Well, let us turn to the Word
of God. And we turn to that chapter that
we've just read in Mark, first chapter in the Gospel according
to Mark. And I want to direct you this
morning to the words that we find here at verses 17 and 18. Mark 1, 17 and 18. And Jesus said unto them, Come
ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.
And straightway they forsook their nets and followed him. And the theme then is that of
the call of the disciples, the call of the disciples. And Jesus said unto them, come
ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men,
And straightway they forsook their nets and followed him. Here we see how Christ is really
issuing the word of commandment, the imperative that we have in
verse 17. Come ye, he says, come ye after
me. But as is the wont with the Lord
Jesus Christ, he doesn't just issue bare commands. How that
command is also followed by the promise, a gracious promise.
It will not be an unprofitable thing to be one who comes after
him, one who follows him. But he promises these men, I
will make you to become fishers of men. And in fact, He also
adds a fear not, as we have the words in Luke 5.10, where he
says, fear not, from henceforth thou shalt catch them. This is
ever the way, then, of the Lord Jesus and his gracious ministry,
as we have it recorded here in the Gospels. He speaks a word
of command, but how that command is also married to promise and
to fear not. So this morning I want to say
something with regards to the manner of this ministry and this
call that the Lord is giving to his disciples. First of all, to consider the
fishers, as it were, that's what they were, They were fishermen
by their occupation. And the Lord Jesus certainly
is taking account of the manner of their work. As we see in verse
16, as he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew,
his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishers. But he's going to change the
nature of their work. Instead of fishing for fish,
they are to go with him and they are to fish for men. And it's interesting, there's
a little work by Thomas Boston, that great Scots minister, entitled
The Arts of Man Fishing. I remember some years ago having
it as a little paperback. Of course, it appears in his
works. I don't know what ever happened
to that little paperback, but I was looking for it for the
day and unable to find it. But I did this morning look up
the the piece as it appears in his
works in Volume 5, The Soliloquy on the Arts of Man-Fishing, written
in 1699, a pattern to every preacher of the Gospel. It's a remarkable
little book and he is addressing his own soul, he's bewailing
really the situation there in Scotland at the end of the 17th
century. It was written in 1699. but I
don't know whether the paperback is still available, but it's
a remarkable little book and an encouragement really to all
those who are called to minister the Word of God. And so first
of all this morning I want to say something with regards to
the work of preachers. This is what these men, Simon
and Andrew, and then subsequently the brothers James and John,
are really being called to. Now, previously to this, they
had been called by grace. This is not their first meeting
with the Lord Jesus. If we turn to John's Gospel,
We read there at the end of that opening chapter of John of the
call by grace that came to Andrew and then to his brother Simon
who becomes Peter. In John 1 verse 40 we are told
one of the two, which is John the Baptist, the forerunner of
Christ, who is spoken of of course at the beginning of Mark 1. And these were, it seems, disciples
of John the Baptist, and it was John who directed them to Christ,
saying, behold, the Lamb of God. And two of them, as they're directed
to Christ, follow him. And we're told one of the two
which heard John speak and followed him, that followed the Lord,
was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first findeth his own brother
Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messiah, which
is being interpreted the Christ. And he brought him to Jesus.
And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon, the son
of Jonah, thou shalt be called Cephas. which is by interpretation
a stone. And that was the first meeting
that these men ever had with the Lord Jesus, but it appears
that they then go back to their normal business as fishermen. But now the Lord sees them again
and issues another call. This is their call to ministry,
really. Come, ye after me, he says, and I will make you to
become fissures of men. Somewhere Mr. Philpott makes
observation that the call to the ministry is as distinctive
as the call by grace. We have their call by grace in
there in John 1, here in Mark 1 we have their call to the ministry. Now, with regard to that first
call, the call by grace, we know how the usual manner whereby
God calls sinners unto himself is by the preaching of the gospel. And this is that ministry that
the Lord himself is now commencing. John has done his work as it
were, he's come as the great forerunner, preparing the way
for Christ, Verse 14 we read after that John was put in prison,
Jesus came into Galilee preaching the gospel of the kingdom of
God and saying the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at
hand. Repent ye and believe the gospel. And so in this chapter
we see that this is Christ's great business. Verse 21, they
went into Capernaum, strayed from the Sabbath day, he entered
into the synagogue and taught. And they were astonished at his
doctrine, at his preaching or his teaching, for he taught them
as one that had authority and not as the scribes. And then later, verse 38, He
says to his disciples, let us go into the next towns and I
may preach there also, for therefore came I forth. And he preached
in their synagogues throughout all Galilee and cast out devils. This is the great call then of
the Lord Jesus Christ to to preach the Word of God, and that ministry
is being confirmed really by the miracles that he performs. They're a confirmation, they're
signs, as we have it in John's Gospel. That's the word that's
constantly used for the miracle in John, a sign. And as they
hear this preaching of Christ, they're all amazed to be told
in verse 27, What thing is this? What new doctrine is this? For
with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits and
they do obey him as he performs miracles. It's a confirmation
of his preaching ministry. Where the word of a king is,
there is power. There's a remarkable power then
in the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. He speaks with authority.
