Resurrection Encounters Part VI: Can You Be A Fisher If You Aren’t Willing to Fish? Matthew 28:16-20 CBC May 20, 2007
Okay today let me ask the question? Are there any fishermen and women out there? If you love to fish raise your hand? If you like to fish raise your hand. If you are remotely interested in fishing raise your hand. Good there are a lot of people interested in fishing around here. That’s great because today I want to talk about being fishers. I want to take Fishing and apply it to the church this morning. And to begin I want to share with you an article written by story that was written about church growth in America back in the late 1970’s by John Drescher and let’s see how much we have grown not just in our fishing but in our churches as well.
Dreshcer starts off by talking about this group that was known as fishers. And they talked about how those streams and lakes were filled with fish. And how hungry those fish were. They would gather every week and talk about their call to fish and how many fish there were that needed to be caught and ways that they could go out and catch those fish. They talked about the importance of fishing and talked about how they could encourage others to fish. They wanted everyone to be a fisher and they wanted everyone to fish.
There was only one problem though. The one thing they did not do was fish.
They also shared how hard it was to fish. They discussed their sacrifices and how they had to put up with so many difficulties. They talked about how they were made fun of because they were fishers. They talked about the money that they gave so that others could be fishers; they talked about how little time they had to fish because they had to work. They talked about how fishing should be the most important thing in their lives. Yet there was one problem. The one thing they did not do was…fish
And then one day, a stranger walked into the group of fishers and suggested that those who sat around and talked about fishing but never caught any fish were not really fishers—no matter how much they claimed to be.” And so today let me ask the question “Is a person a fisher if he or she isn’t fishing.”
What does that have to with being a Christian? It has everything to do with it. Go back to that story I just shared with you. How many Christians say that they are involved (quotation marks) in a church yet it is only if it works best for them and if they are getting what they want? How many times do Christians get together and talk about the importance of being fishers of men and women and then leave the meeting and forget to take their fishing poles and nets. We can talk about wanting to be fishers of men and women for Christ all day long. We can talk about how we want everyone to be fishers and to fish, yet if you and I aren’t willing to fish then are we truly fishers ourselves.
Yesterday, I had the opportunity to see a group of people not just talk about being fishers but actually put it into practice. I saw yesterday people being willing to get out of the boat and to drop their nets in the deep end relying on God’s promise that if we will just listen to His commands as to where to drop the nets His name will be glorified. Yesterday our nets were dropped in this community and you know what. God was glorified. Because yesterday God saw in action not a group of people talking about being fishers but seeing a group of people sharing the Gospel.
So today, I want us to look at the Great Commission statement that Jesus left in another Resurrection Encounter and I want us to honestly evaluate ourselves and ask the question: Can We Truly Be Fishers for Christ if we are not willing to Fish:
I don’t know if you know it or not but I am passionate about this church being united together as a T.E.A.M. I am a true believer that Together Everyone will Accomplish Ministry. Now I am not a fisherman of fish but here is what I am thinking. If we are in need of catching a lot of fish, then we are going to have better luck having a lot of people fishing on that lake instead of just me myself and I. I will never catch as many fish by myself as we will working together as a T.E.A.M. It’s the same way in our Christian lives. I can’t go out and reach this community by myself. Now that does not mean that I should not do my part. But what it means is that I need help. Just as I can’t expect you to go out and to do it on your own, because you need help. And that is where we work together as a team. There are too many people who want to be Lone Ranger Christians who think they don’t have to be involved in church but friends working on your own all by ourselves in our own little world will not work. Instead of becoming a successful fisher you will be a frustrated fisher.
And so today, I want to challenge us to be successful fishers. After all that’s what being a Christian means. It means being willing to fish. And fishing needs to involve teamwork. I try to express every chance I get of wanting to see this church be a team but to catch on to the purpose of this church. Our purpose is to Welcome All to a New Way of Living by Believing Belonging and Becoming in Christ. And in order for that to happen we must be willing to be fisher people. Our job should be to lay out nets and catch people and get them involved in moving from Believing in Jesus to Belonging in His Family and to being willing to Become like him every day.
