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Date Posted: 11:04:09 08/16/05 Tue
Author: daniel
Subject: fishers of men

Fishers Of Men

Dan Lirette

Many today, regardless of denominational affiliation, are looking for new ways and methods in reaching the lost, and yet very FEW understand that there is but ONE WAY ALONE which can produce Biblical results in the area of Soul Winning.

Our Lord Jesus was very clear, plain and absolutely specific in His command to "Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15)...however, the Body of Christ worldwide, though it HAS gone virtually into "all the world" it has NOT gone into all the world with the one and only method that our Lord has provided in reaching the lost for His Kingdom.

Somply stated, there is a RIGHT way to witness and there is a WRONG way to witness; either you're doing it RIGHT or you're doing it WRONG and there is no "in-between" in the area of seeing lost people come to the saving Cross of Jesus Christ.

In today's lesson we take our text from Luke chapter 5:

1 And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, 2 And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. 3 And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship. 4 Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. 5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. 6 And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. 7 And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell d own at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. 9 For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken: 10 And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. 11 And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.

From these few verses in Luke chapter 5 Jesus gives His Church, the Body of Christ, the one and only method in Soul Winning, and if we seek to be wise then we will take note of, and appropriate, the lessons which our Lord gives in this chapter on being "Fishers Of Men".

Let us examine the above verses for their meaning and significance, beginning with verse 3:

3 And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.

Notice the word "SHIPS" and how Jesus entered into another man's ship, Simon Peter's....

Let us imagine that the SHIPS represent LOCAL CHURCHES and let us say that when Jesus requested that the ship be thrusted out a little from land that the water represents lost humanity.

With the above said, and keeping all that was just said in mind, let us now turn our attention over to verse 4:

4 Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.

Let us, in verse 4, picture the word DEEP as those in humanity who have been looked upon as the "worst of the worst"...

Staying with verse 4, let our eyes become fixed on the word NETS, and let us see the net as representing the ANOINTING.

Jesus, here in verse 4 of Luke chapter 5, tells us to cast the Anointing into the very dregs of society for a catch.

Talent, ability, might, positive thinking, etc etc has never caught much! Yet, when one looks to Christ and His ANointing, and when one realizes and applies the truth of the Power of God into the preaching of the Gospel, then there will be a GREAT CATCH, as verse 6 clearly points out:

6 And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.

Note that not only did they catch a great MULTITUDE of fish, but notice that their net BRAKE!

What exacty does this MEAN?

The net, being the Anointing of God upon our lives, needs to be CONSTANTLY and CONSISTENTLY sought after through prayer, fasting, Scriptural study and application by way of holiness!Without the constantly seeking after God, the net, or Anointing, will cease to be upon you and I!

Jude 20-21 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

When you and I begin to seek the Lord on a daily and consistent basis, the results will be absolutely astounding! When we fail to do so, the same will be true, yet in a light not favorable...the choice is our's to make because of God's rich Grace!

Before we go further, let us review some of what we have just learned concerning this command of Christ in preaching the Gospel:

1- SHIPS are LOCAL CHURCHES

Whether you belong to a Pentecostal, Charismatic, Baptist, Freewill or Calvanist church, if you are truly Born Again and are living a Biblical lifestyle of Holiness, then you are called to preach the Gospel, and at the same time you are called to WORK WITH THOSE OF OTHER DENOMINATIONAL PERSUASIONS in seeing the Kingdom of God built up through Soul Winning.

Your "ship" may be bigger than another's "ship", or your "ship" may have slightly different non-essential beliefs than another "ship"....yet though there be differences in opinion with other "ships" (churches), there can be no in-fighting if there is to be a "great multitude" won to Christ!

Ships may look different in outward appearance and may have a different crew on board, yet one t5hing IS NOT different from one ship to another, and that one thing is that ALL ships, assuming they are bulit on the right foundation, FLOAT!

My ship and your ship have one thing in common:

BOTH ARE MEANT TO FLOT AND HOLD PEOPLE; BOTH ARE MEANT TO BE SAILED BY THE WHOLE CREW!

Forget about your issue on the Tongues topic! Forget about your issue on the "once saved, always saved"/"you can lose your Salvation" topic! Forget about your isse on whether or not females should/shouldn't cut their hair topic! Forget about your issue on whether or not owning a television set is sinful or not!

If the ship you're looking at believes in the Fundamentals of the Faith, and if that ship LIVES in holiness and relies on God and His Word, and if that ship is absolutely sold out to Captain Jesus....

THEN GET ONBOARD!

2- the word DEEP represents humanity, and the despised of humanity in particular:

There are a host of individuals "out there" in society who are quickly taking their last breaths!

Humanity is LITERALLY going to a devil's hell, and hell is eternal.

Prostitutes, drug addicts, homosexuals, fornicators, adulterers, whoremongers, theives, liars, effeminates....ALL ARE IN THE DEEP WATERS OF SIN!

Jesus isn't standing on the shore, ladies and gentlemen! Jesus Christ of Nazareth IS IN THE BOAT and He's asking you to launch out into the deep with Him!

