Peace in a Pandemic, Fishing in the Deep with Jesus [Part 1]

I invite you to another facet of this new prayer and maybe start praying Jesus where my fish. I think that he will show faster authoring Bible teacher Helen Wright. Welcome to sharing below were also to hear Allen's message from an old church in central North Carolina in a series that we've titled piece in a pandemic, the power of seeing the crisis through the eyes of Jesus. Obviously the current actuation that this whole is going through churches had to admit in general and especially with the way we worship together in most cases quite virtually swear bringing you this very timely series breach just weeks ago by Pastor Alan to his home congregation. We trust it will be a blessing and encouragement to you to give you strength to endure. If you're not able to stay with us throughout the entire program I want to make sure you know how to get our special resource available to you right now. Again, very timely for our current situation. It's a CD audio album: growing deep in times of stress and these are stressful times it can be yours for your donation this month to sharing the life as you listen to today's message on the pandemic go deeper as we send you today's special offer. Contact us@sharingthe.org or call 877-544-4860 that's 877-544-4860. More on that later in the program but now let's get started with today's teaching piece in the pandemic here is Pastor Alan Wright well are you ready for some good news. Jesus knows where all the fish are McGill see today why that's really good news because I'm not just talking about bass and Bram ran a wonderful story and the Gospel of Luke chapter 5 Luke chapter 5 Sgt. verse one on one occasion while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God.

He was standing by the lake of goodness or at another term for the Sea of Galilee.

And he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen are going out of them and were washing their nets and getting in one of the boats which were assignments he asked them to put out a little from the land and he sat down and taught the people from the boat and when he finished speaking, he said to Simon, put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch. Simon answered, Master, we toiled all night and took nothing but at your word. I will let down the nets and when they done this. They enclosed a large number of fish and their nets were breaking. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them and they came and filled both the boats so they began to seek but when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus and the St. apart from me from a sinful manner.

Lord, for he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon and Jesus said to Simon.

Do not be afraid. From now on you will be catching men and when they had brought their boats to land they left everything and they followed him. I never have been that much of a fisherman and just never was very good at it is empty now. As a kid down at Spencer's pond down at the end of the street. Mr. Spencer would to pond so one was actually something of a lake of pretty big was fish the pond and he didn't mind us coming down there and fishing for bass and Bram eyes didn't catch much that was very good at it and really was one kid in the neighborhood.

My buddy Keith and he was good and he always called fish catch fuel tiny Bram you big but he gets the largemouth bass they were good. I still think it was because he had better tackle.

But over time I had to admit it was because he had better skill. He seemed to know where the fish were problem with fishing I think is my problem with fishing is it like other sports and fishing. You can't see what you're aiming at. You can't see your target you can't see the fish.

No other sport is like that. The free-throw shooter in basketball. He sees the realm he got a basketball throw it through the hope the 300 pound lineman in football knows who you supposed to block is the other 300 pound lineman on site I was staring at him and racecar driving. You can see the track you can see the other cars drive around the track. They don't sell the racecar driver and a blindfold you for this one because we don't want to build a see where you're going, even hunters they shoot at something that you see. Hopefully they might sit in the deer stand all day and not see something, but they only shoot when they see but fishing, you can't say anything you don't know if the fish of the air you walk by some life there fission in a new a new pond. They hadn't been before Haley minded. I know we have caught anything yet know you think you will catch you think. Don't know why don't you know can't tell whether they fishy or not. You could theoretically go somewhere and just fish all day and there no fish so I have a problem with fish and you cannot tell where the fish are. I know we have these modern fish finders people use and in deep sea fishing but we did not have those at Spencer's pond. If you're going to fish you have some skill but you have to have some knowledge of where the fish are likely to be in this story is a story about disciples who are lifelong skilled professional fishermen who spend all night toiling though in the nets out repeatedly trying different spots on the Sea of Galilee will which they're very familiar and it produced nothing until Jesus after he taught from one of their boats sent them out to the deep and a cancer nets and soon there nets were exploding with fish because Jesus knows where the fish are.

It's a miracle story so just taken at face value. It's a glorious account of the power of Jesus the Messiah, but it risk of meadow sometimes over allegorizing stories like this. This one is definitely symbolic because Jesus says at the end, I'm gonna make you fishers of men. He is saying this whole story and everything you witnessed is an illustration of a greater destiny that I'm going to give to you so you know that Jesus is not just here demonstrating his power to bring some fission to Annette or to see fish that are swimming in the sea is showing us something different and I think that God has for us today some very powerful lessons that I think will encourage us and strengthen us in the journey. That's ahead.

Jesus knows where the fish are. So as we are studying this simple concept of just asking Jesus for his eyes to see all of life to Jesus eyes. I invite you to another facet of this new prayer and maybe start praying Jesus where my fish. I think that he will show you. It's a story about in the first place.

