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"FISHING- WHEN FISHING IS NOT FISHING”

(Matthew 13:47-50; Mark 1:16-20)

Introduction

1. Jesus Christ knew fishing

1. His ministry was on the Sea of Galilee.

2. There are cities on the Sea of Galilee were right on the water.

• The synagogues where Jesus Taught were near the water.
• A great population was in and around the Sea of Galilee during the life Christ.

3. Jesus Liked fishing! The first four people called apostles were fishermen.

1. So Jesus understood fishing.
2. He said, "I will make you fishers of men.”
3. The result of following Jesus, is learning to be a fisher of men.

4. There is something in a man that likes fishing.

a.    On a lovely spring or summer day, he says, "Let's go to the lake." "Let's go fishing. ⁿ

b.    This lesson is for those enjoy fishing; it is "when fishing is not fishing." 

1. OUR FISHING TODAY IS NOT LIKE THEIRS

1. Our Fishing is not like their’s because it is a Recreation

1. It is a hobby, it is a recreational activity.

• We begin slobbering at the mouth because we like it.
1. Someone says, "I just have to get away from it all and just go on out to the lake."
2. The point is this: "Escape from our normal surroundings/pressures.”
3. So immediately when you talk about fishing, you talk about going elsewhere to do it.

2. That is why our concept of evangelism is different from theirs in the first century,

1. It is not something that is a part of our daily life.
2. It is something you do elsewhere with somebody else in a Special Way.
3. It is not our lifestyle. It is not our environment.
4. You get away and you go do it and then you come back to life.

3. Evangelism should be apart of your daily life.

1. It should be in your household talk.
2. It should be at the coffeeshop.
3. It should at friends homes.
4. It should be at Family’s homes.
5. It should be at supermarket.

2. Our Fishing is not like their’s because it is a Sport

1. To be a good fisherman, you have to spend ten thousand dollars on a boat.

1. Have you seen some of the latest boats - they have everything.
2. They have trolling motors, fish finders, you name it - they make it easy.

2. You have to get the supplies to fish.

1. You have to get a rod and reel.
2. You have to have lures, you have to read books.
3. To be real good, you need to invest in some Video's.
4. Peter, James, and John never saw our kinds of rods and reels!  (although Mt. 17:27)

3. We go at set times.

4. It is something you get good at,

1. You practice. You get in the backyard and take a number three spoon or something and throw it this way and that way and behind your back.
2. You get proficient at it.

• You have let better ones get away than ever existed.
• You are an authority.
• You are skilled and can do an amazing thing with a boat, with a rod, and with a reel.

5. What else is involved in that kind of fishing? Deception is.

1. Every lure is deceptive. You hide the hook, make it glimmer, and make it shiny.
2. In Oregon, the water is crystal clear, one of the secrets of catching trout fish, is making sure they don't see you.
3. You get back where they can't see you.

6. And that is like some people's concept of evangelism.

1. Some want to make the sell - to manipulate, deceive, and "hook'em" on this and " hook'em" on that. (Band, Youth Group, Big Screen TV, Puppet Shows, Short Sermons, Learn English!)
2. Jesus never manipulated anyone to follow him - story of the Rich Young Ruler - Matthew' 19.

7. Also we make sure the lures fit the fishes mouth.

1. This is for the walleye, this is for the bass, this hook is for the catfish.
2. It’s good to have a prospect list, BUT, be careful, your prospect list may not be God's.
3. Bob and Juan Cruz – Juan sent letter.

8. If Ananias, in Acts 9, had a prospect list, more than likely Saul of Tarsus name was not on it.

1. When God said, "Ananias, you go preach to Saul," Ananias started arguing with Him with him.
2. He said, "Saul is not on my prospect list." God said, "He is now!"
3. The Bible says that God is, "not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. " (2 Peter 3:9) and they should "come unto the knowledge of the truth."
4. Jesus said, "whosoever will" may come.
5. When we have a lure, we are going after a certain kind, and we have eliminated everybody else.

9. In John 4 the apostles did not have the woman at Jacob's well on their list.

1. Even Phillip, as great an evangelist has he was, did not have the eunuch on his list in Acts 8!
2. The problem is "we vote". Not like Baptists, we condemn others for doing; we vote with our prospect lists,
3. I believe he is ready, but not him. I want him, but I don't care how he gets there.

10.   The Term “Soul Winner” is an odd term.

1. Proverbs 11:30 - "He that winneth souls is wise,"
2. This passage is about wisdom, not soul winning.
3. The word winner in soul-winner implies somebody loses.

