FISHING #3

What inspires us to fish?

Ever go in a restaurant or bait shop and see pictures of fish being caught? You hear conversations about how and where the fish are biting. You hear someone say they caught so many and how big they were. Suddenly you get the urge to go fishing. Why? Because of what you have seen and heard.

It is one thing to hear stories about the fish and it is another thing to catch the fish and you be in the picture!

Illustration: Last Sunday night after church I went to Ihop. I asked the waitress named Anna if there was one thing I could pray with her about. Her response was peace. I went fishing right then.

In Acts 3 a lame man from birth is miraculously healed. Suddenly the fish (salvation candidates) started biting.

There would be a great harvest come from that healing.

When the healing occurs Peter and John preach the gospel and 5,000 are saved. Why? Because the people saw and heard.

Acts 4 ⁴ Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.

They N.T. is filled with what have encouraged and inspired believers to fish.

1. John the Baptist

Luke 7 ^20 When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?’”

^21 At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. ^22 So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.

2. Peter and John we imprisoned for preaching Jesus.

Acts 4 ^16 “What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everybody living in Jerusalem knows they have done an outstanding miracle, and we cannot deny it. ^17 But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn these men to speak no longer to anyone in this name.”

^18 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. ^19 But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. ^20 For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” NIV

3. Paul is told by Ananias that he is called to be a witness.

Acts 22 ^14 “Then he said: ‘The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. ^15 You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. ^16 And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.’ NIV

4. John speaks as and eye witness

1Jo 1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life NIV

1Jo 1 ^3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. NIV

5. Believers are to share what they have witnessed in Paul.

Phi. 4 ^9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. NIV

What does a witness do? Speak of what he has seen and heard! Are you a witness?

The world is crying for the evidence of the gospel.

That evidence is that Jesus is the same today, yesterday, and forever.

What he has once done he can and will do again through his church.

Mar. 16 ^15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. ^16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. ^17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; ^18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”

^19 After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. ^20 Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.

The mission field has been the place of miracles because the gospel will on be believed when the power of God is demonstrated.

We are to repeat the works of Christ.

John 14 ^12 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. NIV

What motivates us to fish?

1.   What we have seen and heard Acts 4 20

2.   Spending time with Jesus

Acts 4 ¹² Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. ¹³ Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. ¹⁴ And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. KJV

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3.   Being filled with the Spirit

Acts 4 ⁷ And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this? ⁸ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, ⁹ If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; ¹⁰ Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. KJV

The present day world is not going to listen to our message unless we can present life changing power.

Only Signs, wonders, changed lives, and answers to pray that come through a relationship with Christ and his love will reach today’s world.