Page 128 - Fundamentals Ebook Final

I can bring Him is what He puts in the net. He gives it to me so that
I can give it back to Him.

In this miracle after the resurrection, notice that the net did not
break. When Jesus does the fishing, none of the fish are lost. I
remember when I was beginning to know the Lord and I was fishing
the wrong way, I spent most of my time repairing the nets. The nets
kept breaking. This program didn’t work. I had to try a different
program. They weren’t coming to hear me. I had to set up some
kind of a gimmick. Before the resurrection the nets broke but after
the resurrection they did not break.

These are the three wonderful truths about the Great Commission; I
can’t do it; He can do it; He doesn’t need me but He wants to use
me. The principle of fishing is, “Just live.” That’s the Great
Commission. You be you and let Jesus do the fishing. I have an
idea that if we went around the room we would have many
testimonies. You would say, “I didn’t plan it but God brought that
person into my life and I got to share Jesus.” That’s Jesus putting
the fish into the net. I don’t have to work at it. I just have to live. I
just have to be who I am and let God be who He is. That’s the first
part; fishing.

Let me say a couple of words about the second part; shepherding. I
want to give a principle that I call the key to shepherding. If I’m
going to be used by the Lord in the Great Commission, I need to be
free in my heart. God tells this story in terms of Peter because Peter
was feeling guilty. If I’m going to be used by the Lord, I can’t be
living under condemnation. That’s why the Lord tells us this story
in terms of Peter’s restoration.

I’m certain that in Peter’s heart he felt disqualified and said, “I will
never be a fisher of men. I’ll still love the Lord and I know I’m
going to heaven but as far as service, I’ve disqualified myself.” I
want you to notice how the Lord Jesus deals with Peter as he swims
to shore. At first, I thought it looked a little cruel, what Jesus did.
He begins to bring up things that Peter didn’t want to think about. I