The Kingdom of God is Like...A Net

Today we are continuing our series called The Kingdom of God is Like. It’s a series all about parables. Parables are short earthly stories that teaching about the eternal kingdom of God. So far, we have heard that the kingdom of God is like buried treasure—which, to be fair, seems like a very flattering comparison.

Treasure is valuable
Treasure is beautiful.
Treasure is worth selling anything and everything to make yours.

Treasure seems like a great comparison for God’s kingdom.

This week?
We compare God’s kingdom to a fishing net.

Fishing nets are stinky.
Fishing nets are smelly.
Fishing nets come with those some of those little algae goobers encrusted on around the edge.
It’s not as flattering of a comparison.

Why is God’s kingdom like a fishing net? Before we look at this strange comparison which teaches us some very important truths about God’s kingdom, a prayer: O Lord, strengthen us by the truth; your Word is the truth. Open our eyes to see what you want us to see; open our ears to hear what you want us to hear; open our hearts to believe what you would have us believe. Amen.

 I. 1st Century Fishing
 
Jesus’ parable is from the parable-filled Matthew 13. It comes right after the parable of the treasure and stands in stark contrast to it. Remember – each parable emphasizes a different aspect of the Kingdom of God. The parable of the Treasure reveals the value of God’s kingdom; the parable of the net reveals methodology.

Look at what the parable says:
Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. (v.47-48)
 
Anybody here go fishing?  Nowadays fishing consists of packing up a rod and reel, stopping by the local bait shop, picking out a nice, big juicy earthworm (or maybe a wriggly, black leech), then heading out to the local pond, casting, stopping to untangle the line from the tree branch behind you, casting again, watching as your line drifts into the middle of the lake…and then…

Waiting.
Waiting.
And waiting some more.

Eventually some fish grabs the hook, line and sinker.
You pull him in and…

If he’s an acceptable length and weight – you keep him.
If not …plop!
If it’s a delicious looking salmon, in the basket.
If it’s a creepy looking dogfish, not so much.
 
Back at Jesus’ time, the fishing is a bit different. Fishermen would drag their nets to the shore and paddle to the middle of the lake. Then, they’d toss a weighted net overboard. Then, slowly they’d move along with the waves, while their net dragged against the bottom collecting any and every fish that happened to get in the way of the net. When they’re done fishing, they pull up the ropes, cinch the corners and pull the net up.

But here’s the thing:
Can you tell which fish are bad?
Can you tell which fish are good?
Can you tell which fish are future 5-star restaurant menu items?
And which fish belong on some Discovery Channel documentary on deep sea monsters?

No. It’s too much of a jumbled-up mess!

So…what do the fishermen do?

They take the net back to the shore.
They open the net and begin separating:

Keeper. Keeper.
Too small.
Keeper. Keeper.
Too big.
Keeper. Keeper.
Too much like Uncle Joe…

Fishing at Jesus’ time required a lot of sorting. But…
The fish cannot be sorted from the good from the bad while they are in the net; rather they are sorted when the fishing is finished.

II. A Priceless Treasure

But remember – this is a parable.
Parables are short earthly stories that teach about the kingdom of God.

Which means:
Things are about to get real.
Real and a bit uncomfortable.

Look at the meaning of the parable:

This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (v.49-50)

Hmmm…

At first glance, this might seem to be another parable.
The parable of the furnace…

Please...?

But – let’s be clear: The second half of the parable the part about the blazing furnace and the angels, that’s not the illustration part.
It’s the explanation.

It’s not an illustration, but the reality.
 
In fact, this parable is all about realities.
Realities that are quite uncomfortable.

(1) Hypocrisy is Real
 
Because… that dragging net represents the kingdom of God at work. And there is no greater representation of the kingdom of God at work than visible local churches.

In a church, God’s Word is proclaimed.
In a church, people are baptized.
In a church, people celebrate the Lord’s Supper.
In a church, people pool resources to go and plant the Message of Jesus in the Hearts of North Raleigh.

In a church, God’s kingdom is at work.

And when God’s kingdom is at work, it’s like a big old net that collects people of all type and varieties.
Big and small.
Young and old.
Black and white.
Tarheel fans, Wolfpack fans and Duke fans.

But most importantly to this parable…

Good.
And Bad.

People that are a part of God’s kingdom.
And people that only look like it.

NOW STOP! Immediately. Because what some of you are about to do is quietly, sheepishly raise your finger and slyly point at someone else here. “Pastor, I think it’s him…”
NOPE. That’s not the point.

In fact, the point is the exact opposite. Because remember – while the net is in use – that is, while the people of God are using God’s Word – it’s impossible to see which are true believers and which are hypocrites.

It’s kinda like trying to identify which fish are good and which fish are bad when they’re still in the net.
Impossible.

