Apprenticed

Thoughts on the Sabbath School lesson for 5.26.12

Have you ever tried to learn how to play a new game by just reading the directions? It’s pretty hard to do, isn’t it? It’s much easier if someone in the group already knows how to play the game and they walk you through the first couple of times.

Have you ever wondered how skateboarders and motocross riders learn to do what they do? Do they sit in classes, read books on their tricks, take tests over the physics involved and write papers? In fact, a person could read an infinite number of books about how to skateboard, but until he or she actually got on a skateboard and tried to ride it, he isn’t going to learn how, right?

When Jesus called His disciples, He followed the same pattern of teaching that we now know ensures the most success. First, He talked about what He wanted them to learn; next, He showed them, then He had them try it, both with supervision and without. That’s how apprentices used to learn their tasks.

We don’t have many apprentices around anymore, but my father, who was born in 1910, began his working life as a blacksmith’s apprentice.  Since he was kind of on the cusp of what we would consider “old world” ways of thinking and “modern” ways, he went to school too. He became a tool and die maker/machinist and never lost his love of creating things with his hands. He was also a sculptor and could make pretty much anything out of metal, stone or wood.

Now, even though my father learned his skill mostly through practice, I remember that he had a book he would refer to from time to time. It was called the Machinist’s Handbook. I really couldn’t tell you what all it had in it, even though I have looked through it many times, because it made absolutely no sense to me, but he could look through its pages and find a solution to a problem that he had encountered in one of his tasks. He even had parts of that book memorized because they were the most helpful to him. Hm…are you thinking what I’m thinking?

We could say that the disciples were Jesus’ apprentices, couldn’t we? Apprentice fishers of men.

“And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ They immediately left their nets and followed Him.” Matthew 4:18-20

“The prompt, unquestioning obedience of these men, with no promise of wages, seems remarkable; but the words of Christ were an invitation that carried with it an impelling power. Christ would make these humble fishermen, in connection with Himself, the means of taking men out of the service of Satan, and placing them in the service of God. In this work they would become his witnesses, bearing to the world His truth unmingled with the traditions and sophistries of men. By practicing His virtues, by walking and working with Him, they were to be qualified to be fishers of men.”[1]

Can you imagine what that must have been like for the men that Jesus called? Did they really understand what Jesus was calling them to do? Did they have any idea what was involved in being a fisher of men? I’m thinking, probably not. And they went anyway…isn’t that odd? Do you think you would have gone? Did Jesus call to other people who chose not to go with Him? Do you realize that Jesus is calling us, right this moment, to become fishers of men, just like He did those men?

How do we become fishers of men? I mean, the disciples had Jesus right there with them for three and a half years and they still didn’t really figure it out until after Jesus died. How can we even begin to learn?

Well, in addition to the Holy Spirit, we do have the Bible. We can sit at Jesus’ feet almost like the disciples did and learn from His words. In some ways, it might even be easier for us, because it’s condensed to the most important information.

We have to remember though, that it’s easy to get stuck in the book phase of learning. We can get all caught up in theory and debate, but that’s probably not going to lead anyone to Jesus.

A few years ago, I decided to learn to crochet. I got a book or two, I looked on the internet. I read how to get started and I looked at picture after picture of all the different kinds of stitches. I looked at pictures of afghans and baby sweaters. But until I picked up a crochet hook and some yarn and started practicing, I hadn’t learned how to crochet.

Reading the directions is fine, but we have to move on from there. We have to start practicing what we’ve read. How many of us come to church every week, study our lesson, read our Bibles, and that’s all? We’re stuck in the first phase of becoming fishers of men.

That’s all good stuff to do, but it isn’t enough. We have to move on to phase two: practicing what we’ve been learning.

What? You don’t think you’re ready?

