Fishing… do the work of an evangelist

When Jesus called peter and Andrew, He said:
And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. Matt 4:19

I thought I would share some things I know about fishing, and some things Jesus showed me about fishing with Him.

When a person gets saved they are filled with so much joy that they want to tell the world about it and that is wonderful. When the initial overwhelming joy wears off and sometimes before that, Jesus will tell us who to share our story with and who not to. This is not based on the persons reaction to the gospel, it is based on following Jesus. Sometimes Jesus has us share with people that don’t want to hear what we have to say, and sometimes He wants us to share with people that do want to hear us, and sometimes he doesn’t want us to say anything at all to a person.

This said here are some basic things we should know about fishing. Fishing is not a screaming sport. I don’t remember any time in the Gospels when Jesus yelled at anyone except for the time He was angry about the commercialization of His Fathers house, and it doesn’t say He yelled even then.

I remember fishing when I was younger and I spent most of my time not scaring the fish. I like fishing, I used to go in a boat with my grandpa and my brother and sister and go fishing for trout with him on the river. We would find the perfect spot and drop anchor. He taught us: first, don’t scare the fish! My Heavenly Father tells me the same thing. When some people go fishing they say really loud mean things to the fish, they think that somehow the fish will jump into their boats when they say these things but the fish just go farther away. Then someone else has to work harder to catch that fish the next time.

Next my grandpa taught us how to bait the hook, I was convinced that worms bit people because I kept poking myself with the hook, so I always made my brother bait my hook. Sometimes we used little fish as bait for our hooks, I discovered that fish love fish more than anything.

Sometimes my Heavenly Father takes me fishing, sometimes for marlins. I got to go fishing for marlins a lot with my friend Becky, she and Jesus were really good at catching them. I was scared at first. Marlins live in the deep waters. They fight hard and it takes lots of cunning to get them into the boat. 

People are impressed when you motor into the dock with a marlin. God uses me too, but not because I am a good fisher, but because I look like a marlin. Not beautiful like a marlin- but tough and fighting and obstinate and hard to catch… sometimes I smell like one too. Sometimes God uses me because of all the things I went through before I met Him. God uses me to catch the fish that aren’t attracted to other bait. Dont be discouraged if you have been out trying to fish and have had no success and feel like you’ve helped no one. Pray about it and see if perhaps you’re trying to be someone you really arent or if you’re trying to fish the way someone else told you to but it isnt the way Jesus wants you to or how God created you to be.

After trying to be Perfect Polly I finally realized that dope dealers love other dope dealers, that  prostitutes can talk easily to other prostitutes, and people who have been abused as children can really relate to others that have been through the same thing. I don’t usually judge prostitutes or dope dealers, or promiscuous people, I actually enjoy talking to them, because I remember what it was like when i was one.

I know lots of wonderful preachers that are very gentle and compassionate and always smell great.  They fish in churches and bazaars and easter services and they catch certain kinds of fish really well. Those fish aren’t much interested in me though, and that’s ok. I don’t really understand or have His compassion for those fish, because I have never been through the things they have, I wasnt raised in church. Jesus uses different bait for them. I have watched preachers catch those fish and it is very beautiful and graceful, kind of like fishing with a fly rod, but I don’t know how to do that very well so I leave those fish to them. I tried fly fishing and all I caught was my brother who was standing back behind me. So figuratively and literally I usually don’t do that anymore- especially around other people!

Sometimes I forget that my Father lets me fish for marlin because I am a born again marlin, and instead I think its cause I’m so cool.

One time when I was thinking that, Jesus said to me, “remember the scriptures about when I rode into Jerusalem on that donkey and all the people were cheering for me?”  “Yes Lord!” I said. He then said, “hmmm I wonder if the donkey thought they were cheering for him?”      Enough said.

Sometimes, depending on the denomination, the cannery thinks I look and act like a sinner, so they don’t invite me to their things. They don’t know Jesus hasn’t finished cleaning me up all the way yet because I’m sinner bait.

I have seen some people from the cannery go out and try to catch fish sometimes. But often they use fake lures that they got at the discount bait store: shiny, bright, fast, often those just scare the fish away. They should remember to ask Jesus to take them fishing and use His bait, it is great fun!

Sometimes they also forget that they don’t own the cannery and sometimes they only want fish that are cleaned and disinfected ahead of time instead of the real ones, the slimy ones that often stink. Sometimes when I send my catch to the cannery the cannery rejects them. So sometimes I don’t send them to the cannery at all but instead pray that the Lord of the cannery will just take care of them all by Himself.

The fish my Father fishes for are poor, brokenhearted, captives, blind, bruised, sick, sinners, lost people that act like lost people. Jesus loves them.

Remember that you can’t clean a fish before you catch it. Remember too that it is His job to clean the fish. Sometimes I can’t resist telling the fish immediately that he needs to quit doing this or that, Jesus gently tells me that that is His job.

Sometimes when I get sad that I don’t get invited to the fun things going on at the cannery Jesus reminds me that some people called him a gluttonous man, a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners, and that He was numbered with the transgressors.

Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me…   Ex 19:5

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people… 1 Peter 2:9

…we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men. 1 Cor 4:9

If you feel sorry for me now and want to invite me to fun stuff at your cannery, instead look around you and find the fishermen in your own area and invite them, especially if they look scruffy and kinda dirty and maybe dont smell wonderful. They may have been out at sea fishing with Jesus for awhile.

If you are a fisherman, remember that we are not called to make disciples of ourselves, or our denominations, or our nations, but disciples of Jesus. Once when I lived on the Canadian border I saw an eagle flying high in the sky crossing into the US, I said to the Lord, is that an american eagle or a canadian eagle? He laughingly said, it is God’s eagle.

