Isaiah 6:1-8
Psalm 138
Luke 5:1-11
“God’s Purpose for Us”
I am very often amazed by the ways that the Scriptures – the stories of God’s people thousands of years ago – still speak to us today. Whether we’re listening to one of Jesus’ timeless stories, like the Parable of the Prodigal Son, that was our focus at Messy Church yesterday… Or if we’re hearing a story about Jesus and his disciples or one of the old prophets like Isaiah… Regardless of the fact that they lived in a very different time and place, and had very different lives than we do today, still God speaks to us, guides us, and encourages us with these texts in the context where we live today.
For example, when we read the prayers of the psalmists, as we did today with Psalm 138, I am well aware that the troubles and worries that they were dealing with so long ago were not the same as mine. But when I hear about them feeling lowly, walking in the midst of trouble, and asking for protection against their enemies, I can relate.
Because we are living in troubling times as well. Like them, we may feel helpless against the powers of this world. We are deeply concerned about the future too, and worried about the many vulnerable people who are being mistreated, discriminated against, and threatened by those in power.
One of the reasons why we gather here (in the building and online) is to call out to God for help and hope. Like the psalmist, we hold on to our faith in God, we reach out for God’s hands to help us, and we ask for an increase in our strength of soul so that we can continue the journey with courage.
In the last verse of the prayer, the psalmist declares his faith and hope in God. He says, “The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.”
And that raises the question, “What is God’s purpose for us?” How wonderful that such a question is being raised on the Sunday that we planned to have a conversation after lunch about our mission priorities as a congregation.
Like the psalmist, we are invited to believe that God does have a purpose for us: that there are specific missions to which we are being called, that there are unique gifts that we are being invited to share, and that if we ask for guidance and direction from God, the Holy Spirit will guide us into that purpose.
And also like the psalmist, we’re invited to believe that our mission is possible. We’re asked to trust God enough to venture out in faith, and to believe that “the Lord will fulfill God’s purpose for us.” Yes, there are lots of challenges. There are many troubles in the world, and seemingly few resources to accomplish our mission. But it is God who will accomplish the mission through us – our strong, faithful, and loving God will fulfill his purpose for us.
This morning, the lectionary has given us two stories about folks being called by God to a mission. And in both cases, they respond to that call with an affirmative. “Here I am, Lord; send me!” says Isaiah who is called to become a prophet and speak God’s words to the people. And the fishers beside the lake, with their boats overflowing with fish, agree to leave everything behind, to follow Jesus and fish for people.
It’s that second story that I’d like us to look at a little more closely this morning. And as we do, I want us to think about our current task of discerning our mission priorities as a congregation.
Let’s start with the beginning of the chapter, the verses that precede the miraculous catch of fish and the calling of the first disciples. It starts with Jesus beside the lake, with crowds of people pressing in on him to hear the word of God. Preaching and teaching were activities that Jesus spent quite a lot of time doing. He went from town to town, interpreting Scripture in the synagogues and teaching the people on the hillsides too.
And it’s an activity that forms the centre of our faith community life as well. We read the Bible together, we try to understand what it means for us today, and we worship God in prayer and song here in our sanctuary.
In our story today, there’s no sanctuary or pulpit to be used, so Jesus improvises by getting into Simon’s fishing boat and asking him to put out a little way from the shore. He preaches from there, with the crowds of people listening on the beach.
There’s no mention of it, but I think it’s safe to assume that Simon was listening too. Maybe he heard Jesus proclaiming “Blessed are the poor, and the hungry, and the hated ones.” Perhaps he was surprised by Jesus’ command to love not only your neighbours, but your enemies too. Maybe he was challenged by Jesus’ instruction to work on your own issues instead of judging your neighbours.
I imagine that Simon and the other fishers learned a lot that day, that they grew in faith and in understanding of God’s love for all people, and not just for some. But the listening to God’s Word was not enough. It was only the first step for those who truly wanted to become followers of Jesus. Soon enough, Jesus would be asking the fishers, not just to try to understand the points in his sermon, but to turn their lives upside down and take on a new way of being in the world.
Although gathering for worship and listening to God’s Word is probably the most obvious thing that we do together as a congregation, it’s not enough to make us followers of Jesus. Like the first disciples, we are invited into a mission with Jesus. It certainly begins with listening and learning from God’s Word, but it doesn’t end there.
