Drop Our Nets...

Matthew 4:18-20.…….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.  And he saith unto them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” They straightway left their nets, and followed him.

What constitutes a “Real Man?” The answer is not what you might think. We think of a Real Man as an image from Hollywood, one who goes around with guns and weapons of war. When I was growing up a real man had a slingshot. You could not leave a pair of shoes sitting around the house because we cut the tongue out of them to use for the pouch of our slingshot. No inner tube was safe around us. It was cut into straps for the slingshot.

The image of a real man is one who talks tough and nasty, wearing tattoos, and puts on a “John Wayne” attitude.   I want to show how a real man does not have to be big, bad, and surly. It is found in the text of God’s Holy word and not found in the entertainment industry.

 Peter and Andrew were real men. The Bible says they were fishermen. They were not educated men and they worked all night long as a common laborer bringing in fish. People probably did not like to be around them because no doubt, they smelled bad. 

One day while walking on the shore of Galilee, Jesus saw two brothers repairing their nets. He calls out a greeting to them and starts a conversation that might have gone something like this:  

“What are you boys doing over there?” ('ya’ll know Jesus was a country boy, don’t you?)' 

 “Oh, nothing much. Just repairing these nets because we fished all night,” Peter might have said…Now bear with me folks. I am trying to make a point and this is my story to play with so ya’ll be patient…. 

“Have you heard of the man called Jesus of Nazareth?” Jesus might have asked.

“Yep” says Andrew. “Well, what do you think about Him?” Jesus wants to know.

Andrew says, “I’m intrigued! I’ve heard He is the Son of God.”

“You heard right,” Jesus might have said. “I tell you what, Come, follow me and I will make you a fisher of men." The Bible says they immediately dropped their nets and followed Jesus.

Peter and Andrew were real men. Now, they were not real men because they were “Big and strong” like David F. and me. They were not real men because they could “Catch fish,” like Roy C. and me. They were not real men because of the obvious reasons. Here is why they were real men.

Real Men listen to Jesus. Does anyone really listen to Jesus? NO. If they did there would be no war, no crime, no jails, and no problems in the world, and the entire world would be peaceful. How can we learn if we do not listen? I want to say, “Men are stubborn!” {“I don’t think I have ever heard so many women say Amen at the same time.”} We think we can do everything by ourselves. We don’t need any help. However, sometimes we men just need to stop and listen. It has only been in the last year or so, I will stop and ask for directions. Never dismiss what your wife is saying to you because the Lord may be speaking to you through her

  Real Men catch {fish} souls for Christ. It is said that a large percentage of the new converts are won by only 5% of Church people. What would happen, if every person in the church worked at winning just one soul to Christ? The churches all over the world would grow. We Christians have been given a job to do; those who follow Christ are His disciples and we should desire to win souls more than we desire to catch a slimy 5lb. bass.

·         Real Men will not give excuses such as;

ü  They might get mad at me

ü  I might say the wrong thing

ü  I may not do it right

ü  It is the deacons job

ü  It is the preachers job

ü  I am not qualified to do that kind of work.

 To be real men like Simon Peter and Andrew we must be willing to follow Jesus. It is not sissy stuff to be a worker in the church, or to set standards in our families. Just like Peter and Andrew, we can “Drop our nets,” and follow Him, or we can stay behind and mend our nets…But in choosing to follow Him, we become Fishers of Men.

 Pastor JR Fields

When walking by the sea, come and  follow me, Jesus called,
Then all through Galilee, the sick and the diseased, He healed them all,
Jesus hasn’t changed, His power is still the same, as when He walked the shore,
This man of Galilee is still the healing Jesus, now and ever more.

Chorus
What a healing Jesus, I found in you,
What a healing Jesus, you restore, refresh and renew,
You’re my healing Jesus, for such a time as this,
Arise on healing wings, Son of righteousness.

 The spirit of the Lord now is upon me, anointing me,
To heal the broken hearts, open prison doors, set captives free,
To comfort those that mourn and fill their lips with praise, to pour the oil of joy,
That they may be called the trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord.