When Fishermen Don't Fish | Timothy Lee
by Timothy Lee
First Apostolic Church of Maryville (Maryville, TN)
Kind: sermon
Scripture: Matthew 4:18-20, Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 1:8, Matthew 20:20-21, Matthew 9:10-13, Luke 22:56-62

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/timothy-lee--when-fishermen-don-t-fish
Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page.
Free to copy and share with attribution.

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amen so good to be here I'm just humble it's a privilege to be here it's a privilege to worship god with you like this because three years back we were in lockdown remember that and I told God that every time when we come together again I will not take it for granted amen shall we just Worship the Lord can we just do it one more time Lord feel your presence here we worship you Lord we are going back to this God you're coming back for a glorious Church Lord I'm thankful God that I'm a part of a glorious Church Hallelujah come on come on let's clap our hands one more time to the Lord amen Hallelujah amen what an honor amen I think what was a special treat for us was to hear Brother Carpenter teach a Bible study amen we were there we were just getting together went to Jennifer's house you know and then we I first of all I never heard a lot of things that he taught before start to add on my notes amen you know but but again you know uh you are blessed to have pastors who don't ask you to go but he's going you know the very fact that he would have us because we know Chinese to reach out to this deal Falls from China and we are going to make connections how we're going to have translation for them Hallelujah you know that's exciting that's exciting and we get to be a part of it amen you know again uh this year I I became a grand father amen oh last year last year I became a grandfather December you know and you know I I I pray you know that you know when I come among your midst in your schools I want my grin taught her to be raising this kind of atmosphere you are blessed you are blessed you know I I if you don't mind me I'm a proud grandfather I like to welcome you and introduce to you my granddaughter you know if you look at the screen you know can you play that video please for a while yeah that's my grandma Avery amen thank God for this beautiful amen amen oh we got work to do amen we got work to do if you have your Bible listened to the Book of Matthew Chapter 4 Verse 18 to 20 Matthew Chapter 4 Verse 18 to 20. and uh again my family is watching me online I miss you guys I wish you were here uh again Jabez wants to send his regards to all his friends amen amen Matthew Chapter 4 Verse 18 to 20. and Jesus walking by the Sea of Galilee saw two brothers Simon called Peter and Andrew his brother casting into the sea for they were fishermen and then he said to them follow me and I'll make you Fishers of Men he did not say that I'll make you a better businessman don't make and please don't understand me that God wants us to succeed okay but don't stop there don't stop there you know he did not say that he'll make you better husbands please don't misunderstand me I think God wants us to be good husbands but don't stop there don't stop there amen the whole purpose of you being blessed the whole purpose of us being blessed as a group of people is so that we can become features of men I want you to notice this in verse 20. oh I wish we get this I wish we would do this they immediately left their nails and follow him immediately you know is around the corner wow we got a job to do remember the eggs are flying down from the helicopters but there are people out there there are people we we are not just having fun but we got a job to do come on everybody come on and we got a job to do amen shall we just leave our hands let's pray father your word is so precious your word is already anointed so father I'm I'm asking you to annoy me to speak forth your word stir us up Inspire us loaded to action father this is a call to action so father I pray in the name of Jesus lead us guide us stir us up like never before because of the times that we are living in for we are born for such a time as this father in the name of Jesus speak to us in Jesus name and all God's people say amen you maybe say that amen again Matthew chapter 28 verse 19 and 20 go therefore Make Disciples of all Nations baptizing them in the name of the father of the son and of the Holy Spirit teaching them to observe all things that I've commanded you and lo I'm with you always even to the end of age amen amen the Bible did not say it is a good commission it is a Great Commission the Bible did not say it is a good suggestion it is the Great Commission so when I look at the word commission defines commissions as a task assignment duty job charge Mission Authority power responsibility position appointment command directive instruction charge contract assignment Warren you see folks yes we are not saved by works Amen to that everybody say Amen we are not saved by works but we are safe until good works that means we have job to do amen are you with me here today you see it is known as the Great Commission and why is it so great because it carries within an awesome responsibility because it has the power to save