Check out this message entitled We Are Called to be Fishers of Men. This is a great message on how to reach people today.
[Mat 4:19 KJV] 19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
This morning I would like to share a message that I believe the Lord has placed upon my heart.
The title of the message is” Fishers of Men. “
I would like to start off by reading an illustration of 2 skilled fishermen and an elderly lady.
Once upon a time there were two very skilled fishermen named Bob and John. They decided to up their fishing game, so they went out and bought all kinds of new fishing equipment.
They spared no expense in buying new fishing rods, shiny lures, fishing gear and a nice tackle box.
One morning Bob and John decided to go fishing. Once they got to the fishing spot, they realized that where was only room for one in the best spot.
So, they began to argue with each other, One said I was here first, there other said no I was here first.
One said I am the oldest, the other said yea but I bought most of the equipment.
Now as they are going back and forth and performing with each other, they didn’t realize their fishing equipment was getting all tangled up.
Now as they are going on, On the other side of the lake there was an elderly lady who only had a can, some worms and some fishing string and she was catching fish as fast as she could put her line in the water.
The moral of the illustration is don’t get caught up in the fancy looks of fishing or the competition of fishing and forget that we have been called to catch fish.
In Matthew 4:19 we just read that Jesus wants to use our lives to be Fishers of Men.
There are a few things that I would like to point out on how you and I can be fishers of men.
When it comes to being a Fishermen, that is catching fish, there are a few things that are required.
Patience
Skilled fishermen know that fishing requires patience, as it may take some time to catch fish.
When fishing one may have to wait for an extended period of time before you catch a fish or even before a fish bites.
This can apply to being a Fisher of Men, sometimes when being a fisher of men, it requires being patient with others.
It can take time and multiple interactions before someone gives their life to the Lord or even shows interest in our message.
Dedication
Fishermen are often willing to wake up early, stay out late and invest a good amount of time and effort into their craft.
When being a Fisher of Men we should be willing to invest time to get better in our skills of evangelism and reaching people.
This helps us to be more effective in what we do.
Fishermen often need to persist in their efforts, even when facing challenges or setbacks.
Being Fishers of Men may mean not giving up on someone, even if they initially reject our message or seem unreceptive.
Skilled fishermen are dedicated and love what they do and find joy in fishing.
To be fishers of men requires compassion, empathy, and genuine love for people. Having a heart to help people find purpose, meaning and a relationship with God.
We should be dedicated to seeing our end goal reached.
Fishing and evangelism have a specific goal in mind. In fishing, the goal is to catch fish, while in evangelism, the goal is to reach souls.
We should be dedicated to seeing our end goal of saving souls reached.
As a Fisher of Men/Women, our joy should be when we see lives changed.
Skill
Skilled fishermen keep pace with changing conditions, weather patterns, and seasons, adjusting their techniques and skills accordingly.
Skilled fishermen adapt to different conditions using different techniques, strategies and equipment depending on the situation.
A “Fisher of Men” should adjust their approach based on the needs, challenges, and circumstances of those they are trying to reach.
We should be open to adjusting our fishing strategies for people of different backgrounds, beliefs, and cultures.
Understanding your target.
Successful Fishermen need to understand their target.
In Fishing knowing the behavior, habitat, preferences, and habits of the fish species being targeted is crucial for success.
Same thing in being a Fisher of Men, it is important to know our target audience, what they like, their background, their needs, their age, their lifestyle, and their values.
Having this knowledge helps us to communicate more effectively to our target audience.
In fishing, choosing the right bait is essential to attract fish.
Target Audience – The right bait – Different fish may require different bait.
This is needed more than ever before.
Today we have different opportunities available to be Fishers of Men, that not every generation had.
Especially with the opportunities of using social media to reach people.
When being a Fisher of Men we need to find ways to share the gospel in ways that our target audience can relate.
Such as the methods we use, the language, the stories, and the platforms that are relatable and compelling.
Our ministry has always been on the cutting edge when it comes to evangelism.
When I first got saved street rallies, dramas, concerts and passing out flyers were pretty much the method of radical evangelism.
