It came to pass that a group existed that called themselves fishermen. And lo there were many fish in the waters all around, in fact the whole area was surrounded by streams and lakes filled with fish. The fish were hungry, year after year there was call year after year those who called themselves fishermen met in meetings and talked about the call to fish, the abundance of fish and how they might go about fishing. Continually they searched for new and better methods of fishing and new and better definitions of fishing. They sponsored costly nation-wide and worldwide congresses to discuss fishing, promote fishing and hear about all the ways of fishing. These fishermen built large and beautiful buildings called fishing headquarters. The plea was that everyone should be a fisherman and that every fisherman should fish. One thing they didn’t do however was fish.

They organised a board to be sent out, to send out fishermen to other places where there were many fish. The board was formed by those who had the great vision and courage to speak about fishing, to define fishing and to promote fishing in far away streams and lakes where many other fish of different colours lived. Also the board hired staffs and appointed committees and held many meetings to define fishing, to defend fishing and to decide what new streams should be thought about but the staff and the committee members did not fish. Expensive training centres were built to teach fishermen how to fish. Those who taught had doctorates in fishiology but the teachers did not fish they only taught about fishing. Year after year graduates were sent to do full time fishing some to distant waters filled with fish. Further the fishermen built large printing houses to publish fishing guides. A speaker’s bureau was provided to schedule special speakers on the subject of fishing. Many have felt the call, responded and were sent to fish but like the fishermen back home they never fished.

Some said they wanted to be part of the fishing party but they felt called to furnish fishing equipment. Others felt that their job was to relate to the fish in a good way so that the fish would know the difference between a good and a bad fisherman. After one stirring message on the necessity of fishing one young man left the meeting and WENT FISHING! The next day he reported that he had caught two outstanding fish. He was honoured for his excellent catch and was scheduled to visit all the big meetings possible to tell how he did it. So he gave up fishing in order to have time to tell about the experience to all the other fishermen. He was placed on a fisherman’s general board as a person having considerable fishing experience.

Now its true that many of the fishermen sacrificed put up with all kinds of difficulties. Some lived near the water and bore the smell of dead fish every day. They received the ridicule of some that made fun of their fishermen’s clubs and the fact they claimed to be fishermen yet never fished. They wondered about those who felt it was of little value to attend the weekly meetings to talk about fishing, after all were they not following the master who said follow me and I will make you fishers of men. So imagine how hurt some of them were when someone suggested one day that those who do not catch any fish were not fishermen. You know it hurt but it did sound correct, is that person a fisherman if year after year he never catches any fish.

 "I believe it’s appropriate because the church loves to talk about evangelism but we have got to do it more than just talk about it. Now the current modern statistics of the body of Christ and remember that evangelists are not just to preach at outreaches. The main purpose of evangelists is to equip the body of Christ to do the work of the ministry in that area. The current statistics worldwide in the body of Christ is 95% of Christians never lead one other person to Christ in their entire life. Only 5% of Christians personally lead someone else to Christ in their entire life. That means 95% of believers go church regularly, get the word, get ministry, get inner healing, get outer healing, get prayed for, get counselled, get loved, get shepherded, get encouraged and yet all of that is consumed on themselves, taken in for themselves and never translates into someone else being saved. I believe the good news is this, that if we can see churches growing the way they are in South Africa with about 5% leading people to Christ what will happen when we mobilise the body of Christ to Biblical obedience, that every person who is a follower of Jesus automatically is a fisherman. If we are growing with 5% being effective what will happen when 100% of Gods people start fishing effectively there will not be buildings big enough to house the church growth. Amen."