With Jesus, we can be fishers of men

With Jesus, we can be “fishers of men”

Text: Matt. 4.18-20

Thesis: To emphasize that Jesus has called us to be fishers of men, which is something

             that we can be because Jesus is there to help us.

Introduction:

(1)    How would you respond to someone’s coming to your place of work and asking you to drop everything and to come and follow him?

(2)    Let us note some principles of “fishing for men:”

Discussion:

I.                    In order to catch fish, you must have and use the correct bait.

A.     A fisherman has many various tools in his tackle box and he learns which ones are appropriate for the given situation.

B.     A Christian also has many various tools available.

1.      The message is always the same, which is the gospel (cf. 1 Cor. 15.1-4).

a.       We must study (2 Tim. 2.15).

b.      We must teach (Matt. 28.19).

2.      However, the methods used in proclaiming that message may vary from situation to situation (cf. 1 Cor. 9.19-23).

a.       Just like parents approach each individual child differently, we must approach each individual person differently.

b.      We must learn from the Master Teacher who employed many various teaching methods.

II.                 In order to catch fish, you must be persistent in keeping at fishing.

A.     A fisherman may go out one day and catch 20 and only catch 1 on the very next day or he may catch nothing for hours only to catch several in the last hour of the day.

B.     Likewise, a Christian must keep at it regardless of past and/or present failures.

1.      In the parable of the sower and the seed, we taught to keep sowing in spite of the fact that only a minority will truly receive it (Matt. 13.1ff.; cf. Matt. 7.13-14).

2.      We must keep in mind that God only expects us to sow the seed because the decision of reception rests with the ones whom we teach.

III.               In order to catch fish, you must be patient in reeling in the fish.

A.     A fisherman knows that he will face resistance from a fish and he will not be overly fast or overly slow in reeling in the fish so that the fish doesn’t get away.

B.     Likewise, a Christian must understand the urgency of salvation (cf. 2 Cor. 6.2; James 4.13) while giving others the appropriate time to digest the message and to make a decision (cf. 2 Pet. 3.9).

Conclusion:

(1)    Let us also remember that Jesus is with us when we teach in His name.

(a)    Without Him, we will fail.

(b)   With Him:

1)      Our nets can be full despite the fact that they were previously empty (cf. John 21.8).

2)      We will succeed!

(2)  Will you drop your nets and follow Him?