Question to Ponder/Approach Question:
How have you used your profession to save the lost?

Observations:
I asked myself what do I learn about the capability of Jesus?
1. Jesus was capable of walking along the shores of the Sea of Galilee.
2. Jesus was capable of seeing Simon and his brother Andrew fishing with nets.
3. Jesus was capable of calling out to them, "Come, follow me!'
4. Jesus was capable of making them 'fisherman for the souls of men'!
5. Jesus was capable of drawing people to Himself.

Observation/Interpretation:
I asked myself the significance of Jesus using the words, "Come, follow me! And I will make you fisherman for the souls of men"
Simon and Andrew were commercial fisherman who were fishing with nets. Now Jesus comes along the shores of the Sea of Galilee, sees them, and calls out to them using language they are able to understand, specifically fishing terminology. In using this terminology, Jesus is meeting them where they are at and letting them know what they have learned throughout the years will not go to waste but can be used when they follow Him too! This time it won’t be just catching fish but being fisherman for the souls of men using what they are good at.

Interpretation/Application:
I asked myself what is the function of a fisherman and how could a fisherman become ‘fisherman for the souls of men’?

 It made me think about the function of commercial fisherman:

These are only some of the functions I can think of but there could be more to a fisherman than meets the eye. Those 7 could have been their responsibilities and here comes Jesus asking them to follow Him and He will not let their profession go to waste but use those same principles to make them “fisherman for the souls of men.”

I found it very exciting to think about the 7 functions of a fisherman and how those functions can be used to make an analogy for 'fisherman for the souls of men!'

 Point 1:
They have to go out into the sea if they want to start fishing or at least have access to water.

In the same way, to be ‘fisherman for the souls of men’, Jesus wants them to go to places where there are lost people or have access to lost people so they can fish for their souls.

 Point 2:
They need to have a good net that fish will become attached to and cannot escape.

In the same way, to be ‘fisherman for the souls of men’, Jesus wants to become their good net that they can use so that lost people will become attached to Him and they cannot escape once they come to Jesus.

At first this thought sounded as if people coming to Jesus become prisoners if they cannot escape. But, I believe once ‘fisherman for the souls of men’ allow Jesus to work in their lives, lost people start seeing the work of Jesus in people’s lives that they are so attracted to Jesus’ work in the people’s lives that they want to be part of it. So, now lost people get attracted to Jesus and come. Once they come, they don't want to escape because they come to the point of ‘surrendering their lives to Him.’ Those who do surrender find abundant life with Jesus.  Lost people get attracted to Jesus many times because of the lifestyle of those who already know Jesus and are known by Him. Lifestyle is something that Calvin Chiang, the small group leader for Transformers Bible Study emphasized last night at our small group which meets at Oakland International Fellowship on Friday nights at 7:00 p.m. If you are reading this and are not part of a small group, I encourage you to join us.

Point 3:
It is not enough to have the best net if the net is not thrown in the water at the right place and time.

In the same way, when Jesus becomes our best net, it does no one any good if we keep Jesus to ourselves instead of casting the net into places where the lost souls are, at the right place and time. We cannot just be content with having Jesus as our best net if we do not use the net.

Just as the disciples went out in faith while they threw their net for fish and believed in the profession they were in, ‘fisherman for the souls of men’ need to go out in faith, believing in Jesus and presenting Jesus to lost people at the right place and time.

It won’t always be easy to find the right place and time but fisherman keep going at it and so should ‘fisherman for the souls of men’. Eventually, just as fish are caught ‘lost people’ do come when we do not give up and keep presenting Jesus.

Point 4:
Usually, they need to work together as one drops the net and others help pull it up.

In the same way, just as one person may present Jesus to someone or multitudes, that person has just dropped the net in a ‘lost person’s life’. This is just the beginning where the seed has been sown. As others help pull the net, I am reminded of Billy Graham Crusades where ‘lost people’ are attracted to the net of Jesus and come to Him. While they come to Him, they are helped by tons of counselors to pull them up from where they were to ‘where they can be now’. Now, they are attracted to Jesus and come but are helped by people who know Jesus and are known by Him. This is the community of believers that the Lord Jesus uses.

