Fishers Follow Him
To be successful fishers of men, we must follow Jesus' methods and teachings, and depend on the sacred Spirit.
C.H. Spurgeon emphasizes that true effectiveness in winning souls for Christ comes only from following Jesus closely. He warns against using worldly methods that deviate from Christ's teachings, asserting that such approaches will not yield lasting results. Spurgeon encourages believers to preach the full gospel with the same gentleness, boldness, and love that Jesus exemplified, relying on the Holy Spirit for guidance. He stresses that only by adhering to Christ's example can we become successful fishers of men. Ultimately, the call is to prioritize Jesus' methods over sensationalism in ministry.
Text
And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men. (Mark 1:17)
Only by coming after Jesus can we obtain our heart's desire and be really useful to our fellow men. Oh, how we long to be successful fishers for Jesus! We would sacrifice our lives to win souls. But we are tempted to try methods which Jesus would never have tried. Shall we yield to this suggestion of the enemy? If so, we may splash the water, but we shall never take the fish. We must follow after Jesus if we would succeed. Sensational methods, entertainment, and so forth -- are these coming after Jesus? Can we imagine the Lord Jesus drawing a congregation by such means as are now commonly used? What is the result of such expedients?
The result is nothing which Jesus will count up at the last great day.
We must keep to our preaching as our Master did, for by this means souls are saved. We must preach our Lord's doctrine and proclaim a full and free gospel, for this is the net in which souls are taken, We must preach with His gentleness, boldness, and love, for this is the secret of success with human hearts. We must work under divine anointing, depending upon the sacred Spirit. Thus, coming after Jesus, and not running before Him, not aside from Him, we shall be fishers of men.
Sermon Outline
- The Call to Follow Jesus
- The promise of success as fishers of men
- The importance of following Jesus' methods
Key Quotes
“Shall we yield to this suggestion of the enemy? If so, we may splash the water, but we shall never take the fish.” — C.H. Spurgeon
“We must follow after Jesus if we would succeed.” — C.H. Spurgeon
“We must preach our Lord's doctrine and proclaim a full and free gospel, for this is the net in which souls are taken” — C.H. Spurgeon
Application Points
- We must be willing to follow Jesus' methods and teachings, even if they are difficult or unconventional.
- Preaching the gospel with gentleness, boldness, and love is essential for success as fishers of men.
- We must depend on the sacred Spirit to guide and empower us in our ministry.