You can’t catch fish if you don’t have any bait on your hook!!! Mat 4:18-20 18As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." 20At once they left their nets and followed him.
ILL: There was a game warden in civilian clothes one day at the docks. Boats were coming in all day without any of them having caught any fish......except one old man who came in with a LOT of fish. The warden thought "this guy MUST be doing something illegal" so he went up to him as he was docking his boat and commented on what a great fisherman he must be. He asked the old man what his secret was.....where did he fish, how did he fish, what kind of bait was he using. He also noticed a canvas covering up some boxes in the front of the boat...that’s the BOW for you land-lubbers.....Finally the old man just relented and told him that if he would show up at the dock early the next morning, he would take him fishing and he could see for himself. The next morning the warden again was wearing civilian clothes when he showed up bright and early at the dock. He and the old man were soon headed out into the water. Finally, after quite a while, in a much secluded area, the old man stopped the boat. He pulled back the canvas cover only to reveal some boxes of dynamite! The warden was flabberghasted! He reached down and picked up a stick of dynamite and said "so this is your secret! I’ll have you to know that I am the game warden and the fine for fishing with dynamite is VERY steep!" The old man calmly struck a match, lit the fuse of the dynamite the warden was holding and said "are you gonna talk or fish?"
You guys know how Nanci and I love to fish. Sometimes Nanci will reel in her line and her bait will be gone so I, being the smart-alec that I am will tell her "you can’t catch fish without any bait on your hook!" She gets tired of me saying that to her, so I always try to make it a point to mention it whenever I see her pull up an empty hook! (Sorry, honey!)
Jesus said He would make us "fishers of men." I like that saying that if you’ll catch ’em, He’ll clean ’em! But what does it mean to be a "fisher of men?" You can be a Pastor, evangelist, teacher, deacon, or even a layperson in the church, but if you are not actually striving to bring people to Christ, you aren’t fulfilling your work for Him.....and we are ALL called for His service!
Look at MAT 5:13-16 13"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. 14"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
Not having bait on your hook is the same as salt losing it’s flavor, or a lamp that is hidden under a bowl. All of them serve no purpose! Today, I want to ask you to examine yourself....to make sure you’re fishing with bait on your hook....or if you’ve even got your line in the water!
We were in San Antonio at the Riverwalk while we were on our anniversary trip (thank you for letting us get away, it was VERY enjoyable). It was our first night out and we had walked and talked and just tried to enjoy each others company uninterrupted. By the way, all you married couples need to do that! Sometimes you can get too busy doing the everyday stuff and you neglect to nurture your relationship......and God wants you to have a well nurtured marriage!
We had stopped to eat at a restuarant there by the Riverwalk (it’s beautiful, by the way....romantic, too!) and we were just enjoying the time together. I don’t even know how it started, but the waiter was talking to us a little and we eventually found out a lot about him. Somehow it came up (usually does) that we were pastors on vacation. He told us that he was raised in a Catholic church, but had later became a christian when he went to live with his cousin. His was a sad story, really.....his mother had died when he was 5 or 6, Dad wasn’t involved.....and now here he was living with his girl-friend and their new-born son. He was very proud of the fact that he had been on his own since he was 15 yrs old.
You never know when God is gonna use you. Nanci and I were ready to just spend the evening together, but we realized that we should never be on vacation from God! Remember, He is with us always....even unto the end of time!
Anyway, this young man had gotten himself a coke and ended up sitting with us for a couple of hours! We found out that he and his "baby’s mama" attend Bro Hagee’s church (Cornerstone) there in San Antonio and that it was weighing VERY heavy on him to get married to this woman that he was living with. He said it seemed like Bro Hagee was preaching to them directly everytime they went to church......if that’s happening to you, by the way, it’s Gods Spirit trying to tell you something! Usually the preacher doesn’t prepare a "special" sermon just for one person......God can make it seem that way, huh?
We were able for those few hours to share and to witness to that young man. I don’t know how, but most of the time we find that we ARE able to share and witness to people. I know, I know.....Nanci and I are pastors and it’s easier for us. Well, that’s true to a certain extent, but that nite on the Riverwalk we had certainly not planned to be "fishers of men!"
You see, sometimes it depends on whether you’ve got any bait on your hook. Somehow that young man felt that he could speak to us......that’s to Gods credit, not ours.....and he was really, really under conviction in his life. I have no doubt that God was in that conversation! I am just happy that he was able to see the light in us and that we weren’t so pre-occupied that we may have missed a chance to help make a difference in another humans life. He was thirsty.....spiritually....and God used us to help him.... because we still had "bait on our hook!" even when we didn’t even realize we were fishing....."fishers of men!"
You see, God only wants an empty vessel to work thru.....you can be that vessel if you just allow God to have His way with you. You must let people see your light. You must, as a christian. never lose your flavor! The Bible says if salt loses it’s flavor, it’s no good and needs to be thrown out.....and if you are fishing w/o any bait on your hook, you’re just wasting your time. Some of you may not even have your line in the water! The Bible makes it absolutely clear....we are ALL to be fishers of men! No matter what your proffesion is, you should always be "fishing" with bait on your hook!
Let me share something else with you......there is good bait and there is not-so-good bait. Sometimes we got hold of some bad bait down there....old and stale....wouldn’t stay on our hooks....fish wouldn’t even bite it! You see, the bait must be attractive for you to even get a nibble. If all those unsaved loved ones you are praying for see your bait...and don’t care to have any of it....then it’s time you got a fresh new piece of bait on your hook! You need to reel in and re-bait! YOU will have the biggest impact on your unsaved loved ones than anyone else. Yes, even those TV preachers....and even your pastors! It’s YOUR bait that your loved ones see! Is it stale and limp? Come off the hook easy? Get a fresh piece of bait.....
Turn to MAT 28:18Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
That’s called "The Great Commission." Jesus Himself has charged us as His disciples to do this. And given us that promise that I love so well......He is with us always....even unto the end of time!
I urge us all to get some fresh bait on our hook and to always be fishing (my wife likes that)....but what I mean is to always be ready to be "fishers of men". It’s the most gracious way to serve our Lord.....let your light shine before men!