I learned reaching out to ‘lost people’ is not a solo job just as being effective fisherman is not.  Jesus did not call Simon and Andrew individually but both of them together in utilizing what they are familiar with. Jesus loves pairs and working together :)

Point 5:
They (fisherman) utilize ways to attract fish to come to them.

In the same way, to reach ‘souls of men’ different ways can be utilized as ‘fisherman for the souls of men’. Some can use evangelistic crusades to attract people to Jesus, friendship/relational evangelism, testimonial evangelism, narrative/story telling evangelism, evangelistic movies, confrontational/street evangelism, and most of all personal evangelism: Living out our life in such a way that we become the bait to attract people to Jesus. Personal evangelism could use other ways to reach out too. These are just some examples and are not exclusive.

Point 6:
Once fish are caught, they make them die to be used.

In the same way, once lost people are caught, ‘fisherman for the souls of men’ make them realize that they need to ‘die to self’ and surrender themselves completely to the Lord to be used of the Lord. It is here ‘lost people’ actually have the opportunity to give their life to Christ by praying and meaning what many call the ‘Sinner’s Prayer’.

If they do not want to die to themselves and be born again for Christ, they have freedom to go their own way! But if they do that they still remain lost to Christ but alive to the world which is not a good thing in the long run. It is  also possible these lost people are attracted sometime in the future and decide to ‘die to themselves’ as other ‘fisherman for the souls of men’ come along.

Point 7:
They (fisherman) clean the fish and make them available to others.

In the same way, ‘fisherman for the souls of men’ help clean the ‘lost people’ with the help of the Lord. It is done with the Lord's sanctification by grace using His transforming grace in the lost people's lives. Lost people who are saved now and born again are helped to clean their lifestyle with the help of Jesus. Jesus personally works in their life through the power of the Holy Spirit, through His Word, through prayer, and the community of believers as they surrender their lives to Him. Lifestyle is something we talked about last night too at Transformers small group.

As this continues to happen, now ‘lost people who have been found’ are available to others to reciprocate what happened to them. Just as fish is eaten and people get nourishment after it is available to them, in the same way, now people who are saved can allow Jesus to work in their lives and bring spiritual nourishment to others.

IMPLICATIONS:
I ask you now dear friends, why can't you use your P.R.O.F.E.S.S.I.O.N to reach the lost?
Dear friends,  Jesus wanted to use Simon and Andrew from what they had already pursued and were pursuing to make an impact for the Kingdom of God. This is awesome because Jesus had used them with their experiences and knowledge of what they knew in fishing to become 'fisherman for the souls of men' if they would come after Jesus and follow Him. So, 'why can't you use your profession to reach the lost' should not even enter your mind or thoughts because you can!

No matter what your profession is whether that be of a full-time student, a full-time mom, a full-time academician, full-time professional, etc, that area can be used by the Lord to make an impact in and for the Kingdom of God when you hear Jesus calling you and you follow Him. When you die to yourself and become alive in Christ being willing to follow Him, He can use you where you are at giving you wisdom to use the ways you have already experienced and know for His Kingdom's sake to reach the lost. This is so EXCITING TO KNOW! Yes, it is friend! Simon and Andrew decided to follow Jesus and the Lord has used them in mighty ways. He can use you too! Yes, He can!

If you have time, you can look at the function of your profession and see how you can make an analogy to use that profession/major to reach lost people for the Kingdom of God. There could be times the Lord could ask you to change your profession/major completely and take you to another profession but that can be used to bring lost people to Christ too if you have a willing spirit of surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ. Never think to yourself that reaching the lost is the professional job of a pastor, priest, reverend, minister, etc. You have been placed where you are at for such a time as this because the Lord wants to use you. Yes, He does friend!

Just as Jesus used Simon and Andrew's profession to help them reach the lost souls for Christ, Jesus has used other disciples professions too to reach the masses. He can use you too! Let's take a tax-collector and doctor for example. This summer my friend David, Al and I looked at this passage in detail to apply in our own lives.

