NOTE: starting this week I am putting my weekly sermons on the church website. It will be on for one week(usually posted on Friday) and then replaced the next. You can download in a matter of seconds.
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January 27, 2002
Sermon: "Gone Fishin'"
Scripture: Matthew 4:12-23
Reverend Larry Gerber
We're in the dead of winter. Football's almost over. Time to daydream about
the idyllic days of summer and quick trips to a clear stream and trout waiting
to leap at your lure. In the Matthew text we're studying today, Jesus himself
uses the fishing metaphor. So don your hip waders, grab a fly-fishing pole,
and let's go fishing.
When I was in college, I remember a program about fishing. It began with an old rather rough voice singing a song "Gone Fishin"'. He would sing about hanging a sign on his store front window saying that he had gone fishin'. In Arkansas, people would have understood: not just closed, but closed for a good reason, the owner had gone fishin'. His program would take the listener to the brook, or the river, and through his yarns, would allow me to feel like I was fishing. He made me feel like I was there in the boat, or along the river banks, casting my line, and catching a "big one" and reeling it in.
The moment Jesus begins preaching repentance, he also calls some fishermen to be his disciples, saying, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." Jesus casts the line, presents the fly, and sets the hook. Ever since then, from that time along the shores of the Sea of Galilee to today, discipleship, evangelism and fishing have often been spun from the same reel and rod.
We are each fishers for Christ, evangelists who are invited by God to fish for souls. As believers, we know that faith is more art than logic, more heart than mind.
We share the beautiful rhythm of a life lived in Christ, immersed in the river of God, in the river of life, while standing sure-footed on the river's rounded, rocky bottom, alone in the river, yet with the company of others, within its flow, enjoying the fresh force of its surge. It is here, in the river itself, in our life full of chances, that God calls us, through Christ, to call others to Christ, to fish for souls, to present the fly of faith.
Fly fishermen say that the most difficult aspect of fly fishing is "the presentation of the fly." To catch fish, you must animate an artificial fly so it appears to be alive - or let it float "dead drift," if that's how fish would find it.
Often the most difficult part of evangelism is the actual presentation of, or sharing of, your faith. Long before you reach a racing river's edge to present the fly to the trout, or your faith to persons, there are fishing forms and techniques to master, that make the presentation effective enough to hook a trout, or to catch a soul.
In evangelism, as in fishing, practiced forms can make success.
After acquiring fishing equipment and familiarizing yourself with it enough to know a rod from a reel, a line from a fly, it's time to start to practice. I have seen people standing in their front yard, casting their line, and reeling it in, over and over. I first thought: "Does he or she know how stupid they look, casting their line on their front yard, as if they might catch a fish. Stupid? Hardly. They knew that they must practice, before going out for real. They must familiarize themselves with the equipment, and they must also know in what order they proceed if they are to be succesful once they get tothe waters edge.
CASTING. Experts say, "To propel a fly line, your forearm and hand move backward and forward. The movement looks like a V with your elbow at the bottom of it. That's the basic casting stroke. It's exactly like the motion you'd use to throw a chunk of potato off the tines of a dinner fork. Imagine that."
You want to try fly fishing. Never mind the neighbors. Go outside, aim away from the house, and try throwing a chunk of raw potato off a dinner fork. "First," say those in the know, "throw a potato chunk behind you, up and over your shoulder. Still relaxed but with your wrist rigid, throw another piece of potato forward, up and away from you. If you try the potato exercise, you will see that the chunk takes off when you snap and STOP the stroke. The potato flies where the tip of the fork is pointing at the snap - stop. That's exactly how the fly-casting stroke works: The line flies where the rod tip is pointing when you snap - stop the stroke."
As with many new things, it helps to practice before you try it for real. Thus, the person on the front lawn, perhaps throwing a chunk of potato. If you want to share your faith, first try chucking a potato - no, first try practicing on someone you know, someone you trust, someone who won't think you're weird if the words don't come out just right. Have you ever sat down to think about what precisely are the core elements of your faith? What do you believe? What is it about your faith you'd like to cast out there in the stream of life?
Take a look at the early church. Look first to Jesus - who did he go to? His first invitation went to those who knew how to fish. He turned a familiar occupation of fishing for fish, into fishing for human kind. "Take your expertise and use it for another purpose. Let's go fishing for men(and women)".
The Disciples talked, first to those in the inner circle, those who they felt comfortable with. After all, most of them had not traveled far from home, and they were trying to sell a rather unbelivable story, the story of One who was risen from the dead. Not too many years later other followers, such as Stephen, Paul, Barnabus, Silas, and other apostles were taking their story, rather His story, to other cities, and other countries. But, where did they go first? To the big cities, and to the synagogues, a "safe place", a place where they might be heard, and accepted. Then they tried their story of witnessing and faith in the larger community, and beyond the Jews, to the Gentiles, the Greeks, and the Romans. They practiced on rather solid ground, before they got their feet wet.