And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant?   Josh 5:13-14

Also remember that the bait, no matter how it is packaged must be the gospel of Jesus.
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.     Mark 16:15

We don’t get to choose the fish we want to catch, and in these last days we may be surprised by who He calls and where He sends us.

Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:  And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.  And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.  And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.  And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.  So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.  And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.  And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.  For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.    Luke 14:16-24

Remember, we are not called to make disciples of churches- we are called to make disciples of Jesus even if they never end up going to a church at all. There has been so much abuse in churches in the US lately and many have altogether departed from Jesus so getting people to join churches cant be our main focus, introducing someone to their Creator who loves them so much He sent His only Son to die for them on a cruel cross should be our main focus. Several times i have shared the gospel with people I didnt know would within days of my meeting them. If i had tried to convince them that my church was the best and they should start attending it they would maybe have died without ever having the opportunity to meet Jesus.  Often i never know that someone is terminally ill or as has happened before, will become the victim of a violent crime the next week. 

So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.  And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:  And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Matt 22:10-12

(The results are up to Him and He will sort it all out in His timing.)

If we try to evangelize by some formula or be someone we are not, it doesn’t work very well at all. I read a great book by Dudley Hall called “Grace Works”. You should read the book if you can, it is very liberating and goes into depth about walking in grace or works. With permission of the publisher I will share a few parts of it with you I would also like to encourage you to read the chapter “the pharisee in me” the Lord Jesus really did a lot through that chapter to help me lose some of my pharisee ways.

First I would like to share the part in Dudleys book about problems that arise when we try to be something that we are not.

Grace Works by Dudley Hall, Copyright 2000 by Dudley Hall, Multnomah Publishers, Inc.
Page 25:

“A few years ago I went to the kennel in my yard to visit my three dogs: Gus, Snow, and Scratch. Scratch was in the pits. Depression is too mild a word to describe his state; he was talking of suicide.
Here was the situation: Gus, the oldest dog in the kennel, had used his position to deceive poor ol’ Scratch. He had told Scratch that he was a cat-and Scratch had believed it. Trying to be a good cat, Scratch had begun studying cat behavior and trying to act like a cat. But he wasn’t very good at it. He tried to meow, but failed. He attempted to climb trees, but failed that as well. He hated cat food and couldn’t purr.
A failure! That was Scratch’s final assessment of himself. He didn’t deserve to live. He was taking up space that some good cat could occupy, eating food that some worthy cat should eat. Suicide was the honorable thing to do. But before he took that final out, he asked me for help.
“I can help you,” I told Scratch.
“Really?” he prayed. “Please, anything. Put me on the couch. Cast out demons. Anything!”
“You got yourself into this mess,” I said, “by believing a lie. You can get yourself out by believing the truth. You arent a cat. You are a dog. Go be yourself.”
Dogs like to bark. And strangely enough, they are equipped to bark. Dogs like to dig, and they have that capability. Scratch was a bird dog. This particular species has both the desire and the ability to hunt quail. In the same way, cats meow. They like to meow. They’re good at it. And Birds fly. Fish swim.”

The book goes on more about this, I hope you can read it all. Then there is the part about the wonders of finding out who we are as new creations in Christ Jesus:

Page 27, Grace Works by Dudley Hall, Copyright 2000 by Dudley Hall, Multnomah Publishers, Inc.:

“At the risk of boring you with another “dog story,” let me tell you about training bird dog puppies. They are so cute when they’re little, but they don’t have a clue as to who they are or what they are on earth for. As their trainer, it is my job to help them discover their destiny. Their Creator has already done the difficult part; he made them with all the necessary equipment to get the job done.
Here is the scene: I take a young dog into the field and let him run. He simply enjoys being a dog. He chases butterflies, smells the flowers, jumps the ditches, sniffs around. But I have a plan. I have planted some live birds in the corner of the field. I slowly guide him around to a position downwind of the birds. As the scent of those birds begins to penetrate his cute little nostrils, something wonderful and strange begins to take place. He immediately stops. He goes rigid, and he lifts his right front paw. He has just pointed his first bird. He didn’t know he could do that. It just happened when he was exposed to the right conditions. And I love to see it happen.
In the same sense, I get a kick out of taking people onto the streets to minister. Most go hesitantly. They feel inadequate. They are intimidated. I try to take the pressure of performance off by saying, “You don’t have to witness. No one is going to ask you if you led anyone in the sinners prayer. You don’t have to pray for the sick. You don’t have to cast out any demons. All that is required is that you talk to these people and get to know them.” But they’re still unsure.
You should stand back and watch what happens when we actually get out on the streets. One timid young believer begins to talk with one of the street people. He finds that person is sick and hurting. You hear him praying for the sick.
Another talks to a man who has never heard of Jesus and doesn’t know why his life is so confused. You’ll begin hearing the gospel presented.”

I love that book.

I recently saw the movie Chariots of Fire again, the story of Olympic gold medalist Eric Liddell, and I was really struck by the conversation between Eric and his sister before he ran in the olympics. It was when his sister asked him to concentrate more on a mission they were involved in, he said he planned to do that but he wanted to run first. He said, God has made me love to run, and to be very fast, and when I am running I feel His pleasure. He went to the olympics and he wouldn’t run on the sabbath, which drew lots of press attention, but he competed on another day and won gold.

He did it because he felt Gods pleasure when he was running.

If you are trying to do things the way others say you should and are miserable, or just rigorous and have no joy, lay that all aside, ask Jesus to show you what His purpose is for your life. Do the things that bring you joy and Him pleasure.