Matthew was a tax-collector and he had to be very thorough with numbers like an accountant.  When Matthew became Jesus' disciple, Jesus used Matthew's profession to help him to be the one to write the Gospel of Matthew. The Gospel of Matthew is very thorough with 28 chapters of detail from the birth of Christ to His death and resurrection. Matthew was Jewish and was writing to a Jewish audience so he incorporated the Old Testament prophecies very much to show his readers that Jesus is indeed the Messiah they have been waiting for.

Luke was a doctor and he had to be very thorough with diagnosing patients ailments and treat them. When Luke decided to follow Jesus, Jesus used Luke's profession to help him to be the one to write the Gospel of Luke. The Gospel of Luke too is very thorough with details from the birth of Christ to His death and resurrection. Luke was a Gentile and was writing to a Gentile audience so he incorporated things to attract a predominantly Gentile audience to show his readers that Jesus is indeed the Lord and Savior of the world they all need.

If you are into accounting as my friend David is or into medicine like my friends Cathy, Steve, Milton, Luke, Jeremy, Ryan, Antonia, Yohko, Annette, etc are, you can try to make an analogy how you can be an accountant for Jesus and a doctor for Jesus, just as the disciples Simon and Andrew used their profession for Christ. It does not have to stop with analogies for fisherman, tax-collectors, accountants and doctors.

Friend, never ever think you cannot use your profession to reach the lost for Christ because you can as you surrender your life to Christ and depend on Him to guide you and lead you.

How have I been using my profession to reach the lost?

To be continued...

May the Lord use your profession for His honor and glory and may you know that He can inspire you and nurture you daily helping you in whatever area you are in to reach souls for Christ! Amen!

The purpose of today's devotional was for me to understand that the Lord Jesus can use my profession to reach souls for Christ when I hear Him calling me and I  follow Him.

“Professionally Remember Our Function Everyday Serves Savior Imparting Omnipotent Nurture!"/"Why can't use your P.R.O.F.E.S.S.I.O.N to reach the lost?"

Friend, opportunities will come as you decide to follow the Lord in the profession you are in. May you allow Him to work in your life!

Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus thank you for using the profession of Simon and Andrew to reach the lost. You used what they were good at and experienced to reach souls for you when they heard you calling them and followed you. Oh Lord, when you call us, you don't want us to be an inactive agent for the Kingdom of God but an active agent for your honor and glory, using the skills, experiences, and knowledge you have given us in the areas of our studies and profession to be used for you. I thank you that learning from your Word, I know that no matter what profession we are in, you can use it for your Kingdom's sake when we make ourselves available to you. Oh Lord thank you for the the professions you have given us. Lord, I want to thank you that no matter what our major is or profession is, you can use us for your honor and glory to be a ‘mechanic for the souls of men’ , ‘scientist for the souls of men’, etc regardless of what we have majored in or doing when we follow you and your desires become our desires.  Thank you Lord, academics can be used for your honor and glory, for all Truth that is out there is your Truth. Lord, when we do encounter things that are contrary to your Word please do help us. I thank you for using us to be an instrument so people can be saved  into your Kingdom. Thank you for being delighted to use us. Help us Oh Lord for your Name's sake. Thank you so much Jesus. And most of all help us to be faithful, available, involved, teachable, and humble. We can do that only with your help because you have already paid the price to set us free by your free gift of grace shown at the Cross of Calvary when you died on the cross and shed your precious blood for us to cleanse us of all our sin. We can receive that forgiveness and a new life as we turn ourselves over to you and follow you. Help us Oh Lord for your Name's sake. We give our lives to you and to the usage of your plan. I acknowledge you as my Lord and Personal Savior. Please be my Lord and personal Savior. Come into my heart and make my heart your home. Live in me Jesus so I can live for you and serve you the rest of the days of my life. Thank you Jesus for coming in and being part of my life. Clean me Jesus as I surrender my life to you. Thank you for your Holy Spirit to work in my life, sanctifying me by your grace, and transforming me. Whatever your will, please give me the willingness and strength to rejoice in it. Thank you Jesus you have heard my prayers and answered me. Thank you Jesus you will help me. In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen