Fishermen who don’t fish
October 21st, 2008 by Victor
Last week my pastor shared an illustration about evangelism that made me squirm in my seat. The illustration was a parody about a group of fisherman who never really fished at all. They talked about fishing. They held fishing conferences. They endlessly analyzed fishing methodologies. One day an outsider attended one of their meetings and went out and caught some fish. They got so excited that they made him the leader of their group—and he never fished again!
Of course, even before my pastor unpacked the story, we saw the lesson. Often we Christians are just like those “fishermen” when it comes to evangelism. We discuss it. We read about it. We even argue about the best way to do it. But we rarely actually evangelize.
Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with discussing methodology. We need a sound, informed approach. But study and discussion should never replace the crucial task of sharing our faith.
I once heard someone say that “pastor’s can’t hide behind their pulpit” when it comes to evangelism. I was personally convicted when they said that. I’ve got to get out there myself! Sometimes is easy to encourage others so you can sort of take the burden off of yourself. One of the best ways to help those who are just starting out or those overcoming fears is to go out with them! Don’t pass the buck, get the ball rolling yourself! These might be sobering words for all of us, but important to consider.
If you’re like me, the winter time usually is down time for evangelism because common spring and summertime spots are cold and snowy – but perhaps before the snow falls and the temperatures drop too much farther it would be a good time to develop your winter months evangelism strategy. Thankfully we don’t need to be in hibernation during this time of year!
What do you think? Any ideas?
evangelism in the winter?
now that’s just going too far!
…not if you live in the south =)
Dustin
I hear bookstores are good places for having conversations about religion…especially in the “religion” section
Are all Christians called to be evangelist? Are we all supposed to go out and “spread” the gospel. This issue has arisen in my home church. The above article sounds good, but is it good theology? All christians aren’t alike. We have different talents. Some are called to be teachers, preachers, evangelists, musicians etc. Perhaps we should all be ready to tell of our conversions, our love for Christ, but, should we all be “pressured” into going out into the streets and speaking openly to the lost. Your thoughts are welcomed.
Randy,
You asked, “Are all Christians called to be evangelists?”
1st. Peter 3:15, “but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect…” (ESV)
I don’t think we ALL need to evangelists, but we should all be “prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.” Of course when doing so we must remember to always be humble and reverent of the other person’s beliefs.
I have found this is one of the hardest commands to follow. When someone says something we disagree with, especially if it seems foolish to us, for example if they say they believe in the ‘Force’ as described in the Star Wars movies, our first reaction might be to laugh, or ridicule, or belittle the other person because of their strange beliefs.
It is sometimes very difficult to be humble and reverent of other peoples beliefs. But we we are instructed to be gentle and show respect. I have found that if you can do this the other person usually does not become defensive and it is easier to share your beliefs with them. At least it seems this way to me, anywaze…