Friday, November 12, 2021
Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men. – Mark 1:17
Becoming Fishers of men
Strolling along the Sea of Galilee one day Jesus comes across two men fishing. He says the strangest thing to them – Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. I am sure these men were perplexed at exactly what He was talking about. But
How Can We Be Fishers of Men: -
Go Where the People Are – Fishermen don’t put their nets down where there are no fish. Everywhere you go there are people who don’t know Jesus. You don’t have to go on a mission trip to a far away country. There are people all around you in your everyday life that do not know Jesus. You may have family members or neighbors that aren’t saved. Maybe your co-workers, friends, or your children’s teachers are not saved. With these people being a part of your life every day, there are many opportunities to share the gospel with them.
Have Patience – Don’t Rush – Fishing sometimes means lots of time in silence on the banks or in the boat, patiently waiting for a nibble. Fishermen let down their nets and cast their lines and hooks into the water and wait patiently. In your group of friends, or people you know that you want to witness to, you don’t just share the gospel and then act like nothing ever happened. Your life lived out in front of them and with them will be an ongoing testimony of the words you shared. The hope is that they will see the difference in your life and want to know even more about your faith. It may not happen fast, in fact, it may take years.
Accept Them As They Are – Sometimes we try to get people to stop their unchristian behavior before they have had a heart change and have become Christians. This kind of treatment in a relationship, even as well-meant as it is, may turn them away before you can reel them in. It is Christ’s job to “clean them up” through His shed blood. It is our job to love them and tell them about His love – and to show them His love. It’s cliché but we love the sinner, not the sin. It is completely possible.
Even If It Is Only One – So he told them this parable: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost. Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. Luke 15:3-7 This passage is the parable of the lost sheep, where Jesus talks about a man who owns many sheep but still searches for the one he lost. Jesus tells this story because He wants to impart how important every single lost soul is to God. The whole point is how He pursues the lost and rejoices when even one person is saved. It doesn’t have to be a whole auditorium full before He rejoices. We can easily get caught up in numbers, especially in church. Concentrate on every individual and not the number of people you bring to Christ. The numbers are God’s business – ours is simply sharing His Gospel message to a lost world. He Himself draws people to Him by the Holy Spirit and uses us in the process.
Jesus calls us all to be “fishers of men.” No true fishing experience required, just a love of God, people, and a heart for making His Gospel known.
