Who is Jesus? What is his purpose? Today we discuss how Jesus is the fisher of people.
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
Watch the video of this teaching at https://www.celllifechurch.tv/jesus-is-the-fisher-of-people/ or on our YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/qLXlzbaS3Ug
Over the coming weeks, we are going to share a series of messages titled Jesus Is. We need to know who Jesus is and study his teachings. We can apply what he teaches us and avoid the tricks and traps of the devil through studying Jesus in the scriptures.
Jesus is the best example of how we should live, work, and relate to others. We must make it a habit of reading his teachings, praying, and listening for his voice as we go about our day doing what the Lord has created and equipped us for and called us to do.
Today we are going to talk about Jesus being the master fisher of people.
We read about Jesus calling his first disciples in Matthew 4:18-22.
(18) As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. (19) “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” (20) At once they left their nets and followed him. (21) Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, (22) and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
Jesus knew he wanted ordinary people from ordinary walks of life. Jesus was the son of a carpenter and we know he learned the trade by reading Mark 6:3. In this passage, Jesus is teaching in the synagogue in his hometown of Nazareth, but few listened to him. They could only see him as the local carpenter.
To the people who did not know him, Jesus appeared to be just another carpenter, that is until they had an encounter with him. Once someone had a personal encounter with him they often followed him wherever he went listening to his teaching and wisdom.
He called Peter and Andrew first. He told them to follow him and he would teach them and send them out to fish for people. Peter and Andrew were fishermen. They spent their days in a boat casting out nets to catch fish to sell at the market. Jesus told them to follow him and he would use the fishing skills they had to catch people for the Kingdom of God.
When Jesus calls us, he knows we have already been created for a purpose and God has equipped us for the tasks He has for us. Peter, Andrew, James, and John were fishermen. This is what they knew. It is how they thought.
A good fisherman must know where the fish are. You must use the right bait and you need to have patience. These men knew this and they made it their business. Fishing was how they made their living. Jesus took this skill they had and taught them to fish for people instead of fish.
What are you equipped for? What are your talents and abilities? God will use those talents and abilities to help you influence and win people for the Kingdom of God in your everyday life. It is easier for the professional football player to speak into the lives and hearts of other athletes than it is for a farmer. It is easier for a farmer to influence and speak into the lives of agriculture workers and families than a factory worker. It often takes a businessman to speak truth into the life and heart of other business people.
God has given you these talents and abilities to use when serving him and also to gain influence in others’ lives. This allows you the opportunity to share the love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness of Jesus Christ with them.
I spent many years serving in the US Navy on submarines. It was during this time that I said yes to Jesus and became a Christian. My life changed completely, but I was still doing the same job with the same people. That was 30 years ago and there were very few Christians in those submarines I served on. Today I talk to some of my old friends that I served with. They are now Christians and often say they marveled at the change in my life the Lord made.
Use the talents, abilities, and situations the Lord gives you to represent Jesus and share the love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness that he offers.
We are all called to fish for people. Before Jesus ascended up to heaven he gave us the great commission. We read this in Matthew 28:18-20.
(18) Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. (19) Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (20) and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
We are all instructed to go and make disciples. We all have the task to point people to Jesus and teach them his ways.
Jesus taught each person he encountered by relating to them. Jesus is all things to all people and can relate to anyone. You can’t quite do that. But you can learn from how he related to different people in scripture and apply that to your life today.
Use the gifts, talents, and influence you have to serve others. Reach out to those you have relationships with. Share the love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness of Jesus Christ with them. Use the influence you have to make disciples when you are at work, at school, in the marketplace, or at home. Wherever you have influence and skill, use those skills to seek out people to share Jesus with.
Peter, Andrew, James, and John used the talents of being fishermen to catch people. Maybe you are a farmer and can use the skills of growing crops, like patience, adequate watering, and fertilizing, to teach people to look to Jesus and learn his ways.
You might be a business person who is used to planning, counting the cost of those plans, and then putting those plans in motion to build or grow a business. These same skills are needed to reach people for Jesus. We need planners and people who can count the cost of a plan so we don’t start something we cannot finish.
Don’t wait for tomorrow either. After Jesus called Peter and Andrew he called James and John and they immediately dropped their nets, left their father, and started following Jesus. This teaches us that when the Lord calls us to do something, we must do it, right then. Don’t wait and don’t put it off. You must do what he asks when he asks you to. People’s eternal souls depend on it.
Jesus is the master fisher of people. He teaches us to use the gifts, talents, and abilities the Lord has equipped us with to point people to Jesus and lead them to the Kingdom of God.
Don’t hesitate to learn from Jesus, follow his lead, and use the skills and influence you have to fish for people. God created you with a plan and purpose and it is centered around pointing people to Jesus Christ and being His hands and feet in this lost and dying world.
Jesus is the master fisher of people and he is calling you to join him. Do it, and do it now.
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