“You Catch ’em, God cleans ’em”

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”
Mark 1:17 (NIV)

What does it mean to be ‘fishers of men’?

Perhaps if we consider some fishing analogies it will give us a better idea of what Jesus means when he says if we follow him he will make us FISHERS OF MEN.

*Anglers WANT to catch fish.   Do we want people to be converted?

*Anglers must GO TO WHERE THE FISH ARE. You have to ‘go’ fishing.   We live in the world pond, but often the most fish congregate in the deepest, darkest waters.

*Anglers use a HOOK & BAIT. We are to ‘Keep the Faith’–but not from others!
If people don’t see and hear the gospel, we can hardly be said to be fishing!   Hence our moto in the Worldwide Church of God, “Living and Sharing the Gospel”.

*Anglers need PATIENCE. Waiting for the fish to bite can take a long time–don’t become bored or weary.   The fish may be down there examining your bait and circling cautiously.   Even when they bite, deep-sea fishermen need a lot of skill, effort and time to bring a large fish in.

*Anglers need EXPERIENCE & SKILL.   We need to know where the fish are and learn how to cast our line expertly. Learn from God’s Word and from other successful fishermen–there are books, courses and fellowship to help.

The fishing analogy can go on and on, but suffice it to say:

“You catch ‘em, God cleans ‘em!”

Prayer
I pray that you will prepare and equip me for my role in living and sharing the gospel. Fill my heart, God, with such love, that my desire to ‘tell the old, old story’ will compel me to ‘go fishing’.
Amen

Study by Nancy Silcox