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| "Fishers of Men" |
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| "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men." Matthew 4:19 |
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These were the inspiring words of Jesus as he called his disciples unto himself.
We too are to be followers of Jesus, and in being followers of Jesus,
we too are to be "fishers of men". Furthermore, as others follow us,
they also should become fishers of men.
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| Eight steps in becoming a fisher of men. |
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Step One: Be born of the Spirit of God.
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Jesus was not only conceived by the Holy Spirit, he was also born of the
spirit of God. On the day of the resurrection Jesus offered the rebirth to
anyone who would accept him as their Lord and saviour.
"Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me,
even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and
saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost" (John 20:21-22).
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Step Two: Be baptized (immersed) in water as an act of obedience as a child of God.
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Jesus, our example, was baptized in the Jordan river by John. "Then cometh
Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him" (Matthew 3:13).
"Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there
were added unto them about three thousand souls" (Acts 2:41).
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Step Three: Be baptized in the Holy Spirit
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Jesus was baptized in and filled with the Holy Spirit. "And Jesus, when he was
baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened
unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon
him." (Matthew 3:16). John declared, "I indeed baptize you with water unto
repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not
worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire"
(Matthew 3:11). Jesus also said, "But ye shall receive power, after that the
Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in
Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of
the earth" (Acts 1:8).
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Step Four: Endure testing.
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"Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of
the devil" (Matthew 4:1). "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall
into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith
worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be
perfect and entire, wanting nothing" (James 1:2-4).
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Step Five: Begin to tell others about the Kingdom of God.
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"From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom
of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 4:17). "Preach the word; be instant in
season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and
doctrine" (II Timothy 4:2). "But watch thou in all things, endure
afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy
ministry" (II Timothy 4:5).
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Step Six: Call men unto a commitment unto Jesus.
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"And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called
Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were
fishers" (Matthew 4:18). The first thing that Jesus did was to take
Simon and Andrew and to show them what to do. "And going on from thence,
he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother,
in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them"
(Matthew 4:21).
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Step Seven: Demonstrate the authority and power of the kingdom.
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"And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and
preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness
and all manner of disease among the people. And his fame went throughout
all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with
divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils,
and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he
healed them" (Matthew 4:23-24).
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Step Eight: Train and send other out to be fishers of men.
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"These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying,
Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans
enter ye not" (Matthew 10:5). "And the things that thou hast heard of
me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall
be able to teach others also" (II Timothy 2:2).
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