The Center of His Plan

What was Jesus' plan for developing people whose lives would result in covering the earth with the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea? What was his method for making "Kingdom-Advancers" who would get the gospel to all nations? What is He seeking to do in my life and your life, if we boil it down to its most basic essence? What is OUR CALL?

Matthew 4:19: "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."

This is the brief, life-changing call of Jesus to his first "full-time" disciples. What does this call include?

• A CALL to follow Jesus. This is the essence of discipleship: following Him. It is personal, not just following a list of rules. It calls for obedience, it calls for submissiveness, it calls for trust that He is leading in a good way, the best way...the way that leads to life and meaning and impact. Following Jesus, as we see from the gospels, calls for willingness to be a LEARNER in all of life, for that is where Jesus teaches (not just in church on Sunday!). Following Jesus is a call to learn to love Him, our beloved teacher and master. If we do not get the FOLLOW part right, the rest will never become true in our lives.

Are you following Jesus, right now, whatever He requires of you through His Word?

• A PROMISE: There is a promise that He will do something in and with us. He will make us "fishers of men." The men who heard this call were fishermen on the Sea of Galilee. They knew about fishing for fish. They did NOT know about fishing for men. Jesus was and is the Master Fisherman of Men. He wins every man-fishing tournament hands down. His stringer is always full. But He fishes for men these days through His disciples. Therefore we must be made into something we are not by nature. No matter how inept I may feel, no matter how much I have failed in the past to be a fisherman for Jesus, I have His promise, if I will follow Him, that HE will make me a fisher of men. How does He do it? First, AS we follow. Jesus knows where the fish are. He needs no sonar to spot the "big ones." As we follow Him He leads us to the fish, the people He wants us to "catch." Jesus also changes our character as we follow Him. He makes us people who love the lost and not just ourselves. He gives us the kind of compassion He had (Matthew 9:36ff). He gives us persistence. Second, Jesus transforms us into fishers of men by giving us the gospels to see how He did it while on earth. Note the difference of approach between an encounter with a Nicodemus vs. a woman at the well vs a Rich Young Ruler vs a Zaccheus. Jesus was always fishing or training fishermen. We don't need to ask, "What would Jesus do?" We just need to study the gospel records of Jesus' life. Third: Jesus trains us as fishers of men by yoking us up to fishermen who have already advanced in His training. Do you know someone who fishes for men (or women or children) faithfully as a lifestyle? Hitch a ride on their life. Ask them to give you some insights re: how they do it. Could you possibly tag along with them as they go to share Christ with someone? Fourth: Jesus equips us to fish for men by supplying us with the proper "bait." We need to share a biblical gospel with the lost. The Holy Spirit uses the Gospel of God, not the gospel of Mike or Fred or Sally to win the lost. Take a look back at the blog for February 18, "Do you share a biblical gospel with others?" Also, you can't do better for learning a biblical gospel presentation than using the book, Telling the Truth by Will Metzger. But, this takes work. Fifth, Jesus makes us fishers of men by making us pray-ers. Prayer is as essential to the fisherman's work as is a fishing pole. God has ordained that prayer will be a part of the salvation of the lost. Fishers of men have prayer lists, whether that list is in the mind, on the wall, or in the notebook. And they persist in their praying. And they BELIEVE as they pray. They believe that God will soften hearts, open doors, and bring lost, Satan-enslaved sinners into His marvelous light. Sixth, Jesus makes fishers of men by linking them up with a fishing team, the church. It is in the church that the full-orbed character of Christ is displayed in relationships and thus shown to be authentic. It is when you can take Jake to church and he meets Bob, who has a past very similar to his, that your witness to Jake takes the next step. Team fishing is superior any day to a solo effort.

This promise of Jesus makes something plain: at the center of His Kingdom plan is EVANGELISM and DISCIPLESHIP. That is what He is up to in you and me.

How do I know I am following Jesus? How's fishing?