Fishing for Men
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(4:18–22)
The following widely told story is a sobering parable of what the church’s concern for evangelism has often been like.
On a dangerous seacoast where shipwrecks were frequent, a crude little life-saving station was built. The building was just a hut, and there was only one boat, but the few devoted crewmen kept a constant watch over the sea. With no thought for themselves, they went out day or night, tirelessly searching for any who might need help. Many lives were saved by their devoted efforts. After a while the station became famous. Some of those who were saved, as well as others in the surrounding area, wanted to become a part of the work. They gave time and money for its support. New boats were bought, additional crews were trained, and the station grew. Some of the members became unhappy that the building was so crude. They felt a larger, nicer place would be more appropriate as the first refuge of those saved from the sea. So they replaced the emergency cots with hospital beds and put better furniture in the enlarged building. Soon the station became a popular gathering place for its members to discuss the work and to visit with each other. They continued to remodel and decorate until the station more and more took on the look and character of a club. Fewer members were interested in going out on lifesaving missions, so they hired professional crews to do the work on their behalf. The lifesaving motif still prevailed on the club emblems and stationery, and there was a liturgical lifeboat in the room where the club held its initiations. One day a large ship was wrecked off the coast, and the hired crews brought in many boatloads of cold, wet, half-drowned people. They were dirty, bruised, and sick; and some had black or yellow skin. The beautiful new club was terribly messed up, and so the property committee immediately had a shower house built outside, where the shipwreck victims could be cleaned up before coming inside. At the next meeting there was a split in the club membership. Most of the members wanted to stop the club’s lifesaving activities altogether, as being unpleasant and a hindrance to the normal social life of the club. Some members insisted on keeping lifesaving as their primary purpose and pointed out that, after all, they were still called a lifesaving station. But those members were voted down and told that if they wanted to save lives they could begin their own station down the coast somewhere. As the years went by, the new station gradually faced the same problems the other one had experienced. It, too, became a club, and its lifesaving work became less and less of a priority. The few members who remained dedicated to lifesaving began another station. History continued to repeat itself; and if you visit that coast today you will find a number of exclusive clubs along the shore. Shipwrecks are still frequent in those waters, but most of the people drown.
What a striking illustration of the history of the church.
The work of evangelism, of spiritual lifesaving, is the purest, truest, noblest, and most essential work the church will ever do.
The work of fishing men and women out of the sea of sin is the greatest work the church is called by God to do.
Rescuing men from sin is God’s great concern.
Evangelism has been called the sob of God.
Concern for the lost caused Jesus to grieve over unbelieving Jerusalem (Matt. 23:37).
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!
God sent His Son to earth for the very purpose of saving men from sin (John 3:16–17).
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
Jesus Himself came “to seek and to save that which was lost”
(Luke 19:10).
for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
The Holy Spirit gives to those who believe “the washing of regeneration and renewing”
(Titus 3:5).
not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,
The whole Trinity is at work in the ministry of saving mankind from sin.
Father sent the Son to rescue us.
The Son dies so we can live.
The Holy Spirit draws us to God.
God’s concern for redeeming mankind should be our concern!
God’s people were to share His concern for the lost.
Moses was so desperate for the salvation of his own rebellious people that he cried to God (Ex. 32:32)
Yet now, if You will forgive their sin—but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written.”
The writer of Proverbs reminded Israel (Prov. 11:30).
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who wins souls is wise.
The Lord told Daniel (Dan. 12:3).
Those who are wise shall shine Like the brightness of the firmament, And those who turn many to righteousness Like the stars forever and ever.
Evangelism was the great concern of the New Testament church.
Immediately after Pentecost, the new believers were totally dedicated to God and to winning others to Him. (Acts 2:42–47)
And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.
Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common,
and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.
So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart,
praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
The first great persecution of the church in Jerusalem began under Saul they evangelized (Acts 8:1–4)
Now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.
And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.
As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.
Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word.
They did not despair over their hardship but took it as an opportunity to expand the Lord’s work.
We can do the same!!!
After Saul (Paul) was converted, his own great concern was evangelism (Rom. 1:14–16).
I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise.
So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
Paul was called to be God’s special apostle to the Gentiles (Acts 9:15)
But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel.
Paul had an overwhelming desire for the salvation of his fellow Jews (Rom. 9:3; 10:1)
For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh,
Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.
He wanted everyone to be saved (1 Cor. 9:22)
to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
Evangelism has been the heartthrob of faithful Christians throughout the history of the church.
John Knox pleaded with God, “Give me Scotland or I die.”
John Wesley considered the whole world his parish.
Like the Christian life in general, soul-winning involves a paradox (Matt. 16:25)
The life of evangelism involves sacrificing the greater for the lesser, the worthy for the unworthy. (Matt. 16:25)
For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
Forms of evangelize are used over fifty times in the New Testament.
Evangelizing is the primary thrust of the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19).
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
When Jesus called His disciples to Himself, He also called them to call others.
