Man on a Mission: "Following and Fishing"

Matthew 4:18-25

Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. (Luke 4:14, 15 NIV84)
The environment of Capernaum Jesus makes his base of operations for His ministry Capernaum, a prosperous fishing district by the Sea of Galilee, where he would select His first disciples to turn the world upside down. Because the trade route Via Maris, "way to the sea" ran through it, it was constantly filled with Gentiles, as well as Jews who would take his message of salvation throughout the Roman world.
It was called Galilee of the Gentiles because the tribes of Israel in this Northern region were surrounded on three sides by non-Jewish populations. Ever since the disciplining of Israel through the Assyrian conquest that made it a province under an Assyrian governor in 732 BC, this region experienced continually forced infiltration of Gentile influence. The Sea of Galilee. Parallels to Chicago are obvious.

*Why did Jesus have such a concern with fishing for people? Why not just leave them where they are?

Understanding the references that Jesus was making within the culture gives us a better understanding of what he intends of the church's activity today. He frequently uses three activities which describe how the church will be established, sustain itself and grow - fishing, farming and building.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. (Matthew 4:18 NIV84)
Because fish at the time was a staple food that was cooked, dried and pickled, fisherman were prosperous businessmen in that area compared to the agrarian farmers who worked the land throughout the Roman Empire.“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19 NIV84)

When Jesus said, "Come, follow me," he is establishing this as a message and relationship of grace. In Israel, disciples would go looking for a rabbi who would instruct them, however Jesus turns this on its head. We do not go looking for God, God comes looking for us. Even those who look like they're seekers are those that God is drawing by His loving-kindness. This is why joining Him in fishing for people is imperative.
*Why would Jesus use the analogy of fishing? It is because though by grace, any experience, encounter or benefit that we are going to receive in regards to the life of God is going to take effort. It, like anything of value in life, is a product of God multiplying the effort that you put into it. Like relationships

This is the pattern of God that we see with Abraham, in pagan worship, Moses and the burning bush, etc. God comes to initiate by interrupting the well worn flow and mundane affairs of people's live

This is a living relationship, not a philosophy. We cannot afford to ignore what Jesus is highlighting here - faith is not described as a mental assent, a mere agreement with a set of doctrinal tenets, though they are infinitely important and the foundation of our relationship with God. For example, the acknowledgement of Jesus' identity as the only, unique Son of God, who came in the flesh, born of a Jewish virgin, was sinless, performed miracles, died and was resurrected from the dead in fulfillment of hundreds of years of prophecies gives us the premise through which we trust him and serve Him as Lord. However His resurrection and eternal rulership is the catalyst for our daily pursuit of His will as He continues to direct the affairs of men today. We look for Him to keep in step with Him, FOLLOWING him accordingly.
When we speak of following Jesus, we are acknowledging the relinquishment of our rights. It is the essence of Lordship. We, like Abraham are not told where we will be heading, only the promise that God will be with us and has a better inheritance for us. In relinquishing control, we are submitting to the idea that Jesus knows what is best, when it is best and how things should be done in our relationships, with our time and our finances and careers, all things that pertain to our security and future, though He has not given us a detailed map of what it looks like. This is why we live on every word that proceeds from His mouth. This is why His word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. This is what we rejoice when the instability of the world around us is revealed. Psalm 46. This is the essence of Biblically defined faith - trust, or more specifically, entrusting yourself to someone. He said repent for the Kingdom is near. We have to remember the benefits of the Kingdom (Psalm 103), righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Spirit

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, (Romans 14:17 NIV84)

At once they left their nets and followed him. (Matthew 4:20 NIV84)

There will always be a leaving of something that is familiar, to follow Jesus. It is not necessarily a job that you're leaving, though on some paths, it may require such a crossroads. More often, it is a leaving of comforts, well worn patterns of thinking, and our thoughts of what the future that we planned would look like. it is putting our security fully in the hands of Christ who we acknowledge as sovereign in this fleeting world. It is a casting off of the identity to which you've clung so dearly, and allowing the loving, living, omnipotent God to redefine you ("for they were fishermen"). Remember, for Peter, Andrew, James and John to leave their fathers, they were leaving the family business and their promise of a worldly inheritance. If you did not have to leave anything, if it did not require a change, you would have already been following him, and your life would have reflected the liberties of Scripture.

Practically, we ask these questions:

What have you shown through your Word to be your general, overarching will?
How are you moving today to accomplish that will in my relationships, family and workplace?
What is my part today in serving you to help accomplish that will?
- 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, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. (Matthew 4:21, 22 NIV84)
- Immediacy is the key to obedience in The Lord. Many a graveyard of calling has been filled with those who took the time to contemplate whether following Christ was feasible and expedient. With whom are you trying to deliberate when the maker of the universe calls your name? The term is called "playing the devil's advocate" for a reason. The longer you wait to obey, the harder it becomes to move, because you begin to be loaded down with anxieties, fears and excuses as to why the middle road of nominal, rather than dynamic, faith is better, doesn't require as much and is acceptable to God.
- Our faith walk was never intended to cul de sac with our own personal devotions, solely getting our own needs met. Abraham, the father of our faith, was blessed to be a blessing.

*Jesus, in His call to discipleship, commences with a paradigm disallowing the idea of just showing up at church each Sunday solely thinking of yourself. This is what the majority of American Christians do, but we are challenged to come looking to contribute in worship as much as we are expecting to receive from God in the community of faith. Conversely, Jesus immediately establishes the foundation that we should continuously think about how to see others who don't know Him come onto His boat. This is where we are blessed being a part of a church plant, because it naturally accentuates this goal and need.

