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We'll go ahead and turn in your copy

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of God's Word to Matthew chapter 4, Matthew

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chapter 4.

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And some of you will, many of you

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were there when Don Kern at the men's

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time Friday night, he mentioned in order to

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become more like Christ, one thing that would

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be beneficial is to go read through the

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Gospels and make your own commentary on Christ,

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specifically reading through Matthew and stopping everywhere there's

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something about Christ and writing that down.

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And I tend to hear advice on Bible

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reading and I weigh it, consider it.

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A lot of times I don't apply it.

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But with what Don shared, I thought I'm

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going to do that.

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I'm going to write my own commentary about

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Christ from the Gospel of Matthew.

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And so I've been doing that the last

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few weeks in my morning reading, just going

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to the next verses and thinking about what

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does this say about the Lord Jesus Christ?

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And so there's something in Matthew 4 that

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stood out to me.

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It's a well-known verse, but I felt

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like it was something that God wanted me

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to bring.

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So for the last few weeks, this has

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been on my mind.

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So Matthew 4, we're going to learn something

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in Matthew 4.19 about the Lord Jesus

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Christ.

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We're going to learn about what he is

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seeking to make out of his followers.

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Matthew 4.19, let's just read starting in

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verse 18.

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While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he

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saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter,

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and Andrew, his brother, casting a net into

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the sea, for they were fishermen.

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And he said to them, here the statement

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is, Follow me.

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And what's he going to produce?

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I will make you fishers of men.

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Immediately they left their nets.

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They followed him.

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And going on from there, he saw two

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other brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and

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John, his brother, in the boat with Zebedee,

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their father, mending their nets.

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And he called them.

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Immediately they left the boat and their father,

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and they followed him.

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Let's pray, and we'll consider this.

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Father, Lord, we thank You for the life

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of Your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

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We thank You for the window into His

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life that You've given us in these Gospels.

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And Lord, we want to be like Your

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Son.

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We want to grow to imitate His person,

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His conduct, His actions, His life, His thoughts.

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And Lord, here we've seen You've made, in

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a way, a promise that You're going to

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make these men fishers of men.

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Lord, You didn't tell them You're going to

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make them fishless fishermen, but fishers of men.

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And Lord, we want to, by all means

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possible in our lives, to see others come

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to know You, to know the Gospel, to

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have their sins forgiven.

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And so Lord, I pray that You would

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even produce this in us.

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Lord, would You use this message right now

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to burden specific people and all of us

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just to have a renewal of a cry

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to You in our own prayer life to

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say, Lord, make me a fisher of men.

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Lord, I pray that that would really be

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the result here, that that would be something

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we're asking of You in a greater way

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in our lives and pleading for those that

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we have been evangelizing for years, pleading with

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You to bring those precious souls into the

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Kingdom.

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And so Lord, I just ask for Your

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help right now.

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Lord, please strengthen me.

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In Jesus' name, Amen.

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So I see right here in this text

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a promise from Christ that He is going

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to produce fishers of men.

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Fishers of men.

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And you saw He didn't just call the

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two.

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He goes on and He calls two more.

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Now what would these men have thought Christ

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meant by fishing for men?

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They find out shortly thereafter.

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But where else does the Bible talk about

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fishing?

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And in what way does it talk about

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fishing?

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Thus far, the only thing in the Scriptures

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leading up to this point of Jesus' words

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are Old Testament verses that speak about many

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fishers rounding up the population for what?

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Destruction and exile.

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When you thought about fishers in the Bible,

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that's what you thought.

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Gathering people for exile.

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Gathering people for destruction.

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And whether or not they had an initial

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thought, what does Christ mean by this?

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They find out very shortly after in verse

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23.

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Verse 23 records He went throughout all Galilee.

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So this seems to imply they're with Christ

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now.

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And what is Christ doing?

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He's teaching and proclaiming the Gospel of the

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Kingdom and healing.

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He's healing people.

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He's preaching the Gospel.

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So right away, He's called them to be

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fishers of men, and they're following Him as

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He's engaging in this act of proclaiming the

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good news, of showing compassion, and seeking to

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bring people to Himself for life, to His

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Kingdom.

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And ironically, this is the opposite of what

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it is to fish for actual physical fish.

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Physical fish, you catch them.

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Pete knows this very well.

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You catch them, you kill them, you cook

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them, and then you feed them to GCC

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to eat them.

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That's what you do with physical fish.

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Why is Christ using this imagery?

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If anything, it was their physical task.

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They were fishers of men.

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And Christ is relating to their physical task

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of fishing and saying, you're going to go

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be fishers of men in another sense.

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And this Gospel net that we cast is

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to produce a different result than destruction.

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We're not seeking to fish men for destruction,

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but for salvation.

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In this Gospel, it's going forth to every

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kind of fish, Jew and Gentiles.

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And you've got people coming in and they're

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hearing the truth and they're professing.

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And we even read later on in Matthew

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13, maybe a different sense with the similar

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imagery, but we find that one day there's

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going to be a judgment and angels are

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going to separate these fish.

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These professors of religion.

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There's going to be a separation that day.

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So, a few observations.

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First, what has to come first in order

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for you and I to be a fisher

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of men?

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What's the first statement here from Christ that

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we should consider?

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And if you look at verse 19, He

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said to them, follow Me.

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Follow Me.

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That's the first thing on the docket.

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That's the first thing to really think about

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and consider.

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And what's follow Christ mean?

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I mean, this is a call to discipleship.

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It's a call to accompany Christ.

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It's a call to imitate Christ.

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It's a call to walk behind Christ.

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And this is what you find throughout all

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the Bible is that the Christian life is

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modeled after Christ and His example.

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Even in the Epistles, Paul says, Husbands, love

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your wives as Christ.

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Or Colossians 3, forgiving as Christ.

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The Bible constantly points us to Christ.

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Christ is our example.

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Not just in how to love, but even

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in how to win souls.

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His evangelism in verse 23 and on, right

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after this section, it's not just the preaching,

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it's the compassion.

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He's got all of this together.

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And it's no wonder that when we send

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missionaries out, we have both aspects happening.

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And where you don't have the compassion aspect

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and all you have is the preaching aspect,

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you end up hearing reports of what our

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brother shared in China.

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Nothing was happening.

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But when they started showing compassion, when they

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started living out Isaiah 58, then they saw

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God coming in in a powerful way.

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So Christ is our emphasis, our focus.

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Am I following the Lord Jesus Christ?

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And think, what time did these men in

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Matthew 4, what particular time did they follow

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Jesus?

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What were they involved in doing when He

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called them?

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They were involved in their ordinary work, right?

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Ordinary work, just their employment.

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Basically, someone stops by the office, so to

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speak, a messenger, and He calls them to

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follow Him and everything changes in their life.

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To me, that's an interesting reality because how

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many of you all were saved because of

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someone evangelizing you?

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In what context?

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Work.

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Or purchasing something on Craigslist.

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And some of you were converted through that

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conversation.

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And Christ, He wasn't their coworker, but they

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were one to Him while they were at

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work.

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And we see this.

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David was called by the Lord when he

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was keeping his father's sheep.

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Moses was out keeping Jethro's flock when the

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Lord appeared to him.

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And Gideon was busy at the threshing floor

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when God called him.

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I mean, humanity is out there living real

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life, right?

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They're working, they're laboring, and we're coming to

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them.

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You're going to them as able in your

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own work environment and you're calling them to

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follow Christ.

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You're calling them to a life of being

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a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ.

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Brethren, how many men and women, they hear

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the truth from other believers in this context

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of work.

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Do not lose heart.

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If that's the extent of your fishing, don't

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lose heart.

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Lloyd-Jones, he made the comment, when the

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local church has a spirit of evangelism, members

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tell others about Christ and through personal contact

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among friends, acquaintances, and business associates, they bring

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many into the church.

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And you find that right here in the

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beginning.

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People at work being called to follow the

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Lord Jesus Christ.

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And another thing to think here about these

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men, it's not just Christ takes this imagery,

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applies imagery to their physical work and says,

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here you're out there fishing for fish.

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Okay, you're going to go fish for men.

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But these men were out there actually fishing

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for fish.

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They were working.

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They were engaged in this labor.

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And now they're taking the same physical energy

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they invested in physical fishing and they're using

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that for spiritual fishing.

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You don't find Christ calling those who are

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lazy and doing nothing and all of a

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sudden they become effective in evangelism for the

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kingdom of God.

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We just don't witness that reality.

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But you do find the energy that you

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put into your work, even as a lost

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person, God comes along and when He saves

275
00:10:59,790 --> 00:11:01,810
you, that same energy there, you're now able

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to use it in a channel that is

277
00:11:03,930 --> 00:11:05,710
honoring to God.

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I mean, that's one reason that I want

279
00:11:08,070 --> 00:11:10,090
my kids to be hard workers and disciplined

280
00:11:10,090 --> 00:11:11,730
at the moment they do follow the Lord

281
00:11:11,730 --> 00:11:12,490
Jesus Christ.

282
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They already have that zeal and that energy

283
00:11:14,750 --> 00:11:19,670
to invest in their lives, to be disciplined,

284
00:11:19,810 --> 00:11:21,150
and that's going to carry over into the

285
00:11:21,150 --> 00:11:21,930
spiritual realm.

286
00:11:23,110 --> 00:11:26,750
So the first thing here, before He's making

287
00:11:26,750 --> 00:11:27,810
you a fisher of men, you've got to

288
00:11:27,810 --> 00:11:28,370
follow Him.

289
00:11:28,950 --> 00:11:32,270
And one of the main reasons many people

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00:11:32,270 --> 00:11:34,510
who say they're Christians have no desire to

291
00:11:34,510 --> 00:11:36,810
evangelize is they've not done the first step.

292
00:11:37,290 --> 00:11:39,710
They've not followed Christ.

293
00:11:40,190 --> 00:11:42,510
They've not come to Him as a disciple.

294
00:11:42,730 --> 00:11:43,650
They've made excuses.

295
00:11:43,890 --> 00:11:45,810
They've said other things and they've refused to

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00:11:45,810 --> 00:11:46,070
come.

297
00:11:47,290 --> 00:11:49,330
So, second observation here.

298
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Those who are following Him, He says, I

299
00:11:53,690 --> 00:11:56,690
will make you fishers of men.

300
00:11:58,250 --> 00:12:00,570
And as I was looking at this and

301
00:12:00,570 --> 00:12:04,350
wanting to apply it to myself and say,

302
00:12:04,430 --> 00:12:06,090
Lord, is this something I can take and

303
00:12:06,090 --> 00:12:06,910
make it for me?

304
00:12:07,670 --> 00:12:09,270
Can I take it and make this for

305
00:12:09,270 --> 00:12:09,450
me?

306
00:12:09,550 --> 00:12:10,890
Can I pray this to You, Lord?

307
00:12:11,210 --> 00:12:12,610
Well, I've got to define the you.

308
00:12:13,390 --> 00:12:15,750
If He says to specific people, I will

309
00:12:15,750 --> 00:12:19,050
make you fishers of men, an obvious question

310
00:12:19,050 --> 00:12:20,650
to ask, can I apply that to myself?

311
00:12:21,330 --> 00:12:23,790
Because there are certain statements made in the

312
00:12:23,790 --> 00:12:26,210
Scriptures to certain people that might not necessarily

313
00:12:26,210 --> 00:12:28,930
be for me.

314
00:12:29,350 --> 00:12:31,110
And so, Lord, I'm following You.

315
00:12:32,630 --> 00:12:34,550
You said to them, You'll make them fishers

316
00:12:34,550 --> 00:12:34,930
of men.

317
00:12:35,010 --> 00:12:36,670
So let's think about this you.

318
00:12:36,750 --> 00:12:40,430
Can I apply Matthew 4.19 to myself?

319
00:12:40,430 --> 00:12:42,850
Can I take it for myself?

320
00:12:43,190 --> 00:12:46,070
Or is there anything here where maybe I

321
00:12:46,070 --> 00:12:47,330
shouldn't?

322
00:12:47,410 --> 00:12:50,470
And we should ask this too because and

323
00:12:50,470 --> 00:12:52,710
this is key, what happens to these four

324
00:12:52,710 --> 00:12:55,070
men who Jesus calls right here in these

325
00:12:55,070 --> 00:12:55,410
verses?

326
00:12:57,580 --> 00:12:59,100
They all became apostles.

327
00:12:59,280 --> 00:13:01,580
Now, I'd emphasize the key word is they

328
00:13:01,580 --> 00:13:03,600
all became apostles.

329
00:13:03,720 --> 00:13:05,000
They weren't apostles right here.

330
00:13:05,580 --> 00:13:07,500
Even in Mark when He calls them and

331
00:13:07,500 --> 00:13:09,160
says, I'll make you fishers of men.

332
00:13:09,160 --> 00:13:12,420
Mark 3, at a later date, He says

333
00:13:12,420 --> 00:13:15,660
He called them out as apostles of Christ.

334
00:13:16,460 --> 00:13:20,080
These men were just following Christ's call to

335
00:13:20,080 --> 00:13:20,940
discipleship.

336
00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:22,820
You don't find Him going to other people

337
00:13:22,820 --> 00:13:25,840
to follow Him and changing it and saying,

338
00:13:25,980 --> 00:13:27,420
well, you're not going to have a burden

339
00:13:27,420 --> 00:13:29,860
in your life or a desire to see

340
00:13:29,860 --> 00:13:32,640
other people one to me.

341
00:13:33,280 --> 00:13:35,160
And so, we need to be careful here

342
00:13:35,160 --> 00:13:36,700
to narrow all of this down.

343
00:13:36,700 --> 00:13:39,900
Furthermore, what does Paul assume is on the

344
00:13:39,900 --> 00:13:41,440
heart and the mind of a saved person

345
00:13:41,440 --> 00:13:42,360
as a lost spouse?

346
00:13:43,360 --> 00:13:44,100
You're saved.

347
00:13:44,180 --> 00:13:45,080
Your spouse is lost.

348
00:13:45,160 --> 00:13:48,340
What does Paul assume is on that person's

349
00:13:48,340 --> 00:13:48,620
mind?

