I'm Going Fishing (2)
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It is never good to only make it through half a process...
What good is it to make cake batter, but never bake it?
What good is it to drain the oil and change the filter, but not replace them?
Today I want to expand on “Fishing for men”
We miss many Biblical themes, because we do not understand all of the images and metaphors that the Bible uses.
Symbols and images meant a great deal to the people in Jesus day
Jesus’ teachings all require us to understand certain symbols and metaphors
The wine and wineskins in
The sower and the seed in
The tree and the mustard seed in
Jesus uses of “fishers of men” is more than relating the Disciples day jobs
The sea was the image of ultimate chaos in Jesus’ day
Uncontrollable
Uncontainable
Unquenchable
Unquenchable
To the ancient Hebrews, the sea is in fact a symbol of evil.
In the creation story, when God begins to create the world, the world is a dark, watery chaos. God starts his creative work by asserting control over this chaos. ()
When the flood waters rise in the story of Noah, they destroy all of life on the earth, both human and animal. In fact, no life would have survived if God had not intervened and ordered Noah to build his ark and gather in the animals. ()
When the psalmist describes his life in peril, he turns to the imagery of flood waters and the sea. For example, begins in this way:
Save me, O God!
for the waters have come up to my neck.
I sink where there is no foothold;
For the waters have come up to my neck.
where there is no foothold;
2 I sink in deep mire,
where there is no foothold;
I have come into deep waters,
and the flood sweeps over me.
I have come into deep waters,
I am weary with my cryinh
and the flood sweeps over me.
my throat is parched.
3 I am weary with my crying out;
my throat is parched.
My eyes grow dim
with waiting for my God. ()
My eyes grow dim
with waiting for my God.
When Jesus talks about fishing for men he is talking about rescuing them from complete and total chaos…not just “bringing them to church”
When you think of fishing for men, what is your image? Is it sitting on a lake somewhere with a pole in the sunshine?
Fishing for men is like a scene from the DEADLIEST CATCH! THIS IS SERIOUS BUSINESS
When we just worry about “getting someone to church” we are missing an entire part of the faith and evangelism process
How are you fishing for men?
Some of us are floating down the stream, no net or pole around, just hoping a fish jumps in the boat
Some are fishing, but they haven’t checked their bait in a looong time
Some are fishing, but on their terms- in the calm water- with little results
But we are to be rescuing the world
In many churches the good news has total changed into good advice heres how to live, here’s how to pray, here are techniques to help you become a better Christian, a better person, a better wife or husband and in particular heres how to make sure you are on the right track for what happens after death. Take this advice, say this prayer and you wont go to hell, you will go to heaven- here’s how to do it. THIS IS ADVICE NOT NEWS. The whole point of advice it to make you do something to get a desired result. Now there is nothing wrong with good advice. We all need it. But it is not the same thing as news. New is an announcement that something significant has happened and good news is what Jesus and his first followers were all about!
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016), .