Followers Fish Why we're still called to live missional lives. By Angela Olson

Someone asked me the other day when I last went fishing; I couldn’t actually remember the last time I held a fishing pole and patiently (or not-so-patiently) waited for a fish to take the bait. I don’t own a fishing pole, and despite living near a lake recently ranked best in the county for bass fishing, I’ve never tried it. I’m not against fishing; I’m glad that some people enjoy it. I’m just not one of them.

Jesus told Peter and Andrew, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19), but He was clearly not talking about fishing for slimy creatures to eat. He was inviting Peter and Andrew into the long tradition of missional living for the glory of God.

"Missional"?!

Before we go any further, let’s define a few terms. Missional is related to the word mission, which indicates a specific task adopted as one’s main purpose. It is also related to the word missionary, someone who adapts their lifestyle to best reach those around them with the truth of the Gospel. Scripture is clear that with or without the title, all of God’s people are called to missional lives: to live and share from the deep reality of a relationship with God.

Jesus was not reinventing the good news of a relationship and reconciliation with God; He was pointing to Himself as the fulfillment of the long-awaited good news. God’s ultimate plan to glorify Himself on the earth through relationships with people, created by and for His pleasure, has most often been accomplished through a people called His own. God has used His people in different ways throughout history. In each case, the people of God are charged with living missionally so that the whole world will see God’s character and enter into a relationship with Him. The how, where, and when have changed, but God’s intention to reach the ends of the earth has not.

As Ancient as Abraham

God’s explicit promise of world-wide blessing started with His call on Abraham’s life. In Genesis 12, 15, and 17, God initiates and repeats an everlasting covenant with Abraham to make him the father of many nations and to be his God. God says, “I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee” (Genesis 17:7). This promise would change the course of history.

Because of differences between our culture and Abraham’s culture, the intensity of this promise is easily unrealized. Abraham lived in a time of extreme pantheism—many gods were worshipped, and the people believed that the circumstances they experienced, whether drought, abundance, success, or failure, were the work of their gods. Neither the belief in one true God nor a basic moral foundation was in the cultural framework.

We might assume that this culture would be an unlikely starting point for God’s global plan. However, it was just this society that God used to start the process of calling and setting apart a people of His own. God was building an identity in Abraham that He would continue to build in the Children of Israel for His fame.

A Chosen Nation

God continued to form this identity as the called and redeemed in the Children of Israel. He delivered them from Egypt and taught them to follow Him. Again, He promised to make them His own people, and gave them instructions on what His covenant people should do. They were not called to follow a list of rules for ritual or religion; God’s people were called to a covenant life so that His character would be seen by the nations around them.

The Children of Israel were called to live a covenant life by extending and receiving mercy and justice. The laws of Leviticus that we may struggle to read at times gave them direct instructions on how every aspect of their lives should show God’s character. They were to take care of widows and orphans, protect the oppressed, welcome strangers, and be fair in their business dealings. They were called to value life, teach their children God’s ways, and celebrate His goodness and provision for them. Ruth is one example of a foreigner who found a relationship with God through the graciousness of His people.

By His mercy and through His power, the nations heard of God’s fame. The miracle of the Red Sea was enough to cause fear in the leaders of Edom, and make the people of Canaan and Moab tremble. When the Children of Israel reached Jericho, Rahab had heard of battle victories and the parting of the Red Sea. Joshua 2:11 records that she went so far as to say, “The Lord your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.” She recognized God’s sovereignty in both places. Through the demonstrations of His power, God proved His omniscience to someone who had no relationship with Him. Due to this, Rahab was ready to join the Children of Israel when she met them.

God's Publicists

The spread of God’s fame through a relationship with His people was not, is not, and will never be an accident or afterthought. The glory of God is the point, and His plan to reach the world through His people is referenced repeatedly throughout the Old Testament. David told Goliath that his victory would be so that the ends of the earth would know Israel’s God. Solomon’s wisdom brought people from all over to meet him. The author of Psalm 106 declared that God saved His people for His name’s sake and as a demonstration of His power.

For the first several thousand years, God’s method was to bring His people to one location, work among and through them, and let His fame echo out from a small piece of land on the Mediterranean Sea. It worked for awhile, but the method was limited to the relatively few people who could make it to Israel. God’s glory was too big for such boundaries, and He promised to send a light to the Gentiles—the rest of the world.

Over four hundred years after that promise, Jesus came to be that light, the One Who brought salvation to the ends of the earth, and fulfilled God’s promise to Abraham to bless the nations of the world. Jesus spent thirty years living under the radar, and then ministered publicly for three years. Jesus continued to demonstrate the power and mercy of God, but now in more personal and relational ways than battle victories. Finally, He demonstrated God’s ultimate love, justice, and power through His crucifixion and resurrection, paying the price for all sin.

The Church: God's Chosen People for This Time

That wasn’t the end of the story, though. God’s plan to use relationships with His people remained the same, but the manner and title changed. Instead of a theocracy, God now uses His Church. The Greek word translated church in English indicates that we are called out—called out of darkness and into the light of Jesus. Instead of moving to one central location, we are sent out to the world around us.

We are part of the Church, and we are among the youngest in a great line of God’s people. The question for us now is how to live as the children of God in a culture that seems quite similar to the pagan neighbors of the Children of Israel. Pantheism is common, and the moral basics that have been understood in past generations can no longer be assumed. We have been “called out,” and now have the privilege and challenge of living as “the sent.”

Jesus knew that we couldn’t do it alone. Just as He was sent from the Father, He sends us into the world with the promise of His Spirit. He promised to make Peter and Andrew fishers of men, and He will do the same for us. Just like the Children of Israel, we are not called to follow rules for ritual or religion. No, the task at hand is much too great for mere ritual or religion. The fame of our Father throughout the world is our mission, and wherever we are right this minute is part of the “ends of the earth” to which we are called.

Life as a Fisherperson

I hear that fishermen and women get up early, wear funny-looking gear, and spend hours without a catch for the joy of fishing. Similarly, missional living requires sacrifice and often brings discomfort for the joy of following Jesus. Postmodern Western culture generally questions the validity of “truth” advertised as such. As a result, many people need the basis of a personal relationship to believe truth. Young people are particularly open to spiritual things and may be highly aware of their own search for meaning. Spiritual exploration and whatever-works-for-me have taken the place of moral absolutes. We must be willing to engage in meaningful relationships with those who need Jesus, just like He did. Missional living in our generation will likely not look like it did a hundred years ago. Still, missional living always includes reflecting the character of God in caring for the widow and orphan, protecting the oppressed, welcoming strangers, doing business with integrity, and living holy lives.

Followers must fish. Maybe you feel about missional living like I feel about fishing—it’s a great hobby, good for people other than me. It takes too much patience to love someone and invest in a relationship with them, and sometimes, they’re not even nice! Maybe you’re near a lot of people who need Jesus, and it’s easier to look at the mass of people than to step out and meet one of them. We don’t live in the Old Testament, though, and Jesus’ instruction to make disciples in all the world is for us, not a particular individual or nation.

The called are the sent. Every nation, tribe, and tongue will be represented at the Throne of God in Heaven, and the joy of watching the nations come will be indescribable. Will you follow Jesus and live for God’s glory with the people who need Him?

Angela Olson is an elementary school teacher and a member of the Apostolic Faith Church in Seattle, Washington.