And as he preaches the gospel, so sinners are converted unto
him. And then also here, as he issues
this call to follow him and to be his disciples and to go forth
and preach at his bidding, how these men cannot resist that
call. Verse 18, straightway they forsook
their nets and followed him. The ministry then of the Lord
Jesus, we're to observe these two things. He preaches the gospel,
yes, people are being called by the grace of God, but besides
that call by grace, he's also calling these to be his disciples,
to be his followers. Now, if we turn over a few chapters
to chapter three, and there in the verses 13 and 14, we're told
he goes up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would
and they came unto him and he ordained twelve that they should
be with him that he might send them forth to preach there again
we see these two distinctive calls first in verse 13 it is
the call by grace he calleth to him whomsoever he would and
they come to him his call is irresistible that's That's their
conversion. But then there are these various
disciples that are all following him, but then 12 of them are
ordained to be with him that he might send them forth to preach.
These are those who are called to be ministers of the word of
God. And what does the Lord say to
them? Well, they are going to catch men. Again, in Luke's account,
Luke 5, 10, thou shalt catch men. But it's interesting, the
imagery. And I was struck by this comment
that Thomas Boston makes in that little book on the art of man
fishing. He says, in a net are many meshes
in which the fish are caught. And he goes on, invitations,
and promises to sinners are meshes wherewith the soul is caught. Oh, it's those gracious words
of the gospel, those gospel invitations, come unto me, all ye that labour
and are heavy laden, I will give you rest. Those great promises
of the gospel, all those promises which are yea and amen in the
Lord Jesus Christ. These are the words that catch
the souls of men. And we see how these early preachers
had such a determination. What would they do in their ministry?
They would seek to preach the Lord Jesus Christ. The great
subject matter of the apostolic ministry was the person and the
work of the Lord Jesus Christ. What does Paul say to the Corinthians? I determine not to know anything
among you, save Jesus Christ and him crucified." And we have
it in that simple sentence. What was his ministry? Jesus
Christ, that's the person. And then, also, and him crucified. That is the work that the Lord
came to do. Again, he says, we preach Christ
crucified. The person, Christ, the work.
his crucifixion the importance of who he is our Christ the son
of the living God says Simon Peter and then that work his
obedience to all the will of the Father and his obedience
unto death even the death of the cross this is the great subject
matter and when When the Apostles give instruction to others, we
think of the pastoral epistles, those letters that the Apostle
Paul writes to Timothy and to Titus. What does he say? Preach the word. Be instant,
in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort. with all longsuffering
and doctrine. There is the sum and substance
in of that true ministry of the Word of God. This is such a vital
part then in the arts of man fishing. What happens where there
is that faithful preaching of the Lord Jesus Christ as He is
revealed to us here in His Word? Why the Lord Himself owns such
preaching? How striking are the words that
Paul can address to the churches of Galatians. He says there in
Galatians 3, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently
set forth, crucified before you. It was as if they saw the Lord
Jesus Christ and they saw the work that He came to accomplish. They saw Him crucified. He was
evidently set forth before them. How was He set forth? In the
preaching. The ministers are to be ministers
of the Word of God. But what is the Word of God?
Well, the Lord tells us all of it bears testimony unto Himself. Search the Scriptures, He says,
These are they that testify of me, the scriptures and the law. Their one tremendous name, the
written and incarnate word in all things are the same. Oh,
the great subject matter then of the ministry of the word of
God is something objective. It is to preach Christ and all
that Christ has done, all that Christ has accomplished. And the Lord owns that ministry.
We see how it was evidently the case in the ministry of Paul. We know that he's engaged in
those missionary journeys right through Asia Minor, Turkey as
we would now call it, going from place to place. He goes to Ephesus.
And what does he say to those at Ephesus writing in his epistle
there in chapter four at verse 20, He says, ye have not so learned
Christ? If so, be ye have heard him,
and been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus. Now, the Lord
Jesus Christ was never in Ephesus. He was sent to the lost sheep
of the house of Israel. It's after he has accomplished
his work that the gospel must go now to the Gentiles. Paul
is the great apostle to the Gentiles, and he is the one who preached
there at Ephesus. And yet he cannot utter those
remarkable words. He hath not so learned Christ.
