Matthew 4:19
And he saith unto them,
Fishers of Men.
As a Christian witness we need to be able to tell what God has done in our life
through Christ along with being able to give a clear presentation of the Gospel.
Since witnessing to a friend or loved
one can be a bit awkward at times, I have put together lessons about witnessing
obtained from personal life experiences and messages
I pray that through these lessons
we can (1) learn how to witness and (2) how to be a more effective witness.
Lesson
One: Being a Fisher of Men
While living on Lake Okeechobee in
Florida I became a novice fisherman.
After several weeks of getting involved in the sport the Lord showed me
some similarities between fishing for fish and fishing for men.
These parallels were an
encouragement to me and I pray they will be to you also.
Jesus said in Matthew 4:19…I will
make you fishers of men.
As a fisherman you must be:
1.
Available:
Fishermen have a saying, “A bad day of fishing is better than a good day at
work.” We need the attitude, “A bad
day of witnessing is better than a good day of self pleasure.”
If should make ourselves available
to witness as much as we make ourselves available for our own interests.
Many do not have a desire to tell
others about Jesus like they have a desire to fish, hunt, watch movies, etc…
What have you made yourself
available for?
2.
Patient:
It takes time to catch fish. That
is why they call it fishing and not catching.
You have to keep on fishing even when there are no bites on the line.
Don’t give up to soon.
3.
Persistent:
You can fish in the same place, with the same bait, and at the same time and
catch nothing while others around you are catching left and right.
This can be discouraging, but don’t let it get you down.
Praise God others are seeing results.
Your fish is out there; just keep the hook in the water.
4.
Burdened:
It is good to have a burden for a particular person.
Just like a fisherman has his heart set on that certain fish.
Perhaps it’s a bass, a salmon, or a trout.
They will usually be happy with any catch, but their heart is set on that
“Big One.” Get your heart focused
on that particular friend and pray.
Remember, you can get surprised by
an accidental catch. It isn’t
always the fish you are after that takes the bait.
5.
Prepared:
Different fish require different bait.
Jesus used different approaches with the people He witnessed to.
We need to find the proper bait.
Fish thrive in different environments.
Shallow water, deep water, salt, fresh, grassy, open, some swim only in
schools while others are single swimmers.
Pray for the right bait for the right fish.
6.
Dedicated:
True Fishermen will continue to fish no matter what the conditions.
Fishing will always be on their mind. They will purchase the finest
equipment and follow the codes found in the regulation book.
Their life will be centered on fishing.
7.
Active:
You can’t catch fish talking about it.
You must be active in fishing.
1. Invite people to church
2. Give someone a tract and ask him or her to read it.
(Pray for that person.)
3. Pros and armatures can fish in the same waters with the same bait at the same
time.