350
00:13:48,720 --> 00:13:49,980
Listen to 1 Corinthians 7.

351
00:13:50,620 --> 00:13:52,460
For how do you know, wife, whether you

352
00:13:52,460 --> 00:13:54,140
will save your husband?

353
00:13:55,180 --> 00:13:56,800
Or how do you know, husband, whether you

354
00:13:56,800 --> 00:13:57,520
will save your wife?

355
00:13:57,540 --> 00:13:58,220
What does that imply?

356
00:13:59,100 --> 00:14:00,560
These Christians, what's on their mind?

357
00:14:00,620 --> 00:14:01,040
They're married.

358
00:14:01,120 --> 00:14:01,920
Their spouse is lost.

359
00:14:02,000 --> 00:14:03,440
What do they desire in their life?

360
00:14:04,000 --> 00:14:05,160
Their spouse to be converted.

361
00:14:05,160 --> 00:14:07,240
You see, this is part of being a

362
00:14:07,240 --> 00:14:09,820
Christian is you want others to partake in

363
00:14:09,820 --> 00:14:11,060
this grace.

364
00:14:11,540 --> 00:14:13,620
This woman is trying to catch in this

365
00:14:13,620 --> 00:14:16,380
gospel net and fish be a fisher of

366
00:14:16,380 --> 00:14:17,060
her own husband.

367
00:14:20,630 --> 00:14:23,210
Think of Jesus' words in Matthew 10.

368
00:14:23,930 --> 00:14:27,070
He says, everyone who acknowledges Me before men,

369
00:14:27,590 --> 00:14:29,290
I will acknowledge before My Father.

370
00:14:29,370 --> 00:14:30,730
That's something for all of us.

371
00:14:31,170 --> 00:14:32,470
It's not just a select group.

372
00:14:32,550 --> 00:14:35,650
Well, that group better acknowledge Christ before men.

373
00:14:35,650 --> 00:14:37,690
That's for all of us.

374
00:14:38,230 --> 00:14:40,470
What is acknowledging Christ before men?

375
00:14:40,550 --> 00:14:43,790
It's speaking about being witnesses of Him.

376
00:14:44,450 --> 00:14:47,550
And when Peter shrinks back and denies Christ,

377
00:14:48,050 --> 00:14:51,490
he misses out on an opportunity to witness

378
00:14:51,490 --> 00:14:55,170
and testify and evangelize to that little girl

379
00:14:55,170 --> 00:14:56,130
around that fire.

380
00:14:56,790 --> 00:14:59,590
Instead, he communicated to her Christ isn't really

381
00:14:59,590 --> 00:15:00,450
worth suffering.

382
00:15:01,190 --> 00:15:02,510
What happened to that little girl?

383
00:15:02,510 --> 00:15:05,570
Maybe he didn't say she's a little girl.

384
00:15:05,710 --> 00:15:06,750
Did she ever get converted?

385
00:15:07,470 --> 00:15:10,010
Peter had an opportunity in fear he protected

386
00:15:10,010 --> 00:15:12,330
his flesh.

387
00:15:12,490 --> 00:15:14,130
And so, does this apply to you?

388
00:15:14,230 --> 00:15:16,150
All of us are seeking to acknowledge Christ

389
00:15:16,150 --> 00:15:16,730
before men.

390
00:15:16,790 --> 00:15:18,250
All of us are called to be witnesses

391
00:15:18,250 --> 00:15:20,370
of His.

392
00:15:21,310 --> 00:15:23,410
According to Jesus, if you do not acknowledge

393
00:15:23,410 --> 00:15:25,250
Him before men, He will deny you before

394
00:15:25,250 --> 00:15:25,770
the Father.

395
00:15:26,890 --> 00:15:29,090
Those are very strong words from Christ.

396
00:15:32,260 --> 00:15:33,520
Every believer is a witness.

397
00:15:33,520 --> 00:15:35,740
And yes, we see even to this point,

398
00:15:35,820 --> 00:15:37,580
you see in Mark 5, the demoniac, he

399
00:15:37,580 --> 00:15:38,120
gets converted.

400
00:15:38,240 --> 00:15:39,820
There's no evidence he became an apostle.

401
00:15:40,700 --> 00:15:42,280
Jesus didn't say, I will make you a

402
00:15:42,280 --> 00:15:43,020
fisher of men.

403
00:15:43,460 --> 00:15:45,120
But what does Jesus tell them to do?

404
00:15:45,180 --> 00:15:47,140
Go home to your family and tell them

405
00:15:47,140 --> 00:15:49,220
of how I have had mercy upon you.

406
00:15:49,420 --> 00:15:52,000
You see, it's just implied in following Christ.

407
00:15:53,080 --> 00:15:54,880
There's something in the heart of the one

408
00:15:54,880 --> 00:15:56,420
who's been saved where they want to see

409
00:15:56,420 --> 00:15:58,800
others brought into the kingdom.

410
00:15:59,500 --> 00:16:02,080
That there's this fishing that's seeking to happen.

411
00:16:02,080 --> 00:16:03,700
We're seeking to bring people in, not for

412
00:16:03,700 --> 00:16:05,880
destruction, but for salvation.

413
00:16:08,210 --> 00:16:10,490
So I really think what Christ is saying

414
00:16:10,490 --> 00:16:12,230
to these people who are not yet apostles

415
00:16:12,230 --> 00:16:14,770
here, but who He's calling, He's not just

416
00:16:14,770 --> 00:16:16,430
saying something just for them.

417
00:16:16,890 --> 00:16:19,250
That they could say, well, Lord, earlier on,

418
00:16:19,330 --> 00:16:20,570
You told us You were going to make

419
00:16:20,570 --> 00:16:21,590
us fishers of men.

420
00:16:22,210 --> 00:16:24,110
Lord, bring that about as a reality.

421
00:16:24,890 --> 00:16:27,010
I believe this is something that's true of

422
00:16:27,010 --> 00:16:30,610
all Christians to some degree that we're all

423
00:16:30,610 --> 00:16:31,750
seeking to be soul winners.

424
00:16:31,750 --> 00:16:33,370
This is a desire that all of us

425
00:16:33,370 --> 00:16:33,550
have.

426
00:16:33,610 --> 00:16:34,990
This is something that all of us should

427
00:16:34,990 --> 00:16:36,050
go to the Lord with.

428
00:16:36,710 --> 00:16:39,550
The Lord Himself in Luke 19, He said,

429
00:16:39,730 --> 00:16:41,350
the Son of Man came to seek and

430
00:16:41,350 --> 00:16:42,310
to save the lost.

431
00:16:43,150 --> 00:16:46,590
Christ's very purpose is to save the lost.

432
00:16:47,270 --> 00:16:48,770
And we're called to imitate Him.

433
00:16:49,610 --> 00:16:51,450
Just two more verses on this point.

434
00:16:51,650 --> 00:16:52,390
Mark 8.

435
00:16:52,490 --> 00:16:53,070
Listen to this.

436
00:16:53,270 --> 00:16:55,630
Whoever would save his life will lose it.

437
00:16:55,650 --> 00:16:58,190
Whoever loses his life for my sake and

438
00:16:58,190 --> 00:17:01,590
the gospel's sake will save it.

439
00:17:02,090 --> 00:17:03,190
And so what does that imply?

440
00:17:03,290 --> 00:17:05,450
All believers are living for the gospel's sake.

441
00:17:05,849 --> 00:17:08,890
That's a call to all Christians for discipleship.

442
00:17:11,010 --> 00:17:15,089
There's not this segmentation that's happening here where

443
00:17:15,089 --> 00:17:16,990
there's Christians who are fishers and there's others

444
00:17:16,990 --> 00:17:20,810
who have no involvement in that activity at

445
00:17:20,810 --> 00:17:21,030
all.

446
00:17:21,770 --> 00:17:24,650
Now, to this point, to kind of balance

447
00:17:24,650 --> 00:17:26,890
some of this out, is there a spiritual

448
00:17:26,890 --> 00:17:27,550
gift?

449
00:17:28,270 --> 00:17:31,190
A greater expression of the Spirit manifesting Himself

450
00:17:31,190 --> 00:17:34,050
in certain Christians with an ability to evangelize?

451
00:17:34,350 --> 00:17:37,030
Yes, that absolutely is true.

452
00:17:37,070 --> 00:17:39,150
Ephesians 4, verse 11, Christ has given gifts

453
00:17:39,150 --> 00:17:40,330
to men in the church and one of

454
00:17:40,330 --> 00:17:42,390
them is He gave evangelists.

455
00:17:43,790 --> 00:17:46,510
Acts 21, they entered the house of Philip.

456
00:17:46,990 --> 00:17:48,310
But He doesn't just say Philip.

457
00:17:48,670 --> 00:17:50,210
He adds a description of Philip.

458
00:17:50,270 --> 00:17:51,210
And what is that description?

459
00:17:51,450 --> 00:17:53,010
Philip the evangelist.

460
00:17:54,070 --> 00:17:55,030
The evangelist.

461
00:17:55,210 --> 00:17:58,790
So these designations made about the believer's emphasis,

462
00:17:59,810 --> 00:18:01,610
that's something that's important for us to be

463
00:18:01,610 --> 00:18:03,110
doing in the life of the church, right?

464
00:18:03,170 --> 00:18:04,950
Years ago, we supported a few men to

465
00:18:04,950 --> 00:18:06,410
do local evangelism.

466
00:18:07,430 --> 00:18:09,910
You're looking out and seeing if God's given

467
00:18:09,910 --> 00:18:12,850
a certain portion of the Spirit to specific

468
00:18:12,850 --> 00:18:14,990
men in the church to evangelize and to

469
00:18:14,990 --> 00:18:17,590
be soul winners, they're going to be fishing

470
00:18:17,590 --> 00:18:19,830
to an extent that might be greater than

471
00:18:19,830 --> 00:18:20,990
other people in the church.

472
00:18:20,990 --> 00:18:23,090
And we want to identify that.

473
00:18:24,350 --> 00:18:26,150
And we need reminders to be evangelistic.

474
00:18:26,670 --> 00:18:29,130
2 Timothy 4-5, you've got a church.

475
00:18:29,510 --> 00:18:31,230
You've got Paul facing the end of his

476
00:18:31,230 --> 00:18:31,510
life.

477
00:18:31,630 --> 00:18:33,710
You've got a church at Ephesus that has

478
00:18:33,710 --> 00:18:35,050
all manner of problems.

479
00:18:35,550 --> 00:18:37,730
And Paul, he says to Timothy, as for

480
00:18:37,730 --> 00:18:39,230
you, always be sober-minded.

481
00:18:39,830 --> 00:18:40,690
Endure suffering.

482
00:18:41,350 --> 00:18:43,290
Do the work of an evangelist.

483
00:18:43,750 --> 00:18:44,570
Fulfill your ministry.

484
00:18:44,910 --> 00:18:47,710
So part of Timothy's specific design is this

485
00:18:47,710 --> 00:18:48,830
work of evangelism.

486
00:18:49,630 --> 00:18:51,590
He's part of Paul's missionary team.

487
00:18:51,770 --> 00:18:54,070
He's actively engaged in the proclamation of the

488
00:18:54,070 --> 00:18:56,770
Gospel to a great extent because the Spirit

489
00:18:56,770 --> 00:18:58,630
of God is upon him in a unique

490
00:18:58,630 --> 00:18:59,950
way for that endeavor.

491
00:19:01,250 --> 00:19:03,630
So all that to say, here you're following

492
00:19:03,630 --> 00:19:05,510
Christ, and He says, I'm going to make

493
00:19:05,510 --> 00:19:06,370
you fishers of men.

494
00:19:07,190 --> 00:19:08,970
And I think all of us can take

495
00:19:08,970 --> 00:19:12,250
this promise in Matthew 4-19 and not

496
00:19:12,250 --> 00:19:13,570
just look at it and say, oh, this

497
00:19:13,570 --> 00:19:15,410
is for men who became future apostles.

498
00:19:16,050 --> 00:19:17,810
But look at this and say, Lord, I

499
00:19:17,810 --> 00:19:18,450
followed You.

500
00:19:18,490 --> 00:19:19,890
I've done what You said.

501
00:19:20,350 --> 00:19:21,390
You said to follow.

502
00:19:22,430 --> 00:19:23,770
You're going to make me a fisher of

503
00:19:23,770 --> 00:19:24,050
men.

504
00:19:24,350 --> 00:19:25,770
Not a fishless fisherman.

505
00:19:26,290 --> 00:19:28,990
Not someone who just sows seed and nothing

506
00:19:28,990 --> 00:19:29,770
ever happens.

507
00:19:30,110 --> 00:19:32,210
Lord, You've made a statement that makes my

508
00:19:32,210 --> 00:19:36,030
heart feel like I'm expecting results from this

509
00:19:36,030 --> 00:19:36,950
endeavor.

510
00:19:38,710 --> 00:19:39,530
Think of this.

511
00:19:39,570 --> 00:19:41,050
This statement, I will make you.

512
00:19:42,470 --> 00:19:45,230
How many times does the Lord say something

513
00:19:45,230 --> 00:19:46,390
like that to us in the Bible?

514
00:19:47,650 --> 00:19:49,570
What's another time He says, I'm going to

515
00:19:49,570 --> 00:19:52,050
make you something?

516
00:19:52,450 --> 00:19:54,450
It's not often stated.

517
00:19:55,010 --> 00:19:57,290
If you have verses like 2 Corinthians, He

518
00:19:57,290 --> 00:20:00,030
says, I will make My dwelling among you.

519
00:20:00,090 --> 00:20:03,150
Hebrews 10, I will make with them a

520
00:20:03,150 --> 00:20:03,430
covenant.

521
00:20:04,190 --> 00:20:06,510
Revelation 3, the one who conquers, I will

522
00:20:06,510 --> 00:20:07,750
make him a pillar.

523
00:20:08,850 --> 00:20:10,790
There's not a lot of those statements being

524
00:20:10,790 --> 00:20:11,150
made.