If so be he hath heard Him, and been taught by Him, as the truth
is in Jesus. How did they hear Christ? How
were they taught by Christ? Well, Christ comes in the ministry,
in the preaching of the gospel. This is how the voice of the
Lord Jesus Christ is heard. Although he might say that that's
the mark of those who are his sheep, my sheep know my voice,
he says. And they follow me. And I give
unto them eternal life and they shall never perish. They know
not the voice of strangers. Is this the voice that you desire
to hear under the ministry of the word of God? Not the voice
of a man. But to hear that voice, the Lord Jesus Christ, as he
comes to us here in this ordinance, the ministry, the preaching of
the word of God. Oh, how that word came with such
authority to those of Thessalonica. He says, our gospel came not
unto you in word only, but in power and in the Holy Ghost and
in much assurance. And this is the way that men
are caught in the gospel net. He says here then to these men,
they'd already been called by grace, they'd known that effectual
work in their own souls under the ministry of Christ, they
were converted men. They're casting nets into the
sea, they've returned to their occupation. Jesus says, come
ye after me. and I will make you to become
fishers of men. And straightway they forsook
their nets. They forsake that occupation
and they become those who will follow the Lord Jesus Christ. But it's not just the work of
preachers. Surely here there's an application
to all those who are the disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. Do
not the apostles really represent the whole church? What is a church
built upon? It's built upon the foundation
of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the
chief cornerstone. And so what he said to those
immediate followers of the Lord Jesus, what he said to the disciples,
what he said to the apostles, must have a broader application. It belongs to all the people
of God in some measure. That commission that the Lord gives
before his ascension at the end of Matthew, remember the words,
go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the
name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching
them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you, and though
I am with you all the way, even unto the end of the world. Amen. Who is the commission given to?
Well, it's given clearly in the first place to these men, but
this is the foundation of the Church. It's a word that is being
given to the people of God, to the Church. And it is therefore
a charge that belongs to each and all of us, to bear witness
to the Lord Jesus Christ. And there's an interesting verse
in the Acts of the Apostles. Of course, what we're having
to read there in the Acts is the activity of those who were
the immediate followers of the Lord Jesus. After his ascension,
we have the sending forth of the Holy Ghost on the day of
Pentecost, and then we have that ministry of the early church. And what do we read in Acts chapter
8 and verse 4? There's persecution. They were
the persecuted people. And they're scattered. And we
read, thy that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching
the words. They went everywhere preaching
the words. But in some ways the word preaching
is rather misleading because it's not the formal act of preaching
that is really being spoken of. It's the very word gospel in
the verbal form that we have. They went everywhere, gospelling
the word would be a very literal translation. It's to be understood
they're not in terms of the official ministry, the preaching, but
in an ordinary sense. Every place they went, they were
to be telling the good news. That's the charge that belongs
to everyone who professes the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
We are to bear testimony to the gospel. We are by our good works
to glorify our Father which is in heaven. We are to so live
our lives that men might inquire of the hope that is within us.
We are to go everywhere in that sense gospelling. There is in
a more general application that sense in which all of us are
to be those who are fishers of men. We've said something there
with regards to these fissures. I will make you to become fissures
of men. The second place, I want us to
consider, are they also, as they are fissures, are followers of
the Lord Jesus Christ? We're told, are we not, in verse
18, are they forsook all? and followed him. Now, again,
it's interesting when we consider the account as we have it in
Matthew's Gospel, Matthew 4.19. The Lord says there, as we have
translated in our authorised version, follow me and I will
make you fishers of men. Hear it come ye after me. But
again, as they're called to come after him, so they follow him.
It's the idea of continually following him, that he's so much
to the fore in what the Lord is saying. And I want us to think
for a while as to what it really means to follow, what is involved,
what is involved in being a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. Not
just a preacher, but a believer, simply to be a disciple. We're
all to be followers in the sense of that we are the disciples
of the Lord. And I want to observe some three
things with regards to following, and this call to follow. First
of all, there is a great need for urgency. There is a need
for urgency. It's interesting what we're told
in verse eight, straight away. straightway they forsook their
nets and followed him. Are we those who are desirous
that there might be in us that immediate response to the word
of the Lord Jesus Christ? David says in the Psalm, I will
run the way of thy commandments when thou enlargest my heart. Or if we have a heart that is
a renewed heart, a new heart, if the Lord enlarges our heart
it will be evident in that we will be running in the way of
his commandments and then we do need to be those who come
to that work of the lord jesus with a great nature of urgency
the time is short the time is short and the lord himself during
his earthly ministry was so much conscious of that fact. I must
work the work of him that sent thee, he says, while it is day,
the night cometh, when no man can work. All the time is short,
how quickly the days pass. And we have to remember, behold,
now is the accepted time. Behold, now is the day of salvation. It's now, it's this time. What
urgency there is then, if we're going to be those who are truly
followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. There'll be an urgency in our
lives as we seek to live to the honor and glory of his name.
