“Gone Fishin’”—3

www.newperceptions.tv

• A fishing story
  • Matthew 13:47-51
  • The Big Fisherman to the little fishermen: “You must learn this lesson: you do the —I do the .”
• Three points
  • Point #1—When the Gospel Net is let down it catches all   of fish.
  • Point #2—The fish (people) get separated at the   the world.
  • Point #3—The ones who do the sorting at the end of the world (in the Great Judgement) are the , not the .
    • “Don’t be afraid—from now on you will fish for .” (Luke 5:10)
• Three anxiety relievers
  • Anxiety Reliever #1—I don’t have to decide who gets “netted” for .
  • Anxiety Reliever #2—I don’t have to decide who gets “netted” for .
  • Anxiety Reliever #3—Because I don’t have to do the —all I need to do is the .

Jim Cymbala:  “Christians often hesitate to reach out to those who are . They want God to clean the fish before they catch them. If someone’s gold ring is attached to an unusual body part, if the person doesn’t smell the best, or if the skin color is not the same, Christians tend to hesitate. But think for a moment about God reaching out to us. If ever there was a “reach,” that was it: the holy, pure Deity extending himself to us who were soiled, evil-hearted, unholy. God could have said, ‘You’re so different from me, so distasteful, I would really rather not get too close to you.’ But he didn’t say that. It was our very that drew his hand of love.” (Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire: What Happens When God’s Spirit Invades the Hearts of His People 141)

• Ellen White: “[Christ] has not committed to us the work of judging character and motive. He knows our nature too well to entrust this work to us. Should we try to uproot from the church those whom we suppose to be spurious Christians, we should be sure to make mistakes. Often we regard as hopeless subjects the very ones whom Christ is drawing to Himself.” (Christ’s Object Lessons 71)
   
• How to fish for people
  • Ask God at the beginning of every day to lead you to someone who needs what can offer.
  • Ask God to help you make an to someone.
    • “The Big Day” (September)
    • “Unlocking Revelation (October)
    • “God’s Boot Camp” (October)
  • Ask God every morning to be at work in the lives of   people you know who need Jesus.
    • A story: “This is the smell of the world I died for.”

We do the fishing—He does the sorting