Emptiness takes place at the Sea of Galilee. We saw last week.

This beautiful beautiful freshwater lake. That's 13 miles long and was the place of work for Peter and James and John. We know what kind of boat they were in the cause and a archaeologist in 1965 dug up a first century fishing boat out of the sands of the sea of Galilee.

They now have replicas of these and tours go around and can see in this is the sort of both that they were in a they could have as many as 10 or 15 people and about the fishing industry was flourishing under Herod the tetrarch, his sons, Herod, and filled the sons of Herod had invested a lot into the fishing industry Jewish historian Josephus said there were 230 fishing boats he recorded on the lake that were working during this period of time. They fished mainly for what's now called St. Peter's fish.

It's a kind of tilapia. I think they would be about 18 inches long and you still give me. I think get but those of St. Peter's fish. There are quite tasty. They also had a couple other sardine little fish.

It was fish for center and a carp that they would fish, for they also would take the entrails of of clean fish and they would mix it together with the smaller fish and they put it in some kind of of salt and dry it out in the sun, and it produces some sort of fermented sauce that historians say they used sounds yucky to me but anyway they said they use this in almost every Roman mill. This kind of fish sauce so that was popular as well.

The fishing was done with nets and there was a more shallow water fishing that was done more in the daytime and there was a deeper water fishing. It was done at night time, but that the image is you probably have seen before about of a maybe 25 foot diameter circular net that would be tossed out as is represented in this archaeological illustrator that shows beautifully the kind of seeing that it might've been a regular scene there at the Sea of Galilee. Our story starts with their boats and their nets being empty.

It was a futile night of work. It is the kind of time that we spent at our lives when you've tried everything and is not working. It is when you feel like you've given it your all and you've come up empty. We all know what those times feel like you can feel in almost any arena of life, exasperated parent who says I have I have talked until I'm blue in the face. I have counseled I have discipline I have.

I have consulted with others. I III don't know what I'm going to do with this disobedient child feel like an empty their people right now in the middle of sheltering in place and pandemic that are wondering how they're going to make it because their business accounts have grown empty working hard trying hard and it just feels empty talent right you are listening to shearing the light will have more teaching in a moment from today's importance you stressed out his option on, you can't avoid the stresses of life will always bring that stressful season. Busy season's difficult seasons in our spiritual and life can power the gospel to be stressed stressful times. Trust in the ground during stressful times is no better place to turn to Psalms some recent thinking during stressful times for every season.

Seasons come and go, stand strong and stressful times when you give today. We will send you today's special offer and were happy to send this to you is our thanks from shearing the light ministries call us at 877-544-4860 877-544-4860 or come to our website. Shearing the.org listening to shearing the line.

He's teaching now continue you once again is Alan Wright coaches can feel this way even a preacher who could stay up all night looking for a word from the Lord, and you have time to feel dry and empty is one of those times it was all-nighter yet also interesting how hope for the Lord will do this and in preparation for something on I'm going to preach, I get to live it out a little bit and in the midst of preparing this message and think about it. I had a night where I couldn't sleep. I wasn't worried I was agitated. I just think about the message. I never could. I never could fall asleep and I got to remember what it's like a quick spit in all-nighter basically but I spent all I recounted lying there in bed thinking, but these guys is been all-nighter.

Working hard you're tired you're exhausted and empty nest where the story starts. What's interesting about this story is you reflect on is that there are surprising blessings and the first surprise is that there can be a blessing and an empty boat. Why because Jesus used that boat. I thought about what would've happened if there had been a great hall that night and the boat was still full of fish. Jesus found some other way to teach the people, but the boat was so suitable because once you get onto the water a little bit. He is protected from the crowds that were pressing in on him and his voice would carry over the lake. Maybe the disciples that had a successful night were on their way to the market, they would've missed the whole thing but but the empty boat. The empty net is something that God used Jesus to let me get in the boat. He put out any teach and he began fishing for people from their empty fishing boat, sometimes just a life. What happens is you hit a place where you feel like were stock, but in that empty place in that place where it feels like yeah I've got to do something's gotta change great things happen. You were seeing some of that happen even during the pandemic were businesses that might otherwise fail.

Have just pivoted. I was thinking of boathouse apparel that a Philadelphia sports apparel group that had a huge business that they start to lose all the sports apparel and they just pivoted and landed a contract. One major company make hundred thousand masks so there helping safety and there just pivoted there. This is sometimes when things seem like they're sinking lower where there comes in real innovation. I think of Steve Jobs when he came to Apple came back to Apple in 1997 sales and been down 36% in the last two years. I mean, it was just sort of tanking is what he did was to change everything and so Steve Jobs started innovating again and out of that came the iPhone and iPad change the world that what I'm just saying as is sometimes even in the natural world. When things feel empty innovative things happen and I think beloved were seeing this right now in in the church. It makes me sad to see empty pews, but I rejoice in what is being innovated in the body of Christ all around the world and so out of this empty.

