Special Study Outline

FISHERS OF MEN
In Mark 1:16-20, we read of one of the greatest charges ever given to man: “Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.” Talk about a charge that changed the lives of these Galilean fishermen forever! Jesus took ordinary men and made them the greatest “fishers of men” the world has ever seen! I believe that God wants us all to play a part in winning souls to Christ today. Although we may all do it in different ways (calls, cards, visits, studies, prayers and invitations, etc.), His plea is still for us to become “fishers of men”. With another Friend & Family Day on the horizon (November 11) let’s be thinking about those who are close to us who are not in a saved relationship with Christ and be sure we are doing all we can to help them come to a clear understanding of what Jesus has done for them. Allow me to give us a few reminders of what we can be doing to be “fishers of men”. To be a soul-winning church, brethren, is simply a matter of focus. We must be FOCUSED on the right person if we are going to see souls saved. Notice that these men left everything to follow one man - Jesus (Mark 1:18,20). These men left their nets, their boats and life as they knew it, to cleave to Jesus and learn from Him. How focused they were on Christ! They became His disciples, which meant that they were focused on learning from Him. And what they learned! Time after time, they saw Jesus go into places and interact with people that most religious, upstanding citizens would have nothing to do with! People like the woman at the well (John 4), a leper (Mark 1), a demoniac (Mark 5), a sinful woman (Luke 7), a woman taken in adultery, (John 8), and a Gentile woman with a sick daughter (Mark 7). What did these life lessons teach them? What was Jesus getting across to them time and again? That every life matters to God! If these disciples had followed most of us around, they would have learned that people like us matter. People in our economic bracket; people with our ethnic background; people with our skin color; but to God ALL people matter. What’s my point? When you follow the right person, you learn the truth that God doesn’t want anyone to perish (2 Pet. 3:9). You learn the truth that Jesus came to die for sinners (Luke 19:10; Mark 2:17). You learn that the Gospel message is to be preached everywhere to everyone (Mark 16:15; Matt. 28:19-20)! Verse 16 tells us that Peter and Andrew were casting their nets when Jesus found them. That word means they were “Casting first on one side, then on the other.” In other words, they were casting those nets all over the place trying to gather in some fish! Here is the lesson for those of us who would be fishers of men: we should be casting our nets everywhere we go. Matthew 28:19-20, the Great Commission, carries with it the idea of “As you go, make disciples.” It is to be a daily thing. God’s job is to convert people, ours is to sow the seed (Luke 11). And we should be seed sowers every day. Evangelism is really very simple. Someone said that when it is done right, it is just one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread! We have good news to share. Jesus saves! Anyone who will come to Him can be saved! That’s what the church is all about! We are to be active in this matter of getting the message out into the world. People are perishing and we hold the antidote to their sickness. We must get the message out into the world! We preach the Gospel in the church, but we must preach the Gospel in the world if we would see people saved! Richard O'Connor

In Mark 1:16-20, we read of one of the greatest charges ever given to man: “Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.” Talk about a charge that changed the lives of these Galilean fishermen forever! Jesus took ordinary men and made them the greatest “fishers of men” the world has ever seen! I believe that God wants us all to play a part in winning souls to Christ today. Although we may all do it in different ways (calls, cards, visits, studies, prayers and invitations, etc.), His plea is still for us to become “fishers of men”. With another Friend & Family Day on the horizon (November 11) let’s be thinking about those who are close to us who are not in a saved relationship with Christ and be sure we are doing all we can to help them come to a clear understanding of what Jesus has done for them. Allow me to give us a few reminders of what we can be doing to be “fishers of men”.

To be a soul-winning church, brethren, is simply a matter of focus. We must be FOCUSED on the right person if we are going to see souls saved. Notice that these men left everything to follow one man - Jesus (Mark 1:18,20). These men left their nets, their boats and life as they knew it, to cleave to Jesus and learn from Him. How focused they were on Christ! They became His disciples, which meant that they were focused on learning from Him. And what they learned! Time after time, they saw Jesus go into places and interact with people that most religious, upstanding citizens would have nothing to do with! People like the woman at the well (John 4), a leper (Mark 1), a demoniac (Mark 5), a sinful woman (Luke 7), a woman taken in adultery, (John 8), and a Gentile woman with a sick daughter (Mark 7). What did these life lessons teach them? What was Jesus getting across to them time and again? That every life matters to God! If these disciples had followed most of us around, they would have learned that people like us matter. People in our economic bracket; people with our ethnic background; people with our skin color; but to God ALL people matter. What’s my point? When you follow the right person, you learn the truth that God doesn’t want anyone to perish (2 Pet. 3:9). You learn the truth that Jesus came to die for sinners (Luke 19:10; Mark 2:17). You learn that the Gospel message is to be preached everywhere to everyone (Mark 16:15; Matt. 28:19-20)!

Verse 16 tells us that Peter and Andrew were casting their nets when Jesus found them. That word means they were “Casting first on one side, then on the other.” In other words, they were casting those nets all over the place trying to gather in some fish! Here is the lesson for those of us who would be fishers of men: we should be casting our nets everywhere we go. Matthew 28:19-20, the Great Commission, carries with it the idea of “As you go, make disciples.” It is to be a daily thing. God’s job is to convert people, ours is to sow the seed (Luke 11). And we should be seed sowers every day.

Evangelism is really very simple. Someone said that when it is done right, it is just one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread! We have good news to share. Jesus saves! Anyone who will come to Him can be saved! That’s what the church is all about! We are to be active in this matter of getting the message out into the world. People are perishing and we hold the antidote to their sickness. We must get the message out into the world! We preach the Gospel in the church, but we must preach the Gospel in the world if we would see people saved!

Richard O'Connor