04. Follow Me, and I Will Make You Fishers for Men
Can You Be a Disciple and Not Multiply Disciples?. Part 04
Jesus did not simply invite people to believe in Him. He invited them to follow Him. And He made it clear where following Him would lead.
“Come after me, and I will make you into fishers for men.”. Mark 1:17 WEB
Notice the promise. Jesus did not say: “Follow Me, and I will make you more knowledgeable.” “Follow Me, and I will make you more comfortable.” “Follow Me, and I will make you a faithful church attender.”
He said: “I will make you fishers for men.”
Jesus calls us as we are. But He does not leave us as we are. He changes our priorities. He redirects our lives. He turns our attention outward. Toward people who are far from God.
Following Jesus Has a Direction
If we are following Jesus, He will lead us toward people. Toward the lost. Toward the broken. Toward the overlooked. Toward those who have never heard.
That is where Jesus continually went. He went to Zacchaeus. He crossed Samaria to meet a woman at a well. He entered the homes of sinners. He touched lepers. He noticed the people religious leaders ignored.
Jesus did not wait inside a building for lost people to find Him. He went looking for them. And then He told His disciples:
“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost.”. Luke 19:10 WEB
How can we claim to follow Jesus while having no concern for the people He came to seek and save?
Fishing Requires Leaving the Shore
Fishermen do not catch fish by sitting comfortably at home. They go where the fish are. They prepare their nets. They endure inconvenience. They keep casting, even when the results are slow.
In the same way, disciple-making requires intentionality. We must go beyond our Christian circles. We must build relationships with people who do not yet follow Jesus. We must listen to their stories. We must share our testimony. We must offer to pray. We must open God’s Word with them. We must invite them to discover and obey Jesus.
The problem is not that Christians never see lost people. We see them every day. They live beside us. They work with us. They study with us. They sit in coffee shops with us. They may even live in our own homes.
The question is whether we see them as Jesus sees them.
Jesus Does the Making
Perhaps you do not feel qualified to make disciples. Neither were the first disciples. They were ordinary fishermen. Jesus did not say, “Become a skilled fisher for men, and then you can follow Me.” He said: “Follow Me, and I will make you.”
Our responsibility is to follow. His responsibility is to transform us.
As we walk with Jesus, He teaches us to love people. He gives us courage. He opens doors. He prepares hearts. He empowers us through the Holy Spirit. We may begin awkwardly. We may make mistakes. We may not know all the answers. But we learn to fish by fishing.
Where Are the People?
This is not a question meant to condemn us. It is a question meant to awaken us.
If we have followed Jesus for years but have never helped another person follow Him, something is missing. If following Jesus makes us fishers for men, we must honestly ask:
- Where are the people I am fishing for?
- Who am I praying for?
- Who am I intentionally loving?
- With whom am I sharing Jesus?
- Whom am I helping obey His commands?
- Who is learning to make disciples because I invested in them?
Jesus is still calling ordinary people. He is still transforming followers into fishers. And He is still leading His disciples toward those who are far from God.
The invitation has not changed: “Come after Me.”
The transformation has not changed: “I will make you.”
The mission has not changed: “Fishers for men.”
If we are truly following Jesus, we cannot remain permanently turned inward. Eventually, He will lead us toward people.
Who is Jesus leading you toward today?
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