Evangelism: How can it be compared to fishing?

As a young boy I grew up in southeast Florida living on what they call a deep-water canal where there were many opportunities to go fishing. However, fishing is not something I did regularly.  Nevertheless, there are things about it that nearly everyone knows or soon comes to know if they start fishing. Those things can easily be compared to what’s involved in evangelism, being a fisher of men. We see our Lord using this terminology when He called His disciples.

Matthew 4:18-20

¹⁸ 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.

¹⁹ And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

²⁰ And they straightway left their nets, and followed him. [Emphasis added]

Isn’t this kind of “fishing” something every believer is “called” to do? Furthermore, aren’t we all supposed to be ambassadors for Christ, working at representing Him and his message in all we say and do?

2 Corinthians 5:19-21

¹⁹ To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto US the word [the message] of reconciliation.

²⁰ Now then WE are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.

Then we have a comment about our message.  Representing Christ, being one of His ambassadors, includes the communication of our gospel message and more [distinguishing it from the one Peter and the eleven were commissioned to communicate].

²¹ For he [God the Father] hath made him [Jesus Christ] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. [Emphasis added]

In our fishing analogy our gospel message would be our “bait.” Anyone who’s done any fishing knows how important that is. Our “bait” in presenting Christ is the promise to people of everlasting life in a place called Heaven and all that it would be as a blessing for them. It involves a whole new quality of life where God’s people are no longer under the dictates of the Mosaic Law.

Romans 6:13-15

¹³ Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

¹⁴ For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

¹⁵ What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. [Emphasis added]

So, what will Heaven be like for us? I’ve addressed that in a former article that’s on this website. Here’s the link to it—

Heaven: What do we need to know about it?

I hope you’ll read the article and enjoy it. Our Lord left this world to prepare a new “place” for all His people, but the day will come when He returns to the Earth for them—regenerate [born again] Israel. Here’s what He told His disciples about all this.

John 14:1-3

¹ Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

² In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. [Emphasis added]

The apostle Paul tells us that as believers today we already have citizenship in this new “place” He’s designed for us as members of the Body of Christ.  That “place” is called Heaven.

Philippians 3:20-21

²⁰ For our conversation [POLITEUO = citizenship] is in HEAVEN; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:

We won’t just live in a kingdom OF Heaven; we will live IN Heaven.  That’s a whole new and wonderful development. God will even make our body compatible with it.

²¹ Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. [Emphasis added]

For the born-again people of Israel their new home will be on a restored Earth. Here’s the link to my article about it—

Millennium: What will be its features?

They [Israelites] were even commanded to pray that this kingdom on Earth would come about soon. I suspect that many of the readers of this article will readily recognize the prayer He gave them to pray.  Here’s the link to my article about this.

Prayer: Is “The Lord’s Prayer” a model prayer for us today?

Matthew 6:9-10

⁹ After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

¹⁰ Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. [Emphasis added]

Is this a prayer that is appropriate for us to pray today as members of the Body of Christ? No! It is not! Our eternal home is in Heaven, not on Earth.  We’re not going to ever be living in a kingdom of God on Earth.  Again, we’ll be spending our everlasting life in this place called Heaven.  I’ve written numerous articles about this that are all on this website.  Here are links to some of them—

Heaven: What will it be like?

Heaven: How do you qualify?

Heaven: Will EVERYONE end up there?

Heaven: How good must you be to get there?

Heaven: Are there multiple ways to get there?

Heaven: Aren’t we to prefer it to this life here?

Heaven: Will we recognize others we’ve known?

Heaven: Will people be surprised about who’s there?

Heaven: Will these called Israel’s little flock be there?

Then there’s the question about how long people will reside there.

Heaven & Hell: Are they both FOREVER?

As we noted in the Philippian passage, our home and permanent place of eternal residence will be IN Heaven. People were told that if they’d accept this Jesus of Nazareth as the promised Messiah, they’d get to live in a marvelous kingdom ON Earth. It was then that believing this was God’s stated means of getting to live there. Here’s a link to my article for the details about this—

Jesus Christ:  What does it mean to believe on His NAME? 

