Leadership
FISHING FOR MEN
Do you have the qualifications?
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. (II Corinthians 4:7)
The question as to qualifications for soul winning may seem ambiguous. But the truth is when Jesus calls us to follow Him, He also equips us with the means to be most effective. Have no question about it, if God has called you to salvation, He has also equipped you to do the work of the ministry. The verse that we are looking at contains some important information. First, we are told that it is a treasure. Not a treasure of pleasing ourselves but for the joy of sharing it with others. This treasure is the good news of eternal life and the reason it is good news is, that it requires no measure of good works from us. It is good news because it is available and possible. It is bad news if we consider the impossibility of having this treasure and ignoring God's love.
The second thing that this verse tells us is that it is contained in earthen vessels. God in His wisdom has chosen to use the weak, sometimes ignorant
and failing individuals to dispense this treasure. If we wait until we are perfect before we begin, then it will never happen. Part of being an earthen vessel is recognizing our human limitations and in so doing, we realize also, the importance of the need for a power greater than ourselves to dispense this treasure. One of the wonderful things about this earthen vessel, it has the potential for being greater as time passes on. When we first start out, it is like a baby learning to walk. It is quite wobbly and unsure of itself but after it takes a few steps, it’s confidence becomes stronger and soon the baby is running around the room. Well, being an earthen vessel is like that. At first, we lack confidence, we are afraid of failure, but as we progress in our walk, we progress also in our confidence and ability to do better. This earthen vessel is not like a clay vessel that, when it becomes broken, it is useless. When we become broken we become stronger and in time we grow and become more effective.
The third thing this verse tells us is that the results of sharing the treasure, God, not men, will be glorified. There is the tendency to brag about how effective we are in leading many to Christ. We may even keep a ledger of how well we are doing by the number of souls that we can count. False teachers gain converts as well. They do this through high-pressure debates and discussions, leaving men with no option but to accept their premise, and in so doing, they become a part of a massive movement of what we call “Christendom”. We call it that because it deals with numbers and not with genuine souls. You see, only God can make a Christian. You cannot argue people into the kingdom of God because these converts may be ineffective in their living. Everything is static and rote. We are not saying that God cannot use these methods to bring some to salvation because, after all, He is still God and He is not limited by men's methods. But the verse before us says that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us. The only word that really matters is the word of God in the heart, produced by means of the Holy Spirit. God also has many ways of bringing men to Christ. Not all men are equipped the same way to do the work that God has called them to. Again, we operate based on how God has equipped us. Some men plow the ground. That means before you could plant the seed, the ground must be prepared to receive the seed.
That means establishing contact with people where there is the opportunity to plant the seed. Do not underestimate the value of plowing the ground. The reward given by God to plow the ground is just as great as for reaping a harvest. Some men are given the ability to plant the seed, with the gift of memorizing and understanding the Scriptures in such a way that the ground can receive that seed. Again, do not undermine the value of sowing the seed. Then there is the time to water and cultivate that seed. This is often done by taking the time to help others understand the word of God and apply it to their lives. That involves the many hours in years of prayer that often goes into bringing the seed to harvest. Remember again, that the harvest is always God's part. So, do not be discouraged when all you do is plow the ground. That is important to God and if that is your ministry be faithful, learn how to do it better and seek opportunities to do it often.
Sometimes we hear from people who say to us, well that is good that you are a soul winner, but God hasn't called me to be that way. Remember, Jesus said to his disciples “follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” The call is to follow Jesus, the promise is those who follow him would be fishers of men. If you happen to use that excuse for not being involved in the ministry of fishing for men, remember that is the reason why Jesus came. If we are His followers, we have the treasure and if we have this treasure, we must put it into our earthen vessels in order that what we have, will be of benefit to others.
Jesus never called us to live a life of selfishness. There is no selfishness involved in the act of love. Maybe you do not have the planting the seed ministry. Maybe you are not gifted enough to help others understand the gospel clearly, but you can pray, and you can plow the ground and provide opportunities for others who are gifted to do so. Again, remember the angel in his word to Mary when he said, “thou shalt call his name Jesus for He shall save his people from their sin.” That is a great statement and a widely encompassed one. Not only does He save us and forgive us of our sins, He causes us to have a victory over the sin nature that enslaves us.
Jesus did not call us to be good people, to be smart, or to be talented people that we may glory in ourselves. He calls us to be fishers of men and that takes the work of God to make that happen in individual lives. So, the question is, “are you qualified?” If you are a child of God, you are and as you use, explore and dispense this treasure, you will find it is a treasure that changes the lives of men. We may merely be earthen vessels but the dynamite within us, operating through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, can do what our minds could never imagine. Sometimes some simple, unselfish act that we do or some kind word that we say, is used by God to pierce into the hardest heart of man. Sometimes in God's wisdom, we never hear about that seed or how it changed a person's life, and if we do, sometimes it is so long since it happened, that we can't remember that we ever said or did it. That is the marvel of the treasure in earthen vessels
If you feel that you are unqualified don't be discouraged and settle down thinking that God has nothing for you to do. Perhaps there have been many years that you may not have been faithful, but the good news is there's always time to begin even in old age. If we wait until we're old, we may look back over the wasted years with regrets, but God doesn't see things that way. He will take the wasted years of our lives and use them as a motivator to do greater things.
But do not give up because there is always an opportunity to start afresh. If you are a young person, just think of the many people you could be a blessing to in the years that you have remaining in your life. None of us are assured of the long life but God rewards the life that is faithful. If you are faithful to God, and you make that your goal in life, you will be a great blessing to others because the competition is low.
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