Fishing

I have heard the story a hundred times but Sunday there was one line of explanation that stuck me as I listened to the sermon at Austin Ridge. It was the story about the brothers, James and John, and Simon and Andrew, the fishermen. They made their living by casting their nets to catch live fish turned dead while Jesus was offering them an opportunity to catch dead men and make them alive. I might not have gotten the quote word for word but the jest of the meaning holds true. Sooo, how do you catch dead men and make them alive. His story referenced the way that we are called to be followers of Christ.


Matthew 4:18-22

Jesus Calls His First Disciples 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.

"Come, follow me,"

Jesus said,

"and I will send you out to fish for people."

At once they left their nets and followed him. 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.
These guys, according to scripture, responded immediately to Jesus' invitation. Now you have to wonder what would make these fishermen so immediately inclined to follow someone they didn't even know? Maybe they had heard stories of him, maybe he was so authoritative in his command that they would think it foolish to not follow him. What proof did they have that he was going to make their lives better. We don't know all those answers but what we do know is that Jesus must have had a charisma that far outreached anything or anyone they had ever seen or known....and he had chosen them to be his partners in his venture to raise men from the dead. Dead meaning those who did not yet know and accept the power and authority of a living Christ. These guys responded immediately but also obediently in trust and faith....no questions asked.
That is how we are called to follow Christ in our lives. When he calls...we are to answer immediately in obedience. No excuses, no questions, no dragging of your heels or waiting till a better time. He wants us on duty now, for the moment at hand.

Well I do find excuses, and I do sidestep the commands that I know full well I should be responding to, and I do question some of the situations that I know are Christ sent opportunities. I want to often to be the leader...to call the shots, to know what the outcome is, to be the decision maker, to do things as I please etc. But I know in my heart that that is not where I will find the peace and joy that Christ has set aside for my life. I only will find those things when I choose to trust and obey his word and seek his direction in all things, not just the things that I negotiate for my own purposes.

To be a follower, I have to be willing to take second place. To trust the leader, and honor the paths that he chooses.
It is not just about my life but it is how my life effects others. When I allow Christ an active role of command, he helpsme to overcome obstacles and frustrations and fears and trails that are before me. People see that...I know because I have watched people who are sold out to Christ myself and they have been my influences. We choose our heroes! We base our choices on what we know of their character, and the footprints of life that they have lived, the choices they have made in the face of controversy and honesty, and moral roads they have traveled, and the standards they are committed to. There is no Hero who ever could be compared to Christ. For His every life step has been filled with humility, love, obedience, and unwavering truth, and a total commitment to a better good that we can not begin to understand until we follow Him and walk along the path that he has designated.

People are watching people to see who they choose to follow. They are watching you and they are watching me and we have the ability to be influential as fishers of men. It comes down to one question...who do I have more faith in? Christ or me? The answer is simple...Christ....but it is living in that consistent truth that is hard. I am a follower of Christ...but I will say I wander off His path time and time again and it is only by the grace of God am I able find my way back to His center.

How do you catch dead men and make them alive? First by believing and having faith that we do have eternal life through Christ. Second by learning and studying and living by the standards of His truth. Third by sharing what we know with others in a way that helps them to understand the reality of how loving and following Christ has made a difference in your own life.

That live to dead and dead to live fish/man analogy as simple as it was, was stated in a way that made me want to be alive...that it is a cool deal to take something dead and be able to regenerate its life. It is a one time choice that we all are offered, and we we accept it we are forever different it just takes a while to let the dead stuff wear off.

Dear Lord, As you stand on the shore watching each of us who are fishing for answers and casting our nets for a bounty, help us to recognize your command to let go of those things that have no true merit and fish for those things that do. Amen
Praise God wherever you are and whatever situation He has allowed you to be in . . . His glory will shine through!