There's a feeling as I've spoken about. There have been churches that have had a million people watch their service online. We have seen numbers exploding for our own chart and is happening all over God has a way of using empty things. Jesus said it plainly in Matthew five Blessed are those that hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied when you hunger and you thirst you are inviting the infilling of the Holy Spirit be those that hunger are able to be in touch with their need for God. It's a story that begins with an empty boat and empty nets, and to a certain extent, empty hope, and Jesus intervenes and comes into the middle of it uses the boat and soon fills up the net and then describes for them a new destiny if you're feeling empty. Maybe it's because God is ready to fill you in some new way.

Be ready. Jesus would like to get into your empty boat. I think about the story is as it continues and that verse four when he had finished speaking, Jesus Luke 54 when he finished speaking, he said to Simon put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.

He comes to these tired tired disciples and he particularly tells to Simon Peter. He says now go out there in the deep and put it down to catch its it's a direct command and show you that God often blesses us in a surprising way through what it might first seem like an arduous command when you've been laboring all night long and you've come up empty.

And you know these waters and then some. I give you command to go back out there and try again. Your first instinct is probably to say no thank you I just been out there and Peter in a respectful way says essentially that he says well we been doing it it's not gonna work. But because you say so will go and so it goes only by the word of the Lord and and and is always exasperated the miracle soon comes so as I learned from my spiritual father, Beverly Hall many years ago when Jesus speaks a command, there is always a promise inside of the command and by this I mean that the greatest thing that you might get ever get from Jesus is a direct command because when he gives it the empowering gift comes along with it. You hear me speak so often about the fight.

We are not under law but under grace.

The old covenant has been fulfilled through the righteousness of Jesus Christ. And when a new covenant of grace in which the son has been perfectly obedient on our behalf to anyone who is trusted in Jesus's finished work is therefore set free from the tyranny of the law and we no longer live under a pattern of fearing that will violate the law and therefore be punished. We have been forgiven fully and we have been given in Christ his own righteousness.

That's the beauty and power of the gospel. So were not under law but it doesn't mean that Jesus doesn't still tell us what we should do all give us commands. Of course we want that from him we needed from it.

I think the confusing thing is it when you think like a slave of a master you just fear punishment and were so used to in this world there are commands that people give us, and it's not because it's for our good. It's because the other one just needs it. I'm… They said their time. My kids are grown up Bennett. I need him along anyway yeah there's some good. He's been trained and you might could say there's a silver lining for him. He's learned something.

But mainly, I need the lawn mowed the lawn mower and head out. I told Abby was prepared as I said, you know like we sometimes site you gotta vacuum the house. She said junior-college is it still happens. What you do when you get a command like that is more like a sergeant this barking out an order to the private I need you to dig a trench and in doesn't have to do with the benefit of the one receiving the command Jesus turn all of that upside down with Jesus the command is again Alan Wright you're listening to shearing the light.

Today's teaching fishing in the deep with Jesus and it's in our series piece in a pandemic, the power of seeing the Christ through the eyes of Jesus and Pastor Alan is back with us for today's closing thought just a few moments stick with us becoming stressed out his option on, you can't avoid the stresses of life will always bring stressful season very busy season is difficult. Spiritual and life can be possible power of the gospel to be stressed stressful times and can trust in the morning during stressful times is no better place to turn to Psalms some for recent thinking during stressful times for every season and seasons come and go strong and stressful times when you give today. We will send you today's special offer and were happy to send this to you is our thanks from shearing the light ministries call us at 877-544-4860 877-544-4860 or come to our website. Shearing the.org back with Pastor Alan and in this teaching fishing in the deep with these. A familiar text that to be honest but you bring a fresh perspective in the midst of this pandemic and you were preaching this message in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic sheltered home church services happening virtually and yet we can feel like like this is come to a screeching halt productive standpoint, but also maybe with evangelism and reaching people for Jesus. In the early days of sheltering in place and pandemic confessed to probably having some sleepless nights and fighting off the worries of what is all this mean for the world to the church for for all of us but it's over time, Daniel.

I'm going to to worship him and really appreciate that in the midst of things that are bad. The evil things are suffering in the midst of what God didn't cause God can cause good and good things are already happening. There are more people being reached now online. I think than any physical assembly of churches could ever reach. If Jesus knew where the fish were when the disciples were on the Sea of Galilee. He knows where your fish are. He knows where your area of productivity as he knows where the next season of your ministry has.

He knows where the next season of productivity for your business is or for your relationships. So ask him we been learning how to display a simple prayer and say Jesus how you see this and maybe this is the best prayer that we can take with us out of pandemic. Jesus where my fish feels like we've toiled all night and were tired and were exhausted so just show us and if you ask him. I think you will. This is been sharing the love Helen listener supported production of shearing the ministry