Circling Joy: Get in the Boat

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Get in the Boat

At Pursuit last night, we kicked off a new series, "Gone Fishin'". This series, I believe, will top them all. The similarities of fishing for fish and fishing for people has a way of coming alive like nothing else! We are ALL called by God to fish. A lot of people like to say, "God hasn't called me to missions." Well, he has. He's called us all to be fishers of men whether that's to the person sitting beside you in class or in another country and all the while, Satan tries to get us not to cast our nets. "If we don't fish, the people will perish. Our friends will perish. Our family will perish."

As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him. Mark 1:16-18

Jesus's FIRST command to them was, "Follow me." Who are you following? You're either following God...or Satan.
Andrew and Simon left their nets. What do we keep picking up that Jesus has called us to put down in order to follow Him?
When Jesus said, "Follow me", He didn't mean just on Wednesdays & Sundays. Following Jesus is a lifetime commitment.
Jesus called them PUBLICLY. It's a PUBLIC call that requires a PUBLIC lifestyle of following Jesus.
He wants us to come as we are but not stay as we are! Andrew and Simon were average fishermen but Jesus wanted to turn them into fishers of MEN! Is Jesus making something out of your life??
Jesus wanted faithful people who wanted to change the world with Him!
After His commandment to "come", He commissioned them to "GO". Jesus CAME to us, we must GO to people! We can't wait for them to come to us!
Are we going where the fish are? If we aren't fishing for people, we're just cruisin' by people!
Can we call ourselves fishermen if we've never fished before?