When Christ called men to be His disciples He did so very abruptly. Then immediately He called them to win souls. It is remarkable that all of these men responded very quickly. Tragically, such a dynamic response is seldom heard of today in the new-evangelicalism of the Western world. Here in our churches “believers” are nursed like infants for years. They seldom do anything for Christ and the local church, and are expected to remain “baby Christians” for decades! But the Bible teaches that you should become a fisher of men right away! A fisher of men is a person who does evangelism, who works to get people into the church to hear the Gospel preached. That is what a fisher of men does. Jesus said,

“I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19).

He said this right away – when He first called these men. He did not spend years teaching them. Right away Christ made them “fishers of men.” Here are four Bible truths about becoming fishers of men.

I. First, to be a fisher of men your heart must agree with Christ and the local church, not with the world.

If you are to be a fisher of men, you must fish for them in the sea of the world, and “catch them” out of world and into the church. Therefore, your heart must agree with us in church and ultimately with Christ if you are going to be used to bring young people into our church. Becoming a true disciple of Christ must begin with a desire to leave the world.

“Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord” (II Corinthians 6:17).

Decide in your heart that you will leave the world and come into Christ and His church. Jesus said,

“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also”
       (Matthew 6:21).

If your treasure is in your school and pleasing your family then that is where your heart will be, not with Christ and the members of the local church. Be like the young people in China who risk all to become a Christian. There they are willing if necessary to lose the love and support of their families, and some have even endured beatings and imprisonment for the cause of Christ and his church.

More Christians are in prison or under detention in China than in any other country. House churches [unregistered churches], which make up approximately 90 percent of China’s Christians, endure unimaginable persecution. But they stand by their commitment to preach the gospel, no matter the cost...On Feb. 11, 2009, Chinese authorities arrested 60 house church leaders...who were attending a seminar in Wolong district, Henan province. Police officers disrupted the meeting, arrested the Christians and confiscated phones, books and money. Authorities forced the believers to register with the government and pay a fine.
(http://www.persecution.com/public/restrictednations.aspx?clickfrom=bWFpbl9tZW51)

Be like the young people in China who take risks to become real Christians and fishers of men!

“Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:2).

Set your affections on things above! Become Christ’s disciple and a fisher of men! You will begin to sense the reality of eternal things, your own soul, the souls of men, Christ and Heaven.

II. Second, to be a fisher of men you should begin immediately.

Christ had twelve Disciples. These included Peter, Andrew, James, John and Matthew. Peter and Andrew were fishing when Jesus called them. The Bible says,

“And they straightway left their nets, and followed him”
       (Matthew 4:20).

James and John were mending their nets when Jesus called them and the Bible says,

“And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him” (Matthew 4:22).

Matthew, the tax collector was at work when Jesus called him. The Bible says,

“And he arose, and followed him” (Matthew 9:9).

All these men whom Jesus called responded immediately, without delay. They began to evangelize! This is the proper way to respond to Christ’s call if a person is serious about becoming a Christian.

But those whom Jesus called, but who hesitated were indecisive or held themselves back, never became Christians.

“And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head” (Luke 9:57-58).

Although this man proclaimed that he would follow Jesus wherever He went, he did not do it. He decided not to follow Christ after considering the hardship he would experience. So he never became a Christian.

“And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:61-62).

This man also did not respond immediately to the call of Christ. He thought it was too hard to become a disciple. He looked back from the work, and he also never became a Christian. Those who hesitate to become Christ’s disciples, and who hesitate to become fishers of men, never seem to become true Christians. At best, they only remain nominal Christians – Christians in name only. Hear the call of Christ tonight through this message and become a fisher of men!

III. Third, whether or not you obey Christ and become a fisher of men tests your seriousness.

Whether you respond immediately to Christ’s call to become a fisher of men will test your seriousness of becoming a Christian. In the passage that Dr. Cagan read earlier,

“And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him” (Matthew 4:21-22).

James and John immediately obeyed Jesus. If you would become a true disciple of Christ you must resolve not to let anything stop you. Jesus said,

“He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:37).

You should love your father. You should love your mother, but not more than Christ and His church. Many of the Chinese young people here in America say they cannot come to church Sunday morning and evening and Saturday evening, because they have to study more (while they are really fooling around) or because they have to spend every minute of their leisure time with their family. Such a person is not serious and will let things like study and family get in the way. Such a person will not become a real Christian. How different these people are from the Disciples, and the persecuted Christians in China. Matthew Henry said,

This instance of the pliableness of the disciples, gives us a good example of obedience to the command of Christ...They objected not their present employments, their engagements to their families, the difficulties of the service they were called to, or their own unfitness for it; but, being called, they obeyed (Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible, Fleming H. Revell Company, 1950 reprint, volume 5, page 44, comment on Matthew 4:18)

I call on you to be like the Christians in China who will not let anything stop them from bringing young people into the local church! In America, no one will beat you or put you in jail to stop you. It is much easier here. So you should go at once to bring in the lost, as they do in China.

IV. Fourth, becoming a fisher of men may lead to your own conversion.

Please turn to Luke 5:3-10:

“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. Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. 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. And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. 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. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken: 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” (Luke 5:3-10).

