Catching Men Alive

How does Jesus make disciples?  Does he use hooks?

“Jesus going on, falls upon a group of men, sees potential in Peter, James, John.”

“Decides to take this shapeless formless clay, over 3 years form them into something to serve him.”

Commend these men: “willingness to leave all and follow Jesus.”

Something is missing in this usual way of Jesus calling his first disciples.

Did Jesus find some secret potential in them?  Why’d He choose them?

            FAIL:  They must’ve had some special insight into Jesus?!

Giving credit to disciples, taking away from God and his work.

            FACT:  They weren’t cut out of some special cloth.  Jesus chose them.

I can never be like Peter, Paul, pedestal, admired…

            He is a sinner.

            Makes disciples by the forgiveness of sins.

            The heart of the Lord’s Prayer:  Forgiveness of sins.

Jesus pressed by the crowd, standing by a lake, Geneseret, sea of Tiberias, of Galilee,

            Coming in from a night of fishing, the right time to go fishing.

Take me out a little bit.

            After failing, he says, “why don’t you…”  But we’ve already!  But ok, at your word…

Now nets break, so does Peter’s pride.

            Fishers of men, you’ll be catching men alive.

Catching dead people, making them alive.

How do we make them alive?

            Fish has to bite on it.  hurt a fish

            Net scoops you, heals you

            Brings you into the boat of the church.

Kinda opposite:  not eaten, but kept and preserved alive.

Disciples

            Do the skills of fishermen make them good fishers of men?

            3 years of seminary training, preached, taught, healed, showed them the way

God’s Word!  Not skills.  God’s word gave them power.

            Some are old, young, academic, etc.

            God calls them, through their mouth, His Word is preached.

Through their hands, God shares His love, His disciples, as our pastors today.

If we look to other tricks, hooks, you may get people in the house.

            God’s Word.  God’s Word will make them grow in the faith.

How can they believe if they have not heard?  What they need to hear is the word of God.

            Let God handle the number.

            What’s better?  Many unfaithful?  Versus few faithful.

Not all are called to full-time active ministry.

            Make clothes, food, build homes, Pave streets…

We can invite people to hear the word of forgiveness,

where we are made disciples, by the forgiveness of sins.

Where we are.