Fishers of Men
All disciples of Jesus have one main purpose for their lives. We are to fulfill the Great Commission, which commands us to make disciples of all of the people groups in this world. We are the hands, feet, and mouth of Jesus, now that He is gone back to be seated at the right hand of God, the Father. He has given us the Holy Spirit to empower us to accomplish His purpose for us, so we have all we need. That is why when Jesus called His first disciples in Galilee, He asked them to follow Him, and He promised to make them fishers of men. (Matthew 4:19) That same invitation is offered to all of us, and if we accept it and follow Him, we will experience His work in our lives.
The very first of the disciples which Jesus called were fishermen on the Sea of Galilee, Peter, Andrew, James, and John. They knew fishing, so Jesus related to them in a way they could understand. They were drawn to Jesus, and at His request, they began to follow Him as His disciples. That meant leaving their profession and their families for a time to learn from Jesus. Their obedience led to a change in their lives. Jesus made them into something new. It was His power and instructions that made them fishers of men, instead of fish. Once He taught them and empowered them, they would catch men for Jesus and His kingdom. That is the greatest thing any of us can ever do. It has eternal dividends for us and the persons whom we bring to the Lord.
Therefore, I would ask us all some questions:
The very first of the disciples which Jesus called were fishermen on the Sea of Galilee, Peter, Andrew, James, and John. They knew fishing, so Jesus related to them in a way they could understand. They were drawn to Jesus, and at His request, they began to follow Him as His disciples. That meant leaving their profession and their families for a time to learn from Jesus. Their obedience led to a change in their lives. Jesus made them into something new. It was His power and instructions that made them fishers of men, instead of fish. Once He taught them and empowered them, they would catch men for Jesus and His kingdom. That is the greatest thing any of us can ever do. It has eternal dividends for us and the persons whom we bring to the Lord.
Therefore, I would ask us all some questions:
- Have you decided to follow Jesus, as Lord and Savior? That is the essential first step.
- If you have, has He made you into a fisher of men yet? If not, it is our fault, not His. We must learn from Him and cooperate with Him, as He changes us.
- If you have let Him work in you, how many men have you caught for Him? That is the question believers will answer in the judgment, when He asks how we have fulfilled His purpose for saving us.