“One of the lessons I have learned in six and half decades of life is that very few dreams should go on hold while you improve the shortcomings of your life …. To be sure, there are times when you need to stop what you are doing and focus on conquering a flaw. But if you wait till all your shortcomings are remedied, your dreams will die. All our advances are with a limp.
“If you wait till you are beyond criticism to pursue your dream, you will never do it. You won't marry or stay married. You won't decide to have children or raise them. You won't take your first job or keep it. You won't go into missions or stay there …. Few things paralyze people more than their own imperfections. And there are always people around to remind you of your flaws and suggest you can't move forward until you're better.”[2]

You know what? On our own, we’ll never be ready. And Satan will make sure that we never, ever feel ready. We have to start anyway, holding Jesus’ hand, and He’ll take us where we need to be. We just have to start doing something. Jesus didn’t spend three and a half years teaching His disciples and then say, “OK, the teaching’s over, go home.” No! That’s when the real work started! If you doubt that, you need to re-read the book of Acts.

I’m sure that sometimes the disciples didn’t feel like they could do what they were supposed to be doing…and without the Holy Spirit, they couldn’t. But, with the Holy Spirit, they could do absolutely anything!

The same goes for you and me. There will be times when we’re tired or when we mess things up or just don’t know what to do next. But Jesus is right with us, whispering to us, “for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:20b

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[1] E.G. White, Gospel Workers, page 24.

[2] John Piper, Bloodlines (Crossway, 2011), p. 109

Fishers of Men

Did you know that, at first, the name Christian was a derogatory name for the people who believed in the Risen Jesus?  Neither did I.  Apparently the word Christian means “little anointed one” and was generally used by non-believers to make fun of those who did believe.  It's hard to believe that we gladly call ourselves by that same name...do you think that will ever work for words like “nerd” or “geek”?  Hmm.

Anyway, for the most part, we consider ourselves Christians, but can you think of yourself as a “fisher of men”?  Or did that line only apply to the first four apostles?  I mean, Jesus doesn't really want us to go out there and grab people we may or may not know and bring them to church, does He?  Does that mean that I should be standing on the street corner preaching?  Just in case the words of Matthew 4:19 ARE meant for you and me, how do we go about fishing for people?

Now, I could be wrong, but I don't believe that gathering people is our first concern.  The first step in Matthew 4:19 is not to gather people, but to follow Jesus.

According to C.H. Spurgeon, following Jesus has three distinct meaning.  The first is to 

“be separate unto Christ”, to come away from worldly things.  Instead of thinking, “What can I get away with?”; think, “What would Jesus have me do?” 

The second meaning of Jesus' statement, “Follow me”, Spurgeon explains as, “Abide with Christ.”  When Jesus called His disciples, they spent every day with Him.  They ate with Him, slept wherever He did, They became His best friends and biggest helpers.  They heard Him speak to the multitudes, but then they got “bonus material” when He explained things just to them.  They saw Him perform miracles.  And they watched Him die for their sins.  Imagine how well we would know Jesus if we spent that kind of time in the Bible and in prayer. 

Finally, Spurgeon restates Jesus' “Follow me” as “Obey me”.  As Spurgeon puts it, “If we desire to be largely used by God, we must copy our Lord Jesus Christ in everything, and obey Him in every point.  Failure in obedience may mean failure in success.” 

“Follow me” is the extent of our part of that bargain.  The next part is completely Jesus' part, and it's a promise.  We don't have to fret and stew about how to become fishers of men.  Jesus tells us that if we will follow Him, HE will take care of the rest!  Wow!  What a great promise!  You know, I have spent a lot of time worrying about witnessing and all that that entails...but Jesus says our responsibility is not planning, but following...I can do that!  This is how Spurgeon puts it:

“The Lord's directions make Himself our leader and example. It is 'Follow me. Follow me. Preach my gospel. Preach what I preached. Teach what I taught and keep to that.'  With that blessed servility which becomes one whose ambition is to be a copyist, and never to be an original, copy Christ even in jots and tittles.  Do this, and He will make you fishers of men, but if you do not do this, you shall fish in vain.”

Another author says it this way: “Jesus calls us to a ministry – He assumes the responsibility to teach us everything we need to learn in order to fulfill that calling.  As we yield to Him – let go of all our accessories and follow Him – He will equip us – what makes us uniquely us – to fulfill His calling.”  Stephen Muncherian, “Fishers of Men”.

