Page 127 - Fundamentals Ebook

Watch what the Lord does in John 21:10, “Jesus said to them,
‘Bring some of the fish which you have now caught.” How precious
is this; “Bring some of your fish and put it with My fish!” He
doesn’t need us but He wants to use us. What can I bring Jesus?
The only thing 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.