525
00:20:11,450 --> 00:20:13,950
But here Christ says to these disciples as

526
00:20:13,950 --> 00:20:15,830
He says, follow Me, I'm going to make

527
00:20:15,830 --> 00:20:16,710
you fishers of men.

528
00:20:17,370 --> 00:20:19,390
I'm taking you from this physical task of

529
00:20:19,390 --> 00:20:19,650
fishing.

530
00:20:20,030 --> 00:20:20,690
Come, follow Me.

531
00:20:20,710 --> 00:20:21,790
I'm going to proclaim the Gospel.

532
00:20:21,930 --> 00:20:22,970
I'm going to show compassion.

533
00:20:23,370 --> 00:20:24,830
People are going to be brought in with

534
00:20:24,830 --> 00:20:25,850
this Gospel net.

535
00:20:26,090 --> 00:20:27,490
And it's going to lead not to their

536
00:20:27,490 --> 00:20:30,630
destruction, not to their exile, but bringing them

537
00:20:30,630 --> 00:20:32,550
into heaven.

538
00:20:32,630 --> 00:20:34,710
And this is something Jesus has to make.

539
00:20:35,750 --> 00:20:38,650
You can't bring this about in your own

540
00:20:38,650 --> 00:20:39,150
life.

541
00:20:40,110 --> 00:20:42,330
It's, Lord, work this in me.

542
00:20:42,330 --> 00:20:46,830
Give me the wisdom, the guidance, the right

543
00:20:46,830 --> 00:20:47,490
opportunities.

544
00:20:48,450 --> 00:20:49,910
Lord, this is something You said You were

545
00:20:49,910 --> 00:20:52,130
going to produce and make in me.

546
00:20:54,560 --> 00:20:56,400
So a fourth observation.

547
00:20:57,200 --> 00:20:58,940
Jesus says right there in v.

548
00:20:59,040 --> 00:21:00,740
19, I will.

549
00:21:02,000 --> 00:21:05,740
I will make you fishers of men.

550
00:21:06,260 --> 00:21:09,000
Notice how certain the Lord is that He's

551
00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:10,440
going to turn these men into fishermen.

552
00:21:12,400 --> 00:21:14,240
It's kind of like the father saying to

553
00:21:14,240 --> 00:21:16,040
his sons, you're going to be fishermen when

554
00:21:16,040 --> 00:21:16,820
you grow up.

555
00:21:18,380 --> 00:21:19,720
They might get to the point where I

556
00:21:19,720 --> 00:21:20,960
don't want to do dad's business.

557
00:21:21,400 --> 00:21:22,660
Well, that's not what's going to happen to

558
00:21:22,660 --> 00:21:23,220
these men.

559
00:21:23,560 --> 00:21:25,900
Because this isn't some pick and choose.

560
00:21:26,200 --> 00:21:27,400
Do I want to be an engineer when

561
00:21:27,400 --> 00:21:27,920
I grow up?

562
00:21:27,980 --> 00:21:29,040
Do I want to be a fisherman when

563
00:21:29,040 --> 00:21:29,660
I grow up?

564
00:21:29,780 --> 00:21:32,380
No, this is part of following Christ.

565
00:21:32,860 --> 00:21:34,540
It's acknowledging Him before men.

566
00:21:34,740 --> 00:21:36,140
It's being His witnesses.

567
00:21:36,640 --> 00:21:39,320
Though to different degrees, we will have various

568
00:21:39,320 --> 00:21:40,680
opportunities and gifts.

569
00:21:40,840 --> 00:21:43,260
This is something that we're all involved in

570
00:21:43,260 --> 00:21:45,980
because we've all lost our lives for the

571
00:21:45,980 --> 00:21:48,200
sake of the Gospel.

572
00:21:50,220 --> 00:21:51,460
So He says I will.

573
00:21:52,280 --> 00:21:54,860
This gives me confidence in asking the Lord

574
00:21:54,860 --> 00:21:56,320
about this reality.

575
00:21:57,700 --> 00:21:59,800
And you know, one question I thought of.

576
00:22:00,680 --> 00:22:02,540
Here Peter is getting called to be a

577
00:22:02,540 --> 00:22:03,040
fisher of men.

578
00:22:03,060 --> 00:22:04,320
When did he get his first catch?

579
00:22:07,010 --> 00:22:09,390
And when is his first catch ever recorded?

580
00:22:09,390 --> 00:22:12,410
Again, there's a lot that's not said.

581
00:22:13,370 --> 00:22:14,950
But you know what you find?

582
00:22:15,090 --> 00:22:17,090
Okay, I will make you fishers of men.

583
00:22:17,130 --> 00:22:18,250
What do you find in Peter's life?

584
00:22:18,470 --> 00:22:20,670
Oh Lord, don't go to the cross there.

585
00:22:20,710 --> 00:22:21,370
Don't go suffer.

586
00:22:21,450 --> 00:22:22,430
Get behind Me, Satan.

587
00:22:22,510 --> 00:22:24,070
You're setting your mind on things of earth.

588
00:22:24,590 --> 00:22:26,790
You find Peter's denial.

589
00:22:27,330 --> 00:22:28,230
What's my point?

590
00:22:28,590 --> 00:22:30,650
In Peter's life leading up to Acts 2,

591
00:22:30,750 --> 00:22:33,090
leading up to conversions, what led up to

592
00:22:33,090 --> 00:22:33,390
that?

593
00:22:34,090 --> 00:22:37,670
Christ making him someone in his character.

594
00:22:38,370 --> 00:22:38,810
Right?

595
00:22:39,010 --> 00:22:40,390
The Lord disciplining him.

596
00:22:40,450 --> 00:22:41,810
The Lord humbling Peter.

597
00:22:41,970 --> 00:22:43,510
The man who said, I'm ready to go

598
00:22:43,510 --> 00:22:45,130
with you both to prison and to death

599
00:22:45,490 --> 00:22:46,250
sounded zealous.

600
00:22:46,630 --> 00:22:47,610
He sounded bold.

601
00:22:47,910 --> 00:22:50,330
But underlining all of those bold statements was

602
00:22:50,330 --> 00:22:52,970
arrogant pride that God had to root out

603
00:22:52,970 --> 00:22:53,670
of his life.

604
00:22:55,980 --> 00:22:58,060
So what's happening in both of these cases?

605
00:22:58,380 --> 00:23:00,680
Youthfulness might not happen, brethren, as fast as

606
00:23:00,680 --> 00:23:01,580
you hope it will be.

607
00:23:02,060 --> 00:23:02,500
Right?

608
00:23:02,560 --> 00:23:05,220
There might be a slow process to get

609
00:23:05,220 --> 00:23:06,680
to that point.

610
00:23:09,080 --> 00:23:12,720
Eventually, Peter saw a massive catch in the

611
00:23:12,720 --> 00:23:13,480
book of Acts.

612
00:23:14,260 --> 00:23:16,300
For long you might labor and catch nothing,

613
00:23:16,460 --> 00:23:18,520
and then you might put your nets on

614
00:23:18,520 --> 00:23:20,120
the other side of the boat, and the

615
00:23:20,120 --> 00:23:21,260
Lord, He brings the men.

616
00:23:23,660 --> 00:23:26,420
But he says, I will make you fishers

617
00:23:26,420 --> 00:23:26,740
of men.

618
00:23:26,800 --> 00:23:28,920
It really does imply to me that you

619
00:23:28,920 --> 00:23:31,580
can live your Christian life expecting to see

620
00:23:31,580 --> 00:23:32,320
people converted.

621
00:23:33,740 --> 00:23:34,560
Expecting that.

622
00:23:35,120 --> 00:23:36,320
Not the opposite.

623
00:23:36,320 --> 00:23:38,540
Expecting no one is going to be converted.

624
00:23:39,280 --> 00:23:42,340
The rate and the frequency by which that

625
00:23:42,340 --> 00:23:44,280
happens, there's a whole lot of questions you

626
00:23:44,280 --> 00:23:45,460
could ask about that.

627
00:23:46,240 --> 00:23:47,620
And I'll think of that in a little

628
00:23:47,620 --> 00:23:47,920
bit.

629
00:23:48,400 --> 00:23:53,840
But one evening, Peter caught 153 physical fish.

630
00:23:54,700 --> 00:23:56,100
I mean, the Lord can work in that

631
00:23:56,100 --> 00:23:58,100
way in the spiritual realm as we saw

632
00:23:58,100 --> 00:23:58,920
in the book of Acts.

633
00:23:58,940 --> 00:24:00,260
You know one thing this reminds me of?

634
00:24:00,260 --> 00:24:03,160
1 Corinthians 3, verse 7.

635
00:24:03,160 --> 00:24:06,060
So neither he who plants nor he who

636
00:24:06,060 --> 00:24:09,560
waters is anything, but only God.

637
00:24:10,120 --> 00:24:12,160
But only God who gives the growth.

638
00:24:12,660 --> 00:24:13,520
Now what a statement.

639
00:24:14,500 --> 00:24:16,620
But only God who gives the growth.

640
00:24:17,220 --> 00:24:19,000
We're really cast on the Lord.

641
00:24:19,960 --> 00:24:22,720
We're really cast upon the Lord to see

642
00:24:22,720 --> 00:24:23,560
people saved.

643
00:24:23,680 --> 00:24:24,700
This is His idea.

644
00:24:25,160 --> 00:24:26,520
It's His idea there's a harvest.

645
00:24:26,780 --> 00:24:28,580
It's His idea to send laborers into the

646
00:24:28,580 --> 00:24:28,840
harvest.

647
00:24:29,140 --> 00:24:30,860
It's His idea for us to be witnesses

648
00:24:30,860 --> 00:24:32,300
and acknowledge Him before men.

649
00:24:32,300 --> 00:24:34,740
You be faithful in that.

650
00:24:35,220 --> 00:24:36,980
And you take a stand for Christ.

651
00:24:37,140 --> 00:24:38,440
And you proclaim His truth.

652
00:24:38,780 --> 00:24:42,300
Your expectation should be that will lead others

653
00:24:42,300 --> 00:24:45,600
to know the Lamb who takes away the

654
00:24:45,600 --> 00:24:46,300
sin of the world.

655
00:24:47,900 --> 00:24:49,260
Another question here.

656
00:24:49,300 --> 00:24:50,660
How did Jesus fish?

657
00:24:50,940 --> 00:24:53,500
And you could have five sermons under that

658
00:24:53,500 --> 00:24:53,780
title.

659
00:24:53,820 --> 00:24:55,560
How did Jesus fish?

660
00:24:56,060 --> 00:24:57,500
Because He said He's going to make them

661
00:24:57,500 --> 00:24:58,260
fishers of men.

662
00:24:58,340 --> 00:25:00,560
And I already pointed out in the context

663
00:25:00,560 --> 00:25:04,080
here, right away, He flows into proclaiming the

664
00:25:04,080 --> 00:25:05,360
Gospel and healing.

665
00:25:05,640 --> 00:25:09,060
You've got this preaching and compassion that's happening

666
00:25:09,060 --> 00:25:10,800
at the exact same time.

667
00:25:10,860 --> 00:25:12,340
And that's not always what you find.

668
00:25:12,540 --> 00:25:15,280
But right there, that's what you find from

669
00:25:15,280 --> 00:25:16,200
Christ.

670
00:25:16,340 --> 00:25:17,120
There's a proclamation.

671
00:25:17,460 --> 00:25:19,220
There's not just the compassion and there's not

672
00:25:19,220 --> 00:25:20,480
just the proclamation.

673
00:25:24,680 --> 00:25:25,920
How did He fish?

674
00:25:27,160 --> 00:25:29,880
He fished by preaching the Gospel that pleased

675
00:25:29,880 --> 00:25:31,640
God through the folly of what we preach

676
00:25:31,640 --> 00:25:33,020
to save those who believe.

677
00:25:33,120 --> 00:25:34,400
We don't have to alter the message.

678
00:25:34,700 --> 00:25:36,160
We don't have to come up with something

679
00:25:36,160 --> 00:25:36,440
new.

680
00:25:36,500 --> 00:25:38,280
We can preach Christ and Him crucified.

681
00:25:39,220 --> 00:25:41,480
But think of a few cases of conversion.

682
00:25:41,600 --> 00:25:43,240
What led to Zacchaeus' conversion?

683
00:25:44,380 --> 00:25:45,240
What happened there?

684
00:25:46,040 --> 00:25:46,440
Hospitality.

685
00:25:46,840 --> 00:25:48,200
That's how I look at it.

686
00:25:49,580 --> 00:25:50,820
He had Zacchaeus.

687
00:25:50,960 --> 00:25:52,560
He said, Zacchaeus, hurry, come down.

688
00:25:52,640 --> 00:25:54,020
I must stay at your house today.

689
00:25:54,120 --> 00:25:54,780
What an invite!

690
00:25:55,640 --> 00:25:56,800
Have you tried that downtown?

691
00:25:56,800 --> 00:25:58,340
Gone up to some rich man and said,

692
00:25:58,440 --> 00:25:59,560
I've got to stay at your house tonight.

693
00:26:01,120 --> 00:26:01,900
Who knows?

694
00:26:02,020 --> 00:26:04,600
Maybe that's exactly what they need to happen.

695
00:26:05,000 --> 00:26:05,720
But hospitality?

696
00:26:06,440 --> 00:26:08,920
He didn't just go up to him outside

697
00:26:08,920 --> 00:26:09,860
and lay it all out.

698
00:26:09,900 --> 00:26:11,420
He went to his home, was in the

699
00:26:11,420 --> 00:26:13,280
home, and he's proclaiming the truth to this

700
00:26:13,280 --> 00:26:13,600
man.

701
00:26:14,080 --> 00:26:15,420
And the Lord saves him.

702
00:26:15,920 --> 00:26:17,900
D.E. Host, the missionary who took over

703
00:26:17,900 --> 00:26:20,580
for Hudson Taylor, has always struck me.