because it is a wonderful message because he didn't say wonderful privilege I don't know about you but God told you and I today to be his ambassadors to be his mouthpiece to a world that do not know Jesus come on what an awesome privilege you and I have this is not a punishment this is a privilege come on turn to your neighbor say this is our privilege amen you see when you look at it as a punishment it will be a burden to you but when you look at it as a privilege things change around you know what I don't have to be a fisherman I get to be official man come on people everybody say Amen you know what in in Acts chapter 1 verse 8 he says it but you shall receive power everybody say power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem in all of Judea and Samaria to the end of the war amen you know brother Chad was talking about Singapore what he didn't tell you about Singapore is Within These six million people half of the people are foreigners amen and you know what I was praying say God why so many foreigners you know the Lord told me straight in the face I cannot wait for you to get your act together to send missionaries I have brought these people into your land so that you can preach to them God is wanting Revival that God is causing people to come to your country let's not miss it I am so glad that brother Carpenter have sorry amen he contacted us hey hey you know what we have a group of people you didn't chase them out I thank you I thank you you didn't chase them out but you saw an opportunity that God is wanting to reach them so many times I'm telling you this church is unique because I've seen a lot of just oh we don't have those people oh throw them up whatever but he made an effort he go fine but Eric someone was telling me Oh by the way your schedule is changed we're gonna have a home Bible study and then my wife's like oh you're gonna do the job my dear and and and I'm thankful that that she's always carrying his her laptop with all her PowerPoints with all those search for truth charts ready because you know what we have to get ready amen her iPad is full of charts from the Chinese charts telling people how to get into a relationship with God come on everybody I say it's time for us to be Confucius of men come on everybody say praise the Lord come on everybody say praise God amen but today I want to talk to you about something that I've witnessed for myself amen what happens my topic today is what happened when fishermen don't fish what happened to them well first thing that you realize that when fishermen don't fish they fight oh Lord help us I'm going to rock your board amen Matthew chapter 20 verse 22-24 then the mother of zebedee's sons came to him with her sons kneeling down and asking something from him and he said to her what do you wish he said to him grant that these two sons of mine may sit one on your right hand and the other on the left you know what I realized my goodness there was politics here when fishermen don't fish they become political who's who's worship leading who's getting all the Limelight who who's promoted you know what come on I know in a group setting like this we all have jealousy to deal with Envy come on I mean you look at someone rising to the top but why he not me amen come on you got different departments oh this person is rising up to become a Sunday school I still helper why not me amen you see when people don't go out there and fish they become political they fight among themselves they fight over chairs they fight over things and it's not worth fighting for amen they fight for hey why is the aircon so hard hey why is the rules the toilet so dirty by the way if you notice the toilet that they clean it I mean you are servants right you guests coming come on guests coming and by the way you are not the guest you are part of the house and we are all Fishers of Men come on everybody say praise the Lord come on you know what I've realized when someone is not busy teaching a Bible study they make all the ministry about them they tell you that I'm a servant huh so if I don't have rights you know what I realize yeah they are servant to their own agenda when you are a servant to your own gender brother you were not a servant servant have no rights whatever needs to be done oh you want the toilet cleaner I'll go clean the toilet what else you need to do oh you you want to give up my sins come on come on sit here come on sit here some people have their names or their seed I don't know how they do it because every Sunday they come they sit there and it's like damn and then when you see their place you touch my cow my secret cow but if you are official man come have my sin come have my Bible come on come on you've got a friend I will help you find that seed come on come on I'm so glad that you came you need a Bible come on you need a Bible study come on everybody say praise God oh here comes another one ready when fishermen don't fish him they become judgmental and have a religious spirit oh let's look at it Matthew chapter 10 verse 13. now it happened as Jesus said at the table in the house that behold many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples and when the Pharisees saw it they saw they said to his disciples why does your teacher eat s collectors have seen us when Jesus heard