Pastor column: One must sacrifice and serve to be a fisher of men
When Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers − Simon called Peter and Andrew his brother − casting a net into the sea. He said to them, “Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.” They immediately left their nets and followed Him (Matthew 4:18-20).
The key word in this verse is “follow.” There are two different Greek words that are translated follow. One means “to believe and become a disciple.” The other, the one Jesus used, means “to follow and leave everything.” Peter and Andrew had to make a choice to change their life by following Jesus. This was a choice to stop being fishermen − to become fishers of men.
Notice that the call of Jesus is calling the disciples to a changed life − to a personal relationship with Him. The question is where are you in following Jesus? Answering the call of Jesus means to accept Him as the authority of your life; to adapt the model of His life to yours and to join your life with His.
Following Jesus happens in three different stages. The first is receiving the call from Him. We’re given the choice to accept and follow. Second, responding with a choice. We can’t be neutral when Jesus calls us to follow Him. Either accept the call and follow Jesus or reject the call and live our own way. The third stage is rejoicing in the commitment. Making the choice to follow Jesus begins to make a difference in us and through us.
One must sacrifice, serve to be a fisher of men
What does it mean to be a fisher of men? To be a fisher of men you must surrender − like Peter, Andrew, James and John − leaving everything behind to follow Jesus. Are you holding onto what is keeping you from being all you can be for Jesus? What do you need to leave behind?
To be a fisher of men you must sacrifice. What in your life is Jesus calling you to sacrifice to go deeper in Him? You may need to sacrifice some additional time in reading the Word or in prayer. You may need to sacrifice some of your possessions because they are keeping you from the relationship you are to have with Jesus. You may need to sacrifice some of your time to share your testimony with others.
To be a fisher of men you must serve the Lord. In order to accomplish this goal in life, would you be willing to lay aside your personal ambition and plans in order to fully follow Christ, purpose in your life to better reflect the light of Christ to those around you, and look for and take opportunities to share with others what Jesus has done for and in you?
Jesus said “Follow Me and I will make you Fishers of Men.” Are you willing to do what Jesus calls you to do? Are you willing to go where Jesus calls you to go? Are you willing to say what Jesus calls you to say? Are you willing to follow Christ’s call?
Rev. J. Patrick Street is the lead pastor of Redeemer Church in Marion. He can be reached at coachpatstreet@gmail.com.
This article originally appeared on Marion Star: To be a fisher of men, people must follow Christ's call
