Where is your fish?

Dear Church Family,

Growing up as I did in the rural south provided many opportunities as a boy to fish. I must say that I took full advantage of those opportunities. I liked fishing in all kinds of different places from ponds, swamps, rivers, streams, and lakes and even on those most memorable occasions, the Gulf of Mexico. I have caught fish on cane poles, fly rods, rod & reels, in nets, on trout lines, bobbing jugs, yo-yo lines, and everything short of dynamite which I always thought would have been a lot of fun. When I would return from fishing, either by myself, with my dad or perhaps a friend, I can remember my mom saying, “Are we having fish tonight?” or “Where’s your fish?” I remember many times holding up a stringer full of fish. It was always thrilling for a young boy to share the joy of having caught so many fish.

It is amazing how many times in the New Testament, particularly in the Gospels, we read about something to do with fish. Jesus called His first disciples from their place of work, fishermen mending their nets along the shores of the Sea of Galilee. He told them to follow Him and He would make them fishers of men. He used a fishing boat for a pulpit, later He used that same boat for a draught of fishes so big it almost sunk the little fishing vessel and the men beckoned for their partners to come help them get the fish to shore. Another time, Peter was a little short on his taxes and Jesus told him where to go fishing. Inside the fish’s mouth was a gold coin, enough to pay their taxes (Peter’s and Jesus’). On a hillside, on two different occasions, Jesus took the small loaves, and you guessed it, a few throw-back sized fish and multiplied them to feed thousands. The early church even used the sign of the fish to identify themselves during the time of persecution. After the resurrection Peter became discouraged and announced, “I go a fishing.” It was a statement that signaled he was returning to his previous life. As they fished all night the Bible sums up the results “they caught nothing.” Then Jesus appeared, walking along the shores of Galilee where it all first began. He called out to them and encouraged them to cast their nets on the other side and once again they drew up a great draught of fishes. Peter later repented and confessed His love for the Lord and received his life’s instructions from our Lord. The Lord gave Peter a choice when He asked, “Peter do you love me more than these?”

There is a lifetime of lessons wrapped up in all of these stories. These lessons contained simple, yet profound truths that spoke to the hearts of His disciples and should speak to our hearts as well. These lessons reveal to us His plan for our lives and His plan to reach the world with the Gospel. Fish and fishing is what these men knew best. Jesus spoke into their lives using terms and phrases they could relate to. Today, He is still calling out for those who hear His voice to follow Him. And in following Him, to become “fishers of men.” The Pinecrest Baptist Church has tried to be faithful to that call as a body of believers for more than 47 years. Over the years we have drawn the net and have seen multitudes come to saving faith in Christ locally and around the world. As we begin our 34th Annual Missions Conference take a moment and imagine the great net that is cast over this planet of souls; a network of workers that our Lord has commissioned for His glory. Missions is about hearing those who are calling out to us to help them with the labor of hauling the catch in. There are those in our community who are crying out for the Gospel and must be gathered in. There are those around the world who have never once heard a clear presentation of the Gospel of Christ and must be gathered in. This is a personal matter. What part are you going to have in fishing for men? In this year’s conference, we once again seek your involvement in bringing this catch of souls to Christ. We have invited some wonderful missionary families who are fishing in treacherous and dangerous waters. They need our help and support. We are going to share some opportunities where we can cast our nets into the waters here locally. We are going to also share some opportunities and special projects where we can cast our nets around the world. We look ahead to that day in Heaven when we stand before our God and give an account of our days of fishing. May we not say, “we have fished all night and have caught nothing,” but rather hold up our spiritual stringer and present our Lord with a great catch of souls for His glory. This year’s theme is communicated with one pointed question – Where is your fish?