And as the time is short, we must also remember that the devil
is not inactive. No, on the contrary, are we not
exhorted by Peter, be sober, be vigilant, your adversary the
devil as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour. Surely urgency is a very important
part of the believer's witness. Sinners are to know that salvation
is something that requires haste. It requires haste. There can
be no delay with regards to these things. Again, look at the language
that we have in another of the Gospels, there in Luke, and the
words that we find at the end of chapter 9. In Luke 9, and
verse 59, this is how some are responding to Christ. He said unto another, follow
me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
Jesus said unto him, let the dead bury their dead, but go
thou and preach the kingdom of God. Another also said, Lord,
I will follow thee, but let me first go bid them farewell, which
are at home at my house. And Jesus said unto him, no man
having put his hand to the plough and looking back is fit for the
kingdom of God. What is the Lord saying? or there
can be no delay. There must be urgency in those
who would be followers. From the days of John the Baptist
until now, the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence and the violent
take it by force, he says. There is that need then for some
urgency with regards to this work of the gospel. and some
urgency if we would be those who are truly followers of the
Lord Jesus. Urgency if we would be those
who are real seekers after the Lord Jesus. When we think of
the title that William Huntington gave to his spiritual autobiography,
he called it the Kingdom of Heaven Taken by Prayer. Oh, there is a need there. There
is a need for urgency, there is a need for diligence. What does the Lord say here at
the end of verse 17? I will make you to become fishers
of men. It is not easy. It is not easy. Christ himself must do the work. We have to recognize that. Paul reminds the Corinthians,
I have planted a polish water, but God gave the increase. Therefore
neither he that planteth is anything, neither he that watereth, but
God that giveth the increase. Now we are to be diligent in
spite of matters seeming to be difficult, and the work to be
fruitless, and we see not our signs, yet we're not to give
over, we're to be constant, we're to be persevering in this work
of the Gospel, in this bearing witness and testimony to the
Lord Jesus Christ. And we have it there, of course,
in the account of these things as we find it in Luke's Gospel. I've already referred to the
language there at the beginning of Luke chapter 5 and I want
to turn there again just for a while in Luke chapter 5 Luke chapter 5 It came to pass that as the people
pressed upon him to hear the word of God he stood by the lake
of Galilee and saw two ships standing by the lake, but the
fishermen were gone out of them and were washing their nets.
And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and
prayed that he would thrust out a little from the land, and he
sat down and taught the people out of the ship. And when he
had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep,
and let down your nets for a draught. And Simon Archering said unto
him, Master, we have toiled all the night and have taken nothing.
Nevertheless, at thy word I will let down the net. And when they
had this done, they enclosed a great multitude of fishies
and their nets right. And they beckoned unto their
partners which were in the other ship, that they should come and
help them. And they came and filled both
the ships, so that they began to sing. And Simon Peter saw
it. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell
down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me, for I am a sinful
man, O Lord. For he was astonished. And all
that were with him at the draught of the fishes which they had
taken, and so was also James and John, the sons of Zebedee,
which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear
not, from henceforth thou shalt catch men. And when they had
brought their ships to land, they forsook all and followed
him. Now you would observe that really
it is a fuller account of what we have in just a few verses
here in Mark. Mark's gospel is much more concise,
but how interesting it is when we see that fuller account. Here they are, you see, they've
been toiling all night in their occupation, and they've taken
nothing. But what does Peter say? Nevertheless,
I will let down the nets. He lets down the nets at the
commandment of Christ. It is enough, it is enough that
we have the word of Christ, the commandment of Christ, his promise,
his power. And we have to leave the consequences
with Him. The Lord God says back in Jeremiah,
Behold, I will send forth many fishers, and they shall fish
for them. This is God's ordinance. God has appointed the ministry
of the Word. God has appointed His people
to be His witnesses here in the earth. He doesn't save His children
and then take them immediately immediately to himself, he leaves
us where we are for a purpose. There is a work to be accomplished.
