The Nets Were Not Torn!
“Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them, ‘Friends, haven’t you any fish?’ ‘No,’ they answered. He said, ‘Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.’ When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. … Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn.” John 21:4-6, 11

Last week, we talked about the first amazing aspect of this miracle: the numerical size of the catch. As disciples of Jesus, our faith is ignited by seeing miracles happen. This week we will focus on the second amazing aspect of this miracle: the net did not tear under the stress of such a large catch. Living as ambassadors of Christ is a heavy load. It places a burden on us and our families that can only be shouldered with God’s strength and energy.
Without a close walk with God, we will either watch the nets break under the strain or stop fishing altogether. We have to love and care for our families, but we also have to keep soft hearts to the pain of a lost world. Dry eyes are often evidence of a hard heart, and a hard hearted man or woman will never win souls to Christ or help their family to heaven. If Peter had not decided to go fishing, he would have never been in a position to see or be a part of the miracle Jesus performed. And if the others had not decided to go with him, they would have missed the miracle as well. What if Thomas had scoffed at Peter? What if Nathaniel rolled his eyes? What if John was so critical he didn’t let the Spirit use him to record this event? What about the other apostles who weren’t there? What if Matthew and Bartholomew weren’t inspired by the others’ story? They would have never stood side by side with Peter at Pentecost, each being used by the Spirit to preach to every nation under heaven. Peter was willing to dive in, work hard, and pull the nets ashore, whether they were full of fish or people. That’s the type of leader we can eagerly follow and imitate.

Today, you will get to know two disciples that remind me so much of Peter’s heart. They are two of my heroes in the faith: Roger and Kama Parlour. Their heart for God and his mission “for all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4) has been such an example for me and so many others to imitate. I have watched their lives for seven years. I have seen the impact that they have had in helping people come to faith, and stay faithful through all kinds of trials. I have also watched them lay down their lives for the kingdom and their family. I have seen their two children, Joel and Brittany, grow up, be baptized as true disciples and give up so much to join us on this mission team. Enjoy getting to know them in our Testimonial section. Let’s be humble and let every miracle of God catch our attention, calm our fears, and inspire us to keep fishing for men.

Chris Broom

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