Pastor Horton

175th Synod Anniversary #2

What does success look like?  For the young entrepreneur, it might be creating a product that goes viral in popularity and finding instant global success and establishing their business as a household name and into a legacy.  For the garage band (or college band), it might involve a few lessons learned at the school of hard knocks and maybe some heartbreak to put together a raw and relatable album and in a few years finding their fanbase now filling concert arenas.  Or for the NFL QB plagued by injuries, it might mean having that one bounce-back year where the team comes together and he leads them to a Super Bowl win with great appreciation and joy.  These are the kids of stories, docuseries, and ESPN specials we like to see – because they lift us up.  They encourage us.  They inspire and motivate us.  Stories of success fill us with hope that anything is possible.

I wonder how a fisherman on the Sea of Galilee (aka the Lake of Gennesaret) might define success?  Because what Jesus accomplished in our Bible reading for today was probably more than a success story – it was a downright dream come true.  Retelling what happened would be hard to believe and passed off as just another fisherman’s tall tale.  And yet with the backdrop of this miracle, as we find Jesus calling ordinary fishermen for an extraordinary purpose.  And we are reminded that Christ still calls and works Through Us.

That is our focal theme this Sunday as we consider the 175th anniversary of the Wisconsin Synod.  Last Week we pondered the important truth of: “Christ FOR Us”.  This week?  “Christ THROUGH Us”.  And does that ever give us relief!  Think back to the lowly beginnings of our synod and to the German missionaries who arrive in this state.  In the eyes of the world, our synod’s beginning was far from a glorious chapter of human history.  But there was God’s glory present in his gifts of Word and Sacraments.  The synod did not start with glamor, but it had God’s grace.  And through the years God grew this collection of believers: from one world mission in 1893 to world missions today in 45 countries, from 800 congregations in 1965 to 1200 congregations today.  Such accomplishments are only to the credit and honor and work of our God.  We are reminded in our own history of the Father’s plan to save souls, the Holy Spirit’s guiding work and oversight of his church, and in Jesus a willingness to do the extraordinary through what seems to be the very ordinary.  Just take a look at our reading.

Peter and the disciples witnessed his desire to work “through us” from their first calling.  In fact, Peter would get an eternal-life-lesson on who Jesus was and he worked.  Early on in his ministry, we find Jesus being surrounded.  The Word works and the people get pushy – feeding on Jesus’ message of life.  And yet the crowd wouldn’t turn into a frenzy.  Jesus taps Simon on the shoulder for a little help as he gets into his boat.  And Simon was willing to help since he had already met Jesus – previously Jesus had healed his mother-in-law.  The least he could do would be to return a favor.  But after teaching the crowds from the boat, Jesus makes a unique request, vrs 4”When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water, and let down your nets for a catch.”  According to those who know the Sea of Galilee well, this body of water could at times yield larger amounts of fish, but at night and in the shallows off the coastline.  Professional fisherman, like these disciples, knew that fishing in the heat of the day in the deep waters sounded like a bad decision.  Add into the mix the human element of these guys probably being exhausted and frustrated after a failed 3rd shift of fishing and they were probably not excited to go back out.

And yet…5 Simon answered him, “Master, we worked hard all through the night and caught nothing.  But at your word I will let down the nets.”  In humble faith there is no objection or complaint.  Even if Peter’s reasoning expects the exact opposite result – he goes.  And listen again to what happened!

6 When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their nets were about to tear apart. Wow!  7 They signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. They came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink.  The Lord God was able to act in awesome and miraculous ways to provide for his servant.  The Lord God still acts in awesome and miraculous ways to provide for his servants.  Through ordinary resources and ordinary people God does the extraordinary to catch and to save.  The nets packed with fish are a picture of the great catch of souls Jesus wants in heaven one day.  Behold the heart of God in this miracle.

And he gives people like you and me his gospel and uses us in his kingdom!  And isn’t that incredible!  Because who are we?  Peter had a realization as he stood face-to-face with the author of life and salvation.  8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, because I am a sinful man, Lord.”  9 For Peter and all those with him were amazed at the number of fish they had caught.  I appreciate that the inspired author uses his full name here, “Simor Peter”.  Whenever I heard my full name I was in trouble or at the least being called to account.  You get the sense of that here, only it’s Peter by faith calling himself out and admitting his rightful standing before Jesus, the living God.  “Who am I, Lord?  “I am a sinful man.”  

Jesus has an answer abounding mercy and grace and peace for his servant.  Jesus said to Simon, “Have no fear. From now on you will be catching people.”  Christ will be working THROUGH you.  And how much did that mean to this fisherman dependent on this profession for his livelihood?  They left everything and followed him.  Life was different now with Jesus.  Success wasn’t the way the world described it, but rather success would be found in those nets of souls filled for heaven.  And Simon Peter would be one who would get to cast Jesus’ kingdom-nets to the nations.  We find Peter preaching on the day of Pentecost as 3000 were baptised, and writing as an inspired author letters which still encourage us today in our walk of faith.  Oh he was not perfect and like us would still need teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness through Scripture.  But his ministry would be marked by Christ THROUGH Us.  He would be sustained by Jesus and forgiven, encouraged, and equipped by his words. 

What does Christ THROUGH you look like?  Sometimes it’s Christ through us…in spite of us.  May we like Peter be brought through the clear teaching of the law to lay our sins at the cross of Jesus.  May God the Holy Spirit help us see and repent of our wrong.  Because our stubborn hearts find offense in Jesus.  We turn a deaf ear to his calling.  We don’t like to admit our sinful state.  We object and complain when he tells us what to do.  We would rather point a finger and blame other kingdom-things around us.  “That synod of yours won’t let me do this” “or that church or that pastor won’t let me do that.”  But it is God’s law that calls out our Old Adam by full name and we often don’t want to look Jesus in the eye or confess that we are sinful and need his help.  

And yet the same Lord there for Peter and the same Lord there for the previous generations of our synod remains the same Lord today who is a compassionate God at work on our hearts and intent on saving our souls and getting us fish caught up to heaven with him.  Christ paid our way with his dying on the cross.  Christ gave eternal life to us by rising, and through his word gives spiritual life to the lifeless.  That priceless gospel of salvation is ours today as it continues to be proclaimed in truth and purity.  

So what now does Christ THROUGH you look like?  It looks like reconciliation with our heavenly Father through Jesus.  Our reading from 2 Corinthians reminded us of that.  It looks like casting those nets out again because Jesus calls us to do so, and forgiving even if we don’t want to or praying again even if we think it’s not that fruitful.  It looks like embracing the Means of Grace, being students of the Word, so that we might be better equipped to fish.  And it means casting nets and trusting Christ even if it’s in deep waters and away from our comfortable shoreline.   And some of those nets, as our reading from Deuteronomy reminds us, are to extend even into the future generations of your family line so that our homes may thrive in the love of God in Christ Jesus.  Christ THROUGH Us has been seen for 175 years of kingdom work in our churches, school, and missions.  God works through his word to call us fish to faith, providing us with opportunity to serve in the work, and blessing the efforts.  Who will Christ catch through you and through our congregation as we cast the gospel?  Let’s find out – in fact, let’s pray that Jesus continues to grant success and make his future catch great until we’re home with the Lord.  Amen.