{"id":54958,"date":"2024-09-21T09:20:05","date_gmt":"2024-09-21T06:20:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wingulamashahidi.org\/?p=54958"},"modified":"2025-09-13T14:22:32","modified_gmt":"2025-09-13T11:22:32","slug":"be-a-fisher-of-men-do-not-let-the-fish-catch-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wingulamashahidi.org\/en\/2024\/09\/21\/be-a-fisher-of-men-do-not-let-the-fish-catch-you\/","title":{"rendered":"BE A FISHER OF MEN DO NOT LET THE FISH CATCH YOU"},"content":{"rendered":"

(A Special Lesson for Ministers and Servants of God)<\/strong><\/p>\n

As a preacher or servant of God, do not love the world, and do not run away from the voice of God.<\/p>\n

1. The Call to Fish for People<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Lord Jesus said to Peter:<\/p>\n

Luke 5:10 (ESV)<\/strong> \u00a0\u201cAnd Jesus said to Simon, \u2018Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.\u2019\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Here, the Lord Jesus compares \u201cpeople\u201d to \u201cfish\u201d<\/strong>, and the \u201cworld\u201d to the \u201csea.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

This symbolic language is consistent throughout the Gospels, where the work of the Gospel is often compared to fishing.<\/p>\n

He further confirms this idea in the parable of the net:<\/p>\n

Matthew 13:47\u201349 (ESV)<\/strong>
\n\u201cAgain, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

If fish represent people<\/strong> living in the world (the sea), then the Gospel of the Lord Jesus is the net<\/strong>. Christ has called us to draw people out of the world<\/strong> through the message of salvation not to be drawn into<\/em> the world ourselves.<\/p>\n

The fish (representing worldly people or influences) are not supposed to pull us into the sea (the world). Rather, we are called to pull them out<\/strong> into the Kingdom of God.<\/p>\n

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2. Can a Preacher Be \u201cCaught\u201d by the Fish?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

You may ask: Can a servant of God be caught by the fish?<\/em>
\nThe answer is YES.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Remember the story of Jonah<\/strong>? When he ran from the voice of the Lord<\/strong>, what happened?<\/p>\n

Jonah 1:17 (ESV)<\/strong> \u00a0\u201cAnd the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Jonah\u2019s disobedience led him into captivity <\/strong>into the belly of the fish, a place of darkness, isolation, and distress.<\/p>\n

Similarly, a preacher or servant of God who runs away from God\u2019s call<\/strong>, and instead chooses to follow worldly desires<\/strong>, will end up swallowed by the world <\/strong>caught up in its systems, distractions, or even its punishments.<\/p>\n

The belly of the fish<\/strong> can represent:<\/p>\n