Theme: Fishers of Men
Text: Mark 1: 16-20
INTRODUCTION:
A. One day, when Peter and Andrews, James and John were on their usual work as ordinary fishermen, Jesus came by the shore of Galilee and called them to follow Him with a promise to make them “fishers of men”. They never expected that moment. They never planned that appointment with Jesus. Never did they know that that was the most significant pivotal point of their lives. Jesus went to them. It was the Lord who had divinely appointed that momentous time for these four ordinary fishermen.
At one point of our lives, Jesus came by and we heard His call to follow Him. We did not plan for it nor expected such encounter. But Jesus went out to see and touch us –it was the Lord who had divinely appointed that very important moment of our lives when we encountered and knew Him, the Savior. That was the reason why we are here. What a momentous day for us! We responded and followed Him. But it did not end there –Jesus had a plan, just like to these four disciples we have in our text, a very wonderful plan to make us “fishers of men.”
Every Christian who is called to follow the Lord is also called to become fishers of men. There’s no exception, and there’s no alternative whatsoever in its place.
B. What this call is all about? I always read and heard sermons expounding this phrase to mean the work of evangelism. The principles of fishing were applied and employed to evangelism. They are good, relevant and importantly applicable. But while it is true, it’s not limited to the confinement of evangelism. In fact, this call is also about us –what we should become, what we should be doing, and about what we should be experiencing.
C.
T.S.
1. A CALL FOR A NOBLE ABANDONMENT.
It sounds absurd. And yes it is. Abandonment itself is absurd. Think of a father abandoning his family; a mother abandoning her home; children abandoning their parents. And how it wrecks relationships and destroy lives. But wait –what about Jesus leaving his glory and his heavenly throne? What about His willful abandonment from the full exercise of His deity by subjecting himself to the limitations of humanity just to provide the way of salvation for sinners? Isn’t it divine and noble abandonment? Yes it is. And we know that there are countless of missionaries leaving their homes, their families, and their comforts to help other people see the love of God through Christ. They made a noble abandonment.
When the Master called them to “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men”, they left their nets. It appears so simple, effortless, and so ordinary. There seems no significance and nobility of their action. But look to the reality behind it –they abandoned the life they used to live, the person they used to be, the only means they knew to support their families a living, and the only thing where they build their dreams, hopes and aspirations. Actually, they left no small thing! They left their only known comfort and security.
When you respond to the call of the Lord to follow Him and become “fisher of men”, you must be abandoning something. There will be things that you must give up. One is your old way of living. You must leave behind the life you used to live and the person you used to be before you know the Savior. Your old self –oh, there are a lot of things in the self that should be abandoned: its desire to be the center, its desire to be served, and its desire for exaltation.
Responding the call of the Lord to follow Him and become fisher of men may also mean that you are to abandon your “comfort zones”. It is lamentable that a lot of people say they love the Lord but are not willing to endure the sacrifices of the Christian walk. We should not forget that there are sacrifices along the way as we follow the Lord. There is no easy road to discipleship. We are promised with a narrow road. There are times that we must give up some of our time, some of our rest, some of our money, or some of our precious possession for the Lord. This is noble abandonment. And God promised, “He who left everything because of Me and the Gospel will receive a hundredfold.”
2. A CALL FOR A NOBLE LIFE
They were just ordinary fishermen. They have nothing to be proud of except maybe their dignity as industrious provider of their families. To the world where education is a virtue, fishing is less dignified occupation. It’s the only alternative way to make a living for those who are not able to get an education. Thus, there is nothing noble in being a fisherman of their time. In fact there was a time when the Pharisees derided these fishermen-turned-disciples of Jesus as unlearned men.
We know that this mean perspective for fishermen (and other manual occupations) is still present today though some tried to insist that fishermen are living heroes. Our human perspective for life’s dignity and nobility has not significantly advanced despite the passing of time. We still hold the idea that higher attainment in education and being financially well-off gives dignity and nobility to a person’s life. We forget that these are mundane things, offering only temporary happiness and fleeting satisfaction. The Preacher says, “Everything is vanity.”
Now, look at them. When they left their fishing nets and followed the Lord to become fishers of men, they became witnesses of God’s power and glory and became instruments for God to manifest His glory to the whole world. There’s nothing nobler and more dignified than becoming God’s instrument for His glorious purpose. They were not promising individuals. But when they gave up everything –their lives- for God, they witnessed, experienced and became instrument of manifesting the glory of God.
This is the place or position each of us have in God’s kingdom from the moment we responded His call to follow Him and become God’s “fishers of men”. Some of us here today might have thought they are ordinary individuals, people who have nothing to show to the world except their genuine love and faith in Christ. I tell you brothers you have a noble place in God’s kingdom. God chose you to become a witness and an instrument for His glory and power to be seen by the whole world. When He calls you to follow Him, He also brings you to that noble place in His kingdom.
3. A CALL FOR A NOBLE FELLOWSHIP.
“Follow me and I will make you fishers of men”. He called them for companionship –a fellowship with Him and with everyone who had responded His call to follow Him.
God is not emphatic. He does not call us to work all along for Him. He also calls us to enjoy “being with Him”. There is nothing dearest to God than have His children found joy in His Presence. Oh yes, God’s ultimate goal to His children is eternal fellowship with Him. One day, Jesus will come and fetch us to His glory, and we shall be with Him forever. Do you know the implications of “forever or eternal”? It means “uncut, undisturbed, and unending.” When Jesus comes we will experience that kind of fellowship with His Presence –an uncut, undisturbed, unending fellowship with Him. Unlike today, there are a lot of noises, cares, concerns, and imperfections that can distract our meditation and fellowship with God. Nonetheless, let’s always find ourselves enjoying in the Presence of our Lord while preparing for the day of His coming.
Now, let’s look at this in light of the work of evangelism. There is big difference in fishing and evangelism. You don’t need anybody to do fishing. You can do fishing by yourself. You can do fishing successfully without the necessity of a companion. Not so with evangelism. We must not do evangelism without Jesus. It will never work. He does not want us to “fish” men without Him. He said: “Follow me and I will make you….” He spoke these words for all of us, fishers of men. He wants us to be in the same fishing boat with Him. He is our Captain, and we are to get and follow orders from Him. Therefore, if we ever do evangelism, Jesus should not only be the center of the conversation, He must be there with us giving us the power for the conversation. Let’s not just do it, let’s do it with Jesus!
4. A CALL FOR A NOBLE TASK.
As we have seen, one cool day, they were in the seashore mending their nets. They were just doing their usual task as ordinary fishermen. Not one of them knew that a very significant event would happen –to them! It was the very day that the Lord came and recruited them to a noble task –“I will make you fishers of men!”
They were possibly mystified what it would be to become fishers of men. Only after several days as they learned of Jesus by following that they were able to understand the full meaning and extent of the call. They were there at the house of Zaccheus when Jesus said: “The Son of Man came to seek and to save which was lost.” They began to grasp what God wanted them to be. They thought to catch fish their whole life, but God had in mind to involve them in accomplishing His grand purpose of saving the lost.
Wow, maybe all of us just think to “catch fish” –I mean doing our usual business or tasks, as father, as breadwinner of the family, as doctor, as serviceman, as farmer, as government employee, as driver, as teacher, etc., our entire life. But God had a different thought for us. He has a noble purpose for calling us. We are to be His instrument to carry out His redemptive plan for mankind. We are called for a noble task. This is what God wants us to be when He called us to follow Him and become fishers of men.
