Go Fish

Mar 11, 2023

Church, as we continue our journey of the life of Jesus found in the Book of Luke, today we come to Luke Chapter 9. In the beginning of the chapter (verses 1-6), we read that Jesus sends out the twelve disciples.

The passage goes like this:

When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He told them: “Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt. Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. If people do not welcome you, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.

- Luke 9:1-6

As I read this, I could not help but be reminded of Pastor Jared’s series back in February called “Go Fish.” I loved that series.

Now, admittedly, evangelism, in the traditional sense of the word, is not my strong point. I am not one to walk up to someone and ask if they know they are going to Heaven. Oh, I’ve done it, but it is not comfortable for me. I know people who are gifted in this way and I celebrate that gift in them… but it is not mine.

However, I took two primary takeaways from Pastor Jared’s series that both challenged and encouraged me:

I have the privilege and responsibility to ask God, every time I walk into a room, what role He has for me in that moment. Maybe it is to simply be a light, to bring energy and joy to the room, or maybe it is to encourage someone who is struggling, to console someone who is hurting, or to celebrate with someone who has experienced something positive in their life. Whatever it is, have I asked God to prepare me for how I can best care for and support someone(s) in that space?

This takeaway reminds me that I have a purpose regardless of the situation God has placed me in.

As the Apostle Paul reminds us in Ephesians 2:10:

[I] am God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God has prepared in advance for me to do.

The second takeaway is that I have a story to share, a story that is Good News. As Pastor Jared reminded us, evangelical means Good News. It is our opportunity to tell our story of what Jesus has done in our life. As Pastor Jared put it: “What happened here?” It is not my responsibility to convince someone they need Jesus – I definitely don’t need to shove Him down their throats, nor do I need to be able to answer all the mysteries of the universe and explain every theological question in the Bible (although I do enjoy getting into discussions on that topic), but I do have a story to share that cannot be refuted and cannot be argued, for it is MY story.

This takeaway reminds me that it is not necessarily about me “going out,” like the Twelve Disciples, but while I “am going,” wherever that may be, to look for God-ordained opportunities to share my story, my Good News of what God has done in and for me.

As Isaiah writes in Isaiah 52:7, and the Apostle Paul later repeats in Romans 10:15:

How beautiful are the feet of them who bring good news!

Friends, I encourage and challenge you to ask God how He wants to use YOU in every situation and circumstance you find yourself, whether at home, at work, or in the community. And be prepared to share your story, your Good News of what God has done in and for you.