18And 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.
19And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
How does this scripture relate to me? I don't know much about fishing except for the fact that it is absolutely disgusting to bait a hook! The only memory I have of fishing is the time spent with my grandfather out in a barren cow pasture. I couldn't bait the hook....but grandpa did it for me. However; if you thought this scripture was about fishing you are mistaken!
Peter and Andrew were fishing because that was their everyday job. It was how they put food on the table for their families. Today's message is about where you are on Monday through Saturday. Anyone that goes to church with you knows who you are on Sunday. Most know what you do Monday through Saturday. But do they see the same person on Monday through Saturday as they see on Sunday? As Jesus walked by the sea and saw Peter and Andrew fishing there, he called to them saying, "Come and follow me. I will make you fishers of men."
I don't know about you, but in our economy I care about my job and keeping my job. In my line of work, as a public school teacher, I battle this every day. It is sad that I have to tiptoe around with what I say when talking about my Faith. So this is a tough one for me. I would love to be able to just come out and teach my students like I do my Sunday School Class. I would love to share Jesus with them, but by law, I am forbidden. I pray that God takes hold of our schools every night so that I am more free to do that. I am not alone. There are many other jobs out there where our hands are tied. I have to be creative in the ways I share my faith. I do it through love and my actions with my students. I am not quiet about my life outside of school. I try to be a good role-model and teach good morals and values to my kids. Those same morals and values I expect my own daughter to have as she grows up in today's world. But just like Peter and Andrew, God has called me to cast out my net. He has called me to be fishers of men. It is no coincidence that I am a teacher. It is no coincidence that we have so many good Christians as teachers. God knows what He is doing. God placed us there for a reason. God also placed you in your job too for a reason.
Maybe you are to encounter a lost soul God intends for you to help. Maybe you are there because you are a peacemaker and you are surrounded by people who are not. Look around you. Tomorrow, when you go to work, step back and think about why God put you there. Do you realize how important your outside life is to your ministry? How many of us go to bed one person on Sunday night and wake up a totally different person on Monday morning? God knew you before you were born. He knows every hair on your head. He placed you in your job. He knows why he placed you there. What are you chasing? Are you chasing the American dollar or the glory of God? Be who God wants you to be at all hours of every single day no matter where you are.
Peter and Andrew gained the practice of gathering fish. God used their job to train them for His glory. Their everyday practice of catching fish prepared them to gather men together and share the Gospel with them. What is your physical job preparing you for? Why did God put you there?
It is so easy to just say you are a Christian, punch in your clock on Sunday, go home and then get into the groove of 9 to 5 everyday only to do the cycle over again. But how often do we minister outside the church? We typically just walk by, in our daily lives and we turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to the problems around us. Oh, but then on Sunday, we sit in our pews and sing our songs and listen to our preacher. 12:00 noon, watches are going off...time to go home! Punch out! See you next Sunday!
Think about this.....how many "Workaholics" do you know? How many people are giving so much time to their job that their family time and God time suffers? I know of a lot of fellow teachers, me included, work in the school on Saturdays and Sundays just to make their lessons perfect and their classrooms ready. At what cost? Our family, time spent with God, maybe even church. Now what if only 1/2 the people in the world worked as hard at ministering as they do in their physical jobs? Instead of being "workaholics" we should be "Godaholics", "Witnessaholics", and "Ministeraholics"! Our complete effort should be spend on working non-stop for Him and His glory. Do you work as hard with your personal walk with God as you do your physical everyday job? Remember, God put you there in that job for a reason. It isn't time to forget God, it is a time to use what you learn in church on Sundays for His glory!
If God brought you to it, He'll see you through it. Do you just punch in on Sunday morning only to punch out at noon? Or do you allow God to punch in with you everyday of the week and work alongside you?
Here is your invitation from God:
YOU HAVE BEEN INVITED TO BE A FISHER OF MEN
Who: YOU
Where: EVERYWHERE YOU GO
What: MINISTER TO OTHERS THROUGH WORDS AND ACTIONS
When: NOW!!!!
Why: WHEN THOSE WHO ARE CALLED TO FISH, FISH THEY FLOURISH AND GOD CALLED YOU TO DO SO!!!!
Tomorrow when you clock in, look around you. Are you missing the opportunity to bait your hook or are you waiting for someone else to do it for you? Did you purposely leave God at home or did He help you clock in? Cast out your net everywhere you go and be a fisher of men!
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