Sitting On Your Grace.

Don’t Sit on Your Grace Mark 1:14-22, Galatians 2:17-21

Story has it that Mark Twain loved to go fishing, but he hated to catch fish. The problem was he went fishing to relax. In turn catching any fish would ruin his relaxation. He would have to take off the fish and bait the hook. When he would do nothing people would call him lazy, but if people saw him fishing they would leave him alone. “Don’t bother him he’s fishing.” So Mark came up with the perfect plan. He would literally put his line in the water without a hook. People saw him what looked to be fishing and leave him alone. Of course he would not have to mess with any fish cause there was no bait. He would cast a line and bobber in the water and lie back on the bank and relax. He wouldn’t be bothered by fish or man.

Twain is a lot like some Christians I know. They have their pole in the water, but there is no hook on the end. They are not fishing, they are just relaxing. Do you think that is what Jesus had in mind for us? We say we are fishing but we are just sitting on our grace. To many Christians today are just sitting around on our grace and not sharing it. Wonder why we don’t have a lot of visitors or new Christians, maybe we are just sitting’ on grace. This text we will look at is about God’s call for us to be fishers of men.

(read mark 1:14-22)

At one point in our lives Jesus came by and called us to follow him. We did not plan for it nor did we expect it. But he went out to see and touch our lives. What a wonderful day that was, when we accepted him to be our Lord and Savior. Jesus has a plan for you and I just like he did for those fishermen. Every Christian who is called to follow the Lord is also called to be fishers of men. There’s no exception, no excuse, and no alternative.

When the Master said, “Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men” they left everything to follow him. They dropped their nets. It seems so easy and effortless. But look at the reality of it. They left everything behind. Their lives, family, jobs, and the person they once were. They left their comfort and security. Now look at them they have left everything to become fishers of men. They are instruments of God. There is nothing better than being used for God. They were not promising people, but when they gave up everything to follow Jesus they became so much more. Paul Harvey once said “ Too many Christians are no longer fishers of men, instead they have become keepers of the aquarium. While Harvey’s statement is true, we need to ask why? We all know of the Great Commission in Mark 16. No where in the Bible does it say to just hang up a sign that says come here. “GO” The word means for us to go to the people. Seek them, reach out to them, and tell them. Interrupt the lives to tell them about Jesus.

Jesus comes into our lives, interrupting our sinful ways. Remember these interruptions are always points of opportunity. If you have salvation, then you are his disciple, and you can expect to be interrupted. Do you really seek to talk to lost people? Do you pray for the opportunity to share the grace that God has given you? Most of you will say no. Because you know God will grant that opportunity to you. We don’t want out of our comfort zone. We are either ashamed or scared to share with others. We are scared he will interrupt our lives.

There was once a lawyer sitting at his desk. He received a brochure in the mail that was supposed to go to another person. He sat at his desk looking at it, which by the way was about missions in Africa. Right then and there he decided that he was going to Africa to become a missionary and that was exactly what he did. God had interrupted his life. God placed a turning point in his life. Now God may not be calling you to the foreign mission field but he is calling you to home missions. He may not be calling you to the ministry but he is calling each and every one of us to share his gift. He wants all of us to be FISHERS OF MEN. I think that one thing the Bible is clear about that one call is as important than the other. If he is telling to share with a neighbor or a family member it is just as important as a missionary in a far away country. You should take it just as seriously. If God called you to Africa I am sure you would do it with all of your heart. But for some reason when he tells us to talk to our family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers we think it is not as important. IT IS JUST AS IMPORTANT. The Great Commission tells us to GO!