Fishers Of Men forms part of our At His Feet Series and will illustrate to you how Jesus called ordinary men to become Fishers Of Men.
Winning souls for the Kingdom of God is one of the most important things for any disciple to do and an aspect that can never become less important.
This factor is the heart of the gospel and the reason for Jesus’ crucifixion:
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.
John 3:16
It is my sincere prayer that the Holy Spirit will reveal things to you from this article that will give your new insight and understanding into this Kingdom Dynamic.
Fishers Of Men
“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. Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” They immediately left their nets and followed Him.
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. He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.
Matthew 4:18-22
A few background factors on the Sea of Galilee
- One of the many names it is called by is ‘violin’ because it has the shape of a violin.
- Many pilgrimages visit the Sea of Galilee and it is speculated that this is where Jesus walked on water.
- The Sea is blessed to this day as it is a source of income for many fishers and the fruitful ground produces bananas, dates, cotton, and alfalfa.
- The Sea of Galilee is the source of one-third of Israel’s fresh drinking water.
- The Sea of Galilee lies in the center of Galilee.
- It is a beautiful place to visit and those who had the privilege of having that experience will tell everyone how awesome it is.
Understanding Their Fishing Methods
During the time Jesus taught in Galilee the Sea of Galilee was crowded with fishing boats.
The fishermen fished by using lines, casting a net, or using a dragnet.
A dragnet had ropes on the four corners of the net and it was then tied between two boats.
As the two boats row the net in the middle will catch the fish.
Casting a net was done by using a circular net and casting it into the water.
This net was then dragged and while this is being done fish got caught in the net.
It is believed that when Jesus called the fishermen that they were using the ‘casting a net’ method.
Good fishermen have to be equipped with certain qualities:
- They must not be visible: Good fishermen must not be visible, because if their visibility is too high the risk that the fish will be scared away is also high.
- They have to recognize the right moment: Good fishermen are equipped with the wisdom of when to fish and when not to fish.
- They have to know what bait to use and how to use it: Good fishermen use different bait for different fish.
- They must be courageous: Good fishermen need the courage to take risks and lay the fears of the storms of the sea aside.
- They must possess perseverance: Good fishermen have to learn never to give up and to keep on trying until they succeed.
- They must have patience: Good fishermen need to wait patiently for the fish to take the bait by sitting still while waiting.
Disciples of Christ have to possess similar qualities as fishermen:
- They must not be visible: As Disciples of Christ, we must be impersonators of Christ, presenting Jesus to others instead of ourselves.
- They have to recognize the right moment: As Disciples of Christ, we must have the wisdom when to share Christ with others and when to remain quiet and rather pray for them.
- They have to know what bait to use and how to use it: As Disciples of Christ, we have to discern the different approaches to use with different people.
- They must be courageous: As Disciples of Christ, we need to be courageous not fearing to tell people the truth and or to face persecution.
- They must possess perseverance: As Disciples of Christ, we as well have to possess perseverance not to get discouraged when the going gets tough and not to give up. Even if it is persisting in prayer if we cannot speak to anyone.
- They must have patience: As Disciples of Christ, we have to possess the patience to wait to catch people for Jesus. We have to possess the wisdom to know when to sit still waiting and praying not to scare them away and when to throw in the line to catch the person for Jesus.
The Kind Of People Fishermen Were
Fishermen were regular people with regular day-to-day routines.
Jesus called them because they were regular people who were willing to leave everything behind and follow Him.
To have an intimate relationship with Him where they can learn His walk and talk to live the example set by Him to them.
Jesus called the regular fishermen to become His disciples to later preach to others what they learn from Him and testify to the miracles they observed Him perform.
How To Obey Christ
It is not possible for everyone to leave everything behind and be obedient to this Kingdom Dynamic to go and make disciples.
My suggestion would always be to first pray and ask God to reveal to you what He wants you to do.
- If you cannot go yourself maybe you can sow in a Mission Organisation to enable others to go and preach the gospel.
The seed you sow is an act of obedience on your part and you will be richly rewarded.
- By prayer and intersession you give part of yourself and your time for the work of the Lord and except for it being an act of obedience, it is also a very important part of missions.
Prayer and intercession help to raise up walls of protection around the workers in the Lord’s field that protect them from all kinds of evil that try to hinder their work.
- Aside from praying for missions, missionaries, and the church, you can also pray for people and organizations. For example your neighborhood, your child/children’s school, teachers, friends, the workplace of you and your spouse, your family, friends, and nation.
Through your prayer and intercession for these people and instances, you prepare the ground for you yourself to be a witness and testify about Christ. You will bloom where you are planted, being obedient to God and at the same time He can use you where you are.
Let’s Get Practical:
Application: We should be His disciples in our regular lives witnessing to unbelievers (Romans 1:5). Ask yourself this question: “If Jesus Christ were to call you today to leave everything behind and follow Him, what will you do?
Prayer points: Pray that you will have patient endurance, keep His commands, and remain faithful to Jesus (Revelation 14:12).
Promise: When we deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Jesus we are His disciples. We will find it when we lose our lives for Jesus (Matthew 16:24-25). We will shine like the brightness of the firmament if we are wise and if we turn many to righteousness we shall shine like the stars forever and ever (Daniel 12:3).
Additional reading: Matthew 4:18-22; John 3:16; Romans 1:5; Revelation 14:12; Matthew 16:24-25.
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Everything in Him, unto Him, and to glorify His Holy Name!
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