Fish Bait

Freedom does require some imagination.

What we are going to look at today is how freedom works with evangelism.

Can you imagine for a moment what it would be like to be completely free.
No tie downs. No commitments. Nothing to make us feel enslaved to some system or person.
This is exactly the notion that Paul will bring to us in this passage.
"...I am free and I belong to no one,..."

When I first met my wife, there was a clear sentiment that she did not belong to me.
"I'm not your woman", is the phrase I'm sure I heard several times.
There was an older couple at my last church and the husband was known to call out to his wife when he wanted something, even at church - "WOMAN...."
We joke at home about that to this day as I call out to my wife, "WOMAN!"
In response comes the sarcastically uttered word, "MAAAAAAN!"

But, the idea of servant hood permeates everything that Jesus and Paul would have stood for in their lives. Jesus would say of himself that he came not to do his own will, but the will of the Father who sent him. In this passage from Corinthians, Paul makes it clear to his readers that he is free, but he is quick to leave that freedom for the chance to serve in order to win people to Christ.

Lets read.

1 Corinthians 9:19-23

New International Version (NIV)

Paul’s Use of His Freedom

¹⁹ Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. ²⁰ To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. ²¹ To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. ²² To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. ²³ I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.   

Lets tie this in with the subject of fishing.

When I go fishing, I am free to use whatever I want to use. I can put whatever I want on my hook and toss it out there. Will I catch something? I don't know. It really depends on what I'm trying to catch.

Paul doesn't seem to be to concerned with what he is trying to catch.
He brings the whole tackle box. Everything. If one thing doesn't work when he casts it out, He will try something else. He brings the night crawlers, the grub worms, the wax worms, the artificial bait, his spinners and his chicken livers. Maybe he even cut up some hot dogs and made some dough balls.  He is ready to fish and has a full reserve of bait at the ready.

This says much to me as I think about evangelism.
What is our bait? What are we trying to catch? Are we trying to catch anything?
Or, are we simply willing to sit here and watch the world go by?

Back to the opening thought, are we to caught up in ourselves, what we want? Is it all about us?
Paul says that he is free and belongs to no one. But, he lays all of that aside to become a slave to everyone. In order that he might reach some people for Christ. He is here to serve. In serving, he gives up his right to himself. He forgets about what he wants and puts others first. It's not about himself. He is not looking to put his name up in lights. He doesn't care if anybody knows who he is. He wants the world to know who Christ is.

If we were fishing for men around here, how would we go about it?
I'd like to think we would take every opportunity possible, every chance to reach the people around us for Jesus Christ. Can we feed people? Sure can. Can we visit people? Sure can. Can we clothe people? Sure can. Here's a notion lying underneath all that...it requires us to go to them. It requires us to put something on a hook, on the end of a line, and actually cast it out there. It's not somebody else's work. It's our work. We have to claim it personally and go to it.

Listen to Paul's words again...
"I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some."
This is how Paul uses his freedom. To save others.
Not to worry about himself and what he wants. Not to make sure his name is out there.
His focus is on "the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings"

I recall a song by a Catholic guy named Eli, a christian singer from the mid-90's.
He wrote this song called, That's All The Lumber aka"The Lumber Song".
In the song, he works with the scripture that says, "Store your treasure up in heaven".
He brings out the idea that what we do here on earth determines how big of a mansion we might have up there. (He is catholic and there is an idea of the system of "works" here, but you'll like the spirit of the song.)

The fella in the song gets there and finds out he only has a two room shack while others have mansions up on the hill. He didn't spend his life trying help or reach others and, in essence, he did not send much wood up there to build with. There is a notion in the song that if we could go back and do it over again, then what would we do?

 St. Peter if you can
Send me back to earth again
Is that somethin' you can do?
Pete said: It ain't up to me
If it was I'd like to see
How you plan to improve
Said: I'd love God and fellow man
Take a wife and make a stand
Be the givinest guy I can be

What blessings will we share in? Joy, peace, heaven, everlasting life.
Just hearing the words "Well done, good and faithful servant". That'd be enough.

When was the last time we saw somebody get saved right here?
When was the last time we put it all out there in the hopes that somebody finds Jesus?

Do you have a pole? Do you have some bait?
I'm willing to bet you do and don't even realize it.

Can you love people? Do you have that capacity within you?
Can you give and not worry about yourself? Not put yourself first?
Can you share what you have so that other might have a chance to know about the love of Christ?

You can. Does it mean we might have to get our hands messy? Maybe.
Not so much like getting your hands dirty in a dozen night crawlers trying to put one on the hook of a fishing line. But, it might require us to get our hands dirty in other ways.

And, we'll share in the glories of the next life.
The blessings from above are ours when we forget about ourselves and out others first.

Here's the bait. Take some and go catch something big.