that he said to them those who are well have no need of a physician but those who are sick but go and learn what this means I desire mercy and not sacrifice for I did not come to the righteous I do not come to call the righteous about Sinners to repentance hey man you see I was like the Pharisees before you know I started out right brother Eric said I started out right I started out pure amen I want to see the world I want to see my parents safe I started right then then you know what I became political and after become I became political you know what I became a Pharisee you know what people beginning to bring people into the house of the Lord you know what I do I look at deaf people I say look they don't look good look look at the girl wearing like that ah do you know what I'm doing I I literally felt righteousness convict me but I don't know what to do so you know how I justify my being I judge them I pushed someone down to lift me up come on we all do this when someone said uh you know they they do their thing they look at you you know oh this person is not ready no he they don't understand you know but we and I don't have the Bible read the screen this is a wonderful opportunity for you to share the Bible and then you know what go ahead invite them for a meal you want a meal hey I notice that you are new here yeah you know if God put you someone who is new it is your responsibility hello I realize that you are new in the house of the Lord you want to tour in this building I mean that's what they teach you in what they see I think what this need take care of the guests better than sometimes the church I mean come on there for the dollars but we are for Souls we are fishermens you know we are Fishers of Men if somebody you don't know sit beside you guess what God wants you to take God wants you to take him out for a meal bye I have to spend money well yes someone spend money on you come on amen it is our job to find out more about them you don't have to force the gospel of them you just be a friend amen some of us don't know how to be your friend hello what's your name where are you from it's good to have you with us by the way which I'm wondering whether you're free I'd like to thank you for me it's on me because you know what you belong to fac and it is our job to take care of our guests we take you out amen come on you know if you don't do that you become judgmental this guy probably even wonder the gospel this guy don't want to be prayed for I can tell in my spirit folks if you never walk across you you have heard of a story of a man from another country he was invited to a party because he was different in origin he walked into the party nobody wants to talk to him until one Christian man came over and say hello and spend some time with him the end of the story is this he was converted and he used to be a Muslim and now he's a Christian because somebody walk across one person walked across and say hello amen come on everybody it takes somebody to just walk across you'll be surprised what God can do be kind make sure you take something hello my wife keep on pushing me into me you better wear oh okay okay hello spray perfume not too much you will kill somebody just nice amen be pleasant can we know how to be a good person I mean come on I guess you you got to win their heart before you can preach the gospel to them and it takes time come on everybody say Amen you see sometimes we justify ourselves for the lack of compassion you know what I've been praying Lord Church work is hard amen people reject you people think you're crazy a lot of being you know I've been traveling in a lot of cities and not a lot of churches like your church amen some people want to keep their group say it's just us and no more amen they don't like me when I go there even if yeah come on everybody say praise the Lord I will ask them the questions what do you do for strategy of without the laws and make disciples you know they look at me and say huh if there's no strategy means they're not doing anything amen I look at them so so when people come to you teach home Bible study I was so surprised because I learned home Bible study my uh my spiritual mother sister Jenny Miller taught me home Bible studies now I'm hearing Apostolic churches not teaching Bible study I was like what I mean I saw brother Commander taking out the search for truth the Ancient of Days I mean I look at that that Bible study I think wow I have never seen this search for the Ancient of Days and then I look at it I was like whoa I don't even have that version It's the search for True version number one wow I say that it's working and he's still doing it come on he's still doing it oh Hallelujah if your pastor is doing it I wonder what you should be doing I wonder what you should you know you know what but Eric said you know I I don't mean to cross the line but you know all these kids when I saw you know you allowed me to preach to them I I my hip wandering in my head brother Carpenter if what if we start training them to teach home Bible study right now right now you know what I will donate 100 color Bible study charts to fac every one of them in your curriculum instead of a Becca curriculum you teach them how to teach Bible study you teach it I will give you 100 charts I mean come on I will