704
00:26:20,640 --> 00:26:23,600
He remarked that the natives in China would

705
00:26:23,600 --> 00:26:25,940
not believe that God had an open door

706
00:26:25,940 --> 00:26:29,940
to receive them if the missionaries themselves did

707
00:26:29,940 --> 00:26:32,120
not have an open door to the Chinese.

708
00:26:32,820 --> 00:26:33,720
That's the right deduction.

709
00:26:33,940 --> 00:26:35,260
Here, come to this Christ.

710
00:26:35,360 --> 00:26:36,200
His door is open.

711
00:26:36,320 --> 00:26:37,340
And then they come to your house.

712
00:26:37,480 --> 00:26:39,140
It's like, well, y'all are dirty.

713
00:26:40,180 --> 00:26:41,940
They're going to believe your message about God

714
00:26:41,940 --> 00:26:43,600
having an open door to His enemies?

715
00:26:44,200 --> 00:26:45,420
When you don't have an open door to

716
00:26:45,420 --> 00:26:45,600
them?

717
00:26:45,660 --> 00:26:46,260
It's not going to happen.

718
00:26:46,700 --> 00:26:51,800
Hospitality is mightily used by the Lord to

719
00:26:51,800 --> 00:26:54,800
draw people to Himself, to give an opportunity

720
00:26:54,800 --> 00:26:56,940
to show Christ.

721
00:26:56,980 --> 00:26:58,060
How did Jesus fish?

722
00:26:58,220 --> 00:27:00,320
He hammered home on people's idols, right?

723
00:27:00,400 --> 00:27:01,480
This is what you see in Mark 10

724
00:27:01,480 --> 00:27:02,360
with the rich young ruler.

725
00:27:02,760 --> 00:27:06,100
Christ, He's discerning specifically the idol in a

726
00:27:06,100 --> 00:27:08,120
man's life and He just lays right into

727
00:27:08,120 --> 00:27:08,440
it.

728
00:27:08,740 --> 00:27:10,560
And if God gives some of you the

729
00:27:10,560 --> 00:27:13,920
discernment to almost see into someone's heart and

730
00:27:13,920 --> 00:27:16,480
to read their thoughts, and there's that spiritual

731
00:27:16,480 --> 00:27:19,540
discernment given by God, don't waste that by

732
00:27:19,540 --> 00:27:23,300
not saying anything, but drive certain things home.

733
00:27:24,160 --> 00:27:26,160
Yes, in a sharp way at times.

734
00:27:26,280 --> 00:27:27,920
Yes, in a gracious way at times.

735
00:27:27,960 --> 00:27:29,660
You've got to discern what case it is

736
00:27:29,660 --> 00:27:30,580
that's before you.

737
00:27:30,960 --> 00:27:32,180
God's able to use that.

738
00:27:32,240 --> 00:27:34,360
You go read Ichabod Spencer's pastor's sketches.

739
00:27:34,620 --> 00:27:35,400
That's what happened.

740
00:27:35,480 --> 00:27:37,400
He was trying to find the one thing.

741
00:27:38,280 --> 00:27:39,900
Jesus did that in Mark 10.

742
00:27:40,400 --> 00:27:42,700
That's not some random methodology of fishing.

743
00:27:42,880 --> 00:27:45,400
That's like Christ fished.

744
00:27:46,360 --> 00:27:47,720
So we could go on and on with

745
00:27:47,720 --> 00:27:48,800
examples of Christ.

746
00:27:48,800 --> 00:27:51,520
But Jesus, He's sending us to fish for

747
00:27:51,520 --> 00:27:51,920
people.

748
00:27:53,100 --> 00:27:55,180
This is something He makes every believer to

749
00:27:55,180 --> 00:27:59,100
various degrees, a fisher of men, a witness

750
00:27:59,100 --> 00:28:02,440
of Him, an acknowledger of Him before people.

751
00:28:02,900 --> 00:28:04,840
Some will be gifted and designed by God

752
00:28:04,840 --> 00:28:06,420
in a unique way to do that.

753
00:28:06,820 --> 00:28:09,020
They ought to be recognized and supported to

754
00:28:09,020 --> 00:28:09,740
do such.

755
00:28:10,300 --> 00:28:13,760
But many of you keep being faithful in

756
00:28:13,760 --> 00:28:17,500
the workplace, with the family, with those who

757
00:28:17,500 --> 00:28:19,280
come into these four walls.

758
00:28:20,540 --> 00:28:24,440
Look beyond that with whatever open doors you

759
00:28:24,440 --> 00:28:25,040
can find.

760
00:28:25,680 --> 00:28:26,580
And so we should pray.

761
00:28:26,760 --> 00:28:28,380
Father, I'm following Your Son.

762
00:28:28,700 --> 00:28:30,380
He said You'd make me a fisher of

763
00:28:30,380 --> 00:28:30,600
men.

764
00:28:30,680 --> 00:28:32,720
I've labored hours and I've caught nothing.

765
00:28:32,860 --> 00:28:34,160
Lord, provide for me souls.

766
00:28:35,520 --> 00:28:37,500
That's what this verse makes me pray to

767
00:28:37,500 --> 00:28:39,180
the Lord and what I have been praying

768
00:28:39,180 --> 00:28:40,640
to the Lord.

769
00:28:42,260 --> 00:28:43,880
Lord, You said You'd make me a fisher

770
00:28:43,880 --> 00:28:44,360
of men.

771
00:28:44,360 --> 00:28:46,700
Not just fishing with no catch, but actually

772
00:28:46,700 --> 00:28:48,080
seeing men come to Christ.

773
00:28:49,200 --> 00:28:51,680
Lord, I've been trying to catch this one

774
00:28:51,680 --> 00:28:53,000
person in Your Gospel net.

775
00:28:53,060 --> 00:28:54,420
Would You save them this year?

776
00:28:55,180 --> 00:28:58,200
We should be praying bold statements like that

777
00:28:58,200 --> 00:28:58,820
to the Lord.

778
00:29:00,120 --> 00:29:00,980
What time have we got?

779
00:29:01,060 --> 00:29:01,540
We're halfway.

780
00:29:01,800 --> 00:29:06,920
Okay, those are some thoughts on Matthew 4

781
00:29:06,920 --> 00:29:10,220
.19. But I want to give some examples

782
00:29:10,220 --> 00:29:14,580
and some quotes that have really struck me

783
00:29:14,580 --> 00:29:16,000
in this area and I hope they will

784
00:29:16,000 --> 00:29:18,820
edify you as well.

785
00:29:20,420 --> 00:29:22,220
Who's heard of Thomas Boston?

786
00:29:24,990 --> 00:29:26,410
Yeah, a handful.

787
00:29:26,610 --> 00:29:28,290
He wrote a book called The Art of

788
00:29:28,290 --> 00:29:29,070
Man Fishing.

789
00:29:29,790 --> 00:29:30,710
How old was he?

790
00:29:30,790 --> 00:29:32,310
Anyone read that book?

791
00:29:35,970 --> 00:29:38,110
He wrote it when he was 22 years

792
00:29:38,110 --> 00:29:38,410
old.

793
00:29:39,430 --> 00:29:40,790
I didn't realize that.

794
00:29:41,050 --> 00:29:42,830
22 years old he wrote this book.

795
00:29:42,910 --> 00:29:45,050
Listen, it's based on this verse.

796
00:29:45,050 --> 00:29:48,090
This is his comment.

797
00:29:48,890 --> 00:29:52,890
My soul cried out for accomplishing of that

798
00:29:52,890 --> 00:29:54,910
to me, making me a fisher of men.

799
00:29:55,170 --> 00:29:57,570
I was very desirous to know how I

800
00:29:57,570 --> 00:30:00,010
might follow Christ so as to become a

801
00:30:00,010 --> 00:30:00,930
fisher of men.

802
00:30:01,450 --> 00:30:03,530
And from my own instruction in that point,

803
00:30:03,610 --> 00:30:06,330
I addressed myself to the consideration of it

804
00:30:06,330 --> 00:30:07,350
in a manner.

805
00:30:07,730 --> 00:30:09,910
And indeed, it was much on my heart

806
00:30:09,910 --> 00:30:12,350
in these days not to preach the wisdom

807
00:30:12,350 --> 00:30:15,270
of my own heart or produce my own

808
00:30:15,270 --> 00:30:17,890
gifts, but to depend on the Lord for

809
00:30:17,890 --> 00:30:20,370
light that I might, if I could have

810
00:30:20,370 --> 00:30:22,810
reached it, be able to say of every

811
00:30:22,810 --> 00:30:25,210
word, Thus saith the Lord.

812
00:30:25,290 --> 00:30:26,830
That's Boston at 22.

813
00:30:27,230 --> 00:30:30,970
He's not seen anyone converted in his life

814
00:30:30,970 --> 00:30:32,010
that he's aware of.

815
00:30:32,110 --> 00:30:33,730
The Lord saves and you don't even know

816
00:30:33,730 --> 00:30:33,950
it.

817
00:30:34,990 --> 00:30:38,850
But here he cried, Lord, accomplish this in

818
00:30:38,850 --> 00:30:39,110
me.

819
00:30:39,250 --> 00:30:41,150
You said to these men, you're going to

820
00:30:41,150 --> 00:30:42,210
make them fishers of men.

821
00:30:42,210 --> 00:30:44,350
Lord, do this in my life.

822
00:30:46,600 --> 00:30:47,780
He says in that book.

823
00:30:48,800 --> 00:30:51,800
Many preachers are shamed by the devil and

824
00:30:51,800 --> 00:30:52,660
the devil's zeal.

825
00:30:53,140 --> 00:30:55,520
The devil goes out like a roaring lion.

826
00:30:56,200 --> 00:30:58,000
He seeks who he can devour.

827
00:30:58,600 --> 00:31:05,840
While these preachers, they're set upon saving souls

828
00:31:05,840 --> 00:31:08,180
by creeping about slowly like a bunch of

829
00:31:08,180 --> 00:31:08,640
snails.

830
00:31:09,120 --> 00:31:11,240
The devil is in earnest when he tempts

831
00:31:11,240 --> 00:31:13,820
you, yet to the opposite, some preachers are

832
00:31:13,820 --> 00:31:17,280
unconcerned whether people hear or forbear to hear

833
00:31:17,280 --> 00:31:19,300
their invitations and reproofs.

834
00:31:19,400 --> 00:31:21,860
The devil's agents that handle his business, how

835
00:31:21,860 --> 00:31:22,720
concerned are they?

836
00:31:22,900 --> 00:31:25,000
In order to gain one convert, they will

837
00:31:25,000 --> 00:31:27,180
travel across sea and land.

838
00:31:27,840 --> 00:31:31,080
Should preachers of the Gospel be unconcerned?

839
00:31:31,100 --> 00:31:33,180
You see, he's contrasting the zeal of Satan.

840
00:31:34,920 --> 00:31:38,320
It reminds me of one comment my father

841
00:31:38,320 --> 00:31:39,600
-in-law made to me that always stood

842
00:31:39,600 --> 00:31:39,860
out.

843
00:31:39,860 --> 00:31:41,840
He said the one thing to imitate from

844
00:31:41,840 --> 00:31:44,420
the devil, and he referred to Revelation where

845
00:31:44,420 --> 00:31:46,640
it says the devil knowing his time was

846
00:31:46,640 --> 00:31:49,080
short, what did that produce in Satan?

847
00:31:49,660 --> 00:31:50,820
He had great zeal.

848
00:31:51,820 --> 00:31:53,840
And Bob's point was if Satan could recognize

849
00:31:53,840 --> 00:31:55,280
his time is short and he has great

850
00:31:55,280 --> 00:31:57,460
zeal, we as Christians should recognize our time

851
00:31:57,460 --> 00:31:57,880
is short.

852
00:31:57,960 --> 00:31:58,960
It's but a hand breath.

853
00:31:59,400 --> 00:32:00,980
And we should have great zeal likewise.

854
00:32:01,500 --> 00:32:05,540
So here Boston is in 1699 expressing these

855
00:32:05,540 --> 00:32:07,100
things and wrestling with these things in his

856
00:32:07,100 --> 00:32:07,380
heart.

857
00:32:11,110 --> 00:32:12,970
Now, make me a fisher of men.

858
00:32:13,390 --> 00:32:17,310
Do not have the imagery, the Lord's thinking

859
00:32:17,310 --> 00:32:19,650
about me with a fishing pole at Lion's

860
00:32:19,650 --> 00:32:19,910
Lake.

861
00:32:20,250 --> 00:32:22,490
We'll go by Lion's Lake, that lake by

862
00:32:22,490 --> 00:32:22,950
our house.

863
00:32:23,570 --> 00:32:24,650
Tons of people are fishing.

864
00:32:24,850 --> 00:32:27,190
Fishing to them is they've got a pole

865
00:32:27,190 --> 00:32:29,250
in their PVC thing they've stuck in the

866
00:32:29,250 --> 00:32:31,810
ground, and they're drinking a lot, and their

867
00:32:31,810 --> 00:32:32,810
pole's just sitting there.

868
00:32:32,850 --> 00:32:34,630
Is that fishing according to the Bible?

869
00:32:35,350 --> 00:32:36,930
Is that what these men were doing?

870
00:32:37,510 --> 00:32:39,010
No, no, not at all.

871
00:32:39,630 --> 00:32:41,610
In case you have some wrong imagery here

872
00:32:41,610 --> 00:32:43,810
of what Christ is pointing at and what

873
00:32:43,810 --> 00:32:46,230
they're asking of, He's talking about some serious

874
00:32:46,230 --> 00:32:46,630
labor.

875
00:32:47,370 --> 00:32:49,130
This is with a net, not a pole.

876
00:32:49,950 --> 00:32:51,990
The imagery of using a lure and a

877
00:32:51,990 --> 00:32:53,930
line and waiting for the fish to strike,

878
00:32:54,030 --> 00:32:56,530
that's foreign to what's happening here.

879
00:32:56,630 --> 00:32:59,310
Rather, this is the imagery of straining of

880
00:32:59,310 --> 00:33:02,650
long hours and often little results.

881
00:33:03,350 --> 00:33:04,670
We labored all night.

882
00:33:04,950 --> 00:33:05,590
Caught nothing.

