I'd Fish More

Sermon for 7/14/2002

I’d fish more

Colossians 4:2-6

Introduction:

In the movie called the Dead Poet’s Society, Robin Williams plays the role of a teacher in an exclusive eastern prep school. On the first day of school, he takes the class of boys out into the hallway to look at the pictures of past, now dead, graduates of the school. He motivates them to learn and excel in life with the following words: "We are food for worms, Lads! Believe it or not each and every one of us in this room one day will stop breathing, turn cold, and die. Step forward and see these faces from the past. They were just like you are now. They believed they were destined for great things. Their eyes are full of hope. But, you see, gentlemen, these boys are not fertilizing daffodils. If you listen real close, you will hear them whisper their legacy to you. Lean it. What do you hear?" Then Robin says in an eerie grave-like voice, "Carpe Diem!" (Latin for seize the day) "Seize the day boys! Make your lives extraordinary!"

That’s good advice for every Christian! Seize the day while you may!

WBTU:

A. If I had to do it all over again, I would fish more. I haven’t put a line in the water while I have been here. My own fault.

A. Oh, let’s just forget it all and go fishing. I’d rather be fishing. Let’s just leave our troubles and disturbing thoughts behind and go fishing.

B. My grandpa and fishing. He taught me how to fish.

C. On my barber’s wall, there is a sign that says. The Lord created the world with 6X more water than land. Therefore, anybody can see that the Good Lord intended man to fish more than he works.

D. Fishing for fish is good for the soul.

E. I would think that if we kept on fishing, our whole lives would be wasted.

B. Wait a minute, I thought you said that fishing was the answer. Forget it all you said. I did. That is not the kind of fishing I’m talking about. I’m talking about being fishers of men. This is a worthwhile pursuit.

C. Jesus saw Peter and Andrew on the lake and he called to them, "Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." I’d fish more.

D. We have had a lot of decisions here. Oh, but I would fish more. This is what the Lord has created us to be fishers of men. Seize the day while you may!

A. My fishing sermon

B. We need to pick up the pole. We need to have the courage and faith to know that Jesus is the answer for many people’s problems. When the people begin to buck us much like fish, this pole, this confidence, will get us through.

C. We need to have a rod and reel. This will give us the ability to go and tell the message wherever it is possible. Some people may be only to have a cane pole but it is so much easier to have the ability to fish all over.

D. We need to have some fishing line; this is prayer and the Word of God, the Bible. Without a thorough knowledge of the Bible and a strong prayer life, our line will snap under the strain of the fish.

A. We need a hook. This hook for people is the goodness of God and the forgiveness of sins. This hook is the death of Jesus on the cross and his resurrection from the dead for our sins so that we could be set free. This is the central message the cross and the empty tomb.

H. We need a good church where we can keep the people we have caught. This is something that we as a church need to keep working on and that is getting people involved in the church and in service. We need to continually teach them and challenge them to go out and fish for themselves.

I. The bait that we use is our testimony. The goodness of God in our lives. What he has done for us. This is the bait. The fish are attracted to the bait because of their own needs in their lives.

J. We must have our bait look attractive. If our testimony and witness is nothing but negative and coming from a complaining attitude, we will not attract any fish.

K. It is the same way with the fisher of men, hook the fish. There must come a point when we see that their hearts are softened to the gospel that we must set the hook.

E. We also need a bobber, which is a sense of when people are ready to bite. We need to listen to others and communicate the message as we know best and then pay attention to them to see if they are ready to make a decision. This takes common sense and also prayer.