And when we catch on to our purpose of Welcoming all to a new way of Living by believing, belonging and becoming in Christ then we are doing the very thing that Christ wants us to do. We are fulfilling his mission of the church. Christ had a mission for this church and it is one of the last words that he shared with his disciples before he ascended to heaven. And while it might have been some of his last words it must become our first priority. There is a difference between purpose and mission. Think of it according to military terms. It is one thing to know the purpose of a particular military unit. Their purpose is that of being an infantry division or tank artillery. That is their purpose. But their mission is different. There mission is to know the specific hill or town that they are trying to take as that infantry division. So our purpose is to welcome people into a new way of living a changed way. Removing the old and putting on the new. By sharing with them about Christ getting them involved with Christ and wanting to have a closer relationship to Christ. We do that through the 5 purposes of the church which I put nicely as Every Dead Frog Must Wiggle or better known as Evangelism, Discipleship, Fellowship, Ministry and Worship. And so the question is what are we supposed to be doing through evangelism, discipleship, ministry, fellowship and worship? And the answer to that is we are supposed to be fishing.
Jesus states in our passage this morning our mission which is the Great Commission. And through these purposes this team (you and me) all of us have a responsibility to reach out to non believers and develop them along with developing existing believers, into committed followers of Christ. This is the mission the purposes of the church are intending to accomplish. And let me just go back to the question I asked earlier: Is a fisher a fisher if he or she is not involved in fishing. If you and I are not actively engaged in the purposes of the church: If we are not striving to attain the mission of helping non believers and believers in to becoming committed followers then are we doing what Christ has asked his church, his children to do.
Can I be honest? I honestly think that the majority of Christians have forgotten what we are to be doing. Here is an example to back up what I am saying. In a survey done by a noted researcher over 1000 churches were involved in a study in which the church members answered questions as to what they perceived to be the mission of the church: Are you ready: 89% that’s right 89% said the church exists “to take care of my family’s and my needs.” Only 11% said that the church existed to win the world to Christ. Now when that happens there is no purpose and there is no mission that is biblical.
Here is an example that I read about when I was in school that correlates to how the church should operate. Think of the Ford assembly plant where they make Ford cars. At the beginning of that assembly line there are the raw parts needed to make the cars you need wires, an engine, tires etc. Then as the materials move down the line what happens is a transformation. A car is made down the assembly line and then at the end of the line, it is rolled off for service. That’s what should happen here at church. First of all we ourselves are just materials and as we become involved in evangelism, discipleship, ministry, fellowship and worship, these activities which are central to the mission of the church allows us to become developed into fully devoted followers of Christ who are ready to serve Him. And as we are involved in these processes we become fishers who cast the net allowing others to become involved as well.
But what happens if we become intent on just being involved in worship. Let’s say that all we are interested in is Sunday morning, then what happens. Go back to the car illustration. If we are focused on only one aspect of the assembly line then we can’t get all the materials needed to make a car and then at the end of the line there is not going to be a finished car. Whether you are a new car or an existing car, it is important to have an engine checkup and check the tires, engine, windshield wipers, lights and etc. Being willing to be fishers of men will allow us to be fully involved in the mission of Christ’s church.
Now I know I am throwing a lot of analogies your way and I don’t want to be redundant or maybe I do. The point I am trying to make is this: Christ has called each of us to be fishers for Him and if we simply sit here Sunday after Sunday talking about being a better Christian but doing nothing about it, then how can we expect to fulfill the personal mission that Christ has given us.
And that is the message Christ has for us today. Are you really a fisher if you are not willing to fish? As Jesus gathered his disciples together on that mountain in Matthew 28 Jesus came to them and explained once more what their mission was and what are mission as Christians is today. It’s over 2000 years old but the mission statement is still the same.
As he prepares to ascend to heaven he offers one more important piece of teaching to all of us. Now this is not a suggestion and it is not an option rather it is a command. It is known as the Great Commission though many Christians refer to it as the Great Omission. Here is the command for us to get in the boat and do some fishing. He says Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.
So since it is not an option maybe we need to sit down on this verse and really understand what He is commanding us to do. Look at each word:
First he says THEREFORE: Now earlier in verse 18 Jesus had told them that he had the power on heaven and earth and he was setting it up so that they would know that when Jesus says Jump we say How High. And he uses the word therefore which means since I have already told you that I have the authority to command you to do something therefore this is what I am asking you to do. So since he has all authority therefore we must do what (what’s the next word) Go right. So since he has all authority therefore we are to Go:
So you and I have been commanded to Go: Now this word “go” does not mean a one time action. It does not mean simply go and make disciples one time. It means a continuous process. So let’s put it in easy to understand terms our mission so far is Therefore since God has authority over us he has commanded us as we go in the course of our lives we must be intentional in doing the next part of the statement which is to:
MAKE DISCIPLES: Now this is the most important part of the verse. It is the only command that we are given. We are commanded to simply put Make Disciples. And as we make disciples we will help baptize them and teach them. So how do we do it? We do it through events like the Block Party but we also do it in our discipleship classes, Sunday school, fellowship opportunities and through worship. As we go through life, we must make every effort to make disciples.
