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- Apr 25, 2006
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COMFORT/COURAGE (1)
'Come, follow me ... and I will make you fishers of men' Mark 1:17
Simon and his brother Andrew were happily getting on with the day-to-day fishing malarkey. But Jesus had a different plan for their day: 'As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net... for they were fishermen. "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."
At once they left their nets and followed Him.' (vv. 16-18 NIV) Simon and Andrew left what they knew and what was comfortable to follow Jesus for a whole new line (cough, cough.) Notice how these guys left their nets at once. There was no deliberation or conferring between them, no phone-a-friend or ask-the-audience. They just up and left their nets. They walked away from their trade, their security and their way of life. There was something about Jesus that they couldn't resist.
Jesus' mission was and is to restore an entire creation that had gone out of control by sin. It takes courage to join Him in a mission of such biblical proportions; to care for the needy, to resist sin, to 'fish' for people to join in God's new life. Can you take a leaf out of Andrew and Simon's book and leave your (safety) nets behind? If you can, the mission comes with a warning: it should take you far out of what is comfortable to you.
What now? Where have you felt God call you to? Is it to caring for the downtrodden and poor? Is it evangelism? Is it to a period of just getting closer to Him? Have the courage to follow Him - He'll take you there by the hand.
written by Bob Gass
'Come, follow me ... and I will make you fishers of men' Mark 1:17
Simon and his brother Andrew were happily getting on with the day-to-day fishing malarkey. But Jesus had a different plan for their day: 'As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net... for they were fishermen. "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."
At once they left their nets and followed Him.' (vv. 16-18 NIV) Simon and Andrew left what they knew and what was comfortable to follow Jesus for a whole new line (cough, cough.) Notice how these guys left their nets at once. There was no deliberation or conferring between them, no phone-a-friend or ask-the-audience. They just up and left their nets. They walked away from their trade, their security and their way of life. There was something about Jesus that they couldn't resist.
Jesus' mission was and is to restore an entire creation that had gone out of control by sin. It takes courage to join Him in a mission of such biblical proportions; to care for the needy, to resist sin, to 'fish' for people to join in God's new life. Can you take a leaf out of Andrew and Simon's book and leave your (safety) nets behind? If you can, the mission comes with a warning: it should take you far out of what is comfortable to you.
What now? Where have you felt God call you to? Is it to caring for the downtrodden and poor? Is it evangelism? Is it to a period of just getting closer to Him? Have the courage to follow Him - He'll take you there by the hand.
written by Bob Gass