Pastor Muncherian has in his statement a phrase that I find extremely comforting; “what makes us uniquely us”.  Why do I find that phrase comforting?  Some of you have already guessed, maybe because you feel the same way.  I especially like that phrase because, for a long time, when I thought of being a fisher of men, I thought of >gasp< preaching or giving individual Bible studies.  And I really have never felt very comfortable doing either of those, so for a long time, I felt like I didn't have a gift that would be helpful to God.  As Muncherian says, “Peter and Andrew were casting their nets into the sea – that's what they knew how to do and what their abilities were.  Jesus teaches them to cast nets for men.  We read in the Gospel of Matthew that Andrew becomes the disciple who brings people to Jesus – even as he's brought his brother Peter to Christ.  In Acts chapter 2 – Peter becomes the great evangelist – on the day of Pentecost he preaches the Gospel to three thousand people.

“James and John were doing something else – they were mending their nets.  That was their skill and ability.  The Greek word for 'mending' has the idea of equipping – preparing.  Just as James and John were equipping their nets when Jesus called them – Jesus teaches them to men nets as fishers of men.  Later they would become teachers – equipping – mending – the saints.

In our kitchen we have a toaster oven and a waffle iron – we plug them into the wall sockets.  They draw power from the same source but they do different things.  

That's the way it is with God and us.

Whew!!!!  What a relief!!!!!  The way God uses me to reach people might not be the same way that He uses you.  Fishing for men is a group effort and we don't all have to do the same job.  The preacher or the evangelist is only part of what is going on.  He (or she) may cast the net, reaching a large number of people, but he couldn't do it alone.  If there hadn't been for faithful folk who handed/mailed our advertising flyers, made calls, visited and invited friends, family members to come to/watch the meeting.  Then there are the jobs during the meeting: ministering to the children, so that the adults can hear the Gospel without worrying or being interrupted.  Not to mention the jobs that come after of making friends, teaching and shepherding the newcomers, and helping them to become disciples themselves.  That all takes very different skills that may not be the gift of the pastor or evangelist.  And I know that I haven't even begun to name all the different jobs that are just as important but less visible than the pastor/evangelist.

Just remember, there are those who “cast the nets” but they can't finish (or even start) the job.  You and I need to be willing to be the partners to those who cast the nets.  All it takes on our part is to be willing.  Be willing to be available—to come and help.  Be willing to make new friends.  One pastor reminds us, 

“The Great Commission is a continuum.  And you are part of it, somewhere on that continuum.  Some cast the net, some row the boat.  All contribute to the catch.”

Are you ready to find your place on the fishers of men continuum?  How do we know which job Jesus wants us to do?  Does He want us out their preaching if that's not what He has given us the talent to do?  I don't think so.  I believe that sometimes we pick for ourselves the jobs we want to do that are not the jobs that Jesus has given us.  I'm not completely sure why we feel we know better than God about these things, but I have done it myself.  We try to force ourselves into the mold WE have made of what we think a fisher of men looks like.  We might think it's a Billy Graham type, or a Sandi Patti (singer) type.  And those are important parts of ministry, but they're not the ONLY parts.  There are also the folks who clean the place, who make sure the air conditioners/ heaters are on in plenty of time to make the area inhabitable.  There are the folk who hand out literature and others who give Bible studies and others who invite visitors home for lunch.  Some folk are gifted in the areas of praying.  Not one of us can do it alone.  Which part are you willing to do? 

"We are laborers together with God." It is God that gives success to human endeavor. Without his presence with us, our efforts would amount to nothing. We are simply channels through which his blessings flow to our fellow beings. From every one in whose heart Christ is an abiding presence, will go forth a power that will influence others to accept the Saviour as their Redeemer. E.G. White, Article Title: "Follow Me, and I Will Make You Fishers of Men"[SERMONDELIVERED IN THE CHURCH AT HEALDSBURG, CAL., AT THE CLOSEOF THE HEALDSBURG COLLEGE SCHOOL YEAR, MAY 30, 1903.]