Going Fishing

Good morning and welcome in.  Today we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture, but before we do that, I wanted to tell you a little story.

How many of you like to go fishing? I know a lot of people in our area that really enjoy catching walleyes, but I will normally eat Northern Pike instead. There’s a lake in our area that we occasionally go fishing on, called Shallow pond lake, and it’s an absolute treat for trolling on. Many times when we launch our boat out onto the lake, we will catch our limit in an hour.

This reminds me of the Christian Life.

In order for any of us to catch fish, we obviously need to go searching for them. After all, you would have to put your boat into the water and cast your line into the lake. It’s going to require your time and effort. A lot of people have a fish locator in their boat, but Jesus knew where all the fish were, just as He showed to Peter. When we follow Jesus, we can get a big haul too, as we become fishers of men.

Matthew 4:18-20  And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.  And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.  And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.

In order for us to become a Christian, we must become humble followers of the Lord. To follow means to engage in a certain way of life and to pursue. As Jesus traveled from town to town, His disciples were right with Him, learning from Him as they went. They even turned away from their own occupations and began to use their time to further the gospel of Christ. In order to have spiritual fruit unto life eternal, it’s going to require planting spiritual seeds into the hearts of others,

John 4:33-38  Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat?

Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.

But there are many foolish lusts in this world that can prevent one’s progress.

Luke 8:4-15  And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable: A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.

And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. 

And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be? And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.

Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

To have fruit, we must turn away from all of the things that can become a distraction in our lives. Moses turned away from everything in Egypt in order to follow the Lord. Look at the fruit that he had when he eventually led them all through the Red Sea.

Hebrews 11:26-27  Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.

The disciples had a great love for the Lord, and they were preaching everywhere.

Romans 15:19  Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.

Acts 8:25 And they, when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.

Acts 14:21  And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch,

Luke 9:6 And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing every where.

2 Timothy 4:2  Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

To have a fruitful life, you must learn how to help others grow in their faith.  People need to be educated in Holy Scripture, so they can grow into Spiritual maturity. Somebody needs to be planting the seeds of God’s Word, but it is going to require the investment of your time, a commodity that many people don’t want to give up. 

Matthew 9:37  Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;

How will you ever bring home fish, without first casting a line into the water? How do you expect a garden to grow if you really don’t plant any seeds? But many people can become completely sidetracked with other things in this world.

1 John 2:15-17  Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

To catch fish, you must take the effort to start casting for them. If we want to become fishers of men, then we must get started, by

……. Going Fishing

Let’s think about these things for right now.  We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody. ❤️

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