Who Can Fish?

Those who fish are faithful.

English Standard Version Chapter 28

The Great Commission

16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 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 all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 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 all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

We began talking about evangelism last week. One of the passages we talked about was , the Great Commission. It is within the Great Commission that we understand our need to go fishing, but also the method of fishing (making disciples), and who supplies to fish. Simply put, we go fishing, but we are fishing under the power and direction of the Spirit of God.

We can take the best bait to the lake, but even still, could have little results. Does anyone love fishing? I used to fish, but I really gave up on it (mostly due to time). I grew up on three lakes, had a brother that like to fish, and friends that liked to fish. Therefore, we fished. We could spend all day outside fishing and not get a single bite. Has this happend to you? Even still, we had a great time, because part of the fishing experience is the joy of being outside in God’s creation.

While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21 And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

If you fish in real life, it takes faithfulness. You need to be faithful to catch bait (or let’s be honest; puchase bait). You must be faithful to rise early (everyone knows the best time to fish is in the morning). You need to be faithful to take care of your fishing gear. Fishing line does not go out well if it is tangled. These are just some of the basics of fishing. I am no pro fisher, so I am going to leave it to the pros. But what I can tell you is that the fisherman can do all of that and still have a bad day.

We as believers in Jesus Christ, we must be faithful to our fishing task of making disciples. Jesus, with all authority, commands us to Go, to Make, to Baptize, and to Teach.

Jesus commands us to go.

Jesus commands us to make disciples.

Jesus commands us to baptize.

Jesus commands us to teach.

Those are a lot of commands to be faithful to right? Not so fast…they go hand-in-hand. Your desire to Go indicates your level of faithfulness. Going is the hardest part. If you go, then God through you will help and he will make disciples. Jesus will save souls. Those souls in a natural obedience and step of faith, are then baptized.

Quickly, if you have not been baptized and declare to be a follower of Jesus, how is that so. Now, nothing about baptism saves you (it is a symbol). However, it is a command that Jesus has given us. Baptism was not just a command, it was one of the first commands. If Jesus’ first command trips us up, how are we to follow the other commands?

The simple go requires faithfulness.

Making disciples and connecting people with Christ, requires faithfulness.

Baptism requires faithfulness. Faith that God has saved me and faith that I surrender and desire to show others that I am following Jesus.

Teaching others requires faithfulness.

We can only be as faithful as we desire.

Fishermen are Fishing

Those who fish…fish.

English Standard Version Chapter 4

Jesus Calls the First Disciples

18 While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21 And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

In Matthew Chapter 4, we are introduced to Jesus’ first disciples. We are told a story about these men who followed Jesus closely. Verse 18. “While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. We do not know the profession of all the disciples, but we know that these first few were fishermen. So the question that begs to be answered? Can non fishermen fish? Well, I by no means would classify myself as a fishermen, but I have fished before. Jesus uses the terminology of their profession to show them the impact that they can make. He calls them to “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

In Matthew Chapter 4, we are introduced to Jesus’ first disciples. We are told a story about these men who followed Jesus closely. Verse 18. “While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. We do not know the profession of all the disciples, but we know that these first few were fishermen. So the question that begs to be answered? Can non fishermen fish? Well, I by no means would classify myself as a fishermen, but I have fished before. Jesus uses the terminology of their profession to show them the impact that they can make. He calls them to “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

Who is Jesus talking to here? I mean these men know how to follow. These men are in the fishing business. They know where to cast the nets, they know where to fish and what time to fish. They are in a family business. They have clearly been followers. Jesus is calling them to follow Him. That is a bold claim and a huge life alternating event for these disciples. If you follow Jesus, you are denying everything you have to follow Him. Look what these disciples did.

English Standard Version Chapter 4

Jesus Calls the First Disciples

18 While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21 And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

“Immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.”

Those who fish are followers who follow God. They left their profession. They left their means of providing for the family. They left their family. The mission and call to be fishers of men meant leaving everything aside, future success, family security, and other comforts, all for a man they just met minutes before.

When Jesus calls you to go fishing, you stop and you lay aside everything to go fishing.

If Jesus has called you out of the depths, you are a follower that fishes. Each and every believer is called to go and make disciples, who makes disciples.

Students, this is pretty straightforward stuff here. These fishermen by profession, are now fishermen who are followers of Jesus. Their passion for fishing is now harnessed with a new identity of fishing for Christ.

Really quick, while not the major point, we can benefit from knowing a few things about fishing. These six traits are not my own.

Further, these men were fishermen. It has been pointed out by many scholars that those who are good at fishing must possess these very qualities which will make them equally good at ‘catching’ people.

(1) They must have patience. They must learn to wait patiently until the fish will take the bait. If they are restless and quick to move, they will never catch anything. To become good at bringing people in, we will have need of patience. It is but rarely in preaching or in teaching that we will see quick results. We must learn to wait.

(2) They must have perseverance. They must learn never to be discouraged, but always to try again. Good preachers and teachers must not be discouraged when nothing seems to happen. They must always be ready to try again.