883
00:33:07,170 --> 00:33:08,930
How many times have we gone downtown and

884
00:33:08,930 --> 00:33:09,530
we come back?

885
00:33:09,690 --> 00:33:10,690
We labored all night.

886
00:33:11,710 --> 00:33:12,950
Apparently, we caught nothing.

887
00:33:13,030 --> 00:33:14,910
Now, you never know, because you left a

888
00:33:14,910 --> 00:33:17,970
bunch of silent messengers, the tracks, and they're

889
00:33:17,970 --> 00:33:18,870
in people's pockets.

890
00:33:19,290 --> 00:33:20,330
They're in their cars.

891
00:33:20,430 --> 00:33:21,470
You never know what's going to happen.

892
00:33:22,930 --> 00:33:24,610
But there might be toiling all night.

893
00:33:24,690 --> 00:33:25,650
We don't catch anything.

894
00:33:27,390 --> 00:33:28,170
There's storms.

895
00:33:28,750 --> 00:33:29,650
Some get frightened.

896
00:33:29,970 --> 00:33:31,230
They go back to the shore.

897
00:33:31,230 --> 00:33:32,970
And others venture out.

898
00:33:33,170 --> 00:33:34,830
They don't want to lose any fish in

899
00:33:34,830 --> 00:33:35,230
the deep.

900
00:33:35,850 --> 00:33:37,870
Listen, when you think about where to go

901
00:33:37,870 --> 00:33:40,070
fishing, listen to Luke 4.

902
00:33:40,670 --> 00:33:41,730
This is not the ESV.

903
00:33:41,830 --> 00:33:42,710
I think it's the KJV.

904
00:33:42,830 --> 00:33:43,910
Listen to how it renders it.

905
00:33:45,070 --> 00:33:47,510
When he had stopped speaking, he said to

906
00:33:47,510 --> 00:33:49,950
Simon, launch out into the deep.

907
00:33:50,970 --> 00:33:54,090
Launch out into the deep and let down

908
00:33:54,090 --> 00:33:55,310
your nets for a catch.

909
00:33:55,410 --> 00:33:57,170
You could stretch that statement.

910
00:33:57,350 --> 00:33:58,610
What does that sound like?

911
00:34:00,130 --> 00:34:01,530
Launch out into the deep.

912
00:34:01,610 --> 00:34:03,670
There's some people, they go launch out into

913
00:34:03,670 --> 00:34:04,070
the deep.

914
00:34:04,190 --> 00:34:06,250
They cast that net in the storm, in

915
00:34:06,250 --> 00:34:06,850
the trials.

916
00:34:07,090 --> 00:34:08,090
They labor all night.

917
00:34:08,210 --> 00:34:09,650
They labor for year after year.

918
00:34:09,730 --> 00:34:10,670
They catch nothing.

919
00:34:11,969 --> 00:34:12,929
And they stay.

920
00:34:14,130 --> 00:34:16,370
They don't lose heart like Judson.

921
00:34:17,170 --> 00:34:18,010
It's incredible.

922
00:34:18,929 --> 00:34:20,070
I'm going to look at some of those

923
00:34:20,070 --> 00:34:22,010
examples that have really stood out to me

924
00:34:22,010 --> 00:34:24,090
over the years in a little bit.

925
00:34:24,550 --> 00:34:26,170
But some are called to launch out into

926
00:34:26,170 --> 00:34:26,670
the deep.

927
00:34:26,810 --> 00:34:27,929
To go out into the deep.

928
00:34:27,929 --> 00:34:29,030
Listen to this.

929
00:34:29,370 --> 00:34:31,110
A.J. Gordon wrote a book, The Holy

930
00:34:31,110 --> 00:34:32,370
Spirit and Missions.

931
00:34:32,590 --> 00:34:33,510
Has anyone read that?

932
00:34:34,150 --> 00:34:35,630
The Holy Spirit and Missions?

933
00:34:37,429 --> 00:34:40,409
About halfway through on the last few days.

934
00:34:40,590 --> 00:34:41,710
But listen to this.

935
00:34:41,989 --> 00:34:43,449
Think about launching out into the deep.

936
00:34:43,650 --> 00:34:45,570
Think about the difficulty of evangelism.

937
00:34:45,650 --> 00:34:47,350
I know part of this is thinking about

938
00:34:47,850 --> 00:34:50,469
global missions more than it is local evangelism.

939
00:34:50,889 --> 00:34:51,690
But bear with me.

940
00:34:52,350 --> 00:34:55,790
For 33 years, this is Adernheim Judson Gordon.

941
00:34:55,790 --> 00:34:59,870
His dad was John Calvin Gordon and he

942
00:34:59,870 --> 00:35:01,230
named his son Adernheim Judson.

943
00:35:01,770 --> 00:35:02,770
So it's A.J. Gordon.

944
00:35:03,530 --> 00:35:05,910
He was alive when Adernheim Judson was alive.

945
00:35:07,590 --> 00:35:08,350
That's a side note.

946
00:35:08,630 --> 00:35:11,810
For 33 years, the Moravian missionaries had toiled

947
00:35:11,810 --> 00:35:17,390
on 33 years amidst such discouragements seeing almost

948
00:35:17,390 --> 00:35:19,670
no one converted for 33 years.

949
00:35:21,070 --> 00:35:22,270
33 years.

950
00:35:25,030 --> 00:35:27,610
That they had begun seriously to consider the

951
00:35:27,610 --> 00:35:31,210
abandonment of their primary station in Massachusetts.

952
00:35:31,990 --> 00:35:35,770
But one day in 1804, as a missionary

953
00:35:35,770 --> 00:35:38,490
was preaching from the text, the Son of

954
00:35:38,490 --> 00:35:40,350
Man has come to seek and save that

955
00:35:40,350 --> 00:35:41,250
which was lost.

956
00:35:41,830 --> 00:35:44,830
33 years, brethren, of faithful labor.

957
00:35:45,810 --> 00:35:46,930
Toiling all night.

958
00:35:47,370 --> 00:35:48,730
33 years.

959
00:35:49,710 --> 00:35:52,970
Not because they did anything, but God sovereignly

960
00:35:52,970 --> 00:35:54,410
chose to come.

961
00:35:54,410 --> 00:35:55,470
They did do something.

962
00:35:55,570 --> 00:35:56,490
They remained faithful.

963
00:35:57,810 --> 00:36:00,170
The Son of Man seeks to save that

964
00:36:00,170 --> 00:36:00,750
which is lost.

965
00:36:00,830 --> 00:36:03,530
The words took powerful hold of a wretched,

966
00:36:03,730 --> 00:36:07,650
abandoned woman so sunk in every evil that

967
00:36:07,650 --> 00:36:10,230
she was despised and shunned even by her

968
00:36:10,230 --> 00:36:11,390
degraded countrymen.

969
00:36:11,430 --> 00:36:12,910
And what a person for Christ to save,

970
00:36:12,990 --> 00:36:13,210
right?

971
00:36:13,290 --> 00:36:14,490
I mean, the worst of the worst.

972
00:36:15,150 --> 00:36:17,350
She was filled with the deepest anguish on

973
00:36:17,350 --> 00:36:18,430
account of her sins.

974
00:36:18,910 --> 00:36:21,050
She spent the night in the huts occupied

975
00:36:21,050 --> 00:36:24,370
by the dogs as though unworthy to associate

976
00:36:24,370 --> 00:36:25,330
with human beings.

977
00:36:25,370 --> 00:36:27,510
It sounds like the demoniac getting converted all

978
00:36:27,510 --> 00:36:28,770
over again from Mark 5.

979
00:36:29,310 --> 00:36:32,870
The great word of the preacher, however, proved

980
00:36:32,870 --> 00:36:34,910
a source of life to her soul.

981
00:36:35,790 --> 00:36:37,570
She entered into sweet peace.

982
00:36:38,290 --> 00:36:40,870
Immediately, she began to praise the Savior in

983
00:36:40,870 --> 00:36:43,250
the most exultant manner for what He had

984
00:36:43,250 --> 00:36:43,970
done for her.

985
00:36:44,290 --> 00:36:46,830
She became as a live coal in her

986
00:36:46,830 --> 00:36:47,270
village.

987
00:36:47,890 --> 00:36:49,550
Go home and tell of how I've had

988
00:36:49,550 --> 00:36:50,270
mercy on you.

989
00:36:50,270 --> 00:36:51,810
That's a live coal in Mark 5.

990
00:36:51,890 --> 00:36:52,710
You've got it right here.

991
00:36:54,070 --> 00:36:56,970
From which the whole community became set on

992
00:36:56,970 --> 00:36:57,370
fire.

993
00:36:57,850 --> 00:37:00,830
Old and young were brought under powerful conviction.

994
00:37:01,230 --> 00:37:03,230
In every hut, the sound of singing and

995
00:37:03,230 --> 00:37:04,250
praying was audible.

996
00:37:04,630 --> 00:37:07,410
And the churches could not contain the numbers

997
00:37:07,410 --> 00:37:10,310
who flocked to hear the message of salvation.

998
00:37:10,730 --> 00:37:13,710
Those converted were moved at once to become

999
00:37:13,710 --> 00:37:15,790
missionaries to their heathen countrymen.

1000
00:37:15,850 --> 00:37:16,770
Again, Mark 5.

1001
00:37:16,830 --> 00:37:17,850
Burden to go home.

1002
00:37:17,850 --> 00:37:20,750
And so the work spread throughout the land.

1003
00:37:20,910 --> 00:37:22,830
This was Labrador's Pentecost.

1004
00:37:22,990 --> 00:37:24,890
It was ignited by a single verse.

1005
00:37:25,310 --> 00:37:27,390
The Son of Man has come to seek

1006
00:37:27,390 --> 00:37:28,930
and to save that which is lost.

1007
00:37:29,410 --> 00:37:32,010
It is not My word like fire, saith

1008
00:37:32,010 --> 00:37:32,750
the Lord.

1009
00:37:35,210 --> 00:37:35,970
Isn't that amazing?

1010
00:37:36,390 --> 00:37:39,130
Now many, they don't have the stanima.

1011
00:37:39,290 --> 00:37:41,310
They have faith in God for 33 years

1012
00:37:41,310 --> 00:37:43,150
of laboring and seeing no results.

1013
00:37:43,690 --> 00:37:45,270
And you know what struck me?

1014
00:37:46,810 --> 00:37:47,930
They're insecure.

1015
00:37:49,310 --> 00:37:53,390
After 30 years, there's a sense they have

1016
00:37:53,390 --> 00:37:54,790
this insecurity in their heart.

1017
00:37:55,170 --> 00:37:56,930
Maybe God's not with us because no one's

1018
00:37:56,930 --> 00:37:58,230
been saved in 30 years.

1019
00:37:59,570 --> 00:38:02,330
You let that little insecure thought of unbelief

1020
00:38:02,330 --> 00:38:05,010
into your heart, you're going to abandon the

1021
00:38:05,010 --> 00:38:05,410
work.

1022
00:38:06,210 --> 00:38:07,450
You're going to just...

1023
00:38:07,450 --> 00:38:08,050
that's it.

1024
00:38:08,970 --> 00:38:12,210
You're going to let results dictate your faithfulness

1025
00:38:12,210 --> 00:38:13,730
to the work.

1026
00:38:15,090 --> 00:38:17,970
Imagine 10 years, hardly any results.

1027
00:38:18,070 --> 00:38:18,730
20 years.

1028
00:38:18,830 --> 00:38:19,490
30 years.

1029
00:38:19,710 --> 00:38:21,970
Imagine what people were even saying to them

1030
00:38:21,970 --> 00:38:22,710
at that point.

1031
00:38:24,870 --> 00:38:26,210
Maybe that's written somewhere.

1032
00:38:26,230 --> 00:38:27,310
I'd love to read all of that.

1033
00:38:27,590 --> 00:38:29,450
How are these people processing that?

1034
00:38:29,750 --> 00:38:30,910
And they kept on.

1035
00:38:32,170 --> 00:38:35,090
Brethren, don't get some insecurity in your heart

1036
00:38:35,090 --> 00:38:36,790
that God is not with you just because

1037
00:38:36,790 --> 00:38:38,630
there's no results after 33 years.

1038
00:38:38,870 --> 00:38:40,370
You and I need to be faithful to

1039
00:38:40,370 --> 00:38:42,150
God in the sphere He's put us in,

1040
00:38:42,150 --> 00:38:43,730
regardless of results.

1041
00:38:43,850 --> 00:38:45,930
Results can be an evidence of the hand

1042
00:38:45,930 --> 00:38:46,470
of God.

1043
00:38:46,710 --> 00:38:49,470
At the same time, no results are obviously

1044
00:38:49,470 --> 00:38:51,110
an evidence of the hand of God too.

1045
00:38:51,390 --> 00:38:52,810
But is it the evidence of the hand

1046
00:38:52,810 --> 00:38:54,970
of God on judgment upon us because we've

1047
00:38:54,970 --> 00:38:55,410
sinned?

1048
00:38:55,470 --> 00:38:56,850
Or is it the evidence of the hand

1049
00:38:56,850 --> 00:38:58,450
of God testing His workers?

1050
00:38:59,290 --> 00:39:01,230
You see, how you interpret that is going

1051
00:39:01,230 --> 00:39:03,270
to be a massive difference on what you

1052
00:39:03,270 --> 00:39:06,950
conclude and how you respond.

1053
00:39:08,410 --> 00:39:10,850
And so these Moravians right here after 33

1054
00:39:10,850 --> 00:39:13,730
years, it's not just the Lord started to

1055
00:39:13,730 --> 00:39:14,050
save.

1056
00:39:14,130 --> 00:39:15,870
These people then were burdened for their heathen

1057
00:39:15,870 --> 00:39:17,770
countrymen and all of a sudden you just

1058
00:39:17,770 --> 00:39:19,370
have this revival that's spreading.

1059
00:39:20,090 --> 00:39:21,310
It's absolutely incredible.

1060
00:39:21,530 --> 00:39:23,290
And it's a reminder that man sows, but

1061
00:39:23,290 --> 00:39:24,210
who gives the growth?

