Why Fishermen?

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.