The fact that the work might be difficult and the toil appeared
to be fruitless as far as we're concerned, that's not to trouble
us. We simply leave matters with
the Lord. Again, changing the figure, look
at the language that we have at the end of Matthew 9. The
harvest says Christ truly is plenteous But the labourers are
few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of
the harvest to send labourers, to thrust labourers into his
harvest field. Oh, there is a work, a work to
be diligent in that work, persevering in that work. Be ye steadfast,
unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. For as
much as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord, we
read, at the end of 1 Corinthians 15. And then the language that
we have there at the end of the prayer of Moses, the man of God. That 90th psalm and the concluding
verses of what Moses cries to his God. His prayer is this, let thy work
appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children.
And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish
thou the work of our hands upon us. Yea, the work of our hands
establish thou it. All we have to look to God to
work. We have to be diligent and persevering.
It is enough that the Lord has given his command. He after me,
he says, and I will make you to become fishers of men. What does his following involve?
There's urgency here. There's diligence. And ultimately,
we have the assurance that it will not be in vain. There will
be success. And how has Simon Peter and the
others proved that? In that portion we just read
at the beginning of Luke 5, they enclosed a great multitude of
fishes and their net break. You see there, in the actual
call, the Lord is assuring them of what will eventually come
to pass, and so it was, of course. And they experienced it in a
mighty fashion on the day of Pentecost, when the Spirit came.
And Peter preaches. and sinners are converted unto
Christ. But I find the experience of
Peter remarkable there, when the Lord calls him. He was so
overwhelmed by the power of Christ. He clearly there saw something
of the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. He responds by saying,
depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord, The Lord calls him
to be a follower, and yet he shrinks from it all before Christ. How can he be in the presence
of this one? Surely there he begins to recognize
just who Jesus of Nazareth is. He is the Christ. He is the Son
of the Living God, as he'll go on to confess at Caesarea Philippi. But only comes time and again
in those who are called. and to be these servants of the
Lord. We have it also when the prophet
Isaiah is called to be the Lord's servants. We have in chapter
six of his book, Woe is me, he cries, for I am undone, for I
am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people
of unclean lips, for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord
of hosts. Who was it that he saw? Who was
it that he saw? Look at the language that we
have in the gospel in John chapter 12. John 12 and verse 41. We're told quite specifically
whom it was that the prophet saw there in the temple. It was Christ. These things said
Esaias when he saw his glory and spake of him. John 12, 41. clearly interprets Isaiah 6 to
us. It was Christ. Or if we know
anything, you see, of Christ and the glories of Christ, we'll be overwhelmed. But He
should come and take account of us. An issue is called to
such as we are. No wonder then, besides the command,
besides the promise, there's also the fear not. Fear not,
from henceforth thou shalt catch men. And so it is, so it is. Oh, the world seems such a fruitless
place to be laboring in the gospel. Men's hearts so hardened they
will not hear the word of God, they will not have this man,
Jesus Christ, to rule over them. I want to close by directing
you to words that we find back in the Old Testament in the book
of the prophet Ezekiel. Remarkable words really. In Ezekiel
chapter 47, Ezekiel is not an easy book to understand, to interpret,
With some of these scriptures, because they're difficult, maybe
we tend to neglect them and don't read them or study them as we
ought. But look at this for a word. Ezekiel 47 10. It shall come
to pass that the fishers shall stand upon it from Engladen even
unto an Eglaim. They shall be a place to spread
forth nets Their fish shall be according to their kinds, as
the fish of the great sea exceeding never. Now, Engedi is on the
banks of the Dead Sea, and Eglayim is also in that same region as
the Dead Sea. And there was nothing there,
it was a Dead Sea, a salt sea. And yet, here is the promise,
this is the promise of the Gospel. in this sinful world, this barren
world. I mean, God's judgments are abroad.
We've said it many times. The COVID-19, it hasn't come
from nowhere. Nothing comes from nowhere. What
has happened has come from somewhere. Where has it come from? It's
come from God. And jets, men will not hear. They will not hear the voice
of God in his providences, they will not hear the voice of God
in his word. They cannot see these things. And what are we to do? Well,
we are simply to be those who would be faithful servants of
our God, resting in his sure and certain promises. And here
it is, fish of the great sowing, exceeding velvet. Come then and
encourage us to believe that all that we do is not in vain,
or that we might be those who only desire to bear testimony
to the Lord Jesus Christ, that one who issues such gracious
words of command, and as he gives his word of command, so he adds
for us and our encouragement his promises. And He assures
us that we're not to be faithful, but we're to look to Him, where
the Lord be pleased, to bless these things to us. Amen.