Year C: Luke 4
Fishing for Disciples

We know today's text isn't about fish. Jesus starts with people, and ends with people. The fishing advice he gives Peter, James, and John is to make a point. After preaching to the people from the boat he tells the three that they have been fishing on the wrong side of the boat. They must go out into deeper water. It seems that seasoned fishermen, need to be told by Jesus, a carpenter, how to fish. And when they listen to Jesus they fill their boat and even have to ask for help there are so many fish. But the story is not about fish ... its about people.

Jesus says, "Do not be afraid, from now on you will be catching people." They brought their boats to shore, left everything and followed him.

The fish is a symbol of one who follows Jesus ... before the cross, the fish was a sign of those who were faithful to Christ. During the persecutions, it was a code symbol for those who wished to tell others that they followed Jesus.

I wonder, how to we tell if others, or we ourselves are disciples of Jesus? Have you thought of that ... it seems like a simple question. How do we know that we are being disciples of Jesus. Well, coming to worship is a good start. Jesus said, Love God with all your being ... if you follow Jesus and love God, you want to offer yourself regularly in worship with God's people. It is simple. It's what Jesus did, and it is what disciples of Jesus do ... we worship God.

But we know discipleship is more that this. We know that real discipleship involves a way of life ... a way of life with Jesus at the centre. This is one of the things we mean when we say Jesus is Lord. It means that we re-orient and re-pattern our lives around following Jesus.

And yet, the truth is Jesus has stopped being the centre guide for most who claim to be disciples in our churches. Sometime over the last few generations something has changed ... not just here but right across mainline churches. Jesus has stopped being central to who we are. Jesus has become a buddy rather than our master, and God has become a hobby rather than our passion.

Gordon Scoville put it this way; "The Church exists on a flat date-book surface right next to the appointment demands of the sewing circle, the Lion's club, the basketball team and the like. These associations and the church are experienced as equal drains on time."

Am I off base in saying that I think Scoville is too generous. It appears that the church comes pretty low on the priority list for most who claim to be followers of Jesus. We know this is true since over the past 40 or 50 years we've been trying to lower the bar. We've lessen the cost, in the hopes that with less expectations on our children and our friends that they will somehow come back. Or that we will keep people from leaving.

We've removed membership as a requirement for Baptism. We don't even expect people to even worship anymore. We hope people come, but the reality is that they aren't coming. I counted the number of infant baptisms we've done in Cloverdale over the last ten years and it comes to 200 ... currently we have about 6 families who are teaching their children to be disciples. Maybe they have gone to other churches, but I suspect we could count the number of those people on one hand. Something is not working when it comes to fishing for people ... that much is clear.

And it is disheartening. We, like the disciples, have been fishing for a long time in shallow waters and our nets are empty. And so when Christ calls us to change directions ... to change how we are fishing. What do we have to lose? Friends, all across the church, Christ is calling us to change the way we are being the church.

Christ calls us to change directions ... to fish at the deep end of the lake. To do things totally against what WE think will work. And low and behold, if we do we find our boats filled ... so filled that we have to call in friends.

Imagine calling a neighbour and saying Rev. Jones, we have too many disciples here to handle can we send some your way. Or another church... Friends, we just can't handle any more people here can you take them?

Some are thinking like Peter did; thinking that is a pipe dream ... a fantasy ... and you are right, at least until you change the way you look at being a follower of Jesus. Until we listen to Jesus foolish ways, his pipe dreams which call us to leave everything behind and look at being the church in a new way ... an overflowing boat will remain a dream.

This is where the text is pressing us. Will we be willing to risk listening for Jesus guidance? Perhaps you are reluctant like Peter who says, "Master, we have been working all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down my nets." And when they had done this they caught so many fish their nets were breaking." Many disciples were made when the church trusts Jesus by moving into new territory.

Know this to be true; One of the central tasks of the church is to fish for people. To make disciples of Jesus. Let's be careful ... we're not talking about recruitment ... about bringing people back or gathering in existing Christians from other communities to ours. Most of these big churches that spring up aren't making disciples ... no, they are stealing fish from other boats.

No, the text is not about gathering in existing Christians; we are talking about making new disciples. How many new disciples have we made in the last 10 years? Really new ones ... not many ... most churches that ask for no commitment make about one disciple a year ... new Christians, not new people in the community, but converts. How many? Is our fishing record any better? I doubt it.

And should we be surprised ... what is the truth about how we shape our community. Is it shaped around Jesus call to make disciples? Do we ask at every group or event or meeting ... "How are we making disciples in doing this?"

How much of our budget goes to discipleship making? How much goes to learning the Bible, to preparing people to pray and live as followers of Jesus ... I am not talking directly here? We can debate this at coffee but I would guess less than 1% of our budget and time. When in comes to what our tradition calls the Great commission ... go and make disciples, we spend very little of our own time on this, and our communities resources on it. And even if people do come, where are we preparing them for a life of discipleship. The truth is that we aren't, and Jesus wants us to change that.

I said at the annual general meeting that I thought that God was going to bless this community in a surprising new way in the next few years. It's just a sense that I have that there is good news coming for this morning. That the Lord is going to call this community to fish in different waters. To do things in a whole new way ... and I can't give any more direction that to say this. However, there is more to that message ... I feel called to caution this community not to miss the blessing as it passes by. To urge you to get prepared to see it ... because if we know our Bible even a little bit, when Jesus shows us, often we are afraid ... but more often than not, we are unprepared to see him. We let the negative voices close the door on God; and blind us with their lack of vision.

Will we hear the voice if Jesus calling us to blessing and abundance ... will we do the work to be ready to see him? How will we prepare? Worship is a start ... prayer is the next step ... and learning the bible is the third. I hope you hear what I am saying ... I'm not talking about encouraging people to do this ... I am talking about telling people to do this. Get ready ... make learning the faith central to this community. Require it ... because if we as churches don't make a change, the writing is on the wall ... God is going to close those churches unwilling to make clear commitments to following Jesus in their lives. Do you see that?

Make a change ... learn about Jesus ... learn the stories ... learn to pray ... learn who he is. Friends, I think this communities should, go so far as cancelling a year of events to do so... cancel the tea, the music events, and the bazaar and the apple pie bees ... instead set up prayer groups, discipleship study groups and bible studies ... make them a requirement. Yes, some people are going to leave ... those not interested in really following Jesus will leave. Trust that God will fill your boat with more disciples. Make a radical change to prepare for what God is going to do! Trust God ...

Be certain ... for most there is a choice coming ... as there always is ... the choice of death ... with rotting empty nets that get more difficult to mend each year ... the continue being the church in the ways that no longer are making disciples ... and so to die of boredom and ennui... OR will you choose new life? With the Lord there is also the offer of life ... the scary offer to fish in deep waters where we've never been before. To do what seems unwise ... to reach out in faith because Jesus calls us to do it. To choose what seems madness ... to leave everything and follow Jesus ... to fish for people ... to make Jesus Lord of our lives ... to share in the abundance and blessing of the Kingdom of God. Christian friends, get ready to follow Jesus in a new way... get ready for him to offer you an unexpected blessing ... don't be afraid of what Christ is going to call you to do ... die to the old ways of being the church ... embrace Christ's new future ... God's Good News future.