Following Jesus? Then fish!       

by Anthony Jordan                                                                                         Vol. XIX, No. 3, March 2006

[Anthony Jordan is executive director-treasurer of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma.]

This week, pastors and laity gathered at Moore, First for our annual State Evangelism Conference. The Evangelism Conference is a mainstay in our work that sets the course straight at the beginning of each year. Unapologetically and emphatically, we are called to place maximum priority on reaching people with the Gospel during the year.

It is the right message and challenge to the right people. After all, the sheep will follow the shepherd. If the pastor and staff do not demonstrate a lifestyle of witness, it is unlikely the people will. If the pastor does not preach and encourage the people to declare the Gospel in the normal traffic patterns of their lives, most won’t.

Year after year, baptisms in our state stay flat. Our churches are more focused on the church than they are on the lost world. We are so caught up in ensuring the members are comfortable and that we have the right ministries to reach the next Christian or Baptist family, we forget the main thing. We are in the consumer age of the church, but we ought to be in the marketing age.

Perhaps our problem should be easy to see. Jesus made a simple but powerful statement in Mark 1:17 “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” From this declaration by Jesus I would pose two questions to each of us. First, are you a fisher of men? If not, then are you following Jesus?

Some will recoil at my brash questions. They do so because they love Jesus and are very active in their church. In fact, many members “live” at the church. Pastors and others are deeply dedicated to keeping the programs and ministries of the church moving. Many would lament the lack of commitment to the church.

Be assured, I believe in the local expression of the church. We should provide ministries to develop believers. But those ministries should focus on discipling people who will become fishers of men, not good pew sitters. If we are teaching people to follow the Jesus of the Bible, we will be teaching them to become fishers of men!

So the pointed and inescapable question for every pastor and every Christian is this: “Am I following Jesus, evidenced by my lifestyle of fishing for men?” Is the priority of our church the development of programs that outdo the church down the street, or is it the maturing of the saints into people who are constantly placing gospel hooks in the water of life and relationships?

I think it is time that every Oklahoma Baptist church, no matter how small or large, cleans the slate. We ought to examine our church ministries not just to find a visitation program, but also to find a fishing element in each of them. Maybe our pastors should leave the Evangelism Conference determined to personally make daily intentional witnessing a pattern and priority of their ministry. Just maybe they should go home ready to lead their churches to prioritize fishing for souls.

Our state will continue to become more pagan and our culture will continue to decline until we do. So I ask, “Are you following Jesus?” If so, you will be catching fish.