 5:1-2) The people long to hear the Word of Life. God the Father’s loving promise in the flesh and blood of His only begotten Son breathing forth the life giving Spirit. Jesus preaches, even in public as He journeys on the way. He always taught in the local synagogues and in the Temple where all the Jews gathered. Still He was ready to give a defense for the reason of the hope that was in Him as He walked on the way.
    Peter, Andrew, James, and John had finished their work of fishing all through the night. They washed their nets, hoping to get some rest before evening again called them to their vocation. Jesus doesn’t rest - He continues to preach. (Lk 5:3) He asks Simon Peter to lend Him his boat to become a pulpit from which He can feed the crowds on His living Word. Tired, Jesus sits down to preach over the water as it echos His Word into the congregation’s ears. These early followers of Jesus hear their Lord preaching as they wash their nets.
    Do you imagine that Jesus has stopped preaching His Word? His ascension wasn’t to leave the boat of His Church, but to fill it fully with His abiding powerful presence through His Word. Sheep and lambs hear His voice calling them to life in Holy Baptism. God the Holy Spirit comforts them with peace as Jesus speaks forgiveness in absolution. Jesus breathes forth His Word and live giving Spirit in His Word read, preached, prayed, and blessing us at His Table. St. Luke records the history of our ascended King Jesus within His Church in the book of Acts. Read it. Trust your tireless Master as He speaks His Word to save those appointed for salvation.
II.     Jesus called Peter as one of His twelve apostles. Men who instructed by Christ would proclaim His doctrine to bring life to the world through His Word. Christ’s Church is never stagnant - it is always at work in this world. (Lk 5:4) Jesus’ forenoon sermon ended. The congregation rejoiced to sit and listen to Jesus’ Word not only for ten minutes but for the better part of the day. They knew that man lives by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God in preaching.
    Turning to Peter, Jesus calls him to carry out his vocation of fishing by which he provided for his family and community. Peter had met Jesus before and knew that He was a carpenter from Nazareth. Peter had grown up fishing and knew when and where to fish Gennesaret. (Lk. 5:5) They toiled all night and had nothing. Still He trusted in the Master’s Word and they loaded their drying nets back into their large boats to get back to work.
    Why are you idle? Have you cast your nets trusting Jesus’ Word? St. Peter calls us in our vocations to humbly serve our neighbor by speaking the truth to those who curse us. How can we be ashamed to speak His Word in our various callings? Begin at home speaking it to one another. Let down the net of Jesus’ Word daily at home, at work, in our community, in our church. 1Pe 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; Christians let down your nets this is your daily calling.            III.   The Creator’s Word spoken over water breathing forth His Spirit brings life. (Lk.5:6-7) The impossible happens. The fishermen’s nets are filled and are breaking. There are so many fish that both boats begin to sink, but they don’t for the Lord upholds His Church. Now in rejoicing reality hits Peter. (Lk.5:8) This Man from Nazareth who had healed His mother-in-law is God in the Flesh - He is the Lord. Peter is filled with fear and asks Jesus to leave him. Our sinful flesh doesn’t understand God’s grace seeks sinners to save them in Jesus alone. (Lk 5:9-11) Jesus calls Simon to a fisher of men. He calls him into the preaching office. As He will call Andrew, James, and John and after a night of prayer appoint them His apostles. His sent ones to proclaim His Life Giving Word and teaching to our fallen world. His Word - the Truth we daily confess in the Apostles’ Creed.
    Coming to land these men forsake all to follow Jesus into training for the pastoral ministry. Peter the humbled sinner learned that as Christians we are called to speak hope to our fellow despairing sinners. To speak to them of Jesus. The Savior of sinners of whom I am chief. He comes not for perfect people, but to call sinners to turn from the path of sin and self destruction - to life in His Name. Christian, humbled sinner washed in Christ’s forgiving blood - this is not only the duty of the pastor - it is your calling also. Christ Jesus through Peter calls you to fish: - 1Pe 2:9-10 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; (10) who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.” Amen.