1062
00:39:24,710 --> 00:39:25,110
God.

1063
00:39:25,370 --> 00:39:27,250
I mean, you look at so much through

1064
00:39:27,250 --> 00:39:27,790
history.

1065
00:39:28,890 --> 00:39:30,130
And it's something when you look at history

1066
00:39:30,130 --> 00:39:31,890
because you can already see these men weren't

1067
00:39:31,890 --> 00:39:32,410
compromised.

1068
00:39:32,910 --> 00:39:34,870
They were being faithful and yet there were

1069
00:39:34,870 --> 00:39:35,410
no results.

1070
00:39:35,530 --> 00:39:36,670
When you're in the midst of it, it's

1071
00:39:36,670 --> 00:39:38,390
easier to wonder, maybe these guys are really

1072
00:39:38,390 --> 00:39:40,710
compromised and that's why they're not seeing any

1073
00:39:40,710 --> 00:39:41,310
results.

1074
00:39:43,320 --> 00:39:45,660
But, you look at history and you realize

1075
00:39:45,660 --> 00:39:47,060
they were God's men.

1076
00:39:47,360 --> 00:39:48,760
And God was testing them.

1077
00:39:49,680 --> 00:39:50,360
Listen to this.

1078
00:39:50,400 --> 00:39:51,780
Gordon, he goes on in this book.

1079
00:39:52,740 --> 00:39:54,600
He says it was seven years before Cary

1080
00:39:54,600 --> 00:39:56,640
baptized his first convert in India.

1081
00:39:57,260 --> 00:39:58,560
It was seven years before...

1082
00:39:58,560 --> 00:39:59,920
Seven, not 33.

1083
00:40:00,380 --> 00:40:00,620
Right?

1084
00:40:01,000 --> 00:40:03,460
These guys have got nothing on those Moravians.

1085
00:40:04,400 --> 00:40:06,020
It wasn't that they didn't have any converts,

1086
00:40:06,120 --> 00:40:06,940
but hardly anything.

1087
00:40:07,680 --> 00:40:09,400
So this was first converts.

1088
00:40:09,400 --> 00:40:11,480
It was seven years before Judson won his

1089
00:40:11,480 --> 00:40:12,820
first disciple in Burma.

1090
00:40:13,840 --> 00:40:14,760
Does it stop there?

1091
00:40:15,400 --> 00:40:18,260
Morrison toiled seven years before the first Chinaman

1092
00:40:18,260 --> 00:40:19,340
was brought to Christ.

1093
00:40:20,120 --> 00:40:21,020
Does it stop there?

1094
00:40:21,140 --> 00:40:21,420
Nope.

1095
00:40:21,920 --> 00:40:24,260
Moffat declares he waited seven years to see

1096
00:40:24,260 --> 00:40:26,320
the first evident moving of the Holy Spirit

1097
00:40:26,320 --> 00:40:28,060
upon the Buchanan's of Africa.

1098
00:40:28,900 --> 00:40:31,340
Henry Richards wrought seven years on the Congo

1099
00:40:31,340 --> 00:40:33,820
before the first convert was gained at Banza.

1100
00:40:34,400 --> 00:40:36,320
It had almost seemed as though God had

1101
00:40:36,320 --> 00:40:41,420
fixed the sacred biblical number of seven as

1102
00:40:41,420 --> 00:40:43,400
a term of a missionary's apprenticeship.

1103
00:40:44,560 --> 00:40:47,300
As I found it reoccurring again and again

1104
00:40:47,300 --> 00:40:48,760
in the story of the planning of the

1105
00:40:48,760 --> 00:40:49,140
Gospel.

1106
00:40:49,800 --> 00:40:51,700
But how rich is reward who has waited

1107
00:40:51,700 --> 00:40:54,160
patiently till the seed should spring and grow

1108
00:40:54,160 --> 00:40:55,580
up, he knoweth not how.

1109
00:40:55,980 --> 00:40:59,020
God has seasons of delay, and glorious indeed

1110
00:40:59,020 --> 00:41:01,960
are the seasons which often follow His delays.

1111
00:41:02,720 --> 00:41:04,720
We are now seven years in this land,

1112
00:41:04,720 --> 00:41:08,300
wrote Brother Botch of Gosner Mission among the

1113
00:41:08,300 --> 00:41:08,800
Indians.

1114
00:41:09,200 --> 00:41:11,460
But through these long years, it was but

1115
00:41:11,460 --> 00:41:13,700
the trial of our patience and endurance.

1116
00:41:14,380 --> 00:41:16,260
Everything seemed to be in vain.

1117
00:41:16,580 --> 00:41:18,900
And many said the mission was useless.

1118
00:41:19,640 --> 00:41:22,120
Then the Lord Himself kindled a fire before

1119
00:41:22,120 --> 00:41:25,580
our eyes, and it seized not only single

1120
00:41:25,580 --> 00:41:27,760
souls, but spread from village to village.

1121
00:41:28,020 --> 00:41:30,440
And from every side the question was raised,

1122
00:41:30,440 --> 00:41:32,940
what shall we do to be saved?

1123
00:41:35,120 --> 00:41:38,340
See, Gordon's book is six lectures that he

1124
00:41:38,340 --> 00:41:38,680
gave.

1125
00:41:39,600 --> 00:41:41,960
They founded Gordon Conwell Seminary after him.

1126
00:41:42,760 --> 00:41:47,740
Lecture 2 is very good about the Holy

1127
00:41:47,740 --> 00:41:48,520
Spirit and missions.

1128
00:41:48,620 --> 00:41:49,620
But these are from that book.

1129
00:41:50,080 --> 00:41:52,440
It's amazing as he's making these observations.

1130
00:41:52,780 --> 00:41:55,180
But this is connected to fishing because missions

1131
00:41:55,180 --> 00:41:59,340
is a massive fishing trip of evangelism and

1132
00:41:59,340 --> 00:42:02,040
seeking to bring the Gospel in the deep,

1133
00:42:02,400 --> 00:42:02,700
right?

1134
00:42:04,680 --> 00:42:06,960
Now, I want to look right here at

1135
00:42:06,960 --> 00:42:10,240
the end at a fisherman whom God has

1136
00:42:10,240 --> 00:42:13,560
really used much lately and who's still alive.

1137
00:42:14,000 --> 00:42:17,020
I've never personally met this brother, but in

1138
00:42:17,020 --> 00:42:19,220
the last few years I've kept hearing about

1139
00:42:19,220 --> 00:42:19,460
him.

1140
00:42:19,540 --> 00:42:22,140
I heard about him from Mack Tomlinson recently

1141
00:42:22,140 --> 00:42:23,460
when Don Kern was here.

1142
00:42:23,620 --> 00:42:25,080
I heard about this brother again.

1143
00:42:28,340 --> 00:42:30,140
And his name is Dave Story.

1144
00:42:31,360 --> 00:42:35,160
In 2017, Michael Durham had a post about

1145
00:42:35,160 --> 00:42:37,380
Dave Story and this is what Michael said.

1146
00:42:37,440 --> 00:42:38,380
This is six years ago.

1147
00:42:40,860 --> 00:42:43,220
Eleven years ago, the Lord brought Dave and

1148
00:42:43,220 --> 00:42:45,600
Lisa back to his hometown in Canada to

1149
00:42:45,600 --> 00:42:46,460
plant a church.

1150
00:42:47,520 --> 00:42:49,780
David, burdened for the perishing in the area,

1151
00:42:49,940 --> 00:42:51,820
would pray and weep over a long list

1152
00:42:51,820 --> 00:42:52,840
of people he knew.

1153
00:42:53,560 --> 00:42:55,460
In the ensuing years, God has done a

1154
00:42:55,460 --> 00:42:56,980
steady work of saving sinners.

1155
00:42:58,620 --> 00:43:02,680
Although DeCotown has a population of only 793,

1156
00:43:03,680 --> 00:43:05,200
he goes there, he plants a church.

1157
00:43:05,260 --> 00:43:06,860
This is six years ago.

1158
00:43:07,500 --> 00:43:08,520
Six years ago.

1159
00:43:09,840 --> 00:43:11,860
The church now runs on an average of

1160
00:43:11,860 --> 00:43:17,750
175 people with visitors almost every Sunday.

1161
00:43:18,490 --> 00:43:20,510
There have been multiple conversions in the past

1162
00:43:20,510 --> 00:43:22,430
13 years since the plant begun.

1163
00:43:23,430 --> 00:43:24,930
And that was part of what Durham said.

1164
00:43:24,930 --> 00:43:26,990
This is from the HeartCry missionary site.

1165
00:43:27,990 --> 00:43:30,930
In November 2013, I think this is Dave

1166
00:43:30,930 --> 00:43:32,350
Story writing himself.

1167
00:43:33,150 --> 00:43:36,310
Another young lady named Melita, now my daughter

1168
00:43:36,310 --> 00:43:38,370
-in-law, was on her way to another

1169
00:43:38,370 --> 00:43:41,610
church before deciding to stop at her church

1170
00:43:41,610 --> 00:43:42,310
that Sunday.

1171
00:43:43,330 --> 00:43:45,570
She came under strong conviction of the Spirit

1172
00:43:45,570 --> 00:43:46,310
that morning.

1173
00:43:46,730 --> 00:43:48,330
Realized she was a false convert.

1174
00:43:48,730 --> 00:43:50,330
She was gloriously converted.

1175
00:43:50,750 --> 00:43:54,050
As a result of her conversion, four months

1176
00:43:54,050 --> 00:43:56,570
later, her brother was also born again.

1177
00:43:57,190 --> 00:43:58,530
Now he's my son-in-law.

1178
00:43:59,130 --> 00:44:01,510
Their uncle Dave, when he saw the change

1179
00:44:01,510 --> 00:44:03,630
in their lives, realized he was lost.

1180
00:44:04,070 --> 00:44:06,370
He came to Christ in June of 2014

1181
00:44:06,370 --> 00:44:07,310
on a Friday.

1182
00:44:07,850 --> 00:44:10,850
And his wife Rhonda was converted the next

1183
00:44:10,850 --> 00:44:11,350
day.

1184
00:44:12,030 --> 00:44:14,570
They've been attending our services for about four

1185
00:44:14,570 --> 00:44:15,870
weeks when this took place.

1186
00:44:16,290 --> 00:44:19,470
Dave's son and daughter Cassidy came to Christ

1187
00:44:19,470 --> 00:44:21,470
within a few weeks after that.

1188
00:44:21,470 --> 00:44:25,530
As a result of this, Melita's grandfather Winston

1189
00:44:25,530 --> 00:44:26,910
was also awakened.

1190
00:44:27,290 --> 00:44:30,250
Then her mother Angela was converted the next

1191
00:44:30,250 --> 00:44:30,690
fall.

1192
00:44:31,050 --> 00:44:33,430
Followed by Angela's father Glennie.

1193
00:44:33,490 --> 00:44:36,350
It's like God's just sweeping them all in.

1194
00:44:37,450 --> 00:44:39,950
Then Cassidy had a strong witness to her

1195
00:44:39,950 --> 00:44:41,110
other grandfather.

1196
00:44:41,670 --> 00:44:43,450
I too went to him several times.

1197
00:44:44,030 --> 00:44:45,210
He was a very hard man.

1198
00:44:45,770 --> 00:44:47,530
But after sharing the Gospel with him for

1199
00:44:47,530 --> 00:44:49,650
several months, he too was converted.

1200
00:44:49,650 --> 00:44:51,950
He has since gone to be with the

1201
00:44:51,950 --> 00:44:52,250
Lord.

1202
00:44:52,750 --> 00:44:55,610
Finally, in the last year, Melita's father Richie

1203
00:44:55,610 --> 00:44:57,130
has been truly converted.

1204
00:44:57,610 --> 00:44:59,870
I will baptize him and others very soon.

1205
00:45:00,290 --> 00:45:02,230
At least seven of those converted in this

1206
00:45:02,230 --> 00:45:05,650
family were previously convinced they were heaven-bound

1207
00:45:05,650 --> 00:45:07,270
when in fact they were lost.

1208
00:45:07,870 --> 00:45:10,330
This is the Lord saving professing Christians who

1209
00:45:10,330 --> 00:45:10,850
were deceived.

1210
00:45:11,130 --> 00:45:12,870
This one after another.

1211
00:45:13,150 --> 00:45:15,050
Obviously, what's a massive part of being a

1212
00:45:15,050 --> 00:45:18,310
good fisherman is following Christ in His character

1213
00:45:18,310 --> 00:45:20,690
and godliness and holiness and not having character

1214
00:45:20,690 --> 00:45:21,890
that is hypocritical, right?

1215
00:45:21,950 --> 00:45:23,390
That's not going to help your ability to

1216
00:45:23,390 --> 00:45:24,310
convince someone of Christ.

1217
00:45:27,530 --> 00:45:29,610
He goes on, Last summer, my wife Lisa

1218
00:45:29,610 --> 00:45:31,730
and I went to a local restaurant and

1219
00:45:31,730 --> 00:45:33,730
I witnessed to a man named Peter for

1220
00:45:33,730 --> 00:45:34,490
over an hour.

1221
00:45:35,050 --> 00:45:37,010
I saw him a week later and reminded

1222
00:45:37,010 --> 00:45:38,770
him of our former conversation.

1223
00:45:39,250 --> 00:45:41,290
I then prayed urgently for him for a

1224
00:45:41,290 --> 00:45:41,930
whole week.

1225
00:45:42,370 --> 00:45:44,510
The next Sunday, he showed up to church.

1226
00:45:44,950 --> 00:45:47,410
Five weeks later, he was gloriously converted.

1227
00:45:47,870 --> 00:45:49,950
And like the others, he continues to walk

1228
00:45:49,950 --> 00:45:52,490
with Christ and boldly declare what Christ has

1229
00:45:52,490 --> 00:45:53,610
done for him.

1230
00:45:55,590 --> 00:45:57,890
There's another post on the HeartChrist site.

1231
00:45:58,210 --> 00:45:58,950
Changing gears.

