Jesus said, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matt 4:19)

Kermit Long said, “We’re no longer fishers of men, but keepers of the aquarium, and we spend most of our time swiping fish from each other’s bowl.”

Are we “fishers of men”?

Are we “making disciples”?

Or are we only “keepers of the aquarium”?

The final words of Jesus while he was on the earth were to “go and make disciples”. (Matt 28:19)

Final words are important. Jesus used his to command us to make disciples.

Are we obeying?

Allow me to engage you hypothetically for a moment.

There are roughly 315 million people in the United States at the time of this writing. Let’s just say for conversation sake that a little less than 1% were followers of Jesus (3 million). If those 3 million spent one year and each made one new disciple; then after one year there would be 6 million. Because a disciple is made by teaching them to obey Jesus commands, and Jesus commanded us to make disciples, these 6 million disciples would be seeking to make new disciples.

Let’s say that after one more year, each one made one disciple. So now after two years the 6 million has multiplied to 12 million. Keeping on the same track, after three years there’d be 24 million, after four: 48 million, after five: 96 million, after six: 192 million, and after just seven years of every disciple making one disciple by the end of each year, the entire nation would be converted.

In only seven years.

How many Christians are in the US?

How long have they been here?

What are we doing?!?

Has keeping the aquarium replaced being fishers of men?

Jesus said follow me and I’ll make you fishers of men.

If we’re not fishing for men, are we really following Jesus?

(Image Credit: State Library Queensland)