No! You don't have to GET IN the deep, yet you DO have to get ON TOP OF THE DEEP! Only then can you look down to see the hands reaching up to you!

the world is quickly heading towards the waterfall of sin, death and destruction, and yet who will save them?

Handing out Gospel tracts door to door won't do you much good when you've just trashed, bashed, slandered and gossipped about the other ships in your neighbourhood!

Deep waters mean frightening prospects!

You may not find many sharks on the shore yet neither will you find the beautiful dolphin on the shoreline either!

You must LAUNCH OUT into deep water!

People, at this very moment, are sticking drug needles into their arms! People, at this very moment, are beating their children! People, at this very moment, are slashing their own wrists and blowing their own heads off!

Are you willing to stand on the shoreline while MULTITUDES, who COULD BE a great catch for Christ, are instead lost to the devil through a host of reasons, one being YOUR unwillingness to reach out to them for fear of drowning yourself?!

May it not once be named among us!

3- the NET represents the ANOINTING:

The Anointing!

There are so many today who have no idea on which Scriptural verses prove the Trinity or the Blood or the Deity/Humanity of Jesus Christ, but just go to any one of their regular Sunday services and the word "Anointing" can be heard coming from their lips as fast as an AK-47!

So many among us, who claim to love Jesus and who claim to be filled with His Spirit, and who claim to have His Anointing....most of these know NOTHING about the True Anointing of Almighty God!

People watch Pastor so-and-so on television knocking people down and they assume that THAT is the "Anointing"! No! No! No!

People watch as so called "prophets of God" give personal "words" and then teach that "God wants you rich"....they say that such a minister is "Anointed"! No! No! No!

People claim to be "drunk in the Spirit", actually ACTING as though they WERE drunk, staggering around, laughing and slurring their speech! They claim that this is the "Anointing", or a "move of the Holy Spirit"! No! No! No!

What IS the Anointing?

First, as noted, the Anointing is the NET, and the net is the ANOINTING!

Did our Lord desire that the net stay within the confines of the ship?

Of course not!

The crew, instead of handling the net for the length of their sailing, CASTS IT OUT in order top CATCH!

NEVER does a fisherman keep his net in his ship when his entire LIVLIHOOD depends on that net drawing in a great number of fish!

Such an act of going out to fish and then NOT casting out your net would make you the world's most foolish fisherman!

What fisherman goes out into the deep and refuses to throw his net into the water?

Today, we have those among us who seek to catch fish by every means possible EXCEPT by casting their net into the deep!

Worse yet, most who claim that they know what the Anointing is have no idea what the Scripture teaches on the subject!

Isaiah 10:27 And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.

Isaiah 61:1The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; 3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified. 4 And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations. 5 And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers. 6 But ye shall be named the Priests of the LORD: men shall call you the M inisters of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves.

1 John 2:20 But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.

1 John 2:27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

Acts 10:38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

From these verses on the Anointing, taken DIRECTLY from the Word of God....where does one find staggering around? Or laughing uncontrollably? Or shaking violently? Or falling down "under the power"?

Not once in these verses is there even a small HINT of what most today believe falsely that the True Aninting of God is!

The Anointing:

Heals the sick! Casts out devils! Raises the dead! Cleanses the lepers! Detroys bondages! Destroys the power of the devil itself!

There's only one catch.....

Are you ready?

THE ANOINTING IS NOT MEANT TO STAY IN THE SHIP!

What does this teach us?

This teaches us that there is a lost and dying humanity out there whose ONLY hope is that the Church, those on the shorelines and those in the ships, would cast out it's NET!

There may be many ships and many crew members....but there is only ONE NET!

THE DEEP!

The hookers need Jesus! The homosexuals need Jesus! The backbiters need Jesus! The liars need Jesus!

THE DEEP NEEDS TO BE REACHED!

How can this be done?

The Anointing, and NOTHING IN YOU, is the ONLY MEANS WHEREBY GOD HAS MADE AVAILABLE EVERY RESOURCE IF HEAVEN IN REACHING THE LOST!

Man's efforts are absolutely F-I-L-T-H-Y to the eyes of God and to His nostrils when man attempts to do righteous deeds APART from God's Anointing, which is the Holy Spirit HIMSELF, the very member of the Blessed Trinity whose PRIMARY WORK is to convict lost man of his lostness!

THE ANOINTING! THE NET! DEEP WATER!

There can be NO COMPROMISE on this issue!

It matters NOT what some denominational leader or statement of creed declares about the Anointing of God!

The Anointing is the only power available to you, dear friend and Beloved in Christ!

THERE ISN'T A DENOMINATION IN THE WORLD TODAY, NOT EVER, THAT HAS HAD ANY TYPE OF MONOPOLY ON THE ANOINTING!

Each ship is different, yet each must have a solid foundation and ALL must have a net!

Evangelism is the call of God on EVERY Born Again Believer's life, and we MUST take each word of Jesus Christ as THE Word of God...because it IS!

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