1232
00:45:59,430 --> 00:46:01,330
These are people who we prayed for.

1233
00:46:01,430 --> 00:46:02,490
This is still Dave's story.

1234
00:46:03,450 --> 00:46:06,910
This gets more behind this man, Dave's story.

1235
00:46:07,230 --> 00:46:08,930
These are people who we prayed for their

1236
00:46:08,930 --> 00:46:10,650
conversion daily.

1237
00:46:11,850 --> 00:46:14,770
We repeatedly witnessed to them repeatedly.

1238
00:46:15,670 --> 00:46:16,490
You hear that?

1239
00:46:16,490 --> 00:46:18,890
We begged them to repent.

1240
00:46:19,850 --> 00:46:20,970
Didn't ask them.

1241
00:46:21,310 --> 00:46:22,470
Begged them to repent.

1242
00:46:22,950 --> 00:46:24,590
Be reconciled to God through Christ.

1243
00:46:24,790 --> 00:46:26,670
Many times it was in tears.

1244
00:46:27,570 --> 00:46:33,050
We keep the language plain, very direct, like

1245
00:46:33,050 --> 00:46:36,350
Jesus in Mark 10, and we repeatedly visit

1246
00:46:36,350 --> 00:46:36,810
them.

1247
00:46:37,270 --> 00:46:40,110
Some of them he was visiting for ten

1248
00:46:40,110 --> 00:46:40,810
years.

1249
00:46:42,510 --> 00:46:44,910
Mitchell was one of those who I witnessed

1250
00:46:44,910 --> 00:46:48,310
to regularly and prayed for for ten years.

1251
00:46:48,990 --> 00:46:51,010
He was converted on a Sunday two years

1252
00:46:51,010 --> 00:46:54,070
ago when Mack Tomlinson was preaching at our

1253
00:46:54,070 --> 00:46:54,590
church.

1254
00:46:55,170 --> 00:46:57,350
His wife Anita was converted a few months

1255
00:46:57,350 --> 00:46:57,910
before.

1256
00:46:58,570 --> 00:47:01,290
They were both walking faithfully and serving Christ.

1257
00:47:01,750 --> 00:47:04,930
By grace, Mitchell's father and mother were then

1258
00:47:04,930 --> 00:47:08,950
converted through this ministry ten years ago.

1259
00:47:08,950 --> 00:47:10,770
You just see again the Lord saving and

1260
00:47:10,770 --> 00:47:12,090
then saving more in the family.

1261
00:47:13,230 --> 00:47:14,450
And this is a more newer update from

1262
00:47:14,450 --> 00:47:15,210
2017.

1263
00:47:16,270 --> 00:47:19,930
In these last years, several years ago, another

1264
00:47:19,930 --> 00:47:23,890
young man, a young woman named Beth, started

1265
00:47:23,890 --> 00:47:25,030
coming to the church.

1266
00:47:25,330 --> 00:47:26,830
At the end of a church service, she

1267
00:47:26,830 --> 00:47:28,870
cried out that she wanted to be saved.

1268
00:47:29,190 --> 00:47:32,370
I immediately started discipling her and her live

1269
00:47:32,370 --> 00:47:34,750
-in boyfriend who was the father of their

1270
00:47:34,750 --> 00:47:36,130
two children at the time.

1271
00:47:36,190 --> 00:47:37,330
They now have four kids.

1272
00:47:37,330 --> 00:47:39,990
During a period of nearly 20 weeks, he

1273
00:47:39,990 --> 00:47:41,010
was also converted.

1274
00:47:41,530 --> 00:47:43,570
She had no further union with him until

1275
00:47:43,570 --> 00:47:45,510
after his conversion and they were married.

1276
00:47:45,910 --> 00:47:48,430
They were both faithful followers of Christ in

1277
00:47:48,430 --> 00:47:51,050
her training and instructing their children in the

1278
00:47:51,050 --> 00:47:52,070
ways of the Lord.

1279
00:47:52,250 --> 00:47:54,370
We go to several people each week.

1280
00:47:54,490 --> 00:47:55,410
We pray for them.

1281
00:47:55,730 --> 00:47:58,470
We constantly plead with them to repent and

1282
00:47:58,470 --> 00:47:59,350
believe the Gospel.

1283
00:47:59,670 --> 00:48:02,910
We go until they are either converted or

1284
00:48:02,910 --> 00:48:05,050
until they tell us to never come back.

1285
00:48:06,670 --> 00:48:09,030
Does this sound like a fishing pole?

1286
00:48:10,790 --> 00:48:12,390
This is like throwing a net.

1287
00:48:13,490 --> 00:48:14,670
We went to their house again.

1288
00:48:14,730 --> 00:48:15,490
We threw the net down.

1289
00:48:15,590 --> 00:48:16,270
We caught nothing.

1290
00:48:17,430 --> 00:48:17,970
We went again.

1291
00:48:18,050 --> 00:48:18,710
Ten years.

1292
00:48:18,870 --> 00:48:20,090
Same fishing spot.

1293
00:48:20,670 --> 00:48:21,430
Caught nothing.

1294
00:48:21,630 --> 00:48:22,850
Or maybe it looked like we caught the

1295
00:48:22,850 --> 00:48:24,470
fish and then it got out of the

1296
00:48:24,470 --> 00:48:24,690
net.

1297
00:48:28,090 --> 00:48:29,770
You go hear this man's sermons.

1298
00:48:30,530 --> 00:48:32,130
If you had not heard all this, you

1299
00:48:32,130 --> 00:48:34,830
hear his sermons, you would never think God's

1300
00:48:34,830 --> 00:48:35,790
used him in this way.

1301
00:48:36,790 --> 00:48:37,290
You wouldn't.

1302
00:48:37,510 --> 00:48:39,930
It's like the Apostle Paul in a way.

1303
00:48:40,110 --> 00:48:44,450
He's not an eloquent speaker, but God has

1304
00:48:44,450 --> 00:48:45,890
used him in such a mighty way.

1305
00:48:47,570 --> 00:48:49,990
The last update serves as a laborious update.

1306
00:48:50,170 --> 00:48:51,630
To me, it's just incredibly encouraging.

1307
00:48:51,810 --> 00:48:53,150
The last update from 2022.

1308
00:48:53,690 --> 00:48:54,930
Again, just plead the Lord.

1309
00:48:55,090 --> 00:48:59,250
You're making fishers of men and seeing...

1310
00:48:59,250 --> 00:49:00,730
I hate to even use the word results,

1311
00:49:00,730 --> 00:49:02,670
but seeing these fruits in this way.

1312
00:49:03,390 --> 00:49:06,150
Lord, bring something of this in a greater

1313
00:49:06,150 --> 00:49:08,890
degree even here among ourselves.

1314
00:49:09,970 --> 00:49:11,090
The last one.

1315
00:49:11,170 --> 00:49:13,790
He says, Joshua, an 11-year-old boy,

1316
00:49:14,250 --> 00:49:16,330
attended one of the chapels at our Christian

1317
00:49:16,330 --> 00:49:16,810
school.

1318
00:49:17,470 --> 00:49:19,470
He was converted early last fall.

1319
00:49:19,970 --> 00:49:22,650
Despite his age, he has a real zeal

1320
00:49:22,650 --> 00:49:24,530
for the Gospel and wants to see people

1321
00:49:24,530 --> 00:49:25,430
come to Christ.

1322
00:49:25,870 --> 00:49:26,970
He's 11 years old.

1323
00:49:27,550 --> 00:49:29,530
A few months back, he began to read

1324
00:49:29,530 --> 00:49:33,050
the Bible to his grandfather, Wayne, who is

1325
00:49:33,050 --> 00:49:34,890
a professing atheist.

1326
00:49:35,490 --> 00:49:37,350
An 11-year-old boy reading the Bible

1327
00:49:37,350 --> 00:49:38,230
to his granddad.

1328
00:49:39,250 --> 00:49:40,350
I know a lot of the kids are

1329
00:49:40,350 --> 00:49:40,710
in the back.

1330
00:49:42,690 --> 00:49:44,290
One of the things I even think with

1331
00:49:44,290 --> 00:49:45,390
my own kids, if you're going to say

1332
00:49:45,390 --> 00:49:47,830
you're a follower of Christ, and he says

1333
00:49:47,830 --> 00:49:49,790
he makes you fishers of men, is there

1334
00:49:49,790 --> 00:49:51,870
not any type of desire there to tell

1335
00:49:51,870 --> 00:49:52,290
others?

1336
00:49:52,790 --> 00:49:54,610
If there's no desire there, to me that's

1337
00:49:54,610 --> 00:49:58,170
very discouraging about whatever profession someone's making.

1338
00:49:58,590 --> 00:49:59,610
They don't even know.

1339
00:49:59,870 --> 00:50:01,350
It's like I don't even think about telling

1340
00:50:01,350 --> 00:50:02,690
others about what Christ has done.

1341
00:50:02,930 --> 00:50:04,510
Well then, has what Christ's done really gripped

1342
00:50:04,510 --> 00:50:05,530
and changed your own heart?

1343
00:50:05,850 --> 00:50:07,390
To me, that's a valid question to ask.

1344
00:50:07,470 --> 00:50:09,710
I don't want to wrongly condemn the child

1345
00:50:09,710 --> 00:50:11,290
in that area, but it's something for them

1346
00:50:11,290 --> 00:50:11,970
to think about.

1347
00:50:12,970 --> 00:50:13,610
Take to heart.

1348
00:50:15,370 --> 00:50:16,270
Where was I?

1349
00:50:16,390 --> 00:50:18,970
Oh, Joshua would read while in Wayne's bedroom.

1350
00:50:19,210 --> 00:50:21,670
All the while, burdened to see his grandfather

1351
00:50:21,670 --> 00:50:22,450
saved.

1352
00:50:23,170 --> 00:50:23,770
And guess what?

1353
00:50:23,770 --> 00:50:26,830
Wayne was gloriously converted a few months ago.

1354
00:50:27,290 --> 00:50:29,750
And I believe the Lord has saved Joshua's

1355
00:50:29,750 --> 00:50:31,990
twin sister, Sophie, as well.

1356
00:50:32,430 --> 00:50:34,690
They're a wonderful family and we love them

1357
00:50:34,690 --> 00:50:35,270
tremendously.

1358
00:50:35,770 --> 00:50:37,870
Thank God for sending them to us.

1359
00:50:38,270 --> 00:50:40,530
They will be baptized next month with a

1360
00:50:40,530 --> 00:50:42,630
few others, Lord willing.

1361
00:50:42,730 --> 00:50:44,430
And that last update is from the HeartChrist

1362
00:50:44,430 --> 00:50:46,530
site in 2022.

1363
00:50:46,770 --> 00:50:49,250
The first two Sundays in September we baptized

1364
00:50:49,250 --> 00:50:50,250
12 people.

1365
00:50:50,650 --> 00:50:52,030
They went public for Christ.

1366
00:50:53,900 --> 00:50:55,280
That's someone to pray for.

1367
00:50:55,660 --> 00:50:56,360
Dave Storey.

1368
00:50:56,360 --> 00:50:57,840
It could be nice to have him come

1369
00:50:57,840 --> 00:50:58,660
down sometime.

1370
00:51:03,060 --> 00:51:05,480
Yeah, all of that was happening at one

1371
00:51:05,480 --> 00:51:08,680
church in a small town of 800 people.

1372
00:51:10,240 --> 00:51:13,520
Look, it's easier to have a captive audience

1373
00:51:13,520 --> 00:51:15,140
in a town of 800 people to follow

1374
00:51:15,140 --> 00:51:16,160
up with people, right?

1375
00:51:16,220 --> 00:51:17,200
I mean, you know everyone.

1376
00:51:18,140 --> 00:51:19,680
There's certain people you see downtown and you

1377
00:51:19,680 --> 00:51:20,440
never see them again.

1378
00:51:20,440 --> 00:51:21,980
I mean, they're probably a tourist.

1379
00:51:24,680 --> 00:51:25,340
I don't know.

1380
00:51:25,600 --> 00:51:27,180
Do I have any more excuses I can

1381
00:51:27,180 --> 00:51:27,800
come up with?

1382
00:51:33,400 --> 00:51:35,860
The Lord clearly has gifted this man as

1383
00:51:35,860 --> 00:51:36,720
an evangelist.

1384
00:51:37,420 --> 00:51:38,220
It's just obvious.

1385
00:51:38,540 --> 00:51:40,220
The Spirit of God is upon this man

1386
00:51:40,220 --> 00:51:41,160
in a unique way.

1387
00:51:44,140 --> 00:51:46,800
Again, I say that because as we're all

1388
00:51:46,800 --> 00:51:48,960
involved in taking forth the Gospel, there's some

1389
00:51:48,960 --> 00:51:52,600
who have an exquisite manifestation of the Spirit

1390
00:51:52,600 --> 00:51:54,340
of God in their life and the wisdom

1391
00:51:54,340 --> 00:51:57,420
to woo souls to Christ that others just

1392
00:51:57,420 --> 00:51:58,080
don't have.

1393
00:51:58,780 --> 00:52:01,000
And that's just the Spirit operates in that

1394
00:52:01,000 --> 00:52:01,340
way.

1395
00:52:01,780 --> 00:52:03,840
But if you don't sense that in yourself,

1396
00:52:03,960 --> 00:52:05,640
don't lose heart and say, well, I don't

1397
00:52:05,640 --> 00:52:07,680
think I have that gift, so I'm not

1398
00:52:07,680 --> 00:52:08,380
going to see fruit.

1399
00:52:08,480 --> 00:52:09,840
No, no, you're following Christ.

1400
00:52:09,940 --> 00:52:10,860
I'm following Christ.

1401
00:52:11,020 --> 00:52:12,160
Pray that God would save.

1402
00:52:12,680 --> 00:52:14,000
Well, one last thought.

1403
00:52:15,960 --> 00:52:19,340
2 Peter 3.9 says, God is patient

1404
00:52:19,340 --> 00:52:21,840
towards you, not wishing that any should perish,

1405
00:52:21,840 --> 00:52:24,600
but all should reach repentance.

