LET'S GO FISHING!
And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. (Luke 5:6)
As I write this article, two of my fishing buddies are casting their lines in Galveston. I was scheduled to be with them but had gotten behind in my work and could not go. One of them called me and then sent me a photo via email of another fisherman catching a "big one." Although I miss being there on the water with them, I realize that Jesus had something else in mind when He told the Disciples that He would make them "fishers of men."
For the church, evangelism is mandatory. Evangelism has the effect of "fishing" for lost souls. Fish are not caught by accident. Fish don't just jump out of the Gulf of Mexico into your frying pan. We cant' just go into our back yards, put a bucket of water on the ground, drop a line in the bucket, and expect to catch fish. We have to go where the fish are swimming. Accordingly we cannot just wait for people to come to our churches on Sunday morning and expect them to join. We must evangelize everywhere we go and invite them to accept Jesus as their Savior.
Somebody once said that there are 3 types of fishing: recreational, occupational, and vocational. Of course the recreational fisherman just does it for fun and relaxation. The occupational fisherman is doing it to make a living, but otherwise would not do it. But the vocational fisherman does it as a lifetime commitment. Christians should consider ourselves as vocational evangelist. As "fishers of men" we are always out to share the Gospel.
A church that is not evangelizing is like a fishing boat that never leaves the docks. You may catch a few small fish around the dock, but if you want to catch the big fish, you have to launch out into the deep. And of course when you set sail, make sure that Jesus is in the boat with you. Only then can we fill our nets and please God.
My buddies called again and said they had caught a few sand trout. They enjoyed themselves. Hopefully I can go with them next time. However until then, I will still be fishing....for the two legged kind! Hallelujah!