give you the man you know I will give you this because you know what at the end of the day we want to equip them to win their friends what would happen if we go get involved there'll be less problems in the church I'll tell you this that this church will have compassion amen you know in prayer meeting I tell the people this don't pray about your knees don't pray about your need first you find the mind of God you worship Him you feel that Liberty you pray for Souls before the prayer meeting ends probably you'll be healed hello how many of you struggle for one hour in prayer come on I struggle come on let's not kill each other I struggle you know why because we only pray for us amen come on we pray for us not much to pray Lord bless me got a good career or you know when you start looking around and you start listening to people's problems listen to me very carefully you listen to people who are in transition you listen to people who are trouble you listen to people who are having relationship tension and when you hear them you look at them and you say this you know I don't mind me but I heard that you have some issue do you mind if I pray stop listening to yourself start opening your ears and listen out there there's a wall there is in pain there is a world that needs Jesus you know why we are so you know why we are so busy because we haven't cast down our debts you haven't it's our life vibrate and butter amen I'm guilty I'm guilty come on everybody say I'm guilty amen but when you make that transition first thing I've tell God is this Lord I don't love them that you love I don't love them like the way you love I ask you to baptize me with compassion I ask you to baptize me with your love I asked you to give me your burden because on my own I only think about myself so I cast all my care so that you can put your burden in me everybody say praise God come on everybody say praise God and you know what I realize this when fishermen don't fish they run away when the bad times come amen there's no roots amen I'd want to go to the scripture but you can turn it to Luke chapter 22 verse 56 56 to 62. amen Peter run away because of tough times amen when the going gets tough right now you are not even being persecuted but the day you're gonna see persecution amen and you're gonna see that it's another big sick thing for those that are the real deal amen I I heard of this story about you know in in I think it was it was World War II I don't know which country you know there was a bunch of Christians worshiping you know and then suddenly the Nazi soldiers Hitler soldiers came in and kicked that door open and took the machine gun out and say this you know what either you denounce your faith and ran out of this church or will kill you a bunch of them run out living living only a bunch of real Christians saying that you know what do as you will because we will never denounce a great God guess what happened the Nazi soldiers took out their clothes they take out put out the helmet now we know these people are the real deal you know what I've realized people who out in the Harvest field so since and when they go out there they realize that my goodness I need to be more equipped I'm dealing with people who do not know the Oneness of God and they ask me all kinds of questions about oh you know uh uh I told you guys were leaving Trinity and you need to go back to study you need to invest in the Oneness of God book and start to study I'm going to be honest with you when I first read the Oneness of God book I slept come on I'm trying to read it oh I reading it I tell myself one is one what else there is there so that's that's to argue about but then I start to read it I slept until I meet someone who's asking me questions until when I have to defend my faith you see listen you go to those Christian discipleship class read good for you but if you cannot defend if you cannot defend what you believe you ain't got it yet amen how do I know whether I know my Doctrine is that I can present it to a three-year-old boy to somebody who's 50 years old that's when I really know my deal so what I realized brother Eric said just because they go to a class doesn't make them a home Bible study teacher you know what I do I give them drills instead of Bible memorizing uh uh quizzing I give them UTB quizzing I keep on trying to give them flesh oh like all my UTV teachers are working I say Christian put down your Bibles go inside the room I'll quiz you any army will tell you this they don't wait till there's war time to train them they start preparing them oh there are drills I don't know what I'm doing I'm just going drills after drills after drills and I realize my goodness there's no war you cannot wait until there's a war then you start to train them it's too late come on the first level is yes I'm aware how to defend Oneness of God but not that's not good enough I I'm aware that this is a rifle this is how you strip the rifle okay everybody say Amen but the next thing is I got to take it to the range and begin to shoot amen I gotta run with the rifle amen and bend down and shoot 100 meter do it to another 300 meter shoot again and again and again I don't know what I'm doing I'm just going through the drill but this performs in you the memory muscle that is needed for you when you