Here we see Peter the fisherman toiling in his own craft all night all the while being a miserable failure. Jesus instructs him to row his boat further out and to recast his net. Peter is filled with unbelief yet obeys the words of Christ. This is the beginning of grace in his heart in heeding the call of Christ. The Reformer, John Calvin remarked,

[Peter] has but a slender perception – if he has at all – of the value of the Gospel; but the deference which he pays to Christ is manifested by this, that, when worn out by fruitless toil, he commences anew what he had already attempted in vain. Yet it cannot be denied, that he highly esteemed Christ, and had the highest respect for his authority. But a particular instance of faith, rendered to a single command of Christ, would not have made Peter a Christian, or given him a place among the sons of God, if he had not been led on, from this first act of submission, to a full obedience. But, as Peter yielded so readily to the command of Christ, whom he did not yet know to be a Prophet or the Son of God, no apology can be offered for our disgraceful conduct, if, while we call him our Lord, and King, and Judge (Isaiah 33:22) we do not move a finger to perform our duty, to which we have ten times received him commands (John Calvin, Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists, Baker Books, 1999 reprint, volume XVI, commentary on Luke 5:5, p. 241).

Peter, although unconverted, received much grace to obey the call of Christ. Peter and the other Disciples are overwhelmed by the great size of the catch and begin to realize, perhaps for the first time, who Jesus really is. This is one of the events that finally led to his conversion. Again, John Calvin said,

In this manner, Peter views Christ with reverence in the miracle, and yet is so overawed by his majesty, that he does all he can to avoid his presence. Nor was this the case with Peter alone: for we learn, from the context, that astonishment had overpowered all who were with him. Hence we see, that it is natural to all men to tremble at the presence of God. And this is of advantage to us, in order to humble any foolish confidence or pride that may be in us, provided it is immediately followed by a soothing consolation. And so Christ relieves the mind of Peter by a mild and friendly reply, saying to him, Fear not. Thus Christ sinks his own people in the grave, that he may afterwards raise them to life (John Calvin, ibid, commentary on Luke 5:8, p. 242).

Calvin believed that God used Peter’s difficulties and failures in becoming a fisher of men as a means of grace to bring about his awakening and later his conversion. Active in the work of the ministry out of obedience to the calls of Christ, Peter received more grace and finally converting grace to become a true Christian.

We do not say that evangelism as a work will contribute to your salvation, for salvation is all of grace through faith in Christ alone. Indeed, salvation is “not of ourselves” lest it would lead to idle boasting (Ephesians 2:8-9). However, we believe that in the same way that Christ gave grace to His Disciples to respond to His call, He will also give grace to you young people to become true Christians and fishers of men if you likewise obey His call to become fishers of men.

Jesus loves you. He died for your sins on the Cross. He rose bodily from the dead on the third day. He ascended into Heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father. Come to Christ, and His Blood will wash away your sins.

V. Fifth, becoming fishers of men is the way to have true fellowship in the local church.

“And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart. Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved” (Acts 2:46-47).

“One accord” in the Greek is homothumadon meaning of the same mind. Real fellowship in the local church is when everyone has the same mind in loving one another, taking care of one another, having meals with each other, and having the same mind in doing evangelism. All of us have been called by Christ to become fishers of men. Don’t just attend Bible study without ever doing what the Bible says! Let our young people train you to become fishers of men. Learn from us how to get names and phone numbers and bring them in for us to follow up on.

Look at all the happy and committed Christians in the China film you saw! They are spreading the Gospel despite all the persecution they endure! Decide in your heart that you want to become a serious Christian like them.

Please stand and turn with me in your Bible to John 1:41-45:

“He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone. The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me. Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph”
      (John 1:41-45).

You may be seated.

Follow the example of Andrew who brought his brother Peter to Christ. Follow the example of Philip who brought his friend Nathaniel to Christ. You young people have many friends and family members that we will never meet. Bring your friends from school and family to church! Let us fill this place with many young people! We will help you to love them, share meals with them, and preach the Gospel to them.

Christ’s first words to His Disciples were for them to become fishers of men, to evangelize. Now we note that it was also Christ’s last words to His Disciples. The last thing He said to them was,

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost”
     (Matthew 28:19).

These last words of the Lord Jesus Christ before he ascended back to Heaven, reflect what was in His heart and what He thought was most important – going out and fishing for men – evangelizing the lost. These are our marching orders from Jesus, the Captain of our salvation. From the beginning of His ministry, and all the way until the end of it, Christ taught us to be fishers of men.

We will send those of you who are new among us out to evangelism Saturday night after next. We will not send you out alone. We will send you with one of our young people who will teach you to become a fisher of men. When you return, after evangelism, we will have hot soup and sandwiches. Dr. Hymers will speak, and we will have a time of fellowship.

We will see God bless your efforts as more young people come into this church. Become a fisher of men! Come to evangelism every Saturday night! Do it! And may God richly bless you as you do!

Today we reap, or miss our golden harvest!
Today is given us lost souls to win.
Oh, then to save some dear ones from the burning,
Today we’ll go to bring some sinner in.
   (“So Little Time” by Dr. John R. Rice, 1895-1980).

(END OF SERMON)
You can read Dr. Hymers' sermons each week on the Internet
at www.realconversion.com. Click on "Sermon Manuscripts."

You may email Dr. Hymers at rlhymersjr@sbcglobal.net, (Click Here) –
or you may write to him at P.O. Box 15308, Los Angeles, CA 90015.
Or phone him at (818)352-0452.

Scripture Read Before the Sermon by Dr. C. L. Cagan: Matthew 4:18-22.
Solo Sung Before the Sermon by Mr. Benjamin Kincaid Griffith:
“So Little Time” (by Dr. John R. Rice, 1895-1980).