Today I would like to begin a series of entries on evangelism that I have titled “On Becoming Fishers of Men.” In this series we will deal with portions of scripture that give us both instruction and inspiration regarding the Harvest and how we are to make ourselves available to reap it.
Before I get into this topic however, I need to make a quick comment. One of the things that I have found to be a great enemy of Evangelism in the Church world today is an overall sense of apathy regarding soul winning and the Harvest. It seems as though we are content to be saved and are grateful for the price that was paid by Jesus on our behalf. Yet that benevolence seems to stop with us, rather than continue to flow through us to someone else. I have found this to be true in my life as well as the lives of many Christian brothers and sisters. We tend to forget that someone ministered the Gospel to us and that there are many others out there who, like us a one time, are waiting to hear the good news. When you carefully study the book of Acts, you see that the thing which defined the early Church was their boldness in sharing Jesus with people. It was also the secret to their power. Unless you are bold in your expression of the Gospel to those who need it most, it’s doubtful that your shadow, like that of the Apostle Peter, will heal anybody. Let us not be stingy with the gift of Salvation that we have received. We need to proclaim the Gospel to every creature. It won’t make you popular on earth, but it will change the landscape of Eternity.
That having been said, let me move onto the concepts that I have in my heart to share.
In Matthew 4:18-20, we see Jesus walking along the beach when He comes upon two brothers, Simon (Peter) and Andrew who are fishing. Jesus makes a profound statement to these two men that still rings true in our ears today. He says: “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men…”
There are very few statements, in my opinion that are both as deep and as simple as this one. This concept that Jesus gives to Peter and Andrew is easy enough to be understood by a child, yet is still astonishing to the most seasoned of Christians. It’s a glimpse into the heart of the Father; an opportunity to see what God Himself is most passionate about. And we have the prestigious honor of carrying it out… To us, the task has been given of becoming a fisher of men.
There is much that I will say in the coming weeks about this phrase and about what it means to catch people for Jesus. But for the first installment I’d like to take a simple, and lighthearted approach to the subject. You see, Jesus introduces the idea of soul winning by comparing it to fishing. And as many people have come to discover, the act of fishing is an art. It is something that must be practiced in order to be mastered. For example, it is said that it takes years to become a good fly fisherman because of how complex the technique is. It seems as though, a good fisherman can hook a fish, even when the fish are not biting for anyone else. Where you and I might struggle to catch anything, a seasoned fisherman will have a cooler full of big beautiful fish. I believe that witnessing can be the same way. Anyone can and should do it, but there are those who reap more because they invest themselves into perfecting it.
That having been said let me share with you some things that I have learned about fishing that I believe we can apply to our witnessing. There are four all together. Let’s take a look.
1.) A good fisherman knows how to hook a fish, because he knows what the fish is looking for.
He has a good understanding of the fish that he’s trying to catch and so he knows what bait he needs to use. He knows exactly what the fish’s needs are and so he’s better equipped to provide the fish with the proper bait. If he’s fishing for trout, than he must not be fishing for swordfish, so he’ll use that bait that the trout needs rather than bait for a large saltwater fish.
The Christian witness should do the same. We are equipped by the Holy Spirit with discernment. Romans 8:11 tells us that we have the same Spirit within us that raised Jesus from the dead. He knows the hearts of people and He wants to communicate that to us. Therefore we have the spiritual equipment to discern what the needs of people are and minister to those needs. For example, there are certain people we encounter who are broken down by life. These need to be ministered to from a heart of love and compassion. We need to let the Word of God soothe their wounds and minister healing to them. Another example is a proud person, who seems to have all of their needs met and doesn’t seem to be concerned with God at all. This person needs the Word of God to correct their thinking and become repentant.
As “fishers of men” it’s our job to know the difference and minister accordingly. Have discernment. Know what the need is and minister to it.
2.) A good fisherman always goes to the lake with a full tackle box.
He prepares beforehand and gathers the things that he’ll need. It’s no use going fishing unless we’re prepared to catch something. Likewise, when we go into the Harvest we need to be prepared and make sure our spiritual “tackle box” is full. We should be prayed up and well versed in the Word so that we can adequately deal with whatever we come upon.
Of course there are days and moments when we don’t feel as prepared and we haven’t spent as much time in the Word or in prayer as we would like. Sometimes that can shake our confidence. I’m not making light of those moments, because the Holy Spirit is always available to make up the difference in every area that we might lack. But it’s still good practice to be prepared. Did it ever dawn on you that your quiet time spent with God may not just be for you and you alone? Perhaps there are things that God is preparing you for when you’re alone with Him that will make a change in a person’s life later on.
As “fishers of men” it’s our job to stock our spiritual “tackle boxes” beforehand in prayer and in the Word. Let’s prepare for the Harvest and go get it!
3.) A good fisherman always makes sure that the fish doesn’t see him.
One of the things I learned from the time I spent fishing for grouper in Florida is that like most fish, grouper are very keen sighted. And if they see you or your shadow, they’re gone. Knowing this, we would always go out of our way to make sure that the grouper didn’t see where we were standing. We didn’t want to spoil the catch by letting ourselves be seen.
We should take the same care when witnessing to people. We must strive to ensure that Jesus is the only person that people see. You and I apart from Christ have nothing to offer to hurting humanity. Therefore we must rely on the anointing that comes from Him and ensure that Jesus is the only one who is seen.
As “fishers of men” we need to have our lives hidden in Christ. Let Jesus shine through everything you do and every word you say. After all it’s the love of Christ that leads a man to repentance.
Finally….
4.) A good fisherman loves “the fish” more than he loves “to fish.”
At the end of the day, a fisherman is after the fish. It’s his prize. It’s the one thing that he desires. As much as he may enjoy the rush of casting a line, setting the hook and reeling it in, ultimately it’s all about the fish itself. When you see a bass fisherman win a tournament, he always holds up the fish in victory. You never see him hold up his rod and reel. He’s not up there celebrating his technique or his boat. It’s all about the fish.
It’s the same for us. It’s not about the ministry, it’s about the people. We have a way of getting so enamored with ministries that we see functioning around us. This has a way of taking our attention off of the thing that’s most important, the people. We must prize the people. Fall in love with the lost. We must recognize that after the thrill of the chase is over, it’s people that are at the Heart of God. Love will drive you to see past the imperfections and vain arguments of people and minister their needs. Love will cause you to see people through the eyes of the One who died for them. This will protect you from offense and cause you to desire “the fish” more than “fishing.”
As “fishers of men” we need to love the world around us and make reaching the lost our goal.
Let these thoughts settle in your heart and shape the way you relate to the Harvest around you. I’ll be back on Wednesday to continue our series.