You won’t be able to tell who’s a hypocrite and who isn’t in a church simply by looking at them.
That is…
You won’t be able to tell most hypocrites simply by looking at them.

But there is one person in the church…
That you should be able to identify as good or bad.

Yourself.
 
You know you.
You know your heart.
You know if your heart is following Jesus or if this is all just some big show.
Something you do because your parents told you to do.
Something you do so pastor will get off your back.

When it comes to facing the reality of hypocrisy, it doesn’t start by looking into the world…
Or looking into another Christian church…
Or looking at other people in this church…
It starts by looking in your heart.
 
(2) The End is Real
 
The second reality has less to do with now and more to do with later.
End times.

Take a look at Jesus’ words – This is how it will be at the end of the age. (v.49) He then goes on to describe angels, divine, holy messengers of God – no longer invisible – fully and completely perceptible - picking people up like fish and separating them.

Good.
Bad.
Good.
Bad.

If you are a hypocrite, you need to pay very close attention to this section.
Because, truth is, you might be able to fool other Christians.
You might be able to fool them with a fish sticker on the back of your car and “Christian” listed on your Facebook profile’s religious preference.
You might be able to fool others at church.
You might be able to fool me.

But…
 
You can’t fool God.

And at the end, you will be separated.
And placed wherever it is you belong.
 
And can I say something obvious? There’s one place that you don’t want to be your final destiny.
 
(3) Hell is Real

Look at the description of where the bad fish go:
“The blazing furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (v.50)
 
Notice. The verbs are present tense.
Notice. The verbs are continuous.

That’s because this is eternal.
Eternal hell.

Stop – real quick – because the devil is doing everything possible right now to make you say:
“Pastor has gone off the deep end. Pastor is talking all mean like. Pastor is saying thing I wish he wouldn’t.”

I am because I love you.
And I don’t want you to go to this very real and very awful place.

But more importantly Jesus loves you.
After all, look at whose words about hell these are:
Jesus.

The same guy who told the blind guy to see…and he did.
The same guy who told the deaf guy to hear…and he did.
The same guy who told the lame guy to walk…and he did.
The same guy who told the storms to stop…and they did.
The same guy who told the Pharisees to go ahead and kill him because he would come back to life…

And they did…
And he did.

Jesus has street cred.
Whatever he says will happen, will happen.

And to those who reject Him?
This hell thing?
Will happen.

(4) Good Fish are Real

I’m not gonna lie.
Thus far this is one of the least uplifting sermons of all time.

Because – if we are talking about bad fish – how do you not begin to be filled with absolute fear!
We are sinners.
All of us.
And I am included!
I’m like some ugly carp at the bottom of a mutant ooze infested landfill with three eyeballs where his gill should be.
I’m gross and my sins are gross.
I think -- There is no reason that God would ever want to collect me in his basket and take me to heaven!

You too?
 
Here’s something interesting. When Jesus uses the word “end” here in verse 50, he uses the word: syntelia. That’s a form of the world telos which means: the end.
The end is when judgment will happen.
The end is when God will bring justice against sinners.

Now – here’s where things get really interesting.
Because about a year and a half after Jesus spoke this parable --
Jesus spoke something else.
On the cross.
Right before he died.

TETELESTAI!

Which is the exact same root words that Jesus used in our parable to denote the end times.
IT IS FINISHED.

In other words, judgment has happened! From God’s perspective – Jesus has been judged as the bad fish.
And you – friends—you have been judged righteous.

Think about that!
We are sinners.
We are filled with a yucky past.
We are grody to the touch.

Yet because of what Jesus has done, you have been declared GOOD.
Worth keeping.
Ready to take home in the take basket.

And understand this point too:

We are not judged by our good merits.
We are not judged by our good deeds.
We are not judged by our good tries.

We are judged entirely by what Jesus did for us on the cross!
And we are judged righteous.

And by faith in Jesus, we are the good fish!
We will not be thrown out.
We will be collected and taken home.

(5) Heaven is Real
 
Because that’s what the good fish have to look forward to.

This parable just touches the surface of it. It says that the good fish, will be placed into baskets.
But what it doesn’t say is that those baskets have someone’s name written on the handle.
They have someone’s name written in Black, Permanent Marker.

GOD’S.

Because the good fish – that is – those made holy by faith in Jesus Christ – will be brought to God’s home.
The kingdom of righteousness.
The home of peace.

Heaven.

And unlike this world --
With danger lurking on every corner…
And predators chasing after us…
And giant waves of life hitting us again and again…

Heaven is peaceful.
Heaven is a place of forgiveness.
Heaven is a place of peaceful rest.
Heaven is yours.

Friends! Praise the Lord for being caught in the net and taken home to heaven. Amen.