Fish or Cut Bait

12 January 2020

Isaiah 42:1-9; Psalm 29; Acts 10:34-43; Matthew 4:12-22

When His ministry on earth was done, our Shepherd commissioned the Church: “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  Teach them to obey everything I have taught you, and remember I am with you always, until the end of the age.”  Matthew 28:19-20 NRSV

When Jesus began His public ministry, after He had been baptized and after He had been tested in the wilderness by the “tempter”, He started with an assurance rather than a threat: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matthew 4:17).  Then He began calling – and “making” – disciples.  He began with Peter and Andrew and followed with James and John.  Others would come later, but their journey toward becoming more than they were when they were called would be three years in the making.  This, I think, is significant for us to note.

This seems to be a sticking point with many churches, especially those desperate to add to their numbers.  Big numbers are great.  Professions of faith and baptisms, new members joining, worship attendance, Bible study groups, and even tithes and other offerings are all noted by the Conference as the measure of vitality, of effectiveness. 

While there is some validity to these numbers telling a story about how alive a church really is, it is important for the church to bear in mind that actually making disciples – particularly making disciples equipped and prepared to make disciples themselves, which is the entire point - is a long game. 

It is not about getting a potential convert to say a prayer; it is about teaching potential disciples the importance of prayer.  It is about transforming lives and communities.  It is about helping individuals to move beyond being mere “believers” and becoming followers.  And I think perhaps because Jesus’ hour could not come until the disciples were properly prepared to take the reins, it should probably suggest to us that “making disciples” goes beyond creating converts. 

By the Holy Spirit alone rather than by our compelling arguments, persons can have a clarifying moment of conviction.  Moving beyond that moment will require an intentional community with a strong sense of purpose and self, a lot of time and patience, and a lot of effort to help and to encourage these new believers – and old ones - to stay the course and stay connected to the community of faith in discipleship.  We know the course – the Journey itself – is long and hard.  We know there are far too many tempting distractions, but we also know life itself – going to school, earning a living, spending quality time with our families – can become distractions in and of themselves.  Soon, if we are not on our guard, even these things become the entire point of our existence.

Yet through the course of developing, the journey of becoming, some distractions may prove to be so compelling that what is of everlasting importance, that which will last beyond any given moment of distraction, can be lost.  Sometimes it is lost momentarily, in which case the Church must work to draw them back while being patient with them. 

Sometimes, however, the distractions can be so overwhelming that the once-future disciple can become lost in choosing another, less challenging, less risky, and more “popular” path.  For the Church, it is always about knowing when to “fish”, and when to “cut bait” while also making sure the Door is always open and a lifeline is at the ready.  As Jesus taught His disciples before sending them out to share the Good News, if they won’t hear it, shake off the dust and move along (Matthew 10:14).  Do not get caught up in senseless and unprofitable arguments!

The Christian faith is not about beating errant members over the head or threatening non-believers with hell until they come around, but this does not mean we cannot hold one another accountable.  Jesus issued a simple challenge, and four men chose to drop everything to see what this “fishing for people” was all about.  Jesus never said, “If you don’t claim Me as your personal Lord and Savior, you are going to hell”.  He said, “Follow Me”.  So they followed Him … for three years. 

Even after three years, one did fall away; but was his sin of betrayal worse than the betrayal of the others who ran when circumstances became sketchy?  Dangerous?  This tells us that even our best efforts may not be enough, but Jesus always is enough.  They learned this after His Resurrection.

So discipleship is not a “moment”; it is an investment.  In keeping with the Great Commission, it is working to ensure through the generations that the communities entrusted to our care will always have the Gospel.  We dare not presume to think “someone” will always be willing if we do not teach the faith.  Discipleship is also up close and personal.  It demands relationships.  It requires disciples to first earn the trust of the wider community.  This means actively listening rather than merely waiting our turn to talk. 

It means conveying to the community and to future disciples that we are in it for the long haul – through good times and bad, through successes and failures, through agreements and disagreements.  It always means we care about something other than ourselves and our personal beliefs or churning out big numbers for the Conference.

The Church across denominational lines has been in steady decline since the 60’s; and while we may have our favorite “fall guy” to blame for the decline (pick your poison), we must acknowledge the fact that it is never just one thing. 

Yet as easy as it is to blame what we would call “ungodly” external forces, including the devil himself, maybe it is time the Church looked more closely within.  Like acknowledging the many external forces that may contribute to the decline, we must be willing to face a certain reality – while there may be no one particular person within the Church solely responsible for the decline, the collective Church – the congregation itself – must determine how we function as a whole.

This kind of evaluation is not easy; introspection in being honest with oneself never is.  But until we are first willing to be honest with ourselves, we cannot expect we will ever be honest with those we are charged to reach and to teach and, yes, to love. 

There are no guarantees for success, at least not on our terms or by our own standards.  But as long as we try, as long as we are diligent about the True Mission of the Church to “make disciples”, we have this assurance from our Shepherd as well: “I am with you always”.  To the very End. 

Can we then see the Church Herself is that very Promise?  Pray, then, that we live and learn and love – and fish - as though it were so.  To the Very End.  Amen.