Without a doubt, fishing for men is not a gifting or a characteristic of a special class of Christian, but is the mark of any true disciple of Christ. If we are following, we're going to be fishing.
*Whether or not it is on our minds, the penultimate agenda on Jesus' heart is the reconciliation of the individuals of this world with His Father. It is the very reason for the incarnation, the cross and the talk of the Kingdom of God.

“Give me all of you!!! I don’t want so much of your time, so much of your talents and money, and so much of your work. I want YOU!!! ALL OF YOU!! I have not come to torment or frustrate the natural man or woman, but to KILL IT! No half measures will do. I don’t want to only prune a branch here and a branch there; rather I want the whole tree out! Hand it over to me, the whole outfit, all of your desires, all of your wants and wishes and dreams. Turn them ALL over to me, give yourself to me and I will make of you a new self---in my image. Give me yourself and in exchange I will give you Myself. My will, shall become your will. My heart, shall become your heart.” ― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

A young girl, in citing this passage once asked me, "If Jesus said that when we follow Him, He'll make us fishers of men, does that mean that if we are not fishing for people, we are not following Him?" Most times, we try to define for ourselves what it means to follow Jesus, rather than allowing Jesus to define it for Himself. In doing so, we are deceived. At the very least, the girl's inquiry is a penetrating question exposing the incomplete paradigm in which we live.

A description of fishing in the ancient world :

the nets
by team - why it is good to bring friends, family and co-workers to an environment of faith where they can be touched by God. The general statistic is it takes 3-7 significant encounters with the gospel before someone comes to Christ and just as many relationships to stick in his church.
Repetition in casting the nets

Casting their nets vs. the trammel net

For what type of people should we be fishing?

The non-Christian
The unconnected Christian
The co-worker, friend or family member willing to check things out (John 1)

When should we fish for people?: Jesus comes to the first disciples more than likely after a long night of fishing when they are mending their nets

Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well. (Ecclesiastes 11:6 NIV84)

As one of the disciples, John would witness the first miracle of Jesus at the wedding in Cana (John 1:35-2:11). First, Jesus shows how powerful and practical he is by touching even their business endeavors. He is saying there is nothing too big for Him to transform in someone's life and nothing too small for him to care about. He is indicating that when He enters an individual's life, there is no area or sphere that He will leave untouched by His covenant.
It is no mistake that one of Jesus' first miracles in direct relationship to the disciples had to do with fishing. Luke 5:1-11

*In summary, when you are called by Jesus to be a Christian, you are commissioned by Him to also be a co-laborer of His to build His church and Kingdom. It takes absolute diligence and focus to be a builder alongside of Jesus. As we spoke about warfare last week, there is every discouragement and distraction that will attempt to throw you off of the faithful and consistent course of prayer and reaching out. Though men and women born of the Holy Spirit, we far too often resign to our carnal judgments to determine if an activity is worthwhile. We know that prayer is important, but we want to see the immediate results of our single request offered to God before we'll consider investing further time into it. We live in the microwave generation of instant messaging, instant downloads and instant gratification. However, what this does is make our souls weak. We lose the value and practice and fruit of patience. If we do not see an instantaneous finished product, then it is not exciting. And boy, aren't we encouraged to live for pleasures and the next "new" thing. We know that it takes love and consistency to make disciples, but if someone doesn't fall on their knees immediately, we assume that either God is not at work or that He is not interested in using us. These mentalities completely contradict the nature of faith and undercut the analogy that Jesus intentionally made of successful fishing. There is no parent who has been able to experience the overwhelming joy of parenthood, whether through adoption or natural birth, without the travail of the process.

When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, (Luke 5:4-9 NIV84)

We often feel like we do not have the strength to help others, but here is part of the good news of the gospel, that Jesus heals us so that we might have the strength to love and serve Him. It is so often that we are waiting for healing before we move, but instead it is as we go, as we are looking to give, that we are actually healed (Luke - ten lepers).

What does fishing for people look like in our context?:

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demonpossessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them. Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him. (Matthew 4:23-25 NIV84)
Just as people BROUGHT to Jesus people in these conditions, physically, psychologically, emotionally or circumstantially, so can we. And they can be healed. INVITATION is the key here.
There is a crescendo leading to Matthew 10 where the disciples first see Jesus' ability, and then are sent to the people to heal themselves by the power of Jesus' authority and the Holy Spirit.

This is one of the unique purposes of our Purple Book groups that are beginning. Please join not only to be exposed, but to learn to articulate what you have come to believe. Strengths and weaknesses of invitational style

Different styles of evangelism found in Becoming a Contagious Christian by Bill Hybels of Willow Creek: Invitational Style

Percentage of people who said they would come if someone invited them to church vs. percentage invited. Bringing people to Jesus does not have to be limited to an invitation to church - there are a multiplicity of environments and scenarios to aid this.
Christmas is an easy time to invite people. It will be fantastic practice for the city even as many of you go home for the holidays.
This is a fantastic realization as we approach our first Pre-launch service December 9

Practical faith goal for every disciple:

Pray for at least three unconnected Christians or non Christians in your sphere daily for the next three weeks.
Invite them to join us with the hope of at least one of them coming and drawing closer to Jesus and his church December 9

2nd City Church - Man on a Mission Sermon Series 2012

Man on a Mission: "Following and Fishing"

Rollan Fisher