Stories of the Net

We chose the name, "The Net Ministries" because it speaks of networking, communication and evangelism, three of our major objectives. Here are some stories about fishing nets, taken from the Gospels.

Fishers of Men
We had fished the Lake of Gennesaret all night and caught nothing, so I put my boat ashore and attended to washing my nets. A new rabbi named Jesus was in town, and he happened to be teaching down at the beach. The crowds were pressing in to hear him, hanging on his every word.

Jesus got into my boat, so I went over to see what he wanted. He asked me to put out a little ways from shore, so I did, and from there he taught the crowds for a good long time. When he was finished, he told me to put out into the deep water and let down my nets for a catch. Now, I knew there were no fish, but I figured, "Hey, what have I got to lose?"

When we pulled in the nets the catch was so great that the nets began to break! This was supernatural! I fell on my knees and said, "Jesus, go away from me, I am a sinful man!" Jesus said to me, "Do not fear, from now on you will be catching men." So I left everything behind and followed him. My partners, James and John came too. Little did we know we were in for the adventure of our lives...

Simon the Fisherman, later called Peter
(see Luke Chapter 5) 

Come daybreak a guy we didn't recognize was standing on the shore, and he yelled out, "You guys don't have any fish do you?" No, we yelled back. "Well, cast your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you will find a catch." So we tried it, and we were not able to haul in the net because it was so full of fish! This was supernatural! John said, "It is the Lord," and I was so excited (and ashamed) that I jumped right into the water. The other guys brought the boat up on shore and counted the fish. There were 153 big ones, and the net was not torn.

Peter, Jesus' Disciple
(see John 21)

I can related to this story. I feel that I have little fruit to show for my 25 years of Christian life - like I have "fished all night and caught nothing."  But the Lord is currently giving evangelistic strategy to the Church. This strategy involves casting our nets on the other side...that is OUTSIDE the church, into the marketplace. Also, mere human effort will not bring in the big catch. Rather, it is the presence of Jesus and obedience to his command that will bring success.

The Kingdom of Heaven is Like a Net
In Matthew 13, Jesus says "Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a fishing net that is thrown into the water and gathers fish of every kind. When the net is full, they drag it up onto the shore, sit down, sort the good fish into crates, and throw the bad ones away. That is the way it will be at the end of the world. The angels will come and separate the wicked people from the godly, throwing the wicked into the fire. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Just as a net is not made up of a single strand, but many, so God's big fishing net is made up of lots of different people and ministries. Up to this time, we in North America have been pretty much content to function as single strands - almost completely independent of one another. This is a  tidy arrangement, but not one that lends itself to catching many fish! I believe this trend will change, and that many believers, churches and ministries will become increasingly cooperative and inter-dependent, even across denominational lines. Even now, a network of interlocking relationships is in its early formative stages. This "net" will be the device God uses for bringing in the the great catch of souls at the end of the age.

This passage also speaks of a separation of the godly from the wicked, and believe it or not, this applies within the church! Jesus said there will be a great "falling away" in the end times. Difficult circumstances will bring a searchlight of truth to bear on men's hearts. Is their love of God sincere? Or have they simply been putting up a good Christian front? I think of Malachi 3:
"They shall be Mine," says the Lord of hosts, "On the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him. Then you shall again discern between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him." 

In this Section:
Snapshots of a Changing Church
The Old Wine and the New
Why is Unity Important?
 

Fishing Net