Follow the Master's Commands

Our goal as Christians is to know Christ and to make Him known. This requires doing what the Lord commands. After some discussion, Peter did what the Lord commanded and with great results! Let’s look closely at that story.

"When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, 'Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch'" (Luke 5:4). Now it was early in the morning and Peter, Andrew, James, and John had been fishing all night with little to show for it. They had covered all the good fishing spots and even many that never seem to pan out. So Peter thought, "Why even try any further right now!" He literally said, "Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing" (v. 5a). But Jesus had a purpose. He intended to give them instruction in Christian work—work to which He had called them. He only asked them to obey. So the second "key" to life-style evangelism is obedience to the Lord's command.

Jesus had four disciples who were fishermen, and out of them He intended to make four fishers of men. Peter stated his reservation, but in obedience added, "but I will do as You say and let down the nets" (v. 5b). He did, and the result was phenomenal; nothing short of a miracle. "When they had done this (that is let down the nets), they enclosed a great quantity of fish, and their nets began to break; so they signaled to their partners in the other boat for them to come and help them. And they came and filled both of the boats, so that they began to sink" (vs. 6-7). What a catch!

You see, it is the obedient servant who makes the catch. When Jesus leads you to step out in faith and share your faith with someone, do it. Follow the Lord's commands. Hold back, and nothing will happen. Step out in faith, and a great catch can be made. Don't forget the goal of the Christian—to know Christ and to make Him known. And how do we do this? How do we make Him known? By word of mouth. By being willing to take what we know of Christ and tell others.

Word-of-mouth advertising is what life-style evangelism is all about. In fact, that is exactly the need for evangelism to succeed in a great way. Get to know Christ. Lean on Him and let Him work in your life every day. Then introduce Him to others. Remember, Isaiah 55:11 quotes the Lord God: "So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it."

Here, Jesus is telling His disciples, "If you keep on puttering along close to shore you will only catch little fishes. 'Launch out into the deep' (KJV). The big ones and the heavy takes are away out yonder. Go out there, if you want to catch them." If every believer would hear this call and respond, I believe it would change the face of our communities. And, as you go after the big ones, remember Romans 6:23 and use it when fishing for men: "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Amen.