DOES THE CHURCH KNOW HOW TO FISH?

MARK 1:16-20: “As he passed alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, Simon’s brother, casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen.  (17)  “Follow me,” Jesus told them, “and I will make you fish for people.”  (18)  Immediately they left their nets and followed him.  (19)  Going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat putting their nets in order.  (20)  Immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.”

OBSERVATION: It’s confession time. I have pastored for over 45 years and I must confess – I am a very poor fisherman. First, I don’t enjoy fishing. I don’t have the makeup to sit in a boat for hours and have nothing happen, and then call it a great day. Second, I don’t even like to eat fish so I guess you can see why I am not a very good fisherman.

Further confession time. For much of my pastoral ministry, I was not a very good fisherman. I viewed the church as the ocean I was called to and did everything I could to attract fish to come into my little pond. We held events, and concerts, had special speakers, and went all out for Easter and Christmas, all with the hope that the fish would come.

Let’s be honest – this is not funny, it is sad.

Yet, this is the condition of most churches. Jesus came upon Simon and Andrew as they were casting their nets into the sea. He called them to follow Him and said that He would make them fishers of men. Jesus made a direct correlation between what they were doing at the moment to what they would be doing from that point forward.

They would be casting out their nets – into the ocean of humanity.

Think about a fisherman who would sit on the shore with a bucket just waiting for fish to jump in. “I am going to catch a big one today,” he says. Yet, how many fish can you catch if you are unwilling to go out into the sea? A fisherman must go to where the fish are and then cast in his net. A fisherman is not static but follows the fish. Each morning he sets sail to find where the fish are.

The Great Commission begins with the word “GO”. It is the call to God’s fishers of men. The sea is the world. The call is to go and find the fish and then cast out our net of the Gospel to catch men, women, and children for the Kingdom. Yet, most churches spend their time and money on facilities and programs. Their boats sit idle and fall into ill repair. If there was a large school of fish passing by they would be ill-equipped to meet them and cast out their nets.

Matthew 28:19-20: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  (20)  teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” CSB

Missionaries are the true fishers of men. They go into regions where the Gospel has never been proclaimed. They don’t find a building, put up a sign, and wait hoping that people will come and check them out. No! They go to the people. They find out the needs of the people. They begin to minister to the human needs of those they are called to reach. And, as they do, they tell them about the One who came to die for their sins so that they could have a new life, an eternal life!

The Church needs to become Missional once again!

Jesus went about healing the sick and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom. He did not set up shop in the Temple. He did not pick a Synagogue as His headquarters. Jesus went to the people. Jesus went from town to town. Jesus sought out the hurting, the sick, the lost, and the disenfranchised. Jesus showed His disciples what it meant to be a fisher of men!

The church in America needs to learn how to fish again. We need to be like D.L. Moody who sought out wayward youth and started Sunday School classes. We need to be like Angelus Temple and the Dream Center that touches lives every day to relieve physical and emotional needs while proclaiming the saving message of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. We need to be like David Wilkerson who reached out to gangs at the threat of his own life to bring them the Good News of Jesus Christ.

We need to get out of our Seats and into the Streets!

What would happen if every church started to fix their boats and prepare to cast out into the community they serve? What if we were more concerned about what we could do outside of the church than all the wonderful programs we could create in the church? What if our budgets reflected our hearts. A true fisherman does not invest in fancy clothes. They don’t care if their boat is covered with metal flake paint. They focus on their rod and reel, their nets, their fish finder, and their ability to go where the fish are!

This morning I am so humbled by this simple statement – “Follow Me…I will make you fishers of people.” Heavenly Father, give me ears to hear, eyes to see, and feet that are obedient to follow Jesus, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and equipped with the net of the Good News.

IT IS TIME TO GO FISHING!

In Jesus’ Name!