Fishers of Men

Today we will consider the right mechanisms for soul winning as outlined by the Lord Jesus when He taught His own followers about it. We read from Matthew 4, “And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen” (v.18) – one thing to always be mindful of is that everything written in the Scriptures is intentional and not included by mistake. One such an important factor to take note of when reading this narration is that Jesus called two brothers, not once, but twice as He then also called John and James later on (v.21). This gives us an indication that family structures really matter to Jesus, and that we too should always be conscious that it is not the will of God for one person in a family to be born again, but just like we see with the disciples, family members have a role to play in the fulfilment of purpose in each others’ lives. The Lord continued to say to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men” (v.19). It is clear here that there is a making process that every convert has to adhere to, a cooking that will make them able fishers of men in the future. Additionally, it is also worth noting that Jesus made no mistake when choosing fishers, these were people who were active in the marketplace, engaged in a trade that made them fruitful. They were not just idle bodies who had not applied themselves to what they were able to do. And importantly, the nature of fishing requires one to be patient, as it was possible for them to toil for hours and come up with nothing, or even catch something, only to realise it is not the kind of fish they hoped for and would then need to dispose of it. The virtues of patience and endurance are extremely important in God’s kingdom, one needs to be able to do one thing for a long period of time, with a heart that is able to face disappointment without offence time and time again! It follows then that “… they immediately left their nets and followed Him” (v.20). They did not contemplate, they immediately dropped everything when the Lord called for them, leaving behind their own philosophies and adopting the words of the Lord through the “making process”. This is the attitude we too ought to adopt, not being ashamed or playing shy with the gospel, but eagerly following Jesus and adopting His precepts as our own. 

Each and everyone of us has a role to play in the advancement of the gospel because all of us must bring something to Jesus when we meet Him! If it is not through the preaching of the gospel, it is through the funding of the propagation of the message of Jesus! Apostle Paul showed this mindset, saying, “… for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!” (1 Corinthians 9:16). We ought to think the same way; because we have all been given the mandate to further the gospel of the Lord and will have to account to the Master (Romans 1:19; 2 Corinthians 5:18). Jesus said to His followers, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:18-19). Discipleship is a critical element to the advancement of the Lord’s kingdom, because that is where converts are solidified in their faith and turned into able carriers and dispensers of the oracles of God. The Lord continued, “teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (v.20) – signifying the importance of systematic teaching in the life of a believer, because the truth is – miracles do not make disciples. This is again evident in the life of Jesus, He barely performed any miracles for His disciples, miracles were always for the outer court crowd; instead, He spent time teaching them, line upon line, precept upon precept. But today, we have a church that is hunting for miracles above all things, instead of seeking to be converted into a personification of Jesus in order to make a real impact in this world through methodological teaching. Jesus was not called prophet although He could prophesy, He was called Rabbi, a teacher!   

Additionally, Jesus mentioned the importance of converts being baptized, both by water and in the Spirit, because the Holy Spirit is the One who enables us to walk in the victory of Jesus. We cannot afford to de-prioritize the Holy Spirit, He is the One who brings us revelation, who opens up the Scriptures to us and leads us into the way we have chosen. The way of Jesus carries its own commandments and ways of living, we do not just get to do whatever we want to do when we want to do it. It is a waste of one’s own time when we refuse to subject ourselves to learning that will grow us because we do not come into this Kingdom fully cooked, every man who is going somewhere is under a process – there are no shortcuts! These systems are designed for that purpose. It is written, “My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways” (Proverbs 23:26), showing us that it is possible for one to be a child of God yet not have their heart fully given over to God. What and who has your heart? Can we say with full conviction that our heart is in the gospel and we are concerned about the matters of the Kingdom above all things? Church, we are all in a journey of growth, even the disciples began as converts, then followers, then disciples, and then apostles. This happens in stages. This is also seen clearly at the genesis of the church, “And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch” (Acts 11:26) – simply believing does not make one a Christian, being a disciple is what makes you a Christian! So this is our mandate as well, to share the message of Jesus, and once it has been received, we also ought to take the responsibility of walking the journey of growth with the converts – to the end that they become disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ! This is the great commission! 

Prayer

Thank you Lord for your Word, thank You for the grace upon us as ministers of reconciliation and carriers of the message of Your Son, Jesus Christ. We thank You for the Holy Spirit, who is able to convict and able to teach, opening up the Scriptures to us and instructing us in Your ways. We thank You for Your promise that remains, that You are always with us, to the end of the ages. In the name of Jesus! Amen!