As a ministry that is our foundation of evangelism, street rallies and flyers. We will not ever get away from our foundational methods of evangelism, but it is also important for you and me to keep up with the times.
Today there are many platforms that you and I can use to be Fishers of Men/Women and reach people with the gospel.
Yes rallies.
Yes flyers,
Yes, word of mouth.
Yes, dramas.
Yes, Concerts.
But also, online.
There are many ways online can be used, but I will just focus on one.
Social Media.
Another platform that we should add to our fishing tackle box is our social media platforms.
The key to being a Fisher of Men on social media is not to put a post of us preaching or a cool bible verse.
People will just scroll, but the key is Caring for people and meeting their needs.
Remember we talked about a Fishermen knows what bait to use for what fish.
Also, we talked about Fishermen are often willing to wake up early, stay out late and invest a good amount of time and effort to get better at their craft.
The key to being an effective Fisher of Men on social media is Caring for the people and meeting their needs.
Let me give you a few examples and I will be done:
This is more of a teaching than a preaching, but I believe it will help some of us be effective Fishers of Men.
Here are some examples of how you and I can use social media to be effective Fishers of Men.
- Give Value
The best way to develop a platform of followers on social media is by providing valuable content.
Sometimes we think preaching on our social platforms is the best way to reach people, but the lost will probably keep scrolling.
Now don’t get me wrong I think preaching is good to encourage the Christian and there is nothing wrong with that, but that is why we have 400 followers and 300 of them are already Christians.
So, we are basically preaching to the choir, which is cool, but if we want to be fishers of men and reach the lost, we need to provide value for life skills.
Notice I said, “Reach the Lost.”
Ok let me give you a few examples of how we can provide value and reach the lost with our social media.
Whatever skill you have you can offer value.
Example:
If you are good at budgeting and accounting, you can offer:
- 5 steps on how to budget.
- 3 steps on how to set up a bank account.
- 5 Ways to stay out of debt.
Now we are offering value and giving life skills.
Another Example:
Say you are good at Math, English or Tutoring for matric you can offer value in social content such as:
- Master your matric with these study tips.
- 5 ways to help you study better for your matric
- 6 tips to writing your exit exam.
- “Boost Your Grades with Personalized Tutoring in Math!”
- “Excel in English with these Proven study Strategies!”
- “Get Ahead in English, Math, and History: Unlock Your Potential with Tutoring!”
Establishing a relationship with our followers.
Effecting fishermen possess an understanding of fish behavior, fishing methods and the environment in which they operate.
Another Example:
If you are good at cooking, you can offer:
- Level up your culinary game with expert cooking skills.
- From beginner to pro: Discover the secrets of cooking skills.
- Ready to upgrade your cooking game? Discover these sought-after cooking skills.
Another Example:
Say you have the gift of decorating.
“Add Some Flair to Your Space with These Decorating Tips!”
“Transform Your Home with These Expert Decorating Ideas”
“Ready to Spruce Up Your Space? Check Out These Decorating Tips”
I think we get the point.
Now the cool thing is, we can offer value in several different ways:
Writing
Video
Images
Voice / Podcast
Now people will begin to follow us on these platforms because of our valuable content.
Now instead of our social media platform only having 400 followers that are all church people, we can grow to 5,000 followers that are pretty much unchurched.
Notice I said platforms.
The key for you and I is, when we build these followings on the platforms because of us giving value and great content, Jesus can use our platform whenever He needs it.
Just like Peter made his boat available as a platform for Jesus to use, so you and I can make our platforms available whenever God wants to use it.
If the church is having a drama, a revival, a concert, or special event we have people in the church that have influence and can use our platforms to be Fishers of Men.
Those are ways that you and I can be a Fisher of Men today.
We will not ever get away from Rallies, Flyers, and word of mouth, but let’s keep up with the times and implement new methods and strategies to be Fishers of Men.
Fishermen like to tell stories of their greatest catch.
Likewise, in being a Fisher of Men we can share how good God has been to us.
Sharing your personal testimony of how God has changed our life.
This can inspire and encourage others to change.
We have been called to be Fishers of Men.
Ons is geroep om vissers van mense te wees.
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