Fishers of Men

Tonight I will be preaching a breif sermon on mark 1:17. Here are the rough notes I will be preaching from (some of it will not make it into the actual preaching)


Fishers of Men
Mark 1:16-18

Mar 1:16 Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.
Mar 1:17 And Jesus said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men."
Mar 1:18 And immediately they left their nets and followed him.

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Intro

A few months ago I had the privilege to speak on the passage that precedes this one:
Mar 1:15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel."
In this passage we have Christ’s first sermon to the world and it was the message that he would entrust to the work of his followers. As we shall see in the passage that follows Christ waited no time in recruiting laborers for the harvest.
Jesus Would call Peter and Andrew and in doing so he would give them both a precept and a promise. The first gives birth to the second and the latter depends on the prior. “Follow me” was the command given while “I will make you to become fishers of men” was the promised that flowed out of that. At the same time man-fishing can be done aright only when one is following the Lord. A follower does those things that he sees his master doing and fishing for men is what the Master did.

The theme of “man-fishing” was not unique to the NT. In the OT God is seen as the Fisher of men, and the metaphor was often associated with judgment (Eze 29:4, Eze 38:4, Amo 4:2) Fishermen were foreseen in OT Prophesy. Jesus' words recall Jer. 16:15-17,19 where “fishers” and “hunters” of men will call people back from idols to God after judgment has occurred.

-The Summons to be fishes of men is a call to the eschatological task of gathering men in view of the forthcoming judgment of God. There is a natural link between Mark 1:15 and Mark 1:17, Man Fishing is evidence of the “fulfillment of time” which Jesus proclaimed , it is the effect of the in-breaking of the Kingdom of God.
Our immediate task is to be witnesses to the proclamation of Jesus concerning the nearness of the kingdom and the necessity for men to turn to God through radical repentance. But our ultimate function will be to confront men with God’s decisive action, which to faith has the character of salvation, but to unbelief has the character of judgment.
This can be seen in Jesus’ parable:
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. So it will be at the close of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Mat. 13:47:50

The is a tremendous link between the Doctrine of the Kingdom of God and evangelism as is seen in this passage and in the Great Commission:
“And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations." Mat 28:18-20

Thus it might well be said that evangelism is the work of the Kingdom on earth

I. The Calling- Fisher of Men
One word has been used in Christendom to define the task of the Church on this earth: Evangelism It is the activity of the Church in telling the Gospel to sinners with intent to bring them to a saving knowledge of Christ.
Perhaps the greatest definition of activity of evangelism is found in the words of Jesus when he explained his mission thus: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." (Luke 19:10). Notice there are two aspects involved here: seeking and saving. The fishermen must go out and seek the lost. Fish do not come to the fisherman. None are thinking, I will go find a fisherman that I may be caught in his net or upon his hook. We must leave the comfort of our walls, our couches, sacrifice time and pleasure and we must go and seek. Is this not an aspect of the Great Commission given by our Lord Jesus when He told us to “Go”?
True, many have been saved from attending a church service and hearing the Gospel, but for a great majority this is not the case. We must go ourselves to the ponds, the lakes, the streams, the rivers, and the oceans. There we will find a vast multitude for the catch. Again this is rooted in Christ’s commission from Mark 16:15 "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.”

What privilege it is that we should be involved in the salvation of the elect! We are called to be heralds, proclaiming the coming of the Kingdom and it’s King! This is a task that alone belongs to the Church, the redeemed. We were the lost, and now we are the seekers! We were the fish, and now the fishermen. We were the evangelized, now the evangelists. Once in the hedges and highways we now return to those haunts in pursuit of bring many others to the banquet! We are souls won! Oh, let us go and win souls for our King!


What is a Fisher of Men? In his book, Pilgrim’s Progress, John Bunyan described him thus:
“A man, who had his eyes up to heaven, the best of books was in his hand, the law of truth was written upon his lips, and stood as if he pleaded with men.”

Defining the Soul-Winner:
The evangelist is a commissioned representative of the King of Glory, proclaiming to the enemies of the Kingdom, with all boldness and compassion, the truth of the Scriptures concerning their impending destruction for their crimes and pleading with them to repent and trust in and love the King, who did by his own blood, purchase the only way of escape.

1. Commissioned representative of the King.
“that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel,
for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.” Eph 6:19-20

2. He speaks the truth of Christ with boldness.
“proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.” Act 28:31
Let us not mistake boldness with anger or unkindness. The Bible teaches nothing of that kind. His boldness is kindled by the fire of his love for God and for the lost.

Boldness in evangelism is supernatural:
“And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness . . . And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.” Act 4:29, 31

We must pray for boldness, for to be true, at heart I am a weak coward, afraid of what man thinks.

3. He speaks with compassion.
“When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.” Mar 6:34

If his Lord had compassion upon the enemies of his kingdom, ought we to not have compassion as well? Were or are we the ones offended?