After you master the practice, it may be time to get your feet wet, to wade in toward the real thing. There are few sights more frightening than clumsy Christians stomping, slipping and sloshing their way toward speaking about their faith. Wade wisely. That's the advice of fly-fishing experts.
WADING. "Fish usually are closer than you think; if you cast from the bank, you probably will catch as many or more fish than you will by wading across a stream. If you must wade into flowing water, shuffle into the current sideways so the water has less surface to push against."
There's probably a person near to you who actually wants to hear your faith story. Chances are they already know you go to church. There's no need to go out on a street corner with an artificial smile and a Bible in your tackle box to preach to the heathen trout about their salvation. All you need to do is cautiously wade toward the edge of your life, not too far from shore, getting your toes wet, not your knees, and you'll find folks who are spiritually hungry, looking for faith-flies to bite.
When you do venture out into territory beyond family or friends, you may wish to faith-fish in twos. Jesus sent his fishing friends out two by two. It was a good idea then, and it still is. Just as two heads are better than one, so are two hearts, two souls and four legs.
"When you're fishing with a companion, lock arms and wade close together through heavy currents: That's the angler's version of four-wheel drive. When you're alone, a wading staff with a metal tip will give you additional support."
When you are faith-fishing alone, and you wade from shore, further from other faith fisherwomen and men, focused prayer can be your metal-tipped wading staff on which to lean. It's the additional support you may need. Pray carefully, move slowly, be sure of your faith footing.
PRESENTING THE FLY. This is the most difficult task of successful fly fishing. "To catch fish, you must animate an artificial fly. Sometimes, you make a fly appear as though it is swimming or crawling or fleeing. When you're fishing a floating mayfly imitation, however, it has to behave like all the other mayflies caught in the current, drifting with no unusual movement."
When faith-fishing, try to land your faith-fly in the heart of the hearer. Avoid the eye, for there is nothing as obnoxious as an overbearing Christian who chucks potato faith in your face.
Some people prefer to see animated faith in action. They may need to see you do more than soul fishing; they may need to see you caring for faith fish, for souls, for children, for the elderly. They may need to observe your behavior, how you talk, how you treat others - if they are to swallow the fly.
Other seekers
need an intellectual discourse; still others may need a simple explanation of
the reasons you are a Christian, or how Christ has affected your life. In any
case, fish from your heart, present your faith-fly to their hearts.
In the same way a fly fisherman would never use a Sulfur Nymph when the fish
are biting Quick Site Beetles, you too must understand how to present your fly
to your seeker in the river where he/she swims.
Isn't this what evangelism's all about? Presenting the fly. Whether a soul fish bites or not, gets hooked, or bites then spits the fly, is up to God. Our job is to present the fly of faith. Yet our task isn't done then.
LANDING AND RELEASING. "Reacting too quickly is probably the main reason fly fishers lose fish on floating flies. Seeing a trout rise to your dry fly or a bass attack your popper is so exciting that you may lift the rod tip and pull the fly right out of the fish's mouth."
Don't get over-excited when faith-fishing; don't jerk the faith out of their heart by going off the deep end, or jumping into a theological water hole that's over your head. Just relax and talk about what you know. Fish from the heart - after all, it is an art of grace.
"Relax. Let the fish strike, and only after the fly disappears should you strike back. When you have a fish under control, reel in enough line so you can reach out to the fish. Keep the rod tip high."
Relax. Don't force your beliefs on others. If they bite your faith-fly, be "straight up," talk openly, honestly and sincerely, answer their questions the best that you are able, invite them to church with you, ask them to a Bible study, don't panic. Give them line if they need it, don't fight, be real.
These days most fly fishermen and women practice "catch and release" instead of catch and consume. My channel surfing sometimes takes me to a channel on fishing. Now, I am not much of a fisherman, but I enjoy the scenerey as much as anything. But, I am always astonished how the people fishing are patient, waiting hours at a time to get the "big one", reel it in, admire it, and let it go, gingerly releasing it back into the water. the days outing, is to find the big one, catch it, and then let it go.
This is a good idea for us too. Jesus invites us to "go fishin'. On my door I'd hang a sign. The question is not: Where have you gone, but what is the reason you went fishin', and what is the expected outcome.
Are you ready to faith fish? Remember the process.
Familiarize yourself with your faith equipment: your Bible, your heart, your prayer life.
Practice chucking it out there with people you love.
Wade into the river of life, with a buddy or alone. Be sure of your faith footing. Enjoy the river's flow. Be in the beauty of God's surroundings.
Present your faith-fly,
and if God is willing, you'll catch a trout for Christ.
And that is the key: Go fishin', but don't do it for your self edification.
Catch one for Christ.
Catch and release, don't catch and consume.
Fishing is easy, if you have the right equipment, and if you practice before jumping into the middle of the stream. Evangelism is easy, witnessing for Christ is easy, once you have the right equipment, and know how to use it, and know the best spot to cast your line and reel one in for Christ.
Let us pray.......
Let me know what you think. The church Email is: SLUMC@att.net,
Phone: 480.895.8766