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LET’S GO FISHING
Matt. 4:19
Mat 4:19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
Fishing is a wonderful sport. I always loved eating what I caught but today they have a catch and release program.
One of my church members is Joe. When he catches a catfish, he brings it home and we have a fish fry. He caught the big one last week. A 28 lb catfish.
Explain the text: The men our Lord called were professional fisherman. This call was about them leaving the life then knew and following Jesus into a totally new way of life. Instead of fishing for fish – they would be fishing for the souls of men.
Actually the verb in this verse would be translated, "I will make you to become fishers of men."
Other words, Jesus was going to train them in the skill and art of fishing for the souls of men.
If you want to be a good fisherman – there are certain things you need to determine.
T/S Consider with me 5 things you need to determine when you go fishing. These same principles work for fishing for men.
I. IF YOU WANT TO BE A GOOD FISHERMAN FOR JESUS YOU NEED TO KNOW WHAT YOU ARE FISHING FOR?
If you are going to the lake to catch Crappie or catfish – you will take a totally different approach than you would if you were going out to sea to catch a swordfish. You would use different equipment, different size poles, different size hooks, different kind of bait. Your approach would be totally different.
You would need a steel leader if you fished for Barracuda or sharks.
As a church – we must identify who we are trying to reach. While everyone of Adams race is just a sinner that needs God love and forgiveness and salvation – the people we deal with must be approached on the terms they can understand.
Was not Jesus the great example of this truth?
When He was with fishermen – He talked about fish.
When He was with farmers – He talked about farming.
When He met a woman of a different ethnic background (John 4). He talked about what she understood.
When He encountered rich young ruler – talked about money.
If they were thirsting – He talked about the water of life.
If they were hungry – He talked about the bread of life.
If they were guilty – He talked about forgiveness.
Jesus always knew how to would deal with people on terms they could understand.
We don’t every want to narrow our vision that we cannot include all segments of society but we also must recognize that not every person that lives within driving distance of our church will be happy worshipping God in our fellowship. It is called “Different strokes for different folks”. Everyone is welcome but we must determine what is right for our church in our approach to serving and worshipping God and be willing to let people who are not happy here – to let me go and find where they can. Does not mean that we are better – it just means that we won’t make everyone happy.
I am not talking about segregation. We have both black member, brown members and white member of our church. Everyone is welcome but there are biker churches – that is not us. I am not going to start wearing black leather and chains and studs in my nose. There are folks who are looking for a church that does nothing but stand and sing and wave their hands back and forth. That is not our church.
All I am saying is that we need to realize that some people who come to our church will like what they see and some won’t.
SO, WE NEED TO DETERMINE WHAT KIND OF FISH WE ARE FISHING FOR.
II. IF YOU ARE GOING TO BE A GOOD FISHERMAN FOR JESUS YOU NEED TO LEARN TO THINK LIKE A FISH.
Knowing the habits, actions, the personalities of fish will help you catch them.
Fisherman study fish.
Here is a huge problem: The longer I am a believer the less I think like an unbeliever. One of the most popular phrases you will here from lost people is “The people at that church just does not understand me”.
Many lost people don’t believe that you can understand their life and what they are going through.
Jesus knew what people were thinking. Mark 2:8 At once Jesus knew what they were thinking, . . . . .
Paul taught us this. Col 4:5 Be wise in the way you act towards those who are not believers, making good use of every opportunity you have. 6 Your speech should always be pleasant and interesting, and you should know how to give the right answer to everyone.
Saddleback church in California did an extensive opinion poll: One of the question they ask was, “What are the things you have not liked about the churches you have visited?
1. Sermons are boring and irrelevant and way to long.
2. Members are unfriendly to visitors
3. Too much emphasis on money.
4. Poor childcare.
Most unchurched people are not ATHEISTS. They are just turned off and too busy.
We must realize that the vast majority of people are far more concerned about their car payment that they are about the virgin birth. That may not be right but it is a fact.
III. IF YOU ARE GOING TO BE A GOOD FISHERMAN FOR JESUS YOU NEED TO GO WHERE THE FISH ARE BITING.
I use to go fishing with a friend of mine in Pensacola. He is a fisherman. He has a fishing boat that he named “VISITATION”. When one of his members would call as say, “Where have you been all day?” He would tell them, “I’ve been out on VISITATION”.
I have gone fishing with him. He starts up a river and he will stop and I will barley get my line wet and he will say, “Pull it up – we’re moving”. He want to go where the fish are biting.
We need to determine who is the most receptive audience in your area. We won’t win all so we need to target those who we can reach the best. That does not mean that God does not have someone else who can reach that group you can’t.
IV. IF YOU ARE GOING TO BE A GOOD FISHERMAN FOR JESUS YOU NEED TO CATCH FISH ON THEIR OWN TERMS.
They like to eat – you use the right bate. They like to swim on the bottom – you fish on the bottom. They hit flies on the surface – you throw an artificial fly on the surface.
Paul’s Strategy:
1 Cor. 9:19 For though I be free from all men , yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. 20 And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; 21 To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. 22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men , that I might by all means save some. 23 And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you .
Paul was not talking about compromising the message. He was talking about getting to a place where they could receive the message of the gospel.
V. IF YOU ARE GOING TO BE A GOOD FISHERMAN FOR JESUS USE MORE THAN ONE HOOK
Joe brought me a great big catfish a couple of week ago. He said they caught several at one time on a trotline. He put out more than one hook. The more hook you use the more you will catch.
1 Cor 9: 22b I am made all things to all men , that I might by all means save some.
We live in a world of choices. I Have 210 channels to choose from on my T.V. (I can’t find anything I want to watch most of the time)
Supermarkets – Fast Foods – cars.
A different application to the same truths to different groups. To the babies - children – teens – young adults – College – Young couples – Senior Citizens.
CONCLUSION:
Let me not be mistaken about this message.
Everyone in this building this morning is just a sinner saved by grace and we are all cut out of the same bolt of cloth. We all need understand, love, fellowship – we all need God’s grace and mercy – His forgiveness – his salvation.
What I am talking about is maximizing our methods to minister the gospel and reach the lost as best we can.
If you are here today and without Christ – you are like a fish out of water. You are trying to live in an environment that God never created you to live in. You need to be caught and put in the environment that God created you to live in.