I love how Jesus meets the fishers in the midst of their daily work, with all its hardships and challenges. And then he turns their first vocation into a metaphor for their second. They began by fishing for fish, but he will turn them into fishers of people.
Jesus begins by showing them his wisdom and power. He says to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” And Simon doesn’t think that it will work. He replies to Jesus, “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing.”
It’s not going to work, Simon is saying… which reminds me a lot of things I’ve heard people say in church meetings over the years when someone suggests a new mission possibility. In fact, I’ve even said it a few times myself: “We tried that before. It didn’t work.” Have you heard something like that? Have you said something like that?
But I do love Simon’s response. He begins with his honest doubt and wariness about what Jesus is telling him he should do. But then he decides to trust Jesus. He says, “Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.” And we already know what the result will be – an amazing catch of fish!
I wonder… as we’re sharing ideas and discerning our mission priorities and possibilities together, can we share a bit of Simon’s faith (enough to try) even if we have some doubts as well.
Of course, the next part of the story is the miraculous catch of fish. There are so many fish that Simon and Andrew’s nets are beginning to break. There are so many fish that they need to call James and John in another boat to help them bring in the fish. There are so many fish that the two boats are weighed down almost to sinking.
Just imagine if some mission Jesus leads us to try were to lead to that kind of result! So many children in our Sunday School that we need to work really hard to recruit more teachers! So many seniors coming to join in community, learning, and exercise that we need more leaders and programs! So many individuals and families coming to join in service to the community that we need to look for more needs to be fulfilled!
It sounds unlikely and far-fetched, doesn’t it? In this time in history when fewer and fewer people seem to make space in their lives for faith, fellowship, and service. But perhaps it’s no more unlikely than what happened when Simon followed Jesus’ instructions and let down the nets into the deep water.
The lectionary for today, by placing these two call stories beside each other, emphasizes one problem that nearly held back both Isaiah and Simon from their missions. And that’s the fact that they both felt unworthy.
Having caught a glimpse of the goodness, power, and love of God in a vision (for Isaiah) and in Jesus of Nazareth (for Simon) both men become suddenly aware of their sins and failings. And I expect that we sometimes do that too. How often does a possibility for mission get raised, and we dismiss it as too big, too expensive, or too hard. We don’t have the people to accomplish that. We don’t have the money to accept that challenge. Or maybe we just don’t think that we have the gifts that are needed to do what Jesus may be calling us to do.
But Jesus says to Simon and the other fishers with him: “Do not be afraid; from now on your will be catching people.” I wonder if we can keep those words in our minds and hearts as we think together about our mission priorities. “Don’t be afraid.” Jesus is calling us to a mission, and Jesus will help us to accomplish it.
I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’m down to the last verse of the Gospel passage now. And it’s an important one. After the assurance and the call from Jesus, the fishers respond and become his first disciples. They bring their boats to the shore, and then they leave everything and follow Jesus.
They leave their boats on the shore, overflowing with fish. They leave their jobs, their livelihoods, and their families. They leave their familiar work and patterns of daily life to embrace the unknown possibilities that will come with following Jesus and fishing for people.
In the history of interpreting this text, many preachers have spoken about the call to ministry. Some of us preachers were called to leave behind other possible vocations, and perhaps we’ve even moved away from families and friends of the past. And then there’s missionaries who have travelled overseas and embraced a completely different kind of life in a new place and culture.
But even if we don’t go somewhere new, I think that our congregation will be similarly called to leave some things behind to live into our new mission priorities. We might be called to leave behind some of the things we used to do in order to free up time, energy, and money for something new. We might be called to leave behind some of the ways we used to do things, in order to make space for new ways, new people, new energy, and new possibilities. And, who knows, we might even be called to leave behind this space, this building… or to re-make it into a space that can better serve our mission.
Jesus’ first disciples left it all behind, almost as if it was easy to do so. It likely won’t be that easy for us. But if we will listen for God’s Word, and trust Jesus to show us where to let down our nets… If we will believe that God has a mission even for us, and that with God’s help we can accomplish it… If we will choose to not be afraid, and be willing to leave some things behind… Then we can join Jesus’ team of fishing for people, and be amazed by the miracles that will follow.