Why Fishermen? – Matt. 4:18—22
It is kind of dramatic that Jesus called four hardworking commercial fishermen to be His first disciples.
Reading John 21:1-3 we find that seven of the twelve disciples may have been fishermen.
“Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Tiberias. It happened this way: Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee (James & John), and two other disciples were together. 'I'm going out to fish,' Simon Peter told them, and they said, 'We'll go with you.' So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.”
Is there a reason why Jesus would call so many fishermen?
I. Fishermen were busy people.
Fishermen did not sit around doing nothing.
They sorted their catch, mended their nets, and got ready for the next day.
Most fishermen are busy constantly tending their tackle boxes, straightening things, sorting their flies, cleaning their rods, reels, lines
These men Jesus called were industrious workers.
Did you notice how Peter and Andrew were busy at work when Christ called them.
This is an essential element for serving Christ.
We need to stress the importance of energy, industry, a willingness to work and to work hard.
When Christ calls a person, that person is working, not sitting.
God does not choose the lazy and inactive.
God chooses the energetic and diligent.
Too many believers are sitting and are inactive.
Too many believers are sitting and warming their fannies in the pews instead of their shoes on the pavement.
Those are the ones who miss out on the calling of God.
What does the scripture tell us about “working” for God?
Jeremiah 48:10 --”A curse on him who is lax in doing the Lord's work!...”
John 9:4 – “As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me...”
(WE – not Jesus only!)
Ephesians 4:16 – “...the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”
Matthew 9:37 – 38 – “...the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.
And, the greatest of them all:
Matthew 28:19—20 – “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...”
Therefore, we see that fishermen do not sit around doing nothing.
II. Fishermen have to be patient people.
One who is restless and quick to move never makes a good fisherman.
Ever notice how a fisherman can just sit for minutes, sometimes hours just watching their lines or nets in the water
Ever watching, ever anticipating
Do you recall the words of Jesus in Acts 1:4 – “...Do not leave Jerusalem, but WAIT for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.”
And for 10 days they waited. . .and waited. . .and waited. . .and waited.
Can you imagine just sitting and waiting for days on end, not knowing what was coming next, not knowing how long you must wait
Sometimes we are required to just sit and wait for God to act.
Too many times, though, we get ahead of God and find out that we're on the wrong course and need to change direction.
Waiting for the right results isn't always easy, is it?
We want results and we want them now.
We don't want to have to wait for anything – even for the water to come to a boil.
Think of that teenager with hormones “a-boiling” and finds it so difficult to WAIT for marriage to have that sexual relationship.
There was a program several years ago when we were with the Southern Baptists, “True Love WAITS”.
True love waits for the right sexual relationship, with the right person, at the right time
He / she waits for that “special” CATCH to share their most valued, irreversible possession – themselves
Think of Esau and Jacob back there in the 25th chapter of Genesis.
This guy would not even WAIT for someone to prepare him a meal or fix one for himself.
He came in famished from a day in the fields, more than likely a day of hunting.
All he could think of was his stomach when he said, “Quick! Give me some of that red stew! I'm famished! . . . Look! I'm am about to die...”
Are we any different?
Don't we too think that we have to have it now.
Take the younger generation starting out today.
They tend to think that they can have all mom & dad has right now.
That's the reason they get so caught up with debt and having that nice, fancy car; a big motorcycle; a new house.
“But those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles, run and not be weary, walk and not faint.” (Isa. 40:31)
What kind of patience does it take to win a person to Christ.
Don't we as preachers, teachers, & leaders even expect immediate results
Do you have the patience to WAIT as you minister to some lost soul – just one – as you get involved in “friendship evangelism”
I'll bet most all of us here know of just one person who is lost without Christ
Do they see the love of God demonstrated in your life?
Do they see you as a caring, patient person who is more interested in who they are than another notch on your salvations won belt?
You see, to be a true Fisherman, a “fisher of men,” you must have patience to sit, wait, watch
III. Fishermen must have faith
They generally cannot see the fish and are not sure that their nets are being filled.
They do not know when they may get that big strike, with a whopper on the line
Ask that Fisherman if he plans to catch anything
A true Fisherman goes to his favorite stream with an attitude of catching the largest fish, the greatest catch, or sometimes just the right amount for a great, evening meal
A true Fisherman does not go a-fishing with a terrible “can't-do” or “what's the use” attitude
He goes expecting
He goes with anticipation
He goes with his mouth a-watering
When you go a-fishing for men, do you go with great faith of landing another great catch of getting another into Church and receiving Christ
Or do you go with a why even try attitude of another “sucker” off the hook or just another pesky “chub” to contend with?
Look again at those great heroes of the faith in Hebrews chapter 11:
“By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice...”
“By faith Enoch was taken from this life so that he did not experience death...”
“By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family.”
“By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.”
“By faith Abraham, even though he was past age...was enabled to become a father.”
“By faith faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice.”
“By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.”
“By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.”
“By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions about his bones.”
“By faith Moses' parents hid him for three months after he was born...”
“By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter.”
“By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land...”
“By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days.”
“By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed t
he spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.”
Do you find yourself in any of these heroes of faith – these giants of Fishermen?
IV. Fishermen must have courage and perseverance.
The Greek fishermen used to pray to their gods: “My boat is so small and the sea is so large” – COURAGE
If there is no catch, they must try again (perseverance).
I mean, these guys were “professional fishermen.”
Can you just picture in your mind's eye, the professional fisherman today, out on the troubled sea for days on end, storms and wind and wave
How much courage does that take?
Imagine these guys, professional fishermen, in that little boat with the very son of God asleep
Yes, not a care in the world – sound asleep – with the storm tossed boat
– so stormy that these “professional fishermen” feared for their lives
Yet – sound asleep.
They why should they fear?
The very son of God sound asleep – not a care, not a worry
Yet, they awaken Him
“Hey! Don't you care that we're about to perish here?”
“Hey Jesus, we're about to die here man!”
Imagine with me now:
Jesus, the Son of God, awakens, rubs the sleep from His eyes, looks around, and then says: “Come on you guys! You bunch of chickens! Where's your faith?
Peace! Be still.”
I'm sure so many preachers from the pulpit are asking themselves the same questions today.
They too would like to ask their congregants:
“Where's your faith?”
“Why don't you step out of the boat?”
Then perhaps propose, “if you claim you have such faith, why are you so discouraged and downhearted all the time?
Why don't you tell others about me as I have told you to?
Are you AFRAID?”
Why are we so afraid to talk to others about Jesus?
Are we afraid of somebody calling us “a religious fanatic” or something?
Are we afraid of rejection?
It is not you they are rejecting, folks. They are rejecting Jesus!
Do we have the perseverance – the stick-to-it-tiveness?
Are we going to keep on keeping on even when things get tough?
Are we going to continue to support our Church even when others slip away?
Are we going to remain faithful when the world pressures us to give in to their principals instead of God's higher standards?
Are we going to throw in the towel when others may disagree or even criticize
Are we going to be politically correct or morally and spiritually right?
Therefore, in God's service – it takes busyness, patience, faith, courage, and perseverance
We must learn not to be unduly discouraged when nothing seems to happen.
Jesus knew what He was doing when He called fishermen to be His disciples.
(All scripture references from the NIV. Basic outline from the Brethren New Testament Commentary, Gospel of Matthew, Harold S. Martin, Brethren Revival Fellowship, 2005)