(3) They must have courage. As the old Greek said when he prayed for the protection of the gods, ‘My boat is so small and the sea is so large.’ They must be ready to risk and to face the fury of the sea and of the gale. Good preachers and teachers must be well aware that there is always a danger in telling people the truth. Those who tell the truth, more often than not, take their reputation and their lives in their hands.

(4) They must have an eye for the right moment. Through experience, they know that there are times when it is hopeless to fish. They know when to cast and when not to cast. Good preachers and teachers chooses the right moment. There are times when people will welcome the truth, and times when they will resent the truth. There are times when the truth will move them, and times when the truth will harden them in their opposition to the truth. Wise preachers and teachers know that there is a time to speak and a time to be silent.

(5) They must fit the bait to the fish. One fish will rise to one bait and another to another. Paul said that he became all things to all people if by any chance he might win some (cf. 1 Corinthians 9:22). Wise preachers and teachers know that the same approach will not win everyone. They may even have to know and recognize their own limitations. They may have to discover that there are certain spheres in which they themselves can work, and others in which they cannot.

(6) They must keep themselves out of sight. If they make their presence too obvious or even show their own shadows, the fish will certainly not bite. Wise preachers and teachers will always seek to present men and women not with themselves but with Jesus Christ. Their aim is to fix people’s eyes not on themselves but on that figure beyond.

Each and everyone of us have people in our life who are swimming around aimlessly in the ocean. Some of your friends or family members may be fish out of water flopping around on the shore. You cannot bring the right bait or say the right words. You must first be faithful, but then you must fish.

Jesus has called you to do so. Our faithfulness is primary here. Jesus will reel in those he has called to Himself. God desire that no man shall perish.

God desire that your friend at school not perish.

God desires that your co-worker not perish.

God desires that your brother or sister not perish.

God wants to use you to connect other students with Christ.

If you have been called to follow Jesus, are you. Did you lay aside everything and begin following Jesus and then letting the Spirit use you to connect others to Christ?

This leads us to our third point.

If we were playing the classic children’s game go fish and you asked for my 7 of hearts (that I had) and I refused to give it to you, we’d have a problem right. If I asked for your four of hearts and you gave it to me, but I

Those who fish are followers.

These men that Jesus called were followers. Everything, their comforts, their families, everything pailed in comparision to following Jesus. That’s it…following Jesus. We we follow Jesus and lay aside everything, we naturally follow him and he turns around our passions, just like he took fishermen and made them true fishers of men.

Jesus can take your passion for music and use it to connect others to Christ.

Jesus can take your love for food and use it to connect people to Christ.

Jesus can take your love for sports and use it to connect people to Christ.

Whatever your love and passions are, Jesus is not calling you to be someone you are not. He desires to call you to Himself and then use you as a vessel to connect your friends and family to Christ. You just need to be willing to be a follower.

Are you willing to trade in your playbook to follow Jesus?

Are you willing to trade in your music book to follow Jesus?

Are you willing to trade in your cookbook to follow Jesus?

Are you willing to trade in your headset to follow Jesus?

Jesus used these disciples in amazing ways. They were just men who were willing to drop everything to be followers of Jesus.

If Jesus calls you to drop everything, will you follow?

These disciples dropped everything and then Jesus took their skillset and crafted it to go and make disciples.

Two points of application.

Follow Jesus

Are you here today and not a follower of Jesus. You have heard very convicingly that Jesus commands us to follow Him. He has and it was God’s plan from the beginning. But I cannot make you be a follower of Jesus. You have the decision to make. You must decide, am I ready to follow Jesus. There is no reason for the answer to be no. If you do not answer yes to following Jesus, you one day will, but it may be too late. Scripture states that it is appointed once for man to die, and then face judgment. Will you follow Jesus?

The individual that is a non-believer.

Are you missing a step along the journey. Some of you have said yes to Jesus, but you have not gone all in. Some of you need to get baptized (declaring to the world and to yourself that I am a Christfollower). It doesn’t matter how old you are or how long you have been a follower. Baptism shows the world that you are serious and that you are obeying Christ’s command. Some of you need to be baptized. I’d love to talk to you about what that looks like.

Some of you need to drop something in your life to follow Jesus fully. Things get in the way and will continue to get in the way, but we must continue to set things aside in-order-to follow Jesus.

The individual that needs to make the next step.

Some of us need to redidicate our life to following Jesus. Let’s do business with God.

The individual that

Go and Make Disciples

Our second point of application is to Go and make disciples. Who can fish? Believers in Christ. Every believer is called to go and make disciples. It is not going to be easy inviting your friend to One Night, One Life, but it’ll be worth it because you are being a faithful fish follower. You are being faithful to go and make disciples. You are being faithful to fish. And you are being faithful because you are following Jesus.

We have great things ahead at Kingsland Baptist Church and with Kingsland Students. I truly believe that you all are going to do great things for the Kingdom. Let’s commit together to drop our nets, follow Jesus, and take a ride on the boat as we live life together seeking to connect people with Christ.