And here is another thing about this command. We sometimes get settled in our comfort zone and say well I will invite my neighbor to church. Well that is great and that is something that we should do, but we should not stop there. Why? Because God tells us not to stop there. He encourages us to make disciples of all nations. That means people in all countries. I can’t tell you how excited I was last year when we had 16 people go work in Mississippi. About 5 of those individuals had never been on a mission trip before. They had done work in their local communities but they had never allowed God to use their hands, feet, and mouths outside of their community. But as they went on that mission trip God opened doors and those 16 individuals were changed. This year in 2 months we are going to Vermont. I told you last year we had 16 go last year. This year we have 31 going and of those 31 going there are a large number of them that have never been on a mission trip before. Yet they have heard God call them out and they are going to spread God’s word. Let’s go a step further. IN August we are planning on going to Asia to work with missionaries. When I was planning the trip Dougald our DOM asked me how many did I think we could get to go and I said Dougald I hope that we will have 8. Friends, it’s great to share with you that 13 will be going to Asia this summer. For 9 out of the 13 they have never been overseas, yet they understand that God has called us to mission work not just in our community but in the entire world.
I have said it and I will say it again, if you will just be willing to allow God to use you and participate in a mission trip, it will change your life and you will never be the same again and you will want to be a part of many future mission trips to come.
Since there will be believers from every people group in heaven, we must go with the gospel and develop disciples to the ends of the earth.
And as we go making disciples of all nations we are encouraged to:
BAPTIZE THEM: Baptism is a wonderful experience. It is a visible outward sign that says that we are getting rid of the old and the filth and putting the newness of Christ upon us. It’s an outward expression of inner confession. If you have never been baptized as a believer or were baptized but did not know what you were doing, I pray that you will speak to me about the importance and purpose of baptism.
And finally to be fishers we must be willing to teach disciples to obey. The Christian life should never be stale. Rather it should be always changing. We should be motivated to movement. The reason we have Sunday school and Discipleship and Wednesday night bible studies are not just to fill our heads with a bunch of information. Rather it is meant to transform us to cause us to understand Christ’s call in our lives and to submit to him and obey.
Whew? Does it seem like an impossible task: Does it seem like Mission Impossible? Well if you say yes, then you aren’t putting enough faith in Christ. For as he gives us a great claim by saying that He has all authority and as he gives us a great Commission as he commands us to make disciples he also gives us a Great Promise which is that he will always be with us.
So see friends, God wants us to not just be fishers but to be great fishers. He wants us to know that he is involved in our lives on a daily basis. That he will help us no matter how challenging or difficult the task may seem. And so if God is willing to pour all he has into our lives, then don’t you think that we should be willing to do the same. It’s a mission that we don’t have to do alone. Remember it’s all about being part of the T.E.A.M. Yet, if you aren’t willing to fish, then you can’t be part of the T.E.A.M. and I wonder if you can even be called a fisher.” Let’s change our lives so that we don’t have to worry about those issues.
There is an old story about a lighthouse keeper who worked on a rocky stretch of coastline. Once a month he would receive a new supply of oil to keep the light burning so that ships could safely sail near the rocky coast. One night, though, a woman from the nearby village came and begged him for some of his oil to keep her family warm. Another time a father asked for some to use in his lamp. Another man needed some to lubricate a wheel. Since all the requests seemed legitimate, the lighthouse keeper tried to please everyone and grant the requests of all. Toward the end of the month, he noticed his supply of oil was very low. Soon it was gone, and one night the light on the lighthouse went out. As a result, that evening several ships were wrecked and countless lives were lost. When the authorities investigated the man was very apologetic. He told them he was just trying to be helpful with the oil. Their reply to his excuses however was simply and to the point: You were given oil for one purpose, and one purpose only—to keep that light burning!
A church faces a similar commission. There is no end to the demands placed on a Christians and a church’s time and resources. And so as a result, the foundational purpose of the church which is making disciples must be number one always. Here’s a pole. Will you commit to getting your hands dirty and actively be a fisher for God. Let’s Pray
