Going Where the Fish Are (Part 1 of the "Fishing with the Master" series)

January 5, 2014

Fishing with the Master

Go Where the Fish Are

Mark 1:14-20; Acts 8:26-29

(Advance Slide #1)

Introduction

Jesus began His public ministry by selecting some fishermen.

• Litlerally they were fishermen, but their job would be fishermen!
• Fishing today is mostly recreational.
  • Even those that enjoy fishing is not a large number compared to football fans.
• In the 1st cent. fishing was a job...a source of protein for people to eat.

(Advance Slide #2)

Jesus in Mark 1 selects Simon Peter and Andrew as His first evangelists.

(Advance Slide #3)

• They were as He called them, "fishers of men"
  • Why did Jesus say this?
    • Think about it, there are a lot of similarities to fishing and evangelism.
    • They were going to be able to see their talents used for The Lord.

If this year is to be a year where we begin fishing for men (and women), then we would benefit from a lesson series on "how to fish"

• This will be the first in a series titled, "Fishing with the Master."
• During this month we will study the similarities between evangelism and fishing.
• GOAL - To make more comfortable in our sharing the gospel.
  • We will do this primarly by studying the conversion of the Ethopian eunuch in Acts 8.

(Advance Slide #4)

This morning begins with an important lesson..."Going Where the Fish Are"

• A wise fisherman knows where the fish hang out at the different times fo day.
  • This is no different then it was in Simon Peter and Andrew's days.
    • Fishermen need to know how the changing of the seasons effect the fish.
    • For us to sit in here and talk about winning souls out there indicates that we will take this message out there.

(Advance Slide #5)

Text

²⁶ Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. ²⁷ And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship ²⁸ and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. ²⁹And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” Acts 8:26-29

In the previous Philip was spreading the gospel to the Samaritans.

• God is now leading him to do something significant again. 

(Advance Slide #6)

• I want you to rememeber phrase durign this series, "THE GOSPEL IS FOR ALL"
• • Be a part of fulfilling the commission found in Acts 1:8.

(Advance Slide #7)

• • "... and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
    • Peter is helping to fulfill this!

(Advance Slide #8)

Who was the Ethiopian?

• The text says that he was a “eunuch”
• • This was a castrated man…it was common in the Near East for men castrated to serve in position sod state.
• He held office within the royal court of the queen, Candace of Ethiopia.
• • He was her chief financial officer.

(Advance Slide #9) 

What was his relationship to Judaism?

• It is very unlikely, virtually impossible that he would have been a Jew.
• • Being a eunuch he couldn’t have been a proselyte to Judaism.
• Thus, according to the Jewish system…he was forever an outsider.

What can we conclude?

• Something about the Jewish God or Jewish way that attracted him.
  
  • He had made his way to Jerusalem to worship (perhaps a festival?)
• We know that he has procured at least some of the Jewish scripture.
  • This was not an easy task for anyone during that time.

**Phillp had to GO TO THIS MAN!

Lesson

(Advance Slide #10)

A British scholar and evangelist believed that Luke’s primary reason for including the story of Philip and the Ethiopian was to teach the value of personal, one-on-one evangelism and to give guidelines on how it should be done. 

• This story shows how important personal evangelism is, insofar as a key preacher in the church is taken on a long journey in order to share the gospel with just one person. 
• • Note that the episode is given the same amount of space as the record of the conversion of large numbers in Samaria.
• As we think about applying this passage today, many may say that because they are not specialist evangelists like Philip, this passage has little to teach them. 

• • One of the important truths of Acts is that the prominent preachers and leadersof the early church were also personal evangelists. 
  • • Philip becomes a good example for us.
• In the first part of this chapter he has a public ministry that allows him to bear the title given him by Luke: “evangelist” (21:8). 
• • But here he is a personal evangelist.

Have you ever had an expert at something instruct you?

(Advance Slide #11)

Where did Philip learn this?

• This is why I called this series, "Fishing with the Master" becsue he did juts that for 3 years!
  • Philip and the rest of the apostles had the expert evangelist at thier disposal and they learned from Him.
  • To say that they learned from Him is no understatement!
    • Literally, they watched Him go to the people...the ones that He came to save and ministered to them.

(Advance Slide #12)

Mat. 4:23 - "And He went throughout all Galilee, teaching in thier synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among people."

• He went!
• He taught; He proclaimed; He healed

(Advance Slide #13)

Mat. 9:10 - "And as Jesus reclind at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and the disciples."

• He went to the hated to all...the tax collectors, and the other assorted sinner that hang out with tax collectors!

(Advance Slide #14)

Mat 19:1 - "Now when Jesus had finished these sayings, He went away from Galilee and entered the region of Judea beyond the Jordan."

• Most of Jesus ministry takes place in the Galilean region but He does cross the Jordan and minister in Judea

I share each of these instance becasue in everyone of these lives were changed becasue He went to them.

• It was the only way to get the work done...go and do it!
• If the apostles of Christ were going to fulfill their commission then they had to get to work.

(Advance Slide #15)

Action Step

There is no secret to this lesson, the Great Commission begins with the word...GO

• If we, like the apostles are going to become fishers of men then...
• We must GO!

(Advance Slide #16)

• • This means that we have to "get up" & "get going"
  • We will need to look for the lost (honestly, we will not have to look real hard)

Conclusion

(Advance Slide #17)

The first truth that leaps out of this passage is Philip’s obedience. 

• When God asked him to go to the desert road, he went even though the command seemed an odd one (vv. 26–27). 
• When he was asked to go to the chariot and stay near it, he obeyed again (vv. 29–30a). 
• Through his obedience the Lord opened a door to an evangelistic situation.

We often hear it said that a key to personal witness is “boldness.” 

• Some claim that they do not have this boldness and therefore cannot witness. 
• In reality, much of the Christian witness begins with a decision to be obedient to the call to witness. 
• We often miss out on opportunities to witness simply because we do not take the first step to turn a conversation into a witnessing situation.