Wow. I am an official World Racer and this is my first World Race blog. Let me take a moment.
Okay. I'm back.
I'm deciding to write this blog based on what I heard at the church service I just attended. It was Christ Fellowship's J1ten Live so that I am not taking credit for some of this as my own thoughts. However Christ deserves the credit because if anyone is encouraged it is His words not mine.
Tonight's message was based on Luke 5:1-11 where Jesus calls his disciples to be fishers of men. And before you start to think, "Great, another missions blog about the great commission and being fishers of men" let me shock you by taking this in another direction. Tonight’s message was actually about revival. You still with me? In this well known passage Jesus commands the disciples to take their boats back out after and long and unproductive day of fishing and recast their nets. The disciples were already cleaning their nets and thought they were done for the day, but Jesus had other plans. Jesus told them to cast their nets on the other side, and they ended up with so many fish that the boat was sinking! What the disciples (and those reading this passage) learn is that you may think you're done. You're cleaning you nets, calling it a day, but Jesus looks at you and says, "You’re not done. Now you're ready."
You see, Jesus wants us to be the kid on the sideline, who may seem like he has no talent, but he is eager and willing to go in the game. We should be standing next to Jesus saying, “Put me in coach.” We don’t want to be the kid off on the sideline, taking off our cleats, thinking we’re done. Otherwise we might be sitting around thinking we’re out of the game when God’s ready for us to bring in the catch of a lifetime.
So let’s say you are ready to become a fisher of men, but not sure where to start. In this passage Jesus directed the fishermen exactly where to bring in the catch. So don’t worry about it, Jesus is like a high-tech fisherman’s GPS. He knows exactly where the fish are and when He calls you, he will tell you where to drop your nets!
Finally, this message was a call to revival. The church is plan A for radical change on this planet, and there is no plan B. The gospel is a life-or-death message and it is up to us to drop everything, follow Jesus, and spread that message. It is time for revival and for us to become fishers of men. The cool thing about being fishers of men is that unlike regular fishing where you catch something alive and then kill it for food, when you fish for men you are catching something that is dead and bringing it back to life. How cool is that?
However, here’s the catch. Revival is work. Fish don’t just jump into the boat, we have to go out (even when we feel like it’s time to call it a day and start cleaning our nets) and try the other side of the boat. You never know when that big catch is going to come in. It’s time for some #RAD (Revival All Day).
Now here’s how God spoke to me in this sermon. As some of y'all reading may or may not know, Saturday I returned from a six week mission trip to Honduras with Children's Impact Network. I should be cleaning my net. In some people’s eyes my work is “done” after spending six weeks on the mission field. I was honestly feeling that way until this message. After spending time away from family and “first world problems” I should get a break, right? But, God’s saying, “No. You’re not done… you’re ready.” I’m ready for this next fishing excursion. It’s time to cast my net in other countries besides Honduras. I’m ready to discover something more that empty traditions, routines, and working 9-5. I’m ready for 11n11. Put me in Jesus. I’m ready to play.