go to war we need a memory Master to defend the Oneness of God we need a memory muscle to defend the new birth come on everybody say Amen and when I go out there I start investing time in studying the Oneness of God the more I study the more I'm convinced you know why because truth can stay investigation hey man Bring It On amen you know what I have invested time preparing I'm the best of time so guess what the wonders of God I begin to love it because there's a purpose behind it the new birth I begin to love it I I tell people I think some of the people you know just think I'm crazy New Birth is my favorite book I loved you both why because there was a purpose you see what I realized is when I'm on the front line I recognize that there are still areas of my life that is not together like in the rightly dividing of God's word then I start to do living logos by the way living law Gods is the best tool that we have we have 7 000 Filipinos trained with living logos and we have sent them back to Philippines come on now you know they start doing the living logos because it's not enough to wait for a classroom setting they need to get out there to do on a daily basis to study the word themselves and the more investor they get the salt lead the ground is so when the currents of Life push them they stand they stand they stand and you know what I realize about people who have home Bible study they are not so easily blown away because they start praying different I hear them droning in the spirit God save that God save that is not bless me I hope I have a good time today will you show your presence Lord I hope so I think so maybe so these people did not care about them anymore they say save my baby save my baby you know and then they start to invest in time in fellowship with like-minded people amen I need a team I need a you know what in order for us to win this I need a platoon people who are like-minded that can train me to take this on a deeper level come on oh we start thinking about things like that and then the more we invested hear me now the more you invest in your faith you are grounded amen you know some young people say I want to be radical how many of you want to be radical I want to be radical do you know what radical means radical comes from the word radish comes from the Greek word when I say that I want to be radical it means I want to get rooted amen some of us any trial comes in you go amen it's time for us to get invested it's time for us to get rooted you have so many tools here amen I went I walk to your Bookshop oh Oneness of God my favorite mood oh New Birth my favor oh I like the Symposium holiness my goodness you got to start investing it but more than just investing it you got to hang a place that you can share it only when you can share it you know you got it amen I Lord help us I've been through lots of Bible study I still couldn't and do I take ownership of my own personal development and start coming out my own notes and some of my notes are found in UTV and then I hear about a competitive in another different way that I've never saw before I add on to my notes amen you know what I realize when I teach a Bible study I'm not afraid of questions I say Bring It On more questions better I want to see whether I know my stuff come on I want to know whether I know my stuff and every time when they they ask me a question I cannot answer I look them straight in the face good question I never thought of that I'll come back to you I'll come back to you you know I have somebody he go to the 80s website to see look for contradiction in the Bible and come and ask me every one of the questions after the third time I'm just so afraid of going in you know what he says you know what all these are rubbish because I know you are the true deal and I want to guess what happened that person was baptized in Jesus name filled with the Holy Ghost amen you see I really believe that when you get everybody involved in a Bible study you spend more time in prayer I really believe when somebody is involved in a Bible study they will read the Bible more I believe when somebody gets involved in the Harvest field come on they will study the Bible more I believe that someone who who gets involved in a Bible study will share their Joy more you know what I I let me tell you something I had the opportunity to share my testimony every time I check my testimony I Cry you know why because I still cannot believe how God Will Save Me you know you know you can't see it probably but I'm wearing a hearing aid okay I found out that my ears are bad and the doctor said he says if you don't deal with your hearing issue you are five times most likely get dementia you forgot who you are and I realized I sat down there and say the Holy Ghost hit me if you don't share your testimony with somebody else you forgot who you are how God has brought you out amen and you become religious you see there's another way of worship when we praise when we talk about Jesus how are we when I tell somebody the goodness of God I'm praising Jesus not just vertically I'm praising Jesus horizontally amen we always focus on praising vertically but when I share the goodness of God I'll tell you a story I will tell you a story how my leg had issue but again when I go to this church Jesus touched me