Fishing for Men

Evangelism is essential to Christian life. Sadly, in the West sharing evangelion (Gospel) has become less common. I personally think that part of problem isn't just the fear factor, the fear of being rejected or even harassed by an atheist or unbeliever of any kind; but I think en masse evangelists like Billy Graham and Pat Robertson's CBN 700 Club have actually lulled many into complacency. Let me explain, I am not criticizing Billy or Pat, I am glad for what they has done for Christ, what I mean to say is that often we consider one on one evangelism, our minds can compare it to the stadiums that Billy Graham, Pat Robertson, Ron Luce, and other major evangelists fill. This can create a complacency and apathy in the evangelist in all of us; thinking, "I can't fill as many seats as Billy Graham, and evangelize thousands." For those of us who study the Scriptures, we may then compare it to the Apostles who in one outreach of the Gospel reached 3,000 and 5,000 who chose to confess and believe in Jesus Christ. How do we compete with Graham and the Apostles? The answer is we don't.

The Lord Jesus has given us a testimony, "They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death." (Revelation 12:11), "Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son," (1 John 5:10), "And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son," (1 John 5:11). That testimony is the Gospel, it is already in us, and we par it with how we encountered this evangelion, and when and how we got saved. It is part of our pitch or pledge of peace, our way of sharing the Gospel to people through our own lives with the official Gospel and Testimony of Christ that is already in us. In essence, we become a living breathing Testament, Gospel; Jesus Christ is pleading through us, "Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God." (2 Corinthians 5:20). If we see it in this light, then the intimidation factor subsides more, if we realize that God is pleading through us, and that we can Segway to the Gospel through our own story (our personal testimony of how we got saved, and what we were like), which builds our own faith; remembering aloud how the Alpha and Omega reached us in our loneliness and lost state. By knowing the Testimony of Christ, and our own personal testimony of how Christ rescued us we aren't on the spot having to come up with pitch from a tract, instead we start sharing our story we know by heart and then can remember  in middle of all adrenaline and nerves the Testimony and Gospel of Christ and share it as we share our story.When we tell the people how the LORD got ahold of us in our sinfulness, it then builds our faith, while letting the person or persons know that no one is perfect when the Prince of Peace knocks at the door of their heart (Revelation 3:20, Luke 12:36).

But what if your testimony is you never were a wild one, bad person, a super sinner, or a prodigal son or daughter? What if you've been faithful to Christ your whole life? It may not seem as flashy as someone who was into sorcery and set on fire all their evil spell books to serve the Savior Jesus (Acts 19:19), or someone who was alcoholic turning to the Alpha and Omega and never taking a drink again. The fact is, that you can share something different than these prodigals. You can explain how being a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ, there have been trials and tribulations, and explain to people what it is like in long run to love the LORD Jesus; you have a testimony of insight of being on the inside of the faith and church; telling how you kept from being disillusioned by false preachers and teachers, and how you have come to the place of counting all things lost but knowing Christ (Philippians 3:8). Now this may not seem at first on par with testimony of those who were prodigals; but your testimony of standing firm is hope incarnate; you are proving someone can stand (firm) the test of time and beyond the initial conversion experience; like the Apostles you are representing a different group, those who have run the race, fought the good fight, and keep the faith.

Fishing for men is everyone's duty as disciple of Christ. We are told by Apostle Peter to be ready to give na account and defense of our faith, "But in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to articulate a defense to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But respond with gentleness and respect," (1 Peter 3:15) and the Apostle Paul tells us to be ready in any season to share the Gospel, "I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction./Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths." (2 Timothy 4:1-4). It doesn't matter if you are Billy Graham or Apostle Peter at Pentecost, you have unique, special, and uniquely you way of sharing the Gospel. The Lord Jesus will show you how to share the Truth, "So make up your mind not to worry beforehand how to defend yourselves, For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist (refute) or contradict," (Luke 21:14-15).and the Holy Spirit will teach you what to say, "for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what needs to be said."(Luke 12:12). Your life is a mini evangelion, your story and Gospel as one line in the sea to catch specific fish. Do not give up, keep trying and remember if you do not get to be part of reaping, that is praying prayer of conversion and confession of Jesus as Lord and Savior of their lives, you get to sow seed, "I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow." (1 Corinthians 3:6).

Let me be clear, the Testimony is Christ's, it is Gospel, and you must share salvation is found in no one else save Jesus Christ, "that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved," (Acts 4:10-12), "All who confess that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God," (1 John 4:15), "For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day," (John 6:40), "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God," (John 3:16-18), "Do not work for food that perishes, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For God the Father has placed His seal of approval on Him," (John 6:27), and, "because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved." (Romans 10:9-10). Your personal testimony is how Christ's Testimony touched your life and you became disciple and follower of Jesus Christ; now harboring Christ and His Testimony inside you upon believing and confessing Jesus as Lord and God (Colossians 1:27, 1 Corinthians 3:16, 1 John 5:10-11, Romans 10:9-10).

We are fishing for men and women. The Testimony of Christ is our fishing line, but the hook is our own testimony of how Christ saved us. That hook will be different for all of us. For prodigal they say, "when Christ found me, I had lost my family, possessions, and my self respect; but afterwards I got sober and now serve the LORD and have new family, new possessions, and self respect in Christ." For the steadfast believer, its different, "I have stood firm because Christ is my source and rock, without Him I would be a monster, I would have given into drugs, or done bad things, I know my sinful self and if I had followed it, I would be mess, but the Messiah Jesus has kept me in His arms, and I have weathered the impossible storms, I have lost family, friends, and more; and could endure it through Christ alone." The Prodigal and the Steadfast have different testimonies to lead to the Testimony that Jesus Christ is Salvation and the only way to Eternal Life.

The Apostle Paul often told his own personal testimony of how he was Pharisee and persecutor of the Church, but on the Road to Damascus Christ reached Him and has made Him an apostle (Philippians 3:5-8, Galatians 1:13, 1 Corinthians 15:9). The Apostle Peter and Deacon Stephen (Acts 2 and 3, Acts 7) gave a testimony of the Jewish history of faith, and how Jesus Christ is culmination, the promised Christ and God incarnate that the prophets, King David, Moses, and Abraham foretold by Holy Spirit. Let the LORD Trinity teach you how to share His Testimony in any given situation; may we be ambassadors of Christ and share the Gospel in and out of season. Amen.