Fishing Lessons

While church planting in Alaska several years ago, our summer outreach event was a basketball camp held for three days in August.  Each year, we were privileged to have Randy Shepherd and Jamie Johnson, of Crossfire Ministry, come up and provide the training in basketball handling techniques, and presenting the gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost and hurting community.   

At the end of each camp, we took Randy and Jamie out for a day of salmon fishing.  And if you think evangelists and preachers can be a boring bunch of guys, you have obviously never spent any time with them. We had a blast!

We were fishing on the Little Susitna River outside of Wasilla, AK, where the Silver salmon run was going on.  We had just finished up three days of spirit filled, gospel preaching and basketball, and everyone was pumped.  We just knew we were going to limit out on fish and have a great time.  We could just feel it!

And then the fish began to hit our lures, one right after the other.  And they were fighters!  The guide barely had time to remove one salmon from a hook when another fish hit!  It was really something!  We all went home with our limit that day!

After doing all that fishing, I started thinking about what Jesus said to two fishermen, "Come, follow me,"..."and I will make you fishers of men." (Matthew 4:19)  There certainly are a lot of parallels between fishing for fish and fishing for men.

The expression "fishing for men" (And women too, of course) is an important one for us to understand. We find this unique phrase only two times in the Bible, first in Matthew 4:19, and then in Luke 5:10-11.  Scripture also provides a striking contrast when we read in 2 Timothy 2:26, where either we will catch men and women or the devil will.

With that in mind, I want to point out a few qualities that make for a good fisherman that also apply to fishers of men.

A good fisherman needs to be patient.  About a month ago, Alice and I were in Missouri trying to limit out on largemouth bass.  It can be a slow process sometimes.  You cast out your line.  You reel it in.  You cast it out.  You reel it in.  It takes time, and on some days, you will catch ten fish.  On other days, you won't get a single bite.

Sharing our faith can be that way too.  Sometimes people respond, while at other times, people don't respond at all.  So when we go fishing for souls we need to learn to wait, and to persevere.

A good fisherman must have good instincts.  Some people can just tell that a certain spot is the place to catch fish.  They have that fisherman's instinct gained from experience.  The same is true of sharing our faith.  We must be sensitive to the timing and leading of the Holy Spirit.  Opportunities often arise at the spur of the moment.  You may have other things you want to do.  But a good fisherman will always have his pole and tackle box ready to go.  We, too, should always be ready, always looking for an opportunity to be used by the Lord.

A good fisherman must have skill.  A good fisherman knows his tools. He knows what to use at the appropriate time.  He uses certain kinds of bait for certain kinds of fish.  He knows how to cast out his line.

In the same way, fishers of men have the Word of God and the leading of the Spirit for their tools.  They learn how to use these tools more effectively with experience.  They learn by taking chances and trying again and again.

Good fishermen must know how to work together.  When that fish is hooked, you need your buddy standing by with a net to land the fish in the boat.

Have you ever noticed that when Jesus sent His disciples out, He sent them out in twos?  That is an effective way to share your faith.  As one person shares, the other person can pray.  We need to work together and pray for each other.

God wants to use you to be a fisher of men and women.  If you will make the effort, if you will load up your tackle box and your pole, and go out looking for opportunities, God will use you to not only work alongside other fishers of men, but also to have the privilege of leading someone to Christ.

That is one of the greatest joys you will ever experience; far greater than catching a limit of Silver salmon!

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