One very important thing for all believers to realize is that anyone is a candidate for salvation. This is true of even the worst, most sinful people you’ve ever known and even the ones you don’t know.  This is because Jesus Christ did what needed to be done to make this possible.

John 1:29

²⁹ The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. [Emphasis added]

This tells us that our sins are no longer a barrier between us and God.

1 John 2:2

² And he [Jesus Christ] is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. [Emphasis added]

The apostle Paul also tells us this.

Romans 5:11

¹¹ And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received [by faith in Christ] the atonement [KATALLAGE = reconciliation]. [Emphasis added]

For a full understanding of this divine work of reconciliation, please see my articles about it—

Reconciliation: What does it mean to BE reconciled?

Reconciliation: What is universal reconciliation?

These are things all people need to know.  Knowing these things will fully equip anyone to be able to provide what someone needs to know and believe to gain everlasting salvation. That means it is having a full understanding of these things that can help anyone become an excellent “fisher of men.”

One of the worst things that has ever been taught about this is the idea that Christ only died for some people and not all.  The Bible clearly tells us that anyone can be saved.

Romans 10:12-13

¹² For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

¹³ For WHOSOEVER shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. [Emphasis added]

But please notice the next verse in this passage—

Romans 10:14

¹⁴ How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

You may not think of yourself as a “preacher,” but all “preachers” are simply proclaimers.  That’s what this word means.  Can you be a proclaimer?  Can you be a voice of truth? I always appreciated the statement made about John the Baptist concerning this—

Isaiah 40:3

³ The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. [Emphasis added]

Yes, Isaiah spoke words of prophecy about John and his ministry.

Matthew 3:1-3

¹ In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,

² And saying, Repent ye [METANOEO = change your mind]: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

In this case, the changing of the mind meant to go from being an unbeliever to being a believer that this Jesus of Nazareth was the promised Messiah.  This was the heart of the gospel message at that time. Today it’s all about the cross, burial, and resurrection of Christ.

³ For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. [Emphasis added]

Can you be “a voice” that’s used to proclaim the gospel message? You surely can! You just need to be sure you have the right message and do it. Many “fish” won’t “bite,” but a few will.  But if you don’t “fish” at all none will.  So, what exactly is our “bait,” our gospel message? After having been around so many of them I’m quite aware that there are many churchgoers who don’t know what it is. But here’s our message—

1 Corinthians 15:1-4

¹ Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel [EUAGGELION = good news] which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;

² By which also ye are saved [SOZO = saved or delivered from condemnation], if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

³ For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

⁴ And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: [Emphasis added]

Then in we have another statement about this—

2 Corinthians 5:18-21

¹⁸ And all things are of God, who hath reconciled [KATALASSO = made the way for peace with] us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given TO US the ministry of reconciliation;

Yes, we’re ALL in the ministry, the ministry of reconciliation. For more information about this, as mentioned above, please see my articles—

Reconciliation: What does it mean to BE reconciled?

Reconciliation: What is universal reconciliation?

¹⁹ To wit [That is to say], that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word [the message] of reconciliation.

It is THIS that is our “commission” and not what you read in Matthew 28:19-20 and Mark 16:15-20.  For more information about that, please see my article—

Commission: Which one is ours?

There’s also a video about this—

#4 ~ The Great Commission

²⁰ Now then WE are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.

²¹ For he [God the Father] hath made him [Jesus Christ] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. [Emphasis added]

This is all related to what is called justification by faith. Here’s the link to my article about it—

Justification: How does the Bible define it?

It is such a shame that so many professed Christians have so little knowledge of these things. I hope you’ll be an exception and work hard at being a voice of truth and a good “fisher of men” as we’ve all been commanded.  There are temporal rewards for fishing but nothing like the eternal rewards you’ll get for fishing for men.