II. Motives for Evangelism-

1. Love for God that produces a desire to be obedient and glorify God.

Jesus said that the greatest commandment, the greatest thing a man could do in his life was to be a lover of God. “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” Mark 12:30
Do you love God? Do you remember when you feel in love with your spouse? Did you keep it to yourself? Or did you proclaim it to the world? Did you tell everyone how she was the most wonderful woman in creation? Oh, that our love for God would compel from us the same in proclaiming to a lost world the greatness of our God!
Jesus has a standard for loving him: “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me” (John 14:21).
Obedience is the natural result of our love for him. He has lavished his love upon you, he has redeemed you! You now see the glory of God in a blaze of amazement as you never knew! As your love for him grows so to does obedience. The Lover of your Soul has commanded you to tell about the Good News of himself!
Why do we hesitate? Oh, that our hearts would melt white hot for love and obedience to Christ. Where that the case in each of us there would be no one in America that had not heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ ten-fold! Dear Lord, increase our love.
When we see the results of evangelism, the birth of another God-lover, God is glorified! Oh, you should be saying, “More! More! You oh, Lord, deserve more worshipers who will glorify your name.” The OT is replete with passages that call for the multitudes of the world to praise our amazing God! The proclamation of the Gospel is the means by which we proclaim God’s great love, His great wisdom, His complete sovereignty, His great sacrifice, and His great salvation.
“Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.
Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!” Psalm 96:2-3



2. Love for the lost.

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." Mark 12:30 -31
Do you love your neighbor? How much? As yourself? Would you have rather that no one ever told you the way of salvation? Family, your neighbor is doomed to destruction. Will we sit silently from inside the walls and watch them slip into the pit without one plea from ourself for them to turn from their hell bent ways? Will we not share with them the water we have been given? Is our love grown so cold that we can actually say, “I don’t care”? Paul commands “as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone” (Gal 6:10). What greater good could be done for them?
Do you have trouble stirring up the love for the lost because when you ponder them you see them as despites, the scum of the earth, they are the high minded and lofty, haters of the truth, and persecutors of the faith? Yes, that is who we are sent to. But consider how you once were in that crowd. You have little reason to withhold grace from these. God is the offended one. Yet, did not God display his own love towards the lost of this world? "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
This is personal too. For when ewe speak of the lost we touch not only upon the stranger but your closest loved ones.
“I am speaking the truth in Christ--I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit-- that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.” Romans 9:1-3
“Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved.” Rom 10:1

“Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then you are not saved yourself. Be sure of that.” CHS


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3. The reality of Hell.

Consider, dear saints, the terrors that await the lost that leave this earth and enter eternity without the salvation of the Lord. Their eyes to close in this life only to open in torments. “Outside of Christ, God is terrible.” His wrath will be poured out upon the vile offender night and day and there will never be a respite from the flame! Anguish, wailing, and gnashing of the teeth will will be the state of all who enter that pit, by no means to ever escape.
Once was your destination, but by grace no more. But to be true, it still is the reward you deserve. Where it not for the love of God upon you you surely would have no hope. Oh, but consider your neighbor around you, each without faith in the Son of God and doomed to that place of brimstone.
Think on the horror of this place, Hell, and let that spurn you on to tell of the only way to escape from the flames of God’s wrath.
“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” John 3:36

“If sinners will be damned, at least let them leap over our bodies. And if they perish let them perish with our arms about their knees, imploring them to stay. If hell must be filled, at least let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go there unwarned and unsprayed for.” CHS

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4. Trust in the sovereignty of God.

Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God- (recommend J.I. Packer’s Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God)
God saves! This truth is such a release for evangelism. It teaches us this valuable points: Some will be saved! The elect are out there. God will regenerate them and bring the to repentance and faith. He has declared that evangelists will have a part in giving this outward call while he gives the inward call to the elect. This is an antidote to discouragement. Paul was encouraged by a message from the Lord concerning this very matter:
“And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, "Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people." And he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.” Acts 18:9-11
Paul would go on to write:
“Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.” 2 Timothy 2:10
God’s sovereignty should be a motivation, not an excuse. One should never think, “God is sovereign, if he wants to save someone then he will do it.” Indeed he shall, but God forgive us for presuming to know his business better than he. Pastor Mark Dever “We should stop excusing ourselves from evangelism on the basis that God is sovereign. We should not conclude from his omnipotence that our obedience is therefore pointless.”
How has he ordained to save? Here now how Paul explains this matter:
“For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!" But they have not all obeyed the gospel. So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." Rom 10:12-18
Do not despise the calling and task that God has given his saints. It is a privilege and a blessing that we should be integrated in this glorious work, the redemption of man.



III. Application
Obey your Master. He commanded:
“Follow me and I will make you become fishers of men,” and “Go, therefore and make disciple of all the nations.”
Follow and Go!
But I am not a soul-winner, Oh saint, did he not say that he would make you to become one? Trust in his word and then step out in obedience. “You will not of yourselves grow into fishers, but that is what Jesus will do for you if you will but follow Him.” CHS

Followers of Christ are fishers of men, if we are not a fisher of men we are not a follower of Christ.

Until the nets are full never let us ceases in our Fishing.



"The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest." Mat 9:37-8
And that is what we shall do now. Let us pray that God would convict and empowered you to the task you have been called too.


Prayer:

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