and then you know when you start to talk about the goodness of God to somebody that's equivalent to praise amen everybody say praise God we've got job to do folks it's not that difficult I'm going to give you acronym I don't know whether I share This Acronym with you how many of you like acronym to help you remember every day if you have an acronym and you practice how to bless someone how many of you want to bless someone amen I want to learn how to bless someone B everybody say B stands for begin with prayer every day before you walk out of the room say God here I am here I am send me who do you want me to reach out L everybody say l open your ears and listen to conversations listen to people who are troubled listen to people who have tensioned listen to people who have are in transition listen e everybody say e this is my favorite eat me come on everybody can buy someone a meal right amen I love Chick-fil-A they don't have Chick-fil-A in Singapore you know when someone asked me hey where you want to go Chick-fil-A I like that chicken noodle soup amen I love you so much you don't need to give me the long horn or the Outback Chick-fil-A would do bring somebody to Chick-fil-A and then ask oh here's my favorite you serve them serve them and ask the next s and say the next s say s share your story that's all we that's what we only need you amen see both practical hey man I can do my beat amen you know it's very easy to go fishing when you if I tell you if I give you a pole now what will you do this tomorrow we're going fishing what will you do first you look for a fishing pond right you look for a good fishing pond I will tell you something the church is not a good fishing poem hello why are we fishing among each other oh I caught you you're going to have a big fishing pond Easter helicopter you're going to have a big you guys got to get ready you go to where the fish is at first thing I won't go fishing here because everybody's savior I'm going to go somewhere that there is fishes and then you know what I realized here comes a good one not every timing the fish bites so you listen transition trouble tension remember repeat after me transition trouble and tension listen you know fishermen will tell you this they can look at the pawn they can see they know the next thing that's really very important huh know your equipment fly fishing deep sea fishings are different you need to learn how to use the equipment you need to start teaching yourself how to teach home Bible study you need to teach each other how to teach home Bible study come on everybody say Amen you know what I teach a lot of discipleship classes it's boring I'm sorry it's boring but when I teach a home Bible study when I see this lady's eyes open yeah when I see people's eyes open I never saw that before and every time in a home Bible study I thought there is one critical moment that God ministers to them and they are Weeping you know at that moment I asked them you know what let me pray for you right now they can receive the Holy Ghost there we don't bring people to the church right now to receive the Holy Ghost for a few reasons because they get the Holy Ghost while we teach the Bible study amen you know what's my favorite lesson lesson number nine for us UTV Holy Ghost and I preach it in such a way that you don't want to leave home without it yeah amen I think that this is so good it will it will change your life and I start to teach it and I still remember a Bible study student came up to me Pastor I I've always asked the question before I leave is there any drink anything hindering you from receiving the Holy Ghost now now you mean God wants to give me the holy yes and the person says this pastor the way you present about the Holy Ghost is so good then how can I say no come on let's satisfied customer I have the weakness amen and I lay you my hands on this individual they receive the Holy Ghost amen I say again folks the more you invest in the kingdom of God the more you get grounded the more you invest in the kingdom of God Amen you will get less political less judgment it will cleanse your church a lot of nonsense come on everybody say Amen you know I was in the Army and I'm going to close with this story I'm going to get my wife to share her story because there's a story behind all this I don't just preach to you we have a story there was a time when in the Army you know I was supposed to go back home but then they stop us see you guys need to do this for this company and I think that it was not right for them to do it to us but anyhow I want to go home so I have to get the job done my friends were all making so much noise having new teeny justifying that I said no we shouldn't be doing we shouldn't be doing so you know what I did I didn't care about them arguing I went there and do the work I went there to do the work and my friend says hey you're making us look bad what are you doing see I don't care whether I'm making you look bad I want to go home I want to go home then they looking for a moment they say oh yeah then they start following me because we all want to go home Jesus is about to wrap this up and I want to get as many people as I can to go home this has got nothing to do with politics this has got nothing to do with position I want to go home I want to go home