1.
Luke
5:1-11.
2.
"Thou
shalt catch men" – 5:10. The word Jesus used for "catch" means
to catch alive, such as a policeman would catch a prisoner. By catching men,
Peter and the others would not only catch them alive, but those who were caught
would be able to have eternal life. When we go fishing for literal fish, we do
not do it for the benefit of the fish. But when we go fishing for men, we do it
for the benefit of those who are caught.
3.
What
are some of the parallels that can be drawn between catching fish and catching
men?
1.
Must
go where the fish are. Jesus told Peter and the others to "launch out into
the deep." This does not mean that to be "fishers of men" we must
all be missionaries at some overseas location. But it does mean we ought to be
on the lookout for opportunities that come our way. We ought never be content
with keeping our religion inside our building. See Matthew 5:44, Matthew 7:12,
Galatians 6:10. Doing good unto all men includes doing those things that benefit
their soul!
2. Does
not draw attention to himself. When wading in the water, fishermen often seek to
"blend in" an effort to not let their presence known to the fish. See
John 12:32, II Corinthians 4:5 and Philippians 1:20.
3.
Must
have faith. Fishermen often do not see the fish in the water, but nonetheless
cast their bait with faith that the fish are there. We often may not see the
results, if any, of our efforts. Nonetheless, we ought to keep trying with faith
that men will respond – Isaiah 55:11.
4.
Good
fishermen are willing to work together. Peter and the others were apparently
involved in an effort that required their cooperation with one another – Luke
5:6-7. We ought to be willing to work together in our efforts to catch men – I
Corinthians 3:5-9.
5.
Must
have courage. Fishermen, particularly commercial fishermen who fish in large
bodies of water for long periods of time, often become exposed to hazardous,
even life-threatening, conditions. See Acts 9:27-29, 18:26, 19:8, Ephesians
6:19-20,
6.
Must
use the right bait. Men cannot be won to Christ through the promotion of
gimmicks and trickery, but by the pure gospel – Romans 1:16 II Timothy 4:2.
