The Making of Fishers of Men (Part 4)

For four weeks now I’ve been presenting the process of developing an average person who is exploring God’s plan for mankind into becoming a full-fledged follower of Jesus, a fisher of men.

Process

Exploration – Growing – Moving Closer – Christ Centered/Others Minded

(Fisher of Men)

From the first phase of Exploration to the second phase of Growing, where someone who has made a decision to make Jesus Lord and becomes a disciple, we’ve seen many examples of how you can participate.  The third phase of Moving Closer speaks to the need and desire to be part of Jesus building His church.   Here we attempt to see the need for the rest of the body of Christ.  The focus is shifting off of our own issues and on to other Christians.

Again remember that we are looking at these phases like building blocks, so you’re adding each part of the process not neglecting the previous phase.  Keep your eyes on the destination of becoming fishers of men and keep building, keep moving!

Process

Exploration – Growing – Moving Closer – Christ Centered/Others Minded

(Fisher of Men)

Here we are at the end of the journey which really turns our attention back to those who are just beginning.  We have all the other building blocks in place and now we see where God has wanted to bring us all along.  This is the “Fishers of men” part of Christianity.    The more time we spend with God in an authentic environment of prayer, His word, His church the more He points us toward loving others and telling His story to as many as possible.  

Matthew 4:19-20   …“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”…    

The amazing part of this phase is that you’re not trying so hard to get your own needs met because you trust God does that.  You band together with those who are uniquely gifted to accomplish a single goal of reaching into the lives of people who are far from God.  You’re focused on glorifying God with every aspect of your life.  You look beyond yourself to see those whom Jesus died for as precious.  You join the spiritual coast guard and ready yourself for the next assignment to enter the deep dark waters of the world to rescue another one that is lost in the sea of life.  At great cost to yourself you leap from the safety of the boat (church building) because someone is drowning.

When you become Christ centered you automatically live others minded.  What did Jesus come for?  Listen to these words written to direct our path and motivate us to become fishers of men.

Acts 10:38   …how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

John 3:16    …“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.    

1 Timothy 2:3-4   …This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth.

Luke 19:10   …For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.    

When we enter this phase we focus on only the glorious results and not the great cost.  We understand that eternity is in the balance and how we spend our life can affect everyone around us.  We see the value of becoming a reflection of the very love of God to people we encounter everyday and we refuse to just go to church and get fed.  We get it, people are starving to death all around us and we have the bread of life.

At CFC we practice this phase when we are giving of our time, talent and treasure to help those less fortunate.  When we’re traveling to Rushford or New Orleans to aide those who struggle.  When we help another person hear, see and experience the love of God and their life is drawn toward God.  When we spend months developing a safe relationship to invite someone into our lives, so we can someday invite them into a spiritual environment.  We do this so that we may earn the right to invite them to meet this Jesus we know.  This is fishing for men.

Sacred Road is going to play a song with poignant lyrics.  

Let me be a shadow of your light
Just a small reflection of a greater love
Let me be a shadow in your light
That falls on the lost and the lonely

All that I am I lay at the cross
No sacrifice too great a cost
So down on my knees
Lord I ask you please

Join me as we worship our Lord and ask Him to help us move along the process to become what He as always had planned.  Reflect God’s character and not yours, your relatives or mine.  No matter where you see yourself in this process, let’s close out this series with the conviction that we are moving toward the destination!  We are following Jesus and becoming fishers of men.

Notes from Pastor Pasch’s March 29, 2009 message; to get a free CD of the complete message, contact Christ’s Family Church @ 651.437.2340.