Fishers of Men

Fishers of Men

Text: Mark 1:16-17

1:16 Now as he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.

1:17 And Jesus said unto them, (1.)Come ye after me, or (Come and follow me) and (2).I will make you (3).to become fishers of men.

I. Catching the Men- Fish

              I would like for the women to please excuse me this is men's day and I really need to focus on them this morning. However I do need you Amen's and prayers if it hits you my sister just give a slight holler. And we will continue a man is hard to get in the church. I really need to stay focused so the Holy Ghost can use me in the name of Jesus. God will get all of the glory. It is not about me or you it all about God.

           When the pastor goes fishing he must make preparation to catch the type of fish that is in his pond, he is searching for. . I want to describe the fisherman and the fish. There are many more descriptions, you have the Bass fisherman, the trout, the deep-sea fisherman, the sports fisherman, then there is the one who just fishes for anything that is available that's another fish tale, One day he may be trying to catch bream, now sometimes they are real easy to catch, especially when they are bedding, you can catch them just about every time you go. Now fresh water cats are plentiful when they're biting. Cats will bite anything you throw at them. We have catfish in the congregation, they will bite anything that that they can get in there mouths, do you know some people like that anything you tell them, they will believe and tell some one else (Catfish ). Now, we have what is called a Shell Cracker they are good fighters and never give up sometimes they're still fighting when you put them in the bucket a strong fish. And the mullet he beats all I have seen the mullet will fight even after you put him in the bucket he will get away if you do not put something on top of the bucket too. People in the church have character like some of these fish you have to look real close to see exactly which is which. Are they fighters that give up after they are caught or they continued to fight after they are caught.  

            Then, there is the speckled perch, he is a special kind of fish it takes some training to catch a speck, they are caught mainly, when it is cold, at first light in the morning, or late in the evenings when the sun is going down. When it is dark they feed in the night, the fisher have to stay up late, or all night long then the fisher must get up early in the morning , I mean praying and studying, the Lord will reveal what technique you need to catch the fish we want to stay with catching men fish (Jesus said I will make you fishers of men) When Jesus wanted to talk to the man he called his name remember Zaccheus he was in the Sycamore tree, come down I will dine at your house he had fellowship with him.

               The same was when he met Luke he went to Luke's house and became the center of attraction. Had a chance to witness to everyone at the party, man needs to be invited, and fellowshipped with. He called Lazarus back from the dead because John 11:²⁵Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; ²⁶and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

 This is how Jesus operated he had the setup where he got everyone's undivided attention. In these scriptures, we will find that Jesus was gathering his workers for the vineyard, truly the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers few. He was just walking by the sea side and saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea, and said come follow me and I will make you fishers of men. Other words you are my disciples and I will teach you, train you, how to be a witness of me or how to tell the story, to the world this is what it is all about giving God the glory, Blessing God, Praising God, Thanking God for Jesus. Thanking Jesus for what he has done. First you must learn what it is you must say, preach or teach and who it is that you are talking about. You cannot teach that you do not know and you cannot lead where you do not go. This is where we mess up; we get our wires crossed before we get the wires. Stay with the bible: We must study to show our self approved a workman need not be ashamed but rightly divide the word of truth.

           II How to teach them to survive

             This is survival because if you do not know the word of God the devil will confuse you. We must live so God can use us.  The other way to survive is to have a good Prayer life this is communing with the Lord every day telling him all about you. You must be honest with yourself before you can be honest with GOD. There will be a point in the lives of a Christian when they will have trouble, it comes sparingly then sometimes it comes in groves, with a whole lot of stress that they may have caused, family problems, wife is mad for some unknown reason, disobedient and disrespectful children, and trouble on the job Lord my world is falling apart. I need some help!!!!!

                 When Jesus had to go off and pray for a while he sent the men off across the Sea of Galilee, and a storm came up they were scared and cried out to Jesus well while Jesus was yet praying he got up and went to see about them that is when Peter asked the Lord could he come to him on the water. Jesus told him to come and he began to walk on the water: stop here and talk a little about really trusting in the Lord of our lives. Some of us are walking on the water just don't look down look at Jesus. Please look at him.

              III  How to keep them alive

            And you say I thought he was talking about fishing for men.  I am however the fisher must be aware of what the fish are going through. It is very stressful when a fish is hooked (or in Sin) and if you plan to release him (or help them to get released from Sin) you must know what to do and how to treat the captured fish (or sinner). Not saying when they are born into the church they are not captured. Paul says he is a slave for Jesus Christ; he say for me to die in Christ is gain. Dying to the world and being born in God remember what he told Nicodemus you must be born again. Their lives become very emotional and their feeling must be explained, the song what is this that has me feeling so good right now. I wanted to learn about the Holy Spirit because I had to know why I felt like I did when I just thought about Jesus and how he made a difference in my life. Then the same son of God dying for your sins and mine, to hearing the voice of God telling to get it right and go ahead on.

           Now we know why Jesus said come follow me and I will make, I will teach, I will guide you. Because he was the process, because he was the process, the research, analyzer to be analyzed, when we talk about making something, we are talking about training the disciples so that they can be a helper not a problem, a leader or a teacher. To help some one else who may need to learn how to fish for men. Now Jesus had a method that would not be topped by anyone else, who might come after him to destroy what he has established here on earth. Mind you my brothers and sisters some body is always looking for ways to undo what you have done. But they cannot when it is done in the name of Jesus; there is power in his name!!!!!!

1. El-Shaddai, Almighty God Genesis 17:1
   [The Covenant of Circumcision] When Abram was ninety-nine years old; the LORD appeared to him and said, "I am God Almighty [Hebrew El-Shaddai]; walk before me and be blameless.
   Genesis 17:1-3 (in Context) Genesis 17 (Whole Chapter)

What has been built here in Perry and surrounding counties? Today is men's day it is a day of cerebration for all the men  to say to thank you Jesus for holding on to our hands. This story suits this occasion.

              By Rev Robert M Butler Jr.