JESUS CHRIST CALLED US TO FISH FOR MEN

“Come, follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19)

• Fishermen are a unique breed. They’re not always understood by the nonfishing fraternity.

More often than not, they are looked at kind of oddly. Likewise, fishers of men don’t

lend themselves toward neat ecclesiastical job descriptions.

• Fishermen are passionate. They are willing to rise at godforsaken hours to pursue their love.

Likewise, fishers of men are passionate about their devotional life and are not deterred

by their need for sleep.

• Fishermen are people of knowledge and skill. They know the terrain of the stream and where

fish like to hide out and what they like to feed on. Likewise, fishers of men know the

world people live in and the things they’re being attracted to.

• Fishermen are characterized by singleness of purpose. They are focused and concentrated on

the task at hand, consumed by one simple overarching concern, catching fish. Likewise,

fishers of men are highly singular, driven by one desire, to see people become mature

disciples. That is, spending personal time daily with God, growing in prayer and under-

standing the Word (and as a result, living in profound dependence upon Christ), sharing

Christ with others, and not only that, but going on to invest time and work in them

until they too are reproducing those traits in others.

• Fishermen are people of adventure. They are always looking for the next bend in the stream,

never content with a fished-out hole but always on the lookout for the next productive

place in the river. Likewise, fishers of men are never content with maintenance but are

always on the lookout for the next opportune spot in the world.

• Fishermen stick to the basics. Old fishermen aren’t particularly captivated by the latest fads

and techniques. Likewise, fishers of men are not easily drawn away from the basics of

discipleship, prayer, Scripture and evangelism.

• Fishermen are eager to share their knowledge and skill with others. They are only too eager to

share their passion with someone of like passion. Likewise, fishers of men know the

great joy and exhilaration of catching men and are genuinely excited to share that joy with

others.

• Fishermen catch fish. True fishermen don’t use the line, “You should have seen the one that got

away.” They, without commenting, just hold up their full stringer. Likewise, fishers of

men don’t have any excuses or empty words, just a legacy of men who have been caught

for Christ. No bull here.w