1406
00:52:25,440 --> 00:52:27,680
And to quote Ryan Fullerton, I really appreciated

1407
00:52:27,680 --> 00:52:29,300
what he shared on this a while back.

1408
00:52:29,800 --> 00:52:32,040
On that text, he said, the reason today,

1409
00:52:32,700 --> 00:52:35,440
because here God's waiting to come back, right?

1410
00:52:35,460 --> 00:52:36,000
That's his point.

1411
00:52:36,280 --> 00:52:39,600
The reason today exists is that God wants

1412
00:52:39,600 --> 00:52:42,620
more people to be saved than are currently

1413
00:52:42,620 --> 00:52:43,660
saved.

1414
00:52:43,820 --> 00:52:47,720
And He's willing to prolong human history to

1415
00:52:47,720 --> 00:52:48,960
get them into His kingdom.

1416
00:52:48,960 --> 00:52:51,720
Which means that every time you rub the

1417
00:52:51,720 --> 00:52:53,800
sleep out of your eyes, there ought to

1418
00:52:53,800 --> 00:52:57,760
be this awareness that today exists for evangelistic

1419
00:52:57,760 --> 00:52:58,280
purposes.

1420
00:52:58,840 --> 00:53:02,000
Because of God's patience, the heavens have not

1421
00:53:02,000 --> 00:53:02,800
been destroyed.

1422
00:53:03,520 --> 00:53:07,100
The final judgment has not yet come.

1423
00:53:07,660 --> 00:53:09,200
You see, you look at life that way.

1424
00:53:09,280 --> 00:53:10,600
You look at it in that perspective.

1425
00:53:11,000 --> 00:53:12,460
God could come and bring destruction.

1426
00:53:12,600 --> 00:53:14,440
He's not because He still has people He

1427
00:53:14,440 --> 00:53:15,300
wants to be saved.

1428
00:53:15,720 --> 00:53:17,140
And oh, we get to be the hands

1429
00:53:17,140 --> 00:53:18,880
and the feet to bring the good news

1430
00:53:18,880 --> 00:53:21,460
and the glad tidings to the nations, to

1431
00:53:21,460 --> 00:53:23,860
the neighborhoods, to our family members.

1432
00:53:24,560 --> 00:53:25,380
So may it be so.

1433
00:53:25,460 --> 00:53:27,300
May the Lord help us and make us

1434
00:53:27,300 --> 00:53:31,060
all more fishers of men.

1435
00:53:31,220 --> 00:53:31,760
Let's pray.

1436
00:53:36,990 --> 00:53:39,190
Lord, You looked at those men who were

1437
00:53:39,190 --> 00:53:41,050
there engaged in their job.

1438
00:53:41,250 --> 00:53:42,870
Lord, they had no idea what was ahead

1439
00:53:42,870 --> 00:53:43,210
of them.

1440
00:53:44,470 --> 00:53:46,110
We don't even know how much they knew

1441
00:53:46,110 --> 00:53:47,570
about You at that point.

1442
00:53:48,130 --> 00:53:49,550
But Lord, You looked at them and You

1443
00:53:49,550 --> 00:53:51,310
said, follow me and I will make You

1444
00:53:51,310 --> 00:53:52,030
fishers of men.

1445
00:53:52,210 --> 00:53:54,250
Lord, we're grateful that You've not just told

1446
00:53:54,250 --> 00:53:55,570
us to follow You aimlessly.

1447
00:53:55,750 --> 00:53:57,710
We're not just people beating against the air

1448
00:53:57,710 --> 00:53:58,570
with no purpose.

1449
00:53:59,170 --> 00:54:00,710
But Lord, You've given us a purpose to

1450
00:54:00,710 --> 00:54:03,130
be Your witnesses, to acknowledge You before men,

1451
00:54:03,450 --> 00:54:06,210
to seek to see our lost spouses saved,

1452
00:54:06,330 --> 00:54:09,690
children saved, our countrymen, our hearts' desire for

1453
00:54:09,690 --> 00:54:11,410
them is that they might be saved.

1454
00:54:12,270 --> 00:54:14,330
Lord, we want to have a burden like

1455
00:54:14,330 --> 00:54:16,830
Paul and unceasing anguish in our hearts that

1456
00:54:16,830 --> 00:54:18,350
people would be saved.

1457
00:54:18,350 --> 00:54:20,390
Lord, I pray that You would make me

1458
00:54:20,390 --> 00:54:23,410
and make my brethren more fishers of men.

1459
00:54:23,910 --> 00:54:25,790
Lord, there's areas that we've toiled.

1460
00:54:26,370 --> 00:54:27,970
We've not seen results.

1461
00:54:28,670 --> 00:54:31,290
And Lord, forgive us if there's some idolatry

1462
00:54:31,290 --> 00:54:32,670
at times of results.

1463
00:54:32,910 --> 00:54:34,630
Lord, we want to be like those Moravians,

1464
00:54:35,050 --> 00:54:37,330
faithful for 33 years even if it seems

1465
00:54:37,330 --> 00:54:38,390
like nothing happens.

1466
00:54:38,830 --> 00:54:40,410
Lord, give us the faith to know we're

1467
00:54:40,410 --> 00:54:43,070
in Your will, to not question ourselves in

1468
00:54:43,070 --> 00:54:43,690
a wrong way.

1469
00:54:43,750 --> 00:54:45,430
But Lord, at the same time, if there

1470
00:54:45,430 --> 00:54:47,250
is something in my own heart or our

1471
00:54:47,250 --> 00:54:50,670
own hearts that's keeping someone or something about

1472
00:54:50,670 --> 00:54:53,030
our character that's keeping certain people from Christ,

1473
00:54:53,350 --> 00:54:54,630
Lord, reveal that to us.

1474
00:54:54,710 --> 00:54:56,530
Lord, we don't want Your name to be

1475
00:54:56,530 --> 00:54:58,270
blasphemed among the Gentiles.

1476
00:54:58,370 --> 00:55:01,550
We don't want our conduct not being hospitable

1477
00:55:01,550 --> 00:55:03,750
like Host said to be a reason the

1478
00:55:03,750 --> 00:55:05,690
pagans don't believe Your offer that they can

1479
00:55:05,690 --> 00:55:06,430
come to You.

1480
00:55:06,910 --> 00:55:08,570
And so Father, I thank You for Your

1481
00:55:08,570 --> 00:55:09,990
Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

1482
00:55:10,090 --> 00:55:11,330
I thank You for sending Him.

1483
00:55:11,430 --> 00:55:13,250
Lord, I thank You for 15 years ago

1484
00:55:13,850 --> 00:55:14,710
saving me.

1485
00:55:14,710 --> 00:55:16,570
Lord, I thank You for the men I

1486
00:55:16,570 --> 00:55:19,130
saw downtown preaching the Gospel.

1487
00:55:19,370 --> 00:55:20,630
Lord, I hated them.

1488
00:55:20,730 --> 00:55:22,010
I was offended by them.

1489
00:55:22,390 --> 00:55:24,350
I apologized for what they were doing.

1490
00:55:24,690 --> 00:55:26,090
And then here, Lord, You saved me.

1491
00:55:26,150 --> 00:55:27,610
And You put me right there in front

1492
00:55:27,610 --> 00:55:30,110
of that Alamo proclaiming the good news of

1493
00:55:30,110 --> 00:55:30,410
Christ.

1494
00:55:30,570 --> 00:55:33,010
Lord, I'm thankful that You make men fishers

1495
00:55:33,010 --> 00:55:33,370
of men.

1496
00:55:33,450 --> 00:55:35,310
I'm thankful, Lord, You give us opportunities.

1497
00:55:36,230 --> 00:55:37,830
And so Lord, would You continue to do

1498
00:55:37,830 --> 00:55:40,230
this work in us, to bring this production

1499
00:55:40,230 --> 00:55:40,710
about.

1500
00:55:41,130 --> 00:55:43,570
Lord, we look at our degree paper and

1501
00:55:43,570 --> 00:55:46,310
it's not some random thing that's stamped on

1502
00:55:46,310 --> 00:55:46,570
there.

1503
00:55:46,690 --> 00:55:48,950
It says for all of us, Lord, fishers

1504
00:55:48,950 --> 00:55:49,430
of men.

1505
00:55:49,710 --> 00:55:50,630
Acknowledgers of You.

1506
00:55:50,830 --> 00:55:51,710
Witnesses of You.

1507
00:55:52,490 --> 00:55:54,110
And Lord, I pray You'd be with those

1508
00:55:54,110 --> 00:55:58,410
who are out there, Lord, laboring like Vess

1509
00:55:58,410 --> 00:56:01,690
and Lord, even Tim and everything in Manchester.

1510
00:56:02,110 --> 00:56:04,910
And Lord, everything in Nepal and the Wilkinsons

1511
00:56:04,910 --> 00:56:05,750
and the Florises.

1512
00:56:06,450 --> 00:56:08,810
Father, Lord, we want to see the Word

1513
00:56:08,810 --> 00:56:10,530
of God speed ahead and be honored.

1514
00:56:10,530 --> 00:56:13,830
And Lord, I think about the discouragements that

1515
00:56:13,830 --> 00:56:15,730
some people have encountered and faced.

1516
00:56:15,850 --> 00:56:18,710
Lord, I pray You'd encourage their hearts wherever

1517
00:56:18,710 --> 00:56:19,770
they're at this morning.

1518
00:56:19,930 --> 00:56:21,610
Would You even save in their meetings?

1519
00:56:22,130 --> 00:56:25,410
Lord, maybe this morning in Nicaragua or this

1520
00:56:25,410 --> 00:56:27,130
morning even in Ecuador.

1521
00:56:27,390 --> 00:56:29,270
Now, Clayton's not there, but Lord, there's a

1522
00:56:29,270 --> 00:56:30,310
man there sharing.

1523
00:56:30,810 --> 00:56:32,590
Lord, would You not use even a verse

1524
00:56:32,590 --> 00:56:34,530
like Jesus came to seek and save the

1525
00:56:34,530 --> 00:56:37,310
lost to lead to massive amounts of conversion?

1526
00:56:37,870 --> 00:56:39,070
Lord, You're able to do that.

1527
00:56:39,070 --> 00:56:40,650
Your arm is not short that it cannot

1528
00:56:40,650 --> 00:56:41,150
save.

1529
00:56:41,790 --> 00:56:43,410
And so, Lord, we pray that Your arm

1530
00:56:43,410 --> 00:56:45,690
that's so long, that's able to reach down

1531
00:56:45,690 --> 00:56:48,010
even to the North Sentinel Island and bring

1532
00:56:48,010 --> 00:56:50,350
out those pagans into the Gospel.

1533
00:56:50,530 --> 00:56:52,150
Lord, we pray that You'd do that work.

1534
00:56:52,490 --> 00:56:54,150
Lord, be with those out there in the

1535
00:56:54,150 --> 00:56:54,310
field.

1536
00:56:54,370 --> 00:56:55,070
Be with us here.

1537
00:56:55,790 --> 00:56:57,950
Lord, I think of that little boy that

1538
00:56:57,950 --> 00:57:01,090
my daughter talked to on Friday.

1539
00:57:01,190 --> 00:57:03,250
Lord Haven, I pray You'd save that kid's

1540
00:57:03,250 --> 00:57:03,390
soul.

1541
00:57:03,550 --> 00:57:05,550
Lord, that the Gospel wouldn't be confusing to

1542
00:57:05,550 --> 00:57:05,790
him.

1543
00:57:06,190 --> 00:57:07,650
But Lord, that he'd know the truth.

1544
00:57:07,650 --> 00:57:10,810
And so, Lord, we want to be those

1545
00:57:10,810 --> 00:57:11,890
who see souls saved.

1546
00:57:12,010 --> 00:57:14,050
We want to, by all means possible, save

1547
00:57:14,050 --> 00:57:14,410
some.

1548
00:57:15,430 --> 00:57:17,110
And Lord, what a comment from Paul to

1549
00:57:17,110 --> 00:57:19,170
say that he's involved in the saving of

1550
00:57:19,170 --> 00:57:19,430
some.

1551
00:57:19,730 --> 00:57:21,170
Lord, help us to not lose heart.

1552
00:57:21,610 --> 00:57:22,850
Help us to pull in the nets.

1553
00:57:22,970 --> 00:57:24,110
Help us to cast them.

1554
00:57:25,550 --> 00:57:27,230
Lord, help us to speak in a plainer

1555
00:57:27,230 --> 00:57:29,550
way to sinners that we could make sense

1556
00:57:29,550 --> 00:57:31,330
and that You would empower our words.

1557
00:57:32,270 --> 00:57:34,110
Lord, would You raise up in our own

1558
00:57:34,110 --> 00:57:35,210
church evangelists.

1559
00:57:35,210 --> 00:57:37,850
Lord, who among us is gifted in a

1560
00:57:37,850 --> 00:57:40,230
unique way with a manifestation of Your Spirit,

1561
00:57:40,310 --> 00:57:42,730
a measure of faith to operate as an

1562
00:57:42,730 --> 00:57:43,370
evangelist?

1563
00:57:43,470 --> 00:57:45,670
Lord, I pray that You would identify those

1564
00:57:45,670 --> 00:57:46,090
people.

1565
00:57:46,230 --> 00:57:47,690
Lord, approve their worth.

1566
00:57:47,750 --> 00:57:50,350
Lord, and use them in that way that

1567
00:57:50,350 --> 00:57:52,070
sinners might come and bow the knee to

1568
00:57:52,070 --> 00:57:55,110
Christ now and Lord, not then in eternity

1569
00:57:56,710 --> 00:57:57,630
and in judgment.

1570
00:57:57,930 --> 00:57:59,470
And so, Lord, we just commit ourselves to

1571
00:57:59,470 --> 00:57:59,630
You.

1572
00:57:59,710 --> 00:58:01,170
Help us, please.

1573
00:58:01,510 --> 00:58:02,410
Lord, we thank You.

1574
00:58:02,650 --> 00:58:04,410
In Jesus' name, Amen.