Thursday, March 13, 2014

WEEKLY ALL IN DEVOTION: Thursday, March 13th

ALLIN 2 Go ALLOUT: FISH!
Mark 1:17 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”
Pastor Johnathan Barnes

Jesus always invites and gives us an opportunity to pursue purpose, calling, and destiny.  Simon and Andrew longed to be disciples.  Like every Jewish male, they longed to be under the tutelage, training, and guidance of a well respected Rabbi.  But like many males during their time, they did not meet the requirements.  They did not perform well enough in school to qualify to be a rabbi.  Thus they were fisherman. 

Simon and Andrew likely gazed and marveled as they saw Gamaliel and Shammia, well-known rabbis during their time, and their disciples going about their day. They likely often day dreamed about what it would be like to be a disciple.   They wanted to be disciples, but they were fisherman.

Here comes Jesus.  Jesus, using the traditional rabbinic invitation a rabbi would use to offer mentorship to a disciple, says to Simon and Andrew, “Come, follow me.”  Come…pursue what you were created to do.  Come…do what you long to do.  Come…fulfill your purpose. Come, smelling like fish, with scales in your hair, slime on your hands, come and follow, and I WILL MAKE YOU fishers of men. Just come…..Just continue to follow….. and I’ll take it from there.

Jesus says that he will take responsibility in closing the gap between where we are and where we want and ought to be.  Our only job is to follow.  

Sharing our faith can be an intimidating, daunting, and admittedly a scary endeavor. We often feel inadequate, unprepared, and unqualified to tell others about Jesus.  Like the disciples, we may feel we do not measure up.  We are not bible scholars.  We will not be able to answer difficult questions.  Jesus says also to us…Just come….Just follow…. He promises to make us…He promised to mold us.    Jesus will help us fulfill our deepest desire to share him fearlessly….Our longing to share him relationally and relentlessly. 
As you follow Christ today, be prepared to be a fisher of men.  According to Jesus that is the ultimate end result. 

The result of following is not what we do….but the result of following is who we become. 

As you follow Jesus today, fish!  There is no other way you can affirm that Jesus is making you into a fisher of men.  No other test other than baiting your hook/casting your net can you see the evidence of the work Jesus is doing in you. 

Are you a fisher of men?  Is Jesus keeping his word? Is Jesus making you? There is only one way to find out….

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