Jesus was walking along the Sea of Galilee, and he called out to Peter, Andrew, James, and John saying, “Drop your nets and follow me.” So they dropped their nets and followed. So, the message today is, “Drop your nets and follow.” Amen. As we go to God in prayer today, I’d like to share the joys and concerns of the community . . . Ok, I’m kidding. “Drop your nets and follow,” is not much of a sermon, but how can a sermon compare to Jesus, who with one question, changes the lives of those simple fisherman. Amazing charisma. Jesus seems to be the pied piper of Galilee, who with a few notes from his divine flute, mesmerizes the people into following him. If it was only that easy.
Now, I’m going to say a word that many find offensive. It’s a word you don’t use in polite society, so I want you to be forewarned. Please send all of your comments to Rev. Ken Irby, that’s ken@broadmoorumc.org. I asked the youth Saturday morning to see if they can guess the word. It’s ten letters and it starts with an “E,” and for good or ill, Kaylee Flowers is the one who guessed it. The word is: Evangelism. It’s a dirty word, so to speak, because it is often associated with the midnight television preacher who offers eloquent teleprompted prayers, asking that if you just sow a $1,000 seed God will fruitfully bless you, or it is the street corner prophet warning that the end of the world is nigh. Or evangelism is associated with that guy in the office who has everything together and if people would just accept Jesus into their lives, they would be as cool and together as he. Evangelism becomes a bad word when the metaphor of our text this morning is taken too far.
Jesus’ mission begins with “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” that the reign of God is breaking in, the kingdom of God is not far off in the future, but it is now. Jesus comes to the lakeshore and calls out to fishermen saying, “Follow me and you fishermen will be fishers of men,” and they drop their nets and follow. We miss the message when evangelism and fishing are married beyond the context of our story. Now, fishing does involve patience and time and intentional planning, but it also involves bait and a hook. When Jesus calls out to the disciples saying that they will be fishers of men, he is not asking them to coerce, or bait a hook, or drag unsuspecting people with a net against their will. Evangelism is not a means of selling the gospel as a commodity; it is meeting people where they are for who they are so that the story of God can transform the world.
Jesus isn’t yelling or chastising or handing out guilt. He calls out to them and says, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of people.” In other words, he is meeting them where they are for who they are, speaking to them in a language they can understand—(Duke Chapel Story) A language I could understand.
He says follow me and I will give your lives eternal value. You don’t have to stop fishing, you’re good at it, but the kind of fishing you will now do will be for the glory of God. Christ isn’t calling us to go out into the world and bait our hooks with tantalizing programs; rather Christ is calling us to go out into the world, into people’s lives to meet them where they are for who they are. Jesus not only called fishermen, but tax collectors and zealots and to one who would betray him. Look around you. Do you know what the people around do Monday through Friday? Don’t miss this opportunity to find out. Follow me, and I will make you fishers of people. Amen.
. . . But wait. The story’s not over. After calling Peter and Andrew, Jesus goes to the second boat holding James, John, and their father Zebedee. He called out to them and James and John leave their boat and their father and follow Jesus. Jesus called out to five people that day, and only four dropped their net. What are we to do with Zebedee? Is he rejecting Christ by staying in the boat? Is Jesus not offering; it’s not even clear that Jesus called for Zebedee to follow; the text simply says “He called out to them and they left the boat and their father.” Maybe both? Maybe neither. To some Jesus says, “Follow me, let the dead bury the dead.” To others he says, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice. I came to call sinners, not the righteous.”
What are we to do with Zebedee? I don’t know. It seems to me that following Christ for some means they will drop their net; whether the net is a career or addiction or something from the past which needs redeeming. For others being a disciple means to pick up the net, to try something new, go to new places, experience new contexts. For others still, they may ask to follow and they hear, “I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners. Well done my good and faithful servant. Keep fishing for the Kingdom.” So, could it be that all five who hear the Christ that day because disciples? So, drop your net and follow. Pick up your net and follow. Keep on fishing and follow. The point? To do the work of the kingdom. Go from this place meeting people where they are for who they are so that the story of God may transform the world. Go in peace. Amen.