Fishers Of Men

I first wrote this as a foreword for the 2007 church camp booklet. Because of its evergreen lesson and application, I thought it might be of gain to share this word with those of you who are unable to go to the camp.

When Jesus came to save us He gave us an invitation — "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." (Matt. 4:19). This is a forceful metaphor. He tells us to follow Him and He will make us fishers of men. It’s powerful. It’s compelling. We cannot be followers and not be fishers of men — that would be denying Christ. In Mark’s version of this metaphor, Jesus says, "I will make you to become…"

When we were saved, we didn’t think of what we might become. Likewise, it didn’t seem likely that lowly Galilean fishermen would become apostles; that those who worked nets would become teachers and preachers of the Word of God, founders of churches, and create an international movement that would span millennia. Yet that is what Jesus made His first followers to become.

What will you become?

If you are truly saved, the work is only half done until you are employed to bring others to Christ. You have not attained to the full development of your calling until you have begun to enter the work of fishing for men. You are not to rest until you have spent your short time on earth leading others to our merciful Saviour. You do not follow Him only for your own salvation and sanctification, but also to be added to that great company of labourers who are working to bring yet more into the kingdom.

That is what this year’s church camp is all about. I hope it will inspire you to be active members of the great company of labourers who are working to be fishers of men. This is simply demonstrating our obedience. We must demonstrate our faith by our works. "Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked" Failure to obey will lead to failure in man-fishing. In what ways then are we to obey? We are to obey by believing and teaching the doctrines of Christ, not the ideas of men in fulfilling the Great Commission He gave us.

You must believe what He believed and preach what He preached. If you would become fishers of men, you must be faithful heralds of His message. My prayer is that this camp will equip you with the knowledge and motivation to be good fishers of men. The fish are plentiful indeed. We need only to obey our Lord by letting down our nets and see what great a catch He will provide. Let us not be carried away with lesser things. If we will but follow Him, He will make us fishers of men.


In Christ,
Rev. Robert Chew