• This is often the way we can come across to WIN!

4. We come across to attack; we have come for the victory, to convert you.
5. We come across - I have the answers and you don't; I'm smart and you are not. I'm right and your wrong. I am coming to conquer!

11. And that is when fishing is not fishing.

C. Our Fishing is not like their’s because our objective is to have a trophy.

1. When fishing is not fishing, is when you have a trophy room with prize catches.

2. I enjoy talking about fishing. Some only fish for the largest, and best fish - the trophy fish.

1. If they catch a smaller than trophy size -they throw it back.
2. They want one for the wall.
3. "I wrestled for 1 hour trying to get this wall eye in."

3. The same attitude surfaces when people brag, "I baptized him,^” as if the man were a trophy.

4. Do you suppose in Ananias' house up there on the wall was: "Paul, baptized by Ananias in Damascus"?

1. That doesn't sound too good.
2. There is no trophy room in heaven.

2. THEIR WAY OF FISHING IS THE RIGHT WAY

1. Their fishing was their life.

1. James, John, Peter, and Andrew were not Saturday and holiday fishers.

• They did not keep a bass boat in the garage.
• And they did not practice with the rod and reel in the backyard.

2. Fishing was not fun and games.

1. It was their whole life. It was work.
2. It was like being a carpenter, it was like being a doctor; it was like being a school teacher.

3. Fishing put food on the table. If they did not fish successfully, the family did not eat.

4. Evangelism should be our whole life.

1. It is not something we do on Tuesday night.
2. It is not something I do elsewhere with somebody else.

5. Evangelism is not something you do, it who you are!
6. Fishing was their life.

1. They had a boat. They had a net. They had a business.
2. And they either saw after that business or they starved to death. That simple.

2. Their fishing was hard and dirty, smelly work,

1. Have you smelled fish lately? (Tell about fish smell in unwashed ice cooler)

1. So far as I know, there are no good smelling fish.
2. If you were an evolutionist, it has let you down in that area.
3. Spreading Christ isn’t always going to lead to pleasant experiences. 

2. This kind of fishing on the sea of Galilee was dangerous.

1. The sea of Galilee is deep, like a bathtub.
2. They go out on a dark night with no electric lights and no modern equipment.
3. On a black night they were in deep water, fighting a net full offish, with their lives at stake.
4. It was not fun and games.
5. Souls can be lost for eternity.

3. You also had better know what you are doing.

1. Fishing is not for the cowardly. It is not for the softy, for the sissy.
2. It is not just going out and making some pretty speeches.
3. You get in over your head and you sink or swim.
4. The woman at the well did not know much, but she relied on Jesus.
5. God has given us his word to study and know and to keep us afloat!

4. It is on their terms. When they went to get fish, the apostles had to do so on the people’ terms.

1. The fish did not come to them. Fishing for men is on their terms.
2. We have to go to men. We have to meet them where they are, not where we want them to be.
3. The world isn’t going to come one by one through the Church doors.

3. Their fishing was humbling work.

1. If you were a lawyer, you could use your sharp mind and quick tongue to sway the jury.

2. But if you are a fisherman, you are at the mercy of God; you are at the mercy of nature; you are at the mercy of the fish; and you can go out and work all night as they did in the Bible and still get nothing.

• When a fisherman goes out on the sea, there is only one thing he counts on, his profound faith in God’s sea to provide fish.
• He is weather-beaten. He is dirty. He is wrinkled. He is stoop-shouldered. He is experienced.
• Why is he out there? He believes in God and the seas, and that the fish will bite.

3. That same faith in God is all we have to go on.  We hope that as fishers of men, through God the fish will bite.

4. Their fishing involved keeping what they caught.

1. They threw back the cola cans, the rubber boots, the glass jars, and all the other junk, but they did not throw back any fish.

2. The church to be ready for total evangelism must keep what they get!

• When you let a net down you get "big un 's" and "little un 's" and all different shape ones.
• You do not get to pick, and you do not get to say, ^“ I like this and I don't like that; you can and you cannot."

3. The Bible says a little culling is to be done, but that is not to be done in the church, but by the angels on judgement day.

• Sometimes brethren have self-appointed themselves as angels, and we they have already had the judgment day.

4. The church is a net. Whoever will may come, and whoever gets in we are to work at keeping.

• That includes all: the problemed, the respected, the needy, the rich, the pained, the nice, all!!
• The gospel is for All!

CONCLUSION

1. Jesus said, "Peter, Andrew, James, and John, you are fishermen of the sea, I will  make you fishermen of men."